Cheesesteak rivalries, Italian Market mornings, BYOB nights.
Free cancellation on most tours, with live prices on the partner's site.
Philadelphia eats like a working city that never stopped feeding the dock, the shop floor and the corner stoop. The cheesesteak was invented at 9th and Passyunk in 1930 when Pat Olivieri grilled chopped steak on a hot-dog cart; Joe Vento's Geno's opened across the street in 1966 and the rivalry has run on the same corner ever since. The 9th Street Italian Market still pulls its sausage, ricotta, ravioli and tomato pie from family stalls that opened before the First World War. Reading Terminal Market, under the old train shed at 12th and Arch, runs 80 vendors who sell scrapple, soft pretzels, roast pork, banh mi, soup dumplings and Pennsylvania Dutch shoo-fly pie under one roof. Chinatown around Race Street holds dim sum, hand-pulled noodles, Vietnamese pho and the new wave of Sichuan rooms. South Philly Vietnamese around Washington Avenue, Cambodian rooms in Logan, North African corners in West Philly and the Israeli laboratory that Michael Solomonov built around Zahav, Laser Wolf and K'Far make the modern map. BYOB is the rule rather than the exception. Tomato pie is the underrated quiet pizza. In 2026, Philly is the most underrated big-city eat in America.
Guided tour · 45 minutes
Explore the Reading Terminal Market of Philadelphia on a walking tour. Learn about the market's history, hear stories of some of the family-owned merchants, and choose...
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Discover Philly's most popular food favorites on a guided foodie walking tour. Get a taste of the city's history and culture as you chow down on favorite local dishes.
Guided tour · 2h 30m
Eat + drink your way through Philadelphia’s history on this unique food tour. Walk along the cobblestone alleyways of the city’s old colonial neighborhoods between bit...
The plates that define eating in Philadelphia.
Thin-shaved rib-eye on a long Amoroso roll, griddled with chopped onions and finished with melted Cheez Whiz, American or provolone. The South Philly sandwich that travelled the world.
Where Pat's King of Steaks, Geno's Steaks, John's Roast Pork, Jim's Steaks South Street
Where to eat Philly cheesesteak in Philadelphia →Pennsylvania Dutch pork-mush loaf made from pork trimmings, cornmeal, buckwheat and sage, sliced and griddled crisp. Served with eggs and pancakes at breakfast counters.
Where Reading Terminal Market, Tommy DiNic's
Where to eat Scrapple in Philadelphia →Fine-grained Italian-style flavoured ice, sold from corner stores and stands across the city from April through September. Lemon, cherry, mango, blue raspberry.
Where South 9th Street Italian Market
Where to eat Philadelphia water ice in Philadelphia →Molasses-and-brown-sugar custard pie with a crumb topping, baked deep, served in slabs at Reading Terminal Market and Lancaster County diners. Wet-bottom is the canonical style.
Where Beiler's Doughnuts, Reading Terminal Market
Where to eat Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie in Philadelphia →A handful of the places we send friends to when they are in Philadelphia.
Zahav in Philadelphia is Michael Solomonov's modern Israeli room near Society Hill, James Beard's Outstanding Restaurant in America in 2019 and one.
OrderThe lamb shoulder for two with the hummus tehina, the way it has been ordered since 2008.
Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia is Marc Vetri's 1998 Spruce Street townhouse tasting menu, a Michelin-recognised Italian room with the spinach gnocchi.
OrderSpinach gnocchi in brown butter and ricotta salata; the whole roasted baby goat for the table.
Friday Saturday Sunday in Philadelphia is Chad and Hanna Williams's narrow Rittenhouse townhouse, James Beard Best New Restaurant 2019 and the city's most.
OrderThe mushroom soup, with foie gras toast on the side. The dish that anchored their James Beard year.
Kalaya in Philadelphia is Chutatip 'Nok' Suntaranon's James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2022 Southern Thai room in Fishtown, on Palmer Street since the move.
OrderThe khua kling dry-fried pork with rice; the massaman curry; Nok's mother's coconut soup.
Vernick Food & Drink in Philadelphia is Greg Vernick's James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2017 Rittenhouse bi-level brownstone, with the avocado toast.
OrderThe avocado toast with chilli flake; whatever whole fish is on the wood fire that night.
Royal Sushi & Izakaya in Philadelphia is the eight-seat Queen Village omakase counter behind the front-room izakaya, ranked among North America's 50 Best.
OrderThe omakase counter at the back; the crispy pork gyoza if you sit at the izakaya bar in front.
Philadelphia's downtown grid between the rivers, with Rittenhouse Square as the green heart and Walnut, Chestnut and Market as the dining spines.
Best for: Tasting menus, French bistro, Cocktails
Row-house south of South Street where the Italian Market runs and the cheesesteak was invented in 1930. East Passyunk Avenue is the modern BYOB strip.
Best for: Cheesesteaks, Italian, BYOB
Six blocks of South 9th Street between Fitzwater and Wharton, with open-air produce stalls, Sarcone's brick-oven bread and Di Bruno Bros cheese caves since 1939.
Best for: Italian, Cheese, Bread
Riverfront neighbourhood south of Society Hill, with Fabric Row on 4th Street and the Famous 4th Street Delicatessen on the Bainbridge corner since 1923.
Best for: Sushi, Deli, BYOB
Cobblestone blocks between Independence Hall and the Delaware, full of galleries, cocktail bars and the original Han Dynasty on Chestnut.
