Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2025)

30%

Tomatometer

23 Reviews

82%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

A new life awaits 22-year-old Tess when she arrives friendless in New York City and lacking any specific ambitions beyond finding a job. Her charm and observational nature lead to an invitation to train at one of the city's best restaurants. She thinks it is a temporary place to wait for her life's big break, but Tess is quickly intoxicated by the people she meets and by the chaotic world behind the scenes -- tasting expensive wine, exploring dive bars, learning whom to trust. Her co-workers become her family, and through them she finds a sense of belonging that she has never encountered before.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Where to Watch

Sweetbitter — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Sweetbitter fails to live up to its well-received literary source material -- or stand out from the many big-city coming-of-age television series that came before it.

Read Critics Reviews

Critics Reviews

View All (23) Critics Reviews

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (1)

Helen Rosner

New Yorker

I was left feeling like I'd been given the wrong show...

Aug 6, 2020

Full Review

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (2)

Judy Berman

TIME Magazine

Sadly, the adaptation turned out puzzlingly flat, practically ignoring the period setting, reducing characters to vapid sketches and draining all pleasure from Danler's sensuous prose.

Dec 20, 2018

Full Review

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (3)

Alissa Wilkinson

Vox

Given the cultural obsession with looking at great food on TV screens, it seems natural that Sweetbitter would translate well to the TV screen. But alas, the Starz show feels like a shadow of its literary self.

May 25, 2018

Full Review

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (4)

Christopher James

AwardsCircuit.com

Everything from the acting to the dark, sterile art direction and cinematography robs the show of an identity. The show looks polished. However, it also feels empty.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 30, 2018

Full Review

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (5)

Alejandra Reyes-Velarde

Boston Herald

There are scenes in each episode that will resonate with fans of the novel.

May 30, 2018

Full Review

Sweetbitter: Season 1 | Rotten Tomatoes (6)

Marty Brown

Common Sense Media

Edgy coming-of-age story nails New York restaurant life.

Rated: 4/5

May 23, 2018

Full Review

Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (26) audience reviews

Andrei D Simple and often well crafted Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 06/11/24 Full Review huddy k I thought the show opened well but im guessing there are some secrets that i have yet to see. It also brings me back to when I moved to New York at 19 ....although i had transfered to NYU and stayed in my stepbrothers Tribeca loft so im hoping this show grows in to the potential i think it can Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Best show to come to Starz! Shows a somewhat real representation of the server life that most people don't know or wouldn't understand. Sucks to see it go STARZ!!! Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member 0.5 stars is correct. Due to the big name behind this show, I was willing to give it another chance but to be honest, it's boring Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member The glorification of killing animals for food in one of the episodes was enough to make me turn it off. They literally killed a pig in an episode with a stun gun and then gutted it. Obviously the writer is going for shock value rather than story. Boring and quite appalling. Zero stars. We need to stop animal abuse not glorify it. Shameful. Killing an animal for a silly tv show. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Audience Member Love this show! I hope there is a season 3 Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 01/09/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Sweetbitter — Season 1

My Rating

Read More Read Less POST RATING WRITE A REVIEW EDIT REVIEW

Cast & Crew

Stephanie Danler Creator Ella Purnell Tess Tom Sturridge Jake Caitlin FitzGerald Simone Jasmine Mathews Heather Evan Jonigkeit Will

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired May 6, 2018 Salt Tess, a 22-year-old, moves to New York City without friends or a specific ambition; after an interview at one of the best restaurants, she's invited to train there; Tess attempts to keep up while observing her new co-workers. Details Episode 2 Aired May 13, 2018 Now Your Tongue Is Coded When Tess forgets her wallet at the restaurant, she goes back to discover what happens after-hours; Simone teaches her about the coding of tongues, leading Tess to become even more enthralled by Simone. Details Episode 3 Aired May 20, 2018 Everyone Is Soigné Tess meets Serena, an alumna of the restaurant who married one of their wealthiest guests; Serena and Simone were best friends and, to Tess, Serena has the perfect life; Simone teaches Tess not to believe everything she sees. Details Episode 4 Aired May 27, 2018 Simone's Tess has a day off and decides to go to Simone's apartment unannounced; after Simone invites Tess into her world, her abrupt expulsion leaves Tess lonelier than ever. Details Episode 5 Aired Jun 3, 2018 Weird Night Tess arrives at the restaurant in high spirits but soon realizes it's a night where everything will go wrong; Tess and Sasha embark on a drug-fueled night of adventure to burn off stress, until the night takes a turn. Details Episode 6 Aired Jun 10, 2018 It's Mine After partying until sunrise, Tess is not in an ideal state for her exam; the day's events make her question if it is really worth it. Details

More Like This

View All Popular TV on Streaming

Becoming Elizabeth 81% 78% Becoming Elizabeth TRAILER for Becoming Elizabeth P-Valley 95% 94% P-Valley TRAILER for P-Valley Counterpart 100% 89% Counterpart TRAILER for Counterpart Vida 100% 85% Vida TRAILER for Vida Survivor's Remorse 97% 76% Survivor's Remorse Discover more movies and TV shows. View More

Related TV News

View All Related TV News

The Best and Worst Reviewed Television Series of 2018 by Network and Streaming Service

Videos

View All videos

Sweetbitter — Season 1

Sweetbitter: Season 1 Teaser - This One Is Different