Dim Sum Garden in Philadelphia is chef Shizhou Da's Shanghai dumpling room, reopened January 2025 on Race Street in Chinatown with a doubled soup-dumpling operation.
Signature dishes: Xiao long bao, Hand-pulled noodles
Must order: Xiao long bao by the basket; hand-pulled scallion-pancake noodles; the XL straw soup dumpling.
Tip: Sit at the front window seats to watch the pleating. Cash works but cards land too.
Address: 1024 Race St, Philadelphia, PA 19107
Barbuzzo in Philadelphia is Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran's 13th Street Mediterranean kitchen, open since 2010, anchored by wood-fired pizzas and the salted caramel budino.
Signature: Wood-fired pizza, Salted caramel budino
Order: The wood-fired pizza of the week; salted caramel budino for dessert, the dish that built its reputation.
Tip: The bar counter overlooking the open kitchen takes walk-ups. It is the room's quietest table on a Friday.
Forsythia in Philadelphia is Christopher Kearse's modern French bistro on Chestnut Street in Old City, a 2025 Michelin Guide selection with rabbit porchetta and bouillabaisse.
Signature: Escargot, Duck a l'orange
Order: The escargot with parsley and shallots; the duck if it appears on that night's tasting menu.
Tip: Happy hour from 16:30 weekdays runs half-price oysters and a French 75. Walk in for it.
Ambra in Philadelphia is Chris D'Ambro and Marina de Oliveira's 16-seat Italian tasting menu on South 4th in Queen Village, the city's most personal multi-course room.
Signature: Tasting menu pasta, Counter-side antipasti
Order: The full nine-course tasting; the four-seat kitchen counter rather than the main table when available.
Tip: Book at exactly 30 days out at 10am on the venue's site. Saturday seatings fill in the first 90 seconds.
Nam Phuong in Philadelphia is the 20-year Vietnamese banquet hall on Washington Avenue, with a 200-item menu running pho, clay pots, banh xeo and bun rieu.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Banh xeo
Order: Pho dac biet (the everything bowl); banh xeo crepe; sugarcane shrimp paste with rice paper rolls.
Tip: The clay-pot section at the back of the menu is the room's quiet best. Order the catfish or the chicken with ginger.
Stock in Philadelphia is Tyler Akin's 18-seat Fishtown BYOB on Girard, a Southeast Asian counter with a pho stock that simmers 14 hours and a rotating khao soi.
Signature: Beef pho, Khao soi
Order: Beef pho with the side plate of herbs; khao soi if it appears; a roast pork banh mi at lunch.
Tip: BYOB. Bring a crisp Riesling or a Vietnamese-style lager. Cash and cards both work.
Pizzeria Vetri in Philadelphia is Marc Vetri's Neapolitan pizza room on Chancellor near Rittenhouse, with a wood-fired oven from Naples and the rotolo that travelled the country.
Signature: Margherita, Rotolo
Order: Margherita with buffalo mozzarella; the rotolo (rolled mortadella, ricotta and pistachio).
Tip: Walk in at 17:30 on a weeknight. The main rush starts at 18:30.
