Philadelphia's Best New Restaurants for Winter 2026

Helmed by the guys behind gone-but-not-forgetten Japanese/Jewish crossover spots Cheu noodle bar and Bing Bing Dim Sum, Banshee has fusion cuisine in its DNA — and Ben Puchowitz and Shawn Darragh’s new South Street bistro does not disappoint.

This time around, they’re taking you on a Euro culinary adventure inspired by Spain, France and England (rest assured, the Japanese influences are not lost) in a warm and inviting Scandinavian-style space.

Take your pick from small plates, like Barnstable Oysters or Grilled Kyoto Carrot, and larger bites, like roast half chicken and Spanish mackerel. Pair it with beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks or specialty cocktails from the bar, like the vodka-forward Tropical Contact High.

It’s baaaack! The lights — the unmistakable neon glow of two orange explosives — at Bomb Bomb Bar are back on. Deb Barbato and her husband Frank’s corner bar — opened in 1951 by Deb’s father — has been a South Philly staple for generations. Now retired, the couple has left the corner bar in very capable hands.

Guests can expect a few minor changes at the beloved bar, now under the care of Joey Baldino, a son of South Philly and the chef-owner of the celebrated Palizzi Club. Look out for a revamped drink menu with frozen cocktails and pepperoncini martinis; a refreshed, back-room dining room; and a dinner menu that leans into the seafood Bomb Bomb is known for. But rest assured, the spirit of the place — and its famous barbecue spare ribs — aren’t going anywhere.

Oui? Oui. This brand-new all-day cafe in Queen Village offers the best of both daytime and nighttime dining, with a full breakfast-slash-brunch menu through the afternoon, and robust dinner offerings in the evening.

Bridging the French and Mexican influences of owners C.J. Cheyne and Israel Nocelo, the new spot serves breakfast sandwiches and sumptuous pastries during the day (think: doughnuts, beignets and cinnamon buns), and at night it rolls out items like steak and ceviche.

All-day eats include salads, tacos and burgers (like the bacon-, mozzarella- and secret sauce-topped Casa Oui Burger), along with a full coffee and cocktail menu.

Conshohocken has all-day dining covered with the new restaurant double-feature, Café Neos and Neos Americana.

The Mediterranean-inspired Montco operation features a robust breakfast and lunch menu in its cafe — spiced chai, pistachio brioche danishes, za’atar potato galettes, eggplant shakshuka hand pies and more — along with a full evening dinner menu in its restaurant, with entrees like lamb chops, grilled churrasco and calamari bolognese.

Round out your meal with a packed drink menu featuring several local drafts, creative craft cocktails, and a staggering list of wine and spirits.

Italian pizzas. Mediterranean small plates. A French name. This new Callowhill spot, Cerveau (meaning “brain”), challenges you to stretch yours a little bit — but you’ll be so glad you did.

The surrealist older cousin to chef Joe Hunter’s previous pizzeria, Pizza Brain, Cerveau is a modern, non-fussy spot to indulge in bold flavors and a bit of whimsy at its core — and who doesn’t love a little whimsy?

Imaginative pastas, pies and other small bites, like veggie- and seafood-forward starters and Italian-style sandwiches called tramezzini, are on the menu. (There’s even a vegan pizza that looks positively scrumptious.) The new place also pours a host of beers, cocktails and zero-proof bevvies.

Picture it: 1980s Japan. You walk into a low-lit, if-you-know-you-know type of restaurant. The vibes? They’re giving moody, some might even say seductive.

James Beard-nominated sushi chef, Jesse Ito, delivers all of that and more at his new Rittenhouse Square izakaya. To start, dancerobot offers a menu of Japanese-inspired takes on American comfort food for dinner (think: Japanese-style pizzas, Wagyu roast beef and hamburg steaks, and cheesy mentaiko omelettes), with a late-night konbini menu — inspired by the marvels that are Japanese convenience stores — and weekend brunch to come.

