Restaurants:
Eating on Avenue of the Arts has never been better and new restaurants seem to be opening all the time.- Broad Street features some of the area’s best steak houses, with local luminary hangout The Palm, and the elegant, club-like Capital Grille - not to mention local editions of the popular Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse and Morton’s of Chicago chains nearby.
- McCormick & Schmick’s Seafood Restaurant flies in its fish daily from coastal waters around the world. Sharing the same building at Broad and Locust are Sotto Varalli, also serving seafood, and Upstares at Varalli, where Italian fare is dished out high atop Broad Street.
- Inside The Kimmel Center, Cadence is a convenient option for a pre-theater meal.
- The dramatic Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia Hotel boasts The Grill, with fine dining and an excellent wine list.
- On the culinary cutting edge, Bliss was recently recognized by Esquire magazine for its new American cuisine and soothing atmosphere.
- Inside the Park Hyatt at the Bellevue are Zanzibar Blue, a favorite for soul food and live jazz, and Nineteen, a newly opened 19th floor hotspot that redefines hotel restaurants thanks to giant pearls that drip from the dining room ceiling, a thoroughly luxe living room lounge and an innovative menu.
- Downstairs at the Park Hyatt, The Food Court at the Bellevue provides a quick bite for shoppers and strollers.
- Nearby, the Rittenhouse Square area offers outdoor cafes, four-star restaurants and upscale bars most right along and around Walnut Street and Rittenhouse Square.
Shops:
Shopping options on and off the Avenue are constantly expanding, and with no sales tax on clothing the temptation to shop is irresistible.- Visitors will find flagship stores for Banana Republic and Tower Records, plus Borders Books and Music and Robinson Luggage.
- The chic, upscale shops in the Bellevue include Nicole Miller, Tiffany & Co., Polo Ralph Lauren, Origins and Williams-Sonoma.
- Just off the Avenue, Rittenhouse Row’s shopping and dining district seems to grow by the day with both nationally known shops and locally owned boutiques, including Ann Taylor, Gap, Knit Wit, Kenneth Cole, Joan Shepp, Bluemercury, Waterworks, Puma, Ubiq, Diesel, Kiehl’s, Urban Outfitters, MAC, Coach, Children’s Boutique, Children’s Place and Barnes & Noble.