Center City Sips, Philadelphia's happiest hour

In this City of Brotherly Love, you will find great parks, relaxing spas, lavish shopping & dining, and Center City Sips (Center City District’s summer in the City program).

Center City Sips is Philly's famed, highly-anticipated summer happy hour. From 5 to 7 p.m. every Wednesday, from June 1 through August 31, Center City’s best bars and restaurants invite crowds to join them in sips and bites. City Sips offers $4 cocktails, $3 wine, $2 beers and half-price appetizers, with some establishments even offering a 15% dinner discount after 7 p.m.

Sips is the perfect time to catch up with old friends or make a few new ones. With over 80 locations to choose from this year, you’ll have the happiest of hours each Wednesday trying new drinks and munchies. Philadelphia has a reputation for delicious dining establishments and City Sips is the perfect way to experience new tastes without breaking the bank.

Each week you can try a new restaurant with a new authenticity, truly experiencing every piece of what this city has to offer. Along with sipping Wednesday nights, you can catch daytime concerts from 12 to 1:30 p.m. throughout Center City. The style of music will vary from week to week, so while one week you may hear calypso and steel drums, the next you could be grooving to jazz, classic rock, blues or reggae. After a gorgeous warm day, grab a sip and watch the sunset over Philadelphia.

Top 5 Picks for City Sips, Summer 2011

• 10 Arts Bistro & Lounge at the Ritz-Carlton kicks off happy hour with live music every Wednesday from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. With beautiful décor, an awesome atmosphere, delicious drinks, the Ritz-Carlton is a top stop for City Sips this summer.
• Ladder 15 is a hip and trendy sports bar with a great looking crowd and interior. They also have awesome food and drinks. It’s the perfect place to kick back and watch a game or take a seat and catch up with friends.
• The Patio Bar at Marathon Grill is home to the ‘Summer Classiq’ event. The patio is a really cool, open space that's attached to the Marathon Grill location on 19th and Market. Here you can mingle and chill out as Philadelphia’s DJ Royale drops a variety of beats including reggae, rock, soul, funk and disco grooves from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
• Vango Lounge & Skybar is one of Philadelphia’s rooftop lounge locations, where you can lounge outdoors on the white beds and white couches while glaring up at the Philadelphia skyline.

This two-story modern Asian fusion dining establishment provides stylish décor and a welcoming atmosphere where diners can enjoy a lively conversation, a satisfying meal, and delicious cocktails.

5. R2L offers a luxe experience with a fancy view as it is located on the 37th floor, high atop Center City. Visiting R2L’s Liberty bar and lounge is the perfect place to see the gorgeous Philadelphia skyline, amongst a unique space with creative American fare. The drinks at R2L are delicious and they can literally make you anything you would like. Cheers!

-- Luba of The Posh Review