PHLGuide
Philadelphia’s New Restaurant Openings
All the new restaurant openings in Philly you should know about.
If you tried to keep track of every brand new restaurant in Philly, your head might spin. So just read this list instead. These are the new restaurant openings that seem like they have the most potential—although keep in mind, for the ones we haven’t tried, we make no promises. Go forth and be a pioneer.
March
Mawn is a Cambodian noodle house with shareable small and large plates like soft-shell shrimp, whole dorade topped with ginger and scallions, and pohok with cold cabbage and chili. The BYOB occupies the former Kalaya space in Bella Vista.
From the team behind the Good King Tavern and Le Caveau, this Rittenhouse wine bar offers 70+ choices of wine by the bottle and selections of rotating reds, whites, bubbly, and oranges by the glass. When it comes to food, you can expect small plates like beef tartare, tuna crudo, charred eggplant yogurt, and other dishes curated by the Good King Tavern head chef.
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photo credit: Gilda Café & Market
Gilda Café & Market
Gilda is a Portugese-inspired café and market located in Fishtown serving Elixr coffee and teas, hand-rolled pastéis de natas, small plates like salt cod fritters, and sandwiches.
February
Forîn is an all-day cafe and wine bar on Frankford Avenue in Kensington, just minutes from it's sister shop, Forîn Café (on Coral Street). They're serving everything from pastries and breakfast sandwiches in the morning to wine, cocktails, and European small plates at night.
photo credit: Kook Burger & Bar
Kook Burger & Bar
Kook Burger & Bar offers something from down the shore without having to hop on the Atlantic City Expressway to get it. The Brigantine, NJ shop has opened a sports bar on Market Street in Center City. There are over a dozen TV screens and a long bar to watch a game while biting into a burger on a pretzel bun and chili cheese fries.
Named after the Dutch word for “satisfying,” this East Passyunk BYOB from the chef/owner of The Dutch has a menu featuring crispy skin rainbow trout, rabbit rillette, and duck leg confit.
photo credit: Lexy Pierce Photography
The Hayes
Open seven days a week, this gastropub in Midtown Village comes from the team behind Oloroso and A Mano. Whether you’re there for lunch or dinner, you can expect classic pub options like wings and burgers, and larger choices like steak frites, grilled branzino with root vegetables, and gnocchi bolognese.
JANUARY
How many taco places does Philly need? The limit does not exist. Unlike the typical tacos covered in cheese and salsa, though, this new South Philly taqueria puts a Korean spin on Mexican staples. They’re serving things like Korean beef birria tacos, cheesesteaks, and burritos, gochujang fried chicken sandwiches topped with pickled cucumbers and soy, and watermelon agua frescas.
One of the best bagel shops in Philly now has a bialy spot at Reading Terminal Market in Center City. The bialys (essentially bagel's little brother) come in classic varieties like poppy seed and onion, but you can also get creative with the za’atar-dipped with an egg, pastrami and melted swiss, and pumpkin pie.
This pasta shop and deli is where you can get an Italian hoagie or cutlet sandwich for lunch and a family-sized crab ravioli platter for Sunday dinner. Head to the Queen Village shop when you’ve got an empty stomach and want to fill it with carbs and something cheesy.
photo credit: Dan Heinkel
Wokworks Fishtown
The casual counter-service spot opened its 10th location in Fishtown. They’re serving bento boxes, noodle stir fry and rice dishes, Chinese churro chips covered in cinnamon sugar, and vegan options like spicy orange tofu.
photo credit: Humble Parlor Brewing Company
Humble Parlor Brewing
This popular brewing company now has its own taproom in Fishtown. They have a dozen $7 draft pours, including oat pilsners, sour IPAs, and Irish-style red ales that you can sip on during quizzo on Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Passyunk Ave. has a new place for Vietnamese go-to's like bubble tea, pho, spring rolls, and BBQ pork bahn mi. Open at 8am, it’s a place where you can grab your morning coffee before heading to the office, or gyoza, beef yakitori, and a bowl of ramen for dinner.
photo credit: Emily J. Davis for Kura Sushi
Kura Sushi
Kura Revolving Sushi Bar is a Japanese spot serving dishes via conveyor belt just off Rittenhouse Square. The two-level, Tetris-themed chain restaurant circulates dishes like sushi rolls, nigiri, and dumplings to grab directly from the table, or you can order from the full menu via a tableside tablet.
DECEMBER
NoChe is the newest spot from FCM Hospitality Group (the team behind Rosy’s Cafe just a few blocks away). The Rittenhouse cocktail bar is serving charcuterie boards, cheese plates, caviar, and small plates like lamb meatballs and crispy potatoes until 2am every day (except Mondays and Tuesdays). The 2nd floor space is full of chandeliers and black velvet booths, perfect for an intimate night of sparkling wine and campfire old-fashioned's.
Until now, fans of Rosy’s Taco Bar in Rittenhouse had to wait until noon to get their tacos and burritos. But Rosy’s Cafe has opened directly next door, and is serving the same goods all day. They have a full cafe menu with coffee and espresso, as well as breakfast options like tortas, chorizo and egg tacos, churros, and spicy potatoes, all surrounded by Mexican art.
