Conde Nast Traveler names five South Philly restaurants as the ‘Best Places to Eat in Philadelphia’
Many publications have named South Philly on various lists of great restaurants. This time Conde Nast Traveler took a go at it, naming five restaurants in this part of the city on a list of six restaurants. Not too shabby.
So what restaurants does Conde Nast Traveler think are Philadelphia’s best? From dim sum to pigeon, South Philly’s finest are here.
From the article:
Philadelphia may be known for its cheesesteaks, and with good reason. But for those with a finer palette, or who are simply looking for a bite that’s equal parts creative and delicious, head to one of these six new restaurants in the City of Brotherly Love. From a pan-Asian take on matzo ball soup to “Frenchified Algerian” and then some, chefs are bringing the heat—and the cheese, and the wine, and the….pigeon? (yup, pigeon)—turning down-to-earth Philly into a foodie’s dream.
Here’s the ranking:
- Bing Bing Dim Sum, 1648 E. Passyunk Ave.
- Coeur, 824 S. 8th St.
- Restaurant Neuf, 943 S. 9th St.
- Hungry Pigeon, 743 S. 4th St.
- Laurel, 1617 E. Passyunk Ave.
The only non-South Philly spot to make the list is Kensington Quarters, which is the sister restaurant of Buckminster’s in Point Breeze. There’s also a little shout-out to Brigantessa on the list. So we might as well claim it all as our own.
I ate at the Hungry Pigeon a couple of weeks ago and was not thrilled, to say the least. The chef’s favorite herb must be dill as it seemed to smother half of the dishes we had. The small-ish $15 charcuterie plate came with no bread/crackers and instead you have to pay extra for the bread basket (that only has thick-sliced bread, not great for charcuterie). The signature ‘Hundred Dollar Cake’ dessert was dry and pretty meh for something they brag about.
Maybe I was in on an off night, but I went in with high hopes and left disappointed.
Craig Leban is reviewing Hungry Pigeon this coming Sunday.
I recently visited Coeur with high expectations but was unfortunately unimpressed. The appetizers were subpar, the oysters were not fresh and the service was inattentive. The rotisserie chicken itself was slightly dry, I was expected crispy skin but it was soggy, though the vegetables were seasoned and cooked to perfection. I’m hoping to return and enjoy a better experience.