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Restaurants We have selected 25 restaurants, which we have divided into five categories: Gastronomic, Business, Trendy, Budget and Personal Recommendations. The restaurants are listed alphabetically within these different categories, which serve as guidelines rather than absolute definitions of the establishments. Restaurant prices are subject to a city tax of 7% (comprising Pennsylvania’s state tax of 6% plus 1% for Philadelphia). This is usually added to the bill at the end of the meal. Increasingly, diners will find that a service charge (usually 15%) has been added to the bill as well, although they should always check. Where no service charge has been added, it is assumed that diners will tip 15-20% of the total bill. The prices quoted below are for an average three-course meal and for a bottle of house wine or cheapest equivalent; they do not include tax, service charge or tip. Gastronomic Brasserie Perrier Celebrated chef George Perrier owns this smart little place in the social heart of town, as well as its grander cousin down the street – the internationally renowned Le Bec-Fin. The Brasserie Perrier is a more informal, but still splendid, version of such fine dining – for those with less deep pockets. Monsieur Perrier is often on hand to see the public enjoying his French cuisine with Italian or Asian influences, although Chris Scarduzio is Executive Chef. The pepper-crusted tuna is a fantastic dish, as are the veal medallions, served with orzo pasta and sautéed wild mushrooms. The interior is charming and the atmosphere lively. 1619 Walnut Street Tel: (215) 568 3000. Website: www.brasserieperrier.com Price: US$65. Wine: US$30. Le Bec-Fin, 1523 Walnut Street Tel: (215) 567 1000. Website: www.lebecfin.com Buddakan One of Philadelphia’s top temples to food, this handsome, calm two-level room, with white furnishings, is presided over by an urbane Buddha. The food is very fashionable pan-Asian, such as the tuna carpaccio pizza, the signature chicken-and-ginger dumplings or the pad thai. Entreés are slightly more unusual, such as roast chicken, with a ponzu brown butter sauce and golden Buddha buns. However, all the dishes are exquisite – delicious and well-presented – and the plentiful portions are designed to be shared. Reservations are essential. 325 Chestnut Street Tel: (215) 574 9440. Website: www.buddakan.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$25 (bottle); US$40 (carafe Japanese plum wine). Paris Bar and Grill Just off the white marble foyer of The Ritz-Carlton, the Paris Bar and Grill is a long room with handsome antique-style furnishings, deep carpets and an old established feel. Chef Andrew Hewson actually serves up New American cuisine from his open kitchen, working wonders with light, cream-free and butter-free, organic dishes, such as tuna salad with artichokes, aged beef or a variety of shellfish. The Ritz-Carlton, 10 Avenue of the Arts Tel: (215) 735 7700. Website: www.ritzcarlton.com Price: US$60. Wine: US$25. Tangerine This new, very much ‘in’ place is always crowded. It has a wildly colourful nightclub-style design (varying from mod to Moorish), dim lighting and loud music. However, the food is exotic and inventive, sometimes even excessive (scallops with foie gras). From Paris to Tangier, dishes include roast lamb with roasted pepper tapenade, harissa gnocchi with dates and celery root, or duck confit couscous served with caramelised apples, turnips and prunes. 232 Market Street Tel: (215) 627 5116. Tel: (215) 627 5117. Website: www.tangerinerestaurant.com Price: US$65. Wine: US$35. Vetri This highly praised restaurant is set in an old townhouse just off the Avenue of the Arts. It is cosy and somewhat eccentric and yet, although the style may be rustic regional Italian, it is a smart and expensive choice. The chef-owner is very serious about his food, especially his pasta, which is all handmade and perfect. There is also a large wine cellar. Closed Sunday. 1312 Spruce Street Tel: (215) 732 3478. Price: US$85. Wine: US$30. Business Avenue B Occupying a vast high-ceilinged room, this new and impressive restaurant is handily close to theatres and the new arts centre. It provides Italian dishes and an all-Italian wine list, as well as specialities as wood-grilled shrimp, steamed mussels or roasted peppers. After an inventive cocktail in the foyer bar, diners will be shown to their table by the effusive hostess, Dorothy. There is also a garden café in warm weather. 260 Avenue of the Arts, at Spruce Street Tel: (215) 790 0705. Website: www.mealticket.org Price: US$40. Wine: US$25. Chez Colette This big, open ground-floor brasserie-style restaurant is named after one of France’s greatest authors, Colette. The dishes on offer are classic and simple – whether French, such as onion soup, omelettes or tarte tatin, or American. The decor is fairly plain, although there is a superb collection of old posters and photographs, including many of Colette herself. Although situated just off the lobby of the Sofitel (see the Hotels section), there is a separate entrance to the street. 