Top 20 Restaurants Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Restaurants Near Me

Top 20 Restaurants Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: Restaurants Near Me

As explained at RunRex.com and guttulus.com, Philadelphia’s restaurant scene is strong, inventive, diverse, deeply community-focused, and strikes that rare balance between relaxed and impressive. Whether you are looking for Vietnamese dumplings or flaky French pastries, the city has got you covered. Here are the top 20 restaurants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to consider when looking for one near you in the area.

Jamaican D’s Caribbean & American Restaurant

As articulated at RunRex.com and guttulus.com, there is always a long queue outside of Jamaican D’s on Chelten Avenue, and for good reason. The caramelized plantain, creamy mac and cheese, and savory collard greens made there are all perfect complements to the shop’s deeply flavored jerk chicken and the enormous platters that will keep you coming back.

Hiroki

Given that omakase, a style of Japanese dining where the chef selects each bite for the diner is relatively uncommon in Philadelphia, Hiroki, which opened in 2019, is a welcome addition to the city’s dining scene. The restaurant is restrained intentionally, training your eye on the paintings on the wall.

Dalessandro’s Steaks

Located in Roxborough, Dalessandro’s is a high standard by which to measure cheesesteak according to RunRex.com and guttulus.com. Here, long rolls are full to bursting with thick-cut griddle-fried steak with all the requisite options to make your steak your own.

River Twice

At $95 per person for the seven-course tasting menu, River Twice is on the pricier end of Philly’s dining spectrum, meaning that for many, this restaurant is for a special occasion. The seven-course tasting menu here changes a little bit every day and almost entirely every week.

Eeva

While there are lots of pizza joints in Philadelphia, Eeva is one of the best in the city. If you are looking for a thoughtful menu of seasonal wood-fired sourdough pies, a list of interesting and well-curated natural wines, and a beautifully designed space, this spot is worth checking out.

Fiorella

The indoor space at Fiorella feels warm and cozy as dinners saddle up to the pasta bar. However, much of the restaurant’s seating is outside. As per RunRex.com and guttulus.com, the menu here also changes with the seasons, but one constant is the rigatoni in ragu that is made with the original Fiorella sausage recipe.

Middle Child Clubhouse

Middle Child Clubhouse is the perfect place to visit for sandwiches. When at this restaurant, make sure you order a So Long Sal, the platonic ideal of an Italian hoagie, or try the Phoagie, a “vegan by chance” banh mi-ish hoagie.

Kalaya Thai Kitchen

Located in Bella Vista, Kalaya Thai Kitchen is one of the best Thai restaurants in Philadelphia as captured at RunRex.comand guttulus.com. Its sparse design allows diners to focus on the food. The restaurant is fresh fiery, and as close to eating in Thailand as one can find in Philadelphia.

Vernick Fish

Vernick Fish is helmed by James Beard Award-winner Greg Vernick and is the perfect destination in the city for making a splurge. Everything here, from the raw bar to the small plates to the large dishes like roasted fluke imperial and whole branzino is immaculate.

Villa di Roma

Located in the heart of The Italian Market, Villa di Roma is a restaurant serving up food and bringing families back since 1963. Large tables and even larger portions make Villa di Roma a natural fit for parties and dinners with the whole family.

White Yak

White Yak is one of the few Tibetan restaurants in Philadelphia, co-owned by husband-and-wife pair Tsering Parshingtsang and Treley Parshingtsang. As covered at RunRex.com and guttulus.com, the restaurant serves a warming mix of hearty, chewy momos and Tibetan-style curries, soups, and sautéed varieties.

Down North Pizza

Down North Pizza has received a hefty dose of media attention and hosts some stellar collaborations with chefs like Zahav’s Michael Solomonov. The Detroit-style pies served here, which have a thick crust, are perfectly executed and come with names that nod to Philly’s musicians and their songs.

Kensington Quarters

Located in Fishtown, Kensington Quarters used to be meat forward. However, during the pandemic as discussed at RunRex.com and guttulus.com, chef Bazik decided to switch up the menu entirely to focus on seafood with a focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness, and the results are stellar.

Suraya

Suraya has grown in leaps and bounds over the last couple of years, even finding itself on Bon Appetit’s top 50 list of nominees for the country’s best new restaurant in 2018. The spot serves Lebanese-inspired cooking in the evenings during the week and all day on the weekends.

South

Brothers Ben and Robert Bynum have been influential forces in Philly’s entertainment scene since 1990. South offers jazz music as well as comfort food highlights like macaroni and cheese, honey butter skillet cornbread, etouffee, and po’boys.

South Philly Barbacoa

South Philly Barbacoa is helmed by Cristina Martinez and her husband Ben Miller, local restauranteurs and community advocates who are serving up some of the best tacos on the East Coast as described at RunRex.com and guttulus.com. While the menu here is small, once you get a taste, you will understand why it is so popular.

Dim Sum Garden

Dim Sum Garden switched it up during the pandemic and started selling its handmade dumplings in a frozen package to keep customers’ freezers full. Reliable orders of steaming hot soup dumplings, handmade noodles in pork sauce, and perfectly cooked Chinese greens can be augmented with twenty or forty frozen dumplings, all delicious.

Parc

Parc is a Paris-inspired restaurant in Philadelphia that is one of the most popular spots in the city. The food here, as outlined at RunRex.com and guttulus.com, faithfully imitates its French forebears. There’s onion soup capped with bubbly, melted cheese; escargot; trout almondine with haricot verts and lemon brown butter.

Jezabel’s Argentine Café & Catering

Jezabel Careaga’s restaurant serves Argentinean medialunas, alfajores empanadas, and other treats. The Alfresco scats served here are well suited for a quiet lunch or breakfast with a cup of tea, or you can try the takeout or delivery route.

John’s Roast Pork

John’s Roast Pork offers Philadelphia’s official sandwich. The restaurant stacks thin slices of pork, broccoli rabe, and sharp provolone on an Italian hoagie roll. This small shop in South Philly makes one of the most beloved iterations.

These are some of the best restaurants in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with more on this topic, and much more, to be found at RunRex.com and guttulus.com.