It’s no wonder that there is frequently a line outside of Jamaican D’s on Chelten Avenue: the caramelized plantains, creamy mac and cheese, and savory collard greens made there are all perfect complements to the shop’s deeply flavored jerk chicken, and the enormous platters will keep you full for days. If oxtail and curry chicken aren’t your thing, the fried whiting is just as delicious. Customers can preorder online through Grubhub for pickup and delivery.

While there may not be a great preponderance of Tibetan restaurants in Philadelphia, as long as there’s White Yak in Roxborough, co-owned by husband-and-wife pair Tsering Parshingtsang and Treley Parshingtsang, we can be thankful. The Ridge Ave. restaurant, which opened in 2019, serves a warming mix of hearty, chewy momos — available in meat, chicken, and vegetarian varieties — and Tibetan-style curries, soups, and sauteed dishes. The chilled mung bean noodles are a cooling element to pair with chili chicken, and the thenthuk, a classic Tibetan soup with hand-pulled noodles, is nourishing and delicious.

No guide to Philly’s diverse restaurant scene is truly complete without the addition of at least one cheesesteak place, and everyone has their favorite. Dalessandro’s in Roxborough is a high standard by which to measure a cheesesteak: long rolls are full to bursting with thick-cut griddle-fried steak with all the requisite options (Whiz, wit, provolone, hot peppers, and more) to make your steak your own. Want to do a cheesesteak crawl? Chubby’s and Barry’s are not far away.

Philly is a pizza town — you can’t throw a rock in this city without hitting a dozen delicious pizza places. But if you’re looking for a thoughtful menu of seasonal wood-fired sourdough pies, a list of interesting and well-curated natural wines, and a beautifully designed space, Eeva is definitely the spot. Chef Greg Dunn’s pizza dough is tangy, chewy, and airy, and side dishes like gem lettuces and fresh ricotta served with house-made focaccia are worthy pie complements. Don’t miss the sourdough loaves to-go and bagels on the weekends.

Kensington Quarters in Fishtown used to be meat forward: In fact, chef Nich Bazik’s approach pre-pandemic was full-animal husbandry, with a butcher right in house. During the pandemic, though, Bazik decided to switch up the menu entirely to focus on seafood with a focus on sustainability and environmental consciousness, and the results are stellar, to say the least. With dishes like fluke tartare in fig leaf oil, and skate wing with seafood kimchi jjigae, served in a beautiful restaurant that is perfect for date nights and group dinners alike, Kensington Quarters version 2.0 is a sleeper hit.

The front window display at Kettle Black is the stuff dreams are made of: rows upon rows of flaky croissants, cinnamon buns, scones, and more. The husband-and-wife duo behind the pastry shop, Claire Ogilvie and Marc-André Basile, make all the mouth-watering treats that they sell from the 160-square-foot microbakery, and with a host of vegan options, bagels, and coffee to boot, it’s a must-visit for any self-described pastry devotee in Philly.

For its pandemic pivot, Dim Sum Garden started selling its handmade dumplings in frozen packages to keep customers’ freezers full. Reliable orders of steaming hot soup dumplings, handmade noodles in pork sauce, and perfectly cooked Chinese greens can be augmented with twenty or forty frozen dumplings. Dumpling lovers in the suburbs will be delighted to know there’s also long-distance deliveries for larger orders on Thursdays.

Jezabel Careaga’s Argentinean medialunas, alfajores, empanadas and other treats are like a song you can’t get out of your head: once you try them, you’ll definitely be back for more. Alfresco seats are well suited for a quiet lunch or breakfast with a cup of tea, or go the takeout or delivery route.

A stalwart of Ethiopian cuisine in the city, Abyssinia has long comforted Philadelphians with its array of hearty dishes from the west African country. Diners scoop up dishes of spiced chicken and lamb — including several vegetarian and vegan options — with perfectly thin, spongy, slightly sour injera bread. Takeout and delivery are also available, but the cozy dining room provides a lovely atmosphere for date night or otherwise.

