63 Best Restaurants in Pennsylvania, USA

What was once a Rittenhouse institution is now a Rittenhouse darling after the restaurant was sold to husband-and-wife team Chad and Hanna Williams and revitalized as a warm yet elevated space with boundary-pushing but still familiar food and drinks. The new American fare ranges from a curated raw bar, featuring oysters and caviar, to delicate pastas coated in punchy sauces with proteins like lobster and pork cheek. Equal attention is given to the bar, which offers well-thought-out cocktails that look like they’re ready for a photo shoot. The restaurant received the James Beard Foundation's Outstanding Restaurant award in 2023, which has made it hard to snag a reservation, though it's worth going out of your way for special occasions.

The sheer volume of Mexican restaurants on South 9th Street can be daunting—many are excellent, but how do you pick? The family-run Blue Corn consistently delivers, serving Pueblan cuisine with personality like tacos al pastor (taco made with spit-grilled pork) and queso fundido (hot melted cheese with spicy chorizo) alongside harder-to-find specialties like huaraches (crispy masa–pinto bean flatbreads) or whole fish stuffed with the corn truffle huitlacoche. Warm service and killer cocktails round out the experience. Note that it is cash only.

In a neighborhood full of beautifully designed restaurants with exciting food to boot, it's hard to pick favorites, but Condesa certainly holds its own. Inspired by the flavors and style of Mexico City, the restaurant expands over an outdoor space, indoor dining room, lounge, and a bar, seating 140 people. The centerpiece of the food menu are the Mexican heirloom corn tortillas, which are made in-house on a daily basis, and come as a base for the tacos or as a side for the more substantial entrées. Located within the Motto Hotel by Hilton, Condesa is one of three Mexican restaurants within the space—also there is El Cafe, a ground-floor coffee and pastry shop, and El Techo, a rooftop tequila and mezcal bar with a focus on Mexican street food.

A casual, fun eatery with a friendly ambience, Craftsman Row features elevated homemade bar food, including cheesesteaks, hoagies, burgers, chicken, fries, and salads. Throughout the year, the restaurant goes big on seasonal decorations filling the entire space with abundant festive decor, even creating seasonal menu items and cocktails to match.

Since 2011, Emei has been serving the city's best Sichuan food, sizzling and hot with the region's signature mouth-tingling peppercorn. Chef Yongcheng Zhao guides the kitchen crew each night, satisfying the city's need for wok-seared green beans, rich mapo (spicy sauce) tofu, and addictively salty fried chongqing (dried red chilies) chicken. The restaurant does a brisk takeout service, so tables are typically available and the large space is comfortable for groups.

At this waterfront spot in historic Wrightsville, across the Susquehanna River from Columbia, you can enjoy a breathtaking view of the river while seated outdoors eating wood-fired pizzas topped with ingredients grown on-site. The popular bar and restaurant (reservations strongly suggested) also has a glass-walled dining room to take in the scenery year-round. Several menus are offered, from lunch (cream of crab soup) and dinner (house sausage platter) to a mammoth fixed-price Sunday brunch buffet complete with a prime rib carving station, omelets made to order, and a make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Look for weekly dinner specials and seasonally inspired favorites.

The second iteration of Pizzeria, just blocks away from the original location, is a different world, with more than 100 seats, the ability to make reservations, and a larger menu that goes beyond pizza—think natural wines, flavorful salads, and creamier-than-you-can-ever-imagine soft serve. Pizza is still the focal point, though, with options like a classic red pie with pepperoni, a red-sauce-based anchovy pizza, and the white pie, made with local cream and topped with garlic and greens. When it first opened, it was tough to even get a reservation at Pizzeria Beddia, but these days things have calmed down significantly. For dining enthusiasts, the tucked-away private hoagie room is a fun group option that features off-the-menu hoagies.

Championing craft beer well before it was cool, this laid-back Newbold tavern set the bar for Philly’s gastropub boom way back in 2003. SPTR’s ever-rotating 14 tap selections, plus cask ales and a nice bottle selection, hit local, national, and international notes that nicely accompany a menu that reaches well beyond the expected pub grub with creative snacks, sandwiches, and seasonal specials conceived to celebrate local and organic products and produce. The kitchen pays ample mind to vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free guests, too; it’s this accommodating spirit that makes a neighborhood bar.

