A glowing neon sign invites guests into Writer’s Block Rehab on the stretch of nightlife hotspots along (or just off) the ever-expanding Midtown Village business corridor. Dreamed up by industrial engineer Ram Krishnan, the wordsmith-inspired cocktail lounge offers bar seating on the first and third levels, but head to the second floor “Library” for a more comfortable, lounge-type experience. The menu boasts an impressive selection of wine, beer, and creative cocktails like a turmeric pisco sour and arugula martini.
Any city that has a drink special so ubiquitous that you could walk into any bar in town and ask for it by name must be a place that takes its drinking seriously. That’s the case in Philadelphia, where telling the bartender you want a “Citywide,” or just “The Special,” will make a can of cheap beer and a shot of well whiskey magically appear before you on the bar. But while we may be a shot and a beer town at heart, Philly’s bar scene offers so much more, from sophisticated cocktail bars and rooftop gems to neighborhood gastropubs and corner dives.
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This guide was updated by Philadelphia-based writer Tim McManus. At Time Out, all of our travel guides are written by local writers who know their cities inside out. For more about how we curate, see our editorial guidelines.