Lots of good suggestions (downward spiral, my ass) but here's a couple more off-the-beaten-path Rittenhouse suggestions (our old neighborhood - it's amazing):

https://www.sallyphl.com/
https://www.trattoriacarina.com/
https://www.ambrosiabyob.com/

Estia for amazing Greek food - the octopus appetizer and the langoustines are fantastic.

Borrow my friends time machine and go to Le Bec Fin. Otherwise, meh. Philly is in a downward spiral.

Zahav is amazing. Veg if you don't mind vegetarian food.

I would start with open table or resy and see what’s available. Saturday night reservations are not that easy to get.

Zahav for sure. Try emailing them or showing up when they open
to see if you can get in.

Parc in Old Town is always lovely. Same owners as Le Diplomate in Dupont/Logan.

Suraya is good, but it is out of the way in Fishtown. You'll have to drive or Uber there if you're staying in Center City. My most favorite restaurant in Philly is Barbuzzo, which is not too far from Reading Terminal Market. Really great food, drinks, and dessert. Little Nonna's, as a PP recommended, is owned by the same people and also has excellent food. El Vez (a Stephen Starr restaurant, Mexican food) is across from Barbuzzo and is also fun.

Parc is great, but it's probably too late to get a Saturday dinner reservation (it's also pretty much an exact clone of Le Diplomate, though the ambience is slightly nicer because it's on the park). The other places might also be a bit more kid-friendly for a weekend dinner. Around Rittenhouse, I like Twenty Manning Grill and Marathon (the one at 19th and Spruce), which are a bit more casual but have great food. Charley Dove is also very good.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:this was our favorite. Middle Eastern.

https://www.surayaphilly.com/

And Italian:

https://littlenonnas.com/

I took my 12 year old daughter to both.

Another fun and unique place we visited was:

https://www.phillymagicgardens.org/

I doubt you'd be able to get into Zahav, but these are good ideas. Also maybe Parc, Dandelion, Continental. These are all in Center City.

Thank you! And I know we won’t be able to get into Zahav, I’ve tried on the first of the month many times!

Anonymous wrote:this was our favorite. Middle Eastern.

https://www.surayaphilly.com/

And Italian:

https://littlenonnas.com/

I took my 12 year old daughter to both.

Another fun and unique place we visited was:

https://www.phillymagicgardens.org/

I doubt you'd be able to get into Zahav, but these are good ideas. Also maybe Parc, Dandelion, Continental. These are all in Center City.

Zahav? It’s amazing. http://www.zahavrestaurant.com/

this was our favorite. Middle Eastern.

https://www.surayaphilly.com/

And Italian:

https://littlenonnas.com/

I took my 12 year old daughter to both.

Another fun and unique place we visited was:

https://www.phillymagicgardens.org/

Anonymous wrote:It's not a small city. Does neighborhood matter?

No

It's not a small city. Does neighborhood matter?

We’ll be arriving in Philadelphia Saturday evening, any suggestions for dinner reservations that might be easy to get? One 12 year old who is as adventurous eater. We’ve been several times so have done Reading Terminal, cheesesteaks already.