The Most Anticipated Philadelphia Restaurant Openings of 2019

Bloomsday Cafe, one of Philly’s most anticipated restaurant openings | Photo provided

Philly’s restaurant scene has been booming for a few years now, and that growth shows no signs of slowing down in 2019. As usual, there’s lots of activity in Center City and South Philly (especially Queen Village), but Fishtown, Spring Arts, and the western suburbs all have openings to look forward to. From a slew of new spots set to debut in the next month to further-off projects that will (hopefully) open before year’s end, here are the new concepts we’re most excited about this year.

Opening this winter

Fiore | Facebook

Fiore, Queen Village
Ed Crochet and Justine MacNeil will revitalize the former home of Kanella South on Front Street with their Italian cafe-restaurant. Daytime service starts later this week, with dinner to follow in February.

Neighborhood Ramen, Queen Village
Ramen obsessives Lindsay Steigerwald and Jesse Pryor have almost finished their journey from Instagram pop-up to brick-and-mortar noodle house.

Winkel, Midtown Village
Philly lost one of its longest-running restaurants when More Than Just Ice Cream closed this fall, but Noord’s Joncarl Lachman is stepping into the space with this breakfast and brunch spot.

Cry Baby Pasta and Wine, Queen Village
With Bridget Foy’s closed for post-fire renovations until fall, owners Bridget Foy and Paul Rodriguez have teamed up with Carla Gonçalves and David Gilberg, the couple behind erstwhile Portuguese BYO Koo Zee Doo, for this Italian wine bar in the former Ela space.

Aether, Fishtown
The folks behind Princeton’s Elements and Mistral are opening a seafood-focused restaurant with natural wines and neighborhood-friendly pricing on Frankford Avenue, hopefully by early February.

Alpen Rose, Midtown Village
After going hard on Italian (teaming up with Jeff Michaud on Osteria, opening the massive bi-level Giuseppe & Sons) in 2018, Schulson Collective is set to bring a steakhouse concept to the space next to Double Knot in late February.

Hiroki in progress

Hiroki, Fishtown
Longtime Morimoto chef Hiroki Fujiyama teamed up with Method Co. for this omakase, which will open in the space just behind Method’s Wm. Mulherin’s Sons at Master and Lee Streets.

Musi, Pennsport
Chef about town Ari Miller settles into the former South Helm space with a concept driven by his relationships with local producers. Dinner service starts in February, but they’ve got FrizWit cheesesteak pop-ups happening on Sundays in January.

1149, Italian Market
The former home of torta spot El Compadre will become a cooperative restaurant, commercial kitchen, and community event space with a social justice mission. Healthy lunch service will begin in February, but some soft opening days are already on the calendar for late January.

Stina, Newbold
Chef Bobby Saritsoglou and his wife, Christina Kallas-Saritsoglou, have a Mediterranean BYO with a menu built around a wood-fired oven in store for 1705 Snyder Avenue.

Bloomsday Cafe, Society Hill
Zach Morris and Kelsey Bush, the folks behind Haverford’s Green Engine Coffee, partnered with former Kensington Quarters GM Tim Kweeder for this all-day cafe, natural wine bar, and bottle shop.

Opening in spring

Elwood | Facebook

Elwood, Fishtown
Chef Adam Diltz left his long-running gig at Johnny Brenda’s last spring to open his own Fishtown BYO, which will serve a menu that reflects the city’s history and the region’s agricultural bounty.

Hops, Brewerytown
The expansive space at 31st and Master Streets was Flying Fish Crafthouse, then Brewerytown Taproom — and, around early March, new owners will try again with a third beer-centric concept in as many years.

Lucky Well, Spring Arts
The new city outpost of Chad Rosenthal’s Ambler-based BBQ joint will take up residence in the Arts + Crafts Holdings space at 990 Spring Garden Street alongside Roy-Pitz Barrel House.

Zagafen, Bala Cynwyd
Restaurateur David Magerman has partnered with Zavino’s Greg Dodge on a kosher pizzeria that will serve Bala’s Orthodox Jewish community.

GiGis, Queen Village
Both the Neapolitan pizza concept and an as-yet-unnamed neighborhood bar and restaurant from Southwark’s Chris D’Ambro and Marina De Oliveira are set to open in the former Whetstone Tavern space at 5th and Bainbridge.

Pizzeria Beddia, Fishtown
Joe Beddia returns with an upgraded version of his iconic pizza spot — with a bar and around 100 seats. Hopefully, the lines this time around will be shorter.

Little Hen, Haddonfield
This petite French bistro from Two Fish owners Mike Stollenwerk and Felice Leibowitz will open in the former Candy Buffet space at Haddon Avenue and Kings Highway.

Opening in summer

La Chinesca’s future home

La Chinesca, Spring Arts
The neighborhood just lost one spot from Michael Pasquarello with Bufad’s closure at the end of 2018 — but we’re getting a Chinese-Mexican concept right next to Union Transfer a few blocks away.

Cicala, North Broad
Joe and Angela Cicala make their comeback with a luxe namesake concept serving southern Italian fare at the revamped Divine Lorraine; right now, they’re estimating with a spring or summer opening.

Enoteca Tredici, Downingtown
Greg Dodge will turn Downingtown’s historic paper mill into a 9,000 square-foot, riverside outpost of his Mediterranean concept Tredici.

Jean-Georges, Center City
Superstar chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s latest is set to open on the 59th floor of the Four Seasons Hotel in the Comcast Technology Center, with lounge Sky High attached.

Vernick Fish, Center City
The James Beard Award-winning chef is hoping to open his newest namesake on the ground floor of the Four Seasons with 200 seats and a seafood-focused menu by summertime.

…And beyond

Lê’s banh mi | Photo by Alex Tewfik

Lê’s banh mi shop, An undisclosed location
The enigmatic proprietor of Hop Sing Laundromat has a banh mi spot in the works. We know what it’s called and where it will be, but we’re not at liberty to divulge yet — and when it’ll actually open is anyone’s guess.

Ti Dezord and Cafe Kreyol, Germantown
Sylva Senat’s dual-concept operation, a microbrewery and restaurant, both featuring Haitian flavors and ingredients, is slated for Germantown’s Golaski Labs mixed-use development sometime in 2019.