Stephen Starr is bringing his unique brand of gourmet cuisine to Rittenhouse Square. The celebrated restaurateur will be opening an Italian trattoria in autumn of 2024, reports The Philadelphia Business Journal.
Starr intends for the as-of-yet-unnamed restaurant, planned for the first two floors of 1805 Walnut Street, to be an “Italian version of Parc”. Starr enthusiasts will identify Parc as his celebrated French bistro at 18th and Locust. Like Parc, the entrepreneur’s new concept will bring a certain European romance to the busy Philadelphia streets.
The new restaurant will take over the space vacated by the Rittenhouse Barnes and Noble. The establishment will provide seating for 70 in a ground floor cafe. The rear of the building will contain an 18-seat bar and a restaurant that can accommodate up to 80 guests. Visitors hoping to enjoy the sights of the Rittenhouse neighborhood can request seating at one of the 80 seats on the balconied second floor. The second story will also have a 14-seat bar.
Starr also intends to make good use of the location’s outdoor space. He will be requesting approval to turn 10 feet of sidewalk into 32-seat cafe.
While the restaurant does not have a definitive timeline, construction is set to begin in January of 2024. However, before this can commence, the plans will be presented to the city’s Zoning Hearing Board on November 1. Starr’s acclaim, esteem, and success rate virtually guarantees the proposal’s approval.
