60 new restaurants coming to the Philly area this fall

The Philadelphia-area restaurant scene was hot over the summer. As we head into fall, it won’t cool down.

I count 60 projects on the way in the next several months. Many have been on the books for more than a year as owners work out financing, construction, and permitting delays.

Here are a few highlights, as well as hitherto-unreported restaurants. As you’ll see, the concepts are both high and low. And in one case, Hi-Lo:

Downtown West Chester will get 9 Prime, a 400-seat steak house with a retractable roof on two levels in a former bank. Chef Fabio Viviani of Bravo’s Top Chef fame is attached.

Loch Bar, a seafood destination out of Baltimore, is being built out on the ground floor of the Arthaus at Broad and Spruce. Its location across from the Kimmel Center will light up a dark corner.

Paffuto, a casual Italian concept from chefs Jake Loeffler, Sam Kalkut, and Dan Griffiths, will take Bibou’s former location in South Philadelphia.

Kiddo, an American bistro in the former Pinefish in Washington Square West, marks the ownership debut of chef Wyatt Piazza.

Hi-Lo Taco Co., a bar-restaurant in Washington Square West, is Jeff Newman’s interpretation of “high/low,” as he incorporates high-end ingredients in a casual concept.

The Mainland Inn in Harleysville, whose property is being redone, will see the Mallard at Mainland Inn from Manuel and Cindy Jiménez of Ambler’s La Provence.

Cleo Bagels, in West Philadelphia, and Kismet Bagels Luncheonette on the Main Line, will keep the bagel and bialy trend rolling.

Bake’n Bacon, a long-anticipated bacon-focused bar-restaurant, is among 17 newcomers in South Philadelphia alone.

The Philly classics High Street, Jim’s South St. Steaks, and Royal Tavern are returning.

Cherry Hill will get a deli called Radin’s from Russ Cowan, who owns Famous 4th Street Deli.

Opening dates are fluid.

Bar Lesieur (1523 Sansom St.): The Schulson Collective is reconfiguring its short-lived Samuel’s into a French bar. (It’s on the street level. The underground Giuseppe’s & Sons remains.)

Barcade (1326 Chestnut St.): The Fishtown game room/ bar’s long-delayed location in Center City’s Hale Building is getting closer.

Dizengoff (1625-27 Sansom St.): Mike Solomonov and Steve Cook are merging Abe Fisher and Dizengoff’s former spaces into an 85-seat full-service restaurant serving lunch and dinner, with a 10-seat bar and extended sidewalk patio, replacing Abe Fisher.

High Street Philly (101 S. Ninth St.): Ellen Yin recaptures the spirit of her original Old City location in the Franklin, expanding from a small takeout into the corner of Ninth and Chestnut Streets with menus highlighting the bakery, pizza, pastas, coffees and cocktails, and a selection of small-production wines, focused on American and East Coast producers.

Hi-Lo Taco Co. (1109 Walnut St.): Jeff Newman, a.k.a. Newman the Food Man, has a brick-and-mortar location for Hi-Lo, which started in Fishtown in late 2021 as a taco pop-up in what is now Gilda. He’s taking the former Bareburger for a bar-restaurant with seating and a window.

Kiddo (1138 Pine St.): Chef Wyatt Piazza will offer contemporary American fare with an emphasis on vegetables in the former Pinefish at 12th and Pine Streets.

Loch Bar (301 S. Broad St.): The swellegant seafood restaurant from Baltimore takes the corner of Broad and Spruce Street, in the Arthaus building.

Miss Saigon (1316 Walnut St.): Chinatown restaurateurs Kenny Poon and David Taing are opening a Vietnamese bar-restaurant in the former Toasted Walnut.

Mulherin’s (1175 Ludlow St.): A pizza-focused offshoot of Wm. Mulherin’s Sons in East Market.

Oltremare (2121 Walnut St.): Chef Townsend Wentz is going with Amalfi Coast-inspired Italian seafood at his former Townsend Rittenhouse location, which had closed during the pandemic.

Sofi Corner Cafe (1112 Locust St.): Christophe Mathon and Soufiane Boutliliss’ sunny French-Moroccan cafe plans all-day service.

Essen North (110 W. Berks St.): A bakery/cafe from James Beard Award-nominated baker Tova Du Plessis of Essen in South Philadelphia.

Fiore Fine Foods (2413 Frankford Ave.): Chefs Justine MacNeil and Ed Crochet are moving/downsizing their Italian restaurant.

Joe & Kay (704 N. Second St.): Owen Kamihira of Northern Liberties’ El Camino Real and his sons are headed down the street with an izakaya.

SIN Philadelphia (1102 Germantown Ave.): An Italian steak house promising “vibe dining,” at the Beverly, across from the Piazza in Northern Liberties.

Starbolt (1936 N. Front St.): This spacious bar-restaurant opens Sept. 7 in the former James Peter & Sons ironworks. Owners Jason Evenchik, Patrick Iselin, and Craig MacBain, part of the team behind The Goat Rittenhouse, Time, Heritage, and Vintage Wine Bar, have retained chef Pat Szoke (Palizzi, JG SkyHigh, Fork) to offer a nightly dinner menu of New American classics, plus weekend brunch and weekday happy hour at three bars.

