ULTIMATE PHILLY TRAVEL GUIDE

A couple of weeks ago I visited Philadelphia for the first time! I went with my family for a cousins wedding and to be honest, I had very little expectations. Turns out, I was pleasantly surprised by all that Philly has to offer!

Like I do before every trip, I did a ton of research on all the hotspots that I wanted to hit up.

I had NO IDEA that Philly has such an amazing food and wellness scene! It’s such a walkable city, which I love – and bonus points that the weather was gorgeous. I didn’t get to do and see everything on my list, so I definitely have to go back and explore some more but the places where I ate, the workouts I did and where I stayed are totally worth sharing.

Here is my Ultimate Guide (so far) to Philly!

FOOD + DRINK:

Hip City Veg – A vegan grab n’ go restaurant. Their soy is non-GMO and organic!
La Colombe Coffee – My fave iced coffee of all time!
Sonny’s Famous Steaks – I obviously had to have a Philly cheesesteak in Philly so I made sure to get a ton of recommendations for the best one. This spot was actually recommended by locals. It was close to our hotel and there was a line out the door. It was delicious! To be honest, though, I don’t understand the Philly cheesesteak hype in general (lol).
El Vez – Perfect place for a midday margarita and taco. Everything was delicious! PRO TIP: try to snag a spot outside! Would also be a great place to visit at night.
Parc – The local way is to sit outside and have a “park” view. We went for brunch and it was amazing. They give you the most delicious bread basket. We ended up splitting brunch which they split out for us, without us even asking, which was nice!
Attico – This is a gorgeous rooftop bar where reservations are a must! We went here for the Aperol Spritz and loved it!
Sip-N-Glo – Loved it here! They make amazing smoothies and juices. I grabbed a green smoothie which hit the spot.
Sweetgreen – DUH! I love this classic grab and go salad spot! I got this on my last day to take on the plane.
Sampan – A trendy contemporary Asian restaurant with a really fun vibe! We went here for dinner and cocktails.

WORKOUTS:

As soon as I heard that Philly has a ton of the same studios that you can find in NYC, it was music to my ears! Unfortunately, I was only able to fit in one formal workout class.

Core Power Yoga – I LOVED IT! It’s a heated class, which is different from a hot class, with music.

*Philly also has Rumble, SLT, Soul Cycle, Solid Core and Flywheel.

STAY:

Loews Hotel – It’s very central and walking distance to and from everywhere. It was very clean and had overall good vibes. We loved our stay here and I would definitely recommend it.

ATTRACTIONS:

Reading Terminal Market – This place is kind of like St Lawrence Market in Toronto! It’s a great place to walk around with tons of spots to get food. We ordered the famous Beiler’s Doughnuts – SO WORTH IT!
Spruce Park Harbour – This is such a fun spot! It’s a massive park by the water where you can also get something to eat and drink. We went for beers and relaxed by the water!
Elfreth’s Alley– Elfreth’s Alley is a historic street in Philadelphia, dating back to 1702
Liberty Bell- The Liberty Bell is an iconic symbol of American independence. Truth be told, there was a massive line so we didn’t end up seeing the bell. BUT I did see it through a window lol

FOR NEXT TIME:

There were so many places that were recommended to me that I did not get to try out but I would LOVE to the next time I go back! Here they are:

1. Zahav – This Mediterranean spot was named one of The Best Restaurants in America! This might explain why it was impossible for me to get a reservation. I even tried to go sit at the bar but they said it was a three-hour wait. I’ll definitely be booking weeks in advance next time I visit Philly.
2. Dalessandro’s Steaks and Hoagies – Apparently this is the BEST spot to get a Philly cheesesteak. It’s further away so we would’ve needed to take an Uber which we didn’t care to do.
3. Talula’s Garden – A farm-to-table restaurant that focuses on using local and seasonal ingredients.
4. P.S. & Co. – An all-day vegan, gluten-free and organic cafe that offers baked goods, sandwiches, salads and cold-pressed juices.
5. Front Street Cafe – Cafe that offers organic, seasonal, plant-based farm-to-table foods.
6. Charlie was a sinner. – I heard this was THE place to go for drinks and vegan small plates!
7. Elixr Coffee Roasters
8. Suraya – A Lebanese all-day market, cafe, and restaurant that was voted “Best New Restaurant of 2018”
9. Giuseppe and Sons – Italian restaurant.