Ellen Yin’s new Italian bar opens this month with cicchetti, spritzes, and the kind of casual aperitivo energy Philadelphia’s been missing.
Ellen Yin is opening Bar Cicci in Rittenhouse this August, and it’s not another sit-down dinner concept. Instead, it’s a casual Italian bar built around the aperitivo ritual: that pre-dinner window when Milan stops working, grabs a spritz, and eats small plates like they’re going out of style. The venue will serve cicchetti (the Venetian version of Spanish tapas), cocktails built on Italian spirits, and wines that won’t require a second mortgage.
The space includes a vintage Lambretta scooter as part of the decor, a nod to the postwar Italian aesthetic that defined the dolce vita era. It’s the kind of detail that signals Yin knows the vibe she’s chasing isn’t about theatrical plating or chef’s counter energy. Bar Cicci is designed for the 5 to 7 p.m. crowd, the after-work circuit, the people who want to drink something refreshing and eat something good without committing to three hours and a reservation made six weeks prior.
Yin’s restaurant group already operates several acclaimed concepts across Philadelphia, so the execution here likely won’t be a question. What matters is the timing: a proper aperitivo bar, done well, fills a real gap in Rittenhouse’s current roster. No kitchen theatrics, no molecular plates, no influencer bait. Just small bites, cold drinks, and the understanding that sometimes the best part of the evening is the beginning of it.
