Rittenhouse & Fittler Square
- Friday Saturday Sunday: This restaurant didn't win the
James Beard Oustanding Restaurant award in 2023 for no reason.
Exactly what you want out of a New American tasting menu – course after course of "How did they do that?"
[21st and Spruce, $$$$, ★] - Huda: Milk-Bun sandwiches. Like nothing I've ever had before, you've gotta try it.
[18th and Ludlow, $$, ★] - Trattoria Carina: Italian food in a fantastic location. Best
in the summer, when there's plentiful outdoor seating.
[22nd and Spruce, $$$] - My Loup: Nominally French, but it's really whever Chef Amanda Shulman
decides they're into on that given day. Significant raw bar options.
[20th and Walnut, $$$] - Parc: A massive, dependable, French bistro. Good for all occasions. Think
Balthazar or Le Diplomate.
[18th and Locust, $$$] - The Dandelion: Previously thought to be impossible, The Dandelion
proves that English food can be made to taste good.
[18th and Sansom, $$] - Bar Bombón: Vegan versions of Latin American food's greatest hits. Bar
Bombón's main attraction is its (very cute) bar, which sports
an impressive collection of Latin Amercan liquor.
[18th and Moravian, $$] - Rouge: For when Parc is full.
[18th and Locust, $$$] - a.kitchen: Another restaurant in the Ellen Yin empire. Great
cocktails available in the attached bar.
[18th and Walnut, $$$] - Ambrosia: Adorable Italian BYOB tucked between two old
brick buildings by the river. Probably not run by the mob, unlike many Italian BYOs.
[18th and Locust, $$$] - Via Locusta: Family style modern Italian food, part of the
Schulson empire. Handmade pasta, fun appetizers, cocktails.
[18th and Locust, $$$] - Bolo: Inventive takes on traditional Latin-American food, and rum-centric drinks. Service was poor the day I went, but they'd just been nominated for a James Beard award, so I'll allow it.
[20th and Locust, $$$] - Rosy's Taco Bar: Party central.
[22nd and Walnut, $$] - Village Whiskey: High-quality pub food, prepared with
care. Extensive whiskey selection, as the name suggests.
[20th and Sansom, $$] - Masala Kitchen: Indian street food, specializing in kati rolls.
Those in a position to know say it's extremely authentic.
[20th and Chestnut, $] - 1 Tippling Place: Cocktail bar with a nondescript entrance. Inside,
you'll find refined cocktails in a parlor setting: big leather armchairs, oil paintings, the works.
[20th and Chestnut, $$$] - Andra Hem: "Scandanavian inspired" cocktail bar. Very neatly done
space. Menu was inventive, but the kitchen was closed so we couldn't try any food.
[16th and Chancellor, $$$] - Harp & Crown: The real star of Harp & Crown is the space: 30-foot
vaulted ceilings, a de-industrialized vibe, and a downstairs bowling alley & speakeasy.
The menu tries a bit too hard to be interesting, but everything we had was quite good.
[15th and Sansom, $$$] - DanDan: High end Sichuan restaurant. Not the most authentic,
according to those in a position to know.
[16th and Sansom, $$$] - SouthGate: Korean-American Gastropub. Weird combo, but it really works.
[18th and Lombard, $$]
Old City
- Zahav: Yes, it really is that good. Legendary Israeli cuisine
that 100% lives up to the hype. There's not much I could say
about Zahav that hasn't already been said.
[22nd and Walnut, $$$$, ★] - Forsythia: Modern French. Truly inventive and fun menu backed
up by fantastic service.
[2nd and Chestnut, $$$, ★] - Amada:
Modern spins on classic Spanish tapas & other plates. Don't miss the lamb meatballs.
[2nd and Chestnut, $$$] - Fork: Refined New American food. Owned and operated by the
legendary Ellen Yin,
one of Philly's many great restauranteurs (and Penn alumnus!).
[3rd and Market, $$$] - Tuna Bar: Standard higher-end-but-not-omakase Japanese restaurant. Good but pricey fish.
[2nd and Race, $$$]
Logan Square & Fairmount
- Musette: Delightful cafe with great coffee, pastries, and
tartines. Also a hub for the local cycling community, if you're into that sort of thing.
If I'm not at the office, I'm probably at Musette.
[25th and Aspen, $$, ★] - Bad Brother: Gastropub, emphasis on the gastro.
[24th and Aspen, $$, ★]
Graduate Hospital & Point Breeze
- PHS Pop Up Garden: a
beer garden (emphasis on the garden) run by the Philadelphia Horticultural Society. My preferred outdoor bar
in center city.
[15th and South, $$, ★] - Loco Pez: Standard east-coast Mexican food. Better than Rosy's. The best Loco Pez of the three.
[20th and Bainbridge, $$] - Pub and Kitchen: Gastropub with an eclectic set of
appetizers and small plates.
[20th and Lombard, $$] - American Sardine Bar: Gastropub with an extremely
eclectic set of appetizers and small plates.
[18th and Federal, $$] - Mom Mom's Kitchen: Pierogis and other Polish fare, served through
a window.
[15th and South, $$] - Jet Wine Bar: Casual wine bar with a surplus of outdoor seating.
