They'd already invested big in a stellar revamp of the long-vacant shell of Cuvee Notredame. With the help of a Dublin-based design firm, they installed woodwork throughout the multilevel restaurant, with four-legged pub tables, cozy fireplaces, and buttresslike wooden arches laced across the main bar room to add intimacy to the tall-ceilinged sunny space.

St. Stephen's Green is a welcome addition to the Fairmount neighborhood. The place was packed when we enjoyed our meal. The waitstaff is knowledgeable, polite and friendly.

Philly's got plenty of great places to spend your boozin' dollars, but St. Stephen's Green may just end up on your short list. For one thing, it's got atmosphere galore. The corner of 17th and Green, quiet for years since the Belgian restaurant Cuvee Notredame closed, is now glowing with one of the most effective restaurant rehab jobs in memory.