Walnut Street Café — Philadelphia, USA
There are, we think, at least two good reasons to dawdle around Cira Centre South, Philadelphia’s first urban experimentation with vertical neighbourhoods. One is to admire Pelli Clarke Pelli’s crystalline FMC Tower just south of 30th Street station, and the other is Walnut Street Café on its ground floor.
Designed by local architects BLT and New York-based Parts and Labor Design, the lofty 21-foot ceilinged space features a café lined in penny tiles and green terrazzo.
Here, flanked by a walnut and brass staircase, and a towering travertine bar, Melissa Weller (ex-Per Se) stocks the pastry counter with pistachio cherry croissant, and spinach and feta bureka, to go with Rival Bros. coffee.
For more serious gastronomic pursuits, a dining room framed by a hand-blown brass and glass chandelier and an open kitchen sets the stage for chef Daniel Eddy’s American menu of Porterhouse steak with Bordelaise sauce and roasted shallots, and ravioli draped with Brown Butter, ricotta, and mint.
INFORMATION
ADDRESS
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
2929 Walnut Street
Daven Wu is the Singapore Editor at Wallpaper*. A former corporate lawyer, he has been covering Singapore and the neighbouring South-East Asian region since 1999, writing extensively about architecture, design, and travel for both the magazine and website. He is also the City Editor for the Phaidon Wallpaper* City Guide to Singapore.
-
Aarke has created the ultimate collection for caffeine lovers, the Aarke Coffee System
The new Aarke Coffee System consists of three elegant components, part of the Swedish company’s ongoing quest to reshape the world of appliances
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
The breathtaking runway sets of S/S 2025, from beanbag animals to a twisted living room
Wallpaper* picks the best runway sets and show spaces of fashion month, which featured Bottega Veneta’s beanbag menagerie, opulence at Saint Laurent, and artist collaborations at Acne Studios and Burberry
By Jack Moss Published
-
Apple’s Alan Dye and Molly Anderson discuss the design of Apple Watch Series 10
In addition to the Apple Watch Series 10, Apple has also introduced a new black titanium finish for the premium Apple Watch Ultra 2; here’s what’s new
By Nick Compton Published
-
Sleep like a Prince at Airbnb’s Purple Rain house in Minneapolis
Airbnb introduces the newly restored Purple Rain house, a tribute to Prince’s musical genius and the movie and song’s 40th anniversary
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
The new Los Angeles restaurants to book now
Explore the best new restaurants in Los Angeles, from Laya, an open-air lounge in Hollywood, to Edgemar, inside a modern Frank Gehry building by the sea
By Carole Dixon Published
-
One&Only’s portfolio of ultra-luxury escapes reaches out to new horizons
From the Maldives to Mexico, One&Only’s resorts and private homes around the world offer exceptional stays in idyllic locations, soon to include a first USA property, designed by Olson Kundig
By Simon Mills Published
-
So & So’s Piano Bar is Hell’s Kitchen’s new best-kept secret
So & So’s Piano Bar in New York City provides a seductive backdrop for nightly live music performances that celebrate the ‘high-low’
By Dan Howarth Published
-
NYC’s Massara Osteria Campana is designed to evoke dining in someone’s home
Massara Osteria Campana occupies a rare two-storey building in Manhattan’s Flatiron District, with warm, rustic interiors by Sarah Carpenter & Studio
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Check into the exclusive Missoni x Delta One Lounge at JFK
Missoni dresses the airline’s Delta One amenity kits and lounge in its playful colours and patterns
By Sofia de la Cruz Published
-
Dallas Navigator: a guide to the city, from cocktails to cowboy culture
Dallas has a booming arts district, the most hotels currently under construction of any city in the US, and cowboy culture in spades: the ‘Big D’ is riding high
By Dan Howarth Published
-
Embrace solitude at Folly Mojave, an off-grid desert retreat
Folly Mojave is a wilderness escape enveloped by hundreds of square miles of natural scenery and designed by LA-based architect Malek Alqadi
By Sofia de la Cruz Published