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Autograph

Wayne’s see-and-be-seen brasserie is known for its celebrity-covered wall composed of photographs, albums and autographs. In the kitchen, the inspiration is drawn from Europe, with plates like charred Spanish octopus and the pasta carbonara with handmade linguine.

503 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne
610.964.2588
autographbrasserie.com

Eddie V’s Prime Seafood

Open since 2018, Eddie V’s has quickly garnered a reputation for cold-water lobster tails and succulent NY strips. After 4pm, step into the jazz lounge for specially priced oysters and a Hope Diamond cocktail, a libation made from Grey Goose vodka, grapefruit liqueur and butterfly tea poured over a diamond-shaped ice cube.

670 W. DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia
610.337.7823
eddiev.com

Enoteca Tredici

Italian and Mediterranean cuisine come together to create irresistible dishes like Moroccan spiced ribs. The lively bar and signature drinks make it a Main Line favorite for nights out.

915 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr
484.381.0268
tredicibm.com

Savona

Once the headquarters for Revolutionary War figure Aaron Burr, the space is now recognized for its 21-year reign of culinary excellence. Chef Andrew Masciangelo’s Italian plates are matched with plush seating and a wine list well in the thousands.

100 Gulph Road, Gulph Mills
610.520.1200
savonarestaurant.com

Center City

Ashton Cigar Bar

Cigar aficionados, look no further. In fact, look up—right above Holt’s Cigar Company. There you’ll find Ashton Cigar Bar, where a warmly-lit, bustling atmosphere serves up a world-class selection of over 200 premium cigars, 400 whiskeys and 600 spirits.

1522 Walnut St., Second Floor
267.350.000
ashtoncigarbar.com

Aqimero

Located in the lobby of the iconic The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia, the Richard Sandoval restaurant offers creative spins on Latin-inspired dishes. Try wood-fired plates like dry-aged NY strip, prawns and iberico spare ribs. Step into the lobby lounge for a post-prandial cocktail and inconspicuous people-watching.

10 Avenue of the Arts
215.523.8200
aqimero.com

Barcelona Wine Bar

Shade swirled around the opening of Barcelona, a branch of the Connecticut-based Barteca group’s Spanish wine-and-tapas room—a chain restaurant on East Passyunk? The horror. But to Barteca’s credit, their investment has transformed an Avenue relic on a marquee corner into a vital, attractive destination that seems to be busy every night—and have you seen the garden? Where once was a wedge of useless concrete now grows a shaggy little evergreen forest that improves all neighbors’ quality of life. That the serviceable menu reads like what Jose Garces was doing a decade ago is almost beside the point.

1709 E. Passyunk Ave.
215.515.7900
barcelonawinebar.com

Barclay Prime

You could go here to celebrate a special occasion—a job promotion, a milestone birthday, a surprise engagement. Plenty of people do. But some of the best nights at Barclay are spontaneous, when an after-work cocktail in the handsome lounge turns into a lengthy dinner in the library-inspired dining room. Order the caviar or the wagyu beef cheesesteak studded with foie gras or the rack of lamb. Or, order all of it. There’s no better place in Philadelphia to overindulge. Everyday is a reason to celebrate.

237 S. 18th St.
215.732.7560
barclayprime.com

The Capital Grille

Pan-fried calamari with hot cherry peppers and grand plateaus complete with Jumbo Lump crab and North Atlantic lobster foreshadow an amazing meal at the bustling Philadelphia outpost of this luxury steakhouse chain. Post-appetizer, a 20 ounce bone-in Wagyu NY strip finished with Capital Grille steak butter awaits.

1338-46 Chestnut St.
215.545.9588
thecapitalgrille.com

Davio’s Northern Italian Steak

Davio’s finely appointed dining room looks out on Rittenhouse streets from its second-floor perch. As the steakhouse continues to reinvent itself with seasonal fare, gluten-free menus and a decadent Sunday brunch, its famed cheesesteak eggroll remains on the menu as a classic. If you are spending the day at the King of Prussia Town Center, pop into the restaurant’s newest location.

Multiple locations.
215.563.4810
davios.com

Del Frisco’s Grille

The new contemporary sister to Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse, the Grille catches the hustle and bustle of the Avenue of the Arts not just because of its prime location, but for the lengthy steakhouse menu as well. Sit down to cheesesteak egg rolls and guacamole, or go big with the Grille prime cheeseburger or sizzling cuts of beef.

