It's the People Who Make Philadelphia's Best Restaurants Worth Traveling For

Nico Schinco

You could call it the perfect Philly afternoon. The weather at Franklin Delano Roosevelt Park one Saturday last spring was damp, drizzly, and gray, but no one at the Southeast Asian Market cared. There was too much fresh-pressed sugarcane juice, papaya salad, charcoal-grilled chicken hearts on a stick, crab fried rice, shave ice in countless flavors, and noodles upon noodles to be bothered by a little rain. Assorted languages flowed as groups of senior citizens and families with infants milled about the vendors. A quintuplet of teenage girls in black, white, and gray '90s-era hip-hop-meets-grunge outfits performed a choreographed dance to K-pop with age-appropriate enthusiasm on a covered stage. A vendor waited attentively as an elderly auntie adjusted her order from 15 to 17 to no, wait—she turned to consult with her friend and count heads—21 lumpia.

At the SEA Market, nationally renowned for its robust and accessible food culture, you shop by sight and scent; most visitors don't bother to find a picnic table lest they overlook the next delight. The venerable market, like the rest of Philadelphia's current food scene, is the outcome of decades of community building and a growing appreciation for the city's indie spirit. For curious travelers seeking to understand a city's story, the way it feeds itself—from what goes on the plate to cultural nourishment in all its forms—is a reliable place to start. In many ways Philly is at a crossroads. Philadelphians, like the rest of America, are confronting complex problems, and food is increasingly a platform for helping people made vulnerable by systemic issues rooted in racism and poverty. It is in part because of these challenges that Philly today is such a pleasurable and dynamic place to visit. Philadelphians in hospitality and the arts have mastered the ability to create spaces for everyone else.

This is especially true when it comes to food. The past few decades have seen a shift in emphasis toward local talents who better reflect the people who actually live here. “Back in the old days, the attention was mostly for the big hospitality groups,” says Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, the chef and owner of the beloved (and award-winning) Thai restaurant Kalaya. “But now people are more excited about smaller chefs.”

Suntaranon opened her restaurant, then a cozy 32-seat BYOB space in the historic neighborhood of Bella Vista, in 2019, presenting dishes inspired by her family and royal Thai cuisine. In 2022 she moved to a much larger location in trendy Fishtown that seats more than 200, expanding the menu and launching a sharp cocktail list. Her growth is a reflection of the audience she cultivated, provoking diners one meal at a time to consider her culture beyond the usual takeout-menu staples. Past the elegant, tropical-inspired dining room suffused with natural light, the open kitchen turns out enormous tom yum soups with massive dangling prawns, dumplings so detailed and precise in their mimicry of florets and baby birds that the uninitiated may hesitate to eat them, and sensational curries that master depth, brightness, flavorful spice, and slow-building heat.

In South Philadelphia is the Bok Building, a repurposed high school that's home to artists, nonprofits, and businesses, including Emily Riddell's celebrated bakery Machine Shop, where lines queue daily for treats like festive strawberry tarts and rhubarb galettes. Her interpretations of French-inspired pastry and viennoiserie have become legendary, as has her extraordinary bread making. She credits social media—its capacity for reaching new audiences and for authentic storytelling—with helping her make the shift from selling her products to building a passionate customer base that enthusiastically spreads the word of her food. “Fifteen years ago I could've never imagined launching a business without needing to ask people to come and find me,” she says.

Some of Philadelphia's efforts in culinary community building are having a national influence. Christa Barfield is the founder of Farmer Jawn, the largest Black-woman-owned farm in the United States, which seeks to make high-quality food accessible to urban residents while providing them holistic health education. She operates CSAs at the farm and throughout Philadelphia that help foster connections—both among city dwellers and between residents and the land. Barfield was one of two locals whom the James Beard Foundation honored in June with its Leadership Award, which recognizes visionaries having a long-term impact in the areas of food justice, public health, and sustainability. Her fellow recipients included Muhammad Abdul-Hadi, the founder of the Detroit-style Down North Pizza in North Philadelphia, who exclusively hires formerly incarcerated persons, also offering them transportation, legal guidance, and housing. Upbeat and fun, Down North slings dazzling pies like the Break You Off—an homage to Philly's most legendary hip-hop group, the Roots, that is made with lamb sausage with lemon ricotta and garnished with za'atar spice and garlic-infused honey. Often in Philly, to be at the forefront of culinary innovation is to be on the front lines of community organizing.

