Philadelphia’s East Passyunk neighbourhood has a well-deserved reputation for being something of a dining destination – particularly Italian cuisine. Which explains why, when Paul Garberson decided to unfurl a Turkish-inflected Mediterranean-cum-Middle Eastern menu in his new, incongruously named restaurant Irwin’s, local gourmets sat up to pay attention.
Set on the 8th floor of the Bok building – a former technical high school turned mixed-use creative development which was designed in the early 20th century by Irwin T. Catharine from whom the restaurant takes its moniker – Irwin’s views of the Delaware river and sports stadiums is a bracing counterpoint to Garberson’s mezze platter of roasted red pepper and walnut salsa, dill-stuffed carrot fritters, crispy fried Castelvetrano olives, and mussel spilling over with rice, herbs and pine nuts.
Converted from the old nursing classroom, the dining room itself is the work of Rohe Creative, the local studio mixing box-tufted banquettes, coppery light fixtures, tulip chairs and a 6 ft chandelier with repurposed furniture – to whit, the soapstone-topped bar from the science room, old science lab tables lined with communal benches from the library, and salvaged yearbook photos in the bathrooms.
Weather permitting, the outdoor terrace is Irwin’s sweet spot – a lofty perch from which to admire city views with a Golden Horn cocktail of gin and tonic, lemon, honey, turmeric and ginger.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
800 Mifflin Street
-
Meet Studio Knight Stokoe, the landscape architects guided by ‘resilience, regeneration and empathy’Boutique and agile, Studio Knight Stokoe crafts elegant landscapes from its base in the southwest of England – including a revived brutalist garden
-
Flat-out brilliance: three Dutch houses that celebrate the horizontalThese three Dutch houses, built between the 1980s and the 2020s, blend seamlessly into the flat landscapes of the low country
-
What are biomaterials? Everything you need to know about Mother Nature's building blocksCould the cities of the future be grown from plants, bacteria and fungi? Architects explain
-
Size doesn’t matter at Now Now, a micro-hotel for solo travellers in New YorkCan you pack style into 32 square feet? We find out
-
At this LA dining hotspot, go Spanish or Japanese as you pleaseA dual-concept dining destination designed by the Rockwell Group brings Mediterranean warmth and Japanese precision to Century City
-
The Benjamin’s chic new upstairs bar is Hollywood’s hottest hideawayAt Bar Benjamin, speakeasy mystique meets elevated snacks, cocktails and views
-
More is more at Bar Issi, a maximalist new dining destination in Palm SpringsFettle studio fuses eco-conscious materials with bold design gestures in this playful space inside the new Thompson Hotel
-
Do luxury hotels need a farmer-in-residence?From Ibiza to Indonesia, hospitality brands are cultivating a new travel experience, where wellness begins in the soil and ends at the table
-
A local’s guide to AtlantaDrawn by the city’s diversity and queer community, life coach and writer Cator Sparks returned to Atlanta after 25 years away. He shares his favourite haunts
-
Philadelphia’s ‘Grande Dame’ reopens with a dazzling French twistThe Bellevue Hotel has been restored to its former glory through a stylish renovation by design studio Ward + Gray
-
Beloved sushi restaurant Sōgo Roll Bar comes to Highland ParkThe sushi hangout begins a new chapter in its second location, becoming the perfect spot for a quick grab-and-go or a relaxed tasting experience in east LA
