Things to do in Pittsburgh, splurging
Art, steel-town history, serious restaurants, and the best bars in between.
This is Pittsburgh for people who want the good table, the right cocktail, and a reason to walk a few neighborhoods without feeling like they're following a checklist. The days move from downtown and the Strip District into Lawrenceville and out to the East End, and the restaurants alone justify the trip. It suits anyone willing to spend properly in exchange for not having to think twice.
Day 1: Downtown, Strip District, North Shore
Start with espresso in the Strip and the Warhol, an Argentine grill lunch downtown, an hour at the Point, then seafood high above the city on Mount Washington.
- 9:30 AM
La Prima Espresso Company
An old-school Italian espresso bar in the Strip; stand at the counter for a cappuccino and a biscotti.
Map - 10:15 AM
The Andy Warhol Museum
Seven floors of Warhol, Soup Cans, Marilyns, Silver Clouds, the definitive Pittsburgh cultural stop.
Map - 12:30 PM
Gaucho Parrilla Argentina
A wood-fired Argentine grill downtown; get a steak sandwich or skirt steak with chimichurri. Open Tue to Sat.
Map - 4:30 PM
Point State Park
Walk out to the big fountain where the Allegheny and Monongahela meet to form the Ohio.
Map - 7:30 PM
Monterey Bay Fish Grotto
Seafood on top of Mount Washington with windows looking straight down onto the Point and downtown.
Map - 9:30 PM
Rivers Casino bar scene
Casino bars on the North Shore with river views, social scene, part of the game-day entertainment cluster.
Map
Day 2: Strip District into Lawrenceville
The Heinz History Center anchors the morning, DiAnoia's takes care of lunch, and Morcilla at dinner is the kind of Basque table that makes you rebook a city.
- 9:30 AM
Alihan's Coffee and Breakfast
A downtown breakfast counter for eggs and coffee before walking up to the Strip.
Map - 10:30 AM
Heinz History Center
Six floors of Pittsburgh: steel, glass, Heinz ketchup and pieces of the original Mister Rogers set.
Map - 12:30 PM
DiAnoia's Eatery
An Italian deli by day in the Strip; get a hot sandwich or a plate of the fresh pasta.
Map - 4:30 PM
Mellon Square
A 1950s modernist garden plaza built on top of a parking garage downtown; a calm pause between stops.
Map - 7:30 PM
Morcilla
Spanish pintxos and plates in Lawrenceville; share the croquetas and order the morcilla itself. Tue to Sat.
Map - 9:30 PM
The Church Brew Works
Beer brewed on the altar of a restored 1902 church; drink it under the stained glass.
Map
Day 3: Shadyside, Garfield, East Liberty
The East End day covers dinosaurs in Oakland, Thai noodles in Shadyside, Pittsburgh Glass Center's studio culture, and Fish Nor Fowl for a neighbourhood dinner that earns its reputation.
- 9:30 AM
Tazza D'oro
Highland Park's neighbourhood espresso bar; a cappuccino and a pastry before the day.
Map - 10:00 AM
Carnegie Museum of Natural History
Dinosaur Hall's real skeletons, T. rex included, plus a gem and mineral hall worth a slow look.
Map - 12:30 PM
Noodlehead
Cheap Thai street noodles on Highland Avenue in Shadyside; get the pad kee mao and bring cash.
Map - 2:30 PM
Pittsburgh Glass Center
Pittsburgh Glass Center is a hands-on, design-forward cultural stop, right in Garfield, close to lunch.
Map - 7:30 PM
Fish Nor Fowl
Seasonal plates for sharing on Penn Avenue in Garfield, a few doors from the Glass Center.
Map - 10:00 PM
Independent Brewing Company
A Squirrel Hill bar pouring only local craft beer; ask what's fresh from Pittsburgh breweries.
Map
Where to stay
Fairmont Pittsburgh
Downtown location puts you within walking distance of the Strip and the North Shore, and the Fairmont's rooms and bar are at the right level for a splurge trip.
Hotel Monaco Pittsburgh
A playful downtown hotel with a rooftop deck, walkable to the Strip, the Point and the North Shore bridges.
Make Pittsburgh your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Phipps Conservatory and Botanical Gardens: a few days ahead
- Acrisure Stadium: weeks ahead
- Mystic Rock Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Shepherd's Rock Golf Course: weeks ahead
- Ohiopyle State Park: a few days ahead
- Fallingwater: weeks ahead
Skip these
- Judging Primanti's anywhere but the Strip original, chain and ballpark versions are a lesser sandwich.
- Grandview Avenue view restaurants other than Altius sell the skyline and plate average food at splurge prices.
- The Gateway Clipper cruise is slow and priced for tour groups, a kayak or the river trail gives the same water for less.
- Driving between neighbourhoods at face value distance, bridges and tunnels turn two miles into 25 minutes.
The full Pittsburgh travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around