With indoor dining finally reopened in Philadelphia, my mom, sister and I were able to enjoy a day roaming around the city, with a warm place to enjoy a late lunch after a cold day out and about. For anyone who recently enjoyed the creativity and ingenuity of the city’s outdoor winter dining, an indoor space with heat and cozy furniture is a much-appreciated semblance of normalcy.

We made reservations at The Dandelion, a Center City staple, offering classic British pub fare, afternoon tea and warm ciders.

After about 10–15 minutes waiting to be seated, our temperatures were taken and we were escorted to our cozy table upstairs. Seated around the corner from the bar and with only one other occupied table within earshot, it felt like our own private room.

My sister ordered the fish and chips, my mom ordered the Dandy burger, and I enjoyed the chocolate raspberry trifle — it was 2:30 p.m. and there are no rules anymore. My dessert was made entirely in-house, and you could tell. Every layer was a burst of flavor, and I was in my own personal The Great British Bake Off heaven. All the fries I sampled were also on point, and the dark, warm pub atmosphere was the perfect cap on the day.

While we happened to be out and about on a busy afternoon, I would still recommend reservations (wherever possible) for dining in the city. Between restaurants’ limited capacity and more people working remotely and able to enjoy city dining during the day, having a reservation is your safest bet.

— Angelique Platas, associate editor