Where to eat and drink in Philadelphia

Philadelphia, you are my most favorite city in the whole world. There are so many things I love about this city, and I’ve lived here my whole life so maybe I’m biased, but it truly is an incredible city.

Everything from the nightlife to the character to the charm of the little row homes, I can truly picture myself living in this city forever! And since I always have people asking me “where should I eat in Philadelphia?” I finally decided to create a comprehensive guide of all of my favorite places!

To me, one of the best things about Philly is THE FOOD SCENE. One that has been known to rival the scenes of New York City and other well-known restaurant cities. In fact, the Jame’s Beard best restaurant in America was just awarded to one of my personal favorites, Zahav.

There are so many options in terms of cuisine, price-point, attire, and meal that you really won’t be disappointed with not finding a place. And I’m here to break it down for you so that you next time you’re visiting, or maybe you already live here and just need some more options, I’ve got you covered.

I’m sharing all my favorite Philadelphia food spots below, and at the bottom I share all of my favorite healthy Philadelphia food spots!

So now lets get this party started…where to eat in Philadelphia?!

Coffee in Philadelphia

We’ve got some amazing coffee shops in this city, each offering a variety of different types of coffee, many grown right within our city limits as well.

My all- time favorite is La Colombe. With several locations throughout the city, you will always be able to find yourself in close proximity to one. Their nitro-cold brew is out of this world, and I always order the Black + Oat latte, which is nitro cold brew with cold oat milk. They are also famous for their Black + Tan, which is the same thing but with whole milk. Delicious.

Other favorite coffee shops that I frequent regularly and have always had a good experience at:

• Rival Brothers Coffee
• Elixr
• Menagerie Coffee
• Function Coffee
• Ultimo
• Old City Coffee.

Brunch in Philadelphia

There are so many places to brunch in the city, but having a go-to list is key for mornings when I wake up and want to roll outta bed to brunch.

Harp + Crown: one of my absolutely favorites. It’s actually a buffet, but don’t let that freak you out. It’s an amazing buffet with top notch food. A full carving station, donut bar, bagel + lox station, omelette station, fruit station….the list goes on. It’s delicious, fresh, constantly stocked, and a guaranteed win for everyone.

Cafe Lift: An American Brunch spot that is always a hit when I take people because they offer delicious breakfast options – many classics with a little fun twist. Good for healthy eaters and regular eaters alike. BYOB.

Parc: Fancier, on the ‘Square’ (Rittenhouse square, so a great option for people watching) and the food is absolutely delicious too. A little pricier but always a hit.

Other notable options that we love:

• Sabrina’s Cafe (casual)
• Green Eggs Cafe (casual)
• Honey’s Sit N Eat (casual)
• Bud + Marilyns
• Cafe La Maude
• Hungry Pigeon
• High Street on Market.

Donuts: Federal Donuts, Beilers, Underground, Dottie’s (vegan), Bakeshop on 20th.

Lunch in Philadelphia

While brunch and dinner are definitely popular times for eating out in Philly, there are several delicious lunch options scattered around the city as well.

Goldie: My absolute favorite place for lunch in the city. Owned by restaurateur Michael Solomonov who is the man behind Zahav (one of the best restaurants in the world) Goldie is 100% vegan, but you don’t need to be vegan to eat there, TRUST ME. I take everyone here. Hummus, Falafel (OMG, the falafel salad is crack), fries, and the best thing on the menu: the Tehina Shake. Just trust me and get it.

Dizengoff: BEST. HUMMUS. EVER. Similar to Goldie but more hummus options and lots of delicious fluffy pita.

Marathon: A great place for lunch with lots of options for everyone, a couple of locations in the city. People are always lunching there!

Other notable lunch spots: Continental Midtown, Dandelion.

Other casual lunch eats:

• South Philly Barbacoa
• Reading Terminal Market (a huge market with lots of vendors – fave: Hershel’s Deli),
• Famous 4th Street Deli
• Luke’s Lobster

Drinks in Philadelphia

One of my most favorite things in the world to do is to chat over wine with friends or grab a cocktail with my man before dinner, and Philly has some amazing places to do that. Below is just the beginning list of some of my favorite places to grab a drink!

