The Best French Restaurants in Philadelphia
Where to go when you’re craving braised meat, red wine, lots of cheese and all the butter.
Some of the bites available at Superfolie. / Photograph by Ian Shiver
For many years, French dining was seen as the pinnacle of haute cuisine. But these days, braised meats drenched in red wine jus, duck confit and escargot aren’t always served on white tablecloths (though we always feel fancier when they do). Here are our favorite French restaurants, bistros and cafes, from casual spots for a coffee and croissant to highfalutin institutions worthy of celebrating life’s milestone moments.
Superfolie, Rittenhouse
Fans of The Good King Tavern and Le Caveau will appreciate Superfolie, the third wine bar experience from Chloe Grigri and company. Whereas The Good King Tavern leans more toward casual French bar food and Le Caveau focuses more on the wine, Superfolie is the best of both worlds with hearty bar bites and eclectic wines. Think beef tartare with potato chips, several kinds of tartine, and cod fritters with cilantro aioli. 1602 Spruce Street.
June BYOB, Collingswood
Rich Cusack excels at old-school French food. But it’s the way June BYOB delights in the largely bygone traditions of French cooking — the rabbit leg confit, seared foie gras, and red-wine roasted duck breast — that somehow makes the experience feel new again. 690 Haddon Avenue.
Parc Restaurant on Rittenhouse Square / Photograph by Jumping Rocks/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
Parc, Rittenhouse
Let’s be honest: Philadelphians don’t just love Parc for its food. We love it for its straight-out-of-Paris ambience, its over-the-top plateau classique seafood tower, and its charming, comfortable sidewalk seating where we can sit for hours and people watch. 227 South 18th Street.
Good King Tavern, Bella Vista
The Good King Tavern manages to be one of our favorite restaurants and one of our favorite bars all at once. The menu is hearty, classic food that always seems to have a surprise or two in store. (A recent visit cemented humble radishes with fromage blanc as a favorite dish of the last few months.) 614 South 7th Street.
Le Caveau, Bella Vista
Exciting vintages, a casual vibe and hot dogs served in baguettes await in the bar above The Good King Tavern. Le Caveau is where you want to go to learn about wine and mingle with other wine lovers, like you’re comparing tasting notes in a French wine cellar. 614 South 7th Street.
J’aime French Café, Rittenhouse and Midtown Village
When you need a midday latte and French pastry, J’aime French Café is a slice of Paris in Rittenhouse. Sit outside under the awning and watch the city go by or get your goods to go and really embrace the life of leisure in the park. There’s also J’aime French Bakery if you want to linger over lunch on the other side of Broad. 401 South 17th Street, 212 South 12th Street.
Lacroix, Rittenhouse
At the heart of Lacroix’s reputation is its unwavering commitment to culinary artistry. Chef Eric Leveillee blends classic French techniques with contemporary flair to achieve dishes that are a visual and flavorful delight. Served up in an intimate yet regal dining room, it is the pinnacle of fine dining in Philadelphia. 210 West Rittenhouse Square.
Royal Boucherie’s patio / Photograph by J. Fusco
Royal Boucherie, Old City
Everyone wishes that Royal Boucherie was in their neighborhood. Somehow their burger topped with foie gras and brie is just as satisfying as their fancy food options: duck confit, escargot, and moules royale in a white wine and tarragon herb butter sauce. Oh, and the bar? Excellent cocktails, delicious wines, and no fuss in sight. 52 South 2nd Street.
Caribou Cafe, Center City
French food can be upscale but simultaneously approachable. And Tod Wentz, who just took over Caribou Cafe, knows this and shows it off with a fancy yet casual bistro experience. You could have an easy-going night on the town with the $20 brie-topped burger with frites on the side, or class things up with a prime New York strip spiced paired with a bottle of Château Tour Haut to bring out the green peppercorn au poivre. 1126 Walnut Street.
