In the swank Rittenhouse hotel, dinner at Lacroix means a tasting menu that focuses on a single, seasonal ingredient. The spotlighted ingredient at this sophisticated restaurant changes mid-month and recently featured menus highlighting potatoes and citrus. Upcoming dinners will focus on carrots and herbs. The tasting menu, served Monday to Saturday, includes several courses for $115 with optional wine pairings for $90 or $150.

Inside the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, Jose Garces’ Volvér has gone through a few conceptual changes in the last five years, but it remains one of the most interesting dining experiences around. These days, the stylish, glass-enclosed restaurant serves as chef Garces’ test kitchen to develop new menu items for all of his restaurants. Hamachi tartare, ramen with Iberico ham, veal hanger steak, and an eggshell filled with chocolate custard and salted caramel are a few of the dishes on the latest version of the eight-course, $95 tasting menu. The wine pairing is $65. An a la carte menu is also available.

In the two decades since Marc Vetri opened his eponymous fine dining restaurant, it’s become a destination for both locals and visitors. Inside a charming Center City townhouse, Verti Cucina serves rustic Italian dishes paired with rare Italian wines. Some dishes have a permanent spot on the menu, including the swiss chard gnocchi with ricotta salata and brown butter and the capretto (young goat) with house-milled polenta. The rest changes seasonally and is tailored to guests’ preferences. The tasting menu is $165 and the wine pairing is $135.

After working in some of Philly’s top kitchens, Marina de Oliveira and Chris D’Ambro opened Queen Village charmer Southwark and then their cozy Ambra. The intimate restaurant serves a modern take on traditional Italian food to only a couple dozen lucky diners each night. The seven- to nine-course tasting menu changes completely every two months and no dish is ever repeated. Dinner goes for $92 with an optional wine pairing for $65.

Reservations for Jesse Ito’s Royal Sushi fill up fast. Sushi lovers clamor to book one of just a dozen seats at the serene bar in the back of the rollicking Royal Izakaya. Ito, whose family has been in the sushi business for decades, is a perfectionist when it comes to sourcing, knife skills, and garnishes for his 18-piece nigirizushi omakase. The fish he serves changes regularly, but a few highlights make regular appearances: live scallop with black truffle and gold leaf, Hokkaido uni, and torched king salmon belly. Expect to pay $130 for this sought-after experience. Fans of sake have a wide range of options to pair with the meal.

Top Chef winner Nick Elmi, whose tenure in the Philadelphia restaurant scene stretches back to Georges Perrier’s famed Le Bec-Fin, showcases his trademark style at Laurel. It’s here that he combines French and American techniques, avant garde with classic cooking, and unlikely flavor combinations that consistently wow diners. A meal in the intimate 22-seat dining room on East Passyunk Avenue is $85 for six courses and $125 for nine courses. Supplements are often available and, while expensive, are often worth it, especially if the melt-in-your-mouth A5 Wagyu beef is available. Bring your own bottle or choose a wine pairing for $75 (six course) or $100 (nine course).

Chef Tod Wentz’s first restaurant is his most elegant. Set in an renovated rowhouse on East Passyunk Avenue, Townsend puts diners in a fine dining state of mind with white tablecloths, proper glassware, and composed dishes. The tasting menu changes quarterly — sometimes more frequently to keep it hyper-seasonal — and pays homage to French cuisine with creative and modern techniques. The tasting menu is $85 with an optional $65 beverage pairing.