37 new bars to take out-of-towners visiting the Philly area for the holidays

Like swallows to Capistrano, friends and relatives return for the holidays. Part of the “job” as a Philadelphia-area resident is showing them a good time — e.g., new bars and restaurants that have opened since they were here last.

Since you’re the designated local, here’s a guide to notable newcomers in Philadelphia and its Pennsylvania and South Jersey suburbs, as well as holiday bars decked out for the season.

The December crop of newcomers includes Dear Daphni (the Mediterranean spot near Rittenhouse Square from Michael Schulson); Mona (a Mediterranean at 13th and Chestnut Streets from Teddy Sourias); and A Man Full of Trouble Tavern on Spruce Street near Second in Society Hill, a re-creation of Philadelphia’s first taproom.

Almanac (310 Market St.): Colleague Jenn Ladd ventured upstairs from Ogawa Sushi to find this low-lit Japanese cocktail lounge that draws on local, seasonal sourcing to serve intensely thoughtful drinks and bar food that’s composed but fun (kombu celery sticks, a crispy chicken sandwich, a Wagyu hot dog, etc.). Reservations are recommended.

Bar Palmina (1306 N. Front St.): Nikki Graziano’s homey nonalcoholic bar relocated last summer to a Fishtown storefront, where she riffs on classics with house-made ingredients.

Bastia and Caletta (1401 E. Susquehanna Ave.): Chef Tyler Akin and company delivered two spots in the the new Hotel Anna & Bel: the Mediterranean restaurant (Bastia), which has its own 14-seat bar, and the adjacent cocktail lounge (Caletta), which has eight bar stools, cozy seating for eight more people, and piano bar; in season, the bar opens to a pool.

Beat the Bomb (1218 Chestnut St.): Can’t flee this new Center City escape room in time? You’ll get slimed, painted, or foamed — as four Inquirer staffers did recently. There’s a full bar, too.

The Boozy Mutt (2639 Poplar St.): Philly’s only indoor-outdoor bar for humans and their dogs has given the former North Star Bar a new leash on life.

BOTLD (117 S. 13th St.): Out-of-the-ordinary spirits are all they pour at this bottle shop-bar hybrid in Washington Square West. All 150 labels on the shelves — none of which appear on the PLCB’s list — can be made into a cocktail.

Capri (757 S. Front St.): The handsome antique bar is humming again alongside a bright dining room in Queen Village, as the former Fiore sports an Italian-leaning coastal Mediterranean menu with specialty cocktails.

Cellar Dog Philly (258 S. 15th St.): Bachelorette bar Howl at the Moon has given way to a slick combo game (billiards, video games) and live jazz venue from a group out of New York City’s West Village.

Fia (261 S. 13th St.): Felicia Wilson and chef Darryl Harmon of Amina and BlackHen in Old City have taken over Libertine at 13th and Spruce Streets with an Afro-Latin fusion menu, with plating that shows a flair for the dramatic.

Jaffa Bar (1625 N. Howard St.): Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook have taken on partners for this moodily lit, two-story seafood spot in a former Kensington firehouse, which boasts a raw bar and two bar bars.

Little Water (261 S. 20th St.): There’s a raw bar and a drinking bar at this candlelit contemporary Rittenhouse newcomer from Randy and Amanda Rucker (River Twice), who specialize in seafood; some drinks have a nautical bent, too, such as the Ocean Water, mixing Scotch, coconut water, Drambuie, spirulina, and sea salt.

Little Walter’s (2149 E. Hagert St.): Smoky kielbasa and Polska-Philly cocktails come together at chef Michael Brenfleck’s spirited, modern Polish bar in Kensington. Pickle juice martinis, anyone?

Lost Time Brewing Co. (2147 N. Front St.): The Kensington brewery has opened a tasting room in the corner space that served as Mighty Mick’s Gym in the Rocky movies. Its menu includes six beers, seltzers, ginger beer, a draft margarita, and food from Rowhome Coffee.

Mamajuana Cafe (1000 Frankford Ave.): High-ceiling/high-buzz Latin nightclubby restaurant with a two-sided bar and routine traffic jams outside. Food ranges from snacks to full-on paella.

Pearl’s on the Corner (1444 Frankford Ave.): New, low-lit cocktail bar in the middle of Fishtown’s restaurant scene; the food menu has been pared back since the recent departure of opening chef Elise Black. A new menu is due Dec. 5.

Puttshack (1625 Chestnut St.): High-tech mini golf at Liberty Place, with full restaurant and bar menus.

Queen & Rook Game Cafe (123 South St.): The game room moved last summer into a two-level space on South Street with thousands of games (board and electronic), a full bar, and a restaurant.

Samuel Gritz Public House (Second and Bainbridge Streets): This grotto-like corner bar in Queen Village has been spruced up by the owners of the Institute; there’s a bar list and a menu that includes many gluten-free selections.

