Date Night in Philadelphia: Where to Eat and What to Do After

The best date night in Philadelphia is a pair: one table and one thing to do within walking distance of it. This guide gives you twelve places inside the city limits, grouped into pairings across Center City, Old City, University City and Fairmount, with a budget option and a splurge in each.

One rule of thumb before you book: check the day of the week first. Several Philadelphia favorites close on Sunday or Monday, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Hours below come from each place's official site and can change, so confirm before you go.

How we chose

Every pick is inside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and was confirmed open on its own official site. We favored places that sit close to a second stop, so the evening flows on foot. We left out places we could not confirm and anything outside the city limits. Prices are only quoted where an official page lists them; otherwise we say so.

Which Philadelphia neighborhoods are best for date night?

Center City, Old City, University City and Fairmount each work well, for different reasons. Center City has the densest run of serious dinners. Old City pairs dinner with the waterfront and an ice cream parlor that stays open to midnight. University City is the budget-friendly, BYOB choice. Fairmount is the one for museums and a brewery-bar.

Old City: dinner, then the river or a sundae

Old City is the easiest neighborhood to do on foot, because dinner, the waterfront and dessert are all within a few blocks of each other.

Fork, then Cherry Street Pier

Fork, at 306 Market Street in Old City, serves a seasonal Mid-Atlantic menu and is typically open for lunch and dinner most days, with Monday dinner only (5 to 9 pm). It is a good mid-priced table for a first date because it is comfortable and not loud.

Cherry Street Pier, at 121 N. Columbus Boulevard, is a 1919 shipping pier turned into a space for artist studios, a market, a stage, a riverside garden and food concessions. Entry is free and it is typically open noon to 8 pm daily, so go before dinner, not after. Walk the pier in the late afternoon light, then head up to Market Street for your reservation.

Buddakan, then The Franklin Fountain

Buddakan, at 325 Chestnut Street, is the Old City splurge. The official menu includes a dim sum section, and the Whole Peking Duck is $63. Smaller plates include edamame at $9 and pork belly bao at $18. Dinner is typically served every evening.

The Franklin Fountain, at 116 Market Street, is a Philadelphia ice cream parlor and soda fountain that is typically open 11 am to midnight daily. That late close is the tip: it still works after a 9:30 pm dinner reservation. Share a sundae and walk off the sugar along the nearby streets.

Center City: three dinners, three ways to end the night

Center City has the most variety, from a long tasting menu to a bistro with a famous steak frites.

Zahav, the splurge

Zahav, at 237 St James Place in Society Hill, is the Philadelphia reservation people plan trips around. Dinner is offered Monday through Saturday, with the first seating at 5 pm and the last at 9:30 pm. The four-course tasting menu is listed at $90 per person on the official site. Book well ahead, and order the tasting menu if you cannot decide, since it takes the choosing off the table.

After dinner, walk toward Old City and finish with a sundae at The Franklin Fountain, which is open to midnight.

Parc, for a classic Rittenhouse evening

Parc, at 227 S. 18th Street on Rittenhouse Square, is a French brasserie. The official dinner menu lists Steak Frites at $39 and Steak au Poivre at $45. Dinner is typically served Sunday through Thursday 5 to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday 5 to 11 pm.

After dinner, the park itself is the second stop. Rittenhouse Square first appeared on William Penn's 1682 plan of Philadelphia, and a lap around it is a free end to the evening.

Barbuzzo, then a show

Barbuzzo, at 110 South 13th Street in Midtown Village, is a Mediterranean kitchen and bar. It typically serves dinner Monday through Thursday 5 to 10 pm, Friday 5 to 11 pm, Saturday 4 to 11 pm and Sunday 4 to 10 pm. Happy hour is typically weekdays 5 to 7 pm at the bar and outside tables, which is the cheaper way in.

For a second stop, check the schedule at Ensemble Arts Philly, which presents The Philadelphia Orchestra at Marian Anderson Hall in the Kimmel Center on Broad Street, a few blocks from Barbuzzo. The ticket line is 215.893.1999.

