Going out for brunch is one of the best ways to kick off the weekend. Whether you’re looking for homemade pasta, kebabs, or pancakes and eggs, there are lots of options across the city. Since brunch is our favorite meal of the day, we’ve done our research (delicious, delicious research) trying many of the top spots. These are some of our favorites from our quest to find the best brunch in Philadelphia.
The Love
The Love offers a take on New American cuisine in its prime people watching spot right off Rittenhouse Square. Light and airy with white brick interior and inviting chalets outside, the restaurant is modern and comfortable.
We’ve never had anything at The Love that we didn’t love. The menu is full of delicious pastries like lemon lavender scones, fresh salads, and hearty options like a turkey avocado melt topped with a fried egg. The shrimp and grits, which are served with a shellfish sauce that delivers a tremendous depth of flavor, is also a winner. With drinks like a prickly pear margarita (also available in a non-alcoholic version) and a grapefruit and elderflower Champagne cocktail, it’s a sublime place for a lazy brunch.
K’Far
An Israeli bakery and café, K’Far is one of the most welcoming places for brunch or breakfast in the city any day of the week. Whether you’re looking for a potato boreka, a decadent marzipan challah danish, or a Jerusalem bagel piled high with egg and cheese, there’s lots to choose from. We’re partial to the chocolate babka but have never had a poor pick here.
Grab a table or a seat at the bar to enjoy Kubaneh toast topped with brown sugar ricotta and figs, an Arabic salad with all the veggies, or any of the other light and flavorful choices. Spring through fall, there are also several outdoor seats available. The cafe is first come, first served, and weekends can be busy. If they’re full, they will add your name to a waitlist and text you via the Resy app.
Spice Finch
Known for its small plates and packed with lots of fresh vegetable dishes, Spice Finch is a fabulous Mediterranean restaurant in Rittenhouse located inside The Warwick Hotel.
The brunch menu features avocado toast with an “egg in the hole” and harissa tomatoes and a breakfast flatbread with bacon, egg, cheese, harissa, and spiced potato hash. Much of the regular menu is also available with standouts like the baked cheese with tomatoes and lamb merguez sausage with tomato chutney.
Parc
It doesn’t get much better than starting your day at Parc.
The French brasserie from Stephen Starr is renowned across Philadelphia and beyond because of its cheesy French onion soup (a Philly favorite), its fruits de mer, and many other items. People will travel an absurdly long distance just to indulge in the bread basket here. We’re particularly fans of the quiche Lorraine, steak frites, and fabulously briney oysters.
At brunch, get a sidewalk table, a glass of Champagne, and anything else that suits your fancy at this special spot.
Via Locusta
It’s hard to pinpoint the best thing about Via Locusta. It might be the whipped honey butter with the hot focaccia. Or it might be the half-dozen homemade pastas—served stuffed, with delicious sauces, or sometimes both ways. Or it might be the honey sweet stuffed onion baked until it nearly melts. Or it might be all of those things.
Can you tell we love it here? The dishes are well-executed, the service is friendly and knowledgeable, and when you order so much that you have to take some home, it reheats well, too. Get to Via Locusta for brunch or any other meal–it’s one of the best Italian restaurants in the city.
The Dutch
The Dutch is one of the best brunch spots in South Philly, so, thankfully, they serve it every day. The Dutch baby pancakes are a must-try, but the buttermilk waffles and great sandwiches like the reuben and fried chicken BLT make it hard to choose.
Service is quick and attentive without being pushy at this charming neighborhood restaurant. Get a seat at the window bar to watch the colorful visitors to East Passyunk go by. Visit during the week to avoid a long wait.
Bud & Marilyn’s
Bud & Marilyn’s describes its style as retro American, which is evident from the sleek 60s-style décor. The dishes here are elevated comfort food from brioche French toast topped with blueberries to shakshuka with hash browns.
The brunch menu at Bud & Marilyn’s is filled with favorites like braised shortrib chilaquiles and andouille sausage and biscuits. We almost always opt for the perfectly crispy cheese curds and chicken and waffles (extra maple syrup is a good plan, too). Alongside one of the dozen brunch cocktails or non-alcoholic options, they’re a great way to start the weekend.
El Chingon
A relatively new addition to the South Philly Mexican scene, El Chingon is best known for their house-made cemitas, a sandwich from the Mexican state of Puebla. Their round rolls, which are made daily in-house, are filled with proteins like beef birria in adobo, pork al pastor, and marinated skirt steak. There’s a lot of choose from, and we appreciated our servers guidance in figuring out what to try–his recommendations we’re right on.
El Chingon’s lunch and brunch menu is available daily (except Monday), and, in addition to cemitas, includes chilaquiles, a chalupa, and tacos. Our absolute favorite was huevos con mole—scrambled eggs topped with flavorful mole and served with rice and homemade corn tortillas.
Attico
Attico is right in the middle of the action on Broad Street. Above the Cambria Hotel, this year-round rooftop restaurant and bar serves brunch every Saturday and Sunday. Even if you sit inside, the wrap-around windows ensure an atmospheric experience.
The menu here has plenty of egg dishes like smoked scrambled egg toast with sheep milk cheese and steak and eggs as well as shrimp and grits, a crab melt, and plenty of dessert selections. The food is good, but service isn’t as welcoming or attentive as at other places on our list.
White Dog
White Dog Café has been a mainstay of Philadelphia (and suburbs) dining for nearly 40 years. Known for its dog-themed décor and cozy furnishings, the restaurant was one of the first in the area to commit to environmental sustainability and using local, seasonal ingredients.
