There is truly so much to do in historical Philadelphia, but no visit is complete without some great food. The best places to eat in Philadelphia today include classic steakhouses, Korean taquerias, and fine-dining eateries. No matter the cuisine you’re in the mood for, Philly's got it! It’s more than likely there’s an option that will check your boxes and feed your craving. Once you’re done seeing sights like the Liberty Bell, or the the iconic Rocky statue, you can head to any of these spots to try some delicious food.

This list represents only a handful of the best places to eat in Philadelphia, after all, it’s a huge city. Some of these restaurants just recently made it onto Eater’s updated list of the “hottest new restaurants in Philly.” Others snagged a spot on Philly Magazine’s “50 best restaurants in Philadelphia. Keep on reading to learn more about these great spots.

In this post, we’ll talk about the price points and the menu options offered at each of these restaurants. You’ll learn a bit about their history and what inspires the mission and values of their chefs. Stick with us as we do a deep dive into the landscape of the Philadelphia foodies. By the end of this, you’ll be all set to book your reservation or map out your tour route with these restaurants in mind. Your next trip to Philly will for sure be a success once you know the best places to eat in Philadelphia!

White Yak

6118 Ridge Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19128

White Yak is a gem of Philadelphia, serving Tibetan food with the freshest of local ingredients. Try unique, traditional Tibetan menu items at their space in the Manayunk neighborhood. It's right near the banks of the Schuylkill River! Start with appetizers like La-ping chilled mung bean noodles in garlic vinaigrette ($5.95), and Tibetan satay beef or chicken skewers ($6.95). There's Gyuma Tibetan sausage with fresh herbs and noodle salads. Try the momo dumplings filled with beef, chicken, or vegetables for between $5 USD and $14.95 USD. There's Tsamthuk soup with ground barley, vegetables, cheese, and spinach, classic miso, or lentil bean with fresh herbs ($3-$4.95). Enjoy chow mein with egg noodles, hand-pulled noodles, or stir-fried vermicelli noodles in the house sweet and sour sauce ($11.95-$12.95).

There are plenty of vegetable dishes, all served with a side of steamed rice. Try entrees like Shatrak, sautéed beef, chili chicken, Pingsha with clear sweet potato noodles, and Tibetan curry ($12.95-$15.95). There are crisped pork ribs, phaktsee pork bacon in a stir fry, fried branzino, and classic wok-fried rice ($8.95-19.95). Save room for the house's special desserts. Taste buttery Tsampa cake served with vanilla ice cream, and banana tempura ($5.95-$6.95). Not only is White Yak a unique cultural dining experience, but a truly affordable one at one of the best places to eat in Philadelphia, today!

The Middle Child

248 South 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107

The Middle Child is a neighborhood restaurant offering deli and diner food, with a bustling bar and homey interior. They serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an array of unique cocktails for purchase. While simple, their menu is filled with comfort food and interesting flavor combinations. Start your night off with latkes (gluten-free available) served with unagi, pickled ginger, kewpie mayo and scallions, burrata, oysters, or salmon crudo ($3-$18). Enjoy a small fennel salad with pears, bay leaf, and toasted almonds.

There's grilled maitake mushrooms, fried calamari or zucchini, and a seasonal watermelon feta salad (all between $10-$18 USD). Plates feature crab spaghetti, bone-in pork chop ($27/$28), brick chicken, or bone-in ribeye ($31/$95). There are classic cheeseburgers, buffalo tofu sandwiches, chicory Caesar salad, and french fries ($5-$14 USD). And lastly, enjoy desserts like key lime pie, and caramel apple cake ($10 USD). What a fun place to spend some time and eat some good food while in Philly.

Kalaya

4 West Palmer St., Philadelphia, PA 19125

Kalaya offers traditional Thai food in a casual setting in the Fishtown neighborhood. Their chef, Chutatip “Nok” Suntaranon, was the winner of the regional “Best Chef” in the 2023 James Beard Awards (via CBS). The food is prepared with influences from Southern Thai cuisine and offers all kinds of sweet and savory options. Keep on reading for an in-depth menu breakdown.

