There are, we think, at least two good reasons to dawdle around Cira Centre South, Philadelphia’s first urban experimentation with vertical neighbourhoods. One is to admire Pelli Clarke Pelli’s crystalline FMC Tower just south of 30th Street station, and the other is Walnut Street Café on its ground floor.
Designed by local architects BLT and New York-based Parts and Labor Design, the lofty 21-foot ceilinged space features a café lined in penny tiles and green terrazzo.
Here, flanked by a walnut and brass staircase, and a towering travertine bar, Melissa Weller (ex-Per Se) stocks the pastry counter with pistachio cherry croissant, and spinach and feta bureka, to go with Rival Bros. coffee.
For more serious gastronomic pursuits, a dining room framed by a hand-blown brass and glass chandelier and an open kitchen sets the stage for chef Daniel Eddy’s American menu of Porterhouse steak with Bordelaise sauce and roasted shallots, and ravioli draped with Brown Butter, ricotta, and mint.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
2929 Walnut Street
-
Watches & Wonders 2025: preview Richemont’s latest innovations, on show at the Geneva watch fairDiscover eight enticing timepieces from the luxury group, showcased this week at the Geneva fair
-
Masters of midcentury modern design and their creations spotlighted in new book‘Mid-Century Modern Designers’ is a new book from Phaidon celebrating those who shaped the period and their notable creations, from furniture to objects
-
Drafting nine international artists, Gucci’s ‘90 x 90’ project transforms its silk scarf into a creative canvasPart of Gucci’s ‘The Art of Silk’ initiative, the project sees nine artists riff on the Italian fashion house’s most memorable motifs, from lush depictions of flora and fauna to its signature horsebit
-
Is a tiny tattoo the best holiday souvenir? Kimpton Hotels think soIn partnership with Tiny Zaps, Kimpton Hotels is bringing city-inspired tattoo pop-ups to five U.S. locations
-
Alba Los Angeles is an Italian vacation disguised as a restaurantThis buzzy NYC import brings a slice of la dolce vita to West Hollywood
-
At Bar Etoile, Scandi-chic meets leisurely Los AngelesThis new Melrose Park joint mixes art-world references, French bistro vibes and an out-of-this-world martini
-
The world's most heavenly destinations for astrotourism in 2025We're in for a big year for celestial events. These are the world's best hotels to see the cosmos as you've never seen it before
-
Printemps' New York outpost blooms with possibility – and enchanting designThanks to designer Laura Gonzalez, this new retail mecca blooms colour, atmosphere and narrative
-
At Bar Siesta in Los Angeles, meals linger and moods perk upThis new Silver Lake hotspot showcases Spain's design, culture, and delectable tinned fish
-
New York’s only revolving restaurant is back in actionLocated inside the New York Marriott Marquis, The View Restaurant and Lounge reopens following a 360 refresh courtesy of The Rockwell Group
-
An Upper East Side townhouse is transformed into a chic French bistroAt Chez Fifi, Sweden’s Joyn Studio has created an elevated setting that transports diners to 1930s Paris
