The Most Delicious Venues & Event Spaces in Philadelphia

Old City Beer Garden

★★★★☆ 3.6 (66)

"Definitely a fun spot in the city to grab a beer and some tasty food. Easy location to get to and at night the tables are filled but doesn't feel over crowded. They have a great selection of beers and I usually aim towards Oktoberfest beers in the fall. Friends that aren't usually beer drinkers, there's something on the menu for them too.The two times I've been here I've gotten the Smokin' parm fries. They're insanely amazing and highly recommend getting them. The beef nachos, also very good and its a huge order so be ready to eat. Helps soak up the beer :)Serve isn't fast but they're friendly and pleasant and you'll have a good time here. Dogs are welcomed!"

New Liberty Distillery

★★★★☆ 4.2 (58) • $$

"We absolutely loved it here!! My fiancé and I came in just because we were checking out all the spots on American street, honestly if you didn't know where you were going you wouldn't think anything was here... You have to go through some type of backyard area, and walk up some stairs, you'll see a room with all the wine barrels and then up some more stairs and finally you made it!! So definitely not super accessible to everyone. The rustic vibe though is sooo chill! We loved everything about it. And big ups to Danielle the bartender and Chris!! They were both great, Chris told us a little about the distillery and the processes and Danielle was one of the best bartenders I've encountered so the both of them kept us there for quite a while. In addition, while sitting at the bar we met about 4-5 couples that were super dope! So, it's always great to be around great company especially when you're drinking whiskey! Do not hesitate to come here. It's such a great place!"

Sura Indian Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.3 (16)

"I'm in town this weekend visiting my sister, so I Iooked up coming Yelp events in the area to learn more about what's hot! I see there's an event happening here soon. I immediately bookmarked this place. Looked up the menu and told my sister we should check them out. I'm so glad we did.We made reservations, which I would recommend. They get busy, and I can see why. It really has a nice vibe. Multilevel and very cozy. It's somewhat new - just a few months! Congrats! Our server, Avy, was excellent. In fact, everyone here was very welcoming and hospitable! I really appreciated that. We both got one of their mocktails - mango punch. It was good - not too sweet. There is a full bar available!The food was good. We started off with samosas - very flavorful. I enjoyed the green sauce it came with, but I like tamarind sauce with my samosas. These came with ketchup (specifically Heinz according to my sister).For the main dishes, we ordered the smoked chicken tikka medium level spicy, and it had a nice kick. My sister had the korma and she loved it. She'll be back this week for "SIPS.""

Strangelove's

★★★★☆ 3.8 (519) • $$

"Not bad. I wasn't very impressed with the sandwich, but the drinks were good. The place was loud too. I tried the passion fruit and blackberry libations and ordered the crispy chicken sandwich. The service was average. I intended to order another drink, but the waitress didn't check back with me, so I decided to leave after finishing my meal."

North Bowl

★★★★☆ 3.9 (531) • $$

"Went to a wedding celebration here on Saturday night. The ceremony was held outside, out front of the location. It was so nice! After that we went in and up to the second floor. There were appetizers out for us to help ourselves to, a DJ playing music and a bar ready to serve some cocktails! All of the staff were friendly! Guests were enjoying the food, drinks and bowling!What a I've place to have a party!"

The Twisted Tail

★★★★☆ 3.9 (703) • $$

"Came here for restaurant week last night with my boyfriend and we both had a very nice time. Really nice location right off of south street with many things to do after dinner!We decided to sit at the bar because the setup was beautiful. Our bartender was very kind and attentive. My bf tried the flight that came with 1 bourbon, 1 scotch and 1 whiskey. It was a very cool idea and a great way to taste the diff options they have. I went with a dirty martini which was made perfectly.For restaurant week, we ordered the following below:Whipped ricotta (first course)Heirloom beets (first course)Crawfish mac&cheese (second course)Smoked wings (second course)Braised short rib (third course)Grilled hanger steak (third course) Ricotta beignets (fourth course)Vanilla panna cotta (fourth course)The only "complaint" of mine was the first and second course arrived at the same exact time. We were sitting at the bar with 4 plates of food, flight and a drink. We wanted to take our time with the first course, but had to quickly eat the second course so the hot food wouldn't get cold. We loved everything but the wings. The wings are highly reviewed here but last night they were very chewy and received two thumbs down. Everything else was DELICIOUS! I would 100% reorder the beets, whipped ricotta and mac&cheese. So good! Both entrees were delicious, but didn't blow us away. Dessert came and we loved the beignets. Perfect size and amount. The panna cotta was a bit too jiggly and not firm at all. Tasted a bit like soft tofu so we sadly didn't finish that dish. I would still come back and would definitely recommend the first 3 dishes listed above!"

