13 crowd-pleasing Philly restaurants for large groups

There’s something extra special about sharing a meal with a group of your favorite people — full plates and cups crowding a table with eager hands digging into hearty dishes, as lively chatter fills the air. But finding a table to seat your large clan and account for varying tastes and budgets can be tricky.

Whether it’s a holiday shindig or a birthday celebration, Philly has plenty of restaurants ready to accommodate. You can choose from set menu options for the indecisive folks, family-style varieties for the potluck lovers, and comfy, spacious seating for parties with 10-plus attendees.

Once you’ve picked your destination, be sure to get the group to download apps like Tab and Splitwise to help divide the bill evenly so that everyone goes home happy.

To help you out with finding the right venue, we’ve listed some of the best restaurants for group dining. Go forth and feast merrily.

After exploring Main Street with your best pals, head to this brewpub for happy hour (Tuesday through Friday, 4 to 6 p.m.) with views of the Schuylkill and an old railroad bridge. Dig into mahogany wings, street corn dip, crunchy spicy tuna rolls, and other specials as you sip on $1 off drinks.

Seating is available inside or outside waterfront dining (during winter, it’s a covered patio) for up to 25 people — reserve by phone. For parties larger than 25, book a private event with a separate menu at a designated price online.

📍4120 Main St., 📞 215-482-8220, 🌐 manayunkbrewery.com, 📷 @manayunkbrewingco

Family-style is the way to go at this Chinatown hotspot. You’ll want to fill the round tables with dim sum steamers of spicy pork soup dumplings, vegetable buns, and more. Platters of curry chicken cakes, crab rangoon, fried rice, noodles, and other entrees are part of the experience too. Just remember to bring cash — there is an ATM if you forget.

Groups of 10 to 35 can reserve a large-party visit in the main dining room with a $30, $35, or $40 per person set menu — modifications can be made with prior notice, so be sure to share any dietary restrictions or allergies within your crew. It’s a sharing menu, so items will be served in the middle of the table for everyone to enjoy. Call or email three days in advance to book for large party reservations, available Monday to Thursday.

📍1020 Race St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, 📞 215-873-0258, 🌐 dimsumgardenphilly.com, 📷 @dimsumgarden

Voted by Inquirer readers as a favorite family-friendly spot in Philly, this Headhouse Square restaurant is perfect for all the kiddos. The comfortable seating gives everyone room to reach for wood-oven pizzas, pastas, and flatbreads, plus fried doughnuts and gelato for dessert. Find a table for a party of four by calling or on Resy — reservations for up to 12 people can be made by phone.

You can book events with seating for up to 50 in the main dining room. The semi-private Bar Stella can also accommodate up to 38 guests for a seated meal or about 45 guests for a standing reception — inquire online or call. Note: Event bookings require a food and beverage minimum.

📍420 S. 2nd St., Philadelphia, PA 19147, 📞 215-320-8000, 🌐 pizzeriastella.net, 📷 @pizzeria_stella

Wafting smells of spiced lamb will beckon all your friends to this Uzbek restaurant nestled in a Feasterville strip mall. For crews of four or more, call to reserve a spot to feast on sesame-speckled bread, platters of charcoal-roasted skewers, dumplings and rice palovs, meat stews like lagman, and more.

Looking to throw a holiday or corporate event? There’s a banquet menu just for you planners, with assorted plate packages for $50, $65, $80, and $90 per person. Call to book.

📍1135 Bustleton Pike, Feasterville-Trevose, PA 19053, 📞 267-288-5077, 🌐 samarkandsteakhouse.com, 📷 @samarkandsteakhouse

You can’t go wrong with za’atar-crusted branzino, grilled kofta, and 26-hour harissa marinated chicken mohammar for dinner with the extended family. Snack on zaytoon (spiced olives), fried halloumi, and lebnani fries as up to 25 folks get comfy in the long tables and booths. The bi-level Palestinian restaurant can accommodate up to 250 people on both floors and the outdoor patio. Celebrate reunions, birthdays, anniversaries, and other parties by emailing reservation details — view packages for pricing online.

📍3940 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19104, 📞 267-275-8254, 🌐 renatas-kitchen.com, 📷 @renatas_kitchen

Over in East Passyunk, chef Lou Boquila will cook up a kamayan family-style feast. For $50 per person, you can experience the Filipino tradition of eating with your hands alongside loved ones from Wednesday through Sunday. Dive into garlic jasmine rice, chicken inasal with lemon and soy marinade, ground pork lumpia rolls, whole fried pompano fish, and pinakbet, a dish of eggplant, long beans, and bokchoy. Finish on a sweet note with a chocolate coconut budino. Items are plated on banana leaves on the table. Plates and utensils are available upon request. Book on Resy — for parties larger than 8 or private party inquiries, reach out via email.

📍1535 S. 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19147, 📞 267-273-0008, 🌐 perlaphilly.com, 📷 @perlaphilly

Knock on the door on South Leithgow Street, and enter an intimate dining space with ornate Moroccan decor and lowered cushioned seating.

