Tlali
Photograph by K.C. Tinari From their open kitchen, brothers Alberto and Efrain Sandoval are paying tribute to the foods they grew up eating in San Mateo Ozolco, a small Pueblan town perched on the side of an active volcano. They make their own tortillas daily, using their grandmother’s overnight nixtamalization process, and the smooth, velvety texture makes them not quite like any tortillas we’ve had in Philly before. Don’t skip anything that involves their peerless mole; the raw kampachi with olive oil, lemon, and habanero; or the best carnitas in the region. 7219 West Chester Pike, Upper Darby, PA 19082
Sao
If tipping back a freshly shucked oyster usually transports you to Cape Cod or coastal Washington, a tray at Sao delivers you straight to the tropical shores of Cambodia. Phila and Rachel Lorn’s East Passyunk follow-up to beloved BYOB Mawn carries over those same dazzling Southeast Asian flavors, this time in raw-bar form. Oysters come with Cambodian peppercorn fish sauce mignonette and spicy-tart Lao sauce. Crudos are dressed with smashed chili-crisp cucumbers or Honeycrisp apple slivers and ponzu. Even the excellent chicken cutlet, hidden under a flurry of parm, gets fish sauce caramel and salty pickles. The restaurant’s biggest difference: a full bar. Order the Jabroni Negroni. 1710 Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Carversville Inn
The Carversville Inn has stood in Bucks County since 1813, but Milan Lint and Mitch Berlin’s revival is no dusty antique. After a down-to-the-studs renovation, the couple reopened last May with six upstairs suites, a humming bar, and a restaurant where an original fireplace meets glittering chandeliers, vintage monkey sconces, and vibrant art they’ve collected during their travels. Tony locals are lured by the vibes — dimly lit rooms, candlelight, Saturday night live piano — as much as they are by the perfect French-brasserie menu. Chef Dara Tesser, who comes via New York’s Gramercy Tavern and Prune, turns out consistently excellent dishes like bouillabaisse, steak frites, and trout amandine, plus a cherry-on-top ice cream sundae, drizzled in house-made peanut brittle. 6205 Fleecy Dale Road, Carversville, PA 18913
Leo
Photograph by K.C. Tinari The orchestra has taken its final bow for the night, but Leo, the Kimmel Center’s latest culinary venture, knows some folks want the show to go on. Pull up to the bar for a Whiskey Smash nightcap during the post-theater happy hour (offered for an hour after shows), or settle in for an elegant meal of seared foie gras with plum tart, smoky merguez lamb sausage wrapped in crispy squid ink pasta, or roast duck with stone fruit and pistachio. You’ll be glad you stuck around for the encore. 1414 Spruce Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Kare pan at dancerobot
This Krispy Kreme–inspired meat doughnut served at Justin Bacharach and Jesse Ito’s throwback Japanese-American nostalgia machine is a panko-crusted, nori-dusted wonder. Yes, it’s based on the yeasted dough formula from the famous Charlotte, North Carolina–based doughnut chain and designed around childhood memories of Mitsuwa Marketplace, the Japanese grocery store in Edgewater, New Jersey. Yes, Justin got the idea while wandering around lost in Osaka on a research trip. But this fried softball stuffed with Japanese beef cheek curry is a purely Philly phenom. 1710 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Bomb Bomb Bar
It’s nice to get a little history lesson with your clams casino. To knock back a $7 beer in a chilled pilsner mug and eat one of the best carbonaras anywhere in a dining room that looks like it hasn’t been redecorated since the Eisenhower administration. Chefs Joey Baldino and Max Hachey took over the historic Bomb Bomb Bar in deep South Philly early last year and turned it into a master class in neighborhood nostalgia, serving a prix fixe Italian seafood menu that’s full of reimagined classics by two of Philly’s most astute culinary preservationists. It’s approachable, comfortable, brilliant, and delicious. 1026 Wolf Street, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Wilder
