The best preshow restaurants near Philadelphia’s Kimmel, Walnut Street theaters and more

As flowers bloom, Philly’s arts scene likewise blossoms with various shows to experience, from Grammy-award-winning singers making a stop to local ensembles performing at neighborhood theaters. But a night out on the town isn’t complete without dinner and drinks.

To help you make the most of a night at the theater (or concert), we have your guide to pre- and postshow dining. Avid theatergoers should note that through May 31, attendees of Kimmel Cultural Campus, the Philadelphia Orchestra, Opera Philadelphia, and other venues can get the “Dinner and a Show” discount, which offers reduced price admission to performances in select venues across Center City. Find more information online.

The options below feature 🍝 and 🍸 symbols to note that they are open for dinner or after the show, while the list is organized by proximity to various venues.

Nestled in the Gayborhood, this Italian American favorite is just a short walk from the Forrest Theatre, Kimmel Center, and other theaters. Dine inside the 40-seater low-lit space or in the intimate outdoor garden with string lights aglow. Pair your negroni with bucatini cacio e pepe, pan-seared gnocchi, or rigatoni alla vodka and a glass of Sibona grappa with tiramisu or hazelnut cannoli before or after your show. Make your reservation on Resy.

📍 1234 Locust St., 📞 215-546-2100, 🌐 littlenonnas.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.

Just a short walk from the Kimmel Cultural Campus, visit this rustic BYOB trattoria on Pine Street for linguine and clams, bucatini, gnocchi, and other Italian favorites in time for the show. For gluten-free diners, there’s a special menu just for you. Expect to pay up to $27.

📍 1328 Pine St., 📞 215-545-6265, 🌐 giorgioonpine.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sunday 1 to 9 p.m.

After you watch improv and sketch comedy at Plays & Players Theatre, this restaurant on Sansom Street is a good spot for a nightcap, including signature and classic cocktails, and drafts. Sip on a watermelon gin spritz, a vanilla espresso martini, a peach bitters rum and rye drink, or a Yards Brewing pale ale.

📍 1525 Sansom St., 📞 215-330-2800, 🌐 harpcrown.com, 🕒 Monday and Tuesday 4 to 11 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday 4 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m.

For $40, get a three course prix fixe pretheater dinner. Choose from spanakopita, calamari, and other appetizers to start. Then order moussaka, lamb trahana, or fish of the day. Finish off with dessert — there’s traditional honey walnut cake, lemon sorbet, or salted caramel baklava ($2 extra). Claim your seat before the show on OpenTable.

📍 1405-07 Locust St., 📞 215-735-7700, 🌐 estiarestaurant.com, 🕒 Sunday to Thursday 3 to 8:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3 to 9:30 p.m.

Grab dinner at Jose Garces’ restaurant just steps away from the theater at the Kimmel Center. The pretheater menu at Volvér includes your choice of three courses. Choose from turnip salad, soup, or confit salmon cake to start; ham risotto, steamed bass, or spiced roasted chicken for the main; and port custard or churros for dessert. Dishes range from $8 to $32. If you purchase a ticket with the Kimmel Center, tap into the $56 per person promo for the three-course dinner.

📍 300 S. Broad St., 📞 215-670-2302, 🌐 volverrestaurant.com, 🕒 Wednesday to Sunday 4 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Grab a drink or two at one of The Inquirer’s Readers Choice picks. On the corner of 13th and Pine Streets, Dirty Franks is a quintessential Philly bar that’s cash-only and covered in eclectic knickknacks and local art. The legendary bar has been open since 1933, serving bourbon, vodka, and dark rum cocktails, plus beers on tap and in cans.

📍 347 S. 13th St., 📞 215-732-5010, 🌐 facebook.com/dirtyfranksbar, 🕒 Monday and Tuesday 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., Wednesday to Sunday 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.

If you’re looking for seafood dishes before the show, head to Oyster House. The over-40-year-old restaurant offers oysters Rockefeller, chargrilled whole Maine lobster, chilled ceviche, sauteed mussels, grilled octopus, and other seafood delights in a stylish eatery. Reservations online.

📍 1516 Sansom St., 📞 215-567-7683, 🌐 oysterhousephilly.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.

