Veda

Veda is an upscale spot in Rittenhouse that serves some of our favorite Indian food in the city. With a long u-shaped bar, several hanging chandeliers, and a few indoor trees, it’s somewhere that you can put on that new shirt you just brought and celebrate a birthday with a few people.

The menu has a few small plates, biryani dishes, breads like naans and parathas for the table, and a couple of shareable mains you should go for. One is the thick Calcutta pork ribs that come coated with a chutney glaze, and the other is the lamb roganjosh. It's meaty and rich, though it’s worth asking for a little extra Kashmiri red peppers to take things up a notch—the default heat in the dish is about the same as a bag of Hot Cheetos. Another go-to is their goat cheese-stuffed naan, which is on both the Happy Hour and dinner menu. It’s something you’ll want to dip in every curry you eat, or just eat it on its own and wonder how you can make this bread a permanent fixture at every spot in the city. Plus, they’ve got one of the only truly bottomless brunches in Philly for $20 with things like masala egg toast and vegetarian thali, and it's one of the rare places that's open for both Monday lunch and dinner.

They also have a great Happy Hour even on the weekends. From 5-7pm, you can get $9 cocktails like margaritas and Old-Fashioneds and small plates like samosa chaat, lamb donuts, and a tandoori grilled salad. Outside of those small plates that range from $4-$8, they have seats that overlook Chestnut Street so you can have a maharaja tonic and some lamb biryani while watching the rest of the world go about its day.