3 Stars

Located in Pennsport, Ruby Buffet has a great selection of tasty lunch and dinner options in an all-you-can-eat restaurant set-up. This seafood, Chinese, Japanese, and sushi buffet has an assortment of different dishes that you can try for just one low rate. Favorites include their hand-rolled sushi, snow crabs, shrimp cocktail, and coconut chicken. Their large, spacious interior can give way to large parties, and the buffet space is always serving up fresh new dishes. With quality, cleanliness, service, and selection, Ruby Buffet has a great variety of dishes that can satisfy whatever you’re craving.

The Cardillo brothers, Antonio and Joseph, offer up sophisticated and refined Northern Italian cuisine at La Veranda. The menu reflects their heritage: born in a small town St. Andrea Del Pizzone just outside Naples, Italy, the brothers started the journey of becoming chefs at an early age. An extensive and traditional menu offers everything from pasta to steak, all in an elegant and classic setting.

Located in Philadelphia’s most scenic area, Water Works Restaurant is a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Nestled high above the Schuylkill River behind the city’s prized Museum of Art, Water Works boasts awe-inspiring views of a serene waterfall, tree-lined riverbanks, and the luminous Boathouse Row. Contemporary American with a Mediterranean flair, Water Works’ cuisine attempts to balance the restaurant’s superior atmosphere with rustic yet elegant dinner options for all ages and tastes. Growing in popularity by the day, Water Works—owned by Michael Karloutsos—has become Philadelphia’s most visually astounding dining hotspot.

Bliss is a new and exciting restaurant and bar which features a menu that reflects a world of culinary inspiration. Bliss offers contemporary American dishes like a Pan Seared Sirloin with Potato Puree Gratin and Shallot Merlot Glaze as well as Asian-inspired food, like Sweet and Sour Crispy Red Snapper and Stir-Fried Red Chili Prawns. Just a stone’s throw from the Kimmel Center, Bliss sports lots of mahogany wood, high ceilings, a cozy bar and a tranquil blue wall decoration. With its serene atmosphere and delightful menu, the restaurant welcomes guests for lunch, dinner, and late night.

La Viola, Italian for "the viola," a string instrument known for producing a deep and sonorous sound, is one of Philadelphia's excellent bring-your-own-bottle establishments, serving a harmonious blend of moderately priced Italian fare. The restaurant, a tiny, single-room establishment located in Center City near Rittenhouse Square and the theater district, offers a unique and lively experience, where diners complement La Viola's flavorful selections with favorite wine choices toted through the BYO’s doors.

Located on Sansom Street, which is well known for its large selection of beloved restaurants, Raw Sushi and Sake Lounge stands out from the neighboring venues. Its simple and enticing façade welcomes diners into a foyer lined with river rocks. Through thick red curtains lies the restaurant, dimly lit by white globes extended low from the ceiling. The relaxed atmosphere allows for slow eating and drinking – multiple rounds of sushi and sake are quite acceptable. The staff is congenial without being pushy, tending to food and drink necessities while giving plenty of space for long conversation and hearty laughter.

Roberto Café, an Italian Trattoria in the Graduate Hospital area, provides a variety of seafood and Italian classics in a comfortable, intimate atmosphere. Joining the mix of restaurants and bars along South Street, this cozy BYO offers elegant dining suitable for business trip meals, small groups, and romantic diners alike. The attentive staff, delicious food, and small, homey dining room make for a very pleasant dining experience. Italian food lovers will be pleased to find modern and creative touches added to their traditional favorite dishes, including sautéed chicken, pasta, and crabmeat.

The little storefront dining room charms with its relaxed, almost random decor. Pale walls reflect the glow of paper-wrapped votives. The pressed flowers beneath the glass tabletops, the hanging kilim and shelves filled with tchotchkes are the kind of personal touches you might see in someone's home. It's comfortable, if a bit loud, because the 40-seat room is almost always packed to capacity. Listen closely, and you'll hear among the buzzing conversations the steady interjections of oohs and aahs. This restaurant's hallmark is wholesome and substantial food, served in hearty portions yet executed with the utmost delicacy.

Rivaling neighboring Pat’s, Genos is Philly’s other notorious 24-hour cheesesteak stop. As has been the case since Joe Vento opened in 1966, sandwiches come heaping with thinly sliced steak and a choice of American, Provolone, or cheese wiz melted across the top. The menu is simple, the ordering straightforward, and the meal a decadent version of the best sandwich Philadelphia has to offer. If the glowing storefront doesn’t lure you in, the unmistakable scent of grilled steak certainly will.

A Philadelphia mainstay for 40 years, the Happy Rooster is a mixture of old-school refinement and quirky charm, making it a favorite spot among locals and visitors. Opened as Philadelphia's first vodka and caviar bar in 1968, it was famous for its great food and old-boys’ club feel. When new owner Rose Parrota took over in 2000, she made a few changes. What remains offers a refined, but cozy dining experience. The menu is a selection of classic dinner fare with a few contemporary twists, and the bar offers a diverse wine list. On any given night, you can find …

Matyson is a casual, yet contemporary, bring-your-own establishment, located just a few blocks from Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square. Matyson, whose name is derived from the blending of the names of its two co-founders, Matt and Sonjia Spector, offers a sampling of moderately priced bistro fare, which includes new takes on old stand-bys such as seafood, chicken, steak and pork. Diners may also select from a variety of items on Matyson’s tasting menu, which varies from week to week. Reservations are recommended, however there is no need to hit the ATM on your way, as Matyson accepts credit cards.

