New Restaurants in Philadelphia

From cozy BYOBs to cutting-edge cuisine and sultry cocktail bars, Philadelphia has it all. So the city’s strong showing in the James Beard nominations this year is no surprise. Check out these new restaurants in Philadelphia.

Center City

This bustling business district is home to the Pennsylvania Convention Center, major hotels, and some of the city’s most sought-after dining destinations. The culinary scene in Center City is like its inhabitants – innovative, ambitious, and passionate.

Bower Café

Address: 1213 Walnut Street

Owner Thane Wright relocated his popular Washington Square West café to bigger new digs on Walnut Street. In addition to La Colombe coffee, pastries, sandwiches and charcuterie, the new spot offers a sidewalk-facing studio for visiting podcasters to record.

DBG

Address: 1311 Sansom Street

Brother and sister owners George Tsiouris and Vasiliki Tsiouris-Balis are transforming the popular Drury Beer Garden into DBG, a new burger bar and destination. The brand-new crushable menu features 15 burgers, including Gold Standard — a $700 luxury burger made with the finest ingredients. The nationally recognized beer garden in the back has also been renovated and now features a giant new mural and updated seating.

Jomon Japanese BBQ

Address: 1310 Walnut Street 

Looking for a lively spot to bond with a few friends? This Midtown Village restaurant invites diners to enjoy the communal Yakaniku style of table grilling. They even offer all-you-can-eat lunch specials and discounts for children.  

Kismet Bialys

Address: 1136 Arch Street

What began as Alexandra and Jacob Cohen’s pandemic baking project has grown into two bagel shops and now a bialy stand in Reading Terminal Market. Choose a bilay — a hole-less cousin of the bagel with filling in the middle — in traditional onion, salt, or poppy style. Or go more adventurous with sweeter flavors like s’mores, topped with chocolate ganache and house-made marshmallow. 

Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar

Address: 114 S 13th Street

Midtown Village’s 13th Street has a new date night destination from Schulson Collective, complete with a raw bar and heartier seafood entrees like fish and chips. The corner spot offers a signature sparkling cocktail menu with Philadelphia twists, such as the “Hey Yous Guys” champaign spritz.

Saami Somi

Address: 1136 Arch Street

Delicious khachapuri, or open-face sourdough “cheese boats” from Georgia, are the stars at this new Reading Terminal Market stall. They come in flavors like traditional, mushroom, and honey brie, alongside Georgian soup dumplings and assorted small plates.

The Hayes

Address: 1123 Walnut Street

Townsend Wentz calls his new Washington Square West spot an American tavern. But in addition to burgers and fries you can expect some elevated dishes —like steak frites with a  green peppercorn sauce — from the chef-restaurateur behind hits like Townsend EPX, A Mano, and Oloroso next door. 

Rittenhouse Square

The green park at the center of Rittenhouse Square is an outdoor oasis for anyone looking to relax in the busy city. The neighborhood’s restaurants are equally cathartic – sophisticated with style and transporting patrons to a new flavor plane.

Andra Hem

Address: 218 South 16th Street

One of Esquire’s Best Bars in America, Andra Ham is a Rittenhouse lounge whose name translates to “second home” in Swedish. And in this case, home is a chic townhouse with guest rooms styled by an interior designer and art collector team. In addition to cocktails, the menu offers Scandinavian light bites such as Smörgås (open-faced sandwiches) and Swedish meatballs.  

Bolo

Address: 2025 Sansom Street

From MilkBoy restaurant group, this Rittenhouse rum bar and restaurant showcases the work of acclaimed veteran chef Yun Fuentes. Look for Latin American and Caribbean comfort foods from the Puerto Rican-born Fuentes, like empanadas, croquetas, and tostones. Wash them down with a piña colada, daiquiri, or mojito from the expansive cocktail list.

Kura Sushi

Address: 1721 Chestnut Street 

Revolving sushi anyone? This interactive pay-by-the-plate restaurant in Rittenhouse is centered around a conveyor belt with individual dishes to choose from. Non-sushi lovers also have plenty of options, like ramen and dumplings. 