In comparison to Ito’s Royal Izakaya — Philly’s hardest reservation to get — the new spot is relatively walk-in-friendly (but we still suggest you snag a Resy in advance).

This Mt. Airy takeout-only taqueria was one of the good things to come out of the pandemic. Now, DOHŌ — a portmanteau of “DO” for dough and “Ho” for its Hortter Street home — has officially graduated from a Latin-Asian fusion ghost kitchen to a full-service sit-down restaurant.

Continuing to blend Latin American and East Asian flavors with European technique, the new iteration trades in fluffy bao-tortilla tacos and tempura shrimp bowls for savory pastas, pork belly buns and a solid lineup of wine, beer and cocktails. The stylish bistro serves up date-night worthy vibes with bold design, fashionable marble tabletops, plush upholstered chairs and a dramatically backlit cocktail bar.

Time to bust out the stretchy pants. At long last, the Philly area — no stranger to top-tier Italian cuisine — gets its own iteration of Eataly, the massively popular Italian marketplace with locations around the world, including New York, Chicago, London and Paris.

Located inside King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall, the 21,000-square-foot foodie playground features an indoor/outdoor restaurant, La Pizza & La Pasta; several quick-service counters selling everything from paninis to Roman-style pizza; a cafe; a bakery; and a gelateria. The market area boasts hundreds of products straight from the motherland, including freshly baked breads, olive oils, pastas, sweets, wines and beers.

Philly is officially making “fetch” happen. Atlanta’s Fetch Park has landed in the City of Brotherly Love, offering pups plenty of leash-free fun — and a bar and cafe for the humans.

The concept — which took over the old Bark Social spot on Main Street in Manayunk — offers craft cocktails, local brews, Southern fare, pub grub (a la pizza and burgers), and other surprises like boozy cereal and a retro diner-themed doggy ice cream parlor. Watching the game on one of the outdoor TVs? Fetch Park’s “woof wardens” are around to keep an eye on your pup.

The 55-seat indoor-outdoor dog bar also expects to add more features over time, like live music events and a few video game stations.

An Ambler go-to for great beer and even better times, Forest & Main Brewing Co. has opened its first Philly location in Fishtown.

Like its suburban sibling, the new taproom pours its own brews — a house lager, pilsner, and Festbier — some English-style ales and a variety of other drafts, plus a selection of local cider, wine and cocktails.

The Fishtown outpost also serves up a menu of creative vegan- and vegetarian-friendly eats by James Beard-nominated chef Dane DeMarco of Gass & Main. (Almost everything can be made meatless!) Pair your brew with a burger; Pizza Bread (a semolina Italian loaf topped with your choice of cheese and toppings); the Walking Cheesesteak (a Philly spin on the Walking Taco); and more.

Embodying the spirit of innovation and creativity powering both University City and Philly’s dynamic dining scene, Gather Food Hall brings five local restaurants and a chic bar under one roof.

Take a culinary world tour, grabbing doughy desserts and fried chicken from Federal Donuts or Peruvian empanadas and pork belly sandwiches from Mucho Perú.

Or hit up family-owned South Philly staple El Mictlan for Mexican fare or quick-service restaurant Bowl’d Masala for Indian-inspired bowls, salads and naan pizzas.

Straight from the FDR Park’s Southeast Asian Market, Sahbyy Food also dishes out Cambodian street food, including its famous lemongrass cheesesteaks, while the Bulletin Bar is on drinks with cocktails, draft beer and wine.

Already foodie central, Fishtown adds another must-try eatery to its repertoire. From chef Yehuda Sichel’s acclaimed Rittenhouse Square sandwich shop comes Huda Burger.

The casual countertop eatery dishes out chicken sandwiches, curly fries, milkshakes and soft serve from 1-900-Ice-Cream, but the main attraction here is clearly the smashburgers.

