Famous restaurants and diners in the Philadelphia

Philadelphia famous restaurants and diners

Philadelphia Restaurants

Food energizes, replenishes, and revitalizes the mind, body, and soul.
Here, we provide a list of famous restaurants and diners in the Philadelphia metro area. Use this guide to satisfy your taste buds when either visiting or living in Philadelphia.

Jim's Steaks
400 South St
Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-928-1911

Restaurant Description: You order directly from the cook, who has the stature of a sushi chef here. Watch him massaging great mounds of freshly sliced meat onto the grill, then chopping it all up with the long spatula, throwing it on an amoroso roll with Cheez Whiz or provolone, and supplying it with fried onions or any of the other goodies you like on your cheesesteak. While few claim Jim's as their favorite cheesesteak haunt, most diners will admit that they're pretty darn good.

Le Bec-Fin
1523 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-567-1000

Restaurant Description: It's like a trip to Disney World; prepare for what some might consider the downside and simply surrender yourself to the magic. Or in this case, to the fine French fare -- terrines of foie gras or rabbit and morel, cassolette of snails, duck confit, rack of lamb, cucumber and fennel soup with smoked salmon, etc. -- graciously served at specific seating times in an elegant, impeccably civilized atmosphere. If abandon's not your game, stay home.

Buddakan
325 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-574-9440

Restaurant Description: Tres chic. Tres trendy. The ethereal-feeling Buddakan remains an unabashed favorite with Philly's upscale dining masses, who just can't get enough of its giant golden Buddha, walls of cascading water and lit-from-within central dining table. Not to mention its full roster of meant-to-be-shared Pan-Asian dishes. Among the favorites: pad thai, broiled Japanese black cod; Singapore noodles; and Angry Lobster, a wok-seared three-pounder served with lobster mashed potatoes.

Striped Bass
1500 Walnut St
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-732-4444

Restaurant Description: Fear not, Philadelphia: The venerable Striped Bass has finally reopened. New owner Stephen Starr brought in two beloved New York City chefs to to rework the menu -- much to the chagrin of NYC's culinary crowd. The menu at Striped Bass is still seafood-heavy, but it makes a few more concessions to the landlubbers in town. Chef Alfred Portale has brought with him a number of his signature dishes, such as yellowfin tuna tartare with Japanese cucumber, miso and ginger dressing; hamachi sashimi with papaya and orange-wasabi dressing; and grilled Gotham steak with potato and flan.

Django
526 S. Fourth St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-922-7151

Restaurant Description: A popular BYOB with a hard to pronounce name, Django occupies a small but strategically placed space just off South Street. The simple interior - which features butter-colored walls with old posters, and tablecloths that are William Sonoma rustic -- helps make dinner at Django a cheery experience, despite uncomfortable chairs. Repeat customers flock here due to the kitchen (visible through a pantry area), which takes enormous care with every dish to benefit diners' taste buds.

Morimoto
723 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-413-9070

Restaurant Description: This Stephen Starr restaurant, featuring 'Iron Chef' Morimoto, excels in the sushi and seafood department. From the wood-slatted ceiling rolling like an upside-down ocean to the double-headed, spoon-like relief abstractions bulging from the cream-colored walls, wavy is the word at Morimoto. Black-and-white curved seats, green glass tables, white plastic lamps and opaque seating dividers that change colors fill the large restaurant. Waiters walk around stiffly announcing their presence with self-conscious officiousness and herald the name of your dish as they place it before you.

Fountain Restaurant
1 Logan Sq
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-567-5309

Restaurant Description: From its home in the Four Seasons hotel, the Fountain Restaurant overlooks the dramatic Swann Fountain and offers a sweeping vista of the Art Museum area. Prices are high, but unlike many upscale restaurants, there are few complaints about the cost.

That's because the contemporary, French-inspired food is crafted from local ingredients and never fails to surprise and delight. The "Spontaneous Tastes" menu allows diners to turn themselves over to the whims of the chef, who presents a six-course meal of his choosing.

Alma de Cuba
1623 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
215-988-1799

Restaurant Description: Hardly cheap, Alma de Cuba is worth the expense. Exciting starters abound like the tart ceviches that you can practically drink, smoked Marlin, caramelized octopus salad, and the dangerously addictive fried oysters over mashed sweet plantains with bacon. For entrees, try the enlivening roasted pork with orange flavoring. Alma de Cuba also excels in the fish department, as the sugarcane skewered tuna and grilled mahi-mahi both prove. Like all Stephen Starr establishments, the service is friendly and efficient

Vetri
1312 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-732-3478

Restaurant Description: From the outside, it's hard to tell that you're looking at a restaurant. Your only clue: A small sign reading Vetri Ristorante, which hangs above the first floor window of a row house. Inside, the rustic, Italian countryside-inn decor, which is punctuated by copper pans hanging on earthy yellow walls, masks a sophisticated upscale Italian restaurant. The wine list is comprised of many $200-plus vintages, which indicates that a night out at Vetri can be extremely expensive. However, the menu can also be successfully navigated even if you're not a big spender. The intimate dining room is mostly populated by older diners, but Vetri can serve as a romantic destination for couples of any age.

Susanna Foo
1512 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19102
215-545-2666

Restaurant Description: Don't go to Susanna Foo expecting the usual Chinese food or decor. Much of chef/owner Foo's cuisine, served in an elegant, Asian-tinged atmosphere, is so heavily influenced by her French leanings that die-hard Chinese-food fans may be disappointed. But that's not to downplay the Susanna Foo appeal: Asian fusion aficionados and converts love this place. The menu goes as far toward Chinese as Kung Pao chicken and as far from Chinese as grilled filet mignon with saffron fettuccini. In between, you'll find mesmerizing combinations of French and Asian fare.

Other Great Restaurants in Philly

Copabanana
344 South St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-923-6180

Yangming
1051 Conestoga Rd. Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
610-527-3200

Melrose Diner
1501 Synder Ave. Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-467-6644

Sonoma
4411 Main Street Philadelphia, PA 19127
215-483-9400

Ralph's Italian Restaurant
760 S. 9th St. Philadelphia, PA 19147
215-627-6011

Coyote Crossing
800 Spring Mill Ave. Conshohocken, PA 19428
610-825-3000

Tacconelli's
2604 E Somerset St Philadelphia, PA 19134
215-425-4983

The Astral Plane
1708 Lombard St. Philadelphia, PA 19146
215-546-6230

DiNardo's Famous Crabs
312 Race St Philadelphia, PA 19106
215-925-5115

The Capital Grille
1338 Chestnut St Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-545-9588

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