The Resy Hit List: Where In Philadelphia You’ll Want to Eat Right Now

Lately, we’ve been doubling down on Philly’s pizza scene. Wilder’s domed oven turns out memorable seasonal pies, like one topped with green garlic and mustard greens or another with asparagus and Meyer lemon. But this pretty Rittenhouse restaurant is no one-trick pony. It’s also known for its raw bar, loaded with oysters, crudos, and shellfish plateaus, plus Italian-inspired pastas and entrées. The bar program is just as impressive, with as many spirit-free cocktails as boozy ones, from the Spaghetti Western with mezcal, preserved plum, ginger, lime, and cilantro-spring pea foam to the bubbly, zero-proof Mantra Melody with honey, sarsaparilla, lemon, and bee pollen.

Turks Head Wines brings a taste of Northern California to the heart of West Chester. About 50 minutes from Center City, this stylish tasting room and restaurant pours its own lineup of wines, crafted by owner Allison Owen, a sommelier and wine instructor, and winemaker Blair Guthrie, using grapes sourced from premier vineyards across Napa, Sonoma, and other Northern California regions. But it’s more than a tasting room. Settle in at the striking marble oval bar in a sunny atrium framed by olive trees, or grab a table in the swanky lounge with luxe seating and a fireplace. Pair one of three wine flights — including the Gold Flight featuring award-winning reds — with oysters, cheese boards, seasonal fish with ginger beurre blanc, or sweet corn agnolotti.

Book on

The team behind three swanky Forîn cafes brought us this neighborhood restaurant with ‘70s diner vibes. Percy is a one-stop shop for coffee, brunch, lunch, dinner, and fancy drinks. The all-day menu is familiar but tony: ricotta pancakes with cinnamon sugar compound butter, a double smash burger with Cooper Sharp, and a tuna melt with long-hot mayo on pumpernickel. Behind the bar, every wine, beer, and spirit comes from Pennsylvania. This summer, we’re into the housemade cherry and blueberry wines and fun cocktails like a Blue Hawaiian or a harissa-infused Bloody Mary. We’re even more into Percy’s music-oriented lounge, complete with swivel chairs and a fireplace.

Sure, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society runs the Philadelphia Flower Show, one of the region’s biggest spring attractions. But each summer, PHS also pops up in Philly gardens as a plant-filled outdoor bar where everyone is welcome, including dogs and kids. The menu leans casual, with hot dogs, mozzarella sticks, and burgers, plus lighter options like white bean dip and garden grain bowls. Frozen drinks are a specialty, especially when they bring in garden-inspired ingredients — like butterfly pea flower that turns a mojito purple, or a Gritty-themed orange margarita with black salt.

Find more info here.

Restaurant and bakery veterans Paige and Zachary Wernick launched Rougarou Baking as a pop-up inside Scampi before opening their own storefront. Drawing on Creole and Jewish food traditions, the couple turns out pastries so popular they often sell out by mid-morning. Go early for chocolate-cinnamon babka, cardamom buns, jambalaya hand pies, rugelach, brown butter chocolate chip cookies, and ginger cookies. The Friday-to-Sunday menu changes weekly, with recent additions ranging from fluffy challah and pecan croissants to a Muffuletta Pithivier made with Heavy Metal Sausage Co. mortadella.

Find more info here.

Fresh off being named the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Restaurant, Kalaya continues to prove why it remains at the top of our list. Chef Nok Suntaranon’s southern Thai cooking is as vibrant and deeply flavored as ever, from delicate blue flower dumplings and crispy rice cakes to rich curries and her signature grilled river prawn, dramatically mixed tableside with tomalley and jasmine rice. The lively Fishtown dining room and bar make this a place worth returning to again and again.

Named for Civil Rights era Mississippi restaurant server Booker Wright, Booker’s has been a neighborhood mainstay since Saba Tedla opened it in 2017. Now owned by Cheri and Tracey Syphax, the Baltimore Avenue restaurant is known for Southern-leaning comfort food and a full bar. Think hot chicken sliders, vegan jambalaya, blackened catfish, and bread pudding. Brunch is especially popular, thanks to dishes like fried chicken and shrimp and waffles with strawberry butter, plus cheesecake French toast. It also happens to be one of our favorite spots for outdoor dining — as mentioned above.

The Main Line town that seems to have it all — great shopping, live music, and good food — is also home to Ripplewood. This whiskey bar punches above its weight, with playful takes on classics like pretzel-style Parker House rolls with truffle butter, plus a menu that pulls from all over, with dishes like soup dumpling lasagna and mahi tacos with plantain crust. Take note of the daily happy hour from 3 to 5 p.m., when Manhattans and old fashioneds are $8 and cheese-covered Ripp Fries with brisket and jalapeño go for $7. And if you’re feeling fancy, the group’s cocktail bar Izzy’s is right next door.

