Philly Restaurants With Insulated Greenhouses, Warm Cocktails, Fire Pits, and Other Tricks To Keep You Warm This Winter
Almost every restaurant is ready to fire up the heaters, but these spots go above and beyond to make your winter outdoor dining experience extra cozy.
Harper’s Garden heated outdoor dining setup | Photo provided
At this point, basically every restaurant in Philadelphia still offering outdoor dining has a handful of heaters ready to go the moment the temperatures drop. But that doesn’t mean there’s nothing else to be done. From heated individual greenhouses to heat lamps to embroidered blankets, here are some spots with the hottest (pun intended) outdoor dining setups.
Harper’s Garden, Center City
Parties of four or more can reserve one of the Harper’s Garden’s private greenhouses, which are lit by twinkle lights and all warm and toasty even on the coldest days. It’s worth noting that these are closed structures, so they should really only be enjoyed by groups within the same germ pod.
Germantown Garden Grill, Fishtown
Glu Hospitality has turned the summer-only destination Vesper Day Club into Germantown Garden Grill, which they’ve decked out with insulated igloos that can seat up to ten people (though state restrictions say parties should be no more than four). In addition to the igloos, they’ve got plenty of heat lamps to keep you warm while you enjoy their expensive steakhouse fare.
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Charlie Was a Sinner, Center City
Instead of going to Target for a new throw blanket for your couch, how about heading out for a cocktail and killing two birds with one stone? Nicole Marquis has updated the menu at Charlie Was a Sinner to include a variety of hot drinks, all of which come with a complimentary blanket that you’ll get to keep. If a blanket won’t cut it alone, they’ve also got high-powered heaters.
Assembly Rooftop Lounge, Logan Square
Assembly’s rooftop lounge has always been open year round, and this year is no different. They’ve added extra heaters to keep guest warm, but the real draw are the tables surrounding fireplaces, which can be turned up or down depending on how cold it is outside.
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Frankford Hall, Fishtown
Philadelphia’s winter outdoor dining restrictions require special licensing for fires, but luckily Frankford Hall already has those all lined up. In addition to heaters, they’ve got a handful of large fire pits available to gather around on cold days. Still cold? A few rounds of corn hole or ping-pong should do the trick.
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Jet Wine Bar, South Street
Jet’s back patio has been a go-to spot all summer, and they’re preparing for dropping temperatures by offering up a full menu of hot cocktails, including spicy spiked chocolate, mulled wine, and more. Owner Jill Weber is also looking out for her staff by giving them branded sweatshirts and installing heaters behind the bar, as well as near the tables for guests.
Walnut Street Cafe, University City
Lots of restaurants are prepared to keep you warm, but what about your food? Walnut Street Cafe has revamped their menu to feature dishes that stay hot longer, including lots of items served in cast iron pans.
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Pumpkin BYOB, South Street
Pumpkin’s outdoor dining setup is not just physically warm, it’s visually warm, with tons of twinkly lights that shine through the corrugated plastic roofing over their dining tables. Since it’s BYOB, we suggest bringing a thermos of warm cocktails to sip on throughout your meal.
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The Wayward, Center City
You know what doesn’t suffer in the cold? Seafood. Head to the Wayward’s patio for their excellent shrimp cocktail, tuna tartare, and oysters on the half shell at their optimal temperature, but keep yourself warm with one of the restaurant’s hot water bottles and warm cocktails, plus heaters and multiple fire pits.
