Where to Drink in Fishtown, Philadelphia

“It’s very community-driven here,” Francesca Galarus says of her Philadelphia neighborhood, Fishtown. Formerly an industrial outpost, the narrow streets west of the Delaware River have independent bars and restaurants, live music venues, and other small businesses run by residents like Galarus and her partner, Nicholas Ducos, who co-own the newly opened urban winery, Mural City Cellars (MCC).

In 2022, the duo built an outdoor wine garden in an empty Fishtown lot and poured glasses of minimal-intervention MCC wines—made with Pennsylvania grapes—from a refurbished trolley. Last March, they established a permanent brick-and-mortar footprint in a former auto body garage on Fishtown’s bustling Frankford Avenue. “This is one of the last neighborhoods in the city—maybe in the country—where anybody can start a business, even if you don’t have millions of dollars,” Ducos says. Galarus agrees. “It’s incredible to see regular shmegular people owning businesses and doing cool things,” she says.

Amy’s Pastelillos

Ducos is partial to this takeout spot offering Puerto Rican dishes like tostones nachos, pickled yuca, and the titular pastelillos that owner Amarylis “Amy” Rivera Nassar fills with everything from beef picadillo to soy chorizo to barbecue pork in a sweet-and-sour guava marinade. The cozy spot also sells gourmet goods like Loisa Sazón and drinks including homemade coquito and coffee from local Philadelphia roaster Bean2Bean.

Forîn

By day, this chic café serves coffee from roasters like Philadelphia’s Pilgrim and Black & White from Raleigh, with a rotating array of specialty drinks—the matcha and ube lattes are Galarus’ favorites. By night, Forîn hosts residencies for local restaurants, and pours wine, beer, and cocktails, like an Espresso Martini with house coffee. The café has two locations, and Galarus is especially fond of the kitchen at the Frankford Avenue outpost. “They have a Southeast Asian–inspired breakfast and lunch menu [from head chef Ariel Tobing], and at night there are chef pop-ups. It’s pretty impressive what they offer.”

Martha

A neighborhood institution since 2015, Martha has a twinkling backyard bocce court, eclectic furnishings, and “fantastic cocktails,” Ducos says. These include an Old Fashioned riff made with bourbon, orange wine, and shiitake mushrooms; a gin and lavender spritz; and a Hoagie Martini with oregano, onion, and tomato vermouth. The zero-proof drinks list includes the Fruits of Labor, featuring house-made grapefruit cordial topped with bubbles, and Athletic NA beers. The global wine list leans toward minimal-intervention bottles, and the beer selection features several Pennsylvania breweries. The kitchen serves everything from crab toast to radishes with miso butter to a crowd-pleasing array of hoagies.

Monkey Club

From the beer-and-shot specials at Bob & Barbara’s in Rittenhouse Square, to the 75-cent hot dogs at McGlinchey’s, Philadelphia dive bars are legendary. Monkey Club is Ducos’ go-to in Fishtown. “It’s a true neighborhood dive. You can get cheap beer and even fancy craft beers for under $7,” he says. The cash-only spot hosts art shows, Eagles viewing parties, comedy open-mic nights, and more in a casual but welcoming space with checkered floors, string lights, and a pool table. “There’s even a slushy machine, but I don’t know who orders a slushy at a dive,” Ducos says.

Mural City Cellars

Passionate about the winemaking potential of the American northeast, Galarus and Ducos source all the grapes for MCC’s pét-nats, skin-contact Pinot Gris, Chambourcin, and beyond from vineyards within 300 miles of Philadelphia. Their new Fishtown digs include an airy bar, a bottle shop, and a fully functional urban winery where Ducos, MCC’s winemaker, vinifies and bottles those grapes. “We started looking for this sort of warehouse space in this neighborhood years ago; we’re really happy to be here,” Ducos says. A friendly crowd gathers around the 12-seat bar and large communal table for 4 or 5 MCC wines by the glass (and 10-plus by the bottle) as well as nonalcoholic drinks, charcuterie boards, and an array of beer and wine from other Pennsylvania makers.

Pizzeria Beddia

Once a takeout operation with no telephone and national acclaim, this perennially popular bar and restaurant offers stellar pizza alongside beer, cocktails, and natural-leaning wines in an industrial setting. Reserve a seat at the lively bar and accompany your meal with a Cynar Old Fashioned or skin-contact Pinot Gris from Oregon’s Maloof Wines. Don’t miss Pizzeria Beddia’s signature dessert: a swirl of soft serve atop your choice of amaro.

Post Haste

This clubby cocktail bar sources everything on its menu—from spirits to produce—from the eastern United States. Instead of olives and imported spirits, the Farmer’s Dirty Martini is made with Seneca Drums gin from New York, Pennsylvania’s Stone & Key Vermouth, and cherry tomato brine; and the crispy skate wing schnitzel features house-fermented sauerkraut and a compote of mid-Atlantic apples. The “dark and sexy” space has exposed brick walls and “a beautiful, geometric ceiling” punctuated by mod chandeliers, Galarus says.

R&D

Whether you’re craving a nonalcoholic Jungle Bird or Corn Pops-infused Old Fashioned, this beloved local cocktail bar has you covered. Frequented by off-duty bartenders and people on promising second dates, R&D’s dream team includes designer Aaron Deary (Condesa, Kalaya) and bar manager Resa Mueller (Royal Boucherie, Pizzeria Beddia). The cocktail menu rotates frequently, and the bar regularly hosts events like R&Divas, a burlesque and drag show.

Sacred Vice

Cousins Matt Brodsky and Justin Steinbergran a part-time tasting room in Philadelphia’s Port Richmond neighborhood for five years before opening their new Berks Street taproom this past March. Rotating drafts include the brewery’s IPAs, lagers, English ales, and saisons, as well as collaboration beers with other Philly breweries like Second District Brewing and Carbon Copy. “They’re making excellent beers and they have a sort of living room setup,” Galarus says of the warm, welcoming space where family photos line the walls. “It’s a great place to go and relax with a beer.”

Suraya

This sprawling, 12,000-square-foot space encompasses a Middle Eastern market, chic bar, breezy patio, and elegant restaurant serving Lebanese-inspired fare like zaatar manouche and ras-el-hanout-spiced Long Island duck breast. The long bar offers an impressive array of international wines by the glass, including some from cult Lebanese winery Chateau Musar, as well as cocktails, nonalcoholic drinks, and an array of Middle Eastern araks available in 2- or 8-oz. pours.

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