Philadelphia offers a wonderful selection of bars, gastropubs, and fancy dining experiences. Anyone looking to experience bourbon is in luck there! Think bourbon flights, live jazz music, cigar pairings, and a barrel aging program where you can age your own spirit. Philadelphia has a range of experiences that are amazing for any bourbon-lover!
This article highlights five Philadelphia establishments (plus one cigar bar) that have exceptional bourbon and food menus. You do not want to miss these on your next visit to Philly!
529 E. Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19125
Phone: (215) 425-4600
https://www.lloydwhiskeybar.com/
Hours: Monday-Thursday 4 – 11 pm | Friday & Saturday 4 pm – 1 am | Sunday 11 am – 11 pm
Offers food takeaway service.
Lloyd is a small tavern located in Fishtown. They feature a huge list of bourbons by the glass…about 60 choices, and that’s just bourbon! Lloyd offers whiskey flights, including a Small Batch Bourbon flight for $19. The rye list is also expansive (and there is also a rye flight available).
This gastropub has been around since 2012 and is named after the owner’s father—Lloyd. Their Citywide Special is a bottle of Miller High Life with a shot of Old Grand-Dad. The locals love this place for its comfort food. The brunch menu gets a lot of thumbs-ups, and the chicken bites on the appetizer menu are delicious. Lightly breaded but super flavorful! You can also expect hearty fillers, like stout and bourbon beef stew, mac-n-cheese, gourmet burgers, and veggie burgers, too. The cocktail menu is ever-changing and always inventive. You’ll find classic choices but also some fun variations like a Banana Walnut Old Fashioned.
The restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere and isn’t pretentious. It’s designed to encourage you to stick around, watch a game on TV, and chat with the bartenders. It’s small, though, so if you plan on going with a party of 6 or more, you might want to call first to see if they can accommodate you.
1315 Sansom St., Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 985-4800
https://www.timerestaurant.net/
Hours: every day 5 pm – 2 am. Make reservations online!
Offers live jazz music.
If you want to listen to live jazz music while sipping your bourbon, then this is the place you want to be. Time Restaurant has live jazz Thursday through Saturday, and yes, expect the bar to get very crowded once the set starts. Also, expect a $5 upcharge when the music begins. There is a convenient parking garage right across the street, so you don’t need to worry about parking in the Midtown Village area.
Time Restaurant offers bourbon flights for $22, but they also offer a flight of top-shelf whiskeys for $84, as well as flights of Irish, Scotch, Ryes, and more. They have 55 bottles of Bourbon (we counted!) on the menu, so there is plenty to try here. The cocktail menu has some variations on traditional recipes, too. Try the Black Manhattan or the Foe-Hammer (rum, pomegranate raspberry simple syrup, lime, and mint). If you’ve always wanted to try absinthe set on fire, this is a great place to order it.
They have a food menu that is very gastropub. Expect to see crab cake sandwiches, seared pork belly, and fusilli pasta. You’ll see rotating specials featuring duck and rabbit. This is a trendy, upscale place to visit!
118 S. 20th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 665-1088
https://philadelphia.villagewhiskey.com/
Hours: Thursday 5-10 pm | Friday 5 pm-12 am | Saturday 12 pm – 12 am | Sunday 12 pm-10 pm
Offers food for pickup and delivery.
Village Whiskey is located in Center City West. It’s fairly small and can get crowded. That being said, they typically can accommodate larger groups if you call them ahead of time and sort out the logistics.
They advertise a menu that includes over 200 whiskeys. They also offer whiskey flights—but nothing specifically featuring bourbons. Definitely check out the peaty whiskey flight ($28) and the local drams ($23). They also have a flight-of-the-month, which—obviously—changes regularly. Their cocktail menu has the usual classics but with some fun additions. Check out the Spice Jam: Jalapeno-infused Corazon, pineapple mango, and lime.
