Chestnut Hill Philadelphia Restaurants: Where to Eat

Chestnut Hill Philadelphia restaurants sit along Germantown Avenue, a cobbled main street at the city's northwest edge. The street is known for McNally's Tavern and its Schmitter sandwich, Cake in a converted greenhouse, Bredenbeck's Bakery and its ice cream parlor, and the Market at the Fareway, a small food hall. This guide explains what each is good for.

Which Chestnut Hill Philadelphia restaurants are worth knowing first?

Chestnut Hill feels like a village inside the city, and its food follows the same pattern: older institutions beside newer kitchens. Two independent publications, Philadelphia Magazine and The Infatuation, name the places below, which is why they lead this guide.

• McNally's Tavern is a long-running tavern that The Infatuation recommends. Philadelphia Magazine points to the Schmitter, a sandwich of salami, steak and cheese, and to the homemade chocolate cake.
• Cake is a bakery and cafe in a converted Victorian greenhouse, according to The Infatuation. Philadelphia Magazine lists it for Sunday brunch in a greenhouse-style room and notes that it is BYOB.
• Bredenbeck's Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor is known for ice cream and baked goods, according to The Infatuation. Philadelphia Magazine mentions the bakery as well.
• Poppy's Cafe is a coffee spot popular with locals and visitors, and it has a stand in the Market at the Fareway.
• Market at the Fareway is the small food hall that houses Poppy's and a few other food businesses. Philadelphia Magazine names a bakery, a deli and a pizza and beer counter among them.

Menus and stalls change. Treat this as the starting list and check each place before you plan around it.

Where is the best Germantown Avenue dining?

Germantown Avenue runs the full length of the neighborhood, and almost everything worth eating sits within a short walk of the avenue. The easiest way to explore it is on foot, from the lower shops up toward the top of the hill. Stop where something looks busy, and ask the person behind the counter what they would order.

If you are staying for the day, split it. Take coffee at one end, a longer meal in the middle and something sweet near the top. The avenue rewards a slow pace more than a plan.

What should you order for a Chestnut Hill lunch?

For a classic, order the Schmitter at McNally's Tavern. It is built from salami, steak and melted cheese, and it is the local answer to the cheesesteak. If you want a sandwich with a Philadelphia argument attached, read the cheesesteak, roast pork and hoagie guide first.

For something lighter, Cake's cafe menu fits a quieter lunch, and the Market at the Fareway lets a group split up and eat different things under one roof. Chestnut Hill lunch is easy to share: one person gets the sandwich, another the baked goods, and everyone tastes a bit of both.

Is there a good Chestnut Hill bakery?

Two stand out. Bredenbeck's Bakery & Ice Cream Parlor is the older institution, and it is the place for a scoop or a baked treat. Cake is the greenhouse cafe, known as a bakery as well as a brunch room. If you only have time for one, pick the one that matches your mood: old-fashioned for Bredenbeck's, bright and airy for Cake.

Plan to eat the baked goods the same day. They are best fresh, and the walk back down the avenue is a good excuse to share.

What about the Chestnut Hill farmers market?

Philadelphia Magazine's guide mentions a farmers market on Winston Lane on Saturdays. Confirm the current season and hours on the neighborhood's own pages before you go, because markets change their schedules. If you enjoy markets, the Philadelphia farmers markets guide covers the city's others and what to buy at each.

How do you plan a day in Chestnut Hill?

Pick one meal and build the day around it. A morning could start with coffee at Poppy's Cafe, continue with a walk along the avenue, and end with a sandwich at McNally's Tavern or a slice of something at Cake. Weekend brunches fill up, so go earlier or later than the main rush if you can.

If you are bringing family, the food hall is easiest because everyone can choose. If it is a date or a quiet catch-up, a cafe table is better. Either way, note what you ordered, so the next visit is easy to plan. Parking on the avenue fills up on weekends, and many visitors arrive by regional rail from Center City instead. Check the transit authority's pages for the current line and schedule. Wear comfortable shoes, because the cobbled sidewalks slope and the shops are spread over several blocks. If it rains, the food hall is the driest place to regroup.

Where next in Philadelphia?

If you want another part of the city's northwest, the Mount Airy and Germantown guide covers the avenue a few miles down, and the Manayunk guide covers a very different street. The Pennsylvania hub links the state's towns, and the US food guides hold the rest of the country.

How can Mosey help you remember Chestnut Hill?

Tags in the Mosey app record what a visit was like, a quick lunch or a long dinner with the family, for instance, so the people you follow can find the same kind of meal later. If an allergy matters, the Hide dishes that list filter hides dishes where a place has listed that allergen, but the app never says a place or dish is free of anything and does not check allergens, so ask the kitchen directly.

When the afternoon is done, open the Mosey app, rate your Chestnut Hill sandwich by the dish and add the stop to a list for your next visit.