Brought to you by the owners of Azie and Flavor, Teikoku is an experience to be enjoyed, savored and repeated. Serving contemporary Asian cuisine in a setting reminiscent of a Japanese temple, this Japanese and Thai fusion restaurant is worth the short drive to Newton Square. Teikoku offers lunch or dinner, a sophisticated lounge, an impressive wine list and a sleek sushi bar. Guests are served family-style in the restaurant’s divinely detailed dining room, designed by Jesse Gardener, who also designed Cuba Libre.

Located in the historic Corn Exchange Building in Old City, this Irish pub has a recognized reputation for great food, live entertainment, and a bustling atmosphere. French Chef Vincent Fanari has earned national praise for the innovative menu that mixes technique with the Irish appreciation of fresh vegetables and local products.

Enjoy a cold cocktail—and seasonally, a warm fire—while watching the sunset over the Delaware River. In the summer, sit on the patio, and watch the calming river while munching candied walnuts atop a crisp Marguerita Salad. Please a selective palate with an atmosphere that offers choice: dress up, dress down; eat light, eat full; dine fancy or relax in an over-stuffed chair in the plush, yet relaxing, lounge. Satisfy mom’s flavor for flounder, a cousin’s craving for crabcakes, and still get your monthly mignon. Try the Yardley Inn, where classy contemporary is really choice.

Braised meats cook slowly while seductive aromas – saffron, cinnamon, and ginger – waft into the air, causing diners’ mouths to water with anticipation. A smattering of mostly local, casually dressed guests are spread evenly among the neatly outfitted tables. Such is the atmosphere at Figs, a cozy Fairmount stronghold since 2001 opened by Executive Chef/Owner Mustapha Rouissiya. The dining area of this pumpkin-colored Moroccan restaurant offers the perfect space for the blend of tasty Mediterranean-inspired dishes and energetic crowd that frequents the restaurant. Make sure to bring cash, since credit cards are not accepted at this trendy neighborhood bistro.

Peter McAndrews, Executive Chef of Modo Mio (Italian for “my way”), has taken traditional Italian cuisine and done it his way. The restaurant recreates the ambiance of an Italian osteria, with a quaint, homey setting that takes guests right into the heart of old Italy. Diners can experience Chef McAndrew’s innovative approach to rustic Italia through the scores of regional dishes from Sicily and Northern Italy, as well as appetizing Italian-American creations. Scrumptious pastas, such as the Agnolotti in creamy almond butter sauce, are complemented by a variety of rich entrees like the Braciolette, a sausage-stuffed steak topped by melted …

Hibachi Steakhouse and Sushi Bar is a fun place to go to enjoy the causality of sushi and with the service of a steak house. With an open grill set as the centerpiece for a diversity of dining options, guests have the choice of an intimate setting on the second level, or a bustling social jamboree downstairs, dining directly at the Chef’s grill. The whole family can be satisfied with the generous variety of selections, a feature Hibachi prides itself on. Alongside gourmet sushi, crisp tempura, noodles and fried rice, scallops, filet mignons, and lobsters give the carte du jour …

Indian food can be a delicacy for foodies, but when served all-you-can-eat style, it can be a match made in heaven. Since 1988, New Delhi Indian Restaurant has brought spice to Philadelphia, serving a wide selection of both traditional Indian cuisine as well as options for seafood, vegetarian dishes, salad, and dessert. Traditional favorites include chicken tikka masala as well as samosas, vegetable malai kofta, and garlic na’an. They also feature options for catering and take-out. With a large, modern, upscale dining area, great for large parties or special events, this fair-priced buffet is sure to spice up your life …

Located inside the Wiltman Plaza, Empire Buffet is a Chinese, Japanese, and American all-you-can-eat palace with a large range of foods to choose from. With a large dining area, you might be surprised by the even bigger buffet tables that feature hot, steaming selections of everything from seafood and steak to cheeseburgers and sushi. Dedicated to keeping each menu item consistently fresh and appetizing, Empire Buffet is a well-priced option for all the cuisine that you're craving.

Showcasing the bounty of locally grown produce and organic ingredients, celebrity chef Eric Ripert has dished up yet another success with 10 Art. His mission is simple: to offer the best of contemporary American cuisine. His menu is exemplary: Ripert’s elegantly fine-tuned technique balances the complexity and heartiness of many of his most notable dishes. The Steamed Mussels are served in a chorizo and white wine broth, while the Pork and Beans highlights braised pork belly in a summer bean ragout. Understated and masterful, the Bouillabaisse has market fish and shellfish in a saffron and tomato broth.