10 New Venues in Philadelphia for Spring 2022 Meetings and Events

Positano Coast by Aldo Lamberti completed a top-to-bottom renovation in April. The iconic Old City spot now features brightly colored seating, vintage-style chandeliers, new artwork and wallpaper, and more exciting changes. Spanning 9,400 square feet, the venue can seat as many as 250 guests or accommodate 325 for cocktail-style events. Several areas within the venue can be reserved for smaller groups, including the 2,000-square-foot Dock Street Deck that seats up to 110; the 815-square-foot Meridiana Room, with room for up to 60; and the 430-square-foot Sirenuse Room for up to 40 seated guests. The restaurant's menu stays true to its Amalfi Coast roots, with dishes such as diver scallops, spicy fried calamari and squid-ink pasta with sea urchin and crab.

March brought the opening of Wilder, a three-story, 4,500-square-foot restaurant, bar and event space in Rittenhouse Square. Here, guests can enjoy vibrant dishes with American and international influences, like handmade squid-ink bucatini, oysters sourced from the East Coast and Hudson Valley foie gras. The first two levels of the space feature the main dining room and bar, while a private dining room occupies the third floor. Each area of the restaurant features its own unique look and feel, starting with the first floor's enchanting space decorated with vintage Persian rugs, antique gilded chandeliers and colorful floor tiles. The bar has a black-and-white stone countertop contrasting brightly colored, leopard-print stools. And upstairs, the 25-seat private event space is home to original murals, brass accents, an open kitchen and communal seating. Buyouts are available for up to 150 for a seated event.

New Hope’s famed restaurant Marsha Brown’s was reinvented as Oldestone in November. Set in a former church circa 1872, the restaurant offers an authentically historic atmosphere that would be difficult to recreate in a new build. Decor highlights include a hand-crafted bar, 30-foot-tall mural, stained-glass windows, hand-tiled mosaic and the original church pews. The entire, 9,000-square-foot venue can seat up to 250 guests, while the first-floor dining room, bar and lounge can accommodate up to 111; the second-floor dining room has room for up to 106; and the loft lounge seats 36. The menu spans a range of upscale cuisines, such as day boat scallops with coconut rice, vodka-cured gravlax with cucumber radish salad, a raw bar and lobster bisque, just to name a few.

In February, Old City retail shop Art in the Age reopened its bar and tasting room. The space is moody yet inviting, with a mix of industrial details—such as exposed water pipes and brick—with more polished features, including dark wood floors and stylish pendant lighting. Art in the Age's reopening brings with it the addition of a heated Cocktail Garden, where guests can gather outside no matter the season. Looking to level up the guest experience? Cocktail workshops and guided tastings are available for groups of up to 30 people, and cocktail parties can accommodate up to 50. Mixologists can work with planners to create custom mixed drinks using spirits from the venue's sister distillery Tamworth Distilling.

In April, the team behind Dim Sum House opened XI West, a 6,000-square-foot Chinese- and female-owned event venue in University City. Visually stunning and versatile, the industrial-chic space accommodates as many as 225 guests for seated banquets and 350 for cocktail-style events, though areas can be sectioned off for smaller groups. The cuisine focuses on family-style Chinese and dim-sum-themed gatherings, with options like Peking duck, honey tempura king crab legs and shrimp-chive dumplings. Vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free menus are also available.

In November, Brooklyn Bowl opened an outpost in Fishtown. With neon signage on the walls, a disco ball hanging from the ceiling and two sleek bars, the environment feels altogether fun and chic, yet modern and retro. The 38,680-square-foot venue includes multiple areas for events, including a restaurant serving up cuisine from New York-based Blue Ribbon (think: French bread pizza, jumbo sandwiches and barbecue pork ribs), 24 bowling lanes and a live music space. In total, Brooklyn Bowl can accommodate up to 1,000 guests and has AV capabilities, plus full concert sound and lighting, as well as the ability to livestream concerts and conferences.

In October, Glu Hospitality opened two side-by-side restaurants adjacent to The Piazza in Northern Liberties. Boasting more than 250 seats, Figo Ristorante and Figo Pizzeria span nearly 10,000 square feet (5,000 inside, 5,000 outside) in total between the dining room, bar and patio, making it the largest restaurant in the neighborhood. An earthy color palette with copper accents and pops of florals, plus an open kitchen, tufted leather banquettes and multiple TV screens at the u-shaped bar create a modern, inviting space. Figo Ristorante's (pictured) fine-dining menu takes its cues from traditional Italian cuisine made with fresh, high-quality ingredients for dishes including grilled octopus, spaghetti alla chitarra and pork Milanese. Sixteen beers (including Peroni) are available on tap. Next door, Figo Pizzeria is a more casual outpost serving pizzas, hoagies and calzones.

In March, Old City welcomed the long-awaited Museum of Illusions. Although the Philadelphia location is one of more than 30 Museums of Illusions around the world, the space remains a one-of-a-kind event venue wherever it opens. Private events at the 5,000-square-foot Philly museum allow for up to 120 guests to snap Instagram-friendly, mind-bending photos from the more than 60 interactive exhibits that challenge what visitors thought they knew about perception and the human brain.

Graduate Hospital’s Jet Wine Bar reopened its outdoor oasis, Jet Wine Garden, in March, adding a sprawling mural by Philadephia's own Carlos “Calo” Rosa, along with works from other local talent. Along with a wide selection of wines from around the world (Jet Wine Bar is known as Philly's "global vineyard"), guests can enjoy cocktails such as spiced red sangria, sparkling margaritas and house-made limoncello. Meanwhile, the kitchen is serving up bites like lamb meatballs and roasted cauliflower wraps. The wine bar spans 5,600 square feet—3,200 square feet inside and 2,400 in the Wine Garden. Events can accommodate as many as 80 guests for seated meals and 120 for cocktail receptions.

Patchwork Restaurant opened in December on the second floor of the Hyatt Centric Center City Philadelphia. The upscale, 2,850-square-foot space boasts modern furnishings, with a mix of banquette, lounge and bar seating. Up to 60 guests can enjoy a sit-down meal from a New-American menu that incorporates Japanese and Mediterranean influences (think:Cape May oysters, blackened salmon, Margherita flatbreads, and olive oil carrot cake). For meetings, corporate gatherings or live entertainment additions, podiums with microphones, large screens, projectors and other AV capabilities are available for use.