278 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania, USA

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. Enjoy your espresso on the umbrella-covered 9th Street patio when the weather permits.

At this locally popular spot, some stone and brick walls, barn doors, plenty of dark wood tables, and a bar area establish a comfortable, casual atmosphere for enjoying tasty handmade pastas and other Italian dishes. Wine choices aren't extensive, but the food menus are lengthy, with lunch options including pastas and sandwiches such as a chicken parmigiana sandwich, and dinner choices like veal saltimboca and crab and lobster ravioli. Among the numerous appetizers offered at lunch and dinner are grilled octopus and tuna crudo. Antica is right on Baltimore Pike, next to Brandywine Prime, a steakhouse. It's easy to miss; if you go past Creek Road, you've gone too far. 

Far below the Ritz-Carlton's 140-foot-tall rotunda sits this Latin-inspired grill by chef Richard Sandoval, who creates meals that match the grandeur and excitement of the historic building. Many visit Aqimero for its wood-fired meats and fish, as well as its endless Champagne weekend brunch.

This charming French (Alsatian-inspired, more specifically) bistro pub satisfies both the escargot, moules frites, cassoulet, and duck-loving crowd as well as the mahi mahi and hamburger types. There's just enough atmosphere that you'll want to dress up a little and look good, but it's casual enough to always be inviting.

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 cheese boards, 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.

Southern Italian gems like arancini (risotto balls), osso buco (braised lamb shank), and spinach and artichoke canneloni (crepes) are expertly prepared at this spacious, modern trattoria. Relatively new on the scene, Beccafico delivers fine dining without frills or fuss and a reasonably priced wine list with a dozen choices by the glass. 

Meander off Route 340 a few turns up a bucolic side road to reach this farmhouse full of baked goods and canned goodies. Fresh coffee is here to go with pies, sticky buns, and muffins, as well as 12 kinds of whoopie pies and a locals-favorite shoofly pie. Shelves are lined with local preserves and pickles ripe for the picking. A play area and some petting animals keep the kids happy.

Generous portions of Italian cuisine are served in the cozy brick-walled dining room of this historic early-18th-century granary. The menu features a number of old-world classics, alongside modern versions of pasta and seafood and meat dishes like rack of lamb, grilled swordfish, and veal saltimbocca. There's a robust vegan menu available and a wide array of salads, including the popular Caesar salad made tableside. The wine list is also highly acclaimed; wine-tasting events are available, so check the website for details. 

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 or walk downstairs to the basement bar.

A relatively new addition to the Manayunk dining scene offers what may be best described as American pleasure food—shrimp and grits, short ribs, fried chicken and biscuits, and bar/bistro food standards—all prepared with inventive flourishes. Rare for the area, big windows and high ceilings provide an expansiveness and style that is both throwback and modern. The atmosphere is more party than intimate, so it's best for when you're in the mood for a lively night out, not a marriage proposal. Their brunch is also recommended.

Located along Philly's legendary Headhouse Square, Bloomsday’s modern, eclectic menu features a wide assortment of large and small plates suitable for sharing, as well as hearty, seasonal, and farm-to-table specialties like baba ghanoush, sweet-and-spicy wings, fish-and-chips, and beef stew. Fans keep returning to this friendly, stylish restaurant for the Bloomsday dry-aged burger and an array of tinned fish plates, which include sardines, tuna, mussels, and octopus. The food here is accompanied by a robust wine list, so be sure to wander into the on-site bottle shop for some lesser-known vintages.

Since 1936, this little roadside stand has been selling burgers, dogs, cheesesteaks, and homemade ice cream. Order your food at the counter and take it out to the tree-shaded picnic tables along the creek.

It's all about the ice cream, hot fudge, and homemade whipped cream at this charming ice cream parlor. They scoop Philly's own Bassetts Ice Cream (the country's oldest ice cream brand), make fabulous sundaes, and stay open late in the summer. The bakery is pretty standard.

Philadelphia chef-darling Jose Garces's beachy, fast-casual spot in the City of Brotherly Love serves Baja Peninsula–inspired fare ordered at the counter and eaten in or taken away. Tacos, burritos, and margaritas rule the menu, but Buena Bowls such as the adobo chicken and red chile short rib are good choices, too, as are the happy–hour specials.

Take a table in the tavern-like dining room or a stool at the bar for a menu of English and American classics. Welsh rarebit, fish-and-chips, or chicken-and-leek pie will power you up for an afternoon of shopping or an evening of trivia competition, or you can stick with the burger and a cask ale. There's outdoor seating in warm weather.

