Philadephia restaurants
 

My husband and I are in Philadelphia weekend of November 16. Staying at the Rittenhouse 1715. Would appreciate recommendations for dining. Something unique to Philly, we like all kinds of cuisine. Thanks already for any suggestions.

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Close to Rittenhouse? Anything in Center City? Any area? ((*))

When you say unique to Phila. do you mean the type of food, etc????????

We just spent a weekend in Philly recently and really enjoyed Branzino on 17th St. This is a mediterreanean BYOB with strong emphasis on seafood.

Also ate at Amada in Old City. This is a Spanish Tapas restaurant. They have a "tasting menu" for $45 per person which was very creative, tasty, and filling. They brought roughly 8-9 different items, each very unique. The wine was pretty expensive which ran up the total bill quite a bit, but definitely worth it for a unique dining experience.

We enjoyed both a lot.

For somethng a little different, you could try the Victor Cafe. The waiters and waitresses sing opera while serving. I'd categorize the food as good but not great.

I have eaten at Amada twice and it is the best restaurant in the world (and I'm from NYC and lived in Chicago so I have been to some great restaurants)!

In Rittenhouse area I really like Barclay Prime (of the Steven Starr Restaurant Group) , Brasserie Perrier (his upscale place is Le Bec Fin), Rouge, Alma De Cuba (also Steven Starr) and Susannah Foo (very famous Philly upscale Chinese). Victor's is a fun place, but the food is not very good....if you want some better south Philly Italian try Villa Di Roma (and I know people who like Ralph's)...also near there for breakfast is Sabrina's...yum!! If you want more of that old Philly feel you could head to Old City to The City Tavern, but I can't speak for the food...haven't eaten there in years, but at least worth a stop for a drink. You could from there go up South Street and get a cheesesteak at Jim's.

Philly is also known for BYOB's, there is a great one called Bistro La Viola that I get to every time I go home.

Also Buddakan and Continental. Brunch at Rouge or Bleu.

I second the vote for Buddakan. GREAT food and service.

We are in Philly quite often. In my view, if you want 'unique to Philly' try Villa di Roma. Get down to South Street during the daylight to see the markets in action. Stop and see some street murals on the way (consult the website to prepare.) Visit Di Bruno's, 930 S Ninth St., just to see all the foods on display and you can buy a selection of olives. Nearby, you will find the Villa. Ask the waitress for help to make some selections - she will have done it many times before. Plan to share what you've ordered. Somewhere along the way you will have had a little taste of the unique Philadelphia.

I think GBC meant "9th St.," not "South St.," for open-air markets.

I'm not a fan of Villa di Roma, but if you're interested in basic Italian food (what some people call "red-gravy houses"), Villa is OK. Tre Scalini is much better.

We loved Apamate on South between 16th and 17th--on the South side of the street. It's BYOB, tapas-style, lots of fun...wish I could remember our waiter's name; he was fabulous.

We didn't have a bad meal on our visit to Philly but by far our favorite was Villa di Roma and we felt is it fit "unique to Philly." The food was simple but wonderful--best meatballs ever--and the asparagus and shrimp scampi were delicious. Wish we could go again!

Bleu on Rittenhouse Sq. is long gone.