Lonely Planet’s “Best In Travel” 2024 awards are here — and Philly is a big winner.
In fact, the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection is one of only two U.S. spots (alongside Kansas City) to make the “cities” list. Also included: international destinations like Paris, Nairobi and Prague.
The publication’s awards committee specifically cited Philadelphia’s “kinetic energy,” museums and thriving restaurant scene as reasons for this win.
That award-winning restaurant scene claimed all four spots in the 2024 travel guide’s Highlights overview. The write-up specifically called out three of the city’s awesome markets, including:
- Reading Terminal Market, one of the oldest and largest public markets in America and an iconic Philly landmark
- the Southeast Asian Market, a seasonal (April to October) destination in Philly’s FDR Park that was also recently named one of the best food markets in the nation by Food & Wine, and
- the Italian Market, a quintessential slice of South Philly that over the years has expanded beyond Italy to include Mexican, Vietnamese and Korean restaurants.
Also name dropped: Zahav, the Israeli modern standout which won Outstanding Restaurant at the 2019 James Beard Awards and remains one of the hardest reservations to check in the city.
Lisa Ciccotelli of Berkshire Hathaway reminds us it has been a good year for accolades in Philadelphia:
- Philly chefs and restaurants scored four massive wins at the 2023 James Beard Awards.
- Chef Amanda Shulman of Her Place Supper Club and My Loup was named one of the best new chefs by Food & Wine.
- Esquire picked two Philly bars — Andra Hem and Superfolie — as two of the best in the whole darn country.
- Philly was voted the most walkable city in America and the best city for street art in the USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards.
- The New York Times debuted its list of the 25 best restaurants in Philadelphia.
