I’m flying in to Philadelphia next week (Tue-Thu) and have only a little time (Basically Wednesday evening, maybe a little bit Wed morning) to check things out. I’m downtown, on Juniper St. - any recommendations for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even touristy things I can do in that immediate area?
I’m betting you’re an easy, quick walk from the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross House, etc… All in a pretty tight cluster roughly 6-10 blocks from where you’re staying is my guess.
The area around the Liberty Bell has great 18th-early 19th century architecture so it is fun just to walk around.
The Museum district is a quick cab ride away and there is a ton to see. The new Barnes is fantastic, as is the Phil Museum of Art and the Franklin Institute. Little Italy still has some authentic flavor (there are still some actual Italian residents in the area, so some great butcher and cheese shops). Great walking there.
Staying downtown I frequently have breakfast at Parc, overlooking Rittenhouse Square, I ALWAYS make time to have deli at the 4th Street Deli (one of the few remaining Jewish delis worth a side trip), and always plan on hitting John’s Roast Pork for a steak and cheese (near the port, and nothing else you’ll visit, so a cab/uber/drive). For a nice dining experience, we really enjoyed our meal at Fork, which is 2 blocks or so away from the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall
For dinner, too late for reservations I’d guess, so go early and sit at the bar at Vernick. The food is excellent and the wine list is about as good as you get in PA. I’m avoiding recommending BYOs since you’re in from out of town and might not be carrying wine. But the best BYO in town is Cadence, which is an Uber ride away in Fishtown. It’s also too late for reservations at Zahav, but you can again go early and grab a seat at the bar.
Was really hoping to find out about a cool art museum that I didn’t know about so I could take a drive down and combine a Zahav visit with this museum. Let’s just say it wasn’t what I was expecting.
Todd, Lots of good reccs so far, here is a link to Philly Mags top 50 with links to their websites. Fishtown/Kensington and East Passyunk are Uber rides away. The 50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia.