After living in Philadelphia for one year, I have explored all of my Old City neighborhood. This small section is packed with a lot of historical spots like the Betsy Ross house, the Liberty Bell, Constitution Center and Elfreths Alley. My frequent walks around the area, along with my occasional laziness of not cooking for myself, have brought me to make a list of my favorite morning spots and my personal suggestions on where to grab a quick breakfast while visiting the area.

My go-to quick spots are Café Ole, Eggcellent, ICI Macarons or Torchwood Café. These four spots are quick and all have delicious options. Café Ole has Middle Eastern flair with tons of flavor. Its shakshuka is to die for. I could easily sip on their homemade red sauce just as is. They also have the best coffee in the neighborhood, in my opinion: smooth, nutty and fresh. I usually opt for an oat milk latte with a pump of caramel and cinnamon or the iced Bananas Foster latte.

Eggcellent has every egg-related item you can think of on the menu. My go-to items are the chorizo tacos or one of the Benedicts. The portion sizes are large, making it the best spot to grab one meal for breakfast and save the rest for lunch or the next day. The inside of the restaurant is also cute and bright and makes for a good Instagram photo.

On lighter days when I want a fluffy pastry, I walk a few storefronts down from my building to ICI Macarons. They are only open Thursday–Saturday but are worth the wait during the week. Each weekend a line forms down Arch Street of patrons looking for the best pastries. If I am in the mood for sweet, I like to buy the guava and cheese croissant or the coconut cruffin. I am more of a savory person, and they have a lot to choose from. Some of my top choices are the goat cheese everything croiche, a feta and spinach croissant, or the melted brie croiche. All of the options are phenomenal, but I do not like their coffee.

More toward the quieter part of town, Torchwood Café is the best breakfast spot for stacked sandwiches and unique drinks. The menu has a laundry list of various combinations of eggs, cheese, meats and special sauces on your choice of bread or bagel. I always opt for a toasted bagel to soak up all of the grease.

If I don’t wander back to my apartment or stay at the cafés to enjoy my breakfast, I like to head down to Cherry Street Pier for a view of the Ben Franklin Bridge or Spruce Street Harbor Park to relax in a hammock. During the week and early in the morning on weekends, all of the hammocks are vacant to enjoy peacefully.

— Audrey Lee, assistant editor