Best for: Chinese, Cocktails, Brunch
Compact 14-block enclave around Race and 10th, holding the Friendship Arch, soup-dumpling rooms, hand-pulled noodles and the city's deepest Vietnamese strip.
Best for: Dim sum, Vietnamese, Sichuan
Philly cheesesteak
Thin-shaved rib-eye on a long Amoroso roll, griddled with chopped onions and finished with melted Cheez Whiz, American or provolone
Scrapple
Pennsylvania Dutch pork-mush loaf made from pork trimmings, cornmeal, buckwheat and sage, sliced and griddled crisp
Philadelphia water ice
Fine-grained Italian-style flavoured ice, sold from corner stores and stands across the city from April through September
Pennsylvania Dutch shoofly pie
Molasses-and-brown-sugar custard pie with a crumb topping, baked deep, served in slabs at Reading Terminal Market and Lancaster County diners
Center City
Philadelphia's downtown grid between the rivers, with Rittenhouse Square as the green heart and Walnut, Chestnut and Market as the dining spines
South Philadelphia
Row-house south of South Street where the Italian Market runs and the cheesesteak was invented in 1930
Italian Market (Bella Vista)
Six blocks of South 9th Street between Fitzwater and Wharton, with open-air produce stalls, Sarcone's brick-oven bread and Di Bruno Bros cheese caves since 1939
Old City
Cobblestone blocks between Independence Hall and the Delaware, full of galleries, cocktail bars and the original Han Dynasty on Chestnut
A sample of Philadelphia hotels from our booking partner, who list 414 here. Live prices and availability open on their site.
Abode Philadelphia - Rittenhouse Square/Locust St
A stay at Abode Philadelphia - Rittenhouse Square/Locust St places you in the heart of Philadelphia, steps ...
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Abode Philadelphia - Center City/Convention Center
A stay at Abode Philadelphia - Center City/Convention Center places you in the heart of Philadelphia, withi...
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Abode Philadelphia - Rittenhouse Square/Spruce St
A stay at Abode Philadelphia - Rittenhouse Square/Spruce St places you in the heart of Philadelphia, within...
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Frontdesk - The Cosmopolitan Apts Philadelphia
A stay at this apartment places you in the heart of Philadelphia, steps from Walnut Street and 4 minutes by...
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Days Inn by Wyndham Philadelphia - Roosevelt Boulevard
Located in Philadelphia, Days Inn by Wyndham Philadelphia - Roosevelt Boulevard is within a 10-minute drive...
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Frontdesk - Carriage Wheel Lofts Apts Philadelphia
With a stay at this apartment in Philadelphia (North Philadelphia), you'll be within a 5-minute drive of Su...
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Frontdesk - 242 S 17th St Apts Rittenhouse Sq Philadelphia
A stay at this apartment places you in the heart of Philadelphia, steps from Walnut Street and 5 minutes by...
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Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Philadelphia Airport
With a stay at Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Philadelphia Airport in Philadelphia (Eastwick), you'll be ...
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Four Points By Sheraton Philadelphia Airport
Located in Philadelphia (Southwest Philadelphia), Four Points By Sheraton Philadelphia Airport is within a ...
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Aloft Philadelphia Airport
With a stay at Aloft Philadelphia Airport in Philadelphia (Southwest Philadelphia), you'll be within a 10-m...
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Delta Hotels by Marriott Philadelphia Airport
Located in Philadelphia, Delta Hotels by Marriott Philadelphia Airport is in the historical district, withi...
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Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites New Philadelphia, an IHG Hotel
Located in New Philadelphia, Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites New Philadelphia, an IHG Hotel is a 4-minut...
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Also compare: Holidu in Philadelphia from USD 82/night · LateRooms in Philadelphia from 39/night · Expedia in Philadelphia
Stays are listed by our booking partners, not editor picks. We earn a commission if you book, at no cost to you.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Philadelphia, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
Peak food season: May to October for the South 9th Street Italian Market Festival, soft-shell crab, Jersey tomatoes and beer-garden patios. November to February: scrapple, hot roast pork, pepper pot soup and oyster stew.
Local dining hours: Lunch 11:30-14:00, dinner 17:30-22:00. Tasting menus seat 18:00-21:00. Cheesesteak counters run from 10:00 to past midnight, Pat's and Geno's run 24 hours. BYOBs typically close by 22:30 on weeknights.
Tipping: 20 percent on the pre-tax total at full-service rooms is the baseline. 18 percent for adequate service, 22 to 25 for great. Counters and cheesesteak windows: a buck or two on a small order, 10 percent on a big one.
Philadelphia's signature dishes include Philly cheesesteak, Philadelphia roast pork sandwich, Philadelphia hoagie, Philadelphia tomato pie, Scrapple. See our signature dishes chapter for where to eat each.
TableJourney editors map Philadelphia by district. Center City, South Philadelphia, Italian Market (Bella Vista), Queen Village are among the strongest for food, each with its own guide.
Editor picks in Philadelphia include Vetri Cucina, Zahav, Friday Saturday Sunday, plus the full fine dining chapter on TableJourney.
TableJourney covers 5 editor-picked food tours in Philadelphia, with what each shows you and how much to budget.
TableJourney's Philadelphia dietary chapter covers vegan, vegetarian, gluten_free, halal, kosher venues, each editor-picked with what to order and how to ask.
