The Best Bars in Old City, Philadelphia

The name references Prohibition-era cover operations and the bar takes its cocktail history seriously. The menu covers pre-Prohibition classics with precision — the Bee's Knees here is made with gin that actually tastes like gin, and the sours use fresh citrus throughout service. The basement room is darker and quieter than the main floor. Reservations recommended for weekends.

Order: Bee's Knees (gin, lemon, honey — the version here is better than most)

The rooftop bar at Continental Mid-Town gives you some of the best elevated views of the Old City skyline. The cocktail menu is eclectic and draws on global spirits — the pisco sour is made correctly, the mezcal list is thoughtful. Best on a warm evening when the rooftop is open and you arrive early enough to get a table at the rail before the post-dinner crowd fills it.

Order: Pisco Sour (pisco, lime, egg white, Angostura)

Housed in a former bank building with original pressed tin ceilings and enough history embedded in the walls to make the architecture worth looking at. The beer list rotates frequently with Philadelphia and regional craft breweries. The cocktail programme is solid rather than exceptional. This is a good bar for a group — the space can absorb a crowd without losing its character.

Order: A pint from whatever regional craft brewery is freshest on tap

Old City's best Irish pub — not the theme-park version, but an actual functioning neighbourhood pub that happens to have regular live music and a Guinness tap that the bar staff take seriously. The whisky list is weighted towards Irish expressions with a few Scottish additions. The back room has live music three nights a week; the front bar is quieter and better for conversation.

Order: A pint of Guinness and a Jameson Black Barrel — the combination works here

The beer programme at Khyber Pass is one of the strongest in Old City — a rotating selection of regional craft breweries with a focus on bold styles that complement the Southern kitchen menu. The space is dark, the booths are comfortable, and the bar staff can talk knowledgeably about every beer on the list. Kitchen open until midnight on weekends.

Order: A double IPA from whatever Pennsylvania brewery is on tap

The bar at Amada — Jose Garces's Spanish restaurant on Chestnut Street — is one of Old City's best-kept cocktail secrets. The gin and tonic programme covers a dozen gins served in the traditional Spanish balloon glass format with paired botanicals. The sherry selection is genuinely impressive for Philadelphia. Walk-in bar seating only; no reservations for bar spots.

Order: Spanish Gin Tonic (choose your gin, balloon glass, curated botanicals)

A whisky bar that takes American whisky as its central focus — the bourbon and rye selection runs to about eighty expressions, with a curated set of tasting flights that make navigation easy. The space seats twenty and the bartenders are knowledgeable without being academic about it. Best suited for someone who wants to drink something specific and have a proper conversation about it.

Order: A three-pour American rye flight — let the bartender choose the expressions

Race Street Cafe is the unpretentious counterpart to Old City's more polished options — a corner bar with a strong local following, cheap drinks, and a kitchen that serves until 1am on weekends. The bartenders are fast and the booths are comfortable for groups. This is the bar you end up at after Franklin Mortgage has closed for the evening.

Order: A cold beer and a late-night bar snack — the kitchen knows what it is doing

The cocktail programme at Serrano has improved considerably over the last two years — the bar manager changed and the menu changed with them. The drinks now lean into acid-forward builds with fresh juice throughout service. The room is long and narrow with low lighting that works well after 10pm. Open until 2am on Fridays and Saturdays.

Order: The house whisky sour — made correctly with egg white and fresh lemon

Open May through October on the Delaware waterfront, Morgan's Pier is the best outdoor bar experience in the Old City area. The food programme is solid, the beer selection is local and rotating, and the view across the river at sunset is one of those Philadelphia moments that the city does not advertise enough. Arrive before 7pm on weekends or expect a long wait.

Order: A cold local lager while watching the sun go down over the water