Luckily, we have plenty of good sushi around town, but Hikari offers two things that help it stand out: outdoor seating and a BYOB policy. Pick up a bottle of sake or a crisp wine and settle in on the year-round patio along Liberty Walk. Chef-owner Matthew Sim worked at some of Philly’s best-known Japanese restaurants (Pod and Morimoto) before opening this playful spot, where classic sushi — spicy yellowtail and Philly rolls — shares the menu with creative takes, like one featuring shrimp tempura, cream cheese, avocado, strawberry, and starch pearls.

One of Philly’s newest pizza shops, Marina’s, recently turned heads with its $55 caviar slice, but this place is about more than novelty. Owner Mason Lesser grew up in the pizza business, working since age 14 in his Naples-born grandfather’s pizzerias across the Delaware Valley. Using his grandfather’s 60-year-old starter and fermenting the dough for 48 hours, Lesser turns out picture-perfect New York-style 18-inch pies. Sold by the slice — a rarity among Philly’s better pizza shops — or as whole pies, the menu ranges from margherita and four cheese to the signature Riviera with pepperoni cups, hot honey, and stracciatella, plus the Tie Dye with pesto, tomato, and vodka sauce. Round things out with a spicy Caesar, garlic knots, cannoli, or tiramisu.

Find more info here.

This charmer started as a pop-up before landing in its permanent home right on Avalon’s quiet boardwalk overlooking the dunes. It’s the kind of magazine-worthy BYOB that defines a Shore summer, with a string-light terrace, breezy covered patio, and air-conditioned dining room. Chef Connor Dore and farmer Heather Sedlacek change their four-course prix-fixe menu four times throughout the season, making repeat visits worthwhile. Expect local ingredients like little neck clams, Jersey tomatoes, and chicken from Sedlacek’s Bayleaf Farm, plus thoughtful gluten-free and vegetarian options.

Book on

Launched in 2002, Vientiane is one of the longest-running restaurants in the region. The Lao-Thai BYOB began in Daovy Phanthavong’s backyard and has since grown to two locations. Specialties include green papaya salad, sweet basil stir-fries with your choice of protein, sticky rice, lettuce wraps with crumbled coconut rice, and spicy, creamy king’s soup over vermicelli noodles. It’s also a favorite for vegan and vegetarian diners, with padek (fermented fish sauce) intentionally left out of many dishes and available as an add-on. Cash only.

Find more info here.

Consistently one of the highest-rated restaurants in the Philly region on Resy, Po Le Cucina is a long-running BYOB in the suburbs, about 45 minutes north of Center City. In a dining room with black-and-white checkered floors or on a charming covered patio, Italian classics are the specialty. Start with marinated artichokes, bruschetta, or, for a true throwback, clams casino. Then move on to a whole branzino, veal osso buco, or the restaurant’s signature penne with shrimp and scallops in vodka sauce. This summer, don’t miss the buttery, crispy fried soft-shell crab, served as either an appetizer or entrée.

Whether you’re in the sunny dining room or on the umbrella-dotted patio, the Barnes Foundation’s on-site restaurant makes for a lovely museum-day meal. Like much of the art inside, the menu leans French, which feels right after wandering the world’s largest collection of Renoir and Cézanne paintings. Settle in for a crab and shrimp galette or seared tuna niçoise. The restaurant is open for lunch Thursday, Friday, and Monday, and brunch Saturday and Sunday, so plan accordingly.

At El Mictlan, Chelo Manzanarez specializes in the cuisine of Mexico’s West Coast in a friendly BYOB setting. Go for classics like guacamole, barbacoa tacos, and burritos, but don’t miss the more distinctive dishes. There’s Acapulco-style ceviche with shrimp, octopus, tuna, and snails, plus a family recipe for red mole Colorado served over corn tortilla enchiladas with salsa from Guerrero. For entrées, Italian flavors tag in with cilantro cream risotto topped with roasted poblanos, corn, crispy prosciutto, Parmesan, and microgreens.

Find more info here.

Dubu, one of Philly’s favorite Korean restaurants, takes its name from its signature dish: soondubu jjigae, the piping-hot spicy stew made with silken tofu. It comes with a range of add-ons, from mushrooms to dumplings to beef intestine. Beyond the soondubu, the menu covers Korean classics like LA galbi, bibimbap, seafood pancakes, fried and steamed dumplings, and spicy rice cakes. Tip: The restaurant also runs a karaoke bar two doors down, with affordable rates and fun cocktails.

Find more info here.