10 New Venues in Philadelphia for Summer 2021 Meetings and Events

LIVE! Casino & Hotel Philadelphia opened its doors in South Philly in March. The entertainment and hospitality complex features a 12-story, 208-room hotel complete with several rooms for private functions. Available event spaces range from the 541-square-foot, 12-seat Whitman Boardroom to the 15,500-square-foot Market Ballroom, which accommodates as many as 1,000 for cocktail parties or 800 for sit-down banquets. Elsewhere on-site, a 510,000-square-foot casino features table games, slot machines, poker rooms and a variety of dining outlets, including The Prime Rib steakhouse, Sports & Social restaurant, Luk Fu karaoke lounge and Morty’s, a New York-style deli.

In June, La Chinesca opened in Spring Arts. Adorned with eclectic, vintage decor, the playful venue features a colorful palette, cozy lounge tables and multiple seating areas. Diners can enjoy a menu inspired by Mexican American and Chinese American cuisine, with shareable dishes like shrimp and black bean tostadas, baby corn elote and braised beef tacos. The beverage menu features beers on tap and in bottles, wines by the glass and bottle, and mezcal and tequila cocktails. Spanning 3,000 square feet, the playfully decorated restaurant seats 125 outside, 18 at the bar and 50 in a basement-level private dining room.

After four years of construction, the Philadelphia Museum of Art unveiled its highly anticipated remodel and expansion in May. The Frank Gehry-led project encompasses nearly 90,000 square feet of space within the museum’s landmark, circa-1928 building. Distinct areas include the Robbi and Bruce Toll Terrace, which features integrated ramps to facilitate access for all visitors, as well as the renovated 3,500-square-foot Lenfest Hall entrance, the event-friendly Williams Forum and the 640-foot-long Vaulted Walkway corridor. Additional areas of the museum, once housing offices and other non-public-facing facilities, have been converted into two new gallery suites totaling 20,000 square feet of exhibition and event space.

Fishtown’s Kensington Quarters debuted a renovation in March. Now decorated with wood tones, sailing materials and cozy booths, the 4,000-square-foot restaurant borrows from the neighborhood’s history in the ship-building and shad-fishing industries. In turn, the menu has shifted in focus from prime meats to coastal cuisine, with a raw bar replacing the restaurant’s signature butcher shop. In total, the restaurant seats 125 inside and 60 outside, and private dining areas are available on the second level.

Set to open in July, Lark is the newest outpost from Top Chef winner and BE Hospitality Consulting co-founder Nicholas Elmi, whose Mediterranean menu is still in the works as of press time. Located on the top level of Ironworks at Pencoyd Landing in Bala Cynwyd, the sleek, minimalist space is now the only rooftop restaurant on Philly’s Main Line. Planners can book events in the library or on the rooftop terrace, which offers unparalleled views of the Schuylkill River and the surrounding area. The venue easily lends itself to events of various sizes: full buyouts accommodate 250 seated guests or 300 cocktail style; the 3,225 dining room and bar seat 150 or accommodate 250 for cocktails; the 1,250-square-foot library seats 100 or 150 for cocktails; the 1,225-square-foot terrace fits 50 seated or 100 cocktail style; and the 800-square-foot lounge accommodates as many as 80 for cocktails.

Lola's Garden opened in April in Suburban Square on the Main Line. Incorporating comfortable community seating, the decor mixes greenery and flowers with found objects and repurposed materials. The stunning space includes a 1,800-square-foot dining room and wine bar that seats 100, as well as a 2,500-square-foot outdoor area with seating for 140. The kitchen doles out chef-driven, simple dishes like grilled duck with local mushrooms, crispy chickpea fritters and a selection of local cheeses, while the bar features a rotating selection of cocktails and 15 Pennsylvania beers on tap.

Steps from the Pennsylvania Convention Center, Philadelphia Marriott Downtown remodeled its Liberty Ballroom in early 2021. With design elements that stay true to the gothic history of the building, the 6,144-square-foot, statement-making space can accommodate as many as 570 for receptions or 400 for banquets. In total, the 1,322-room hotel offers more than 93,000 square feet of dedicated meeting and event space.

In June, Revival Pizza Pub opened its doors in Chester Springs. The 6,700-square-foot multilevel space seats 190 people and features ample natural light, oversized windows and a massive outdoor cafe. Inside the dining room, guests will find a 40-foot L-shaped bar and various spaces for private and semiprivate events. While the from-scratch kitchen serves housemade pastas, salads and small plates, the menu’s main attraction is the sourdough pizza that cooks up in just four minutes. Fresh-juice cocktails, biodynamic wines and beer on tap are standouts at the bar.

DePaul's Table, a 10,000-square-foot modern Italian steakhouse, opened in the historic Haverford Trust Bank building in downtown Ardmore in May. The menu features fine cuts of Dry Aged Pat La Frieda meats, along with fresh seafood, savory flatbreads and hearty salads. The restaurant—which boasts high ceilings, grand architecture, stunning wood floors and wood tones—seats a total of 190 guests. For private events, DePaul's offers five unique spaces, including semiprivate event space at the main bar, bar dining area, main dining room and upstairs mezzanine, as well as a completely private event space on the second level.

Delta Hotel Philadelphia Airport opened in March. The hotel houses 348 guest rooms and is equipped with convenient amenities like in-room smart TVs, a fully appointed fitness center and a complimentary airport shuttle service. Throughout the property, 15 meeting rooms span more than 10,000 square feet of space, including the 6,624-square-foot Grand Ballroom, which accommodates 800 theater style, 800 for receptions or 500 for banquets; the 2,016-square-foot Liberty Room, with space for 250 for receptions or 150 for banquets; and the 572-square-foot, 12-seat Jefferson Boardroom.