BlackHen (120 Chestnut St.): A fried chicken shop from Felicia Wilson of Amina.

Bake’n Bacon (1148 S. 11th St): Justin Coleman’s porcine-pushing bar-restaurant is overcoming construction issues at 11th and Ellsworth Streets.

Brooklyn Dumpling Shop (308 South St.): The finish line is finally in sight for this New York-based shop that sends its dumplings out in tiny electronic “lockers,” like the old-fashioned Horn & Hardart Automats. Subsequent locations: 3400 Lancaster Ave. and 1504 Sansom St.

Bucatini Caffe (1824 S. 13th St.): Dejvi Furxhi and chef Chris Miller are opening an offshoot of Furxhi’s Burrata just off East Passyunk Avenue.

Get A Gato (638 Christian St.): No kitten: This cat cafe from Amelie’s Bark Shop owner Jackie Starker combines a lounge area for adoptable cats with a cafe serving Colombian-inspired snacks.

Greenstreet Coffee Co. (1205 S. 15th St.): Greenstreet Coffee Roasters plans giveaways for the Sept. 8′s grand opening of its new Point Breeze shop.

Insatiable (1200 S. 21st St.): Point Breeze’s former Burg’s Lounge is becoming a bar-restaurant from chef Denise Gesek.

Jim’s Steaks (400-402 South St.): The landmark cheesesteak shop is coming back, at double the size.

Little Susie’s Coffee & Pie (1754 S. Chadwick St.): Daniel Martino’s pie shop opens its third location, heading to the corner of Chadwick and Moore Streets.

Paffuto (1009 S. Eighth St.): Chefs Jake Loeffler, Sam Kalkut, and Dan Griffiths have found an auspicious brick-and-mortar location for their Italian pop-up. It’s the former Bibou, and it will include a modest market.

Pho Skyline (910 Christian St.): Vincent Pho and family are opening a pho shop in the Italian Market.

Queen & Rook Cafe (123 South St.): The next move for board-game cafe owners Edward Garcia and Jeannie Wong, now at 607 S. Second St., is around the corner. Roomier quarters.

Rosy’s East (624 S. Sixth St.): Rosy’s Taco Bar adds a second location, taking the former Beau Monde at Sixth and Bainbridge Streets.

Royal Tavern (937 E. Passyunk Ave.): The venerable tap room, shuttered since the pandemic, plans to reopen in November.

Samuel S. Gritz Public House (629 S. Second St.): The long-vacant Irish Times at Second and Bainbridge Streets in Queen Village is getting a top-to-bottom makeover from new owners Charlie Collazo, Neil Campbell, and Frank Bell III.

Sate Kampar (611 S. Seventh St.): Chef Ange Branca, whose Sate Kampar closed during the pandemic, is modeling her new two-level restaurant (in the former Nomad Pizza) on the idea of the Malaysian kopitiam — a sort of food court, whose chefs will represent cuisines that are underrepresented in Philadelphia.

Seaforest Bake Shop (626 S. 16th St.): Sue Lee, a self-taught baker from Seoul, heads to the corner of 16th and Bainbridge Streets with a cafe/bake shop offering specialty coffees and Korean-inspired treats.

Umai Umai (705 S. Fifth St.): Alex McCoy’s Fairmount sushi BYOB takes the corner spot at Fifth and Monroe Streets (at East Passyunk Avenue) previously occupied by Modo Mio and Plenty Cafe. With new partner Sam Shin, this location will have a full bar, plus a raw bar and sushi bar.

Cleo Bagels (5013 Baltimore Ave.): Alex Malamy, in the bagel biz for years under the nom de carb Dodo Bagels, has set a Sept. 9 grand opening for his Cedar Park storefront, which also sells bialys and tinned fish and has a charming garden out back.

Two Locals Brewing Co. (37th and Market Streets): Brothers Richard and Mengistu Koilor, who operate Philadelphia’s first Black-owned brewery, are opening a taproom at uCity Square, a mixed-use development on the Drexel University campus.

Eda’s Pizzeria (5154 Ridge Ave.): Chris Barnes of Lucky’s Trading Co. is branching into New Haven-style pizza out of the same kitchen, premiering Sept. 7. Hours for takeout will be 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday to Sunday.

Char & Stave (8441 Germantown Ave.): Bluebird Distilling’s coffee cafe/roastery/bar/retail offshoot in Chestnut Hill looks to soft-open soon in advance of a Sept. 29 grand opening to match National Coffee Day.

Baby’s Kusina & Market (2816 W. Girard Ave.): Tam and Raquel Dang’s Filipino food pop-up goes brick-and-mortar in Brewerytown with an all-day menu and a market.

The Boozy Mutt (2639 Poplar St.): A bar, restaurant, boutique, and dog park, is replacing the North Star Bar at 27th and Poplar Streets in Fairmount.

Koreana (1543 Spring Garden St.): Mike Harper’s casual Korean restaurant joins the restaurant lineup near Community College of Philadelphia on Spring Garden Street.

