Girls’ Night Out in Philadelphia: Things to Do Besides Another Dinner

The group chat is lively again. Someone wants to get out, someone else says "anything but the usual," and within ten minutes the plan has drifted back to the same restaurant you went to last time. Dinner is great. Dinner with a second act is better.

Philadelphia is full of ways to turn a night out with friends into something you will actually remember: live jazz, candle bars, comedy with a wine flight, dueling pianos and even a little mind reading. Here are ten real options, all operating as of this writing, with what each one is best for.

What Makes a Girls' Night Worth Planning

The nights people still talk about tend to have the same ingredients: good food and drink, a reason to laugh, room to actually talk, and something happening that gives the group a shared story. The best options below cover at least three of those. A few cover all four.

10 Things to Do for a Girls' Night Out in Philadelphia

1. Live jazz and Southern food at SOUTH

SOUTH, at 600 North Broad Street in Spring Garden, pairs a Southern restaurant with a jazz club that runs two sets a night, Thursday through Sunday. The dining room takes reservations through Resy, the jazz club sells tickets for each set, and the house prefers dressy or business casual attire. Parties are capped at six, so a bigger group should book two tables. Best for: a polished night that feels like an occasion.

2. Dinner and a set at Chris' Jazz Cafe

Chris' Jazz Cafe, at 1421 Sansom Street in Center City, calls itself Philadelphia's longest running jazz club and presents local, national and international players with dinner-and-show options. Best for: friends who want the music front and center.

3. Make your own candles at Wax + Wine or Cork & Candles

Candle bars have become a Philadelphia girls' night staple. Wax + Wine, at 144 North 2nd Street in Old City, is a BYOB candle bar with scent cellars of more than 50 fragrances and its own in-house wine shop. Cork & Candles in Center City runs a similar guided candle-making experience of about 90 minutes. Best for: a relaxed, hands-on night where everyone goes home with something.

4. Paint and sip at Painting with a Twist

Painting with a Twist's Philadelphia studio at 611 South Street runs guided, step-by-step painting classes, and you can bring your own drinks. Pick a painting, bring the group, and compare canvases at the end. Best for: a creative, low-pressure evening.

5. Comedy and a wine tasting: An Idiot's Guide to Wine

An Idiot's Guide to Wine is a roughly 70-minute show in which a local comedian guides the audience through a wine tasting. Its Philadelphia dates play Fabrika, at 1108 Frankford Avenue in Fishtown, and it is 21 and over. At time of writing, Fever listed an October 9, 2026 date with two showtimes and general admission at $70 plus fees. Best for: laughing, sipping and learning something along the way.

6. Dinner, live jazz and mind reading at Sound Minds

Sound Minds is a night out built for a table of friends: dinner and drinks from the restaurant's menu, a live jazz ensemble with mind-reading afterwards, and plenty of time to linger. It is currently presented at Malelani Café on Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, led by Gentry, a Philadelphia mentalist and working jazz bassist who plays bass in the band before the mind reading begins. What makes it different from most activities is that it happens to the whole table at once: when he reveals what your friend is thinking, everyone is part of the moment. At time of writing, advance tickets start at $25, and dates are on the events page. Best for: the group that wants a story to tell on the way home.

7. Stand-up and improv: Punch Line Philly, Philly Improv Theater and ComedySportz

For pure laughs, Punch Line Philly is a dedicated stand-up comedy club in Fishtown, while Philly Improv Theater and ComedySportz Philadelphia (CSz) specialize in improv, where the audience's suggestions shape the show. Best for: a night built entirely around laughing.

8. Sing along at Howl at the Moon

Howl at the Moon's Philadelphia location runs a dueling pianos show where the players take requests all night, and it hosts birthday and bachelorette parties. Best for: the friend group that knows every word.

9. Solve a murder at The Dinner Detective

The Dinner Detective is an interactive comedy murder mystery with a plated dinner and gratuity included in the ticket. The actors are hidden among the audience, so anyone at your table could be a suspect. Best for: competitive friends who like a puzzle with their dinner.

10. Candlelight concerts

Fever's Candlelight series puts live musicians in candlelit venues around Philadelphia, with programs ranging from classical to themes like 90s Unplugged and neo-soul favorites. Best for: a beautiful, low-key evening, especially before or after dinner.

More Ideas If You Are on a Budget or Want to Keep Moving

• Free Sunday music: City Cast Philly reported in February 2026 that Rex at the Royal on South Street hosts free live blues and jazz on Sunday evenings, and that Sassafras Bar in Old City has jazz trios on Sundays. Check before you go, since bar schedules change.

• Mini golf with drinks: Puttshack in Center City, a tech-driven mini golf bar that opened in 2024.

• Something active: Beat The Bomb at 1218 Chestnut Street, a team game played in protective suits against a countdown.

How to Choose

• If your group wants to talk most of the night: live jazz with dinner (SOUTH, Chris' Jazz Cafe or Sound Minds).

• If you want to make something: candles or paint and sip.

• If you want to laugh: stand-up, improv or An Idiot's Guide to Wine.

• If you want a story to tell afterwards: Sound Minds or The Dinner Detective.

• If you want to sing: Howl at the Moon.

Whatever you pick, book ahead for groups, arrive together, and give yourselves time to linger. The best part of a night out is often the half hour after the main event.

If your group likes the sound of dinner, live jazz and mind reading in one evening, see how a Sound Minds night unfolds or go straight to the upcoming dates.

Frequently Asked Questions

What can we do for a girls' night out in Philadelphia besides dinner?

Popular options include candle making at Wax + Wine or Cork & Candles, paint and sip at Painting with a Twist, comedy at Punch Line Philly or An Idiot's Guide to Wine at Fabrika, dueling pianos at Howl at the Moon, and live jazz at SOUTH or Chris' Jazz Cafe. For dinner, live jazz and mind reading in one evening, Sound Minds in Mount Airy combines all three.

Where can we hear live jazz with dinner in Philadelphia?

SOUTH on North Broad Street and Chris' Jazz Cafe on Sansom Street both pair dinner with live jazz. Sound Minds, currently at Malelani Café in Mount Airy, adds a live jazz ensemble with mind-reading afterwards.

Are there BYOB activities for a girls' night in Philadelphia?

Yes. Wax + Wine in Old City is a BYOB candle bar, and Painting with a Twist on South Street lets guests bring their own drinks to its paint and sip classes. Check each venue's current policy before you go.

What is a good girls' night out in Northwest Philadelphia?

Sound Minds, currently presented at Malelani Café on Germantown Avenue in Mount Airy, offers dinner and drinks from the restaurant's menu, a live jazz ensemble, and an hour of mind reading with Gentry. Dates are listed at gentrymind.com/events.

How do you plan a girls' night everyone will enjoy?

Choose something that includes food and drink, gives the group a reason to laugh, and leaves room to talk. Book one order for the whole group so you sit together, and arrive early enough to settle in before the main event.