The Philly 15: New Philadelphia Restaurants You Need to Visit Now
Philly’s best new restaurants, what to order when you go, and why you'll love them.
Dishes featured on Bastia’s dinner menu. / Photograph by Birch Thomas
Welcome to the Philly 15, our list dedicated to Philadelphia’s best new restaurants. Now, this isn’t just a list of new, recently opened restaurants. This is a guide to new spots we’ve tried, loved, and avidly recommend to diners passionate about our dining scene.
What does it take to qualify for this list? First, the restaurants below have opened within the past year, hence why they’re “new.” Second, we’ve visited each spot and, after much deliberation, have decided they make the cut, regardless of whether social media agrees or not.
We hope this list helps you impress your next date (or show your parents how much you’ve grown up, either way) and gives you the confidence to make reservations on behalf of the friend group. We’ll be updating the Philly 15 regularly, so you can always come back here for fresh takes and up-to-date restaurant recommendations.
Got a place you think deserves to be on the Philly 15? Send an email to kpalmisano@phillymag.com.
Bastia, Fishtown
Best for: Excellent food and romantic ambiance.
Tucked away in the incredibly sexy Hotel Anna & Bel, Bastia is serving up a part of the Mediterranean we hardly get to see in Philly. Every dish will transport you to the northern shores of Corsica, where French and Italian cuisines mingle. We’re talking grilled octopus with a kick of salsa verde, fregola tinged gold with saffron, and storzapretti ricotta dumplings, a dish native to the Corsican city of Bastia. The menu changes regularly — based on the seasons and the whims of chef Tyler Akin — but that’s all the more reason to keep going back. Nothing on this menu misses. 1401 East Susquehanna Avenue.
Provenance, Society Hill
Best for: The most extravagant meal of your life.
There are some things you need to know before going to dinner at Provenance: It’s going to be a lot of food (22 or more dishes); most of it will be pretty rich; it moves kind of fast; and it is a spectacle. From the seafood canapés to the trout rillettes with duck consommé to the chocolate soufflé, you’ll see the pageantry of French technique on display, especially if you’re sitting at the counter. Watching chef Nicholas Bazik conduct the kitchen like an orchestra performing a symphony is part of the experience at Provenance.
It’s not an entirely perfect meal. The tasting menu is teetering on the edge of being excessive both in the quantity of food and the intense richness of some dishes served back-to-back at a fast pace (you try to eat 22+ dishes within a couple of hours). But there are enough high notes to make a visit worthwhile, especially if you want to experience one of the most ambitious restaurants in Philly dining history. 408 South 2nd Street.
Black Dragon Takeout, West Philly
Best for: Takeout that will last you for several days.
In combining Black soul food and Chinese American takeout, chef Kurt Evans has created something entirely new. Collard green egg rolls dipped in a mango-chili sauce, gumbo lo mein packed with crab and Creole flavor, and saucy General Roscoe’s chicken are as comforting as they are exciting. There is nothing like Black Dragon Takeout anywhere else in Philly. So when you’re craving Maryland crab rangoons, head over to West Philly, hop in line (it’ll be long, but worth the wait), and order something for today and tomorrow because the leftovers are somehow better than the day before, just as the good Lord intended for takeout. 5260 Rodman Street.
A few items from Kampar’s à la carte menu. / Photograph by Neal Santos
Kampar, Bella Vista
Best for: Date-night and hanging out with friends.
Chef and owner Ange Branca’s journey to bring some version of her beloved Malaysian restaurant back to life after closing during the pandemic was filled with trials and tribulations. But she never steered from her mission to give a platform to underrepresented cuisines, and the new Kampar is a culmination of all of the events, pop-ups, and dinner series she’s done over the years. Downstairs, there’s the chef residency featuring an Indian-Mexican fusion menu by chef Reuben Asaram and Chilean desserts by pastry chef Cote Tapia-Marmugi of Mole Street Baker. Upstairs, you’ll find the Kongsi social club, where the beef rendang and lasi namak are as flavorful as ever. And at the upstairs bar, you’ll be greeted by bar manager Sam Pritchard, who pairs Malaysian-inspired cocktails with offal bar bites off the From Nose to Tail menu (think: dry-curry goat liver and heart salad). There are so many ways to enjoy Kampar. 611 South 7th Street.