Thousand-layer bread, a flaky, crunchy, chewy flatbread dipped in chicken or potato curry, gets all the love at Rangoon, but its menu of Burmese salads is not to be missed. Start with the classic tea leaf variety, and work your way through a lengthy list of spicy fried rice, noodle, and specialty dishes.

At Reading Terminal Market, Hershel’s serves up mile-high sandwiches stacked with some of the best pastrami and corned beef in the city. Add an order of matzoh ball soup and a slice of apple cake for a very satisfying lunch. Walk around the market afterwards, and if you have room, go for a Bassett’s ice cream cone.

Sonam Parikh and Kate Egghart’s coffee shop opened at the beginning of the pandemic, so the sunny indoor space at Mina’s World hardly got a chance to be appreciated before indoor service was halted. No matter: the pair soldiered on and have made the coffee shop not only a go-to for a variety of ever-changing specialty drinks (think: turmeric elixirs and tahini mochas), vegan baked goods, and excellent samosas, but a mission-driven community hub as well. With a community free fridge out front and a market of radical zines, ceramics, and more (available to order online), Mina’s World is much more than a coffee shop. Orders can be placed online for pickup or walk up to the counter to order, Tuesday through Sunday.

Philadelphians no longer have to head into New Jersey for South Indian fare now that Amma’s is here with aloo bonda served with cooling coconut chutney, idli dipped into sambar, masala dosa, and lamb chettinad (a long-cooked lamb dish spiced with coconut and ginger). The Couple’s Combo, which includes chicken and mutton biryani, parotta, chicken korma, chicken chukka, dessert, and raita, is an excellent and very affordable introduction to the restaurant.

The versatile High Street on Market in Old City was one of Philly’s first notable all-day cafes — now relocated on 9th Street and rebranded as High Street Philly, it’s still very much worth the visit. Stop by in the morning for a cup of coffee and a breakfast sandwich on some of the city’s best bread, or bring out-of-towners for a dinner of seasonal new American pastas, salads and pizzas that will explain why everyone started paying attention to Philadelphia’s restaurant scene.

Chad and Hanna Williams’s fine dining restaurant has been offering an indulgent indoor eight-course tasting menu since February of this year, and for diners looking for a restaurant experience that is focused on both hospitality and whimsy, Friday Saturday Sunday is the place to go. The ever-changing menu features highlights like a whole crispy pig’s head, a perfect two-patty cheeseburger with preserved green tomato served on a coco roll (called the WAPPER), and some of the best cocktails in town, courtesy of bartender Paul Macdonald. Reservations are necessary, but takeout is also available.

Philadelphia’s love of sandwiches may be confusing to outsiders, but everyone loves Middle Child. Order a So Long Sal, the platonic ideal of an Italian hoagie (think salami, prosciutto cotto, and sharp provolone), or try the Phoagie, a “vegan by chance” banh mi-ish hoagie that will more than fill you up. Preorders — no call-ins — must be made online.

Zahav, the 2019 James Beard Award winner for best restaurant in the country, first introduced Philly to the delights of Israeli cuisine and its myriad of influences more than a decade ago and continues to set the standard with its menu of laffa, mezze, and grilled meats and vegetables. In addition to the stellar service, which continues to be extremely friendly, attentive and enjoyable, the real showstopper at Michael Solomonov and Steve Cook’s restaurant is the pomegranate molasses–braised lamb shoulder, but even something as simple and now-ubiquitous as hummus is genuinely eye-opening here. Outdoor and indoor dining by reservation only.

Puyero’s Venezuelan flavors of arepas, cachapas (thick, sweet and savory corn pancakes stuffed like a quesadilla with a variety of rich fillings) and more have gotten Philadelphians absolutely hooked. Keep an eye out for specials like beef and potato empanadas and their special holiday hallacas, an extra-large Venezuelan tamale they make every Christmas.

Last summer, when many restaurants in Philadelphia were flipping into seafood shacks, Little Fish was executing perfectly. The scallop toast, a slice of sourdough drizzled in soy-chili vinaigrette and crowned with rounds of raw scallop, has become a must-eat item, and the rotating menu of seafood-focused offerings is crave-inducing every single weekend. Outdoor dining is available for walk-ups only, and reservations can be made a month in advance online.

