Outdoor seating without the cars
The Center City District recently published the State of Center City 2009, in which they counted 215 outdoor cafes with 3,300 seats in 2008. But as we’ve learned, Philly diners have an insatiable appetite for more, and people always ask me for advice on where to dine outdoors without bus exhaust. Luckily there are restaurants at every strata offering courtyard dining.
On the high-end, it’s difficult to beat Water Works (640 Water Works Drive), where their outdoor terrace and riverside veranda offer views of the skyline, Schuylkill River, Art
Museum and Boathouse Row.
At a different price point, the Jamaican Jerk Hut (1436 South St.) offers an island getaway in their semisecluded yard with tables for 60 scattered about.
Over in South Philly, Le Virtu (1927 E. Passyunk) elevates the stoop to a new level with its patio.
This summer there will also be an outdoor grill cooking specialties of the Abruzzi region such as grilled lamb, calamari and smoked mozzarella. And high above Broad, XIX (200 S. Broad St.) has expanded their outdoor dining offerings — all four open-air balconies are now seating for the first time since the 1950s.
Of course, outdoor-dining mainstay Standard Tap (901 N. Second St.) offers a deck among its rambling dining rooms. The spot is perfect for an al fresco brunch or early dinner. And if you’re lucky, the apartment across the street might even have the Phillies game on its widescreen HDTV.