Top Restaurants in Philadelphia

The Bayou

The Bayou seems to be more of a gutted townhouse than a tavern. The first floor ceiling, covered by pinned-up dollar bills, hovers over the 40-foot bar as barkeeps distribute their potables. Upstairs, a smaller bar room also purveys drinks at reasonable prices. Beer, wine and spirits are served with appetizers, sandwiches and munchies. Yuengling bottles (a popular local beer) are a good bargain. In season, they have a special on Maryland crabs by the dozen.

Bishops Collar

This Art Museum-area bar provides a warm, cozy atmosphere and an inexpensive, creative pub fare menu with original dishes like Turkey London broil sandwiches. You also can't beat the ever-changing selection of microbrews, 20-oz. pints of Guinness & Bass and a great juke box. Relax outside with a drink and your favorite cigar or sip a beer or wines by the glass inside as you enjoy music and a good time. Live music most weekends.

The Bards

The Irish bartenders in town always talked about football and beer. These days they talk more about bandwidth and modem configuration, but they still know their beer. Caffrey's, Murphy's, Harp's and some of the local micro brews are on tap. There's usually six Irish whiskeys waiting. If you'd like something with your beer, there's a great Atlantic Seafood Chowder. The Bards also offers Irish stew, burgers and four kinds of boxty, an Irish dish of mashed potatoes flavored with shrimp, leeks, chicken, etc.

Ludwig's Garten

If you are looking for mouth-watering German-Bavarian Cuisine such as spatzle, wursts, schnitzels and strudels, you should stop by Ludwig's. This German restaurant, just off of Broad Street in Center City, has a cozy and genuine atmosphere. Owned by an Austrian native and featuring a German chef from Heidleberg, you can't find more authentic German food in this area. Another treat is the beer garten, featuring a wide variety of German beers.

O'Hara's Fishhouse

O'Hara's Fishhouse restaurant has been a favorite landmark in West Philadelphia's University City District for over 20 years. O'Hara's Fishhouse offers a full line of fresh seafood and the popular BBQ baby back ribs, fresh chicken wings and charbroiled steak. Home of the All-You-Can-Eat special ever Sunday (ribs and wings), Monday (crab legs) and Tuesday (shrimp). The Happy Hour is 5-7pm Mon-Fri, featuring complimentary hors d'ouevres. Live entertainment from local jazz musicians Thurs-Sat (Friday music starts at 6pm). Wed, Karaoke. Sunday, DJ.

Moriarty's

Located up the street from the Forrest Theater and numerous hotels and residential buildings, locals and theater patrons favor this pub for a draft after work or a show. The Irish bartenders (and they really are from Ireland) pour drafts of Harp and Guinness under a collection of Playbills from the local theaters. Friday happy hours are very popular.

Pizzeria Uno Chicago Grill

This Chicago-based chain managed to break into the saturated Philadelphia pizza market with their brand of deep-dish pie. Part of the allure of their pizza is the use of chunky tomatoes in the sauce instead of the thinner Philadelphia version. Not in the mood for pizza? Try a delicious sandwich or fantastic pasta dish. Satisfy your sweet tooth with a slice of hot apple pie or piece of NY cheesecake.

Pod

If they built a sushi bar on the space station from 2001: A Space Odyssey and Austin Powers stopped by with Derek Flint and James Bond, this is what it would look like. The motif is all white and translucent plastic, with colored lights and flat screen monitors all over. When you sit on the cushions in the lounge area, they light up. There are 16 possible light settings in the private cubicles (parties of six only). The wait staff is dressed in plain gray t-shirts. Techno and lounge music play softly. Even the bathroom cubicles are futuristic, in the sense that they use airline fixtures in a cramped space. The sushi bar has a conveyor belt running around the edge, with little clear plastic cups of sushi traveling around. Or you can get it the traditional way, at a table, served by a waiter. An assortment of sashimi for four, but probably won't be enough, which is good because then you can order more things from the lengthy menu.

Brasil's

The sultry sounds of South American music, tanks of tropical fish, and authentic Brazilian cuisine make Brasil's Restaurant a cozy dinner destination. Downstairs: Cool and quiet, an effect of soft lighting and tanks of tropical fish. Before dancing, enjoy a distinctive blend of spices at the traditional rodizio, a Brazilian dinner buffet where you can sample more food than you can eat. Upstairs: A packed and popular Latin dance club. On Friday nights you'll be swept up by the sound of live music and dancing that will thrust you into the heart and soul of Latin America.

Plough & The Stars

This converted bank makes you think every bank should have a bar in it. There is an excellent list of Irish beers on tap, including Murphy's Stout, Caffrey's and Harp. A massive stone fireplace at one end of the room is ringed with cozy chairs and side tables. On Sundays, an Irish band sits by the fireside and jams on traditional tunes. It's a good spot for brunch on Sundays or a drink on rainy afternoons. The food is modern Irish fare, a nouvelle cuisine that sheds any old stereotypes of Irish cooking. There's a very light seafood chowder.