Milkboy

★★★★☆ 3.7 (138) • $$

"The experience I had here, drinking a dark and stormy with the windows wide open on a gorgeous spring day in Philly, is what 5 star dreams are made of. I am excited to go back and try out more of the food items, but the bar is well-priced and they have a fantastic happy hour. This part of South will surely have a bit more foot traffic now that Jim's is back open, and Milkboy is a fab part of this re-renaissance.They have a great upstairs space here that hosts everything from comedy to cover bands, and you can't beat the vibes in the bar space as well. The bar staff here was accommodating, speedy, kind, and helpful during my visit, and I look forward to the next time I get to stop by."

Dim Sum House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (532) • $$

"Came for a happy hour event and honestly wasn't expected much from the bites and the mixed cocktails but MY GOODNESS, everything was great! I really enjoyed my drink. Worth the $12. The little bites were good. I had some of the veggie spring rolls, sesame soy brussel sprouts, and the fired shrimp balls. My only complaint is that I ate a late lunch and didn't make enough room to eat more lol. Service was solid. Everyone was super friendly. Last but not least, I LOVED the layout. It was dim but gorgeous. Huge monitors everywhere and beautiful brick walls lit up with lights. If anyone is ever there for happy hour, lemme know! lol"

Anthony's

★★★☆☆ 3.3 (42)

"Where Anthony's absolutely crushes it is the ambiance. It's very clean, it's really nice, the staff are all dressed very well, the tables and chairs are comfy, the lighting is good, the music is spot on... it has the look of a restaurant you'd expect to pay a lot of money to visit, but the prices are honestly pretty reasonable. Maybe a little higher than your standard fare? But certainly within a range you'd expect.Really liked the sesame seed bread and the baked clams. These were my favorite dishes. I liked the chef special of fried tomatoes. I ended up with the seafood dish in the spicy marinara. It was pretty good. It didn't blow my doors off. But it was a massive bowl of food. I had it for dinner and then took the rest home and had it for lunch the next day. Worth it for that reason alone.Service was fine. Maybe a little slow? That's to be expected in a local establishment, I think. Our servers kept getting interrupted by people (regulars?) at the bar. It is what it is.All in all, a solid 4* restaurant. I'll be back."

McGillin's Olde Ale House

★★★★☆ 3.8 (1116) • $$

"I wanted a cheese steak. I wanted to watch the 76ers. I wanted a place open last 9pm. And there you were - the oldest bar blocks from my hotel. You had everything I sought. The place was really cool - I love the oldest nostalgic type bars. The game was on. The place was packed yet I found a table. I had the house (red) ale and a cheesesteak. A really nice combo. The cheesesteak had a bit more flavor and seasoning than other iterations I've had but really good in its own right. Props to the server who was friendly and great and attentive. Sometimes this isn't the case when places get crowded."

King Of Tandoor & Biryani House

★★★★☆ 3.5 (263)

"Service (delivery) 5/5Food arrived hot and nothing leaked but they don't include cutlery or napkins but they did send some condiments.Food 3-4/5Chicken Tikka Masala 4/5It's a lot of sauce to chicken ratio and frankly for the price I expected a bit less sauce and a bit more chicken.Cauliflower dish (I forget the name) 3/5Honestly for the cost I felt very let down. It was a red sauce thickened with either cornstarch or some other thickener and it was nice enough but not mind blowing.I just don't think the whole meal was a good value after tax and tip (free delivery) a quart of each plus rice came to over $32"

American Sardine Bar

★★★★☆ 4 (388) • $$

"the patty melt & salt/pepper fries with a whole pickle are unmatched ! service is always quick. the beer select on draft is interesting and a wide variety. cute divey bar down the block when you need it."

LaScala's Fire

★★★★☆ 3.7 (134)

"Found this place on the internet and have to say that the place is stylish, not too loud. You can choose where you want to sit. The waitress was very attentive. The food came very warm and in a time of may be 5 minutes we had all 4 dishes. Below please see the rating for our dishes - all dishes were nicely prepared and a very good size:Alicia's Sunday dinner (4/5) - was ready good, but just had it better in Auckland, that's why 4 Stars;Vegetarian Red Sauce Pizza (5/5) - very tasty with a variety of vegetables. Tasty dough!Lemon crab and shrimp (5/5) - Very tasty sauce, a lot of shrimp and crab;Pasta and Peas (4/5) - was too spicy, but otherwise very good;Average food rating (4.5/5)I will definitely come again when I am in town."