About two blocks from the Met Philadelphia, dine on lasagna with beef ragu alla bolognese or roasted butternut squash filled with tortelli before the latest show. Or sip on a gin, lemon, and calabrese pepper-infused honey cocktail as you enjoy the flourless chocolate cake with coconut-Nutella gelato under the chandeliers after a night with your favorite performers.

📍 699 N. Broad St., 📞 267-886-9334, 🌐 cicalarestaurant.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 to 9 p.m.

Just a nine-minute walk down Broad Street and Fairmount Avenue, close the night out with $15 boozy milkshakes. Irish cream, Kahlua, chocolate, and French vanilla ice cream come together for the Mudslide, topped with chocolate syrup and whipped cream. There’s also the bananas foster with Goslings dark rum, banana ice cream, caramel, and a swirl of whipped cream. The Malibu Sorbetbreeze blends mango apricot sorbet and Malibu Rum for something fruity.

📍 1642 Fairmount Ave., 📞 215-765-2679, 🌐 thirstydice.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 3 to 10 p.m., Friday 3 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 10 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.

If you’re a whiskey drinker, this North Philly bar has a maple old fashioned for $12 or Earl Grey old fashioned for $14. There’s also the Philly Mule, vodka with fresh ginger, lime, and ginger beer. Or the Jinx You Owe Me a Bitcoin, a gin and cucumber sipper. Both are $12. You can get canned cocktails for $8.

📍 1600 W. Girard Ave., Suite C5, 📞 267-324-3487, 🌐 liberteegrounds.com, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 11 p.m., Friday 4 p.m. to midnight, Saturday 2 p.m. to midnight, Sunday noon to 9 p.m.

Before you travel to late 1990s Pittsburgh to see the story of the city’s first Black mayor unfold at the Arden Theatre from March 23 to April 16, dine at the lively neighborhood bistro brasserie. The Royal Boucherie offers French cuisine just a block away for a preshow dinner. Order Philly restaurant’s latest “it” dish, chicken liver mousse. Or escargot, steak frites, branzino, and more. Indulge in creme brulee topped with summer berries.

📍 52 S. Second St., 📞 267-606-6313, 🌐 royalboucherie.com, 🕒 Sunday 4 to 9 p.m., Monday to Thursday 4 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 to 11 p.m.

Stop by Tuna Bar before comedy and improv shows at FringeArts. Try cold appetizers like tuna tartare, crab salad, or house sushi rolls like shrimp tempura and yellowtail chives. Check out a yuzu sour with Jim Beam rye or a lychee martini after. Book reservations on OpenTable.

📍 205 Race St., 📞 215-238-TUNA (8862), 🌐 tunabar.com, 🕒 Sunday 1:30 to 10 p.m., Tuesday to Thursday 1:30 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 1:30 to 11 p.m.

After your show, chat it up at the loungey, neon-lit cocktail bar on Second Street as you and your friends sip on fruity, buzzy cocktails. Try the Bleu Martini, a blueberry schnapps and floral vodka drink, or Bite The Bulleit, a vanilla, cherry, orange Bulleit cocktail. Or maybe your show crew is in the mood for a margarita nightcap — order the Henny-rita, Jolly-rita, Spicy-rita, or Berry-rita for $6.

📍 24 S. Second St., 📞 215-940-7900, 🌐 bleumartiniphilly.com, 🕒 Monday to Sunday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Just a two-minute walk from the Arden, a BYOB sushi and ramen bar is ready to offer you a bite before the Red Riding Hood show. Start with pork buns, yellowtail tartare, or baby octopus. Then, order a spread of sushi rolls with spicy vegan tuna, crispy salmon, shrimp tempura, and piping hot bowls of ramen. There are also sashimi boards from $33 to $45. Dessert includes mochi (vegan is also available) and ice cream. Make a reservation online.

📍 228 Arch St., 📞 267-519-0209, 🌐 tomosushiandramen.com, 🕒 Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday 3 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 3 to 10 p.m.

This Old City staple in the Penn’s View Hotel is known for its wine options. While you could try a variety of sparkling, white, red, rosé, and orange wine, why not finish your night out with a wine-tasting flight? Order the Shooting Blancs flight for a mix of whites from Italy, France, and Portugal or the Big & Bold with reds from California, Spain, Italy, and France. Flights include five tastes of wine and range from $34 to $46.

📍 14 N. Front St., 📞 215-922-7800, 🌐 pennsviewhotel.com/pano, 🕒 Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday 3 to 10 p.m. , Sunday 3 to 9 p.m.