What makes them so special? Is it the quality of the ingredients? Is it the fact that everything, from the pickles to the sauces, is made in-house? Well, according to sources, the answer is “yes, and …” the buns. Inspired by Japanese shokupan, Sichel’s milkbuns are fluffy, mildly sweet and freshly baked, creating the perfect vehicle for the out-of-this-world sandwich.

Inspired by the jade rabbit’s admirable selflessness — said to have won the humble creature a place among the gods — the Jade Rabbit Speakeasy hides behind a secret door inside Wayne’s Maison Lotus.

The underground cocktail bar pours handmade drinks, like the smoking Jade Rabbit Moon Landing and the gin and jasmine tea-infused Pearl Diver. For food, the kitchen serves up Asian-inspired bites like seaweed-dusted popcorn, Japanese-inspired street corn and flower-shaped pork dumplings. À la carte options are available, but guests can taste their way through five cocktail-and-food pairings with The Jade Rabbit Experience.

Clink, clink! Kevin Kelley’s restaurant empire has made its Philadelphia debut with the opening of Kitchen + Kocktails in Midtown Village.

Taking over the ground floor of the Cambria Hotel, the restaurant offers Southern comfort food classics, Instagrammable decor (think: lush greenery and saturated florals) and a lively atmosphere. On the menu: tasty plates of fried chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits, jerk lamb chops, and a lineup of cocktails for lunch and brunch.

No, not that Santa. (But, trust us, this place is a gift.)

La Santa Bar & Restaurant in Hunting Park offers a fully loaded Latin American-Japanese fusion menu that runs the culinary gamut. Grilled skirt steak layered with sweet plantains, mofongo with plump shrimp, juicy filet mignon and traditional paella are just a few of the items.

So, where does the Japanese side come in? Sushi. The menu features tuna rolls and smoked salmon rolls, right alongside flavor bombs like sweet plantain and salami sushi, or grilled beef and crab sushi.

Stop by for happy hour and grab specials like $2 mini-Modelos, $5 margs and $6 plates of wings. Bonus: The spot is open late.

With a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles arcade game and Beanie Baby decor on wax, chef Chance Anies’ new Filipino-American grillhouse is a playful, ’90s fever dream.

Meaning “elder brother” in the Filipino dialect of Ilocano, Manong pays tribute to Anies’ Filipino-American roots and the decade of his youth with nostalgic decorations and a menu spanning breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert.

Said menu mines Filipino flavors and the best parts of your fave chain restaurants to bring you Bloom Shrooms, Balong Burgers, Dynamite Lumpia, ube ice cream and more. The spot also offers a lineup of local and Filipino beers, Kasama rum-infused cocktails, and more.

The ladies of the wine world take center stage at this new Delco wine bar and shop, specializing in women-led natural wine.

Helmed by founder and Philly native Ragini Parmar and seasoned sommelier Elyse Lovenworth, Nature’s Vin is a wine lover’s dream, offering a lineup of classes and events, a shop filled with bottles and other tasty goods, and an intimate, relaxed place to share a glass (or bottle) with your favorite people.

The bar features a menu of artisanal small plates and an expansive wine list of over 100 different varieties, including Austrian blends, Sicilian orange wines, and South African Pinot Noirs. Each bottle tells a story driven by sustainability with a woman in the driver’s seat.

It’s not every day that a freshly minted Michelin-starred dynasty opens up a new place. Amanda Shulman and Alex Kemp — the couple behind nationally (and now globally) acclaimed Rittenhouse Square restaurants Her Supper Club and My Loup — take the culinary party over to Fitler Square for their next venture: Pine Street Grill.

The duo’s spin on an everyday neighborhood spot serves up American and Philly classics (chicken nuggets and soft pretzels for starters), plus a lineup of sandwiches, burgers, soups, salads, heavier entrees and desserts — like the cookie skillet (a Her Place favorite). A kids’ menu — named for the chefs’ daughter — and a drink list of cocktails, beer and wines inspired by European tavern culture round out the offerings.

This laid-back restaurant and bar bridges contemporary Italian cuisine, sophisticated Spanish influences and live music for a new nightlife experience in the heart of Center City.

The menu and vibes reflect co-owner Lee Sanchez’s Italian and Spanish upbringing, with housemade pasta entrees like cacio e pepe and crispy chicken parmesan, and traditional dishes like paella and gambas al aljillo (sauteéd shrimp in saffron garlic butter).

The spot also features a brunch menu with pizzas, sandwiches, salads and breakfast fare (chicken and waffle Benedict, anyone?). The bar offers beer, wine and cocktails; you can catch DJs and live entertainment most Fridays and Saturdays; and stay tuned: Morning cafe hours are on the way.

Philly’s newest destination for a great steak dinner, Rockwell & Rose, opened its doors this past October.

Located inside the Curtis Center, the modern-casual steakhouse pays homage to the history of the building, which once housed the iconic publication The Saturday Evening Post, known for its Norman Rockwell illustrations and for debuting Rosie the Riveter.

Dressed in a soft palette of pinks and golds, the restaurant — the sibling of P.J. Clarke’s — features a menu of prime cuts, fresh seafood and homemade pastas. For drinks, expect a lineup of classic cocktails representing Rockwell and floral creations symbolizing Rose, as well as beer, cider and wine.

Making his Philadelphia debut, Michelin-starred chef Laurent Tourondel turns the kitchen into his playground once again at Scusi Pizza, his newly opened casual American restaurant in Northern Liberties.

Embodying the beautiful simplicity of a truly great slice, the airy restaurant churns out classic and creative pies, Italian-inspired sandwiches, tasty small plates and house-made soft serve. After savoring fresh slices with toppings like anchovies, olives, onions and tomatoes (the Siciliano) — or mushrooms, prosciutto cotto and comté (the Francese) — diners can wash it all down with refreshing cocktails and Italian wines.

Baker Suerim Lee brings a new labor of love to Graduate Hospital with Seaforest Bakeshop.

Suerim (whose name means “seaforest” in Korean) highlights the flavors of her culture — and a few family recipes — with menu items like gochujang and scallion cheesy rolls, kimchi ricotta hand pies, sweet potato cheesecakes, Bulgogi-style mushroom pocket pies, peanut and sesame cookies, and more.

The ever-changing, all-vegetarian menu is made from scratch, with homemade syrups, hand-pinched pies and house-fermented ingredients (made by Lee’s mom). The shop also reflects the local community, with coffees sourced from Càphê Roasters, decor from Lee’s family and friends, and art by Philly area artists.

Giddyap! This ain’t your granddad’s watering hole. This new Fishtown concept slings Western-themed cocktails while you hunt through racks of vintage clothes and goods.

Half saloon, half thrift shop, the Wild West spot gives a second life to all sorts of salvaged goodies, while patrons knock back frosty brews; flavor-infused shots; and cocktails like the Cowboy Mule (a Moscow Mule with whiskey, tequila or mezcal), the Spicy Saddle (a marg-like pinapple and jalapeño creation), and the Gold Rush (OK, this one’s an established cocktail).

What’s on the menu so far? Hot dogs and hot peanuts. Pure and simple. (But stay tuned for the full food menu this February.)

Ice cream and afrobeats? Why not? Fantasy becomes reality with Sweet 45, an ice cream shop-meets-listening room from Nashirah Felder (better known as DJ Na$h).

By day, you can enjoy scoops of mango water ice, ice cream topped with fried plantains and caramel, and more while listening to picks from the shop’s vinyl collection — curated, of course, by the founder of the popular Interna$hional Bounce party series herself. By night, things get even sexier as parties and DJs transform the scoop shop into Philly’s buzziest new nightlife destination.

A bakery by day and a pastry workshop by night, The Bread Room is James Beard Award-winning restaurateur Ellen Yin’s latest gift to Philly’s dining scene.