NECTAR

★★★★☆ 3.9 (537)

"Wow! This is an extreme surprise, you go down a quiet suburban road and out of nowhere pull into this restaurant, there's complimentary valet and a huge (no marijuana) sign. You step in and it's a huge upscale dining room, similar to Buddakan in Old city, there's a huge bar and a sushi bar. The menu is much more extensive with sushi, sashimi, Chinese and Asian items. We ordered some sushi, 2 appetizers, and three mains for the 4 of us, portion size is generous. My favorite were the Vietnamese sandwiches, the wok chili tenderloin and the saffron infused fried rice. We definitely didn't have enough space for dessert. But such a great place. Service was great, helpful, informative and we didn't feel rushed. I do recommend making reservations, the place was very busy!"

Asian Palace

★★★★☆ 3.6 (67)

"Asian Palace helped my mom plan an amazing 50th bday bash! Phuong, the owner, was a great help throughout the entire process and the party was a huge success! The food has been consistently delicious (as remarked by my Vietnamese family as well), and we are so happy we chose this as our venue to celebrate my mom's special day. The venue is the most elegant and clean in comparison to the other Asian places I've been to in the Philly area, and the service by our three waiters was astounding. Any time a request was made, the waiter came back in less than 3 minutes and was friendly throughout the entire night. 3 waiters for 80 guests and extremely efficient.. that is impressive! Thank you Asian Palace, we will be back!!"

Stateside Vodka Bar

★★★★★ 4.5 (94) • $$

"Out of town friends so enthralled by the amazing flavors of Surfside and they don't even like drinking tea. I was already coming here all the time to get their sodas after my dude fell in love with them in Delaware restaurants and bars and whaaaat we have it right here in Philly and can buy it by the casesssssAnywaysSo when they were coming back in town of course I had to race down to pick up a big order. Surf's Up!!. Showed up just in time for a tour and yeahhhhh I love learning why things are awesome and how things are made and why thy are going to crush USA with their vodka teas and soda. Get it!!!"

Top Tomato Bar & Pizza

★★★★☆ 3.6 (310) • $

"This was my first regular visit to Top Tomato at the corner of 11th and Sansom, right across from the Jefferson medical center. Last time was for a special Yelp event upstairs. I sat at a quad high top in the bar. It wasn't too busy for a midweek lunch - a few peeps at the bar and only a few tables occupied by hospital staff on break. I thought about trying their Jersey Tomato Pie, but ultimately went with the Eggplant Parm Sandwich. Solid choice.It was a big torpedo roll loaded with thin sliced nightshade, that appeared to be pan fried before filling the bread handle, ladled with good red sauce and covered with melted mozzarella. It was very enjoyable. In fact, the roll was exceptional. Crunchy and pleasantly chewy. It reminded me of a similarly rolled sandwich I had previously eaten, but I couldn't place where. I asked my superlative bartender/server, Tabitha about its source, so she went back to the kitchen to inquire. It was from Ba Le Bakery, the Vietnamese ovens on Washington Avenue in South Philly. Of course! I have had several Banh Mi sammies there and nearby pho joints. They were always memorable. French style with thinner crust than Italian, but still crisp shell and airy middles. Worked just great as the edible container for the eggplant, sauce and cheese. Score a big 5 Stars for Top Tomato, who took the chance to change up the expected bakery choices with an even better cultural diversion. Very cool!"

Ekta Indian Cuisine

★★★★☆ 3.7 (119) • $$

"I was sad when we first moved away from Ekta on Girard. However the west philly shop has filled the void. I cannot speak to the ambiance or the layout since we only ever get delivery from here. The food though, is dare I say it better. That's not a knock on the other Ekta. They are delicious and I'd never talk down on that place. I almost always get the the lamb tiki masala. The garlic naan. My wife switches between a few main dishes she loves and different naans. Delivery is always 30-45. Which I think is good for being across town. Honestly surprised they come that far. I was almost going to try a different Indian place last night and then my wife was had a door dash coupon that waived all delivery fees. First Indian place on door dash is Ekta. So why try and fix what works? We love this place."

Sorellina

★★★★☆ 4.1 (10)

"This is the best pizza we have had in Philly!! We just came back from Naples a few months ago and this pizza tastes like the pizza we had there. We have not found any other pizza place that compares besides this place. The crust is chewy, the ingredients are fresh, and it is not too salty or heavy. You can see the chefs making the pizza from scratch, putting it in the oven, and then serving it to you within minutes of it coming out of the oven. We will definitely be back to try some more pizza!"

