Eat Your Way Through Philadelphia in One Day

Philadelphia may be best known nationally for its hearty cheesesteaks and technicolor water ice, but there’s so much more to eat in the City of Brotherly Love than that. To get the full picture, read through Eater’s City Guide. But if one day in Philly is all that you’ve got, consider forgoing the city’s famous foodstuffs in favor of some newer classics for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Start south of Center City at Bok Building, where the main drag is lined with several of Philadelphia’s hottest restaurants and bars. From there you’ll need to take a cab or car service or ride a bike to the historic district, known as Old City. The rest of the itinerary is relatively walkable, though you’ll definitely be covering a lot of ground. Get going early and wear elastic-waist pants.

Gab Bonghi

A perfect day always starts at a pastry shop, and lucky for both Philadelphia residents and visitors, Philly is home to one of the world’s best. Machine Shop Boulangerie — located on the ground floor of Bok Building, a massive former technical high school in South Philly — is about as good as you’ll get without boarding a flight to France. Owner Emily Riddell’s croissants, kouign-amman, and danishes are all stellar, and the breads are perfect to grab and take with you. Our recommendation: Buy a whole box-worth of stuff and snack while you walk around town. Two Persons Coffee is next to the bakery, if you’re looking for a little caffeine before you start the day.

Wander north and east — swinging through Dickinson Square on the way — to arrive at Herman’s Coffee in Pennsport. There, you can pick up specialty coffee drinks, local provisions like chocolate bars, sauces, and coffee beans, and a remarkable array of tinned fish — very on trend. It’s a welcoming place with outdoor seating and an open garage for hanging out and taking a break. If you’re still hungry after eating several pastries (or are so enamored with Herman’s that you want to head back later), there are usually lunch and dinner pop-ups that run out of the Herman’s food truck — check social media for the current schedule.

Gab Bonghi

Yes, yes, you may have to walk in a bit of a roundabout way to make it to Juana Tamale for lunch, but chef Jennifer Zavala’s birria tacos, ramen, and churros are worth a little extra walking to get a filling, flavorful lunch in a space that’s colorful and exciting. Zavala made her name with a spectacular birria pop-up over the past few years in Philly, so when her brick-and-mortar location opened on E. Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphians flocked from all over the city. Walk all around the Passyunk neighborhood and up the strip for even more food options, like sausage rolls at Stargazy, banh mi and pastries at Artisan Boulanger Patissier, bagels at Korshak, and if you happen to still be in the area by its 4 p.m. opening time, a perfect burger at Fountain Porter.

The city has a proliferation of buzzy bakeries that have opened in the past few years, but one of the oldest is still one of the best. Near the Italian Market in South Philly, Isgro has been around for over a century, and still whips up excellent Italian rum cakes, soft and lemony ricotta cookies, chewy almond macaroons, perfect pignoli, and the archetype of what cannoli should be. The ricotta filling, dotted with mini-chocolate chips, is not too sweet, and since it’s piped in to order, the shell is still crispy. If you aren’t planning to eat it right away (but why not?) ask them to hold the powdered sugar so the cannoli won’t get soggy.

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We’ll keep it short and sweet: Reading Terminal Market is actually worth the visit. It’s touristy, sure, but there are so many good options for eating that it’s a shame to come to Philly and not at least get a Beiler’s Donut or lumpia from Tambayan. The market closes at 6 daily, so sneak in on your way north for a snack before dinner.

6 p.m. A glass of wine and a French hot dog at Le Caveau

The pandemic story of Chloe Grigri’s Le Caveau was one of boom and bust: Right before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Le Caveau was nominated for a James Beard Award for Outstanding Wine Program and was a bustling hotspot before the shutdown six months later. Suddenly, the bar à vins — a longtime dream of Grigri’s — was shuttered and empty with no reopening date in sight. Then, in October 2021, Le Caveau opened again, the wines began flowing, and the party picked back up. It’s one of the best places in the city for a glass of wine and a French hot dog, which is served on a baguette, of course.

7 p.m. Dinner and a show at South

A stalwart of the Philadelphia dining and entertainment scene since the ‘90s, South Jazz Kitchen is a great option for out-of-towners seeking not just an excellent soul food dinner (think: buttermilk fried chicken, Creole deviled eggs, vegan jambalaya) but a concert to go along with the vibe. You can reserve tables and book tickets in advance, so time your visit to Philly around a favorite singer or jazz group.

Gab Bonghi

Philly’s bar options are nearly as diverse as its dining scene, and while you’re in Fishtown, you should at least stop at Middle Child Clubhouse for the fun atmosphere and the cocktail menu, which are both representative of Philly in a way that is difficult to put one’s finger on. Try nearby International Bar or Johnny Brenda’s for music. For a classic dive, make for Ray’s Happy Birthday Bar. If you’re looking for something a little more swank, go back into Center City for the Franklin Bar. The sleek subterranean spot has roots in the Prohibition era, and today serves intricate, meticulously made cocktails. Or keep heading north to test your luck at Hop Sing Laundromat, an unmarked bar in Chinatown that makes some of the very best cocktails in the city — but you have to get past the whims of the owner to be allowed entry.

Disclosure: The Eater Philly editor has an outside business partnership with Middle Child