When a restaurant has been around as long as this one, it’s easy to overlook them in favor of what’s new and getting lots of attention. But White Dog is way too good to do that. The brunch menu is full of treats like whipped goat cheese ricotta with figs, a churro waffle, and a Lancaster County omelet with smoked bacon, goat cheese, and spinach. I would buy the Kennett Square mushroom soup by gallon, if I could.
The Wayward
At the Canopy by Hilton Hotel, The Wayward is a delightful daily brunch spot with a sleek dining room and spacious patio. The American brasserie features American dishes with a French flare and prides itself on its selection of oysters and gin.
The Wayward menu includes French omelettes, a croque madame, and a wild mushroom tartine topped with a sunny-side up egg. The croquembouche is a particularly decadent tower of Federal Donuts, crème pâtissière, pecan, and gin caramel. Paired with a selection from the French 75 cocktail menu, it’s hard to go wrong here.
Harper’s Garden
Harper’s Garden serves New American cuisine with a focus on seasonal ingredients in its lush indoor/outdoor space. With its warm lighting and areas full of plants, you hardly feel like you’re in Center City. Diners can choose from the patio, the dining room, or the greenhouses—each option brings something special to the experience .
Every weekend, Harper’s Garden welcomes guests for brunch. The menu includes everything from avocado toast to a variety of eggs Benedict choices. Our top choices include the shareable cheese board and the ‘Merica burger, which is a hit at every meal. Service and cocktails are also consistently excellent.
Bar Hygge
One of our favorite restaurants for brunch in Philadelphia’s Fairmount neighborhood, Bar Hygge serves elevated brewpub favorites in its cozy lounge and dining room. If you’re seated in the back, it almost feels like hanging out in someone’s hip living room.
Try the pretzel beignets covered in powdered sugar and cinnamon or their lox and bagel board. The hygge home fries topped with bacon and a poached egg are outstanding. Bar Hygge has lots of brunch cocktails and zero-proof cocktails to try, or opt for one of the beers brewed in-house.
Cafe la Maude
Café La Maude is a staple in Northern Liberties restaurant culture. Open every day until 4pm, this French Lebanese cafe infuses both flavor profiles into its dishes while offering a European cafe vibe.
Snag a sidewalk table and devour an open-face Mediterranean burrito or a stack of red tiramisu pancakes to satisfy your morning sweet tooth (inside seating is cozy, so we like to sit outside if we can). It’s BYOB and first-come, first-served. While there may be a wait on the weekend, service is generally fast. Fair warning: parking is at a premium in the neighborhood, so we recommend public transportation or a ride share.
Wm Mulherin’s Sons
Located in a renovated 100-year-old whiskey bottling facility, Wm Mulherin’s Sons is one of our favorite restaurants in Fishtown both for a sophisticated night out and for a fun brunch. Inside offers bar seating and tables near the fireplace, or you can choose one of the outdoor areas.
Wm Mulherin’s is known for its homemade pastas and pizzas which feature prominently on the brunch menu. We also love the Toad in a Hole topped with spicy ‘nduja gravy, the shrimp and polenta, and the oatmeal brulee with caramelized banana. If a boozy brunch is what you’re after, they offer a bottle of Prosecco with fresh squeezed orange or grapefruit juice.
Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat
Southern comfort and a bit of Tex-Mex meets Jewish deli seven days a week at Honey’s Sit ‘N Eat. It’s an unusual combination of culinary influences, but somehow it all works.
Honey’s takes big flavors and even bigger portions to a totally new and delicious place. There are plenty of options no matter your dietary restrictions. The Honey Cristo (ham, egg, and cheese on challah French toast) and the Bubby’s Brisket Breakfast with eggs, biscuits, and savory brisket gravy are worth every calorie. Locals absolutely love this place, and it’s easy to see why.
Honey’s is BYOB and doesn’t take reservations. Grab a coffee to drink while you wait and prepare for one of the best brunch experiences around.
Suraya
One of our favorite restaurants for any meal, Suraya shines at brunch. This upscale Lebanese destination has a light and airy dining room with an expansive garden area that’s ideal on a sunny day.
The brunch menu is Taste of Suraya, which currently runs $42 per guest for the entire party. The menu combines highlights of the dinner menu like labneh, muhammara, and kebabs with egg dishes and lets everyone try the incredible mezze the restaurant is known for. Crullers and other delicious pastries can be added on.
Valley Green Inn
Valley Green Inn, located in Fairmount Park, is undoubtedly one of the most romantic restaurants in Philadelphia, even in the daytime. The historic inn, which dates from the mid-1800s, is surrounded by trees and is just a few steps from Wissahickon Creek. The environment doesn’t get more special than this.
Diners can choose from the covered patio or the charming indoor dining rooms, complete with cozy fireplaces. The upscale spot is a local favorite for lunch and brunch with menu items like brie stuffed French toast with warm berry compote and short rib Benedict plus plenty of sandwiches and hamburgers. There are designated parking spots out front for restaurant guests.
Cantina la Martina
Chilaquiles, divine moles, and pancakes topped with berries and Mexican chocolate whipped cream make Cantina la Martina a brunch destination. The dishes at this Kensington spot range from tamales to a breakfast torta and a breakfast burrito.
What really sets it apart from other Mexican brunches is its build your own aguachile menu. You can choose from a variety of fish, shellfish, and preparations made with different spices to create a refreshing dish. We always go for the same shrimp verde–why mess with a good thing?
Cantina la Martina is in a rougher area of Kensington, but don’t let that dissuade you from trying it. The indoor dining room and outdoor patio are an oasis of some of the best Mexican food around.