The best French restaurants in Philadelphia, presented in alphabetical order.
The best French restaurants in Philadelphia, presented in alphabetical order.
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Created 09/15/08
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1
Beau Monde
624 S. Sixth St., Philadelphia, PA 19147 / 215-592-0656
Everything old seems new again with crêpes back on the scene. There is no more pleasant place to have them than in this restored house in Queen Village. French doors thrown open in summer reveal velvet drapes and Chinese-looking gilt panels around the room. A handsome fireplace done in mirrored, mosaic tiles lightens a neutral palette of greens and browns. Crêpes are a Breton tradition and these are “le vrai” articles, made with buckwheat or plain flour. Starters include a selection of three pâtés served properly with cornichons, or a salad with thin-sliced duck breast. Entrée crêpes are golden envelopes that may contain beef bourguignon, roasted vegetables or a plain fried egg. Dessert crêpes may be filled with Nutella, fresh fruit or lemon curd. Upstairs, you’ll find live music, drag shows and more at L’Etage cabaret.
2
Bistro St. Tropez
Marketplace Design Center, 4th Fl., 2400 Market St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-569-9269
Its out of the way location on the fourth floor of the Marketplace Design Center has not hurt this cheery restaurant one bit. There’s something vaguely clandestine about peeking into the closed showrooms on the way to the elevator. Once upstairs, the Bistro is spacious, with good lighting over the banquettes, and great views of the Schuylkill River, Cira Centre and Art Museum. Sunset is especially lovely while sipping a glass of wine from the approachable list. Owner-chef Patrice Rames is from St. Tropez, so expect the sun-kissed kind of food he grew up with---house-made chicken liver pâté, white anchovy tart with tapenade and goat cheese, a really good coq au vin. The galette of shrimp and lump crab meat is a standout. Entrées of braised lamb shank with veggies and seared John Dory with red cabbage are consistent with the fresh-ingredient-driven cuisine of southern France. The extensive menu also lists some interesting salads and sandwiches for a lighter meal. The plat du jour is always an excellent value. At dessert time, crème brûlée never disappoints.
3
Brasserie Perrier
1619 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 15-568-3000
A recent retooling of the menu has brought this collaboration between Georges Perrier and Chris Scarduzio a bit more in line with a traditional French brasserie, from the traditional steak tartare to the salad Lyonnaise and charcouterie plate. You can still get a mean Gruyere burger, or try one of the plats du jour, which include prime rib, bouillabaisse and rack of lamb. Among the desserts are a warm chocolate cake with raspberry sauce and a classic vanilla bean crème brulée. The extensive wine list contains many treasures, but there are surprises from small vineyards and little-known shippers in the Loire Valley and the Languedoc. The glittering bar attracts a professional crowd, and features its own menu. You will find meticulous appointments, flattering lighting and a professional waitstaff.
4
Chez Colette
Sofitel Philadelphia, 120 S. 17th St., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-569-8300
Tearing yourself away from the lobby piano bar may be difficult, but once you step into Chez Colette, you'll soon forget show tunes even existed. One of the most underrated restaurants in the city, Colette is easy on the senses: suffuse yourself in the fin de siècle brasserie atmosphere, admire the antique Parisian posters on the walls, read the story of Colette from the menu, and then enjoy the chef’s varied cuisine. The menu is stacked with Gallic classics: escargots, onion soup and house pâté might warm your heart, but save room for polenta soufflé, tuna tartare or wild striped bass with mushrooms. With a decent bottle of wine from the well-priced list, you can have “Those pleasures so lightly called physical,” as Colette would say. This dining room is good for business meetings because it is large and quietly chic.
5
Dilworthtown Inn
1390 Old Wilmington Pk., West Chester, PA 19382 / 610-399-1390
Since Revolutionary days, this country inn has been a welcoming sight in the countryside. Its warren of dining rooms have the brick hearths, Persian carpets, and colonial furnishing expected in such a setting. The formal service is skilled, and adds greatly to the enjoyment of the continental cuisine, as well as the expert wine list. Favored dishes include a truffled duck liver pâté, a crab and mushroom galette, and sea bass with a lobster sauce. There is an occasional Asian touch such as crisp lobster with ginger. Desserts like homemade ice creams, chocolate mousse and strawberry cream cake finish off the evening with a flourish.
