Irwin's feels like the more intimate expression of everything that makes the Bok Building so…read morecompelling. We started with a drink at Bok Bar around 5:30, then walked a few steps across the eighth floor into a former vocational school classroom now home to a Sicilian restaurant. Enormous school windows, worn cream walls, exposed conduit, old tile, flashes of graffiti, palms, and Persian rugs make the room feel sophisticated and faintly exotic without ever seeming contrived. Visually, the room rewards looking around. The graffiti especially caught me; I have no idea which marks predate the restaurant and which may have been added later, but the smaller tags feel completely at home against the aging school surfaces. In the early days of home internet, I was obsessed with Art Crimes, the graffiti site founded in 1994 that still exists in its wonderfully utilitarian form, so those marks immediately pulled me in. Dinner tasted like summer. My wife and I started with focaccia, crudo, and a salad, then moved into clam pasta and pesto pasta before sharing the whole fish. The cooking stayed clean and light while still leaving us full, and our server was excellent. I had a glass of rosé, the huge doors stood open to the evening air, and either the dining room or terrace would have been wonderful. Sicily gave the meal more personal resonance than I expected. I visited years ago during a very different chapter, and my memories of the island remain beautiful but disjointed, fitting for a place shaped by centuries of conflict beneath a repeatedly erupting Mount Etna. I'm grateful I saw it, but I'm even more grateful for the steadier life that followed: marriage, entrepreneurship, 3 young children, a dog, and the chance to slow down enough to notice what actually makes me happy. Earlier, walking through Bok had already explained why Irwin's belongs here. We passed inMovement's enormous gymnastics facility beneath the surviving "Girls Gym" sign, and a fit guy inside happened to be wearing a perfectly worn vintage Venice Beach T-shirt; that tiny image captured the bridge between old South Philadelphia and Southern California running through the building. Bok has the scale and architectural freedom that make this kind of creative reuse feel plausible in Philadelphia or Los Angeles, where an enormous older structure can hold gymnastics, restaurants, and a rooftop bar while retaining its grain. Around us, families, couples, and groups of friends filled the room, with an easy mix of ages and personalities that felt stylish without becoming socially precious. There is something of the brilliant, slightly edgy cousin's apartment in the scene, the place people might once have regarded with mild suspicion before Condé Nast Traveler arrives years later with a photographer and a beautifully edited weekend itinerary. I say that with affection: at its best, broader attention and capital give overlooked buildings and neighborhoods the resources to survive and evolve while preserving enough texture to remain themselves. Walking home to our place near Rittenhouse Square was the perfect final act. I can still remember the New York finance version of myself arriving in Philadelphia because the woman who became my wife was training here, carrying more big city snobbery than I realized and assuming a smaller city meant a smaller life. Years later, pleasantly tired and full after Irwin's, I felt the opposite: I'm happier trying to build something of my own, walking home through a city I love, and heading toward 3 sleeping children and a dog who have made rootedness feel far richer than constant motion ever did.

From the "Intentional Eater" - Posted on Resy Review of Irwin's at 4am Friday, July 24th (not seen…read moredue to change of reservation platform) I eat out intentionally. I only go out for something I can't get at home. Irwin's caught my attention because it serves unapologetically Sicilian cuisine inside a repurposed high school with rooftop views you can't find anywhere else in Philadelphia. Sicilian is not the same as Italian, in the same way Chicago pizza is not the same as New York or Detroit. Irwin's isn't an award‑winning restaurant yet, but it's the kind of place that makes you wonder why. The James Beard Foundation evaluates restaurants across ten core criteria, and Irwin's is already a front runner in several of them. To be a contender when the time comes, they tighten now. The Sicilian point of view is clear from the start. My mocktail, peach, tomato shrub, basil, club soda, accidentally paired perfectly with both the heirloom tomato on semolina cracker and the Trofie Pesto Trapenese. The tomato dish outperformed versions I've had elsewhere, and the pesto, made with pistachio, almond, and basil, had those little nut pops that only come from a kitchen paying attention to texture as much as flavor. Technique is another area where Irwin's excels. The Half Chicken Agrodolce didn't look traditionally Italian, but the process behind it was deeply intentional. Brined for a day, then slow cooked in its own rendered juices and fat before receiving a final roast. All of those juices and fat were then used to build the agrodolce sauce, which explains why the dish tastes Sicilian and looks nothing like the Italian chicken dishes most diners expect. The person who greets you, introduces themselves by name, and stays with you throughout the meal is your ambassador, not your waiter or server. Yet they're the person who carries the meal, and the one diners notice last. I had no idea what gremolata was before this meal, so I asked my ambassador how to eat the dish. They didn't recite a script but told me how they eat it. A piece of the precut chicken with a scoop of gremolata on each bite. That lived‑in guidance is exactly what JB looks for in staff alignment and cultural fluency. The desserts show the same clarity of Sicilian identity. The Sicilian tiramisu used almond flour cake instead of ladyfingers, cream with a hint of orange, no coffee, cocoa dusting, and a drizzle of EVOO. The torta was a yogurt and soaked phyllo‑based cake, soft and soaked, with the full flavor of the orange, flesh and rind. The savory whipped cream grounded it. Bright. Citrus forward. Deeply Sicilian. Intentionally different. These strengths place Irwin's firmly in the award conversation. Point of view, technique, ingredient integrity, menu cohesion, emotional resonance, and, critically, ambassador level staff alignment. If there's anything left to tighten, it's consistency at scale. Ensuring this level of intention holds across every service, every night. But the foundation is already there. Irwin's isn't just operating well. They're operating with the kind of clarity and confidence that awards tend to recognize.

