Philly drinks hard and without apology. This is a city where a legendary dive bar can sit next to a James Beard-nominated cocktail spot and both are packed on a Tuesday. The beer culture runs deep — Yards, Victory, and a wave of newer breweries keep the taps flowing — and the cocktail scene has matured into one of the East Coast’s best.
Hop Sing Laundromat
Chinatown — Philadelphia’s most famous speakeasy, run by the enigmatic Lê. Strict rules: no photos, no baseball caps, no sneakers, no standing at the bar. The payoff is some of the most technically perfect cocktails on the Eastern Seaboard. Order: tell them what spirits you like and let them work. That’s the whole point.
Bob & Barbara’s
South Street — The dive bar that invented the citywide special: a shot of Jim Beam and a PBR for a few bucks. Drag shows on Thursday nights, live jazz, and a crowd that hasn’t changed in decades. This is Philadelphia distilled into a single room. Order: the citywide special. Don’t overthink it.
R2L
Center City — Perched on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place, R2L offers a panoramic view of the city skyline. The cocktail program is sharp and the wine list extensive. Come at sunset for the full effect. Order: a classic martini while watching the city light up below you.
Dirty Frank’s
Center City — A no-frills dive with a mural of famous Franks on the exterior wall (Sinatra, Zappa, Frankenstein). Cheap drinks, good jukebox, and the kind of democratic crowd where a college kid sits next to a retired plumber. Order: whatever’s cheapest on draft and a bag of chips from behind the bar.
Art in the Age
Old City — A tasting room for the Art in the Age spirits brand, serving cocktails built around their line of unusual craft spirits (ROOT, SNAP, SAGE). The space doubles as a retail shop for barware and gifts. Order: a ROOT-based cocktail — it tastes like nothing else you’ve had.
Crime & Punishment Brewing Co.
Brewerytown — A Russian-lit-themed brewery in the aptly named Brewerytown neighborhood. The beers range from crisp lagers to experimental sours, and the taproom has a homey, living-room feel. Order: whatever small-batch sour they have on — they rotate fast.
Ranstead Room
Rittenhouse — A sleek, dimly lit cocktail bar on an alley off Ranstead Street. The menu is concise and seasonal, and the bartenders execute flawlessly. It’s intimate without feeling exclusive. Order: their riff on a Paper Plane or whatever’s new on the seasonal menu.
Monk’s Cafe
Rittenhouse — A Belgian beer institution with one of the deepest bottle lists in the country. Monk’s has been the serious beer drinker’s pilgrimage site in Philly for decades. The mussels are mandatory. Order: a Trappist ale and a pot of mussels. Belgian tradition, Philly execution.
Garage Fishtown
Fishtown — A sprawling complex with a rooftop bar, bowling lanes, and multiple bars under one roof. It’s a scene — especially on weekends — but the rooftop views of the Fishtown skyline are genuinely great. Order: a frozen cocktail on the roof when the weather cooperates.
McGillin’s Olde Ale House
Center City — Open since 1860, McGillin’s is the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philadelphia. It’s touristy, sure, but the history is real and the beer selection has kept up with the times. Order: McGillin’s 1860 IPA, brewed exclusively for them by Stoudts.
For bar-hopping, Fishtown and Northern Liberties offer the densest concentration of newer spots. Rittenhouse Square is where the cocktail bars cluster. South Street and East Passyunk have the dives and neighborhood gems. Philly’s BYOB restaurant culture means you might start the night bringing wine to dinner, then end it at a proper bar — plan accordingly. Explore our Philadelphia venue directory and the Philadelphia city page for full neighborhood guides.