Photography by K.C. Tinari Any dummy with a Mr. Boston guide and a handle of Tito’s can pour out a line of lemon drops on alumni night. But the crews working behind the stick at Philly’s best bars aim for something a little higher. And the hometown crowds have come to expect more, too. Which is why, every day at 4:30 in the afternoon, Wilder in Rittenhouse rolls out the best happy hour menu, as thoughtful, curated, and comprehensive as your favorite old-school mixtape. There are smart (and funny) $9 cocktails like the Blender’s Broken, with its rum, OJ, and lime juice, and weekly amaro specials; $5 craft beers; and wines by both the glass and the bottle. In the kitchen, they’re pushing out crispy-gooey scamorza-stuffed arancini, ricotta toasts drizzled with honey, and $2 oysters. For two hours, the bar, lounge, and patio seats become a place where anyone can just drop in for a drink, a bite, and some good company after a long day — no reservations required. 2009 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
The Agave at La Jefa
At La Jefa in Rittenhouse, cocktail explorer Dan Suro pours all his obsession with the humble agave into a single cocktail named for it. The Agave cocktail is blanco tequila infused with cooked agave, served with lime, Colima salt, and an orange peel — nothing more. It is a love letter to Mexico’s iconic succulent. And even at $27, it’s totally worth it. 1605 Latimer Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Hop Sing Laundromat
In Chinatown, Hop Sing Laundromat has become a singular destination for those label-chasing completists trying to knock a taste of an impossible-to-find Old Overholt or an 18-year-old Yamazaki whiskey off their bucket lists. Lê, the owner and curator of Philly’s best bottle selection, has spent decades collecting rare spirits for his bar, and a few months ago he finally started opening them and pouring out his treasures two ounces at a time. 1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Concordance Ferments
If you’re looking for a place to settle in for a beer, Concordance Ferments in Hatboro, which operates out of a centuries-old mill, feels like a welcoming tavern from a Tolkien novel (even if the upstairs dining room looks out over a Wawa parking lot) and pours a Nordic farmhouse ale so clean and sweet and crisp it may finally cure you of your IPA fixation. 18 Horsham Road, Hatboro, PA 19040
Pretzel Day
Photograph by Michael Persico We’ve always been under the impression that Philadelphia soft pretzels are perfect as is. Then we tried Pretzel Day, and our long-held beliefs went out the window. After five years as a cult-favorite pop-up, the sunny bakery opened earlier this year, turning out hand-rolled pretzels, properly chewy and finished with just enough salt. Order a row of standard figure-eights, of course, but do not leave without adding whatever other delicious, genre-bending treats are on offer that day, from cinnamon sugar to provolone and long hot to plum and chèvre. 1501 South 5th Street, Pennsport. 1501 South 5th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Rougarou Baking
Photograph by Michael Persico Babka is traditionally made with either chocolate or cinnamon. At Rougarou, in a stroke of glorious maximalism, hefty slabs of buttery, braided brioche are thickly swirled with both. It’s a signature at Paige and Zach Wernick’s Creole- and Jewish-inspired bakery, which is shaped by her New Orleans and Gulf Coast roots and his Philly upbringing. Go early — the rotating menu of treats from babka to brown-butter chocolate chip cookies and flaky jambalaya hand pies disappears fast. 526 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Extra-Brown Butter Chocolate Chunk Cookie at Manna Bakery
Photograph by Michael Persico Saif Manna makes an array of elaborate, Levantine-inspired pastries, but this simple, technically perfect cookie is a top seller. Bite into its crisp, rippled perimeter and you’re met with warm caramel notes from the brown butter (made “extra” brown with toasted milk powder) and just enough sweetness from hunks of Guittard dark chocolate, plus Valrhona dark milk chocolate, balanced with miso. By the time you reach the chewy center, it’ll ruin all other cookies for you. Expect Manna’s Kensington shop to open soon.
