Where You Should Be Eating in Fitler Square

Our favorite spots to grab a bite in one of the city’s most delicious neighborhoods.

fitler square restaurants

Trattoria Carina, one of the Fitler Square restaurants you should visit now. | Facebook

Is Fitler Square the sweetest neighborhood in the city? It’s definitely possible. This little pocket of the city (which extends from Locust Street down to Lombard; from 21st street over the Schuykill) is a handful of idyllic, adorable blocks. Less glitzy than Rittenhouse, but a little fancier than Graduate Hospital, it’s a lovely place to hang, live, and especially eat. In fact, it’s home to some of our favorite restaurants in the city. Here are our go-to places in the neighborhood to grab a bite.

 

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Sally
What more can we say about how much we love Sally? We already made it our best new restaurant of the year. The wine shop is curated and intentional, the pizza is sourdough and perfectly crisp, the small plates are worth a trip all their own, and the service is some of the best you’ll find in Philly right now.

Rowhome Coffee
Just across from the Pine Street entrance to the Schuykill River park, Rowhome Coffee waits, ready to fuel you pre- or post-park hang. The space is just large enough for a gorgeous yellow espresso machine that turns out perfect lattes and cappuccinos, and a tiny kitchen where the staff works to make soft pretzel breakfast sandwiches some of the best breakfast sandwiches in the city.

 

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Friday Saturday Sunday
It’s been around since the ’70s, but when Chad and Hanna Williams bought it in 2016, they turned it into one of the most compelling, ambitious restaurants in the city. If you’re not ready to settle into the full tasting menu, the bar is also open for walk-ins.

 

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Trattoria Carina
An absolutely adorable Italian joint that serves a combination both Italian (cacio pepe, charred octopus) and Italian-American dishes (eggplant parm, chopped salad). It’s always busy, probably because it’s perfect for any occasion: date nights, big friend dinners, or even a night out with your significant other’s picky parents.

Pizzata Pizzeria
Pizzata is part of the new wave of neighborhood pizza spots. It’s takeout only with pizzas that are appropriate for family game night or an evening of drinking in the park, but the menu also includes other options, like actually-good salads and a selection of open-faced toasts, if for some reason you didn’t want to eat pizza.

Cotoletta
The name is Italian for cutlet, so it’s clear what’s on the menu at Cotoletta. In addition to their variety of cutlets (and they do have a nice variety) they also serve plenty of seafood, pastas, and salads. It’s a crowd-pleasing menu in a lovely location looking out over the actual Fitler Square park.

 

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Cafe Lutecia
For a Sunday morning spent sipping coffee at a sidewalk table and eating croque madame, omelets, and croissants, go here. For a quick weekday lunch of French-y salads, sandwiches, and soups, this is also your spot. For your neighborhood cafe needs, Cafe Lutecia is the place to go.

Ambrosia
There aren’t as many BYOBs in Fitler Square as there are in other neighborhoods, but Ambrosia is — and a great one at that. All the pastas are made in house and the starters, entrees, and sides are seasonal and smart. They also have a pasta-based brunch, for those weekend mornings when pancakes won’t cut it.

Bacchus Market
A neighborhood staple with a nice selection of grab-and-good food and drink in the market, as well as a weekly rotating menu of take-and-heat sheet pan meals, or by-the-serving entrees, salads, soups, and sandwiches.