Philadelphia
Polished, precise, civilised. Philadelphia's best hotel-bar drinking — picked for craft, not concierge buzz.
Old City · $$$
Stratus Rooftop at Hotel Monaco draws a steady local crowd in Old City. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Rittenhouse · $$$
The Oyster House Bar draws a steady local crowd in Rittenhouse. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Center City · $$$
Attico Rooftop at Cambria draws a steady local crowd in Center City. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Rittenhouse · $$$
The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Co. draws a steady local crowd in Rittenhouse. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in
Old City · $$
Rooftop at Revolution House draws a steady local crowd in Old City. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
City centre · $$$
The Olde Bar is the Old City cocktail-and-oyster bar from Jose Garces — set inside the historic Bookbinder's building with a 200+ bottle spirits collection and
City centre · $$$
The Woolworth is the Old City cocktail bar set inside a converted 1900s Woolworth department store — original tin ceilings, marble columns and a long mahogany b
City centre · $$$
a.bar is the Rittenhouse Square casual cocktail-and-snack offshoot from the celebrated a.kitchen team — a tight programme of seasonal drinks paired with a small
Old City · $$$
Amada Bar draws a steady local crowd in Old City. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Center City · $$$
Double Knot draws a steady local crowd in Center City. Booking is recommended on weekends. Walk-ins are usually possible early in the evening.
Hotel bars solve specific problems. You need a bar near your room. You need somewhere quiet to take a meeting. You want the drink right the first time and you don't want to negotiate a wait. Every recommendation below clears those three bars. Most are open to non-guests; we've flagged any that aren't.
Best for: business travellers, late-checkout drinks, hotel-room negotiations made civilised, anniversaries that deserve a hotel jacket. Pricing skews higher than the city average — that's the trade. The rooms below justify it.
Civilised, polished, not pretending to be a club. Pick by neighbourhood and proximity to where you're sleeping.
Looking beyond Philadelphia? See our guide to the best hotel bars worldwide, or compare hotel bars city by city.