Restaurants Overview

Back in the "dining dark ages" when Philadelphia was known best for its "snapper" (turtle) soup and overstuffed Italian sandwiches (hoagies) and not much else, this was a difficult city to get excited about. Thankfully, those days are over. In fact, now the only thing that is difficult is choosing where. Whether you're in the mood to treat yourself to something fancy, sample innovative cuisine in one of several creative new spots, or just grab a quick bite, Philadelphia has an abundance of intriguing choices. A startling restaurant renaissance that put the city on the national culinary map began nearly 30 years ago and has been escalating ever since -- both in the number and variety of places to eat. As each year passes, the tally of restaurants and the range of their cuisines have continued to mushroom -- now Philadelphia's dining scene is truly international in scope.

Ethnic restaurants of nearly every persuasion, from Vietnamese and Malaysian to Jamaican and Cuban, have also enhanced the dining scene. Italian food, a stalwart in any city, has its own connotations here, ranging from South Philadelphia home style to restaurants that rate among the city's most elegant. And, despite people's mounting awareness of their cholesterol levels, steak houses have multiplied, both chain-affiliated and individually controlled. In keeping with a nationwide trend, hotel dining has improved significantly.

A good source for reasonably up-to-the-minute dining information is Philadelphia, a monthly magazine with restaurant listings. Two free weekly local papers, the City Paper and Philadelphia Weekly, also have restaurant reviews and numerous listings. These "freebies" are available in metal sidewalk dispensers on nearly every Center City street corner.