University City: the BYOB budget date

University City is where you spend less and still have a good night, because you pair a museum afternoon with a BYOB dinner just west of campus.

The Penn Museum, then Vientiane Café

The Penn Museum, at 3260 South Street, is typically open Tuesday through Sunday 10 am to 5 pm. It closes before dinner, so make it the first half of the date: an afternoon with the ancient collections, then a trip down Baltimore Avenue.

Vientiane Café, at 4728 Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia (a short trolley or cab ride west of the University City campuses, still inside the city), serves Lao food and is BYOB, so stop for a bottle on the way. The Baltimore Avenue café is cash only and typically open Tuesday through Saturday 4 to 9 pm (last seating about 8:30 pm), closed Sunday and Monday. Bring cash, or the evening ends at the register.

Fairmount: museum late-night, then a brewery-bar

Fairmount is the date-night neighborhood for people who would rather look at something together than sit across a table the whole time.

Philadelphia Museum of Art, then Bar Hygge

The Philadelphia Museum of Art, at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, is typically open until 8:45 pm on Fridays, its late night. On Monday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday it typically runs 10 am to 5 pm, and it is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. A Friday visit is the one that works for a date, because you can wander the galleries after work.

Bar Hygge, at 1720 Fairmount Avenue, is a bar with a ten-barrel brewery on site, Brewery Techne. It is typically open Tuesday through Friday from 4 pm to close, with happy hour 4 to 6 pm. Walk over after the museum for a beer and something to eat.

Eastern State Penitentiary, then Bar Hygge

Eastern State Penitentiary, at 2027 Fairmount Avenue, is typically open daily 10 am to 5 pm, with some seasonal and holiday closures listed on its hours page. It is a stranger first-date idea than most, but it gives you plenty to talk about, and it includes Al Capone's cell. Daytime admission is listed at $21 for adults online and $23 at the door. Pair it with Bar Hygge, which is on the same street, for the evening.

Five ready-made Philadelphia date nights

• The splurge: Zahav tasting menu in Society Hill, then a sundae at The Franklin Fountain until midnight.
• The cheap-and-good: Penn Museum in the afternoon, then BYOB dinner at Vientiane Café on Baltimore Avenue (bring cash).
• The Friday classic: Philadelphia Museum of Art until 8:45 pm, then a beer at Bar Hygge on Fairmount Avenue.
• The Old City walk: Cherry Street Pier before 8 pm, then dinner at Fork on Market Street.
• The big night: Buddakan's Whole Peking Duck, then ice cream at The Franklin Fountain.

If you want more options near where you are staying, browse the food and dining listings or see what is on at this weekend's events.

What should I budget?

A date night in Philadelphia can cost very little or a lot. Cherry Street Pier is free, Rittenhouse Square is free, and Vientiane Café is a BYOB. At the top, Zahav's tasting menu is $90 per person before drinks and tip, and Buddakan's plates add up quickly. Check each menu on the official site before you go, since prices change.

Last verified: November 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good date night in Philadelphia?

A dinner in Old City, Center City, University City or Fairmount paired with a walkable second stop works best. Try Fork and Cherry Street Pier in Old City, or Philadelphia Museum of Art on a Friday evening followed by Bar Hygge in Fairmount.

What is a cheap date night in Philadelphia?

Cherry Street Pier is free to enter, and a walk around Rittenhouse Square costs nothing. For dinner, Vientiane Café on Baltimore Avenue in West Philadelphia is BYOB and cash only, which keeps the bill down.

Where can I get dessert late at night in Philadelphia?

The Franklin Fountain, at 116 Market Street in Old City, is typically open 11 am to midnight daily. Check the official site before you go.

Is the Philadelphia Museum of Art open in the evening?

Yes, on Fridays it is typically open until 8:45 pm. It is typically closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so check the official site before you plan around it.

What is the best splurge dinner for date night in Philadelphia?

Zahav in Society Hill offers a four-course tasting menu listed at $90 per person, with dinner Monday through Saturday. Buddakan in Old City is another splurge, with a Whole Peking Duck at $63.