The dilemma at Fiore, a contemporary Italian restaurant on Front Street, is whether to go in the morning for a pistachio cornetti (the Italian equivalent of a croissant) and a breakfast sandwich stuffed with fluffy scrambled egg and ricotta, or wait until dinnertime to fill the table with lasagna bolognese, pear and pecorino ravioli, tilefish with Umbrian lentils and porcini mushrooms, and expertly made amaro cocktails. Diners can also pre-order pints of weekly gelato flavors and reservations can be made for the outdoor patio or indoor dining room online.

Jesse Ito has managed to translate his omakase into a high-end takeout experience, featuring 11-, 44- and sometimes 100-piece nigiri platters starting at $65, and even a whole tray of uni from Hokkaido, Japan for $95. The platters can be a pricey endeavor but the menu also features more affordable chirashi bowls, maki rolls, and other Japanese treats, all of which are made to Ito’s exacting standards with the highest-quality ingredients. Diners can do takeout and delivery, or walk-ins for dinner.

Philly is lucky to be full of excellent pho spots, but Pho 75 is one of the best. They offer a small, excellent menu of flavorful, perfectly rich and balanced soup broth with any number of add-ins: tender, fatty brisket, chewy tripe, thinly sliced flank steak, and more. Enjoy an outdoor or indoor table, or order soup to go (call directly) — either way, it’ll be hot, fast, and absolutely comforting.

Many restaurants have closed during the pandemic, leaving a lot of skilled industry members with time on their hands. That has resulted in one thing: pop-ups, pop-ups, and more pop-ups. Herman’s Coffee Bar has become one of the best spots in the city to sample the up-and-coming talent. Stop by on a weekend to see who is serving out of their semi-detached food cart, or follow them on Instagram for the who’s-who of the city’s next generation of must-eat dishes. Think Navajo frybread, Brazilian street food, Filipino bites, and so much more. Herman’s also serves excellent coffee and a huge variety of locally made food treats — plus, specialty tinned fish.

In its first year of operation in East Passyunk, Randy and Amanda Rucker’s River Twice quickly became one of the most exciting New American restaurants in the city, with an evolving tasting menu that offers the full spectrum of Rucker’s repertoire. All of the dishes are heavy on flavor, personality, and creativity, and the restaurant itself is just a lovely place to dine. Reservations can be made here.

It’s best to call ahead to reserve meat at Mike’s BBQ. Michael Strauss’s casual counter-service barbecue destination in South Philly opens at noon Thursday to Sunday and stays open until it sells out — which is a daily occurrence. The ribs are known to disappear first, but any smoked meat aficionado will be more than satisfied with the brisket, available on its own, in a sandwich, or as a cheesesteak with onions and Cooper Sharp whiz. Takeout and delivery and some outdoor seating is available.

After opening her Vietnamese and Thai grill restaurant in Ambler in 2019, chef Thanh Nguyen expanded into the former Saté Kampar space in East Passyunk to serve Vietnamese street food of the highest order. The bánh bèo quảng nam — open-faced dumplings that come served in little shooter bowls — are unreal, and the large format dishes, from the half-chicken platter to Vietnamese steamed branzino will not let you down. Come prepared: it’s BYOB.

Musi gets the neighborhood BYOB vibe just right, which, in the pandemic, means chef Ari Miller has been using his small Pennsport restaurant to play host to a variety of pop-ups. Frizwit serves his reimagined Philly cheesesteak with grass-fed beef, locally made cheese, and a whole lot more TLC than you’ll find at Pat’s or Geno’s. Takeout and delivery only.

Restaurateurs Arturo Lorenzo and Maricela Tellez opened La Llorona against all odds, in the middle of a pandemic this summer, but their exceptionally kind service, excellent mezcal and tequila cocktails, and menu of Mexican treats for all occasions, from chilaquiles to aguachiles and everything in between, has made this place a go-to spot.