Nepali Momo Kitchen (532 N. 15th St.): Gayatri Giri and Bharat Bist of the Voorhees Himalayan restaurant Mount Masala will specialize in the dumplings known as momos at their new spot at 15th and Brandywine Streets in Spring Garden.

Our Town Brewery (1519 Ridge Ave.): The Lancaster brewery is working on a tasting room in Francisville.

Peabody (1431 Cecil B. Moore Ave.): Glu Hospitality replaces the Draught Horse sports bar on Temple University’s campus.

Al Pastor (13 W. Benedict Ave., Havertown): Justin Weathers and Joseph Monnich (Stove & Tap, DePaul’s Table, Joey Chops, etc.) are replacing the shuttered Town Tap by Conshohocken Brewing Co. with an offshoot of their festive taqueria.

Ardmore Donburi (47 E. Lancaster Ave., Ardmore): Japanese rice bowls are the focus of this fast-casual restaurant. Sept. 20 is target opening.

At the Table (118 W. Lancaster Ave., Wayne): Alex Hardy and Tara Buzan-Hardy are looking for a late-September opening for their new location, which will feature a four-seat oyster bar, outdoor garden patio, and a beverage program.

Cafesphere (25 E. State St., Media): Polish-born Magdalena Pasciak is planning a European-style café featuring a menu of Italian coffee drinks, loose leaf teas, sweet and savory croissants, locally sourced cakes and pastries, zero-proof cocktails, and a menu of French baguettes in downtown Media.

Chicken Guy (King of Prussia Mall): Chef Kevin “Steek” Cooper, who won the Guy’s Chance of a Lifetime show last year, will run Guy Fieri’s forthcoming Chicken Guy stand in King of Prussia.

Dim Sum Mania (260 W. Swedesford Rd., Devon): Shanghai dumpling master Tom Guo heads to the Main Line for a branch of his Media Chinese restaurant.

The Highland Glenside (391 Highland Ave., Glenside): Dan Katz of West Avenue Grill and Pizza Wheel takes the former Bernie’s pub in Glenside with a bar-restaurant featuring live music.

9 Prime (9 N. High St., West Chester): Chef Fabio Viviani of Top Chef fame is lending his name and management team to an enormous high-end steak/seafood house and cocktail bar on two levels (plus a retractable roof) in the former First National Bank of West Chester.

P.J. Whelihan’s (200 Ridge Pike, Conshohocken): Successful Philly-area sports bar makes another move, opening in Plymouth Square. Next up, for 2024, is Wynnewood Shopping Center.

Kismet Bagels Luncheonette (801 Montgomery Ave., Penn Valley): Jacob and Alexandra Cohen are adding to their holdings with an expanded luncheonette concept.

Mallard at Mainland Inn (17 Mainland Rd., Harleysville): Manuel and Cindy Jiménez of Amber’s La Provence are reviving the upscale Lower Salford Township restaurant.

Nifty Fifty’s (1140 Old York Rd., Abington): The ’50s-theme diner chain comes to Eastern Montgomery County.

OPA Grille (266 S. Main St., Doylestown): Casual Greek fare in downtown Doylestown; opens Sept. 6.

Redstone American Grill (201 Concourse Blvd., Dresher): The upmarket chain comes to the Promenade at Upper Dublin at Welsh and Dreshertown.

Soko Bag (95 Nutt Rd., Phoenixville): Alice Chang and Shea Roggio’s Korean fried chicken pop-up takes over the former Sal’s Pizza Box to feature boneless birds and beer.

Dolsot House (3746 Church Rd, Mount Laurel): Craig Vogt promises tabletop barbecue cooking, modern Korean cuisine, and sushi/sashimi at this new offshoot of his Cherry Hill restaurant.

Double Nickel Brewing Co. (1585 Route 73, Pennsauken): Chefs/friends Dylan Sambalino (a former chef de cuisine at Hearthside in Collingswood) and Dylan Sweeney (an alum of Cadence in Kensington and Talula’s Table in Kennett Square) will run the pizza oven as the brewery adds food to make it a restaurant.

Radin’s Deli (486 Evesham Rd., Cherry Hill): Deli man Russ Cowan of Famous 4th Street Deli wanted a deli close to his home in Cherry Hill, so he’s taking over the Short Hills Deli.

S5 (1931 Olney Ave., Cherry Hill). Effective immediately, Foodiehall has added sit-down service. The food hall has operated exclusively as a pickup and delivery-only restaurant, serving cuisine from several different concepts. Sylva Senat, a veteran of Top Chef, took over as culinary director and his new concept, S5, featuring soups, salads, and sandwiches, becomes Foodiehall’s 10th concept (Geno’s Steaks, Canting Wok and Noodle Bar, Simply Fowl, DaNick’s Craft Burgers, Criss Crust, Dando Tacos, Mac N Toastie, Fornire Italian Kitchen, Junior’s Doughnuts). There’s a 20-seat dining room and people can order from any of the 10 concepts and dine in-house, or opt for takeout/delivery.