Center City Restaurant Week Returns to Philadelphia: Your Guide

From Philly and the Pa. suburbs to South Jersey and Delaware, what would you like WHYY News to cover? Let us know! Center City District Restaurant Week is back through Saturday, Jan. 31, bringing a wide range of dining options from more than 120 restaurants across Philadelphia’s downtown area. The city tradition, which began in 2003, offers limited-time menus at discounted prices. Three-course, prix-fixe dinners will be available for $45 or $60, while two-course lunches will be offered for $20. The event will take place once this year. “Our Center City restaurant community is strong and vibrant, and it’s among the best in the country,” said Giavana Pruiti, director of promotions and activations for the Center City District, which organizes the event, in an interview with WHYY News. “We have everyone in Restaurant Week, from Michelin- and James Beard–recognized restaurants to small, family-owned places and new shifts breaking on to the scene. Driving people to their restaurants during the slower time is priority number one for us,” Pruiti said. How CCD Restaurant Week works Participating restaurants will offer Restaurant Week menus throughout the event, with availability and details varying by location. Diners are encouraged to check individual restaurant pages on the Center City District website for menu offerings, reservation information and whether lunch, dinner or both are available. Restaurants create their own menus for Restaurant Week. The Center City District website includes a dedicated page for each participating restaurant and allows diners to filter options by cuisine, menu type and dietary preferences, including gluten-free, vegan and vegetarian choices. During Restaurant Week, diners can park for $10 or less at participating garages operated by BexPark by Brandywine Realty Trust, LAZ Parking and the Philadelphia Parking Authority. The discounted rate is available from 4:45 p.m. to 1 a.m., with participating locations listed on a dedicated section of the CCD Restaurant Week website. In a season when restaurant traffic often slows, Restaurant Week has coincided with measurable gains in activity across Center City. According to data from the CCD, weekends during last January’s Restaurant Week saw a 19% increase in visitors between 4 p.m. and 10 p.m., along with a 9% increase over the full day compared with surrounding weeks. Organizers said the increase in activity is part of a broader goal behind Restaurant Week. “In addition to driving business to restaurants during Restaurant Week, an overall goal of the program is to remind people that Center City has a great collection of restaurants and that they should go back and continue to support them month after month, all year long,” Pruiti said. “We want people to use this as an opportunity to find their next favorite place or become a regular somewhere, not just during Restaurant Week.” A mix of new and returning restaurants This year’s lineup includes new participants such as Rockwell and Rose and Rhythm and Spirits, along with the Bib Gourmand–recognized Dizengoff. Returning staples include D’Angelo’s, Caribou Cafe, Spice Finch, Gran Caffe L’Aquila and Dim Sum House by Jane G’s. One notable return this year is Tequilas, which is rejoining the program after a fire forced the restaurant to close in 2023. “We are very excited to welcome Tequilas back to the program. They were one of the first Restaurant Week participants way back in 2003,” Pruiti shared. “They suffered a really devastating fire, but they are back and better than ever.” The restaurant is one of more than 120 businesses participating in this year’s Center City District Restaurant Week. A full list of participating restaurants, along with menu details and reservation information, is available online. For those unable to attend during Restaurant Week, the Center City District is also offering its annual Dinner for a Year promotion. Four winners will each receive a year’s worth of restaurant gift cards to select Center City restaurants. Entries can be submitted through the Center City District website. No purchase is necessary.