Philadelphia’s debut in the new Michelin Guide ushered in its first three one-star restaurants — and underscored how much of the city’s fine dining energy is wrapped up in tasting menus and small rooms with a story. The stars and other distinctions were announced at the Kimmel Center on Tuesday, November 18, the same ceremony that folded Philly into the multi-city guide after years of lobbying from the Philadelphia Convention and Visitors Bureau.
The most visible win may be for the team behind Friday Saturday Sunday (261 S. 21st Street, near Spruce Street), where Chad and Hanna Williams have turned a longtime neighborhood stalwart into one of the country’s most-watched tasting-menu restaurants — and where the downstairs cocktail den, Lovers Bar, has become a destination in its own right. It was already a finalist for the James Beard Outstanding Bar award this year; now that same room is part of a Michelin-starred restaurant.
Two small, chef-driven spots round out Philadelphia’s first one-star list. At Her Place Supper Club (1740 Sansom Street, between 17th and 18th streets), chef-owner Amanda Shulman’s dinner-party-style tasting menu gets validation that local diners have argued for. Provenance (408 S. 2nd Street, Society Hill) from chef Nicholas Bazik also picked up a star; the Korean-leaning restaurant opened in 2024.
Michelin’s value-focused Bib Gourmand list leans into the city’s everyday favorites — cheesesteaks, pizza, delis, and a few newer neighborhood spots. They include:
Beyond the Michelin Stars and Bib Gourmands, the vegan restaurant Pietramala in Northern Liberties earned a Michelin Green Star for sustainability.
According to the guide, a one-star restaurant offers “high-quality cooking, worth a stop;” two stars provide “excellent cooking, worth a detour;” and three stars signify “exceptional cuisine, worth a special journey.” A Bib Gourmand reflects “good food at a moderate price.”