225 S. Broad St.
215.309.1154
delfriscosgrille.com

Giuseppe & Sons

By day, the Italian eatery boasts an upstairs luncheonette, but as the sun sets, a subterranean formal dining room comes alive. Michael Schulson and Termini Bros. Bakery join forces on this old-school menu—featuring classics like Sunday gravy and chicken Milanese.

1523 Sansom St.
215.399.9199
giuseppesons.com

Jean-Georges Philadelphia

There’s only way to Jean-Georges Philadelphia: Up. Breeze through the white-marble lobby of the Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia to a glass elevator that whisks you away to the 57th floor. The seasonal menu, one that Vongerichten says most closely resembles the offerings at Jean-Georges in New York, sources local produce and proteins, like Amish chickens. But the decadent, distinctive flourishes that have made Vongerichten a star—like elegant caviar dishes and plant-based preparations—are present during breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Four Season Hotel Philadelphia
1 N. 19th St.
215.419.5000
fourseasons.com/philadelphia

Lacroix

Celebrate culinary artistry with a high-class brunch or multi-course dinner at The Rittenhouse hotel’s AAA four-diamond award-winning restaurant. Executive chef Jonathan Cichon’s artful tasting menus are inspired by the seasons and locally sourced ingredients.

210 Rittenhouse Square
215.790.2533
lacroixrestaurant.com

Palizzi Social Club

More so than the suave amaro cocktails, the live music, the menu that features color-blocked spumoni, crisp Caesars in wooden bowls and one spectacular raviolo with a wobbling egg-yolk center, Palizzi is great because it has heart. Joey Baldino took over the 100-year-old Italian-American hangout at the request of his uncle, who ran the place from the 1950s, until he passed away. Thus, Baldino has not only preserved a piece of South Philly culture, but improved it for a new generation. You still need to be a member to get in. Better start making friends with the people who were lucky enough to snag a membership card early on.

1408 S. 12th St.
palizzisocialclub.com

Parc

Between classic dishes like gooey French onion soup, steak au poivre and raclette cheese burgers, this Stephen Starr Rittenhouse steward never disappoints. Stop in for breakfast, brunch, dinner or a midday snack—there’s never a bad time to dine a la française.

227 S. 18th St.
215.545.2262
parc-restaurant.com

P.J. Clarke’s

From 55th and Third in Midtown Manhattan to the “new” Curtis Center overlooking Washington Square, famous chophouse P.J. Clarke’s has successfully imported its everyone’s-a-regular spirit to Philly. To make sure the restaurant doesn’t feel like a carbon-copy New York import (a surefire recipe for self-destruction), P.J.’s has been done up with local memorabilia like framed photos of Charles Barkley and Sybester Stallone and a Mitchell & Ness scoreboard. More importantly, it has a local guy in the kitchen in Ned Maddock, formerly of Brigantessa and Amis. In addition to the brandwide standards like the Cadillac burger and lobster club salad, Maddock is slinging Philly exclusives like Pennsylvania Dutch chicken-and-dumplings soup.

601 Walnut St.
215.999.2000
pjclarkes.com

Rouge

Rouge endures as the city’s ultimate see-and-be-seen spot along Rittenhouse Square—now more than ever following a complete renovation of the dining room timed with the restaurant’s 20th anniversary. Take a seat at the new square bar and sample plates from the revamped menu, or stick with the classic Rouge burger.

205 S. 18th St.
215.732.6622
rouge98.com

Royal Boucherie

Nicholas Elmi got back to his French brasserie roots with the opening of Royal Boucherie. The saloon-like space in Old City is all dim lighting and wood cladding (see also: Boucherie partners Dave Frank and Stephen Simons’ Triangle Tavern, Royal Tavern, et all), creating a warm, shadowy showcase for Elmi and chef de cuisine Steve Forte’s slightly tweaked Gallic staples. The charcuterie program is the best and most comprehensive in town, with terrines, torchons, rillettes and cured sausages arranged on a wooden cutting board with a dozen accessories, and the raw bar is stacked with pristine sea creatures. Steak au poivre comes with textbook bordelaise. If Laurel is where Elmi is going, Boucherie is where he comes from.