The opening of this hip, industrial-chic trattoria by chef Marc Vetri rendered his talents more accessible to those who don't have the foresight to make reservations months in advance at his celebrated eponymous restaurant nearby. The small plates of Roman comfort food by longtime chef Brad Spence feature interesting elevated takes on Roman classics like tonarelli cacio e pepe, trippa alla Romana, and rigatoni all'amatriciana. Try to grab one of the six first-come, first-served stools at the chef's counter to watch the James Beard–award-winning action.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

A go-to spot for many who work in Center City, the Concourse on the bottom floor of the Comcast Center is a dining hall made up of Philadelphia favorites in addition to nationwide food brands. From sushi to Italian pastries, there are plenty of options for a quick meal or snack beneath the towering Comcast Center.

You're not sure what decade you're in once you enter the vast, retro playground from blockbuster restaurateur Stephen Starr. The cognoscenti have moved on, but others still line up for a spot on the popular rooftop lounge or sit inside, in a swinging wicker basket chair, a sunken banquette, or a baby-blue vinyl booth. The global tapas menu includes Korean tacos, French onion soup dumplings, and lobster mac 'n' cheese.

Queen Villagers shed tears of joy when longtime neighborhood restaurateur Bridget Foy introduced this easy-to-love restaurant, specializing in handmade pastas and wine priced to glug. You’ll spot plenty of young families with kids in tow in the early dinner hours, while the crowd gets a little more grown-up later in the evening. Regardless of your timing, the tagliatelle, cavatelli, assorted bruschetta, and slew of plates both small and shareable make Cry Baby a lively neighborhood hangout.

A Baltimore Avenue institution, Dahlak is often credited with introducing the cuisines of Ethiopia and Eritrea to a wider Philadelphian audience. Family-owned and operated, it serves signature dishes like zigni (braised beef stew with tomatoes and onions) and braised lamb shank as well as an equal number of good vegetarian options. After dinner, stick around for drinks and dancing, as Dahlak has long been popular for its energetic nightlife scene soundtracked by local DJs and Wednesday Karaoke. There is also a late-night menu.

This Stephen Starr–helmed pub is as close to an English pub as you'll get stateside—there's a snarling bear head mounted on one wall; an assortment of mismatched divans and armchairs; and toasties, fish-and-chips, and puddings on the menu. While the entrées are solid, the apps and desserts shine brightest at this sprawling, cozy venue. Anglophiles will rejoice over the afternoon tea service and locals love the after-work happy hour.

Established in 1899 in the heart of Philly's Italian Market, Dante & Luigi's is located in two gorgeously appointed converted town houses. The menu features old-world Italian cuisine like red-sauce pasta, lasagna (some say it's the best in Philly), and osso buco.

It's the Ethiopian spin on fried chicken with a lemon turmeric zing—along with the spicy berbere version—that has this small, tidy spot bustling with customers; the fried chicken is gluten-free to boot. As doro means chicken, the other few dishes, such as the doro wot, a spicy stew with ayib (a cottage cheese), are also chicken, except for a few vegetarian options. Occasionally, between the constant seatings and take out, they run out of food early.

Perched atop the Marriott at Penn Square, this chic lounge and restaurant (for those 21 and over) has the best views in town from its floor-to-ceiling windows and stylish deck. Enjoy a cocktail and the globally inspired small plates, from Lebanon bologna sliders to crispy halloumi cheese, and a rotating selection of wood-fired pizzas while enjoying the view.

With friendly service and tasty food, it's no wonder Fireside Tavern is a huge locals' favorite. The surf-and-turf burger or shepherd's pie will fill you up after a day of sightseeing, and adults might enjoy the busy bar. From some of the indoor tables and the outdoor deck, there are gorgeous views of farmland.

A favorite with locals, this pub serves authentic Irish dishes made from the owner's family recipes, importing some of their ingredients direct from Ireland. The kitchen also sends out American pub favorites like wings and burgers and more than 100 Irish whiskies and 15 draft beers quench thirsts. Irish sesiuns (open Celtic music jams) take place twice a month and live music plays every Friday and Saturday night.

Specializing in French country cooking and expertly selected wines, the Good King offers casual Gallic flair at accessible neighborhood prices. Pair a socca (chickpea pancake) platter or steak frites with a glass or pitcher of house red or white, helpfully classified “Good,” “Better,” and “Best.” The bar also makes a mean cocktail, with daily changing specials. Upstairs is the natural-wine bar Le Caveau, pouring Thursday to Saturday.

Open all day, Gran Coffee L'Aquila is the perfect spot for grabbing an on-the-go cup of house-roasted espresso first thing in the morning or sitting down for a nightcap and dessert at the end of the day. They also serve panini, which can be eaten at one of their sidewalk tables or taken to go, as well as a full lunch and dinner menu and award-winning gelato in flavors like torrone (nougat), citrus-vanilla, and cannoli.