120 South 17th Street Tel: (215) 569 8300. Fax: (215) 564 7453. Price: US$40. Wine: US$20. Paradigm All simple colours and smart, economic design, this newcomer in the historic downtown features a semi-circular bar, round tables, natural wood floors and an outside terrace. As for the food, it is modern fare, such as grilled ostrich, served with purple Peruvian mashed potatoes and a raspberry demiglace, or rosemary roasted chicken, served with grilled seasonal vegetables. They also do excellent salads. Desserts tend to be unlikely combinations of ingredients but delicious. Diners should be careful to lock the unusual toilet doors – otherwise the glass is see-through! Closed Sunday. No lunch Saturday. 239 Chestnut Street Tel: (215) 238 6900. Website: www.paradigmrestaurant.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$25. The Prime Rib This established and award-winning restaurant serves up – as the name suggests – the very best beef. As well as the beef dishes in their many different guises, from roasts to steaks (such as the 17 oz NY strip steak), the menu does contain veal, pork and seafood dishes, and crisp veggies too. There is live music at night, a friendly bar and the decor is dark and warm. The restaurant is located in the Warwick (see the Hotels section) and can be entered via its lobby on 17th Street or directly from Locust Street. Radisson Plaza-Warwick Hotel Philadelphia, 1701 Locust Street Tel: (215) 772 1701. Fax: (215) 790 9979. Website: www.theprimerib.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$29. The Restaurant at PSFS This airing eating place, located at the rear of the lobby of the Loews Hotel (see the Hotels section) in the vast PSFS bank building, is especially popular for lunch. The white-clothed tables are well spaced, while the regional American cuisine features sesame-crusted salmon, soft-shell crab sandwiches or lobster tail baguettes. Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 1200 Market Street Tel: (215) 627 1200. Fax: (215) 231 7312. Website: www.loewshotels.com Price: US$20 (lunch); US$30 (dinner). Wine: US$6 (glass). Trendy Bleu This new arrival on the smart South Side offers casual dining in a modern, modish setting, with views of the verdant Rittenhouse Square from their its windows or pavement terrace. The American food is light yet satisfying, especially the unctuous burger – with delicious fries and blue cheese, of course. Star desserts as well. The twin restaurant, Rouge, is close by, at number 205 of the same street. 227 South 18th Street Tel: (215) 545 0342. Fax: (215) 545 9318. Website: www.mealticket.org Price: US$35. Wine: US$6 (glass). The Blue Angel (L’Ange Bleu) Another adaptation of an old store – hence the tiles, glass ceiling and tesselated floor and the big windows that face the street in midtown. With classic French dishes, a zinc bar imported from Paris and wine served in carafes, there is a Parisian Art Nouveau feel to this popular bistro. Dishes are familiar bistro classics, from croque monsieur, French onion soup and moules or steak-frites to more substantial entrées at dinner (steak au poivre, bouillabaisse, pan-roasted chicken or trout meuniere), but there is also an excellent raw bar (oysters, shellfish) and good salads. 706 Chestnut Street Tel: (215) 925 6889. Fax: (215) 925 6884. Website: www.blueangelbistro.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$12 (caraffe). Fork This fashionable establishment incorporates some theatrical design features (huge lampshades, high banquettes) but still manages a welcoming ambience. Located on the city’s main street in the historic area, this American bistro-style restaurant serves up the freshest local produce possible, in particular, their organic vegetables are star. The scallops, salmon or seared duck are also fantastic, but Fork is also famed for its home-baked desserts. 306 Market Street Tel: (215) 625 9425. Fax: (215) 625 9435. Website: www.forkrestaurant.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$20. Museum Restaurant This handsome restaurant, on the lower first floor of the truly fabulous Philadelphia Museum of Art, overlooks the surrounding park with its big windows. It features stylish, simple designs – black leather banquettes, elegant glassware – with a calm, cool air. The regional American cuisine is quite a rare treat and the staff eagerly offer guidance with the menu. The old-fashioned country recipes come from places like Pennsylvania and New England and include dishes like chowders or fruit pies; sometimes even specialised Mennonite dishes. There is also a café, serving simpler fare for families. Only open for dinner 1700-1930 (last seating), Wednesday and Friday; although lunch daily, as well as brunch on Sundays. 26th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway Tel: (215) 684 7990. Price: US$35. Wine: US$13. Striped Bass This smart and popular eating place used to be another venerable old bank and the spacious marble and bronze foyer has been turned into an impressive dining room with open kitchen. The all-seafood menu may not come as a huge surprise, after hearing the name and seeing the huge sculpture of the big fish, however, it does offer up some unusual ingredients, for example, soft-shell crabs from mid-April, fluke and the restaurant’s namesake, of course, the striped bass. 1500 Walnut Street Tel: (215) 732 4444. Fax: (215) 732 4433. Website: www.mealticket.org Price: US$60. Wine: US$25. Budget Arctic Blue A recent downtown venture, this ‘authentic Chinese buffet’ offers good Chinese dishes at bargain rates. The long restaurant is sharply new, tiled and glittery with bright lights, with two big serve-yourself tables in the centre. There is a brunch buffet daily (from US$5.95). Helpful staff will suggest which Cantonese-style specialities might appeal, but they are mainly typical dishes from egg-fried rice to beef and black bean sauce or duck with lemon. Take away is also available. 