This work frequently takes place beyond the confines of restaurants. The Fitler Club in Center City is a bespoke members social club and wellness hub that includes excellent gym facilities, coworking spaces, places to eat, and a 14-room hotel. Its design is curated with soft neutrals and black accents, intimate lighting, stunning plant and floral arrangements, and plush furniture that begs for lounging and long conversations. Beyond its aesthetics, says Kimberly McGlonn, the club's VP of social impact, the Fitler is a space that nurtures community by fostering connections among members, who include creatives, artists, nonprofit leaders, politicos, heads of industry, and activists. Some of this work takes place through formal, organized events, but much happens simply by assembling the right group of people and giving them a place where they can gather on their own.

“Spaces like this allow people to have a reprieve,” McGlonn explains. “To pause, to sit still. Often I think, How can we use design to create moments of tenderness and spaciousness, so we can increase our capacity to take care of ourselves? By default, that ripples out to take care of other people.”

Across town in the Passyunk neighborhood, Yowie is a boutique hotel and lifestyle shop founded in 2016 by designer Shannon Maldonado as a way to amplify and celebrate artists and give opportunity to underrepresented voices. The shop and hotel feature exciting small-run, curated offerings from functional makers, designers, and artists, while also hosting events, from workshops to collection launches. “When we first got here, people were confused as to what we were doing,” she says. “But now there are more spaces—more stores, art galleries, and experimental programming. People look at us as a springboard for local talent, and they come here to specifically experience what we're doing.”

It cannot be overstated: Philadelphia is a gorgeous city. Even Philly experts can stumble on something surprising and new with each visit, from the charming stone-laid streets in Old City and the views of the Delaware River while on the many walkable bridges, to the more than 4,000 (and counting) public murals and the brick row houses that curve around Passyunk. And every day countless unnamed people contribute in small ways to the beauty of this town. When something in Philadelphia is rooted in joy and respect, everyone wants you to know about it. Everyone wants you to go there. In fact, they'll probably take you themselves.

In West Philly, Honeysuckle Provisions is an Afrocentric grocer and takeout spot by day, with a remarkable tasting menu on most nights. Chef-owners Cybille St. Aude-Tate and her husband, Omar Tate, weave an anti-colonial narrative of African diaspora foodways, reimagining Haitian folklore (St. Aude-Tate's heritage) through dishes that are as evocative as they are delicious. The madan sara is an Akra fritter, which is made of malanga and paired with epis aioli and pikliz, staples of the Haitian pantry. The server explains the importance of cash food markets in Haiti's economy. It is soon followed by a chestnut pasta, called $payforhaiti, inspired by a song of the same name (featured on one of the shop's playlists) by the producers Kaytranada and Mach-Hommy, both of whom are of Haitian descent. The experience reflects the reparations the first Black republic in the West was forced to pay to France after the Haitian Revolution in exchange for independence, which burdened subsequent generations with incomprehensible amounts of debt. Guests swoon over the food but often abandon small talk to reflect on their blind spots and new opportunities for learning.

A poster near the door reads “No stadium casino arena in Chinatown” in large block print. It's another iteration of intercommunal support in the Philly food world, addressing a question of what matters to whom. Proponents claim that a new basketball stadium for the 76ers would reinvigorate the local economy. Critics cite the inevitable displacement of popular and beloved neighborhood businesses where both locals and tourists flock to seek out decadent egg tarts, dim sum, healing, and cultural programming.

If history is any indication, the victories people want to talk about within Philadelphia, and the stories people outside the city want to share, are the ones that highlight the tiny, mighty trailblazers. It is the indie differences, not the generic and the commercial, that define this place. Just before schooling her team on how to prepare her crab curry recipe, Suntaranon expresses it to me this way: “The stories that come to us here, they are reflective of the appreciation people have for us. In Philly we do things differently.”

