13 of the Best BYOBs in Philadelphia

Since its 2015 opening, Helm has been drawing diners from all over the city. Chef-owners Kevin D’Egidio and Mike Griffiths launched their New American BYOB in residential Kensington before the neighborhood became one of the centers of Philly’s restaurant ecosystem. Look up to find the menu on a colorful chalkboard; it’s loosely organized by ingredients, but you’ll chat with a server to learn more about each dish. The one thing that doesn’t change: sourcing that prioritizes local farms and ethically raised meat. The three-course prix fixe goes for $60 — a more than fair price for quality this high.

Omakase sushi experiences — where the chef delivers bite after bite of their favorite pieces of fish at that moment — don’t come cheap. Since its 2019 opening, Sakana has billed itself as a no-frills, affordable omakase option. As it has grown in renown, the price has gone up accordingly, but you can still bring your own bottle and that makes a difference.

Hospitality industry veteran Luis Pedrogo’s Old City restaurant has been delighting the neighborhood with Mediterranean flavors and a warm atmosphere since its 2022 opening. Olea’s happy vibes play out through dinner, with highlights like artichokes in lemon butter, ravioli stuffed with ribeye, and a 14-ounce pork chop with creamy, grainy mustard sauce. Heads up: It’s cash only.

Bobby Saritsoglou is a chef’s chef. After working at Center City’s Greek taverna Opa and longstanding pizza favorite Santucci’s, he and his wife Christina opened Stina Pizzeria. The brick oven pizza is great, but this is much more than a pizza place. You must try the manti, Turkish lamb dumplings, and the pide, a Turkish bread filled with merguez sausage, greens, or mushrooms. Even the vegetables — think Moroccan glazed carrots — touch the fire here.

A longtime East Passyunk mainstay, Fond recently packed up and moved to the suburbs. Delaware County is the lucky new home for chef-owners Lee Styer and Jessie Prawlucki-Styer’s BYOB. Local sourcing and classic techniques still rule here. Try the escargot and chicken liver mousse to start, and save room for Prawlucki-Styer’s desserts — she’s known for them. Pro tip: The second Sunday of every month is prime rib night, when French onion soup is on special.

Dionicio Jiménez made waves with his now-closed restaurant, Cantina La Martina in Kensington, with its incomparable tacos and other casual Mexican fare. With this sophomore restaurant in the suburbs, the chef showed us that he can also do elegant, fine dining. La Baja is an intimate BYOB with standout dishes like burrata in rich mole and whole duck with bao (order three days in advance). Actually, all of the sauces here are special. Pro tip: Stone & Key Cellars will deliver a bottle of wine to your table on weekends.

Wine and fresh pasta. Name a better combo. James Nardone, former sous chef at Suraya, earned attention for his Nardone Pasta Co. pop-ups before hanging out his own shingle. Now he cooks for a couple dozen people a night. Pasta is the star, but there’s more happening here: rosemary focaccia, polenta fritters with crab, meatballs, soft serve from 1-900-Ice-Cream. Our recommendation is to go “all in” for $100 per diner and sample everything on the frequently changing menu. Bring a fancy bottle.