Where to Eat Around Rittenhouse Square
You're probably going to dine in Rittenhouse at least a couple times this year. Here's our curated list of where to eat in the neighborhood.
Plum-marinated lamb at Lacroix / Photograph by Mike Prince
There are a million reasons why you might be in search of a meal around Rittenhouse Square. Maybe it’s to meet your picky parents who have a thing for Parc but “promise” they want to branch out. It’s possible you’re looking for a place to have a fancy dinner with someone you might date for eight to 10 months. Or maybe you’ve been trapped in your office on Zooms with your colleagues and now require sustenance in the form of a burger or falafel sandwich. Regardless of your situation, know that your perfect Rittenhouse restaurant does exist. And our list of places to prioritize between Chestnut and Lombard from 21st and 16th Streets will help you find it.
Lacroix at the Rittenhouse
The à la carte options read like an opulent treasure map: potato risotto with caviar, rouget à la Paul Bocuse, tomato cooked in beef fat with herbes de Provence. But if you don’t know what to order, there’s also a $155 tasting menu with additional wine pairings available that’s worth every cent. Lacroix will delight anyone who’s into wine and textbook fine-dining experiences — the dishes are just as luxurious as they are dynamic and full of surprising flavor combinations that get better as you eat them. 210 West Rittenhouse Square.
Her Place Supper Club
There’s dinner, and then there’s Amanda Shulman’s fever-dream dinner party. At Her Place Supper Club, you’ll sit with 23 other lucky Philadelphians in a Sansom Street room that looks not so different from a millennial’s home (mismatched prints on the walls, mismatched floral plates, Fleetwood Mac and Spice Girls blaring from the speakers). Then, from her spot in the open kitchen, Shulman will talk you through six-ish courses of French and Italian food, all of which are rooted in a distinct “Butter is Better” philosophy and make use of the freshest produce, meat, cheese, and seafood in the region. It would still be a fun dining experience if the food sucked. Fortunately, that’s not a problem. This is the best way to spend $95 on a meal right now. Assuming you can get a table. 1740 Sansom Street.
My Loup
Take everything we said about the greatness that is Her Place Supper Club and make it bigger, with French Canadian influence (from Shulman’s husband and business partner, chef Alex Kemp) and a bar. This one is slightly easier to get into, but it’s still a hot ticket. Order anything and everything on this seasonal menu. 2009 Sansom Street.
Wilder
One of the more fun openings in recent memory, Wilder brought 150 seats to an airy, artistic, and historic space — the former Academy of Social Dance — on Sansom Street. Owners Brett Naylor, one-time chef at Oyster House, and front-of-house guru Nicole Barrick keep Wilder open from lunchtime through midday and until fairly late for dinner with a crowd-pleasing menu that offers a raw bar, a bunch of nice pasta dishes, pizza, and entrees like an octopus and scallop skewer with peach and corn relish. 2009 Sansom Street.
Wild halibut in buttermilk dash at Friday Saturday Sunday in Rittenhouse Square / Photograph by Ted Nghiem
Friday Saturday Sunday
Situated inside a gorgeous rowhome at the corner of 21st Street and Rittenhouse, Friday Saturday Sunday feels a world away from the corporate vibes on the other side of the park. (Thank goodness.) Upstairs, the restaurant serves a highlight-of-your-year tasting menu, featuring Chad Williams’s deeply personal and completely delicious New American cooking — think delicate grilled quail with peach and coco bread, corn with tomatillo and custard, and fried sweetbreads with plantains. Downstairs, the walk-in bar area serves up imaginative takes on classic cocktails plus an à la carte menu of snacks. Arrive early for a bar spot. The place fills up fast. 261 South 21st Street.
