Photos courtesy of Alpen Rose and Kissho House Omakase. Photo of Irwin’s by Noëmie Carrant. Photo by Mike Prince, courtesy of Amá

The Philly Restaurants We Loved in 2025

By Resy Staff

Published: Dec. 16, 2025

It’s that most wonderful time of year where Team Resy and Tock have scrolled through our respective camera rolls to pin down the meals that’ve stood out to us the most. It’s never easy to be pick favorites, but our 2025 picks have proven yet again what we know and hold dear to our hearts: Restaurants are our homes away from home, acting as the perfect backdrop for all of life’s moments, both big and small.

From the places where we’ve felt like regulars to the restaurants that hosted our anniversaries, catch-ups with friends, and everything in between, here are Team Resy and Tock’s favorite restaurant meals of 2025.

At some point, living in Philly…

… you will reach the totally reasonable conclusion that getting a seat in front of Jesse Ito at Royal Sushi is going to be very, very hard. Fortunately, in 2025, we found ourselves awash in exceptional omakase options. And I made it a mission this year to hunt down options that lands well under $200, because I love omakase but don’t love how it too often has been taken out of the realm of we mere mortals.

My definite omakase crush this year was Kissho House, helmed by Zhengmao “Jeff” Chen in a basement just off Rittenhouse. Chen worked at Royal as well as Hiroki, before landing at Kissho, which is the Philly equivalent of getting a sushi Ph.D., and it shows at every step. Chen’s style is very much the opposite of flash, which is to say, if you want omakase as dinner theater, this isn’t your place. But the watercolor brushstrokes of technique will be noticed by those who pay attention. A slice of scallop was enlivened just enough with lime and blue truffle salt. Delicate and precise knife work cross-hatching made for one of the best pieces of aji I’ve ever had. And a preparation of saltwater eel this summer had a profound depth that came from a 10-hour preparation of the eel bones into a dense glaze, the sort of technique that would grace the finest French kitchens — but never mentioned until we asked. Most of all, Chen is fanatical about the preparation of his rice for nigiri; it’s always made in small batches, so he can tweak the temperature to be just right, hovering right above body temperature to best highlight each piece. You expect to pay dearly for this sort of skill, which makes the $150 price tag even more astonishing.

Things are a bit more energetic a few blocks away at Nakama, in a perhaps even more nondescript storefront next to a bail bonds office near City Hall. For one thing, when I visited, the entire staff were sporting Eagles jerseys (Philly omakase is going to have its own vibe). Chefs Mitsutaka Harada and Haris Yohanes have more appetite to engage the crowd (“crowd” being maybe five of us at the sushi counter), perhaps from their prior gig at Sushi by Bou. The 17-course omakase here leans more to overt pleasures — a bit more truffle and wagyu — but the technique is unfailingly precise and the quality of fish just as excellent. And the price tag? $125, with BYOB, which is to say, I should be gatekeeping the heck out of this, except that I truly want everyone in town to support our Philly take on omakase for the 99 percent.

— Jon Bonné, Managing Editor, Resy Editorial

The moment you walk up…

… to Alpen Rose, you know you’re somewhere special. From the speakeasy-style “knock at the door” and window greeting to being escorted into the restaurant one by one, the whole experience feels magical.

The curated menu is divine, the small but intimate space (there are only 12-ish tables) is both romantic and delicate, and the service is truly next-level. My favorite dishes on the menu were the beef Wellington with foie gras and steak wrapped up in puff pastry, the onions rings, Parker House rolls, and the layered chocolate cake for dessert. To drink, I loved the No. 79 cocktail with a little rose — it was all unforgettable.

— Jaime Steinberger, VP of Brand and Demand Marketing

Every time I find myself in Philly…

… I’m simply overwhelmed by the breadth and depth of good food that I find here, always making it a point to stop by some favorites (hello, Rittenhouse Grill and Gabriella’s Vietnam) but this year, I was really charmed by a low-key, new-to-me Friday night meal with a friend, and my dear colleague (and Philly resident) Jon Bonné. The place was Stina, there was an ever-so-slight chill in the air while we sat outside, and we three ordered more than enough food to feed at least six or more: Moroccan glazed carrots, spicy soppressata pizza, Turkish pide stuffed with kefta, and kolokithopita, paired with some bottles Jon brought from home — in true Philly BYOB fashion. It was such a filling dinner, for many reasons, and one I’ll happily remember and be eager to return to on my next visit to the city.

— Deanna Ting, New York and Philadelphia Editor, Resy Editorial

You can’t really say…

… Bomb Bomb is under the radar, since literally nothing that Palizzi Supper Club’s Joey Baldino does stays a secret for long. But somehow, him taking over this longtime red-sauce Italian joint in Lower Moyamensing has had a kind of gradual rollout, such that you still stand a chance of nabbing a seat. (But, again, I’ve said too much.)

The Palizzi magic is just as much on display here, with fish-forward Italian American fare (clams casino, mussels fra diavolo, tuna spaghetti) and, crucially, a somewhat more dive-bar interpretation of the supper club’s cocktail magic. A pepperoncini Vesper would chasten Mr. Bond, indeed. And the handful of bar snacks (not even including the Slim Jims on the back bar) are pure magic, namely the fried calamari with cherry peppers, whose vinegary punch will ruin every other fried squid you eat henceforth. I’m not angry about that, so long as I can make my way back to Wolf Street on a regular basis.

— Jon Bonné, Managing Editor, Resy Editorial

Shoutout to…

… chef Michael Ferreri, Caitlin, and the rest of the team for taking such good care of us — my husband and I finally broke the cycle of having comically bad anniversary night dinners when we booked this year’s at Irwin’s. (And thank you to every single Resy person who waxed poetic about this place — we love a restaurant that is properly hyped.)

I remember an incredible broth of grilled peas and seaweed that ran circles around the bluefin tuna it came with. I remember us polishing off three pastas and a main (some really delicious lamb ribs with minty yoghurt) and my husband nearly tapping out. What I’ll most remember most, though, is just how genuinely fun it was to be in that space, at the top of the Bok Building, chatting away with the staff. I’m really looking forward to going back.

— Noëmie Carrant, Senior Writer & Editor, Resy Editorial

I often joke…

… with my L.A. colleague Jamie Feldmar that we’re both going to quit our editing gigs and become full-time aguachile writers. Certainly on this coast, Frankie Ramirez’s work at Amá is likely to make me live up to my word. Amá has justifiably landed with thunder this year for Ramirez’s haute tweaks on Mexican (mostly) coastal cuisine, plus some extra fun tweaks along the way (the salsa service nods to Alex Stupak’s version at Empellón, to everyone’s benefit). The scallop tostada and whole grilled octopus have reasonably gotten no shortage of attention, but Ramirez also has a constantly rotating aguachile on the menu, and that’s where, in my brain, the magic truly lies.

Some recent versions have included hiramasa with pasilla chile and apple cider, as well as a vegan iteration using confited artichokes, lobster mushrooms done as an escabeche, and almonds. (Yes, vegan aguachile is a thing and you’ll see a lot more of it in 2026.) But hamachi, oysters, and much more have all had their turn — sometimes in more traditional form, like an aguachile verde, and sometimes very much as Ramirez’s sui generis creation.

— Jon Bonné, Managing Editor, Resy Editorial

More Philly staff picks, right this way.

The views expressed in this article reflect personal experiences of American Express employees at the applicable restaurants — not American Express — and do not constitute professional business advice.