Sorellina, Poplar
Best for: A casual night out and the Stella pizza.
In a city that takes pizza really seriously, it’s nice to see a new spot open up that is just making not-your-average pies just for funsies. Across the hall from Cicala at the Divine Lorraine, pizza maestro Joe Cicala has opened up Sorellina, a casual spot where you can hang out at the bar with a Negroni and a selection of aperitivi or get a table and house an entire Stella pizza. Yes, you could get a classic margherita or a saucy marinara, but you’d be missing out on the more underrated pies that you won’t find anywhere else in the city, like the Bronte topped with pistachio pesto, toasted pistachios, extra virgin olive oil, and a holy trinity of mortadella, burrata, and fresh mozz. 699 North Broad Street.
A spread of dishes at Picnic. / Photograph by Mike Prince
Picnic, Kensington
Best for: Date-night, families with kids, and big groups.
Most Defined Hospitality restaurants are architecturally stunning, and Picnic is no exception. How they’ve transformed the old Weisbrod & Hess Brewery deserves to be a study in how to breathe new life into a dilapidated building. Aside from being an architectural beauty, the menu slaps. The wood-fired rotisserie chicken is a star, the Sicilian anchovies are a must, and the mushroom burger is so good that even carnivores will crave it.
It’s rare to come across a place that’s great for any occasion. During the day, it’s a spot where parents can have a nice lunch with their children while enjoying a glass of midday wine. At night, the casual seating lends itself to big groups, but in a dining room this massive, even the presence of a bachelorette party wouldn’t disrupt a romantic date night. 2421 Martha Street.
Kilimandjaro, University City
Best for: Comforting West African food.
After a four-year break, Kilimandjaro is back and with a new space that offers room for 60 diners to enjoy chef and owner Youma Ba’s Senegalese cooking. Through lamb dibi, plaintains, and fried fish with Jollof rice (called thieboudienne, the national dish of Senegal), Ba shares her family recipes and heritage with University City. If you’ve never tried Senegalese food before, the menu at Kilimandjaro is approachable, the staff is welcoming, the vibes are comforting, and you won’t be disappointed by anything you try. And don’t skip the fresh ginger juice. 4301 Chestnut Street.
A spread of nostalgic Polish dishes at Little Walter’s. / Photograph by Gab Bonghi
Little Walter’s, Kensington
Best for: Upscale but comforting Polish food and pickletinis.
Little Walter’s came on to the Philadelphia dining scene fast and strong, making a splash on national lists with its smokey, house-made kielbasa and irresistible pierogi ruskie. On the outside, it looks like any old corner bar in Kensington. Even the floor plan is reminiscent of those old-school neighborhood bars. But the small details, from the Polish artwork on the walls to the bottles of łomża jasne and żubr on the “piwo” menu (essentially the beer list), add a lot of character to the upscale Polish dining experience chef and owner Michael Brenfleck is creating here. Don’t just stop at the pierogi: order a selection of pickled vegetables, slurp some sour rye soup, and round out the night with a pickletini or two. 2049 East Hagert Street.
Amy’s Pastelillos, Kensington
Best for: Savory pastelillos and pollito bowls.
Pastelillos are the name of the game at Amy’s. And they’re outstanding — crispy shells filled with guava barbecue pork, shredded chicken, and ground beef picadillo. You can’t go wrong with any of them. But there’s a whole other side to this menu that’s worth exploring. We’re talking the pollito bowl with stewed chicken, pickled onion, avocado, and tostones on a bed of white rice; queso frito with a hit of guava citrus sauce; and tostones nachos with all the fixings. It’s a takeout joint with a bit of a wait, but why not spend a little time hanging out by the bright pink wall waiting for your order? The weather is freakishly nice (thanks, climate change). 2001 Memphis Street.
Dizengoff, Rittenhouse
Best for: Brunch and after-work drinks.
I didn’t know we needed a decked-out Dizengoff with a funky dining room and retro bar, but I’m so thrilled we got one! It’s like they built an entire party around one of the world’s best party snacks: hummus. But it’s not just the hummus, which is as thick, creamy, and smooth as ever. It’s the expanded menu featuring brunch-time shawarma-spiced lamb tucked in a warm pita, vibrant cocktails, za’atar sprinkled on everything, and roasted meat entrees all served up hip space. 1625 Sansom Street.
