Best of Philly

Best Cocktail Bar

2022 Best Suburban Cocktail Bar

Avalon Bistro

There are lots and lots of bars on the Main Line, but it’s surprising how few serve a proper cocktail. That’s not the case at Avalon. Whether you’re in the mood for a boulevardier, an old-fashioned, or a Hendrick’s three-to-one martini, extra-cold, served up with three olives and made with Dolin vermouth (one of our staffers is very particular), they always seem to come out perfect here, and both the stemware and the vibe are impeccable. Read More »

818 Lancaster Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA Website

2019 Best Cocktail Bar

R&D

A dark, gorgeous, and highly experimental bar with a cocktail list that changes every few months but isn’t too full of itself to serve tiki drinks in volcano bowls. Read More »

1206 Frankford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA | 215-515-3452 | Website

2014 Best Cocktail Bar Expansion

Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co.

One of the biggest problems with the Franklin was its tiny subterranean location coupled with a short bar that never felt comfortable for long stays. But now, with a new expansion into the space above, there's a long bar for overflow crowds, along with other amusements like cocktail classes and private parties. Read More »

112 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA | 267-467-3277 | Website

2013 Best Cocktail Bar

Hop Sing Laundromat

Youve heard the hype, the rumors about mysterious owner/operator Le, the jokes about the dress code and the hidden door. But forget about that. All you need to know is that in an age in which the mustachioed and be-vested cocktail slinger has risen to the same level of cultural importance as the celebrity chef, Hop Sing Laundromat opened as one of the best cocktail bars any of us had ever been to, anywhere. And since then, it has only gotten better. Read More »

1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA Website

2012 Best Cocktail Bar

The Franklin Mortgage and Investment Co.

This subterranean 18th Street lounge might seem too obvious a choice, but do you know why that is? Because all those people who say they've never had the kinds of cocktails the bartenders at the Franklin invent every few months are telling the truth. Read More »

112 South 18th Street, Philadelphia, PA | 267-467-3277 | Website

2012 Best Cocktail Bar

Hop Sing Laundromat

Not just for the list of spirits in use (amazing) or the method of their dispersal (unique), but because the single best drink we had all year was made at this bar, out of just two obsessively chosen and prepared ingredients-one of them rum, the other grape juice. Yes, grape juice. Read More »

1029 Race Street, Philadelphia, PA Website

2011 Best Place to Drink at the Shore

The Ebbitt Room

Homemade syrups + farm-fresh herbs + boutique and top-shelf spirits + polished bartenders = a much-needed antidote to the standard Shore drinking scene. Read More »

25 Jackson Street, Cape May, NJ | 609-884-5700 | Website

2011 Best New Cocktail Bar

The Farmers’ Cabinet

Walk through the front door of this gas-lamp-lit retro restaurant in WashWest and you'll see one bar on your left and one on your right. For beer, turn left. For the best damned old-school drinks in the city, hang a right and ask for Phoebe. Read More »

1113 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA | 215-923-1113 | Website