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Michal Shelkowitz of Vetri Cucina

Luis Tuz Tun of Tequilas / La Jefa

John Bisceglie of Johnny’s Pizza

Thanh Nguyen of Gabriella’s Vietnam

Corinne Bradley-Powers of Corinne’s Place

Jeannette Jean of Chateau Rouge

2025’s most vital Philly restaurants

Published Oct 15, 2025

It’s a brand-new year for The 76, The Inquirer’s annual list of the most vital restaurants in the Philadelphia area. This year, we started fresh with a new batch of dining scouts and an even wider purview, diving deeper into pockets of Philadelphia that we didn’t get to eat through last year. The result is a list that we hope is as vibrant, diverse, and interesting as the city that it reflects.

You’ll find some favorites from last year on 2025’s 76, which held on to their spots by being just as impressive as they were the last times we ate there (Friday Saturday Sunday still dazzles, as does Gabriella’s Vietnam).

But you’ll notice that there’s a good deal of turnover, too. More than half of the list is fresh — either classics we felt deserved their time in the spotlight, like the white-tablecloth red-gravy stalwart Dante & Luigi’s or chef favorite Pho 75, or new and new-to-us spots that reflect the shifting energy of the dining scene, like Indonesian karaoke hot spot Niki Echo and the revived Tequilas, a three-restaurants-in-one experience.

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Our scouts, all 18 of them, fanned out across the Philadelphia area and ate through cuisines we were curious about, like the wide-ranging food truck landscape and the vibrant Mexican community in Norristown. We found a Main Line cheesesteak (Johnny’s Pizzeria) that rivals South Philly’s best. The result is a list filled with gems, some in plain sight and some that required a bit more hunting.

We think this list, which is unranked and alphabetical, is the most useful list of Philadelphia-area restaurants out there. Some hotly anticipated openings like Stephen Starr’s Borromini and Phila Lorn’s Sao opened too late to make the cut. But don’t worry, there’s always next year.

The 76 is how we think Philadelphia is eating right now, and — we hope — might help you uncover your next favorite spot. Grab a plate and dig in.

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How The Inquirer makes its recommendations

The Inquirer aims to represent the geographic, cultural, and culinary diversity of the region in its coverage. Inquirer staffers and contributors do not accept free or comped meals — all meals are paid for by The Inquirer. All dining recommendations are made solely by The Inquirer editorial staffers and contributors based on their reporting and expertise, without input from advertisers or outside interests. More information about how The 76 was put together is available here.

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What do you think about The 76?

​​This is the second edition of The 76 and we’re looking for your feedback to make it even more useful. If you have thoughts about its design or features, we would appreciate a few minutes of your time by taking this survey.

Staff Contributors

  • Editing: Margaret Eby, Jenn Ladd, and Matt Buchanan
  • Reporters: Beatrice Forman, Craig LaBan, Earl Hopkins, Emily Bloch, Evan S. Benn, Evan Weiss, Hira Qureshi, Jake Blumgart, Jasen Lo, Jenn Ladd, Julia Duarte, Kiki Aranita, Max Marin, Michael Klein, Ryan Briggs, Tommy Rowan, and Ximena Conde
  • Social Editing: Esra Erol and Sam Stewart
  • Design, Art Direction, and Development: Sam Morris
  • Art Direction: Julia Duarte and Suzette Moyer
  • Photo Editing: Jasmine Goldband
  • Photographers: Alejandro A. Alvarez, Caean Couto, Tom Gralish, Jessica Griffin, Monica Herndon, Heather Khalifa, Yong Kim, Joe Lamberti, Elizabeth Robertson, Tim Tai, Isaiah Vazquez, Tyger Williams
  • Video: Gabe Coffey, Esra Erol, Jenna Miller, Samantha Stewart
  • Project Management: Sophie Cohen
  • Copy Editing: Brian Leighton
  • QA: Elena Nova

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