Cheesesteak rivalries, Italian Market mornings, BYOB nights.
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.
Every restaurant, cafe, market and bar we cover in Philadelphia, pinned. Click a pin for the page.
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
Slow-roasted pork shoulder, sliced thin, piled on a seeded Italian roll with garlicky broccoli rabe and sharp aged provolone. The locals' answer to the cheesesteak.
Where: Tommy DiNic's, John's Roast Pork, Tony Luke's
Where to eat Philadelphia roast pork sandwich in Philadelphia →
Italian cold cuts (mortadella, capicola, salami, prosciutto), sharp provolone, lettuce, tomato, onion, oregano, oil and vinegar on a long Amoroso roll. The classic Philly lunch.
Where: Sarcone's Bakery, John's Roast Pork, Famous 4th Street Delicatessen
Square-cut focaccia-style pizza, baked at room temperature, with a thick layer of seasoned crushed tomato and a dusting of grated cheese. No melted cheese. Served at room temperature.
Where: Sarcone's Bakery, Iannelli's Bakery
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
Hand-twisted, low-rise, figure-eight soft pretzel sold from sidewalk carts, doused with mustard. Denser than the German original, flatter than the Bavarian.
Where: Center City Pretzel Co., Reading Terminal Market
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 2019 and the city's most-booked tasting menu.
Signature: Hummus tehina, Lamb shoulder
Vetri Cucina in Philadelphia is Marc Vetri's 1998 Spruce Street townhouse tasting menu, a Michelin-recognised Italian room with the spinach gnocchi that defined the city.
Signature: Spinach gnocchi with brown butter, Whole roasted baby goat
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 distinctive seasonal menu.
Signature: Mushroom soup, Foie gras toast
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 from Bella Vista.
Signature: Khua kling pork, Massaman curry
Vernick Food & Drink in Philadelphia is Greg Vernick's James Beard Best Chef Mid-Atlantic 2017 Rittenhouse bi-level brownstone, with the avocado toast that defined the room.
Signature: Avocado toast, Wood-fire fish
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 Restaurants 2025.
Signature: Sushi omakase, Pork gyoza
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
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 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 22:00. Tasting menus seat 18:00 to 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.
Peak food season in Philadelphia is 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 to 14:00, dinner 17:30 to 22:00. Tasting menus seat 18:00 to 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.
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.
If you only have one meal, eat Philly cheesesteak. It is the dish most associated with Philadelphia.