[15th and South, $$]
Washington Square West
-
Double Knot: The Sushi offering of the Schulson restaurant
group. Intimidatingly large menu, shared with Sampan next door.
[13th and Sansom, $$$, ★] -
Sampan: The Modern Pan-Asian offering of the Schulson restaurant group. Intimidatingly large menu, shared with Double Knot next door.
[13th and Sansom, $$$, ★] -
Kiddo: Outstanding "Vegetable-forward" restaurant. Not vegetarian, not vegan, but a secret third thing. One half of the chef/owner duo
is formerly of Musette, so you know it's good.
[11th and Pine, $$$, ★] -
Bud and Marilyns: Southern comfort food, but with a slightly odd,
vaguely retrofuturist vibe. Good fried chicken.
[12th and Locust, $$] -
Talula's Garden: Sizable portions at sizable cost. Cheese plate was
fun, but the meal was lacking for how much we paid.
[7th and Locust, $$$] -
Wishbone: Slightly polarizing pretzel-breaded fried chicken. I happen to love it.
[13th and Locust, $] -
Middle Child: Sandwiches in a diner-style venue. Always packed, always a wait, always worth it.
[11th and Locust, $$] -
Oloroso: Tapas. Come hungry, you'll want to try everything.
[11th and Walnut, $$$] -
Caribou Cafe: Stereotypical French. The vibes are better than the food, but if you want to feel
like you're in a Tintin book, look no further than Caribou Cafe.
[12th and Walnut, $$]
Chinatown
-
Sang Kee: A veritable Chinatown institution (rightly) famous
for its duck.
[9th and Vine, $$] -
Cilly Chicken Rice: My (very welcome) introduction to Hainanese chicken rice.
Big fan!
[10th and Race, $$]
Queen Village, Bella Vista, East Passyunk
-
River Twice: Seafood-centric tasting menu,
very relaxed and welcoming for the (high) price point. All seven courses were masterfully done.
[East Passyunk and Tasker, $$$$] -
Sakana: Incredible omakase with an extremely unassuming storefront.
[6th and South, $$$$] -
Fiorella: Pasta bar, located in beautiful space formerly home to
a century-old sausage shop. Rich and buttery pasta dishes will leave you very full and happy.
[8th and Christian, $$$] -
4th Street Deli: Historic and preserved Jewish
deli.
The food rivals that of the great NYC delis, but the prices do too.
[4th and Bainbridge, $$$] -
Tabachoy: Tiny and casual Filipino BYOB in Bella Vista. Small
menu, big portions.
[10th and Carpenter, $$] -
Neighborhood Ramen: Casual sit-down ramen. Not that many options, but they're good at what they do.
[3rd and Bainbridge, $$] -
Ba Le Bakery: Vietnamese bakery, serving the best Banh Mi in Philly.
[6th and Washington, $$]
University City & West Philly
- Local 44: My favorite bar in West Philly. Good for drinks,
drinks & dinner, or just dinner. Extensive vegan and vegitarian options, open late, and far enough west that
it's mostly free of undergrads. You'll meet all sorts at Local 44.
[44th and Spruce, $$, ★] - Sunset Social @ Cira Green: Bar and snacks in a public,
rooftop park overlooking the Schuylkill, the Center City skyline, and much of South Philly. Cira is the
default destination for Penn CS PhD student drinks-after-work.
Entry is free, food and drink are overpriced --- you're paying for the fantastic view and fun vibes.
[30th and Chestnut, $$] - Walnut Street Café: Brunch spot in the base of the FMC
tower. A bit of an instagram-trap, but a fine option for brunch west of the river.
[30th and Chestnut, $$] - Renata's Kitchen: A hodge-podge of Mediterranean &
Middle-Eastern food. Doesn't quite know what it wants to be, but succeeds at what it's doing nonetheless.
Rec is mostly for the location.
[40th and Baltimore, $$] - White Dog Café: A Penn staple. The decor is dog-themed, but the
classic, farm-to-table american cuisine is much better than dog food.
[34th and Sansom, $$$] - K-Pod: Small-plates Korean food, very conveniently located
next to Penn.
The ``pods'' which give the restuarant its name feature RGB lighting that can be changed by pressing buttons
on the walls of the pod.
[35th and Sansom, $$$] - Loco Pez: Standard east-coast Mexican food. Better than Rosy's. One of
three – the one in Grad Hospital has better vibes, but the food is the same.
[47th and Baltimore, $$]
Fishtown and Northern Liberties
-
Suraya: Serving the food of The Levant. Suraya will forever
attract Zahav comparisons, which is a shame because it's a fantastic restaurant that can stand on its own two
feet.
[Frankford Ave and Marlborough, $$$, ★] -
Kalaya: Plenty of ink has been spilled about Kalaya. It's as good as they say. Nothing is as spicy as your server's warnings will make it sound.
[Frankford Ave and W. Palmer, $$$, ★]
Far Northeast
-
Gamarjoba: Craig LaBan says this is Philly's best Georgian restauraunt,
and I concur (having been to none of the others).
[Just Uber To It, $$]
💀: Former Philly Restuarants
- Abe Fisher: Inventive takes on the traditional cuisine of the
Ashkenazi Jewish diaspora.
[17th and Sansom, $$$, ★, Closed in 2023]