Here's a look at the best new Philadelphia restaurants, hotels, party rooms, corporate event venues, conference centers, and private rooms to open this winter. These new and renovated Philadelphia venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, meetings, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
Located on the western side of City Hall, the new $55 million Dilworth Park is anchored by a an 11,600-square-foot fountain that can be programmed for events. The public park, which debuted in September, is being offered for company picnics, outdoor movie screenings, concerts, and social events. For tented events, the park holds 4,500 people for receptions or seats 1,500. Several spaces are available for smaller events, including the 25-seat Rosa Blanca Café and adjacent 100-seat PNC Terrace. The Center City District oversees park programming and permits catering from Brûlée Catering and Garces Catering.
FringeArts opened its new headquarters on the Delaware River Waterfront early in 2014, and in September the venue added its on-site restaurant, La Peg. The 8,835-square-foot space seats 130 guests on its main floor and mezzanine, with additional capacity in the outdoor plaza and beer garden. The French brasserie, helmed by celebrated Philadelphia chef Peter Woolsey, is equipped for receptions, dinners, and small performances. Full technical support is available in house for audiovisual needs. Larger events can be accommodated with the inclusion of the attached 232-seat FringeArts theater space.
A working whiskey distillery in the Crane Arts complex, New Liberty Distillery doubles as an event space that opened in August. The rustic setting has dark reclaimed wood floors, exposed brick, and industrial-style lighting. Stephen Starr Events is the events and catering partner. The space holds 500 people for receptions.
Overlooking its namesake square, the Rittenhouse Spa & Club—Hair by Paul Labrecque opened at the Rittenhouse hotel in September. The 15,000-square-foot complex includes a spa, salon, health club, pool, and outdoor deck and lounge. The project was the final component of the luxury hotel's multimillion-dollar renovation undertaken by property owners Hersha Hospitality Trust in 2012. Spa cuisine is available from the property's Lacroix restaurant.
Billing itself as the only Hawaiian tiki bar in Philadelphia, the Yachtsman in Fishtown offers a truly tropical environment. The bar holds 50 guests for events from holiday parties and casual meetings to luaus and pig roasts. The 1,500-square-foot venue offers a full sound system and projector for presentation and ambiance.
Courtyard Philadelphia Lansdale opened in September. The new suburban property houses 135 guest rooms on six floors and is one of the first Courtyard by Marriott hotels in Philadelphia with Cynergy design, incorporating sophisticated details into functional spaces. It also offers local flavor: the full-service restaurant and bar, for example, has a ceiling made from the floors of the original Crayola factory. The hotel has 3,600 square feet of meeting space, which includes the 2,700-square-foot Forum Ballroom, seven breakout rooms, and an outdoor patio. While the ballroom seats 200 guests, each breakout room seats as many as 60. An on-site audiovisual technician is available, and custom catering menus offer American cuisine with a regional twist.
Istanbul Lounge & Banquet Hall opened in the South Street Headhouse District in July. The 7,500-square-foot event space offers multiple options for groups. The conference room seats 30 guests, the banquet hall seats 90, the café lounge seats 40, the dining room seats 74, and the bar seats 60. The Middle Eastern decor recalls the days of the Ottoman Empire, and guests can enjoy traditional Turkish cuisine like kebabs and baklava, all made on the premises.
Aqua Vitae Institute, which offers bartending classes for professionals and alcohol-theme seminars for the public, opened in November. The modern 3,300-square-foot facility holds 75 people for receptions or experiential events. The new-build, three-story building in Center City is equipped with two full bars, a wine and craft beer room, a kitchen and conference room, Wi-Fi access, an independent sound system on each floor, and ample power outlets for guests to charge their mobile devices. Multiple catering options are available, and events includes a selection of complimentary hors d'oeuvres. Cocktails—Aqua Vitae's focus—are a standout here and made with fresh produce, herbs, and spices.
Chhaya Café opened in August on East Passyunk Avenue in a storefront that was formally a children's clothing store. Although Chhaya is a coffee shop, the layout was designed to resemble a bar. The 1,800-square-foot space holds 50 people for receptions, seated dinners, trainings, unplugged concerts, and other small events. An outdoor space holds 10 people. There are ample outlets where guests can plug in mobile devices and planners can hook up audiovisual equipment.
Part of the Brewerytown resurgence, Sarah's Place is a classic dive bar with a vinyl soundtrack of R&B, funk, and soul music. The 1,600-square-foot venue opened in October and holds 50 guests on each of its two levels. While Sarah's Place offers a full bar, food options are limited. Planners may arrange for outside catering.
