August 25, 2026
Neal Santos/Provided Image
Sao was named to Bon Appétit's list of 19 best new restaurants in the country for 2026.
Two Philadelphia restaurants led by James Beard Award-recommended chefs made the cut for Bon Appétit's best new restaurants in the country for 2026, which was released Monday.
Sao in South Philly and Honeysuckle in Poplar were among the 19 eateries included in this year’s edition of the coveted list. Philly joined San Francisco and New York City as the only cities to earn more than one entry.
Honeysuckle, the Afro-centric concept owned by husband-wife duo Omar Tate and Cybille St. Aude-Tate was characterized as an "innovative third space" that "weaves history and pop culture into modern American cuisine."
Among the most celebrated elements of the restaurant were its "McDonald’s Money" smash burger and "Gumbo not Gombo" entree — which reinvents the classic Gumbo dish using a crab shel bowl, okra and cured mackerel.
The couple opened the doors to its 631 N. Broad St. site in April 2025 as an expansion of Tate’s West Philly cafe and market, Honeysuckle Provisions. They were both nominated for a James Beard Award for Best Chef in the mid-Atlantic in March.
"When we opened Honeysuckle, our hope was to build a community space rooted in storytelling and the preservation and celebration of Black foodways," the couple said in a statement. "It's incredibly meaningful to see that vision resonate with our guests, and we hope to continue fostering a space where people feel connected, curious, and welcome."
In her review of the restaurant, Jamila Robinson, editor in chief of Bon Appétit, wrote: "(Tate and St. Aude-Tate) deliver a showstopping walk through nostalgia, pop culture, Philadelphia and Black American history through dishes that spark new reflection and conversation. ... With their use of hyperlocal and indigenous ingredients, Tate and St. Aude-Tate have pushed the boundaries of modern American cuisine."
Sao, the latest opening from James Beard Award-winning Phila and Rachel Lorn, has advertised itself as a Southeast Asian oyster bar. But Chris Morocco with Bon Appétit likens it to something closer to hand-to-hand combat. The raw bar's ability to bring in "jabs" of unexpected flavors or ingredients to seemingly mainstream dishes was one of the biggest contributing factors to its nomination.
"Sao's underrated presence belies a tendency to serve dishes that hit like uppercuts," Morocco wrote. "... Enjoy letting your tastebuds get knocked around when you least expect it."
Phila and Rachel Lorn acknowledged the nomination in an Instagram post on Monday, stating that the idea behind Sao came from the desire to "do so damn much" and sending an "imaginary hug, kiss and hard dap" to its team, who are currently on a temporary break.
"We've been keeping our heads down, planting the seeds and plotting the growth," their caption said. "We ask you to take this ride with us and see where it goes…We ain’t f---ing around, we out here workin! When you’re in South Philly, ya need to holla at us man.”
Sao and Honeysuckle weren't the only Philly destinations to get a nod from the culinary publication. Bon Appétit also released the 13 best individual dishes their writers ate from across the country. Included in the list were the Two Can Play That Game quail and leeks entree from Honeysuckle, Grilled Berkshire Pork Collar from Banshee on South Street and the Swordfish Taco from Amá in North Philadelphia.
La Jefa Cafe in Rittenhouse was also shouted out on Bon Appétit's roundup of the best daytime dining destinations in the country.
Philly's status as a food haven was reinforced even more when Robinson identified her favorite restaurant city in the country.
"That honor still goes to Philadelphia," she said in an Instagram story Monday. "I'm hands down, ten toes down, Philadelphia … has some of the best restaurants on the planet. Fight with me."