K’Far
We treat this casual Israeli cafe like a child treats a treehouse in the backyard: Whenever someone is looking for a place to hang in the neighborhood, it’s always our first suggestion. For lunch, eat a pressed Jerusalem bagel with smoked salmon and scallion cream cheese. Or stop by for coffee and flaky borekas filled with feta and lemon zest, plus consistently excellent sweets (hello, blueberry babka and pistachio sticky buns). Seating can be a wash, but that’s what the park is for. 110 South 19th Street.
a.kitchen
We could describe a.kitchen as a straightforward restaurant perfect for grown-ups of taste. Because that’s what it is. But doesn’t that sound boring? The truth is that a.kitchen quietly serves some of the most dialed-in New American food in the city right now — octopus lyonnaise with trout roe, roasted cod with Jersey corn, a cheeseburger constructed with layers of American cheese, diced cornichon, and dijonaise on a sesame roll. You’ll get to enjoy all of these comforting-but-elevated dishes in a room outfitted with sleek wood, lightbulbs that look like molecules, and an open kitchen. Bring your family, bring the wine person in your life, or just bring yourself and sit at the bar. We’ve found it’s easy to get a last-minute reservation. 135 South 18th Street.
Enswell
Hang around this Best of Philly-winning spot long enough and you’ll see how it evolves throughout the day. In the morning, it’s a coffee shop where you can get some work done on your laptop over a pastry and a fancy latte. At 11 a.m., the vibes shift more toward business casual, perfect for a power lunch meeting. Finally, when the evening rolls around and happy hour begins, Enswell is a lively lounge serving sexy cocktails and elegant yet playful dishes like chicken nuggets and caviar and crab hash browns.
Via Locusta / Photograph courtesy of Via Locusta
Via Locusta
Michael Schulson’s glitzy pasta spot works for just about anyone, making Via Locusta a great choice for dinner with your family or a businessperson you have to impress despite not knowing anything about them. Start with a puff of focaccia with whipped honey butter and then transition to the handmade pastas (prioritize the sweet potato ravioli and mafaldine in a white Bolognese). 1723 Locust Street.
El Merkury
This spot serves the sort of Central American street food you’re craving on a day off or maybe even a workday where you can take a strategic nap, including but not limited to: churro ice cream sundaes, cheesy pupusas, loaded tostadas, and so much more. You can get a significant amount of food here for less than $15 — something we’re always happy to experience in Rittenhouse. 2104 Chestnut Street.
Monk’s Cafe
Monk’s founder, Tom Peters, is the grandfather of Philadelphia’s beer scene. Which makes this Belgian beer institution an essential stop for anyone who drinks in this city. Try one of their harder-to-find draft beers or European bottles, and don’t discount the food menu — the burgers and mussels with pommes frites taste significantly better than what’s being served at your average tavern. 264 South 16th Street.
Vic Sushi Bar / Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano
Vic Sushi Bar
Don’t tell your neighborhood sushi spot, but Vic is the Michael Jordan of neighborhood sushi in Philadelphia. Their small BYOB counter usually has spots open (which would be a good date location as long as you’re cool with Penn PhD students who are also flirting next to you). Though we like Vic’s takeout situation just as much as their dine-in option, since $16 gets you any combination of three maki rolls. You might be thinking, “How can the rolls be so cheap? Is the fish even good?” We understand this line of questioning and prefer not to pursue it further. The fish tastes almost unreasonably fresh for the price. 2035 Sansom Street.
Huda
Yehuda Sichel, known for his time cooking at Zahav and Abe Fisher, makes damn good sandwiches. They start with poofy and soft house-made Japanese milk buns that take four days to make. These would be good enough on their own (and they are when Sichel turns them into dessert), but fill them with smoky and charred confited brisket, sharp cheddar, dijonaise, crispy onions, and pickles. It’s a beautiful mess. 32 South 18th Street.
Parc
Parc emblematizes Rittenhouse’s soul. Fancy but not so fancy you’ll be judged for your shoes. Expensive enough that you’re sure to spend at least $60 a head. Busy, always. If you’re coming to this French bistro, you’re coming for the scene just as much as you are the steak tartare and trout amandine. Sit on the sidewalk for a daytime meal or head inside to drink a martini, pick at a (very good) bread basket, and watch the dining room like it’s immersive theater (it is). 227 South 18th Street.