• Tria – favorite wine bar but have a great list of beers.
• Harp + Crown – amazing huge u-shaped bar (speakeasy vibes), great cocktails, always a recommended place.
• Guiseppe + Sons – speakeasy vibes, old Italian, great drinks
• Sampan – weeknight happy hour
• Independence Beer Garden (Summer) – outdoor, games, fun
• Mission Taqueria – great margs, awesome happy hour, spicy green juice marg!!
• Friday Saturday Sunday – good bar + cocktails
• Frankford Hall – day drinking, great beer + fun atmosphere
• Irwins – amazing food + drinks high above the city, on the other side of BOK Bar (another recommendation!) which is an old tech school converted.

Dinner in Philadelphia

I have so many favorite spots for dinner so this is going to be really hard! I’m going to list them all out and then you can all do your own research, but just know I’ve been to many Philadelphia restaurants, and these are consistently the ones that perform every single time!

There are several that are BYOB’s as well because Philadelphia is very popular for this option, which I love, because then you can stop at a liquor store and grab a bottle of your favorite wine for way cheaper than having to buy several drinks at a restaurant.

• Zahav – consistently award winning, need reservations, best Israeli food, get the tasting menu.
• Suraya – another great winner like Zahav, Lebanese food, get the tasting menu, definitely get the Fattouch + the hummus.
• Talula’s Garden – one of my absolute FAVORITES in terms of vibe, food, drinks. Awesome date night spot.
• Amada – the best Spanish tapas I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to Spain!) so good. Awesome ambiance.
• El Vez – great + popular Mexican spot with amazing margaritas. Get the chips + guac, obviously.
• Georgio on Pine (BYOB) – one of the best Italian in the city. BYOB so bring wine! Tom and my parent’s met there for the first time, many girls nights have been had there, small but so authentic and good.
• Little Nonnas – another great Italian restaurant with cozy vibes. Meatballs are amazing.
• Kanella Grill – some of my favorite Mediterranean food in the city. Never disappoints. SO good.
• W.M. Mulherins – we love this place for cocktails + pizza. Classy + cute inside. Always enjoy the food.
• Effie’s (BYOB) – Favorite Greek food in the city…SO GOOD. Total hole in the wall but amazing. Cute back patio is a must.
• Mission Taqueria – great margs, great tacos, great vibes.
• The Love – awesome place to bring family or parents. Good food.
• Audrey Claire (BYOB) – delicious BYOB. Pork chop is incredible + so is veggie appetizer.
• Barbuzzo – good food + heart of the action. Get the salted caramel budino!
• Barcelona – always good food. Chain but still a good chain.
• Bud + Marilyns – great food + fun date spot. Quirky and amazing cocktails.
• Trattoria Carina – Another delicious Italian restaurant. So good!

Healthy Restaurants in Philadelphia

I wanted to include some healthy options in this where to eat in Philadelphia guide, so see below!

PS&Co: A super healthy plant based, all-organic menu with several options. I personally like it best for breakfast and always enjoy the chia pudding. They also have lots of healthier desserts, good coffee, smoothies, juices..

Breakfast: Bluestone Lane, Front Street Cafe, Pure Fare, Smart Street Healthy Kitchen + Juice bar, OCF Coffee House.

Lunch: HipCityVeg, Real Food Eatery, Honeygrow, Sweetgreen, Farmer’s Keep.

Dinner: Charlie was a Sinner, Vedge, Bar Bombon, V Street Food, Honest Tom’s Tacos, Front Street Cafe, Talula’s Garden, Bareburger

Favorite Philly Cheesesteak

Had to include it – if you’re visiting, you gotta try at least one!

Cheesesteaks: Jims, Steves, John’s Roast Pork, Tony Lukes, Delassandros, Woodrows, Pat’s, Campos.

Best Dessert Philadelphia

Franklin Fountain – best ice cream in the city, you must get it! There is almost always a line but it moves quickly. Hydrox cookie is like Oreo on steroids.

Other good ice cream: Little Baby’s, Bassett’s, Big Gay Ice Cream, Weckerly’s.

Other dessert: Isgro’s Pastry, Sweet Life Bake Shop, Lil Pop Shop, Igloo Froyo (so creamyyyyy), Sweetbox (get the cookie dough!), Termini Bros.

And there you have it! I hope you enjoy this where to eat in Philadelphia guide. I don’t think I left anything out, but will continue to add to it as more delicious restaurants pop up.

Enjoy!!

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