Here's a look at new Philadelphia hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this summer. The new and renovated Philadelphia venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Atop chic new Center City hotel the Logan is a 4,000-square-foot alfresco lounge named Assembly. The space towers high above Philadelphia, with sweeping views of Logan Circle. The sophisticated atmosphere extends to its beverage program, which offers an extensive list of champagne by the glass. For events, the space can hold 100 seated guests or accommodate 150 cocktail style. It opened in April.
P Square Lounge at Macaroni's Restaurant first opened in 2014, but in May the venue added an outdoor kitchen and patio space. With the new bar, communal table, lounge seating and outdoor dining tables, it now can accommodate a mix of 250 seated and standing guests. The new kitchen churns out brick-oven pizzas, sandwiches, and other casual, shareable plates. Built-in televisions and speakers are available for use at events.
The team behind BRU in Midtown Village reopened the Uptown Beer Garden in Logan Circle for the season in May, debuting several changes and improvements. The venue now includes an outdoor grill, two expanded bars, a third bar, custom picnic benches, and additional seating. The 9,000-square-foot outdoor space holds 500 guests, and planners have the option to book private parties in the atrium of the adjacent BNY Mellon Wealth building. This year, lauded chef Jonathan Petruce will run the kitchen, serving plates such as grilled skewers and Philadelphia-inspired sandwiches. The bar carries a selection of limited and seasonal beers and cocktails.
As part of its recent $164 million expansion, SugarHouse Casino opened Hugo's Frog Bar & Chop House in May. The menu features traditional steakhouse fare such as oysters, lobster tail, prime cuts of beef, and over-the-top desserts. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant is accessible directly from the casino floor and can seat 240, while a 625-square-foot private dining room, complete with audiovisual capabilities, can accommodate 50 guests.
In June, Top of the Tower unveiled its new concept: a German beer garden with stellar views of the city. SkyGarten occupies the 51st floor of a Center City skyscraper, making it the highest outdoor public space in Philadelphia. For this venture, the venue collaborated with the restaurateurs behind Brauhaus Schmitz on South Street. The 2,500-square-foot space holds as many as 170 guests for receptions but also offers some seating. Audiovisual needs and catering are available through the existing channels at Top of the Tower's event space.
Housed in a 19th-century whiskey blending and bottling factory, Wm. Mulherin's Sons opened in the spring. The new restaurant and bar kept the factory's original name but transformed the space into an urban Italian restaurant. New features such as mosaic floor tiles, a black walnut bar, and a hand-painted mural, along with restored signs, windows, and millwork, make the space feel historic yet contemporary. A 1,000-square-foot private dining room—complete with fireplace—can seat 40 guests. Later this year, a four-room hotel will open on the second and third floors of the building.
Chef David Jansen, formerly of Fountain, opened his own place in Mt. Airy in April. The eponymous restaurant is warm and inviting, with contemporary New American cuisine that pays close attention to detail. Measuring 2,000 square feet, Jansen can accommodate 66 seated guests inside and an additional 20 outside, weather permitting. A private dining room seats 12.
In April, Nick's Bar & Grille in Old City unveiled a renovation that includes new decor, artwork, fixtures, custom-made dining tables, and an updated bar area. The laid-back restaurant offers a friendly, affordable alternative to the neighborhood's trendy vibe. Behind the scenes, the kitchen now includes a smoker, which adds house-smoked barbecue favorites to the comfort-food menu. Measuring 1,300 square feet, Nick's can seat a total of 56 guests.
A new activity venue, iFly Indoor Skydiving, opened in April in suburban King of Prussia. Indoor skydiving is the main draw here, but planners can reserve an audiovisual-equipped executive boardroom or on-site party room for private gatherings. The 5,500-square-foot facility can accommodate 194 guests for buyouts, and catering is available through select local restaurants.
Jaxon, a stylish new B.Y.O.B. eatery, opened in Northern Liberties in March 2016. The 600-square-foot restaurant can accommodate 24 seated guests for lunch or dinner buyouts. An open kitchen lets guests watch the back-of-house magic as the chefs prepare the menu's New American dishes.