Start by washing your hands in a rose water bath. Dig into an eggplant tomato sauce platter and a layered sweet and savory pie called b’stella. Then, enjoy three courses with your choice of chicken, beef, lamb, and couscous entrees. Moroccan pastries, fresh fruit, and hot mint tea are dessert. Dishes are served in the middle of the ornate table for everyone to share — you’ll be eating with your hands using fresh pita bread.

It’s $35 per person to dine at this BYOB. Groups with under 20 people sit on the first floor. The second floor is for parties 30 and up, and the third is for over 50 people. The restaurant recommends booking a week to two weeks in advance to ensure seating for large parties. Call to reserve your spot.

📍517 S. Leithgow St., Philadelphia, PA 19147, 📞 215-925-5929, 🌐 marrakesh-philadelphia.club

This cozy neighborhood favorite is perfect for your next community brunch or dinner. To dine with six or more of your pals on Baltimore Avenue, you must fill out an online form and put down a $100 non-refundable deposit. Enjoy chicken and waffles or Thai wings at rustic wood tables with cushioned chairs. Just be sure to show up with everyone in the party to be seated. Seating is available for up to 55 people. A prix fixe menu and white cloth tablecloth setting are available upon request. And if your party is smaller, OpenTable is the way to reserve.

📍5021 Baltimore Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19143, 📞 215-883-0960, 🌐 bookersrestaurantandbar.com, 📷 @bookers.westphilly

What’s better than checking out Inquirer restaurant critic Craig LaBan’s latest noteworthy restaurants with your food-loving crew? Chinatown’s Jiang Nan is the new location of a growing national chain that brings “tableside fireworks,” writes LaBan. The extravagant displays of dishes like blowtorched lamb skewers and chilled shrimp on dry ice will surely get the group talking. One big round table can seat 8 to 12 people — you’ll have to call and book one to two weeks in advance. For larger groups of up to 20 people, you’ll have to be seated at two tables — don’t worry, you’ll be near each other. Reserve 20-person parties two weeks in advance.

📍927 Arch St., Philadelphia, PA 19107, 📞 267-534-5276, 🌐 jiangnanny.com, 📷 @jiangnanphilly

When fattoush, baba ganoush, and grilled halloumi cheese with fig are your starters, you know you’re in for a hearty Lebanese tasting menu (it’s halal). For $55 per person, feast on cold and hot mezze, shish taouk, tabbouleh, lentil soup, kafta kebab, tajin or baked fish, and more. Savor kanafe (baked sweet cheese over cracked semolina), Ghazal Beirut (Lebanese halva cotton candy) with ashta (clotted cream) ice cream, and other desserts.

Call to reserve a big table on the second floor or private room for 15 to 20 folks on weekdays with a two-week notice and weekends at 5 or 5:30 p.m. with three to four weeks’ notice. Parties of six or more sit on the first floor.

📍619 W. Collings Ave., Collingswood, NJ 08107, 📞 856-477-2105, 🌐 libeirutnj.com, 📷 @libeirutnj

In West Chester, scoring a reservation at Andiario — one of LaBan’s top 10 restaurants — is a great way to impress visiting in-laws, grandparents, and even your work crew (budget willing). Indulge in seasonal bounty expertly prepared by the wood-fired hearth. The four-course meal is pre-set for $80 per person. Reservations open on the 20th of the month at noon for seating in the following month — there is a waitlist. Regular bookings are for two to five people with a $25 deposit per person on Tock.

Book the entire restaurant for private events that serve up to 34 guests (along with smaller parties over five people). Email to book.

📍106 W. Gay St., West Chester, PA, 19380, 📞 484-887-0919, 🌐 andiario.com, 📷 @anthonyandiario

In Center City, this Indian bistro offers seating on OpenTable for parties as large as 20 to 25 people. Share veggie samosas and crispy spinach chaat to get the dinner conversations flowing, then dive into grilled meats, curries, briyani varieties, and traditional breads. You’ll want to end with a round of chef Vipul Bhasin’s malai kulfi with poached blueberries for everyone. Bookings for the partial restaurant space for up to 40 people or the entire restaurant for up to 85 are on Toast or by phone.

📍1920 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103, 📞 267-519-2001, 🌐 vedaphilly.com, 📷 @vedaphilly

Take your Phillies fan club to one of pitcher Aaron Nola’s favorite spots for Lebanese classics. Inquirer readers voted the spacious restaurant on Frankford Avenue as the best spot for group dining.

Make your reservations for Suraya’s dining room on Resy for a party of nine or less. Mezze plates like hummus and tabouli are great for sharing at the big round tables in the dining room. There’s also a la carte “Taste of Suraya” option for $75 per person on Fridays and Saturdays and $42 for brunch reservations for a fixed selection of items. Groups of 10 or more must reserve seating online.

📍1528 Frankford Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19125, 📞 215-302-1900, 🌐 surayaphilly.com, 📷 @surayaphilly