Dim Sum House

★★★★☆ 3.9 (354) • $$

"Came here for restaurant week with a group of friends and we were all overly stuffed and satisfied. 100% would return again!Nothing special inside with the decor but a decent size venue with casual dress code. Our waitress was very kind and friendly!The amount of food you get for $45 is insane! I ordered pork soup dumplings for my first course, Mongolian beef for my second and vegetable fried rice for my third course.They gave me 8 pieces of pork soup dumplings! A bit doughy, but the flavor was on point especially when you added some chili oil. The Mongolian beef was okay, but my friend's general tso chicken receives a 10/10. The veggie fried rice looked simple, but it was delicious and seasoned perfectly. The dan dan noodles is a must. Spicy, porky and addicting!We were all so full, but couldn't stop picking at our foods. We each had leftovers, so you definitely get your moneys worth. Great spot! Winners were pork soup dumplings, general tso chicken, dan dan noodles and veggie fried rice!Skip the chicken and mushroom dumpling, Mongolian beef, shrimp typhoon and chicken lo mein."

Yards Brewing Company

★★★★☆ 4.4 (989) • $$

"Great spot to enjoy a few beers while watching sports. They have a good number of TVs throughout the space, including some on all sides of the bar. I tried the shandy beer which was great, and I sampled another beer that I enjoyed. I think my husband and I will be back in the coming months for football."

Charley Dove

★★★★☆ 4.3 (33)

"Audrey Claire was one of the first restaurants I went to in Philly over ten years ago. Over the years I went back several times and it was always great. Delicious Mediterranean food, BYOB, and a bustling atmosphere that is casual and cozy but still classy. Somewhere you could bring your foodie friend and your picky friend. Charley Dove preserves all of that and offers a slightly more adventurous menu, and due to the pandemic, a way bigger outdoor space. Interior is underrated but cute- tiny glasses and succulents.We went early on a Tuesday (5:45) and had the place to ourselves. We opted for indoor bc of the heat but it may actually have been hotter inside (fans but no central air). Service was great, attentive but not overbearing. The kind of place that brings you an ice bucket for your wine and a pitcher of water but doesn't pour it for you.Food was delicious! They brought out a complimentary goat cheese ball amuse bouche, then we ordered the octopus (loved the sauce) and cauliflower (maybe a bit overcooked but delicious) and whole branzino and veal short rib. The short rib was fall off the bone tender and I loved the Israeli couscous with pomegranate. The fish was perfectly deboned but served with the tail and head and the most delicious sauces. We were going to pass on dessert but the waiter overheard me wish my friend happy birthday and they sent out the chocolate ganache with candied orange peel and olive oil (so rich and so good!)In love with Charley Dove, and glad we dove in to try this new place! To another generation of kids names after this neighborhood gem!"

Cavanaughs Headhouse

★★★★☆ 3.7 (126) • $$

"Don't forget to check in on Yelp to get 10 percent discount.My husband and I came here to watch Liverpool game. There are many TVs so everyone can enjoy watching the game.Paul the bartender is very good and attentive. Drinks came out right away.My husband had Bloody Mary but it was not good because it was a bit frozen.Fried pickles: good portion size, enough for sharing with 3-4 people. The batter was light and crunchy, similar to funnel cake. The pickle itself was paper-thin and small, probably almost the same size as a quarter. The batter stayed in tact, perfect for dipping. Highly recommend.Buffalo chicken salad: a lot of strips of breaded chicken breast. The breading didn't fall apart and soaked the flavor of the buffalo sauce. The buffalo sauce had perfect balance of acidity and heat. I really enjoyed it.Sliders: cute presentation with a slice of pickleAnd tomato on top. The meat wasn't dry. It comes with fries."

Kampar Philly

★★★★☆ 3.5 (26)

"So excited for Kampar's return!The new upstairs space is beautiful, a great vibe for dinner with friends or a date, and I even saw some families. Walk in only and there is some bar seating. They were able to do one of the cocktails with a shrub as a mocktail and it was so good! The achat was great (a little spicy!), we loved the chili pan mee (also a bit of a kick) and the Wagyu mushroom dish. The carrot cake was something I've only ever had in Singapore and was a group favorite. The instant noodles= instant nostalgia. Prices were reasonable but portions were not huge. This is one of those places where you might want to order an extra dish if you're not sure you ordered enough. Luckily the whole menu looks great!The hosts and servers were lovely and the food came out fast! We were missing a few serving spoons and small plates and chopsticks but those kind of hiccups are to be expected in the first few weeks of opening and when we asked they came right away.Can't wait to come back for the downstairs! So nice to have Malaysian food in South Philly again!"