The Resy Guide to Splurge-Worthy Dining in Philadelphia
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Philadelphia is a more affordable major city than some nearby metropolitans. (We’re looking at you, New York and Washington, D.C.) It’s one of the reasons why people move here and stay here. We’ve got a BYOB culture that can make dining out a deal and lots of neighborhood restaurants, but the city does indeed have its share of fine dining and sometimes, that’s just what you want.
There’s something so special about a night out where the service, food, and atmosphere come together to make you forget about the world outside. Sometimes you have a reason to drop bills like a birthday or anniversary and other times, you just want a meal that truly wows. From intimate omakase counters and tasting menus to elegant French meals, these Philly restaurants deliver when you’re looking for a truly blowout experience.
Here are 14 splurge-worthy restaurants in Philly.
Elma Fishtown
Sure, you could pick a few à la carte dishes at former Suraya sous chef James Nardone’s Italian BYOB – but that’s not the strategy tonight. Go for the $90 all-in option and try the whole menu. It’s a dozen or so dishes: house bread, vegetable-driven starters, seafood and meat courses, a few pastas (Nardone’s calling card), and dessert. Since you’re bringing the wine, going big at Elma still feels like a steal. Pro tip: On Wednesdays, add the dry-aged burger with cherry pepper mayo and fries for $26.
Andra Hem Rittenhouse
Designate a driver and cancel tomorrow’s plans – this one’s worth leaning into. Andra Hem is where $20 cocktails (like the “What the Pho,” a clever nod to the Vietnamese soup, or a silky milk punch) go down easy, and the cozy seating practically begs you to linger. Two floors of moody, jewel-toned walls, gold accents, and high design make it feel like you’ve stepped into someone’s stylish dream bar. On the menu, go for a little high-low fun – potato chips with caviar ($35) – or keep it light with smoked salmon or country-style pâté on sourdough. Andra Hem is Swedish for “second home,” and if ours looked like this, we’d never leave.
Cicala at the Divine Lorraine Fairmount
Joe and Angela Cicala’s restaurant in the historic Divine Lorraine building on North Broad exudes elegance, with tufted booths wrapped in luxe red velvet, white tablecloths, elaborate, glittering chandeliers everywhere, high ceilings, and attentive service. And then there’s what’s on your plate — a locally raised, char-grilled New York strip steak ($65), short rib ravioli covered in black truffle and butter sauce ($55), and “The Green Gold” housemade pistachio gelato with spicy Sicilian olive oil and Trapanese sea salt ($15). Talk about authenticity: The Cicalas spend months every year traversing Italy in search of new recipes, techniques, and ingredients.
Tesiny Philadelphia
Lauren Biederman is Philly’s queen of fancy fish and caviar. You’ll find it at her Italian Market appetizing shop, her kiosk outside the Four Seasons (want to do a caviar bump while waiting for an Uber?), and now, in her first full-service restaurant. In this warm, glowy dining room with its large open kitchen, start big: a shellfish tower ($130) stacked with oysters, shrimp, clams, and crudo. Diners on a splurge night must add the $40 Osetra caviar to the $18 crispy potatoes with whitefish aioli. And really, a $380 bottle of Laurent-Perrier Champagne is the only fitting pairing for a meal with this much luxury.
Ambra Queen Village
Chef-owner Chris D’Ambro has been one of Philly’s best chefs for a long time. His primary restaurant, Southwark, is a neighborhood gem that punches well above its weight. Ambra, which shares a kitchen with Southwark, is where D’Ambro goes big with an ever-changing, Italian-influenced tasting menu that only a few lucky people get to experience each week. There’s a kitchen counter right in the middle of the action that seats two to four people, or a serene dining room that can accommodate a few more. Either one is tough to book, so check early. This experience is $300 per person in the dining room and $350 at the kitchen counter – both options include a thoughtful and fun wine pairing.
Forsythia Old City
Chef Chris Kearse’s French restaurant in Old City is one of those places that other top chefs rave about – that’s how you know it’s special. Go for the chef’s tasting menu ($95 per person) that highlights Kearse’s favorite dishes on the menu. Alternatively, you may decide to split Rohan duck that’s been dry-aged for 10 days and served alongside sauce à l’orange ($140) or keep the oil-poached swordfish with Pappy Wan Winkle smoked trout roe ($46) all to yourself. This spot offers a more accessible version of fine dining, where the food sings and service rocks, without too much formality.
