The Guides
LaBan's Top 10
Surveying a deeply changed food scene, The Inquirer's food critic found thrilling new spots and innovative updates.
View GuideNEW + NOTABLE
A ton of new restaurants opened this year. These ones deserve a spot on your must-try list.
View GuideTASTING TREND
During the pandemic, more restaurants turned to tasting menus to maximize creativity and consistency. Here are the ones doing it best.
View GuideTHE BAR BEAT
We asked beverage pros for their favorite spots to drink. Their answers ranged from Dirty (Frank’s) to fancy.
View GuideTHE WINE LIST
Local wine lovers have never been more spoiled for choice. Here are 10 great spots to sip or to shop.
View GuidePHILLY FAVES
From cheesesteaks and hoagies to doughnuts and ice cream, these are our go-to Philly hotspots.
View GuideDINING SCENE
The theme of 2021 is timing: Grand openings delayed, reservation hours shrinking. Many also require proof of vaccination.
View Guide
There was a moment over the summer when I realized I was eating most of my meals at restaurants. Over the course of a week, I had a breathtaking BLT at Middle Child, met colleagues for drinks and lemon pepper wings at an Everybody Eats pop-up on the roof of the Bok Bar, and while catching up with friends in South Philly, managed to walk into Kalaya and snag a table for four. We shared the branzino and drank Thai iced tea, and it was fabulous.
After more than a year of working from home, eating outdoors and from takeout containers, I was finally enjoying the company of my friends and colleagues, stretching for selfies, clinking our glasses, and being greeted with hugs. I was overcome by the comfort, conviviality, and intimacy of dining out at restaurants, overwhelmed by how much of this essential part of Philly life and culture I’d missed.
I was also overwhelmed by the incredible amount of great food there was to try, and the ever-changing dining landscape.
Restaurant reporter Michael Klein has chronicled the hundreds of restaurants that have opened, reopened, or rebranded around the city since the pandemic-related hiatuses. Our food critic, Craig LaBan, through his reviews and Instagram stories of notable spots, created a living diary of what and where to eat right now. That energy, abundance, and creativity are what make Philadelphia’s dining scene so exciting.
Our team is thrilled to bring you the 2021 Let’s Eat, Philly! Dining Guide, which showcases the best places to eat and drink in and around Philadelphia. The highlights include a deep dive into Craig LaBan’s Top 10 Restaurants, which represents the best places to eat right now, and the new restaurants you won’t want to miss. Our deputy food editor, Joseph Hernandez, takes you to our favorite spots to drink wine, and reporter Jenn Ladd introduces you to the bars that restaurant workers like to visit for cocktails.
And we want to hear from you, too. Tell us about your top 10 Philadelphia restaurants and bars. Drop us a line or sign up for our newsletter below. And if you see us out at a restaurant, wear a mask and say hello.
Let’s eat, Philly!
Staff Contributors
- Publisher and CEO: Elizabeth H. Hughes
- Editor and Senior Vice President: Gabriel Escobar
- Managing Editor: Patrick Kerkstra
- Managing Editor, Visuals: Danese Kenon
- Editors: Jamila Robinson, Joseph Hernandez, Evan S. Benn
- Writers: Craig LaBan, Jenn Ladd, Michael Klein
- Photography & Video: Charles Fox, Heather Khalifa, Monica Herndon, Yong Kim, Jose F. Moreno, Elizabeth Robertson, Tom Gralish, Astrid Rodrigues, Kristen Balderas
- Photo Editors: Frank Wiese, Rachel Molenda, David Maialetti
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