Helmed by the executive chef of High Street Restaurant & Bar (long renowned for its bread program, iykyk) and head baker Kyle Wood, the warm and rustic Old City spot recently opened its doors, enticing diners with a menu of artisanal breads, homemade baked goods (like grown-up Pop-Tarts and matcha croissants), and savory sandwiches.

The Bread Room also hosts evening baking classes, private events and — soon — a visiting baker series.

Located close to the river in Pennsport, this new cafe just might be your new favorite date spot.

Trung Nguyên Legend — an international Vietnamese coffee brand known for high-quality products and cultural experiences — has opened a new cafe in Philly, with bold roasts boasting complex aromas and brewed using traditional Vietnamese techniques.

The menu features a wide selection of authentic Vietnamese coffees (iced sesame coffee, Vietnamese egg coffee), internationally inspired brews (yuzu coffee, tiramisu lattes), macrobiotic drinks and teas, and culturally inspired eats like bánh mìs and grilled pork rice noodles.

The cafe itself sports a warm and inviting wooden interior, with tasteful dots of greenery and Trung Nguyên Legend’s own products on display. Upstairs: an open-air rooftop terrace with comfy tables and twinkling lights.

Sushi from Texas? What a delicious surprise. Acclaimed Austin-based restaurateur Tyson Cole brings his renowned upscale sushi restaurant to Philly.

Uchi’s Philadelphia opening is a big deal in terms of prestige (Cole has snatched up dang near every accolade there is, including a coveted James Beard Award) and size. Its sleek Rittenhouse Square dining room seats 127 diners, plus more at the sushi and regular bars.

Featuring an a la carte menu of premium fish with creative accouterments like flounder topped with candied quinoa (hirame usuzukuri) and veggie-forward bites, the restaurant also offers 10-course traditional omakase and vegetarian tasting menus as well as a somakase tasting menu for guests who like a little more say in their meals.

WineDive has risen from the ashes — after its South Street predecessor and namesake was prematurely lost to a 2022 fire — and this cozy, new iteration transforms a Rittenhouse Square nailery into the stuff of retro, wine-fueled dreams.

With low lighting and moody dark wood paneling, the cool and unpretentious dive gives off vibes somewhere between “Old Hollywood” and “Atlantic City.” Open until 2 a.m., it boasts a 20-bottle-long wine list (and $5 house wines all day, every day), doing justice to its name.

The old-school menu features simple classics: grilled cheese sandwiches, loaded baked potatoes, ice-cream bumps, fresh-baked cookies, cocktails (with names like Surfers on Acid), and more.

Philadelphia has long been one of the best restaurant cities in the world — and as of November 2025, we’ve got the international acclaim to prove it.

Three restaurants gained Philly its first-ever stars, plus 10 restaurants have received a Bib Gourmand for great food at a great value, 20 restaurants have earned the Recommended honor (with cuisine spanning elevated French to classic cheesesteaks) and one restaurant has received the rare Green Star for sustainability.

See which eateries made the list in our guide to Philly’s Michelin-honored restaurants.

Philadelphia is home to some of the best restaurants, chefs and bar programs in the country — and many of those establishments have been recognized over the years by the James Beard Foundation.

Iconic spots like Zahav and Vedge are multi-time honorees; High Street Hospitality and some of its critically acclaimed holdings have been recognized; and more recently honored restaurants like My Loup, Cantina La Martina and Royal Sushi & Izakaya show off the amazing flavor and incredible value that Philly’s new class of restaurants are brining to the city.

For more, check out our guide highlighting the restaurants and chefs that have been honored in the foundation’s annual long list of semifinalists, nominees and winners.

Why go home after dinner? Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking — a perfect pairing if you ask us.

Now that you’ve got your dining plans settled, pair a stellar meal with one of the region’s best museums and attractions or a street festival or big event. For more things to do in Philly (and there are always more things to do), click here.