Menu Breakdown

Try traditional dumplings with caramelized cod and preserved radishes ($15), ground chicken and Thai chili ($18), or steamed rice cups with shiitake mushrooms and bamboo shoots ($18). Appetizers include grilled oysters with chili jam ($18), gui chai crispy chive rice cakes ($14), and grilled pork chops in a tamarind and coriander glaze ($25).

Take your pick of salads with savory ingredients like dried shrimp cashews, cherry tomatoes, and tamarind ($18), rice salad with Thai pork sausage, ginger, peanuts, and chilis ($21), ground duck with herbs and fish sauce over sticky rice ($22), or marinated shrimp with scallops, cabbage, and radishes ($25). Taste some traditional curries, a wok-cooked red curry with long beans and hot peppers over jasmine rice ($26), yellow curry with chicken, coconut, and turmeric rice ($28), goat and lamb curry with pickled cucumbers ($35), and lump crab or beef massaman curry ($30/$32). There are also stir-fries!

And finally, the main entrees feature freshwater river prawns with all kinds of delicious spices ($65), charcoal grilled chicken in a coconut cream glaze and dark soy fish sauce ($34), and grilled skirt steak with crudité ($39). Enjoy steamed branzino in a chicken stock, and fish sauce broth ($44), baked shrimp over glass noodles ($36), caramelized pork belly ($28), and a special main featuring spicy tom yum soup with jumbo prawns, shallots, evaporated milk, chili jam, barramundi, mushrooms, and herbs ($95).

Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies

600 Wendover St, Philadelphia, PA 19128

This wouldn't be a post about Philly if we didn't include at least one classic steakhouse. Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies is a critic's choice for the ultimate Philly cheese steak, although locals have their own preferences, of course. For a great option, check out Dalessandro’s array of fresh-cut ribeye steaks, fresh-cut chicken steaks, with cheese toppings, pepper, buffalo, and pizza sauce, and many veggie additions. There are all kinds of hoagies including Italian, and capicola, as well as savory Angus beef burgers (all between $6-$14 USD). Enjoy classic salads, all kinds of sandwich and burger toppings, and classic desserts like cheesecake, carrot cake, and puddings for really great prices. This is one of the best places to eat in Philadelphia, especially if you want a good cheese steak!

Korea Taqueria

3101 Tasker St., Philadelphia, PA 19145

For another unique combo, check out the newly opened Korea Taqueria which used to be a food cart! Located in Grays Ferry, this fusion restaurant offers birria and bulgogi cheesesteaks, signature sandwiches, and unique taco options. Crowd favorites include beef bulgogi in soft corn tacos with salsa verde, classic burritos, bulgogi beef cheese steak, and the sweet garlic soy fried chicken sandwich. There's spicy Korean fried chicken in gochujang sauce, a vegan house quesadilla, kimchi cheese fries, and grilled shrimp tacos. Check out their full menu online for catering options. Overall the whole menu is very affordable and offers great fusion food for interested foodies.

Post Haste

2519 Frankford Ave, Philadelphia, PA 19125

And finally, for a sustainable fine-dining experience, try out the recently opened Post Haste restaurant. With an emphasis on farm-to-table, Post Haste doesn't import any of its alcohol and uses seasonal ingredients for its local menu options. Their aim is to reduce the carbon footprint of all the ingredients sourced to run a restaurant, and they're doing it with elegance and flair.

Start with yuzu ceviche ($14), seasonal salads, and grilled oysters ($17). There's a sharable grilled pork chop dish with apple dijon mustard ($16), raw oysters on the half shell ($32), and maitake mushrooms ($14). Larger plates feature a cheese board, corn ribs ($12), roasted beets ($14), chicken liver mousse ($14), Sardinian culurgione pasta dumplings ($22), and beignets with roasted pork ($17).

For mains, try the New Jersey black sea bass ($27), duck breast with za'atar ($26), goat cheese gnocchi ($23), summer squash with fried radish tops ($22), and the classic “post-ham sandwich” with coleslaw, pickled cabbage, whitney cheese and boardwalk frites ($16). As their menu is entirely seasonal and locally sourced, this is subject to change depending on what is available in terms of produce.

The image featured at the top of this post is ©Zack Frank/Shutterstock.com.