There’s so much to do on the East End, we couldn’t fit it all in one post (see part two!) Bloomfield, Garfield, and Highland Park, on the northern end of the neighborhood, are a combination of Bohemian industrial chic and cozy, old school Pittsburgh charm. As such, these neighborhoods have attracted some of the city’s trendiest restaurants and bars.

One of the things we appreciate about this pocket of the East End is that there are great restaurants with great bars, and great bars in great restaurants. Which comes first, the drink or the dinner? While we’ve separated the categories, consider most of these options for both.

A Night Out on the East End, Part 1 (Bloomfield, Garfield, Highland Park)

Eat

Apteka

4605 Penn Avenue

Tomasz Skowronski and Kate Lasky’s ambitious Eastern European, plant-based restaurant is widely considered one of the city’s best eateries. With each visit, the experience skews a little bit differently due to the emphasis on seasonal produce and creative, culinary inspirations. Apteka also has one of the city’s most unique wine lists, with bottles from Georgia, Slovakia, Austria, and Croatia. The list even earns a nod on a national level, as a James Beard semifinalist in the category of Outstanding Wine and Other Beverages Program in 2026. On Thursdays, Apteka runs their Vinoteka, a bottle shop that specializes in natural, organic, and biodynamic wines. You can drink your choice there (with a $15 corkage fee) or take it home. One wine to try is the Refošk from Slovakian winemaker Uroš Rojac.

Fet-Fisk

4768 Liberty Avenue

Fet-Fisk has a unique tagline: a Nordic seafood restaurant and oyster bar with a devotion to Appalachian agriculture. While those might sound like odd bedmates, under the direction of chefs Nik Forsberg and Sarah LaPonte, the result is sublime. Try some Danish sea trout caviar — Forsberg’s grandmother said her one regret in life was not eating as much caviar as she wanted, so let’s live large. The steelhead trout with smoked almond sauce is one of the best seafood dishes in the city, as is the whole branzino, grilled and served with dulse butter, turnip pickle, and breadcrumbs.

Fet-Fisk has garnered attention far beyond our three rivers, earning a spot on The New York Times’, Bon Appétit‘s, and Eater’s best restaurant lists, as well as two James Beard nominations. All that, while Fet-Fisk is housed in an old-school Bloomfield building that was once home to Lombardozzi’s — where today, Pittsburgh comfort meets artful Scandinavian.

Fish Nor Fowl

5523 Penn Avenue

At Fish Nor Fowl, from Richard Deshantz of the Deshantz Restaurant Group, the menu embraces modern takes on rustic cuisine. Starters are to share, with a lineup of dishes that can be mixed and matched: dips like whipped ricotta, caramelized white bean with garlic confit; buckwheat focaccia, meats and cheeses, and snacks that include marinated Castelvetrano olives and artichokes with tahini. Choosing the combo that appeals to your table is part of the fun — eating it is the other part. The small plates offerings are balanced, with spiced meatballs, duck confit, bone marrow risotto, and mussels with saffron broth. And the large plates include duck, rack of lamb, and Arctic char. This appealing menu is only complemented by their Italian-inspired beverage program.

Brothmonger

4770 Liberty Avenue

Sarah Coppolo’s soups have made quite the splash. In 2018, she opened Brothmonger from her apartment and sold quarts to local delis. She now has a cozy shop to share her soups on Liberty Avenue, just down the street from Fet Fisk. Each month, Coppolo creates a new menu of her brothy offerings: stews, bisques, chilis and consommés, vegetarian and gluten-free options — if you can think of a type, she’s probably served it.

Soups are sold to go by the quart, or in-house with a big hunk of focaccia. The feeling you get when visiting her storefront is as nourishing as the soups: plants frame the doorway, walls are painted a deep, yet bright, herby green; there’s a comfy couch and a coffee table with a spread of Three Rivers Cookbooks. In addition to soups, each day she serves a few fresh salads, sandwiches, and pasta bowls. Brothmonger is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., so it might not qualify as a night-out spot, but it is worth a visit.

Smiling Banana Leaf

5901 Bryant Street

This small, cheerful restaurant quietly serves up some of the best Thai food in the city. After a slow roll-out post pandemic (they remained take-out only for a few years), Smiling Leaf is now again open for indoor dining. So, come for an evening and enjoy the comforting space for Thai classics like pad see ew, pumpkin curry, and pineapple fried rice. In the warmer months, you can also sit outside on the quiet side street. Know that Smiling Banana Leaf has a BYOB policy. Wrap the night with a stroll down Bryant Street.

