We can all agree that the period of time at Penn between spring and summer break is an absolute blur; we arrive back to school, hit the ground running, and suddenly the year is over. If you blink, you might miss it—and along with it, other essential things (read: food–and–drink–related things) happening in University City from March to May.
Last semester, while you were busy bouncing back from break, cramming for finals in Van Pelt, and consequently fleeing Philadelphia, something pretty important had happened just a few blocks away, and you had no idea. That something was the opening of Tipsy Bistro, a cozy new restaurant on 31st and Walnut with an exceptionally shareable menu and an excellent happy hour.
According to their website, the bistro is a collaboration between Tory Keomanivong and Chef Anh Vongbandith, who are already experienced in the Philly food scene — they’ve founded and managed another bistro and catering company, respectively.
Though we didn’t get a chance to try everything on the menu (as stated, it covers a lot), we can verify that the cheesesteak egg rolls expertly balance chewy cheese with crispy casing, and that the pasta primavera with shrimp (though this isn’t the only protein topping option) does not disappoint.
The vibe of the space is sleek sports bar meets intimate, open-air date destination. The interior boasts big monitors displaying live games, and the front porch seating comes fully equipped with pillows and well-placed wooden flower boxes. This is a spot that can accommodate mostly all college kid occasions: from a sweet soiree with your summer sweetheart to a rowdy night of food and drinks with your personal crew of crazies.
They even serve brunch — on weekends, from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Pretty neat that you can get both your hangover cause and hangover cure all in one place.
It seems like Tipsy Bistro might be the unexpected answer to our hopes for an alternative to the BYO spots popular amongst Philadelphia college kids (pour one out for the slow death of Dim Sum Garden). With a daily happy hour from 5:00—7:00 p.m., an affordable custom cocktail menu, and seasoned wine and beer lists, Tipsy Bistro might be the new hometown hero for those students looking to get their casual drink with dinner .
Seriously though — every single day from 5:00—7:00 p.m., they serve $4-5 draft beer, $6 draft wine, $7 cocktails, $2 off of all starters, and $5 cheeseburgers. And the food discounts re-apply every night from 10:00 p.m. to 12:00 a.m. No, this is not a drill.
