Loading...
-
$$$$ | Rittenhouse Square | Modern American
Smoke, coal, fire, and ash create a through-line for the menu at a.kitchen in the ground floor of the AKA Hotel. Attired in blonde wood and Carrera marble, it looks like a spa in the Italian Alps, and its Rittenhouse address guarantees a scene, but the recent involvement of High Street Hospitality (Fork, High Street on Market) and chef Jon Nodler have transformed it into a "Serious Restaurant" with an ace sommelier and a coals-seared beef tartare that cannot be missed.
135 S. 18th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, USA
-
$$$$ | Old City | American
Happy sounds have always emanated from diners in this comfortable, elegant eatery, but the menu of modern American fare went from tasty to transcendental when Eli Kulp took over the kitchen in early 2012. The chef is known for his innovative pastas, love of local meats, and mastery of fermentation. Sit as far back in the restaurant as possible to watch Kulp and his colleagues at work in the open kitchen.
306 Market St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sat.
-
$$$ | Old City | American
This sunny, clean-cut younger sibling of perennial favorite, Fork, is half clubhouse for its Old City neighbors, half food tourist magnet (thanks to a flood of national press). Open all day, grain-brained High Street will take you from cortados and kougin-amans in the morning to duck liver meatball sandwiches in the afternoon to creative alt-flour pastas—matcha lasagna anyone?—at night. Eli Kulp is the acclaimed chef and partner, but the secret weapon is bread prodigy Alex Bois, a veteran of Sullivan Street bakery in New York. The James Beard Award Rising Star nominee just got a brand-new, double-deck MIWE oven, and his loaves have never been better.
308 Market St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, USA
-
$ | South Philadelphia | Sandwiches
Housed in a cinder-block bunker along a derelict railroad crossing, John’s is the quintessential purveyor of roast pork sandwiches. Newbies and lifers line up in a zigzag along the counter and grab seats at the picnic tables outside. The signature pork is juicy, garlicky, and herbaceous; sharp provolone and sautéed spinach (no broccoli rabe here) are de rigueur. John’s incidentally makes the city’s best cheesesteak, too, and if you’re up and exploring early, fantastic breakfast sandwiches lined with fluffy eggs and deep-fried pucks of scrapple.
14 E. Snyder Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19148, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun.
-
$ | Fishtown | Café
When real estate agents want to sell house-hunters on Fishtown, they take them to the new world headquarters of La Colombe, a combination café, bakery, roaster, distillery, and neighborhood clubhouse that would make Noah’s Ark look like a canoe. Artsy graffiti covers the crusty brick walls, and communal tables stream down the center of the space. You order at the counter: savory scones, sandwiches on excellent baguettes, kale salad, and coffee, of course. Ask for a Black & Tan (half Pure Black cold-brew, half nitro-draught latte) and no one will know you’re not a local.
1335 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19125, USA
-
Recommended Fodor’s Video
-
-
$$$$ | Rittenhouse Square | Eclectic
Jonathan Cichon has proven himself to be a worthy successor to this luxe establishment and one who forges his own way with graceful dishes using seasonal, prestige ingredients. He is bigger on elegance and shorter on whimsy than his predecessors, with dishes like foie gras with mango, scallop terrine, and veal cheeks with coconut, carrot, and plum. Combined with a 500-plus-label cellar of high-end bottles and a gorgeous dining room overlooking Rittenhouse Square, a meal here is guaranteed to be one of your most memorable. There's also the $75 blowout Sunday brunch—a tremendous value, believe it or not.
210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, USA
-
$ | University City | Lebanese
Housed into a former bank building in the Spruce Hill area of West Philly, Manakeesh specializes in the Lebanese flatbread of the same name. Served warm from the oven, the puffy, round loaves come with both traditional toppings (za’atar, kafta) and unorthodox ones (B.E.C., cheesesteak), which speak to the diverse crowd of university types and transplants from the Middle East that fill the lounge-y, tapestry-lined space. Encased behind glass along the front counter, pistachio baklava cut in a dozen different shapes glitter like jewelry. A box makes an excellent take-home treat. Note that the bakery closes briefly on Friday afternoons.
