It’s no secret that Philadelphians like to drink. The city’s taken part in America’s drinking culture since colonial times, with taverns serving as the place to talk shop and take sips.
A key player in the craft beer movement—with a brewery history dating back to the 17th century—as well as its ever-growing cocktail culture, there’s something for every fancy, including a booming non-alc and cafe scene. But you have to know where to look.
It’s easy to drop into Philly’s bustling Center City, where upscale bars and cocktail lounges are plentiful. Venture out and you’ll discover boîtes that keep the city’s spirit alive—from interesting wine bars to late-night havens for chai, and zero-proof third spaces redefining nightlife.
Take Olde Kensington, a warehouse district where Pray Tell winery owner Tom Caruso showcases Philadelphia grapes, making wine that pays tribute to his family’s roots.
Or the Callowhill neighborhood in Philly’s lower north district, where several bars and breweries have popped up within the last five years including Poison Heart, Triple Bottom Brewing, and the new Doom Bar, a heavy metal bar with rare herbal whiskeys and vegan nachos.
Then, there’s the emerging food and drink scene sweeping through neighborhoods like Old City and Fishtown. Almanac, the brainchild of James Beard winner Danny Childs, takes an inspired approach to Japanese drinking culture, while Bar Palmina’s Nikki Graziano uses her life experiences and past relationship with alcohol to inform her approach to zero-proof drinks.
So whether you’re sipping a Japanese whisky or enjoying a traditional chai, these nine spots reflect the city’s ever-changing landscape—one that’s as diverse, bold, and welcoming as the people who call it home.
310 Market Street, Philadelphia
instagram.com/almanacphilly
James Beard Award–winning author (and nationally recognized bartender) Danny Childs leads the hyper-seasonal cocktail program Almanac, a project that marries American and Japanese drinking cultures with stylish results. Located upstairs from the Old City omakase restaurant, Ogawa Sushi & Kappo, Almanac honors the Japanese 24 Solar terms—which guides the availability of seasonal ingredients within 24 “microseasons”—by sourcing botanical ingredients that were grown, foraged, or farmed from within the northeast region. Signatures within the dimly lit bar include the Kasugai Sour—made with barley shochu, Midori, yuzu, lime, and Calpico—a punchy, yet delightfully smooth daiquiri with chewy notes of barley that linger after each sip. The Hey Mami cocktail embraces shun—known as the peak moment of an ingredient’s life—by blending seasonal delicacies with Japanese whisky and bourbon. Depending on the time of year, the drink has celebrated peak-season tomatoes, earthy mushrooms, and bright spring alliums.
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1401 E Susquehanna Ave., Philadelphia
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Tucked away behind the dining room of sister restaurant Bastia at the new Hotel Anna & Bel, Caletta is a dark and cozy 24-seat cocktail bar from chef-partner Tyler Akin with a seasonal drink menu worthy of multiple re-visits. Beverage program director Benjamin Kirk is behind the triumphant menu highlighting Sardinian flavors, with house-made ingredients requiring two-day, 10-hour prep shifts each week. Don’t miss Kirk’s favorite, Saturn Descent, an Italian take on the tiki drink featuring Pasubio, St. George aged rye gin, yuzu sake, pomegranate and umeboshi cordial, mirto, shiso and BBQ bitters.
1306 N. Front St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/barpalmina
Nikki Graziano said her life-saving liver transplant in 2022 left her determined to reimagine Philly’s nonalcoholic drinking scene, craving the complexity of a craft cocktail over an often afterthought juice. According to the self-professed “former heavy drinker,” played-out juice-and-soda or souped-up lemonades are dead to her. Located in hip Fishtown, Bar Palmina’s patrons can sit at the sleek, minimalist bar and enjoy thoughtful zero-proof cocktails that incorporate alcohol-removed rums, bourbon, mezcal, rye, and more. The cocktail menu rotates monthly, but one mainstay is the Brown Dog, made with zero-proof bourbon, Earl Grey tea, and orange. It’s smoky, smooth, and familiar, without the buzz.