Bolo
There’s so much to love about chef Yun Fuentes’s Puerto Rican restaurant. The rum bar, the duck arepa, the Caribbean red snapper soup, the vaca frita, and the monthly Mesa Bolo collaboration dinner series featuring other chefs from around the city. Fuentes opened Bolo with a clear vision to bring upscale Puerto Rican cuisine to Philly and he nails it with every dish that comes out of that kitchen (and every cocktail that’s passed over the bar).
Vernick / Photograph by Steve Legato
Vernick Food & Drink
Greg Vernick’s original Philly restaurant was a wonder when it first opened in 2012. And it’s only gotten better. Our favorite way to eat at Vernick remains the bar method — walk right into their lounge on the early side, plop into a seat, and order a fancy toast, some gorgeous vegetables, and a whole fish roasted in a wood-fire oven. The seasonal menu changes often, but you can always expect a focus on comfort and technique. In the case of both the tasting and the (slightly more casual) à la carte menu, Vernick’s mission is simple: Make dinner for the neighbors. 2031 Walnut Street.
Goldie
Goldie does two things: falafel and nutty tehina (vegan!) milkshakes. And it does them so well that you’ll quickly understand why there aren’t any other menu items. (Okay, sure, Goldie technically serves thick, crispy fries that you can get inside your sandwich or on the side.) This is our favorite quick lunch option in the neighborhood. If you’re a first-timer, start with the plain tehina version and then try the bright and spicy schug option as your 201-level lunch. 1911 Sansom Street.
DanDan
Yes, the titular dandan noodles at this Sichuan and Taiwanese restaurant are excellent: thick, slippery, and perfectly chewy. But we keep coming back for three-cup chicken, beef noodle soup, and their spicy soft tofu. The restaurant is Adam Sandler approved, if that’s of any consequence to you. 126 South 16th Street.
Dizengoff / Photograph by Mike Persico
Dizengoff
There was a time when this Michael Solomonov restaurant was dedicated exclusively to hummus and pita. We loved it, but a recent renovation gave us a full bar and bigger menu that leveled up the experience. What hasn’t changed: the pita that’s pulled from the oven puffy and steaming right in front of you, and that silky-smooth hummus recipe. But now, you’re in for a parade of Israeli and Middle Eastern-inspired dishes like za’atar roast chicken and English pea kofta, plus incredible tehina-date ice cream sandwiches for dessert. 1625 Sansom Street.
Southgate
This Korean American restaurant on Lombard might not be located in the heart of Rittenhouse, but it’s a great spot for a casual meal in the neighborhood. They make excellent Korean chicken wings, plus a good bulgogi burger with gochugaru aioli and pickles. 1801 Lombard Street.
Barclay Prime
Have you ever heard of steak before? Would you like to eat massive quantities of said steak in a lovely room with like-minded cow enthusiasts? You’ve come to the right place. Bring your wallet. Better yet, find someone else who’ll pay. 237 South 18th Street.
Oyster House / Photograph by A. Ricketts for Visit Philadelphia
Oyster House
The peak Oyster House experience happens between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, with a happy hour that attracts Philly people from all over the city for $2 oysters, $7 pours of house punch, and a general “fuck yes, I love life, I love seafood!” atmosphere. Happy hour or not, remember this as an option for group dining, especially if your people are interested in splitting a couple rounds of the house clambake wherein buckets of shrimp, clams, lobsters, and corn are dumped on the table for all to enjoy. 1516 Sansom Street.
Mission Taqueria
Ultimately, Mission Taqueria is synonymous with margaritas and crowds who prefer TikTok to Facebook. That’s not to suggest you avoid a visit here for rich tortilla soup and fabulous homemade tacos (meaty or vegan) if you don’t fit into such a category. All we’re saying is be prepared for a scene. 1516 Sansom Street.
The Dandelion
On paper, a British pub in Philly’s ritziest neighborhood might seem out of place. But, in reality, The Dandelion works perfectly. Come for well-made fish and chips, beers on draft, and a cozy atmosphere with an upstairs fireplace. There’s also an adorable afternoon tea program. 124 South 18th Street.