Bar snacks at Forsythia / Photograph by Michael Persico
Forsythia, Old City
In a world of demure French restaurants, Forsythia is like Cirque du Soleil, and Christopher Kearse is the ringleader putting on a fantastic show. Every single dish, from the beet deviled eggs to the dry-aged duck, is a showstopper. Go for the happy hour ham-and-cheese beignets. Go for their French AF nights. Just go. 233 Chestnut Street.
Spring Mill Café, Conshohocken
In this 19th-century post office turned general store, Spring Mill Café has a distinctly country French vibe and a menu to match. Braised rabbit with apple sausage, pork chop doused in Port wine, and a so, so, so much pâté. 164 Barren Hill Road.
Delice et Chocolat, Ardmore
This is the kind of cafe you end up at when you want something as sweet as it is ornate. Yes, they have light bites like salads, quiches and sandwiches. But their signature is the delice, a flourless chocolate cake with layers of chocolate mousse topped with chocolate flourishes. Don’t leave without a few macarons, which come in a brilliant array of colors and flavors. Locals in Ardmore rave about them. 9 East Lancaster Avenue.
Beef tartare at Laurel / Photograph by In Between Rivers
Laurel, East Passyunk
Is Laurel a strictly French restaurant? No. Nick Elmi pulls in inspiration wherever he sees fit. But his training is distinctly French. He ran the kitchen at Le Bec Fin and worked at French restaurants all over the world before he opened Laurel. You won’t find duck confit on the menu here, but the French background is there if you look for it. 1617 East Passyunk Avenue.
Bar Lesieur, Center City
Happy hour is really where Bar Lesieur shines. Come here for $7 happy hour cocktails, $6 wines and reasonably priced bites including beef tartare, croquettes, and a gruyere-topped cheeseburger. 1523 Sansom Street.
Café le Jardin / Photograph by Kae Lani Palmisano
Café le Jardin, Audubon
The effortless elegance of Café le Jardin makes any meal here feel chic. You can wear big sunglasses and sit on the patio with a coffee and a croissant sandwich, or you can kick off a four-course dinner with escargot in chicken jus in their cozy dining room. Either way you go, you’ll feel like you’re leisurely dining at a café in Marseille. 34 West Merchant Street.
My Loup, Rittenhouse
As per French culinary traditions, pomp and circumstance are par for the course, which can sometimes come off as stuffy. Not at My Loup, though, where the tentacles of the grilled squid playfully curl around green olives speckled with Aleppo pepper and halibut is topped with house-made chips. Each component of each dish is bold and ambitious, but they’re presented with a cheeky attitude toward the old ways, like Mozart playing Salieri behind his back in the 1984 film Amadeus. 2005 Walnut Street.
Sofi Corner Cafe, Midtown Village
Sofi Corner is a cute, little French-Moroccan escape from the urban jungle that is Center City. Cozy up on the corner bench seat, take in the view of the garden through the windows, and dunk your croissant into your latte while you wait for your lamb shank tagine. 1112 Locust Street.
The roasted duck breast from Townsend. / Photograph by Gab Bonghi
Townsend, East Passyunk
Much of Tod Wentz’s work is inspired by the original Fountain Room in the Four Seasons, where he worked for six years early in his culinary career. You can see it in the modest luxury of both the decor and the menu. It’s not too over the top, like a Rococo dining room plucked out of an 18th-century French palace. The clean white tableclothes and generous servings of roasted striped bass with potato pavé and dry-aged steak in a red wine jus make the experience feel sleeker and more modern. 1623 East Passyunk Avenue.
Matines Café, Chestnut Hill
This is a French cafe befitting Chestnut Hill. Its charming atmosphere and light bites make it a great place to meet up with a friend for coffee and small bites. Graze on a cheese and charcuterie board, split the bread basket, and treat yourself to a banana and Nutella crêpe. 89 Bethlehem Pike.
Maman, Admore
With locations from New York to Washington, D.C., Maman is a quaint French-inspired cafe in the heart of Ardmore. They have everything from sweets and pastries to light salads and sandwiches, making them the perfect pitstop when exploring the local business district. 49 Anderson Avenue.