Rice & Sambal’s fresh greens and banana heart salad (pecel). / Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano
Rice & Sambal @ Dankbaar, East Passyunk
Best for: Date-night and the Liwetan Feast on Saturdays.
Diana Widjojo of Hardena has branched off to do her own thing, and if you enjoy the Indonesian home cooking at Hardena, then you’re going to love Rice & Sambal. Every Thursday through Saturday night at Dankbaar, Widjojo serves up elevated Indonesian fare that’s as pleasing to look at as it is to eat. The menu changes monthly, but past dinners have included banana heart salad served up in a banana leaf, the seared scallop in a fish-bone broth tinged purple with cabbage, or the succulent Cornish hen glazed with sweet soy sambal marinade. And every Saturday they host the Liwetan Feast, where you’ll be presented with a massive bamboo basket overflowing with a wide variety of fruits, vegetables, grilled fish, roasted meats, and all the sambal you could ever want. 1911 East Passyunk Avenue.
Kiddo, Midtown Village
Best for: Anyone interested in what sustainable dining looks like.
For a place that’s vegetable-forward, they serve up a mean pork porterhouse. It is a thick slab of meat, grilled to perfection, served on a bed of radicchio, baby turnips, candied walnuts, and quince jam with a sweet potato puree. The menu is thoughtful when it comes to the variety of pastas, snacks, and small and large plates, as well as the exciting seasonal flavors. But there is equal, if not more, consideration put into how the menu is put together. Kiddo recently earned a Snail of Approval, an award given by Slow Food, which holds restaurants and other food businesses to the industry’s highest standards of sustainability and fair and equitable sourcing. This is the kind of spot where you can eat good and feel good. 1138 Pine Street.
Yanaga Kappo Izakaya, Northern Liberties
Best for: Happy hour and the omakase speakeasy.
Judging by the playful bites of spicy tuna rice crispy and napolitan (traditional Japanese spaghetti with wagyu sausage), it seems like chef Kevin Yanaga, a.k.a. the Sushi Whisperer, is living his best life. This spot had a little bit of a shaky start — the eclectic menu had a few misses, but hey, I appreciate the ambitious experimentation — but after they got their liquor license, Yanaga Kappo Izakaya finally became the chill, neighborhood bar the corner of 3rd and Fairmount needed. The happy hour game here is strong. They have a generous menu of small bites and pretty filling dishes (like the menchi katsu burger for $12), as well as fun cocktails and the sake wide (a play on the citywide but with a Japanese rice lager and a shot of sake). And for folks who enjoy the novelty of speakeasies, the new omakase speakeasy chef Yanaga hosts is as delicious as it is fun.
Paffuto’s dinner offerings / Photograph by Mike Prince
Paffuto, Bella Vista
Best for: Experimental panzerottis and an incredibly intimate dinner.
Growing up in South Jersey, there was only one kind of panzerotti. It was a hot pocket filled with cheese and red sauce that was as hot as molten lava and would annihilate our tastebuds. But then came Paffuto with the wild idea to make breakfast panzerotti stuffed with scrambled eggs and bacon, and experimental mash-ups with other chefs like the ragu, plantain, and mozzarella version made in partnership with Amy’s Pastelillos.
But the panzerottis are only the beginning. Two nights a week, they host an eight-course dinner featuring modernized nonna-approved classics like focaccia crostini topped with a spicy pepperoni crunch and white anchovy, spaghetti alla chitarra with shrimp and hot Italian sausage, and a sweet chocolate budino sprinkled with candied almond. 1009 South 8th Street.
Royal Tavern, Bella Vista
Best for: The burger.
We were happy to see Royal Tavern’s triumphant return to East Passyunk Avenue and even happier to realize that their classic burger is back, along with the lowkey vibes of this neighborhood institution. Sometimes you just need a good burger, a beer, and to vent to your fellow barflies about yet another Phillies/Eagles/Flyers/Sixers season going down the drain. Though the burger with its smoked gouda, caramelized onions, chili mayo, bacon, and pickled long hot all nestled in a seeded roll is a banger, you should also give the grilled cheese and Spiro’s vegan gyro a try. Go for date night. Go for a late-night bite with friends (the kitchen is open until 1 a.m.). Just go. 937 East Passyunk Avenue.