Gochujang Roll at Seaforest Bakeshop
Photograph by Michael Persico Suerim Lee doesn’t have much of a sweet tooth, and Seaforest Bakeshop is better for it. At her Korean-inspired bakery, the pastry case brims with sesame cookies, doenjang caramel rolls, and sugar-dusted apple cider doughnuts. One savory standout is the gochujang-scallion roll, pinwheeled with fermented red chilis and scallions. It’s rich, layered, just a touch sweet — and proof that sugar isn’t the only path to pastry greatness. 625 South 16th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Rice Krispie Treat at The Bread Room
Photograph by Michael Persico Remember those rare, special days, coming home after school to a freshly sliced square of gooey Rice Krispie treat? The Bread Room’s version isn’t that — it’s way better. Pastry chef Christina McKeough and the team behind the new High Street–helmed bakery build their heavenly bricks with toasted cereal, brown butter, tahini, and good vanilla. They’re flecked with toasted black and white sesame seeds, wrapped in brown paper, and stacked like gold amid a bounty of equally delicious treats in the pastry display. 834 Chestnut Street, Suite 103, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Omar Tate and Cybille St.Aude-Tate
If the best menus exist as stories being told by the chef to the diner, then chefs Omar and Cybille from Honeysuckle are the storytellers Philadelphia needs most right now. Their multicourse prix fixe is a narrative about diaspora and home, about nourishment, the Black American experience, and the things that sustain us. It is rooted in the personal but speaks to the universal. It is funny, literate (a bread course based around Octavia Butler’s Parable of the Sower), snarky, emotional (be sure to ask for the backstory of the “McDonald’s Money” burger), and smart. And on top of all that, it is absolutely stunning — a triumph of storytelling executed by a kitchen working at the top of its game. 631 North Broad Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Samosas at Sabzi Mandi
This isn’t even a restaurant, just a small Indian grocery store. And the only freshly cooked food they sell just happens to be better samosas than any we’ve had at any Indian restaurant in these parts. (And we’ve been to many!) Cooked by an Indian woman who lives around the corner, these aren’t mini samosas. They are full-size and absolutely packed with vegetables and spices and thoroughly suffice as a hearty snack. In a pinch, two would be lunch. Added bonus: They sell for only $1.50. That’s not a misprint. Insider tip: Call by noon if you want them to set some aside for you — they sell out quickly. 6700 Market Street, Upper Darby, PA 19082
Mr. Pig Korean BBQ
Photograph by K.C. Tinari For a group dinner that doesn’t require spreadsheet-level planning, book Mr. Pig, the enormous Korean barbecue room on Vine Street. Gather around tabletop grills as servers sear pork belly, brisket, bulgogi, and beef cheeks while bowls of banchan keep arriving and the fragrant smoke billows. Bring all your friends and over-order. 1001 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19107
WineDive
Philly’s late-night dining scene never really fully recovered after the COVID shutdown. But WineDive (a resurrected version of the one that used to exist at 15th and South) stands strong with a comfort food–heavy menu available every damn day until 1 a.m. The chicken cutlet served with antipasti, the throwback wedge salad, the positively loaded baked potato, and the shrimp Lejon inspired by the version at Delco’s Clam Tavern all make for perfect night-owl snacks. You definitely want to finish it all off with some soft serve. 1534 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Bob’s Diner
The era of the classic diner is dead, killed off by shifting consumer tastes and a generation of kids who don’t want to take on the grind of their parents’ businesses. But this stainless steel Roxborough institution that dates back to the 1940s is keeping the flame alive at its tight booths and lunch counter. Try the chili, egg platters, whatever the blue-plate special is, or the fun nod to Philly, the creamed chipped beef on a soft pretzel. If you’re visiting on a weekend prepare for a wait, but there are always plenty of lively locals to chat with until a table opens up. 6053 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19129
Al-Baik Shawarma & Grill