6
Fountain Restaurant
Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, One Logan Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-963-1500
The view of Swann fountain and the statues that grace Logan Square, one of the most beautiful locations in Philadelphia, sets the tone. At Fountain, the restaurant in the Four Seasons, it's all art and refinement. The pleasant view is all the more soothing since the tables are so well separated and the walls and ceiling are soundproofed. This is one rare restaurant where the noise level is virtually non-existent. A 2007 renovation has changed the color scheme from greens and blues to grays, silvers, lavenders, blues, and browns. In the elegant dark wood-paneled room, largely opened on the exterior, diners feel fully relaxed as the tasting menu is presented. Chef Martin Hamann has placed Fountain among the best restaurants in the U.S. The linking of the four, five or six courses of his tasting menus is subtle, and with the accompaniment of selected wines from the impressive cellar leads you progressively into a state of sheer happiness. From English sweet pea soup with shrimp ravioli to baked John Dory fillet "Portuguese-style" to the roast lamb rib-eye with Israeli couscous to memorable desserts, it is a continuous treat. They also offer a lavish Sunday brunch.
7
Gilmore's
133 Gay St., West Chester, PA 19380 / 610-431-2800
Peter Gilmore, a disciple of Le Bec Fin, set up shop in a charming Victorian house in the center of West Chester. The food and service are French, so you can bring your best wine and be assured that it will find fitting complements on the menu. From snails in puff pastry and warm seafood pâté through the crab cake with beurre blanc and Australian lamb loin to the delicious desserts, the meal is what one could call relaxed and elegant. And if you go during off-peak hours, the drive to this quaint town is barely a half an hour from Philadelphia.
8
Lacroix at The Rittenhouse
The Rittenhouse Hotel, 210 W. Rittenhouse Sq., Philadelphia, PA 19103 / 215-790-2533
Although he has officially stepped down as executive chef, trusting the talented Matthew Levin to tend to the day-to-day, Jean-Marie Lacroix’s fingerprints are still all over this tony park-view restaurant on the second floor of The Rittenhouse Hotel. The godfather of so many talented chefs, Lacroix’s sophisticated approach to ingredient pairings and presentation remains a hallmark of his restaurant, a sparely elegant space with innovative displays of fresh fruits and vegetables as part of its décor. The menu offers either a tasting or à la carte experience, with the tastes divided into categories of raw, vegetables, shellfish, fish, poultry and meat. Try the outstanding mussel and gnocchi gratin, laced with crispy guanciale (pork jowl) in a creamy curry sauce. Surprises are everywhere, in the dusting of cayenne on the spicy cashews in the butter lettuce salad and in the brine of dried nori that crusts the Niman Ranch rib-eye. The pricey ($95) plate of fruits de mer is composed of a mix of pristine raw and cooked shellfish that is a meal for two. The wine list is 30 pages of high-end wines, second-growth Bordeaux, Super Tuscans, some Californian wines, and worldwide diversity. For dessert, restaurant pastry chef Matthew Petersen concocts sorbets in worldly flavors such as coconut saffron and yuzu yogurt. Or try the honey-poached figs, a medley in sweet and savory that includes salty walnuts, goat cheese and the fizz of grape soda.
9
Le Bec-Fin
1523 Walnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19102 / 215-567-1000
Let it not be said that Georges Perrier is afraid of change. It might take him a while, but the culinary impresario of Le Bec-Fin is making adaptations to attract younger diners to his French restaurant. Now, executive chef Pierre Calmels offers options: a six-course menu for $138, or four courses priced at $90, and served Monday through Thursday. Ensconced in a striking setting with crystal chandeliers, and waited upon by tuxedoed staff, enjoy wonders such as the signature crab cake, seared scallops with tomato salsa, poached salmon in olive oil or pork tenderloin with truffle mashed potatoes. And, as always, master sommelier Christophe Tassan will gently guide you through the restaurant’s impressive wine list, which leans heavily towards the borders of France while acknowledging new-world options. Another element that has not changed and should not is the all-you-can-eat dessert cart with its rum-soaked genoise, coffeecake and mocha-flavored opera cake. In case four courses aren’t enough, you’re sure to enjoy the chef’s ten-course dégustation menu for $165.
10
Zinc
246 S. 11th St., Philadelphia, PA 19107 / 215-351-9901
Olivier De Saint Martin’s Zinc conjures up the flavors and aromas of authentic homey French cuisine. While the scale is grander at his other bistro around the corner, Caribou Café, Zinc offers intimacy and more. Tucked away in Midtown Village, the eatery serves up a vibe that is pure Marais---artsy, offbeat and very, very sexy. Charcuterie, escargots in puff pastry, hard-cooked eggs with truffle mayonnaise, first-rate mussels steamed in Chablis---one taste and you’ll be a Francophile forever.
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