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.

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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.

During the day, Beach Plum Farm is a bustling, upscale farmstand, where Shore-goers stop for breakfast or lunch surrounded by gardens and greenery. A few nights each week, though, the farm stays open late for ticketed dinners under the stars. Guests gather at long, beautifully set tables in the fields or greenhouse, depending on the weather, for a multi-course meal built around that week’s harvest — a snapshot of what’s growing, including produce, herbs, fruit from the orchards, and pasture-raised heritage meats. Bring friends and a bottle of wine. The 62-acre working farm is part of Cape Resorts, the group behind Cape May’s historic Congress Hall, and also offers overnight stays in a dozen cottages and renovated barns.

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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.

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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.

With a name like The Buttery, we’re automatically interested. John and Silenia Rhoads’ growing collection of Main Line cafés, which started in Malvern in 2015, has become a go-to for breakfast, lunch, coffee, and, of course, pastries. The team puts a premium on local ingredients, including Passenger Coffee, Highspire Hills eggs, and Birchrun Hills cheese, across menus that work just as well for a quick morning stop as a leisurely lunch. Don’t leave without trying one of the signature pastries, including kouign-amann, canelé, pecan sticky buns, Basque cheesecake, and vegan cranberry oat cookies.

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We love a theme, especially an “Alice in Wonderland” one. Put on your mad hats and head to The Snarky Tea House in charming Doylestown for a very merry unbirthday tea party. In the whimsical, cinematic setting, seasonal tea sandwiches might include blackberry-hoisin grilled chicken in summer or coffee-and-black-pepper steak on sourdough once fall arrives. Scones and mini desserts are always part of the spread. Kids are welcome, too, with their own more easygoing menu — think peanut butter and fluff on white bread and a creamsicle chipwich for dessert.

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This Brooklyn import is perfectly positioned near some of Philly’s busiest entertainment venues, including The Fillmore, Punch Line Philly, and Brooklyn Bowl. Other Half Brewing has a long bar lined with big TVs, a patio, and a beer garden dotted with Adirondack chairs, making it an easy stop before or after a show. Kids are welcome, and dogs can join in the beer garden. Since this is an active brewery, sample a few pours from the draft list, like the hazy Green City IPA or a kölsch. On the food side, the triple smash burger feels like the move.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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