Where to eat

Husband-and-wife team Chad and Hanna Williams have cultivated an approachable space serving a seasonal New American tasting menu with dishes like braised veal cheek that will leave you wanting nothing at Friday Saturday Sunday. American bistro and adjacent bar a.kitchen and a.bar are inside AKA Rittenhouse Square and have been quietly impressing for more than a decade. The staff is warm and passionate about chef Eli Collins's cooking—try the airy chickpea panisse and grilled half chicken with carrot jus. In addition to offering classics like sushi rolls and chirashi, at Royal Sushi & Izakaya, chef Jesse Ito serves up playful dishes like a house-made bucatini with uni cream and purple chunks of tuna with wasabi and guacamole, as well as a 17-course omakase. From Connecticut-raised chef Amanda Shulman and her Quebecois fiancé, Alex Kemp, comes bistro My Loup, specializing in twists on French classics. The always-changing menu prioritizes the fresh and seasonal, which could mean grilled scallops with brown butter one day and roasted bone marrow with fava beans the next.

Veteran baker Juan Carlos Aparicio spent two decades cutting his teeth in other Philly restaurants—and making their bread programs famous. Now he has his own spot, El Chingon, where he serves tacos in sourdough tortillas and giant cemitas, or Pueblan sandwiches, overflowing with ingredients like a traditional cheese dip known as choriqueso. The Bok Building's eighth floor houses Michael Ferreri's invigorating interpretation of modern Sicilian food, Irwin's Upstairs. Come for serious, friendly dishes like fried swordfish glazed in a sweet-and-sour agrodolce sauce and garnished with pickled kohlrabi. Also in the Bok Building, artisanal bakery Second Daughter Baking Company by sisters Mercedes Brooks and Rhonda Saltzman offers ornate cakes and cupcakes decorated with local edible flowers. You can't go wrong here, but the giant fudge brownie is a particular winner.

Family-owned Ethiopian restaurant Abyssinia, on an unassuming West Philly corner, serves excellent stews and spongy breads. Its two bars—one upstairs, one downstairs—are lively destinations unto themselves, with the full food menu and an extensive cocktail list. Popular urban winery Mural City Cellars drops a few varietals a year made from grapes sourced within a 300-mile radius of Philly, which pair nicely with the low-key surroundings and spare snack menu. With a new, expanded location in Fishtown, Kalaya burns brighter than ever with eye-popping seafood like goong phao (river prawn the size of a lobster), among other Thai delicacies. Emily Riddell's cheerful bakery, Machine Shop, turns out excellent bread and seasonal treats, like berry tarts in summer and a grapefruit-poppy-seed concoction in winter.

Where to stay

The design shop on the ground floor of Shannon Maldonado's boutique hotel serves as a preview of coming attractions. Inside Yowie, 13 rooms are Normann Copenhagen chairs, ceramics by brands like Studio Arhoj, and more objets from noted and emerging designers, with a priority on underrepresented makers; much is available for purchase. At Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, the guest rooms, which begin on the 45th floor, all have floor-to-ceiling views of the city. The attentive service throughout is just as satisfying. Even if you're not staying, take the glass elevator to the 60th floor for SkyHigh, a bar featuring Asian- and French-inspired bites from chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten, along with more panoramic perspectives.

Beloved as a late-night destination, W Philadelphia is a playful property that sets the mood with its bright palette, inventive lighting, and all-around joie de vivre. Live performers (R&B acts, DJs) often coax guests and locals from the poolside cabanas, while additional music sets in the Living Room lounge downstairs offer further opportunities to mix and mingle. For its tony historic vibe, primo location on the city's landmark public square, and superlative service, The Rittenhouse is a perennial favorite that has long drawn discerning visitors seeking reliable luxury. The Mary Cassatt Tea Room serves an agreeable afternoon spread of sweets, savories, and scones. Four-key Hotel at Wm. Mulherin's Sons above an adored Italian restaurant of the same name succeeds wildly at making guests feel like locals. Each suite has a full kitchen, a console stereo system, and myriad other accoutrements that will make you feel like you live there. The unbeatable Fishtown location doesn't hurt, either.

This article appeared in the September/October 2024 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.

Originally Appeared on Condé Nast Traveler