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With Indoor Dining Now Allowed in Philly, Several Restaurants Open Their Doors

Starting September 8, restaurants can serve indoors at 25 percent capacity. Here are the dining rooms now open.

interior of restaurant with colorful tile floor, tables spaced apart, and diners and servers wearing pandemic face masks, with a view of tables outside
In Philadelphia’s Old City neighborhood, Cuba Libre is resuming indoor dining.
Michael Thomas

Restaurants in Philadelphia are allowed to open their dining rooms today for the first time since March, when a statewide shutdown was ordered to slow the spread of COVID-19. Similar to outdoor dining, which has been permitted since mid-June, indoor dining in Philly comes with a list of restrictions designed to minimize risk.

Most talked about is the 25 percent seating capacity limit, which caps the number of customers a restaurant can serve at once. In addition, only four people can sit at a table, and tables must either have 6-foot-high partitions between them or be arranged so that there’s 6 feet of space between diners at different tables. Bar seating is not permitted.

Mask wearing is mandatory: Keep it on whenever you’re not sitting at a table (it’s a good idea to put it on whenever a server approaches, too). Servers are required to wear both masks and face shields. Menus can be disposable paper menus, app-based, or written on a chalkboard.

gloved hand placing sign that says sanitized on restaurant table
Cuba Libre in Old City
AJ Alleyne/Cuba Libre

Below is a non-exhaustive list of Philly restaurants opening for indoor dining this week. Some are jumping right into regular hours, while others are starting with a few days a week. Several spots require reservations — given the rules discouraging lines and crowds and the limited capacity, it makes sense to make a reservation whenever possible.

Restaurants (and diners) strictly following COVID-19 safety guidelines reduces but does not eliminate risk. For updated information on coronavirus cases in Philadelphia, visit the city’s website.

Rittenhouse

Vernick Food & Drink

A.Kitchen

Chris’ Jazz Café

Oyster House

The Love

Via Locusta

Barclay Prime

Butcher & Singer

Parc

The Dandelion

El Rey

Harper’s Garden

Steak 48 (opening September 15)

Midtown Village/Gayborhood/Market East/Washington Square West

Bud & Marilyn’s

Little Nonna’s

Barbuzzo

Lolita

El Vez

Sampan

Double Knot

Morimoto

Jones

Vetri Cucina

Talula’s Garden

Bru Craft & Wurst

Tradesman’s

Mixto

Reading Terminal Market (the Center Court seating area is open. Counter seating is not.)

Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Old City and Society Hill

Fork

Cuba Libre

Panorama

Red Owl Tavern

Continental (the Rittenhouse location is open as well)

Buddakan

Forsythia

Pizzeria Stella

City Tavern

Vista Peru

La Peg

Mei Mei

North Broad

Cicala at the Divine Lorraine

Osteria

Clementine’s Stable Cafe

The Lucky Well

South Philly

Musi BYOB

Ralph’s Italian Restaurant

Fiorella

Laurel

Scannicchio’s

University City and West Philly

The Post

Walnut Street Café

Aksum

Booker’s Restaurant and Bar

Dim Sum House by Jane G’s (the Rittenhouse location is open as well)

Fishtown and Northern Liberties

Elwood

Frankford Hall

Fette Sau

Añejo Philly

Bourbon & Branch

Evil Genius Beer Company

Set NoLibs

Jerry’s Bar

Northwest Philly

All the Way Live

Campbell’s Place

Mimi’s Market & Café

Chestnut Hill Brewing Company

El Poquito

Valley Green Inn