Drink

Trace Brewing

4312 Main Street

Ever wondered what’s behind the graffiti and street-art covered wall as you crest the hill of Main Street in Bloomfield? Trace Brewing, with both café service and beer on tap, is the owner of the colorful “permission wall” that’s an iconic fixture of Bloomfield. They have delicious food, fun parties, and a great outdoor patio. And on April 23 and 24, Trace will host its 2026 Draught Draft a watch party with Slim tha DJ. It’s free to attend — and to add to the excitement, there will be commentary on the draft, trivia, and a different food truck each night.

Tina’s

4114 Main Street

Tina’s is a “cool girl” bar, with a chic aesthetic, varied cocktails, and a focus on biodynamic, environmentally sourced wine. The narrow bar is drenched in atmosphere, with a mural that starts on the wall and spreads across the ceiling, deep green-and-white checked floor, deep green barstools, and a wall-sized painting of Marilyn Monroe. It’s retro yet contemporary. Drinks are inventive and reasonably priced, and the menu focuses on bread, cheese, and an array of some 15 varieties of tinned fish that includes octopus with olive oil and garlic, trout with dill, and Prince Edward Island Mussels in paprika.

Nico’s Recovery Room

178 Pearl Street

Nico’s bills itself as a “neighborhood dive bar that welcomes all.” So, if you’re in the mood for a casual spot with diverse patronage, bar food, cheap drinks, and ample seating — either at the horseshoe bar itself or in classic diner-style booths — Nico’s is worth a stop. They also host karaoke nights, plus trivia, poetry readings, and more. Nothing fancy, just a wonderfully laid-back night out spot.

Culture/Going Out

Penn Avenue Arts District

Penn between Mathilda and Negley

Arguably one of the original First Friday events in the Pittsburgh, Unblurred does not fail to entertain. Since 1998, along the stretch of Penn Avenue’s 4800-5500 blocks, the free event has drawn people to explore galleries such as Silver Eye Center for Photography, Bunker Projects, Irma Freeman Center for the Imagination. Meet artists and enjoy live music, spoken word poetry, and magic shows. Take a tango lesson, check out live glassblowing at Pittsburgh Glass Center, stop at Two Frays Brewery, have snacks from local vendors. A night that’s fun for all.

Tomayko Foundation

5173 Liberty Avenue

Opened in 2023, the Tomayko Foundation is a contemporary art gallery that combines collector Jack Tomayko’s holdings — which he has collected for more than 30 years — with curator Nina Friedman’s selection of juried shows. There are two permanent exhibits, including the Tomayko Collection, which aims to present an eclectic array of works from western Pennsylvania artists. Don’t miss the opening of a new exhibit (such as May 2, from 6 to 8 p.m.), which provides wine, appetizers, and a host of art enthusiasts.

Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium

7470 Baker Street

Pittsburgh is one of only six cities in the U.S. that have a combined zoo and aquarium — and each are premier destinations on their own. A 2-plus mile paved path winds through the zoo, passing an African savannah with a herd of five elephants, giraffes, zebras, and many other animals ambling about the grasslands — and past plenty of other animal environments. With more than 8,000 animals from on all seven continents and all five oceans, there’s diversity aplenty.

The aquarium is a 45,000-foot stunner with a two-story shark tank, penguins, an interactive stingray pool, a coral reef, a mesmerizing jellyfish exhibit, and much more. Though you might be tuckered out after all the walking, be sure to check out the polar bears and delightful otters, on your way back to the car. Pro tip: buy tickets online to bypass lines at the gate.

Highland Park

1467 N Highland Avenue

The park that gives this neighborhood its name, Highland Park, knows how to wow visitors from the start. The Victorian-inspired entrance features 56-foot-tall granite columns, bronze statues sculpted by the famed Giuseppe Moretti, and a view towards the formal garden and fountain with a reflecting pool encircled by benches.

Insider’s tip: Before coming to the park, stop at nearby Tazza D’Oro for some pastries and espressos to bring to the park. It will only enhance the experience as you relax on the benches, taking in the European vibe. After, be sure to take a walk around the reservoir and to check out the new sculpture by Marlana Adele Vassar in the welcome garden, the first permanent installation of a sculpture by a woman of color in the city.

Take a look at the rest of our Night Out Series…

• A Night Out on the South Side Beyond the Dive Bars
• A Night Out on the East End Part Two (Shadyside, Squirrel Hill, Point Breeze, East Liberty)
• A Night Out on the North Side, Not Just Stadium Food
• A Night Out in Lawrenceville is Never Boring
• Saturday Night on the Hilltop

Story by Emma Riva
Photo From Fet-Fisk

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