Luna BYOB

Address: 227 South 20th Street

Philadelphia is known for its charming BYOBs, and this Rittenhouse spot at 20th and Locust is one of the newest additions. Enjoy house-made pastas such as squid ink tagliolini, and entrees like veal chops and branzino with couscous. 

Superfolie

Address: 1602 Spruce Street

From the team behind Bella Vista’s Good King Tavern and James Beard Award-nominated Le Caveau, this chic bar is a welcome addition to the Rittenhouse scene. Superfolie is another Best Bar in America , self-described as a “sophisticated hole-in-the-wall wine bar.” Along with a French-heavy wine list, look for a selection of mezcal and snacks, like charred eggplant yogurt, to pair it with.

Walnut Garden

Address: 1706 Walnut Street

Just in time for the summer, Walnut Garden is a new urban cocktail garden right in the heart of Rittenhouse Square. The owners upcycled discarded items such as shipping containers to transform the area into an inviting oasis with fresh plants and colorful blooms. This innovative and spacious beer garden features refreshing cocktails and delicious local brews.

Bella Vista/Queen Village

One of the oldest neighborhoods in Philadelphia, the Bella Vista/Queen Village district keeps it local and lowkey. Surrounded by green spaces and friendly pubs, the dining scene focuses on creating a hospitable environment that matches its world-class fare.

Grace & Proper

Address: 941 South 8th Street

A sophisticated but cozy addition to the Italian Market scene, this buzzy European-style bar comes from the owners of nearby Hawthorne Cafe. Nightly it draws a crowd for the cocktails, wine and Portuguese-inspired snacks and small plates. 

Mawn

Address: 764 South 9th Street

Located in the former Kalaya location in Bella Vista, this ambitious restaurant showcases Southeast Asian noodle dishes and Cambodian sandwiches. At night look for more classic Cambodian entrees from Cambodian-born industry veteran Phila Lorn and his wife, Rachel.

Redcrest Kitchen

Address: 625 South 6th Street

After evolving from a fried chicken pop-up to a Queen Village establishment, this New American restaurant offers a lot of delicious options. The fried chicken is still in the mix, but so are a wide range of shareable plates, from chicken liver mousse and pastas to smoked short rib and king salmon.

Roxanne

Address: 912 Christian Street

The playful menu at chef Alexandra Holt’s popular new Bella Vista BYOB is perfect for adventurous diners. Holt’s $85 six-course menu changes often but is consistently thought provoking with a plentiful amount of sauce and personality.

Tabachoy

Address: 932 South 10th Street

Chef Chance Anies is turning out pork adobo and other Filipino greatest hits he perfected while running a food truck during the pandemic into Tabachoy. Anies opened this brick-and-mortar restaurant with his wife Annie in Bella Vista, serving homages to their Filipino heritage.

Fishtown

Fishtown is a neighborhood where artists and innovators are always looking to create something new. Ditto goes for its chefs, who are constantly pushing flavor boundaries and experimental new tastes to create one-of-a-kind dining experiences.

Kalaya

Address: 4 West Palmer Street 

The exciting new version of this nationally lauded Thai BYOB has a bar, a bigger menu, and a lot more seating. Chef-owner Nok Suntaranon moved the whole operation north from Bella Vista to a snazzy spot on the border of Fishtown and Kensington. 

Tulip Pasta & Wine Bar

Address: 2302 East Norris Street

It’s no surprise that this Fishtown hotspot from chef Jason Cichonski and Wayvine Winery and Vineyard serves house made noodles in a lively setting. But its commitment to uber locally sourced flour and Pennsylvania wines sets it apart. 

South Philadelphia

Home to the Italian Market, South Philadelphia is a spicy pocket of city life. The residents are as authentic as the restaurants, where chefs incorporate their personal backgrounds onto their menus.

El Chingon Philadelphia

Address: 1524 South 10th Street

An all-day Mexican café and BYOB from chef-owner Carlos Aparicio, this colorful South Philadelphia spot specializes in Mexican cemita sandwiches with a range of fillings. Here the rolls and tortillas are made in house by Aparicio, whose standout baking resume includes developing the signature baguette at Parc. 

Looking for unforgettable activities to pair with your meal? Visit our things to do page for more exciting Philadelphia experiences.