New heights of chicken over rice are being reached at this halal haven in Northeast Philly. The menu is full of hits — soft, pliable laffa bread made fresh every morning, silky-smooth hummus, plush and perfectly browned falafel. Don’t miss the impossibly thin manakeesh or the mashawi platters piled with yellow rice, grilled meats, and ever so slightly charred veg. 3217 Willits Road, Philadelphia, PA 19114
Char
Photograph by K.C. Tinari Feuds have started over this. Block parties have ended in fistfights. Entire neighborhoods have become divided. We understand that coming right out and naming a best meatball in a city like Philly — which takes its meatballs as seriously as religion — is one of the most dangerous things anyone can do. But we are not afraid. Because the impossibly light, almost fluffy, ricotta-shot beef and pork meatballs at Viraj Thomas’s Char are the best meatballs in the entire city right now. This is our hill, and we’re fully prepared to die on it. 310 Master Street, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Gary McCready at Oyster House
Illustration by Jessica Bromer When it comes to hospitality, “either you have it, or you don’t,” says oyster shucker Gary McCready. Connecting with customers comes easily to Oyster House’s head shucker, who can keep conversation flowing as easily as he opens bivalves. With his air of bonhomie and his ability to guide diners at the Center City seafood restaurant to oyster varieties they’ll love, McCready is often the reason in-the-know diners request a seat at the raw bar. 1516 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102
Jillian Moore at My Loup
Illustration by Jessica Bromer Going off-book with drinks tailored to customers’ specific tastes is Jillian Moore’s favorite part of the job. For example, when a My Loup regular who loves Bud Light — which isn’t on the menu — comes into the Rittenhouse bar, Moore has a can of the beer ready. “The more that you are open to being hospitable and generous, the more good ideas come to you,” she says. 2005 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Marissa Chirico at Emmett
Illustration by Jessica Bromer Exceptional service doesn’t just happen in the moment; it also takes meticulous planning and coordination. In Kensington, Marissa Chirico keeps Emmett’s dining room running flawlessly by briefing staff on every celebration and dietary restriction and hyping them up like they’re a high school football team, reminding them why delivering great service is paramount. “[Our guests] woke up really looking forward to this dinner, and then they took time getting ready for it,” she says. “We want to honor that.” 161 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19122
Jacob Trinh of Little Fish
Illustration by Jessica Bromer Crafting a menu can be an act of hospitality too. “When we create our food, it’s almost always about how the guests are enjoying it and how the food flows,” says Jacob Trinh of Little Fish in Bella Vista. It’s the philosophy behind the restaurant’s prix fixe menu, which features playful dishes that bring personality to seafood, such as the red crab chawanmushi, Trinh’s interpretation of crab fries, made with a dashi and egg custard base, Indonesian crab, and a Cooper Sharp and Old Bay espuma. 746 South 6th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Amanda Rafalski at Friday Saturday Sunday
Illustration by Jessica Bromer Amanda Rafalski likes to bring a little of her own story to the table to connect with diners. She often delights guests at Rittenhouse’s Friday Saturday Sunday with whimsical desserts like confetti cake, which she makes for people’s birthdays, inspired by the boxed Funfetti cake her husband makes her every year. While her job is about food, Rafalski says, “at the same time, it’s about reaching out to people.” 261 South 21st Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Bar Mish Mish
On the first Friday of every month, Ace Outpost stops being a coffee-and-vintage shop and becomes the bar we all wish existed full time. Mish Mish’s Alex Tewfik and Bree Saya team up with Ace’s Julian van der Steur to set the scene amid the racks of Y2K streetwear and distressed denim. They drop the lights, crank the ’90s hip-hop, and fill massive ice buckets to the brim with bottles of natural wine. It’s rollicking and fleeting, and there’s nothing else like it right now in Philly. 747-749 South 4th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19147