Alpen Rose Midtown Village
Behind a speakeasy-style door right on bustling 13th Street, Alpen Rose is prolific restaurateur Michael Schulson’s smallest and swankiest restaurant. This intimate steakhouse is encased in rich wood and dotted with old books. Settle into a leather booth under a massive chandelier and order the classics, especially anything served tableside. Sharing a 38-ounce Tomahawk ($145) is the move, but you’ll also want to keep things light with a seafood tower ($76) to start and a pineapple upside-down Alaska ($15) that is flambéed at the table (break out that camera) before you leave.
Kalaya Fishtown
Individual dishes at James Beard Award winner Chutatip Suntaranon’s innovative Southern Thai restaurant Kalaya are not overly expensive, but it’s all so good that you’re going to want to order everything on the menu. That’s why it’s a splurge. Go with a group to taste as much as possible. Think intricate flower-shaped and bird-shaped dumplings, crispy garlic chive rice cakes, spicy curries, stir fried crab meat and crab roe, two whole grilled freshwater river prawns for $86, a $98 spicy and sour soup with jumbo river prawns and barramundi, plus creative cocktails and mocktails. A $75 tasting menu delivers a shared feast for the whole table with a dozen or so dishes – ask for them to be coursed out slowly to enjoy every morsel.
Vernick Food & Drink Rittenhouse Square
Greg Vernick is one of Philly’s most masterful chefs. His restaurants eschew flashiness and deliver consistent excellence. His two-story flagship Vernick Food & Drink is one of the restaurants that hospitality industry folks consider a go-to. This is one of those places with a big menu where you could easily drop in for a glass of wine and a $25 plate of spicy mafaldine with broccoli rabe and white beans or go all-in for a luxurious meal. Our advice is to try one or two items from each section of the menu. You’ll taste something on toast, some raw seafood, a pasta dish, a small plate like sea scallops or lobster salad, and a couple of entrées. Vernick is known for its mahogany-roasted chicken with lemon herb jus, but they also make a mean bone-in, dry-aged strip loin, or whole fish.
HIROKI Philadelphia Fishtown
Chef-owner Hiroki Fujiyama trained under “Iron Chef” Masaharu Morimoto for more than 10 years before opening his own omakase operation. At Hiroki, he serves a 20-bite menu ($185) that includes a few small plates, a cooked fish course, a meat course, lots of nigiri, a toro hand roll, miso soup, tamago, and dessert. Add on a $65 sake pairing to try seven versions of the fermented rice beverage, each paired to complement a section of the meal. P.S. You’ll enter this transportive, dimly-lit sushi den through a round door next to Wm. Mulherin’s Sons.
Irwin’s South Philadelphia
Salvatore’s Counter
Chef Michael Ferreri has been running the show at Irwin’s on top of South Philly’s uber-hip Bok Building for a few years. And while he’s known for excellent Sicilian cuisine, he’s been spreading his wings lately. With Salvatore’s Counter, he serves 12 courses to four guests each Sunday night. This personalized, $250 experience starts with a call from a “concierge” to learn about the guests and their preferences to create an entirely unique menu that will never be repeated. Go ahead and add the $150 beverage pairing to sample drinks and wine from Irwin’s bar.
Oloroso Washington West
At Townsend Wentz’s Oloroso, you can choose your own Spanish food adventure. Maybe it’s a casual night of a few tapas and a glass of Albariño, but on special occasions, book the chef’s counter where the kitchen crew chat with guests and serve nearly two dozen bites and dishes to just a couple of diners each evening. This $125 dinner features classic tapas, creative small plates, a mini paella, and traditional desserts, like Basque cheesecake. If the counter is tough to book, you can order a $75 five-course tasting menu or a $95 chef’s tasting at any table.
River Twice East Passyunk
Ever since chef Randy Rucker moved to Philly to open River Twice with his wife Amanda, it’s been one of our city’s most talked-about restaurants. Seafood stars on his $85 four-course menu as do local, seasonal ingredients. Think steelhead trout with lemon verbena and heirloom cucumber or delicata squash with buttery clams, maitake, and sorrel. Ordering a few add-ons, like sour cornbread with black truffle and Maine uni ($26) makes this meal even more special. In the summer, you must try an heirloom tomato sandwich with smoked mayo and caviar ($40), and on Monday nights, definitely get yourself a Mother Rucker burger.
Townsend EPX East Passyunk
Chef-owner Townsend Wentz’s eponymous restaurant has been a local classic for years. Love French food? You’ve come to the right place. Think: Escargot, roasted bone marrow, gratin, and côte de boeuf for two for $118. An $85 tasting menu will get you five courses that show off what the kitchen can do, but à la carte is also an option. Sommelier Gordana Kostovski curates a bottle list of old and new world wines with a decent selection available by the glass. The bar here is a popular after-work spot for hospitality industry folks, but it’s lovely any time of evening.