915 Arch Street Tel: (215) 238 3996. Fax: (215) 238 3997. Price: US$12. Beer: US$3.50. Lord & Taylor This old-fashioned but smart department store, opposite the looming City Hall, has a café on the third floor, which is situated on a wide balcony. Female execs come here for a spot of shopping and a lunch of simple American salads and well-filled sandwiches. The midday organ concerts are also an attraction. 1300 Market Street Tel: (215) 241 9000, ext. 383. Price: Dishes from US$8. Wine: US$3.50 (glass). Pat’s King of Steaks One of the city’s specialities is cheese steak and the best place to find it is Pat’s King of Steaks, an outfit run by the same family since it opened in 1930. Located in South Philadelphia, near the Italian Market, Pat’s is the local eating place for these sandwiches packed with flaked steak and slices of cheese – so much so that Bill Clinton has visited. Pat’s is the original and it is open 24 hours a day, is good for groups and has tables outside in summer; but a viable alternative is Jim’s Steaks, 400 South Street (tel: (215) 928 1911). 1237 East Passyunk Avenue, at South Ninth Street and Wharton Street Tel: (215) 468 1546. Fax: (215) 271 1892. Website: www.patskingofsteaks.com Price: US$6. Unlicensed. Pietro’s Coal Oven Pizzeria Not as familiar a form of baking pizza as the old wood-fired brick oven, however, this family business has been baking pizzas this way for 60 years – and they are just as delicious. Pizzas start at US$9.95 and come with a choice of 18 toppings (US$2 extra), but there are many Italian salads and pasta dishes too. It is a good venue for groups and families. 1714 Walnut Street Tel: (215) 735 8090. Fax: (215) 735 8091. Website: www.pietrospizza.com Price: US$20. Beer: US$3.50. Branch: 121 South Street Tel: (215) 733 0675. Fax: (215) 625 9170. Rangoon Situated in the Chinese section just off Arch Street, a short walk from the Conference Center, the green façade of Rangoon is easy to spot. As the name suggests, Burmese specialities predominate here. Owned and run by three Burmese women, this restaurant is a favourite with locals in search of exotic Asian food, such as Burmese curry or calamari salad. 112 North Ninth Street Tel: (215) 829 8939. Fax: (215) 629 2370. Website: www.phillychinatown.com/rangoon.htm Price: US$20. Beer: US$4. Personal Recommendations Friday Saturday Sunday It is 30 years since this charming place started – and everything is original, from the chains of twinkling lights to the mirrors. Situated in an old brick house on a leafy street, it is a favourite with locals. The food is simple, fresh and classic (filet mignon, rack of lamb, crab cakes) – although recently more Asian suggestions have arrived, such as salmon or tilapia with lime sauce and tequila. 261 South 21st Street Tel: (215) 546 4232. Website: www.frisatsun.com Price: US$35. Wine: US$20. Joseph Poon’s Asian Fusion A small, charmingly eccentric restaurant right in Chinatown, close to mid-town’s Conference Center. This star venue for Oriental food features a fabulous range of delicious dishes, such as Malaysian pizza, Indian lamb in filo pastry or vegetables stir-fried in Thai curry sauce. Also, Joe Poon himself is usually on hand to help diners choose dishes and to answer questions about his lively and imaginative approach to fusion cooking. 1002 Arch Street Tel: (215) 928 9333. Fax: (215) 928 9368. Website: www.josephpoon.com Price: US$25. Beer: US$4. Novelty Another arrival in the up-and-coming historic area is cleverly contained within an old variety store complete with original tin ceiling. The dark interior, original fittings and wide street-side windows give it a real atmosphere. The food is modern and often innovative, such as veal and duck, while the good seafood includes tuna and soft-shell crabs. 15 South Third Street Tel: (215) 627 7885. Fax: (215) 627 9151. Website: www.noveltyrestaurant.com Price: US$30. Wine: US$12. Porcini’s This very small establishment is a great place for a quiet intimate meal – although it does not have much space. In an old building, the front window bulges onto the street and offers glimpses of the cosy interior. With plain decor, the restaurant has the air of being a local classic. It serves up good basic Italian dishes, such as handmade lasagne, with daily specials and desserts. No lunch. 2048 Sansom Street Tel: (215) 751 1175. E-mail: porcinirest@aol.com Website: www.phillyrestaurants.com/porcini Price: US$30. Wine: BYO (free corkage). Reading Terminal Market This original meat and vegetable market opened in 1892 and is now a great place for lunch or for buying fresh produce – all its delicious food is at low prices. Diners choose from dozens of stalls, then take their dish to tables and nosh on the country food, such as hearty sausage, meat and chicken plates or big sandwiches. Many stalls are run by the local Pennsylvania Dutch community. Located beside the city’s mammoth Conference Center, with trains still rumbling into the main station, Reading Terminal is not to be missed. 12th Street and Arch Street Tel: (215) 922 2317. Website: www.readingterminalmarket.org Price: From US$5 per dish. |
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