Hadramout
You’ll want to bring your own family to this family-owned Yemeni spot; the menu isn’t big, but the portions surely are. Try a couple of things: the fassolia (white beans in a tomatoey sauce), samboosa (a flaky chicken-stuffed fried pastry), a kebab of your choice, and one or two of their huge homemade disks of flatbread to mop up the rest of the fahsa (shredded lamb stew). Yes, it will be a ton of food, but affordable, unforgettable, and filling. 136 South 45th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139
Maggie’s Soups
Main Liners crowd around the Bryn Mawr Farmers Market booth of Mary Rascon, a one-time restaurateur and longtime salon owner. Rascon practices her craft over her great-grandfather’s 130-year-old stock pot, and each week her regulars show up, some for the Italian wedding, others for the Mexican chicken tortilla or the gluten-free and vegan options. (This summer, she’s churning out four different types of gazpacho.) The soup most in demand? Lemon chicken orzo. “Soup is love in a bowl,” Rascon tells her customers, who have prevailed upon her to begin catering services this fall. 7 North Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19114
Emilia
Photography by K.C. Tinari Paper-thin twirls of tagliatelle laden with rich ragù; vivid green ramp pesto clinging to strands of capellini; delicate tortellini swimming in broth, poured tableside: Chef Greg Vernick’s newest restaurant, helmed by pasta maestro Meredith Medoway, is an ode to regional Italian dishes. And while everything on the menu — from crispy artichokes to swordfish puttanesca — is consistently standout (no surprise, it’s a Vernick operation), the house-made pasta program adds another gold star to a city’s already luminous landscape. 2406 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Lamb, Scrapple, Egg and Cheese at Out West
Think you don’t love scrapple? Out West would like a word. At Muhammad Abdul-Hadi’s West Philly cafe, the divisive offal-forward breakfast meat gets a smart, spicy, made-in-house upgrade before it’s layered with egg, cheese, and harissa-strawberry jam — all tucked into a squishy potato bun. It’s one of Philly’s great breakfast sandwiches, and a single bite will force you to reconsider your entire relationship with scrapple. 5127 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19139
Tiny Table Tours
Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé knows a thing or two about Philly’s food and beverage scene, having spent nearly a decade writing about it in places like Food & Wine, Condé Nast Traveler, and this mag. Wanting something that’d get people off the page and biting into the city’s best, she founded this small-group tour company three years ago. Tours feature stories Sweitzer-Lammé personally gathered from interviews, and showcase all corners of the Italian Market to provide a more accurate representation of the beloved neighborhood. New this year? An insider’s take on Fishtown’s wineries and cider bars, the first of its kind in the city.
637 Sushi Club
Don’t let Kevin Yanaga’s mild-mannered disposition lull you into thinking his omakase is modest. The owner and chef of this sushi speakeasy (located through the bookcase of his other restaurant, Yanaga Kappo Izakaya) is a maximalist — at his counter, a single piece of nigiri is actually a tower of scallop, toro, A5 Wagyu, squid, and uni teetering on a sheet of nori. The chawanmushi? Made with coffee milk dashi and topped with coffee caviar (a product of his coffee-inspired OmaCafe collaboration with the Coffee Connoisseur Club). The bites here are like nothing you’ll experience at any other omakase in town. 637 North 3rd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
Huda Burger
Photograph by K.C. Tinari Squashed between the economic dystopianism of the $20 (or $30!) restaurant cheeseburger and fast-food value menu collapse, truly excellent, midrange, chef-driven burger joints are becoming increasingly rare these days. But at chef Yehuda Sichel’s Huda Burger, you can get a classic cheeseburger for about $10 — a smashburger patty on a house-made milk bread bun with cheese, pickles, ketchup, mustard, and chopped onions — and it’s great. For a couple extra bucks, the Huda Burger ups the game with caramelized onions, special sauce, and a pickled green tomato. The curly fries ain’t bad either. 1603 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Jet Wine Bar
