Old City Pagoda
Today - one my favorite knosh spots in Old City. If you find yourself tramping around Elfreth's Alley or the Seaport Museum you might be at a loss as to where to eat. 4th Street to Front Street between Walnut and Market....it's a weird area for food, especially if you're on a budget. Lots of posh restaurants and bars (slyly nicknamed "the meat-market" by locals due to the singles scene on weekend nights).
If you get hungry and don't feel like truckin' all the way back to Chinatown, Pagoda Noodle Cafe is the place for you. It's a far cry from the Chinatown cafeteria table restaurants, dark wood tables, soft lighting, beautiful dishware, and attentive waitstaff. They also have huge gold Chinese fans as wall decorations - welcome to palatial dining on a budget. They're at 125 Sansom Walk (that's between Walnut and Chestnut off 2nd Street, across from the tourist trap City Tavern)
Never ending cups of tea, steamed dumplings, flavorful soups, a wide variety of noodle and rice dishes. The veggies are fresh and colorful - never overcooked. And may I recommend a Tsiang Tao beer to accompany your meal? Appetizers run $1.50 - 8.00, entrees $5.50 - 12.00. Don't forget the green tea ice cream! They have outdoor seating in the summer and they're right next door to the Ritz East (art house movie theater) if you need to take a load off from tours for a couple of hours.
