I’ve been visiting London since 1988 and can count on one hands the number of fish & chips I’ve eaten at the pub with a side of mushy peas.  I have been to a chipper (local fish & chips shop) outside of London and while I’ve found the chips (fries) to be quite good, I’ve yet to find a good fish in the duo.  So it might surprise you that years ago I found the best fish and chips in Philadelphia.  You can explore the world’s cuisine in my hometown.  When The Dandelion opened, the concept was inspired by the British Pub and favorite foods. The head chef at the time was from the UK so I took comfort in the fact that there would be some proper British favorites and I was right – from the proper Traditional Sunday Roast with Yorkshire pudding to the made in house puddings (desserts). Thankfully the mushy peas stayed across the pond.

Starr Restaurants Philadelphia

The Dandelion is one of many great restaurants in the Starr restaurant empire. Starr is to Philadelphia what Danny Meyer is to New York City. Each restaurant has a food inspired concept and interior design but it’s the consistent exceptional service that makes the experience.  The restaurants started with The Continental global cuisine concept and mushroomed from there to more than twenty concepts in Philadelphia with a few restaurants in New York (Morimoto, Buddakan, El Vez, Upland, Le Coucou and Le Mercerie), Atlantic City (Buddakan and The Continental), Washington, D.C. (Le Diplomat, a sister to my beloved Parc Philadelphia) and Florida.

Starr restaurants have always been solo diner friendly (you can book a table for one via OpenTable) and that has made me a frequent guest over the years when I fancied a nice meal.  I’ve also visited with friends and family as well as rented out the event spaces for work parties.

British Pub Philadelphia

The Dandelion is on the corner of 18^th & Sansom in the Rittenhouse Square neighborhood.  The two buildings that house the restaurant provide multiple small rooms to enjoy.  With a proper bar and pub seating in one room to the cozy fireplace seating (always tough to get) on the first floor to the “Dog Bar” and small cozy rooms on the second floor, each visit can be a unique experience.   I like the intimacy of the Dog Bar upstairs and have spent a good deal of time at the two “single” table nooks on either side of the non-working fireplace.

Due to the pandemic and city ordinances, the restaurant has added outdoor seating (seasonal options) in the enclosed boxes along the street. Each personal cubicle has space to enjoy your meal and a ventilation system above the light.

The Best Fish & Chips in Philadelphia

Now about those fish & chips and why I think they are the better than any I’ve had in the U.K. over the years.  The ale battered line caught cod is fluffy (or puffy) or just not what you expect to be honest.  The entrée is served on a cutting board with tartar sauce, lemon and a side of chips.  The fish is a good size portion.  The hard crunchy shell encases the soft, tender, flaky cod inside.  The first time I used my fork to break through and let the extremely hot cod start to cool while taking in the smells released of fish, salt and ale.

Now my go to move is to use a fork to press the top down to flatten the fish a bit to break apart naturally and cool from there. The triple cooked chips (fries) are thick potato sources of joy.  (Note: they are cooked in beef fat so not vegan).  It’s often a challenge which to eat first and can I eat it all (not always).  I rarely eat fish so this is an indulgent treat, let’s not pretend it’s healthy, it’s battered and fried in all things good.

The fish and chips isn’t the only winner on the menu, there are so many great options on the brunch, lunch, tea time and dinner menus.

The Best Burger in Philadelphia

For years, my friend and I spent many lunches in search of the best burger in Philadelphia.  It was tasty research that we conducted once a week.  We had many criteria but the best burger had to include a good side of fries and the right cheese.  We had many burgers with sad fries or alternatively great fries with so so burgers. Or there’s a perfect burger fry combo but the wrong cheese.  But at The Dandelion, we found a winner that hit all the criteria.

The burger meat is a special blend from famed New York City butcher, Pat LaFrieda (when you see LaFrieda meats mentioned on the menu always pick that burger).  The dry aged burger blend served at The Dandelion comes with a special in house “Churchill sauce”, Vermont sharp cheddar, smoked bacon and pickles. Served on the butcher block board the burger with a side of those triple cooked chips is perfection.  Perfection, however, is messy so be prepared for that juicy delight of an experience.

The Dandelion Bread Basket

I didn’t even mention the homemade breads and why cheating on your gluten free diet is so worth it.  The bread basket is usually served at dinner time but you might luck out a bit earlier at tea time (in between service).  There are two breads served – the ale stoudt bread and the sourdough with crispy salted crust.  The pat of butter is a creamy wonder that adds just the right touch. (When they opened, the butter came with a tin of salt and a spoon to add your own salt to the butter/bread – that was heavenly.  They no longer offer this side of salt preferring to add the salt atop the butter pat.).

I’ve been known to crave the bread basket and order the burger and fries, only to bring the burger home. Yes a lunch of bread and fries… don’t judge when a girl needs her carbs.

What about other British favorites?

The Dandelion British Food & Drink Highlights

Drinks – The Dandelion has an eclectic been menu for the beer lover.  The have local, U.S. and imported from England beer on draughts & casks as well as bottles and cans.  Don’t worry if you prefer cider, they have Strongbow, golden apple cider from Herefordshire, England and pear cider from Ireland with a ginger beer from Liverpool, England. The menu has the alcohol % as well as the origin.  There is a Fuller’s London Pride, an English bitter from London in a bottle and Wells Bombardier rom Bedford, England on tap for a proper pint.

The beer menu categories:

Lager | Malty & Mild Ale | Hoppy | Sour & Wheat | Stout & Porter | Cider | Other

Not a beer drinker like me?  No worries, the Cocktails, Wine by the Glass and Specialty Sodas offer something to quench your thirst.

British/U.K. food favorites (with a U.S. twist) – they are here (here’s a sample of the menu) and while there are standards that never leave the menu, there are seasonal offerings that keep you coming back.  I should note that I’ve never ordered dessert (too full from bread, food and fries) and only once in all my years of dining at The Dandelion have forced myself to share a dessert as it was my birthday and they brought out a dessert it would have been rude to decline.

Snacks

• Pint of Prawns with a spicy cocktail sauce and lemon mayonnaise
• Picked Beetroot Jar with olive tapenade, goat cheese and baguette slices
• Cheese Board – three English style selections with savory biscuits, quince paste, grape chutney and clover honey

Mains

• Rabbit Pie – oyster mushrooms, Cipollini onions, smoked bacon, grain mustard & white wine
• Lamb Shepard’s Pie – ground lamb, potato mash, cheddar cheese, root vegetables
• Tandoori Chicken – coconut basmati rice, almond, pistachio, raisins cucumber cilantro yoghurt
• Pan Seared Scottish Salmon – tomato curry chickpea stew, dukkah crusted salmon, lime roasted cauliflower
• Traditional Sunday Roast (and bank holidays) – Yorkshire pudding (not a dessert but a bread go figure), watercress, roast potatoes, vegetable of the day, horseradish sauce and beef gravy.

Dessert (Puddings)

• Sticky Toffee Pudding – date cake, toffee sauce, banana ice cream
• Chocolate Raspberry Trifle – chocolate cake, pastry cream, raspberry jam, chocolate cookie crumble

Final Thoughts – The Dandelion Pub Philadelphia

Since we are not able to travel to London yet (I’m in serious withdrawal to be honest), I’m able to pretend a bit at The Dandelion with a tour of the drinks, food and pudding menu.  I can catch a footy match on the telly at the bar and imagine I’m at my local in London sans those mushy peas (really why are they on the plate). So if you are visiting Philadelphia and want a elevated pub experience, a reservation at The Dandelion is a must!  I didn’t even mention the lunch or brunch menu which is also fabulous!