Best Lounges in Philadelphia

Located on the 37th floor of Two Liberty Place. Legendary Philly restauranteur Daniel Stern is the force behind R2L, whose menu includes everything from striped sea bass accented by dill and bergamot, veal prepared three ways, and ricotta-stuffed pasta with vegetables to lighter bites like smoked rabbit taquitos, lobster mac-n-cheese, and venison cheesesteaks. If you're not here to dine, the sleek BAR2L is as good a place as any to sip a cocktail and be seen. Happy hour makes this venue affordable and a great choice, as you can easily enjoy views of the city without necessarily trying to sit at a table by the windows. Bring friends and enjoy!

Located just around the corner from Dock Street Brewpub, this little gem is housed in an industrial garage and serves as a bar and tasting room, as well as a cool little hangout. The seating is sparse with some outdoor seating in warmer weather, and there are small food bites available, but the main focus is on the drinks. Get a cocktail or an IPA and sip them by yourself or with friends. Many cocktails are made with one of the varieties of Dock Street beer, which is an appropriate and interesting touch. Go for the drinks and the interesting upscale, garagey atmosphere.

This bar was a 2013 addition to the lauded A. Kitchen. It's an understated and sunny wine bar that provides a more spacious space to suck down $1.50 oysters and boutique wines. The wines, poured in 3 or 5 ounce servings, focus on minerally whites and sherries that pair with the seafood and small plates coming out of the kitchen. The interior, designed by New York architect Edward Asfour, combines warm natural woods with clean lines and floor-to-ceiling windows. Not cheap, the experience is instead a deliverance from the ordinary, with cocktails that take matters a step above the mainstream, watered-down, hum-drum usuals. Up your game with a trip to A Bar.

Hop Sing Laundromat is a bar. It's not meant for everyone to find it, and it's aim is not to be like every other bar. Come knock at the nondescript front door located in the Chinatown section of the city, and prepare to be judged on your appearance and bar-worthiness. You won't want to come in shorts or flip-flops. Dress like you care. Once inside they make a production of letting you know the rules to stay. Don't talk or use your phone, don't cause a ruckus, don't bring a group of loudmouths, and don't make noise after you leave so that you wake the neighbors. The place is cash-only, and is mighty enjoyable with the benefit of these great rules. Grab a delicious cocktail and settle in.

This tiny dive bar makes up for its fun lack of fanciness in delicious cocktail choices and a huge variety of beer offerings, as well as a great, laid back atmosphere. Located above an Ethiopian restaurant, it's just as if you're visiting a friend who lives in the upstairs apartment. Walk through the restaurant, head upstairs, and listen to cool live music on some nights, or just chill and enjoy on others. Chairs are mismatched, the decor is funky cluttered, and the vibe is friendly. Feel free to order food from the menu downstairs and the staff will walk it up to you.

Heading off to the Library? The Library Bar, that is. This cool nightlife spot is located in the Rittenhouse Hotel, so if you'd like to stop by, enter through the hotel and cozy up to the bar. You'll be able to enjoy a lighted fireplace in the cooler months, and comfortable seating options no matter when you stop on by. Drinks are crafted with care and many great options are available including cocktails, wines and beer. It's an upscale environment, so don't stop by in your car-washing clothing, but treat yourself and your crowd to a nice night out when you're able to. It suits the Rittenhouse area nicely.

From the moment you approach the black door of this literally underground establishment, you get the feeling that you're entering the private lair of a 1920s starlet or politician, where alcohol flowed secretly out of sight of enforcement agents. Taking its name from the largest Prohibition-era alcohol ring in the country, The Franklin Mortgage & Investment Company is everything you want it to be: hushed, dark, elegant, low-ceilinged, exclusively pricey and captained by some of the most decorated cocktail creators in the business. The narrow space features classic cocktails and modern interpretations thereof, a handful of conversation tables and just enough seating to accommodate people who know people.

Sitting in a quiet little spot on the street of the same name, if you don't know where this place is, you may easily walk right by it. And sometimes that's the point for those not-in-the-know. Regulars have scoped it out and appreciate the dark, cozy room for what it's good at: great cocktails and an atmosphere and decor remnant of days gone by. Don't mind the art (nude women paintings), just chalk them up to adding to the ambiance. Drinks are seasonal and have cute names, or the bartender can whip you up a creation of your choice. Seating is limited but enjoyment isn't so make your way over to this great little speakeasy lounge.

More like a parlour or the living room in a slightly eccentric rich person's house, 1 Tippling Place is the bar you wish your grandparents had in their basement. This isn't to say that it's stuffy. Au contraire. Bartenders here mix up some of the most innovative, fresh and labor-intensive cocktails in the city, and if you're not in the mood to sip quietly on a plush banquette, you can sit in the intimate � and more traditional-looking �" bar area with all the other youngsters. Take stock in the fact that this venue serves up some of the finest cocktails in the city, too.