Philadelphia Guide - 2024

Owned by Thought Wisdom
Last updated: Jan 13, 2024
4 min read

Overview: A guide to navigating Philadelphia for at least a week.

Transportation

Lyft, Uber, trains, trolleys and subways are available in Philadelphia. The city is very walkable. Downtown Philadelphia is about $30 for a 20 minute Lyft ride from the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL).

You can take 30th St Station to NY or DC for a day trip. Tickets are less expensive in advance and can range from $18 to $250 depending on how early they are purchased.

Noteworthy Eats

Restaurants by Neighborhood

West Philly Eats

South Philly Eats

  • White Dog Cafe

  • Phở & Café Saigon

  • Maria’s Lunch Truck

  • Halal Food Cart at Saunder’s Park

Rittenhouse/Center City Eats

Midtown/Chinatown/Old City Eats

  • Bar Bombon

  • 20th St Pizza

  • The Dandelion Pub

  • Social House Eatery

  • Sabrina’s Cafe

  • Pizzeria Vetri

  • Oyster House

  • Jet Wine Bar

  • Mission Taqueria

  • Pizzata Pizzeria

  • Green Eggs Cafe

  • Rosy’s Taco Bar

  • Vernick Food & Drink

  • The Continental Midtown

  • Reading Terminal Market

    • All sorts of cuisines

  • Veda

  • Zahav

  • Frieda

  • DanDan

  • Kanella

  • Sampan

  • Spice 28

  • Condesa

  • Morimoto

  • Monk’s Cafe

  • Dim Sum Garden

  • Mission Taqueria

  • Green Eggs Cafe

  • Charlie was a Sinner

  • The Plough & The Stars

Restaurants by Cuisine

American:

  • White Dog Cafe

  • American Sardine Bar

  • Vernick Food & Drink

Vegan:

  • 20th St Pizza

  • Bar Bombon

  • Charlie was a Sinner

Pizza:

  • Pizzeria Vetri

  • Pizzata Pizzeria

  • 20th St Pizza (v)

Breakfast:

  • Green Eggs Cafe

  • Social House Eatery

  • Sabrina’s Cafe

Mexican cuisine:

  • Mission Taqueria

  • Condesa

  • Rosy’s Taco Bar

Drinks:

  • Jet Wine Bar

  • Monk’s Cafe

  • The Continental Midtown

Vietnamese:

  • Phở & Café Saigon

  • Best Phở : Phở 75

Sushi: Morimoto

Belgian: Monk’s Cafe

Seafood: Oyster House

Irish: The Plough & The Stars

Mediterranean: Kanella

British cuisine: The Dandelion Pub

Contemporary Indian cuisine: Veda

Contemporary Israeli cuisine: Zahav

Contemporary European cuisine: Frieda

Sichuan and Taiwanese cuisine: DanDan

Shanghai-Style Dim Sum: Dim Sum Garden

Sichuan and Asian fusion cuisine: Spice 28

Contemporary Asian cuisine: Sampan | Graffiti Bar

Italian cuisine: See chart below for top Italian restaurants

  • Paesano’s Philly Style Sandwiches

    • Order: The Liveracce

      • “Crispy chicken liver, Genoa salami, raw onions, roasted tomato, orange aioli, iceberg lettuce, gorgonzola, hot sauce”

  • Di Bruno Bros at the Italian Market

Cheesesteak: Paesano’s

  • Order: The Knuckle

    • “Sliced beef knuckle, sharp provolone, American, broccoli rabe, lemon caper butter, crispy salami, fried egg”

Top Italian Restaurants Voted by Residents:

  1. Ralph's

  2. A Mano

  3. Murph's Bar

  4. Dante & Luigi's

  5. Villa di Roma

  6. Mangia Macaroni

  7. Osteria

  8. Burrata

  9. Scannicchio

  10. L'Angolo Restaurant

  11. Melagrano

Chart of Top Italian Restaurants Voted by Residents in 2022

This poll was taken by my neighbors in 2022. Most of the restaurants on this list are located in South Philly.

Places to Go

Coffee Shops

Music Venues & Clubs

  • J’aime French Bakery

  • Social House Eatery & Cafe

  • Elixr Coffee Roasters

  • La Colombe Coffee Roasters

  • Suprema Coffee Roastery

  • Alchemy Coffee

  • Nook Bakery & Coffee Bar

  • Green Line Cafe

  • The Board and Brew

  • Woody’s

  • Helium Comedy Club

  • West Philly Porchfest

Theaters

Local Shops

  • Plays and Players

  • Bryn Mawr Film Institute

  • Kimmel Cultural Campus

  • Miller Theatre

  • Broad St Theatre District

    • Where several theatres are

  • Repo Records

  • Fabric Row

    • Baldwin Leather & Fabric

    • Jack B Fabrics

    • Fleishman Fabrics

  • Eyes Gallery Bazaar

  • Philly Vintage Bazaar

  • Moon + Arrow

  • Cactus Collective

  • Maxx’s Produce

Museums

Notable Neighborhoods

  • Queen Village

  • South Street

  • Old City neighborhood

  • Chinatown neighborhood

  • Fairmount St and neighborhood

  • Rittenhouse Square neighborhood

    • Check out Spruce St at dusk

Art Districts & Murals, Markets

Places to Go

  • Philly Spring Festival

  • Italian Market Festival

  • Rittenhouse Square Fine Art Show

  • Rittenhouse Park Farmer’s Market

  • Philadelphia Fringe Festival

  • Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens

  • Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site

  • Mural Walk

  • Fairmount Park and green area behind the Philadelphia Art Museum

  • Benjamin Franklin Parkway

    • Inspired by the Champs-Élysées

    • Leads past picturesque fountains and statues as well as a cityscape of the skyline to the Philadelphia Art Museum

  • Schuylkill River & Trail

  • Merion Tribute House

  • Boathouse Row

  • Penn Campus