One of restaurateur Stephen Starr's many ventures is housed in an old wood-paneled and marbled brokerage (from which it borrows its name). Here the dishes are traditional rather than fancy (wedge salad, filet Oscar), portions are hefty, and the sides classic (green beans amandine, creamed spinach). A pair of showstopper chandeliers, a New Yorker–style mural depicting tony pooches clad in pencil skirts and smoking robes, and leather banquettes skew closely to the restaurant's avowed 1940s supper club aesthetic.

Bistro-style C'est la Vie, right in the middle of downtown, serves a mix of traditional and modern French fare in a contemporary but not fancy space. Dishes range from boeuf bourguignon to trout macaroons, and the brick-oven pizzas include a stellar fig and goat cheese pie. To accompany your meal, choose a bottle from the long list of French and other wines. If the weather's nice, get a patio table in the pretty brick alley behind Central Market.

Housed inside a former greenhouse, Cake is a refined setting for breakfast and lunch, where light streams in through the greenhouse glass and a fountain occupies the center of the room. The menu offers a number of tasty, fresh salads to complement the atmosphere, yet also serves a Philly cheesesteak marsala and a croque monsieur brushed with apricot mustard for those who want heartier fare. The sweets and pastries are still a highlight at this former bakery. 

The exterior resembles a diner, but don't be mislead: this BYO restaurant—helmed by former Marsha Brown executive chef Caleb Lentchner—serves not only breakfast and a variety of sandwiches and salads, but also locally-inspired New American fare at dinner in a country-village setting. Ladies who lunch come for the harvest chicken and "big" apple salad, avocado toast, fish tacos, or the signature burger.

Feeding Philly since the 1940s, Campo's is a respected name in the city's sandwich and cheesesteak game. Serving a variety of those traditional Philly favorites, Campo's also offers plenty of other hoagies, hot and cold sandwiches, and even a few vegan options.

A colorful mural of freewheeling Day of the Dead skeletons gives this cheerful Fairmount cantina its name, but the polished, updated antojitos (snacks), tacos (including a taco tasting menu option), and enchiladas are what will really make you happy. A deep tequila library informs the bar and cocktail list; choose from a list of margaritas in flavors like chili, adding a guacamole sampler. Weekend brunch includes hearty options like huevos rancheros and brisket enchiladas.

The décor in this Shadyside eatery is desert chic. An eclectic menu, influenced by the cuisines of southern France, Italy, Greece, Turkey, and Tunisia, includes double-cut pork chops, duck breast, and lamb osso bucco. The extensive wine list includes more than 40 labels available by the glass.

In a restored 1869 railroad hotel, this eatery is themed as a speakeasy from the Roaring '20s, with newspapers from the era and gangster portraits adding to the period flavor. Entrées include broiled crab cakes, seafood pasta, and tenderloin tips on toast, a Lancaster County tavern favorite that dates to Prohibition. The menu is huge, offering a variety of plates both big and small.

A traditional sports bar, this popular spot is worth dropping in for a casual bite or drink, as this multilevel, multiroom tavern has been serving pub grub since the 1780s. The menu has all the pub food you could want, but be sure to try the wings; they are dry-rubbed and fried to order and come hot, mild, or "3rd degree."

This local favorite, known for its varieties of pad Thai—from crispy duck to peanut-crusted scallop—and delicious soups, is a calming, flavorful escape from the noisy restaurant scene of Main Street. Enjoy seasonal specialties and lime-infused Thai sausage, po tek (a spicy seafood hot pot with basil and lemongrass) portioned for two, or the various face-flushing curries.

A surprisingly hip spot for quaint Chestnut Hill, Char and Stave serves excellent coffee and coffee drinks, while doubling as a spirits bar that's open late. Some of their drinks feature both coffee and alcohol, and they sell the coffee beans and their own spirits to go as well.

The menu at this intimate sushi bar includes traditional sushi and sashimi platters and à la carte options. If you like your food cooked, Chaya serves scrumptious gyoza (pan-fried pork-and-cabbage dumplings) as well as fried chicken and pork cutlets. Bring your own beer or wine.

This converted 1902 Catholic church offers a variety of brewed-on-site ales and lagers (the brewing equipment sits front-and-center, on what was once the altar) and a satisfying menu. The original stained-glass windows are still in place. Buffalo-and-wild-mushroom meat loaf, wood-fired pizzas, black pepper glazed pork chops, and pierogies are on the menu. The wide central aisle and kid-friendly menu make it a good place to come with children.

If a beer sounds like a refreshing break from the dry work of shopping for antiques, this brewpub will hit the spot. More than 12 taps' worth of the brewery's beers, plus local wines and spirits, wash down snacks, panini, and charcuterie plates in the indoor beer garden.