4201 Chestnut St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/karakchahouse
Seeking to bring the type of third place they believed Philly’s South Asian communities were craving, Asad Ghumman and his 19-year-old daughter, Halima Ghumman, opened Karak Cha in University City in 2024. The late-night spot serves up a range of chai along with sparkling nonalcoholic fruited mojitos, milkshakes, and Pakistani street food until midnight, with regulars posting up and playing board games. With tea leaves imported from Pakistan, the Peshawari qahwa tea is a fragrant and cozy green tea steeped along with cardamom pods and brewed with milk. They also serve a rosy Kashmiri chai.
1615 N. Hancock St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/praytellwines
The industrial space housing Pray Tell Wines looks modest from the outside, but upon walking in, patrons are greeted by a menu of juicy reds and ambitious skin-contact blends, all basket-pressed on-site in the Olde Kensington space. Pray Tell is Tom Caruso’s homage to his roots—he grew up making wine on a South Philly sidewalk with his grandfather, and worked at Brooklyn Winery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn before opening up his own space in Oregon. Last year, he and his partner, Sydney Adams, moved the labor of love to Philadelphia, within the same building his mom and grandfather opened their own business 30 years ago. Caruso’s portfolio includes pinot noir, chardonnay, cabernet franc, merlot, and riesling grown in Pennsylvania, also incorporating Oregon-grown syrah, albariño, and viognier. The winery’s namesake Pray Tell Gamay has been a mainstay since 2017.
48 S 2nd St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/48recordbar
Hi-fi listening bars continue to creep onto the scene nationwide, taking inspiration from Japanese jazz kissas. Located above a separate Old City bar, Sassafras, 48 Record Bar feels more like a living room than cocktail lounge. Audiophiles can sit on a velvet couch in front of a fireplace, while vinyl ranging from Bossa Nova to Wu-Tang Clan and Bowie spins. Of course, 48 Record Bar’s wooden crates stuffed with records is a central part of the bar’s identity—but drinks are not an afterthought. The bar features a rotating selection of seasonal cocktails, like the Industry Negroni, a complex and boozy take on the classic featuring Fernet Branca, Campari, Green Chartreuse and orange bitters.
1647 N. 2nd St., Philadelphia
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This moody three-story bar and lounge in Olde Kensington leans heavily on lighting to create a playful and sultry atmosphere. The seasonal menu of about 11 cocktails changes gradually throughout the year and never adheres to a single theme, according to beverage director Andrei Vinter. This means a range of drink styles that embrace tropical flavors while remaining approachable, he says. Red lights glowing over the first floor’s wooden bar are a hint that the third floor is open, with a DJ ready in the wings. The second floor has two-tops and movies projected on a wall but becomes a listening lounge on a weekly basis.
410 South 2nd St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/lorettasphilly
The latest concept from the team behind Bloomsday, Philadelphia’s popular wine and vermouth bar, Loretta’s is a new café in Head House Square centered on specialty coffee. Pouring up espresso-based drinks along with fresh squeezed lemonade, limeade, and orangeade—citrus juice, sugar and ice, shaken—the new coffee bar is focused on doing a few things very well. Think pairing cortados with daily Viennoiserie, savory hand pies, and a short list of sandwiches. The concept is named after owner Kelsey Bush’s grandma, and “pays homage … to all the ‘Steel Magnolias’ who have paved the way for femininity, both traditional and new, within the hospitality industry,” Bush said.
421 N 7th St., Philadelphia
instagram.com/doom.bar
Complete with a wall of records, gothic chandeliers, and a mezzanine-level art gallery, Doom is a heavy metal bar with a penchant for all things dark and macabre. Located in north Philly’s Callowhill neighborhood, it’s the brainchild of beverage specialist Justin Holden and respected local record producer, Will Yip. Together, the duo focuses on the back bar, highlighting independently made, high-quality spirits sourced from small-batch producers. There are more than 200 bottles ranging from specialty rum and brandy to Chinese baijiu. Many of the bar’s most popular drinks are playful riffs on old staples, like the Snowdrop, a martini-style drink with an apricot eau de vie base, or the Gintonic, featuring Hayman’s London Dry and a custom “blood tonic” comprised of hibiscus, hoja santa, lemongrass, and spices.