Recently dined at Jaffa and had amazing experience from beginning to end. They were very…read moreaccommodating! Our server Katie or Kate (black sleeve tattoo) super knowledgeable and super helpful with navigating the menu. We weren't sure what to get but her recommendations were spot on. Our first time there but not are last!

The entire experience led by my Bartender Jesse was exceptional. 10/10 service!!…read more Came for happy hour but ended up staying for a full meal and was pleasantly surprised by everything that I was recommended to me by Jesse via the catch of the day deal. $40 for an app, entree and dessert was an amazing deal. Everything was fresh and filling, I left happy as a clam!

EXCELLENT!! Loved everything about Post Haste! The service, food (seasonal and local) were spot…read moreon. Chef Ari walks around bar/dining room introducing himself to the guests. Love this! Highly recommend Post Haste and looking forward to returning soon!!

I really like the mission behind the business - using in season and local partners for ingredients…read more The space is stunning inside with the fire oven, semi-transparent mirrors and 90s forest green walls. OYSTERS (4/5) - honestly, these were solid, some fishier than others naturally and felt like they were small, it's also dismissive to lay them on a bed of chucked oysters, creates a facade that there's more on the plate than there is BILLION LAYER FRIED LASAGNA (3/5) - definitely could have used more accompanied sauce, I did enjoy the herbaceous green filling CAVIAR, WHITEFISH & PRETZEL (4/5) - the crust on the pretzel was nice but I wish the pretzel itself was bigger so I could enjoy the soft inside more, the beet mustard was excellent SCALLOPS STRAWBERRY GAZPACHO (2/5) - would have loved more scallops, the gazpacho didn't pair well with the scallops, strawberry flavor was light, the crispy sunchokes ruined the dish as it left a bitter after taste I was told the duck dish was (5/5)! Fantastic options for vegans/vegetarians, they clearly indicate it on the menu too.

Bistro Romano has a lovely ambiance between the lighting, music, charming interior, and friendly…read morestaff. We ordered the whipped goat cheese appetizer, chicken parm, roasted pork chop, whipped potatoes, and chocolate tiramisu and everything was delicious! We were also able to order the wine pairings that typically can be added to the prixe fix menu which was such a fun and relaxed way to try new wines during our date night. I really appreciated the coat check as well. All in all, I would highly recommend for your next girl's night or date night!

Bistro Romano is a great spot for a date night out. The dark lit ambience with music in background…read moresets the perfect setting for a great evening. Dinner itself was really good. The star of the evening was the whipped Ricotta with focaccia bread which was amazing, along with the gnocchi. The steak was the only underwhelming item as it was pretty basic. Overall, the service, ambience and food was great!

