In this episode of Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service, Gordon visits Savin Bar and Kitchen in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Savin is owned by Ken and Driscoll.
The back door has been left open for Gordon, who starts by taking out a black light.
It looks clean so he does a live bacteria test and it also comes back as clean.
In the dining room, it looks okay and he looks at the menu.
Gordon is confused by the theme of the restaurant.
His undercover surveillance is cut short by someone coming in.
It is his insider who complains the owners are just as confused about the theme.
They are not restaurant people and just like looking at the numbers.
The insider is Duvy, head chef of two restaurants that are next door to each other.
He is overworked and cannot get through to the owners.
Duvy hopes Gordon will help him bridge that gap.
The next day Gordon is in his van, watching the staff at work.
Duvy speaks a bit more of his love of cooking and that he learned from his mother to cook fresh.
His girlfriend Angelique is the General Manager for both restaurants.
She has lupus and works as hard as Duvy does.
The head bartender is Ethan.
He also works as a sous chef to help Duvy because the owners won't hire more staff.
Crystal is their server and she has been there for two years.
Gordon orders some food as takeout through Duvy.
The owners show up and they are both clueless.
One is sitting there and the other is making pointless conversation with staff, disrupting their work.
Gordon samples the food and he likes the bolognese and the kale salad.
The fries are bad and Gordon is still unsure of the theme.
He doesn’t know if it is a sports bar or a high end restaurant.
Gordon sees Duvy cooking and expediting in Savin while also receiving calls from Ghost Pepper.
He has to leave and go to the second restaurant to attend to something.
The same with Angelique, who complains that they run two businesses but have only one paycheck.
The owners do not lift a finger to help, watching the kitchen get slammed.
They are behind on orders and Angelique has to help wash dishes.
Driscoll orders some food as he is on a conference call.
Duvy is so upset that he decides he won't get priority over the waiting tickets.
Driscoll complains Duvy is too loud in the kitchen and Gordon has seen enough.
Gordon goes in to stop service and asks the customers to leave.
He has the owners and staff line up, and he tells them all that he has seen.
Driscoll tries to cover up issues, saying that Duvy has Mondays off.
Duvy counters that he works seven days a week.
Driscoll responds to Duvy, saying it was by his own choice, not mandated.
Ken and Driscoll are defensive of their methods, saying it is not exploitative to the staff.
Driscoll sends all the cameras out, telling his staff he has been accessible.
He says that no one has complained to him.
The staff all lay it all out for Driscoll, who has an answer for everything.
Angelique breaks down, and Gordon takes her outside for fresh air.
She complains that she is drained and sick of everything.
Gordon reassures her that she and Duvy are talented and they are not the problem.
Gordon sits with the owners to try and connect with them.
They were unaware Angelique had been sick and working from a hospital bed for over a month.
He finally gets them to ask how they can change and it is a start for Gordon.
Gordon meets with the owners again to take them to the biggest fish suppliers on the East Coast.
There they get their hands dirty, getting acquainted with some fish that they serve in their restaurant.
They are tasked with the process of cleaning and prepping large tuna and bass.
After the task, they are finally open to listening to their staff and recognizing their staff's talents.
After some time, the staff are trained with the bartender trained to better support Duvy.
The staff are let into the restaurant after it has been redesigned and refreshed.
The new decor includes the Italian mobster history of the restaurant.
It finally has an identity to fit in with the menu.
The owners sit with Duvy and Angelique to air the differences.
Gordon helps with negotiation on how they can be compensated for their hard work.
The owners agree but Angelique wants it in writing.
They agree on getting it done as soon as possible.
Duvy and Angelique are finally happy.
The menu has been changed to an Italian bistro.
There are samples of dishes that the owners and staff taste.
The restaurant is prepared for the reopening.
On relaunch, the customers are let in and the owners sit in a corner out of the way.
There are better systems in place.
Duvy and Angelique are thriving and are noticeably no longer frustrated.
Food is made and sent out quickly.
Gordon goes in to complement them on their efforts.
Gordon promises Angelique he will cook at their wedding once Duvy proposes.
He equally prompts Duvy to put a ring on it.
What Happened Next at Savin?
Savin is open.
They have added new items to the menu and now host theme nights.
The mobster theme has not been well received by some locals.
A petition was started to remove the images.
Reviews are very mixed.
Some love the food and service.
Others had issues with both with one saying their pasta was overcooked and dishes were unavailable.
Due to the controversial artwork there are many fake reviews.
They hosted a watch party for the episode.
They have collaborated with content creators to promote the restaurant.
Savin aired on the 20th August 2025.
The episode was filmed in March 2025 and is Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service season 1 episode 12.
All Gordon Ramsay's Secret Service Episodes
Next episode - Neighborhood Kitchen
Previous episode - Dahlak



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