Tabachoy started as a pop-up, but their pork spring rolls, fried half-chicken, and braised pork shoulder with soy and vinegar have found a permanent home in Bella Vista. The Filipino restaurant is a family-style BYOB and is open Wednesday through Sunday from 5-9pm.
Doro Bet is a gluten-free and halal Ethiopian chicken restaurant in West Philly. There are combo platters—like a doro wot soaked in spicy sauce (with injera to sop it up)—as well as wraps, sandwiches, and vegan dishes, available for eat-in or takeaway.
Andra Hem
Another addition to the Rittenhouse cocktail bar scene, this Scandinavian spot has no sign outside—except for a glowing martini light bulb. When it comes to food, it’s smörgåsbord-centric (think Norwegian salmon, rillettes, and roe or filet mignon carpaccio and manchego sandwiches). If you’re in need of a new spot pairing beet-infused mezcal with Swedish meatballs, look no further.
photo credit: Cashman & Associates
Carbon Copy
Located in the old Dock Street Brewery in West Philly, this is the city’s first combination winery and brewery. The dining space is large and brightly lit from the floor-to-ceiling windows, and they’re serving up wood-fired pizzas and vegetable-focused small plates.
Sakartvelo
In the past few months, Philly has gotten two new Georgian restaurants, which is great news for a city that loves cheese on bread. Sakartvelo (from the owner of Georgian Bread in the Northeast) is a two-level, 70-seat BYOB in Old City serving boat-shaped loaves of shoti and other traditional dishes.
Known for their hard seltzers, Two Robbers has opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Fishtown. To complement their fizzy drinks or beers, you can expect dishes like stacked burgers, stracciatella tacos, and scallop crudo.
Located inside the old Boot & Saddle, this concert venue and bar has a menu full of reds, whites, sparkling options, and a few local beers. From 7am-12pm they serve coffee, tea, pastries, and tomato pie from Mighty Bread Co.
NOVEMBER
photo credit: Cuzzy’s Ice Cream Parlor
Cuzzy’s Ice Cream Parlor
The next time you have an ice cream craving, head to Cuzzy’s in Queen Village. The homemade ice cream parlor is open until 10 pm from Wednesdays through Sundays and sells scoops, creamsicles, and pints full of flavors like chocolate cake smash and concord grape.
photo credit: J'aime French Cafe
J'aime French Cafe
Rittenhouse Square’s J’aime is a corner cafe serving baked goods and desserts like macarons, tarts, croissants, and baguettes. Head there as early as 7am for an espresso and something sweet to take with you to the office or back to the couch for a day off.
Redcrest Kitchen
Once a fried chicken pop-up, Redcrest Chicken is now Redcrest Kitchen and has a brick-and-mortar space in the heart of Queen Village. They still serve up their chicken to-go in the daytime, but at night, they have other comfort food, like ricotta cavatelli, chesnut agnolotti, smoked short rib, and wild striped bass with pickled plums.
Fishtown has a new Thai spot—it just happens to be one of our former top restaurants in the city. The new location of Kalaya includes 145 seats, extended hours (they’re now open seven days a week), and interiors with skylights, an open kitchen, and 14-foot Adonidia palm trees. Unlike the now-closed Bella Vista location, there’s a full bar with cocktails crafted by the team behind R&D Cocktail Bar and a long wine list. Come here for a night of dumplings, curries, and fragrant rice dishes–if you can snag a reservation.
El Chingon
A former pastry chef at Buddakan and Parc has opened El Chingon, a new Mexican BYOB in South Philly specializing in cemitas from the Puebla region. They also have tacos, tostadas, smoked seafood aguachile, and a plant-based menu featuring Michoacán-style sopa tarasca and cauliflower tacos marinated in recado negro.
Queen Village’s Grace & Proper is a Euro-inspired bar from the team behind Hawthorne’s and Tio Flores. Open until midnight on most days and 1am on the weekend, it serves up Portuguese egg custard, plates of cured meats and unique cheeses, sandwiches, and pastries.
Paesano's Philly Style
The iconic South Philly hot sandwich shop has re-opened in the Italian Market. The menu includes signature hoagies, like the Liveracce, with crispy fried chicken livers, sweet orange, spicy gorgonzola and soppressata, along with a number of pastas and Italian small plates.
photo credit: Pearl & Mary
Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar
Pearl & Mary is a Midtown Village oyster bar from the Schulson Collective. The menu features an extensive raw bar, hot seafood dishes including clams casino and uni baked oyster, and entrees like steamed red snapper and a grilled New York strip steak.
Persimmon Coffee
Formerly a pop-up and subscription service, Persimmon Coffee has opened a brick-and-mortar shop in Fishtown. The space features Japanese and Korean minimalist design, a full cafe menu, and pastries like persimmon custard topped with candied ginger and fresh whipped cream.
After a two-year hiatus and total re-formatting, Queen Village’s Ambra has re-opened. For $300 per person, guests can now reserve The Kitchen Table experience for a front-row seat to chefs preparing dishes for both Ambra and Southwark (run by the same team), or The Dining Room experience for a larger party ($250 per person, 8-10 people). Both feature wine pairings and multi-course Italian tasting menus with dishes like carne crudo with black truffle and a whipped sunchoke and marrow mousse.