Haha this is my favorite little date spot...it's so nice to be in the sky…read more My first few times coming i didn't even realize they had food but it's a cute add on The food is regular but the vibe is amazing The service was decent I dont remember a server just us walking up to order

If you want the best views of all of Philadelphia this is the spot to go to. Skyhigh is located on…read morethe 60th floor of the Four Seasons hotel in downtown Philadelphia. I made a reservation online on OpenTable. We arrived earlier than our reservation slot so we were able to walk around and take pics. Unfortunately on the night we went it was super cloudy and had been raining so the views weren't nearly as good as they could have been. There's a grand staircase that walks down into an even bigger and more open area. Up first, was a $9 hot chocolate and a $23 Bluecoat (Dirty Martini with blue cheese olives). The martini was perfect, exactly how I like it with tiny slivers of ice shards. Second, I had a $30 Gold Espresso Martini with vodka. It was also perfect. Probably the prettiest espresso martini I've ever been served. The leaf design in your drink is pretty sweet. Tons of dates here, anniversaries, vacationers, and people super dressed up. Most certainly look your best if you decide to come. Next time I'm in Philly, I'll certainly be back!

Little Water is a true delight from the moment you walk into the space. No detail is overlooked, it…read morefeels upscale without a single whiff of stuffiness. The staff are friendly, attentive, and incredibly reassuring when it comes to managing allergies. I dined here twice during my trip home this week, and both meals absolutely blew my socks off. Standout Celiac-Safe Dishes: * Hamachi collar (Wow.) * The Caesar-like salad * Maratelli rice * The Raw Bar, which I had the fortune of enjoying almost in its entirety (see photo!) I haven't been imbibing lately, but the Golden Hour NA drink left me wanting for absolutely nothing. Truly one of the best meals of my life, and easily the best in recent memory.

i take back my previous 4-star review!…read more i learned my lesson from last time and called to see if they had soft shell crab on the menu, and they did! my boyfriend and i made a last minute wednesday evening reservation and caught a chicken fried wednesday! we shared the caesar-like salad and had both of the specials -- the 5 piece buttermilk chicken and the soft shell crab. they were both fantastic, the soft shell crab was amazing, the ideal way to kick off softie season. for dessert, we had the frozen key lime tart which was much bigger than we expected and delicious. it was perfectly sweet and tangy, and i really liked the toasted meringue. definitely a heavy treat, but absolutely worth it. we left feeling stuffed and satisfied. little water is always a beautiful dining experience. the restaurant is stunning and modern, and the service is always top notch. our waitress was very sweet and attentive. i saw on their instagram that the chicken fried softshell sandwich is back on the menu, and i really want to try it! i'll definitely call ahead again to confirm availability because i can't bear the disappointment of my last visit again.

Dined here last night with a friend, and this restaurant is still 5-star worthy in my eyes! For the…read morefirst time, I sat in the room all the way in the back facing Broad Street. It was a bit quieter and had more lighting, which made for a nice atmosphere. We ordered the grilled octopus, rigatoni, pannochia pizza, and eggplant alla piastra. Service was great, and everything was delicious. However, the standout was still the rigatoni--so flavorful and unique! I'd definitely recommend this spot for any occasion and can't wait to return!

Food was amazing, ambiance is nice. Their smaller plates are the shining stars here. 5/5 for both…read moreambiance and food. So why the 4 stars? Their service. The servers look so miserable. And before anyone comes at me about how their job is exhausting - I know, I was a server too for years. But here, the orders came out wrong, or some items are missing. We let the incorrect order go without a word to the server, but we said something about the missing pasta and got an eyeroll. The other servers stand, state, and gossip audibly. It made for an uncomfortable environment, even with the beautiful decor and delicious food.

Nice addition to the neighborhood with interesting beer choices. The bartender was very patient…read morewhen my friend did not like her cocktail, and went out of his way to make one that she liked without charging extra.

TLDR: food and drinks were great, wait staff was awful…read more Came here for happy hour with my friends, and our waitress was absolutely terrible. She gave us attitude for trying to clean up the previously used table, as well as "loitering" on the sidewalk. By the way, half the bar is outdoors on the public sidewalk. Also, we had brought drinks from a previous bar, which made us receive even more attitude from this waitress due to "not being able to bring alcohol from other places". This would be a totally understandable and easy thing to rectify if handled kindly. No where on the premise are there signs on the PUBLIC sidewalk that we can't bring drinks from a previous bar, nor did she communicate to us in a kind manor that we could not have drinks on the sidewalk. It is legal in Philly to have open containers while walking around, so the attitude and disrespect to multiple members of my party was unacceptable. During the majority of our time, this waitress was chit-chatting with her friends instead of doing her job, and bringing them multiple drinks. It is unfortunate because this bar is super cool, but our waitress was so mean that my review has to be so low. Pics for proof we were here!