With the opening of the new, chic Hotel Anna & Bel in Fishtown also came the addition of fresh eating and drinking locales—like chef/partner Tyler Akin’s Bastia.
The Corsican and Sardinian-inspired restaurant began service this past summer in August, but already, has seen some accolades come their way. For one, ‘Esquire’ dubbed the spot a “Best New Restaurant in America” for 2024, plus the Wall Street Journal hailed the venue as “redefining hotel dining.”
The space itself is located right off the lobby of Anna & Bel, and it blends seamlessly with the hotel’s clean, stylish and distinctive design. The menu takes Philadelphians to a bit more of a worldly environment, with a celebration of Mediterranean cuisine.
“Our talented team is eager to explore some less-familiar corners of the Mediterranean and chart a course that feels fresh,” shared Akin at the time of opening. “With food and drinks alike, we want to take our guests off the beaten path just a bit and dive into the bright, nuanced flavors of these rugged and beautiful islands.”
To start off, Bastia features a cocktail menu with both spirited and mocktail options. The former features their take on some classic sips (like a tropical-inspired winter negroni, a savory spin on a French 75, an updated take on a spritz and more). Non-alcoholic wise, drinks span a blood orange or lemon soda concoction, a spritz and a no-abv negroni.
If the drinks set the stage for incorporating fresh and earthy components (you’ll see menu ingredients like bay leaf cocchi, honeydew, pistachio and even the house’s own red bitter blend with different sips), the food side of the coin brings a marriage of land and sea—with quite a tasty result.
The stand-out on the menu is absolutely the skate cheeks with polenta, jimmy nardello brown butter crisp and bronze fennel ($24.) The taste and ingredients blend so well, even the pickiest of eaters and seafood naysayers will likely enjoy this dish—it’s that good.
Other tempting bites span the pomelo and blood orange with burrata hazelnuts and dark chocolate ($20) and the maquis herb pork belly with roasted new potato and pane carasau ($39.) With the former, the fruit component changes seasonally (for example, a few weeks ago grapes were incorporated into the dish), and with the latter, Bastia shows off their skill with a simple yet delectable option.
Philadelphians can also sink their teeth into a crescent farm duck breast with butternut squash, pepita gremolata and mosto d’uva ($42), a whole orata with sorrel pesto and tapenade ($36), sea urchin butter tartine with grilled octopus and salsa verde ($25), honeycrisp apples with tomme, lonzu, tarragon and honey ($18), plus a variety of mouth-watering handmade pastas.
Noodle-wise, expect to find storzapretti ricotta dumplings with guanciale and arrabbiata ($27) trofie with mushrooms, marjoram and pine nuts ($27) fregola with pemaquid mussels, persimmon, saffron and lardo ($28) and malloreddus with wild boar, chestnut and oregano ($30) on the menu. Those who head to Bastia on the weekends can also find brunch (Saturday and Sunday only from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.) with menu items spanning green shakshuka, a Nicoise sandwich and more, alongside a fulsome coffee program powered by Rival Bros.
Chef Akin serves as a partner for the venue, and some may recognize the local culinary connoisseur from past endeavors like Philly’s Res Ipsa, D.C.’s Greek-Mediterranean restaurant Komi, and his other current fine dining establishment, Le Cavalier at the historic Hotel Du Pont in Delaware.
On the bar-side, Akin also partnered up with Beverage Director Benjamin Kirk (they/them) to develop the drink offerings. As a release notes, Ben brings a dynamic lens to the bar, having spent time working at acclaimed establishments Cure, Morcilla, and Bar Marco in Pittsburgh, before their recent role as Beverage Manager at Wm. Mulherin’s Sons in Philadelphia.
Those who want a little more on the libation-side of things can also head to Caletta, Bastia’s sister cocktail lounge and piano bar (also located in Hotel Anna & Bel.) Bastia offers a great environment to sip and savor every ounce of its menu, whereas Caletta is a bit more of an easy, breezy and fun way to enjoy some cocktails, hear some music and try some Italian bar snacks.
“We’ve taken some room to play and explore with the beverage program, and every drink on the menu was crafted with the purpose to surprise and delight, using unconventional ingredients and techniques that push the boundaries of what a cocktail can be,” added Benjamin Kirk in a statement.
Spirited sippers span their take on an Apple-Tini (the Maria Carta), a rum and mezcal-inspired old-fashioned (titled Cachi: The Tree of Peace), and a honey nut squash creation with turmeric leaf infused Genever, Aquavit, Creme de Cacao, L’Herboriste, Amari, bitter honey simple syrup and lemon (aka Cicero Can’t Hang.) A full menu of offerings which spans more cocktails, mocktails, beer and wine can be found online.
Food-wise at Caletta, visitors can pair their drinks with a veal cutlet ($22), frites ($12), cheeseburger ($22), hamachi crudo ($20) and more. The piano bar programming there also consists of a rotation of local and visiting musicians, with some evenings featuring live performances and others offering an open invitation for hotel guests to join in and play.
Caletta is open Wednesday through Saturday from 4 to 11 p.m., and Sunday from 4 to 10 p.m. featuring an industry night. The bar welcomes walk-in guests and does not take reservations. Bastia is open Wednesday through Sunday with the bar opening at 4 p.m. and dinner service running 5 to 11 p.m. To find out more information, visit bastiafishtown.com and calettafishtown.com