4420 Walnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed 1–2:15 Fri.
-
$$ | East Passyunk | Italian
One of the longest-tenured restaurants on East Passyunk, this wood-paneled red-gravy hall dates back to the 1920s and oozes South Philly charm. Listen carefully, and you can hear the thwack of the chefs pounding veal cutlets for gigantic Parmigianas over the chatter of the been-there-forever waitresses. The cocktail list has changed so little, it doesn’t even realize its Rob Roys and Rusty Nails are back in style.
1734 E. Passyunk Ave., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19148, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.
-
$ | Chinatown | Malaysian
The juxtaposition of bamboo and exposed pipes is indicative of the surprising mix of flavors in this perennially busy restaurant. A taste of India creeps into a scintillating appetizer of handkerchief-thin crepes served with a small dipping dish of spicy chicken curry. Other preparations are redolent of flavors from several other Asian countries. Soups with various types of noodles are unusual, tasty, and filling.
117 N. 10th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, USA
-
$$ | Rittenhouse Square | Modern American
Pub & Kitchen has been a favorite since it opened in 2009, but the food has never been better since chef Eli Collins relocated here from Daniel Boulud's empire a couple years ago. From house-baked whisky-sage bread to gnudi crafted with local ricotta to a kick-ass cheeseburger, Collins can really cook. But even if he couldn't, locals would flock to this energetic saloon to unwind with friends or catch the game. In what used to be a dive bar, P&K is an unpretentious, attractive hangout with hardwood floors, exposed brick walls, tables fashioned from reclaimed floor joists, and familiar rock music playing from the speakers.
1946 Lombard St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19146, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
-
-
$ | Chinatown | Eclectic
When the Reading Company opened its train shed in 1892, it was the only one in the country with a market tucked away in its cellar. The trains are long gone, but the food remains. And while disagreeing over the best cheesesteak is a popular pastime in Philly, pretty much everyone can agree on pancakes at the Dutch Eating Place, the roast pork sandwich at DiNic's, whoopie pies at the Flying Monkey, and double chocolate-chip cookies at Famous 4th Street. Recent years have seen worthy newcomers to the entrenched mix: German deli Wursthaus Schmitz, Valley Shepherd Creamery's grilled cheese counter, and La Divisa Meats, for example. Get here early to beat the lunch rush. Seventy-five-minute tours every Wednesday and Saturday highlight the market's history and offerings (call 215/545–8007 to make a reservation).
12th and Arch Sts., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, USA
View Tours and Activities
-
$ | South Philadelphia | Modern American
Once upon a time, before South Philly was home to the city’s hottest zip codes, a little wood-clad tavern named South Philadelphia Tap Room opened with a roster of local, craft beers in the largely Miller-Coors enclave. Twelve years later, the Newbold neighborhood has grown up around this catalyst (SPTR’s owner actually coined the name), and the bar has established a reputation for sourcing some of the best and most exclusive beers around the country. Longtime chef Scott Schroeder is one of the city’s most underappreciated; on his menu you can count on grilled halloumi snacks, assertively seasoned salads, and bluefish that will make you love bluefish. Local, organic produce and meats are the focus, served with none of the associated boasting.
1509 Mifflin St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19145, USA
-
$ | East Passyunk | Mexican
Benjamin Miller and Cristina Martinez have moved their popular weekend taco cart into a permanent no-frills space populated with an industry crowd, Mexican families, food bloggers, and local artists like Isaiah Zagar, whose signature mosaics encrust the restaurant’s facade. The weekend-only hours have are now supplemented by weekday lunch hours, too. The couple’s namesake specialty remains the same: barbacoa, the succulent, slow-cooked lamb of Martinez’s homeland. Miller and Martinez chop the meat with a cleaver and pile it on fluffy corn tortillas, which you top at the salsa station with cactus paddle rajas, onion-laced jalapeno escabeche, chopped cilantro, and fresh lime. Wash 'em down with pastel, tropical fruit aguas frescas in summer and warm, thick, animal-cracker atoles in the winter. Go early; though open until 5 on weekends, they often sell out by 3 pm.
