11 Plant-Filled and Instagram-Ready Philly Restaurants
Want to feel like you're eating in a garden? Here are the lushest, leafiest restaurants in Philly.
Talula’s Garden | Facebook
Spring has arrived, and it’s a time when Philly’s indoor and outdoor dining gardens can really shine. Whatever the season, we love a restaurant that’s incorporating plants — and curating them creatively — to clean the air, beautify the space, and liven up the atmosphere.
Here are some of our favorite restaurants and cafes with seriously gorgeous greenery, including lush outdoor patios, an old-school fern bar, and not one but two spots located inside actual greenhouses.
Talula’s Garden, Washington Square West
Aimee Olexy and Stephen Starr’s upscale farm-to-table outpost is named for its plant-filled outdoor dining space, lined with leafy trailing vines along the walls and planters bursting with foliage and flowers. Inside, wall-mounted planters keep the green theme going.
Terrain Garden Café, Glen Mills
The first of two plant stores on our list, Terrain is the chic URBN brand dealing in everything garden, from seeds and terrariums to lawn furniture and plants. The Chester County site is also home to a farm-to-table restaurant and event space with a locally-sourced, farm-to-table menu and a lush, living interior to match.
The White Dog | Facebook
White Dog Cafe, University City
The OG of sustainability in Philly’s dining scene recently expanded its footprint with its cozy Parlor Bar. Follow the light from the south-facing windows to the back of the parlor and down the stairs, where a lushly appointed downstairs lounge awaits — featuring tropical foliage printed on the upholstery and wallpaper and in the planters.
Le Chéri, Rittenhouse
If sidewalk dining is too much for you, head to Le Cheri and snag a seat at their tucked-away outdoor patio. That way, you can eat al fresco in a beautiful garden setting minus the traffic exhaust and bustling passersby.
Mission Taqueria | Facebook
Mission Taqueria, Center City
Mission’s light-filled second-floor space on Sansom Street offers the perfect conditions to grow an array of indoor plants, from shapely succulents to leafy tropicals. Catch a seat on the plant-filled outdoor patio on a warm summer night and it’s easy to feel like you’re south of the border.
Rose Tattoo Cafe, Callowhill
If the term “fern bar” is new to you, you’re not alone — but this ’70s-tastic style, casual and living room-like with lots of houseplants, is making a comeback. In Philly, the iconic Rose Tattoo Cafe is a perfect example of this aesthetic, with its wrought iron, cozy lighting, and plants placed just about everywhere.
Vault + Vine | Facebook
Vault+Vine, East Falls
When Falls Flowers relocated to a new, larger space, owner Peicha Chang reimagined what her flower shop and floral design service could be. In addition to a retail store and display greenhouse loaded with beautiful planters, fresh blooms, unique plant specimens and gifts, Vault+Vine boasts a cafe space with seating inside a glass-walled greenhouse, where you can sit and enjoy coffee or food truck fare amongst your plant friends.
Silk City, Northern Liberties
The diner-slash-nightspot’s patio is a green oasis on Spring Garden Street, with lots of plant life and its very own bar so that you can enjoy the outdoor space without straying too far from your next drink.
Hungry Pigeon | Photo by Neal Santos
Hungry Pigeon, Queen Village
Naturally, our pick for Philly’s best restaurant’s greenery game is on point as well, with plant friends sourced from Farm 51 urban farmer Andrew Olson. A mix of tropicals and succulents frames the huge front window, with others posting up at the bar or dangling from shelves throughout the space.
Barcelona, East Passyunk
The Spanish tapas chain created the perfect spot for garden-style outdoor dining when it opened on East Passyunk last year by hedging off the triangle-shaped space in front of the restaurant’s entrance with huge planters spilling over with greenery. It’s the perfect place to order a glass of wine and some patatas bravas and relax.
Cake of Chestnut Hill | Facebook
Cake, Chestnut Hill
This bistro and bakery doesn’t just include plants and greenery in its design aesthetic – it’s located in a former greenhouse, with a high-vaulted, white-beamed glass ceiling and (of course) tons of natural light. Where else can you lunch and brunch amongst full-size palm trees in Philly?
11 Plant-Filled Philly Restaurants, Mapped