Society Hill Hotel (301 Chestnut St.): Old-fashioned elegance is the setting of this roomy ground-floor corner bar, noted for its pizza menu.

Topside Tavern (10 S. 20th St.): All-purpose, all-American sports bar just off 20th and Market Streets with late-night service and an international menu informed by the owners’ other, nearby restaurant, Thanal Indian Tavern.

Two Locals Brewing Co. (3675 Market St.): The Koilor brothers are behind Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery in University City, which brings in Liberty Kitchen for the food side, along with dishes inspired by the Koilors’ Liberian mother, Jurdina Koilor.

Yanaga Kappo Izakaya (637 N. Third St.): Kevin Yanaga’s Northern Liberties izakaya does Japanese bar food and drinks in a cozy, dark-wood corner bar setting; there’s a reservation-only omakase room tucked behind a bookcase behind the bar.

Cantina Feliz (111 Butler Ave., Ambler): Fort Washington’s modern, upmarket cantina has moved into roomier quarters in downtown Ambler without losing a step.

Carina Sorella (866 Lancaster Ave., Bryn Mawr): Dan Clark, who owns Pub & Kitchen and Trattoria Carina in Center City as well as the Diving Horse in Avalon, N.J., has created a larger offshoot of Carina (“Darling Sister”) on the Main Line, melding a former print shop and flower shop into a bright trattoria with new skylights and views of Lancaster Avenue. Negronis are the bar’s go-to.

Departure (2 S. Orange St., Media): Sleek, modern corner bar in a former bank near the Delaware County Courthouse in Media has a small-plates menu, low lighting, plush chairs, velvet banquettes, and a 45-foot bar that seats 22.

The Fort Kitchen & Bar (325 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington): New American food is on the menu at this bright, energetic newcomer in Fort Washington from the team behind Jasper’s Backyard in Conshohocken.

Hiramasa (3554 West Chester Pike, Newtown Square): Grilled teriyaki dishes and sushi from the sushi bar are the food specialties at this strip-mall Japanese newcomer. The main bar has an enviable selection of sake and shochu, as well as cocktails.

Izzy’s (35 E. Lancaster Ave, Ardmore): Peter Martin, who owns the Ripplewood in Ardmore and Ardmore Music Hall, has modeled his new 24-seater on the SG Club in Tokyo, with distressed tiles and a coffered ceiling. Izzy’s focuses on sake and offers a menu of handrolls and bao.

Mary (47 E. Butler Ave., Ambler): Chef Chad Rosenthal’s moody tavern on the main drag of Ambler has a full bar and a small menu of American classics.

9 Prime (9 N. High St., West Chester): This snazzy steak house with an elegant wraparound bar in a 19th-century bank building is arguably West Chester’s most upscale experience.

Noble Goat (200 River Station Blvd., Downingtown): Small plates, pizzas, and larger dishes are on chef Bryan Sikora’s menu at his new Downingtown bar-restaurant; during the wait for the liquor license, bring your own spirit and the bar will mix you a cocktail for $10.

P.J. Whelihan’s (2000 Clements Bridge Rd., Deptford): The popular regional sports bar took over Joe’s Crab Shack in Deptford Landing with its 25th location.

Rooster’s (294 N. Keswick Ave., Glenside): A new corner bar in Keswick Village with plenty of TVs, a 40-seat bar, and a something-for-everyone menu.

Ross & Co. Kitchen (58 S. York Rd., Hatboro): Gypsy Blu’s Bob Ross and family are behind a family friendly bar-restaurant in downtown Hatboro with a sprawling, balconied layout and multiple-TV complement of the former occupant, Bernie’s Pub.

Ryfe (Moorestown Mall, 400 Route 38, Moorestown): This bustling newcomer in Moorestown Mall is an offshoot of a popular pub in Atlantic City with a full bar and endless TVs.

The Stotesbury (812 E. Willow Grove Ave., Wyndmoor): This Chestnut Hill-area corner bar (on the former site of Fatty’s in Springfield Township) has been spiffed up by new operator Brian Harrington, an owner of the City Tap House chain, who happens to live nearby.

Tommy’s Tavern + Tap (Marketplace at Garden State Park, 2050 Route 70, Cherry Hill): Its affiliation with the New York Giants notwithstanding, this link in a Jersey-based sports bar chain specializes in good times and pizza.

Then there are the various bars decked out for the holidays.

The new Black Girl Magic Holiday Pop-Up at Annex at Divine Lorraine (699 N. Broad St.) is billed as a Black-owned, woman-owned Christmas bar and experience from Wine Garden founders Nazaret Teclesambet and Favian Sutton, who are teaming up with Underground Concepts owners Natalie Maronski and Robert Del Femine. There’s also the new Walnut Wonderland on the site of Walnut Garden at 1708 Walnut St.