In the heart of University City, dig into tom yum and pad Thai noodles. Or opt for a variety of curries. Maybe you’re in the mood for something fried like tofu, or you’re looking for a hearty entree like the spicy basil duck. Enjoy these Thai classics and more at this clean, bright restaurant before you head to the Rotunda.

📍 4040 Locust St., 📞 215-387-8533, 🌐 pattayarestaurant.com, 🕒 Sunday to Thursday 5 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m.

Witness the New York-based Paul Taylor Dance Company perform from April 21 to 22 on the Zellerbach Theatre stage, then dance to Pod for a drink or two. From a menu of house-specialty high balls to a Fuji apple sangria, there are plenty of cocktails $13 and under for you and your ensemble. And if you’re into sake, selections are available by glass, carafe, and bottle.

📍 3636 Sansom St., 📞 215-387-1803, 🌐 podrestaurant.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m., Sunday 5 to 10 p.m.

Each room at the cafe on Sansom Street offers a unique dining ambiance. But no matter where you sit, every dish, from the glazed pork bao to the double cheddar burger, emulates the restaurant’s farm to table concept. Before you head to a Penn Live Arts show, be sure to include truffle parmesan fries in your order.

📍 3420 Sansom St., 📞 215-386-9224, 🌐 whitedog.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 4:30 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 4 to 8 p.m.

Imagine indulging in spoonfuls of gooey chocolate sauce, cold vanilla ice cream, and tart berries from a molten chocolate cake as you wash it down with a vibrant pinot noir. If that sounds like your kind of nightcap, then Louie Louie is calling your name.

📍 3611 Walnut St., 📞 267-805-8585, 🌐 louielouie.restaurant, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 4 to 9 p.m., Friday and Saturday 4 to 9:30 p.m., Sunday 4 to 8 p.m.

Explore northern and southern Italian classics before you attend a show at EgoPo Classic Theater at this white tablecloth Pennsport restaurant. Order candy-shaped homemade pasta stuffed with mortadella, ricotta, pistachio, and butternut squash for dinner and finish with a scoop of gelato.

📍 1245 S. Third St., 📞 267-314-5315, 🌐 ristorantearomaphilly.com, 🕒 Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday 5 to 10 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 p.m.

Feast on homey Indian favorites at the local chain’s South Philly location near Theatre Exile. Share veggie samosas and aloo papri chaat while you sip on a tall glass of refreshing mango lassi. Then, order steaming plates of biryani or pipping hot malai kofta. And end with spoonfuls of rice pudding or sweet, syrupy gulab jamun for dessert.

📍 1100 Federal St., 📞 215-468-0104, 🌐 tiffin.com, 🕒 Monday to Friday 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon to 10 p.m.

Close to Theatre Exile, platters of barramundi on a bed of couscous, scallops, chicken Milanese, and pork chops are brought out to the light wood tables filled with hungry guests at dinner. Add pappardelle, ravioli, burrata with a fig glaze, or octopus carpaccio for your pretheater feast. Dishes range $14 to $34.

📍 1247 S. 13th St., 📞 215-465-2200, 🌐 burrataphilly.com, 🕒 Monday to Thursday 5 to 9:30 p.m., Friday and Saturday 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday 4 to 9 p.m.

While Sor Ynez is an eight-minute drive away from Freedom Theatre , it’s a good spot to grab a preshow dinner. The restaurant uses traditional Mexican ingredients and methods for vibrant plates of enchiladas, saucy birria, crispy fish tacos, fresh shrimp ceviche, and more. Order a spread of dishes and craft cocktails (try the butterfly pea flower-infused Condesa gin sipper) for the table in an interior with contemporary Mexican design.

📍 1800 N. American St., 📞 215-309-2582, 🌐 sorynez.com, 🕒 Thursday and Friday 5 to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and 5 to 10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Step into this modern, open-concept bar on North Fifth Street for your nightcap. Find a malt-balanced, floral Czech-style pale lager, a Dunkelweizen (wheat beer) that’s got a Fig Newtons, bubblegum, clove taste with a hint of molasses, and other beers for $7.

📍 1710 N. Fifth St., 📞 215-978-4000, 🌐 humanrobotbeer.com, 🕒 Monday to Wednesday 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., Thursday to Saturday 11 a.m. to midnight, Sunday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m