This lists my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. It's shamelessly biased toward center city and the area around Penn, and towards good food.
All restaurants listed here are quite reliable.
Since Philadelphia has an amazing number of restaurants, the absence of a restaurant from the list might just mean I haven't made it there yet. All phone numbers are area code 215. Reliably excellent again after a period of unreliable meals. Still the best restaurant in Philadelphia, and you pay for it. Or try the much cheaper Bar Lyonnais downstairs.