I have been wanting to write this post for over a year, so I’m super excited to share it with you guys! I grew up in the Philly ‘burbs, but found myself venturing into the city often. Between family functions in South Philly and exploring the rest of the city as much as possible, Philadelphia has always been a source of pride for me. Now, I’m going on three years of living in Society Hill, which is a quaint and historic Center City neighborhood. I love Philadelphia now more than ever.
When I travel, I use various sources, such as TripAdvisor and Yelp, to help me plan my trips. My favorite sources, however, are guides that I find on blogs through Pinterest. I particularly love guides written by locals and find their tips to be invaluable. So, being that I’m so passionate about Philadelphia, I decided to create a guide of my own.
First and foremost, Philadelphia has an incredible (and perhaps, underrated) food scene. I’ve traveled to many cities in the U.S., and few are rivals for Philadelphia when it comes to food. While dining out is one of my favorite things to do, I am still eating my way through this city since my list of places to try is ever-growing. As such, I will be the first to admit that the lists that I’ve compiled are not all-inclusive. Instead, I only included restaurants and bars that I have tried and absolutely loved. Although, I must admit that I have never heard anything negative about Laurel and Vetri.
Further, I omitted quintessential “Philly things,” like trying cheesesteaks at Pat’s and/or Geno’s. While I wholeheartedly agree that you should try at least one Philly cheesesteak while you’re visiting, I encourage you to opt for Jim’s or Tony Luke’s. I also omitted the obvious, such as visiting the Liberty Bell and City Hall. Although they are totally worth checking out, I’m sure they’re listed in just about every Philadelphia guide book out there.
As a Philadelphia native, my hope is to provide you with information that guide books might not, making your stay unique and unforgettable. If I’m lucky, you’ll even realize why Philadelphians have so much pride for their city. If you have any questions, ask away!
Best Brunch/Lunch/Casual Spots
- Green Eggs Café
- Cheu Noodle Bar
- Wedge + Fig
- Federal Donuts
- Bud + Marilyn’s
- Dizengoff
- Buena Onda
- Hawthorne’s Biercafé
- V-Street
- Nomad Pizza
- Tria Café
Taken at Nomad Pizza
Best Dinner Spots
- Talula’s Garden
- Barbuzzo
- Pumpkin (BYOB)
- Amada
- Vernick
- High Street on Market
- Zahav
- Double Knot
- Zama
- Vedge
- Little Fish (BYOB)
- Kanella
Taken at Zahav
Best Drink Spots
- Continental Midtown
- Charlie Was a Sinner
- Time (live jazz!)
- Independence Beer Garden (seasonal)
- The Dandelion
- Frankford Hall
- Heritage (live jazz!)
- Monk’s Café
- Hop Sing Laundromat
- Franky Bradley’s
- The Good King Tavern
Taken at Heritage
Best Things to Do
- Walk/run the Ben Franklin Bridge for city views + a challenging 3-miler
- Bike the Schuylkill River Trail/Kelly Drive via the South Street Bridge for even more city views + stunning scenery including Boathouse Row (check out Indego for affordable bike rentals)
- Practice free yoga on the beautiful Race Street Pier (seasonal)
- Eat your way through the Reading Terminal Market + pick up some souvenirs along the way
- Take a day trip to Longwood Gardens or Chanticleer Garden + pack a picnic lunch
- Visit the Philadelphia Flea Market + Jinxed Stores if you happen to be an antique/vintage junkie such as myself
- Try amazing meats + cheeses at the original Di Bruno Bros. in the Italian Market
- Tour the Eastern State Penitentiary + see Al Capone’s cell
- Run the Rocky Steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
- Watch an IMAX film + check out a special exhibit at The Franklin Institute
- Scope out the exquisite Rare Book Department at the Free Library of Philadelphia
- Pop by charming Elfreth’s Alley to see America’s oldest residential street
- Visit the Mütter Museum if, like me, you can appreciate a medical museum that is equal parts bizarre + fascinating
- Check out quirky, yet magnificent mosaic art at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
- Catch a concert at one of my favorite venues: Union Transfer, The Fillmore, and The Mann Center
- Stay up-to-date on the latest happenings in Philadelphia by visiting uwishunu.com
We def need to get Back to antiquing!! And I would recommend anyone planning to visit the good ol’ city of brotherly love to pick this post over any other philly travel guide👌🏻 it touches on the GREAT spots not just the popular!
Great job listing some fun happenings and delicious places to eat! Question, is your list of restaurants in any type of order or is it random?
It would be fun to come down on a nice day and ride bikes on Kelly Drive. I would also like to try Zahav at some point. These are just a couple of many things I’d like to do! Oh, and the flea market for sure.
Totally random! They’re all excellent in their own right. A day on Kelly Drive followed by a Zahav dinner sounds wonderful!