One of the best things about this warm weather is the option to dine al fresco. That being said, it’s pretty much universally agreed that the best meal to enjoy outdoors is brunch. After being cooped up in your office all week, get out there to soak up the sun – and let the food soak up your hangover.
Here are our favorite places for brunch in the summertime!
For a high-brow meal with a sophisticated Parisian feel, Stephen Starr’s euro-themed Parc Restaurant is the place to go. With a long row of cafe tables outside, the restaurant sits on the edge of Rittenhouse Square and has a menu featuring classics such as croque madame, moules frites, and nicoise salad. After a few glasses of champagne or Romains (a refreshing grapefruit vodka cocktail), you might begin to think you’re in the City of Love, and not the City of Brotherly Love.
One of the biggest perks of being in West Philly is experiencing City Tap House’s huge dining room and open terrace. Equipped with sun umbrellas during the day and fire pits for cooler evenings, this place has it all – including a killer brunch menu. Pair a delicious bloody mary, mimosa, or one of their 60+ beers on tap with the Hangover pizza; this fan favorite has country sausage gravy, cheddar, caramelized onions, hash brown potatoes, and a fried egg on top. After the summer, you can enjoy even more City Tap House as they open a new location in Logan Square.
Located on Main Street in Manayunk, The Goat’s Beard is known for their elevated comfort food. Their outdoor seating is perfect for brunch with your pups. Don’t miss out on their goat nuggets appetizer, fish tacos featuring local catches, or 8 oz. breakfast burger with breakfast fries. Everything on their cocktail menu is exceptional, especially the signature Goat’s Beard.
Few places can beat the view at Morgan’s Pier. With their colorful picnic-style decor underneath the Ben Franklin Bridge, this is one of the best outdoor-dining restaurants in the city. It doesn’t hurt that their kitchen has been passed on from one great chef to another. Enjoy classic summer dishes with a twist, including mushroom banh mi, piri piri barbeque chicken, and lobster rolls from Chef David Gilberg, formerly of Koo Zee Doo.
Interstate Drafthouse’s southern-influenced brunch menu sets it apart from any other place in the city. Tucked away on Palmer Street in Fishtown, make the trip to try the buttermilk biscuits and gator gravy, tofu breakfast burrito, PB&J stuffed french toast, or swamp fries. Wash it all down with bacon fat Bloody Marys or beermosas.
Where are your favorite al fresco brunch spots in the city?
