Bars in Philadelphia

Bok Bar on the rooftop of the former Edward W. Bok Technical High School in South Philadelphia is one of the city's most spectacular bar destinations, with panoramic views of the Philadelphia skyline from an extraordinary rooftop venue that operates seasonally and presents some of the most remarkable views in the city alongside creative cocktails.

Philadelphia's extraordinary craft beer culture (one of America's most active craft beer cities, with Yards, Dogfish Head nearby in Delaware, and Victory in nearby Downingtown) creates one of the finest craft beer bar markets in the United States. The city's blue-collar beer heritage (Yuengling is America's oldest brewery, located in nearby Pottsville) combined with contemporary craft appreciation creates a uniquely deep Philadelphia beer culture.

Independence Beer Garden adjacent to Independence Hall is Philadelphia's largest outdoor beer garden, a seasonal pop-up bar with views of Independence Hall, serving craft beers and cocktails in an iconic American setting. One of the most uniquely located bars in American history.

Johnny Brenda's in Fishtown is Philadelphia's most beloved independent music bar — a two-level venue that has presented hundreds of nationally touring indie, folk, alternative, and emerging artists since 2006. The bar's consistent commitment to curation and community made it a centerpiece of Fishtown's rise as Philadelphia's most vibrant neighborhood.

McGillin's Olde Ale House is Philadelphia's oldest continuously operating tavern — open since 1860 and serving the city through the Civil War, Prohibition, and two World Wars in an unreconstructed Victorian bar that preserves over 160 years of Philadelphia drinking history. Its extraordinary historical continuity, its location in a hidden alley in the heart of Center City, and its role as a gathering place for Philadelphia's Irish-American community make it one of the most historically significant bars in the United States.

Kensington Avenue's emerging arts scene in Philadelphia includes independent bars, galleries, and music venues contributing to the neighborhood's complex ongoing transformation alongside community-focused revitalization efforts.

Monk's Café is one of America's most important Belgian beer bars — a Center City Philadelphia institution that helped establish American appreciation for Belgian ales through its extraordinary tap and bottle list and its famous mussel frites. Its consistent recognition as one of the best beer bars in America, its extraordinary connection to Belgian brewing culture, and its role in educating a generation of Philadelphia beer drinkers make it one of the most historically significant beer bars in the United States.

Monks Cafe on South 16th Street in Philadelphia is one of America's most celebrated Belgian beer bars, serving a vast selection of Belgian and domestic craft beers with Belgian-American cuisine in a beloved neighborhood restaurant that helped establish Philadelphia as one of the nation's premier beer cities.

North Bowl in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood is a bowling alley and bar that has become one of the most popular social entertainment venues in the neighborhood, combining vintage bowling lanes with craft cocktails and regular live DJ programming for the young adult creative community.

Round Corner Cantina is one of Philadelphia's most beloved neighborhood bars — a Northern Liberties taco bar with outstanding margaritas and tequila selection that has become a gathering place for the creative and artistic community of one of Philadelphia's most rapidly evolving neighborhoods. Its extraordinary value proposition (exceptional food and drinks at genuinely affordable prices in a city known for its value dining culture) and its community spirit make it one of Northern Liberties' most beloved establishments.

Sidecar Bar in Philadelphia's Graduate Hospital neighborhood is a neighborhood bar and restaurant with strong emphasis on craft cocktails and local beer, serving the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood south of South Street between Broad Street and the Schuylkill River.

South Philadelphia Taproom on Mifflin Street is a beloved neighborhood bar and beer destination in one of Philadelphia's most traditional working-class neighborhoods, offering an exceptional craft beer selection in a community-oriented bar that serves South Philly's residents with the warmth and authenticity that defines this Italian-American neighborhood's bar culture.

Standard Tap is Philadelphia's most influential neighborhood gastropub — a Northern Liberties establishment that pioneered the American craft beer bar concept when it opened in 1999, serving exclusively Pennsylvania craft beers alongside outstanding food sourced from local farms. Its role in launching Philadelphia's extraordinary gastropub culture and its consistent presentation of outstanding Pennsylvania craft beers have made it one of the most historically significant bars in American craft beer history.

Standard Tap in Philadelphia's Northern Liberties neighborhood is a legendary craft beer bar that helped pioneer the neighborhood's transformation from post-industrial wasteland to creative hub. The two-story neighborhood bar's commitment to local Pennsylvania draft beer only has made it one of the Philadelphia area's most respected craft beer destinations since its 1999 opening.

The Franklin Bar is one of Philadelphia's most acclaimed craft cocktail bars — an intimate basement speakeasy below an otherwise unremarkable address in Rittenhouse Square. The bartenders are widely considered among the best in the city, and the drinks list changes regularly to reflect seasonal ingredients and classic techniques. A must-visit for cocktail enthusiasts making the AC corridor trip.

Lancaster PA's Madison Street and West Orange Street corridors provide the rapidly growing city with an increasingly vibrant arts and entertainment scene beyond the main King Street pedestrian mall, with independently owned bars, galleries, and music venues serving the city's creative community.

The Trestle Inn in Philadelphia's Callowhill neighborhood is a beloved dive bar and whiskey bar with go-go dancers and a raucous atmosphere, serving the Philadelphia creative community with a massive whiskey and beer selection in a no-frills, high-character bar environment that captures old-school Philadelphia neighborhood bar culture.

Philadelphia's Sansom Street and surrounding Midtown Village in the Washington Square West neighborhood has developed a dense concentration of restaurants, LGBTQ bars, cocktail lounges, and entertainment venues that make it one of Philadelphia's most vibrant late-night entertainment corridors.

Trestle Inn in Philadelphia's Callowhill neighborhood is a dive bar known for its exceptional whiskey selection and nightly go-go dancing, a beloved neighborhood institution that combines old Philadelphia bar culture with modern cocktail awareness in one of the city's most authentic working-class bar environments.

Varga Bar is Philadelphia's most celebrated LGBTQ+ bar and cocktail destination — a Washington Square West establishment serving the Gayborhood community with exceptional cocktails, craft beers, and pin-up art in one of the most welcoming bar atmospheres in Philadelphia. Philadelphia's Gayborhood (one of the oldest established LGBTQ+ neighborhoods in the United States) and Varga's consistent quality create the most beloved LGBTQ+ bar experience in Pennsylvania.

Yards Brewing is Philadelphia's most beloved craft brewery — a Northern Liberties taproom producing the famous Philadelphia Pale Ale, Brawler Pugilist Style Ale, and Thomas Jefferson's Tavern Ale (recreated from a historic recipe) that have made Yards synonymous with Philadelphia craft beer quality. The brewery's extraordinary connection to Philadelphia history and its role in establishing the Northern Liberties neighborhood as a craft beer destination make it one of Pennsylvania's most culturally significant beverage establishments.