52 S. Second St.
267.606.6313
royalboucherie.com

Scarpetta

Local ingredients are the highlight of this James Beard Award-nominated restaurant, where menu favorites include raw yellowtail, spaghetti and creamy polenta. After dining upstairs above Rittenhouse Square, float down to the first-floor lounge, where Italian spirits and regional wines flow freely.

210 W. Rittenhouse Square
215.558.4199
scarpettarestaurants.‌com

Suraya

A constellation of lanterns lights up a domed gold ceiling. Patterned tiles zigzag through the dining room. A chic garden looks like it was beamed in from a desert spa. No doubt, Suraya in Fishtown has the looks. To the eye, it’s one of the most pleasing restaurants to open in Philadelphia, from the colorful ceramic mugs filled with Lebanese chai to the latticed jalousie pastries. You’d want to go here even if the food was just okay. It’s not just okay. Chef Nick Kennedy, in partnership with restaurateurs Greg Root and Nathalie Richan and real estate developer Roland Kassis, turns out wonderful, flavorful Lebanese cooking. Don’t miss the fried kibbeh. Or the fattouch. Or the rose-pistachio cruller. Or the grilled poussin. Hell, don’t miss anything.

1528 Frankford Ave.
215.302.1900
surayaphilly.com

The Palm

Caricatures of famous local faces look on—from Rocky to former governor Ed Rendell—inside the Bellevue Hotel’s enduring steakhouse. A subtle interior-design refresh in 2017 opened up the dining room and created a blank canvas for a new generation Bellevue steakhouse. Stop in during PrimeTime (the spot’s weekend happy hour) for specially priced ahi tuna crudo or oysters oreganta.

200 S. Broad St.
215.546.7256
thepalm.com

Vernick Fish

Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia has been the talk of the town since opening in late summer. It’s also home to the long-awaited debut of James Beard award-winning chef Greg Vernick’s design-minded seafood kitchen Vernick Fish. The enviable oyster spread features Cape May salts and puffer petites, or opt for the saffron-braised golden tilefish with summer squash and pesto.

1876 Arch St.
215.419.5055
vernickfish.com

Volvér

Expect upscale tasting menus, unparalleled service and a can’t-miss happy hour—thanks to dishes like the Ecuadorian cheese board with guava jam. Volvér’s street-level location at the Kimmel Center makes it a preshow must, but the plush lounge and enviable Champagne menu is perfect for any night of the week.

300 S. Broad St.
215.670.2302
volverrestaurant.com

Zahav

Named 2019’s outstanding restaurant by the James Beard Foundation, there is no better place to explore modern Israeli cuisine. A variety of small plates and coal-grilled fare transport guests as they dine in a space evocative of Jerusalem’s hidden courtyards. You don’t come across laffa and hummus like this every day in Philly.

237 Saint James Place
215.625.8800
zahavrestaurant.com

South Jersey

Caffe Aldo Lamberti

Open for more than two decades, Caffe Aldo Lamberti has a dish for every occasion. Go casual with small plates at the bar, or reserve a table for two and sample from an impressive menu of Italian fare in the main dining room.

2011 Route 70 W., Cherry Hill, N.J.
856.663.1747
caffelamberti.com

Kuro

The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s opening in 2018 signaled yet another renaissance for Atlantic City. With a packed concert schedule and oodles of music memorabilia throughout the 17-acre resort, it’s the restaurants that lend the most Vegas-style sizzle to the seaside destination. At Kuro, contemporary Japanese dishes are made with sharing in mind, and use ingredients that are both locally sourced and imported from Japan. Thing wagyu tacos with spicy cilantro and Chilean sea bass miso. You also can’t go wrong with the chef’s choice sashimi omakase, which promises the menu’s top tastes. You may even spy celebs like Michael B. Jordan in one of Kuro’s sleek private dining rooms. If it’s good enough for him, it’s good enough for us.

1000 Boardwalk, Atlantic City
609.449.1000
hardrockhotels.com

Old Homestead

A New York City landmark steakhouse gets its second location inside the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa. Yes, the steak is to die for—it’s domestically raised and handmassaged—but no visit is complete without ordering the seafood tower for the table. Share tuna tartare, crab meat, oysters and shrimp before deciding on your cut.

1 Borgata Way, Atlantic City
609.317.1000
theborgata.com