NEXT UP.. ERIN EXPRESS

At times, the most romantic plans are simple: great cocktails, company, and a bar where the experience does half the work for you.

Philadelphia is no stranger to intimate cocktail lounges that feel made for lingering conversations so, without further ado, here are some of the best romantic cocktail bars in Philadelphia to consider this Valentine’s Weekend.

Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day has a way of taking over your social timelines every February. Instead of quiet dinners and boxed chocolates, bars across the city are going all-in on themed pop up experiences and cheeky activations that make the holiday feel less like a Hallmark card and more like a reason to get dressed up with your hunny.

Philadelphia may be far from the Louisiana, but that didn’t stop Craftsman Row Saloon from bringing full New Orleans energy to the city with its green, yellow, and purple clad Mardi Gras Pop-Up.

If you’ve spent any time scrolling nightlife flyers, group chats, or queer event calendars lately, you’ve probably noticed one phrase popping up everywhere: Heated Rivalry. What started as a single themed night has quickly turned into an entire moment across Philadelphia, with dance parties, club nights, quizzo, and performance-driven tributes all tapping in.

Watching a Flyers game in Philadelphia takes more than finding a TV. It’s about being in a room where every goal gets a reaction and every bad call gets booed…you know, the fun stuff. Here’s where Flyers fans actually show up and cheer on the orange and black all the way through overtime.

Philadelphia loves turning food into an event. Restaurant Week season is officially here, and over the next few months, neighborhoods across the city are serving up prix-fixe menus that make trying new spots way more affordable and way more tempting.

Snow days were fun when you were a kid, but once you’re an adult? Possibily even better. Sure, there’s no school cancellation joy. But, if you plan it right, a snow day night out with warmth and places that feel intentional when the city is moving slower than usual, can put you right back in that headspace.

January doesn’t necessarily mean you have to give up on outdoor plans. It just means you have to be a little smarter about them. Philadelphia winters are unpredictable, but the city has mastered the art of the winter patio: heaters blasting and rooftops covered just enough to block the wind, leaving you with an experience that’s comfortable enough to not spend the whole night counting down until you can go back inside.

Dry January doesn’t have to mean opting out. Sometimes, it just means opting in differently.

For the first time ever, the city is hosting a Dry January Bar Crawl on Saturday, January 17th and Sunday, January 18th, turning an otherwise sleepy winter weekend into a choose-your-own, sober-ish adventure across some of the city’s best bars, breweries, and restaurants.