1702 S. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19148, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. No dinner
-
$ | Chinatown | Vietnamese
Owner Benny Lai took what started as a noodle shop founded by his immigrant parents, bought up the building and the surrounding property, and turned it into a chic restaurant with an upstairs lounge serving small plates and wacky cocktails like the Flaming Volcano (two straws included). In the dining room the best bets are the crispy spring rolls, salted squid, barbecue platter, and soups with rice noodles. Don't get this excellent restaurant confused with the not-excellent Vietnam Palace across the street.
221 N. 11th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19107, USA
-
$$$$ | Old City | Spanish
Since his debut with Amada in 2005, chef-restaurateur Jose Garces has opened three more restaurants in the city, all of them instant and enduring hits. The young Ecuadorian-American chef has taken Philadelphia by storm, and it was at Amada where he set the stage for his modus operandi of elevating authentic regional cuisine with choice ingredients and a modern touch. On offer are more than 60 tapas, each one worth trying, especially the white-bean stew with escarole and chorizo, and the flatbread topped with fig jam, Spanish blue cheese, and shredded duck. Ingredients—including glorious cheeses—are sourced from northern Spain. The large, festive front room can skew loud; for a quieter meal, ask for a table in the second dining room, beyond the open kitchen.
217–19 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekends
-
-
$ | Bella Vista | Café
When you're ready for an atmospheric break, stop by Anthony's Italian Coffee House in the heart of the Italian Market. Here, to the strains of Frank Sinatra, you can sample a fresh panino with prosciutto and mozzarella or indulge in homemade cannoli or gelato imported from Italy.
903 S. 9th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19147, USA
-
$$ | Center City East | Mediterranean
This buzzing Mediterranean tapas joint has inspired an almost religious devotion among nearly every demographic of Philadelphian. Diners happily stuff themselves into the cramped tables at this long, narrow eatery for a fix of the goat-cheese board, the egg-and-truffle pizza, and the house-made charcuterie. But above all, the salted caramel budino (a classic Italian pudding)—with so much demand, chef Marcie Turney figured out how to sell it online in a six-pack and turn it into ice cream pops in the summer—is heavenly. If you don't have a reservation, try and snag the bar and chef's counter, which are first-come, first-served.
110 S. 13th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch Sun.
-
$$$ | Bella Vista | French
The cheery atmosphere inside the long, narrow bistro and in the outside courtyard illuminated by candles and twinkling strings of lights exudes warmth and attention to detail, from the flea-market knickknacks picked out by Chef Peter Woolsey and his French wife in Burgundy to the ceramic pitchers of house wine delivered to your table. Woolsey studied at the Cordon Bleu, fell in love with French food, culture, and his wife, a Frenchwoman, and came back to his native Philadelphia to share the bistro experience with his countrymen. The place has quickly become a neighborhood favorite, with regulars swearing by some standouts including the Alsatian-style Flammenkuchen appetizer of caramelized onions, bacon lardoons, and crème fraîche on flatbread; the perfectly simple lemon sole in white-wine butter sauce; and the light and airy beignets that speak to Woolsey's extensive training as a pastry chef.
623 S. 6th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19147, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch weekdays
-
$$ | Rittenhouse Square | Irish
Converted from a private club with blacked-out windows, this Dublin-style pub has been packing them in for rivers of Irish draft and kitchen specialties. Guinness-battered fish-and-chips could have been produced on the "auld sod," and the malt vinegar to sprinkle over it all does little to dampen the crisp crust. The first-floor bar is noisy and spirited—show up before happy hour to snag a seat—but the mood gets a bit quieter as you climb the steps to the dining room.
247 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19103, USA
-
$ | Old City | Fast Food
Enter the Bourse and you're in another century. The skylighted Great Hall, with its Corinthian columns, marble, wrought-iron stairways, and Victorian gingerbread details, has been magnificently restored. Built in 1895 as a stock exchange, it now houses shops and a food court, where you can grab a cup of cappuccino or a Philly cheesesteak. The food court at the Bourse offers a voucher program and box lunch options for large groups or tours which make arrangements ahead of time.
5th St. across from Liberty Bell Pavilion, 111 S. Independence Mall E, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, USA
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. Dec.–Feb. No dinner