3 Best Restaurants in Society Hill, Philadelphia

Chef Michael Solomonov’s Zahav is steeped in the milk and honey and hummus and lamb of his native Israel, as well as the cultures that have left a mark on that Promised Land. Taking advantage of its dramatic perch above one of the city's oldest streets, the restaurant relies on picture windows and soaring ceilings to create spectacle, but the open kitchen is the true stage. There, a small staff mixes and matches a melting pot of flavors for a modern menu whose highlights include colorful salatim and fluffy house-baked laffa (flatbread); kebabs of impossibly tender chicken or lamb merguez cooked over hot coals; and addictive florets of fried cauliflower served with a lemon-and-dill-spiked lebneh (yogurt cheese). The legendary smoked and pomegranate-juice-braised lamb shoulder should be reserved in advance.

Restaurateur Stephen Starr logged countless hours researching how to make the very best pizza, agonizing over the dough, oven type, ideal temperature, and every other conceivable variable. The resulting artisanal, 12-inch rounds, with ingredients like black truffle, fresh prosciutto, and earthy chanterelles, keep this cozy 80-seater overflowing with neighborhood duos and families. (No-reservations policy necessitates getting here early or late if you don’t want to wait.) All tables are good tables—each has a view of the red-and-white-tiled Neapolitan pizza oven and Headhouse Square through plenty of tall café windows.