Village Whiskey also serves food, and their burger makes the “best burger” list in the entire state, year after year. They offer variations on the traditional burger, such as the Whiskey King Burger. This guy has maple bourbon glazed cipollini, Roth Moody blue cheese, applewood bacon, and foie gras ($27). The food menu also features ribs, a smoked salmon BLT, and a swordfish sandwich.
4201 Main Street, Philadelphia, PA 19127
Phone: (267) 323-2495
https://www.thegoatsbeardphilly.com/
Hours: Monday-Friday 4-11 pm | Saturday 12 pm – 12 am | Sunday 11 am – 10 pm. Reservations are available online!
Offers food for pickup.
Located near the river in Manayunk, the Goat’s Beard is a great choice if you are coming off the Manayunk Canal path. The brewpub features craft cocktails, small-batch bourbon, and whiskeys, and crafts American food.
The Goat’s Beard has a nice menu of whiskeys and bourbons. We like that they start their menu off with a list of 12 local whiskeys. They then break out the rest of the whiskey selection by “United States” and then “International” choices. They offer prices for 1 oz. pours (typically in the area of $12), and also 2 oz. pours, with a discount for the 2 oz pour. Some prices can go up as high as $50 for a 2 oz. pour for such selections as Parker’s Heritage or the Lock Stock & Barrel. However, most pours are reasonably priced.
On the food menu, you can see some cheesesteak egg rolls ($13.50), yummy salads ($13+ extra price for meat), Detroit-style pizza ($18), and steak mac and cheese ($28), and fish and chips ($23.50). They offer dipping sauces for their fries, which is always great if you’re just stopping by for refreshments and not a full meal.
1200 Market Street | Philadelphia, PA 19107
Phone: (215) 231-7300
https://www.bankandbourbon.com
Hours: Monday-Friday 7-11:30 am breakfast and 5-10 pm dinner | Saturday and Sunday 7 am – 2 pm breakfast and 5-10 pm dinner. The lounge is open M-F 4 pm -12 am, Saturday 10 am – 2 am, and Sunday, 10 am – 12 am. Reservations are available online.
Bank & Bourbon is located near Washington Square West, close to Philadelphia City Hall. The restaurant is located in the lobby of the Loews Hotel. What we love about this place is its barrel-aging program. If you have a locker membership, the restaurant’s Bourbon Master will help you barrel-age your own bourbon. Pretty cool! Also, the Bourbon Master will help craft a bourbon flight just for you upon request. They have something like 80 bourbon options on hand, so you know you can find a variety to choose from.
The menu also capitalizes on its historic location and heritage by featuring colonial punch beverages and Benjamin Franklin’s favorite Milk Punch cocktail. The cocktail menu is creative (Try the Orange Blossom Special: Elijah Craig bourbon, Aged Rum, St. Germain, Lemon, Ginger, Honey, Orange Bitters; $14), but don’t come here for the draft beer.
For dinner, you can expect upscale food as fitting an urban hotel. They feature expensive steaks ($57-135), fancy fish dishes ($28), and a good offering of dessert wines ($11-18). The burrata with peaches, blackberries, and charred sourdough ($16) is worth it!
If you’re looking for somewhere to enjoy a whiskey and a cigar, this is the place to go. They’ve got a selection of 200 premium handmade cigars to choose from, along with about 100 bourbons to choose from. The bar features whiskey and cocktails.
This distillery features several craft whiskeys, including the Bloody Butcher Bourbon Whiskey. The spirit features notes of milk chocolate, butter, leather, and stone fruit with dry spice on the finish.
This restaurant features “whiskey—lots of it!” and typical pub fare at a price befitting a normal middle-class adult. Check out Whiskey Wednesday, with ½ price whiskey, giveaways, and music (afro beats, reggae, hip hop, and R&B).
This is a store + tasting room and a home bar supply company. This is the place to stock up on bitters, shakers, infusers, and other bar tools. (This store is also a satellite location for tasting spirits by New Liberty Distillery, mentioned above.) We love that they offer cocktail-making classes and special events.