Not many wine tastings explore the impact dinosaur footprints in the Dolomites might have on reds from Trentino or ponder the role Greek mythology has on Mediterranean blends. But for Jill Weber, archaeologist and owner of Jet Wine Bar, those kinds of rabbit holes are just part of the tasting notes for her quirky wine series. Every month, Weber pairs singular varietals from lesser-known regions with rousing lectures that examine viticulture from peculiar perspectives — think pours of Valle d’Aosta reds during a presentation about Hannibal and his elephants crossing the Alps. Prepare for lots of wine and to walk out with some fascinating dinner-party trivia. 1525 South Street, Philadelphia, PA 19146
Small World Seafood
No humblebrag is greater than “I got a guy for that.” And when it comes to having access to sushi-grade, restaurant-quality seafood, Small World Seafood owners Robert Amar and Andy Farrell are your guys. With deep connections to small fisheries around the world (Amar’s gone as far as traveling to the Faroe Islands to procure the best salmon), they stock their refrigerated van with the highest-quality seafood you’ll ever prepare in your home kitchen. Order online — we recommend Hokkaido scallops, branzino, hamachi kama (the fish’s fatty collar), and, yes, the Faroe Island salmon — and pick up your haul at one of their designated spots around the city and South Jersey.
All Aboard Candy
When childhood friends Alyssa Bonventure and Emily Grossman launched a business designing artfully arranged candy-charcuterie boards of colorful gummies during the pandemic, they were trying to bring a little joy to a difficult moment. Opened last summer, their technicolor Rittenhouse shop carries that same cheerful spirit forward. Stocked with viral Swedish gummies (BUBS! S-Märke!), nostalgic favorites, and playful gifts (gummy bear claw clip, anyone?), it’s a place dedicated entirely to making life a little sweeter. 233 South 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Cuts.nSlices
Most pizza makers spend years perfecting their craft before anyone is paying attention. Matt Yaron is doing it in public. Through his Cuts.nSlices Instagram and pop-ups, the self-taught pizzaiolo documents new flours, experiments with dough, and tests out creative toppings (we loved his take on an espresso martini focaccia with whipped espresso cream, spicy chocolate sauce, and bitter cherry), inviting followers along for the ride. The pizzas are already worth seeking out — he pops up at NoLibs spots like the 700 and Standard Tap. But part of the fun is witnessing someone not bound by the rules of conventional pizza-making and seeing how far he pushes the limits — and being able to say you knew him before everybody else did.
P.S. & Co.
These vegan and gluten-free pastries don’t need to pass as the real deal — they’re delicious in their own right: rich and nutty tahini chocolate chip cookies; indulgent, fudgy brownies; and the shop’s specialty, colorful cakes filled with citrus curd, fresh berries, and fruit jams served by the slice. Owner Andrea Kyan opened P.S. & Co. in 2014 with the philosophy that food is medicine, and the treats here are sure to cure your sweet tooth. 1706 Locust Street, Rittenhouse. 1706 Locust Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Kinto
Between FOMO, timed drops, and booked-out Friday nights, reservation stress is a hazard of the modern dining economy. So one of the rarest, most powerful tricks a restaurant can pull these days is making a night out feel spontaneous. This is exactly where Kinto excels. On almost any night, you can just … walk in. And get a table. And settle in with warm chicken satsivi in walnut sauce, khinkali soup dumplings, plates of carrot pkhali, and crisp, cheesy khachapuri so good it’ll make you rethink your lifelong relationship with standard Italian pizzas. 1144 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Zsa’s
Philly’s sweet tooth was devastated when, after seven years scooping creamy, scratch-made ice cream, Zsa’s was slated to close for good at the end of 2025. Then, like Magic Shell, new plans formed when seasoned pastry chef Liz Yee took over the biz earlier this year. Swing by the mural-adorned shop for staples like the tart and refreshing lemon buttermilk or the salty and sweet double chocolate peanut butter. Trust us: You’ll want to take home a few pints. 6616 Germantown Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19119