On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch, Asian Fusion
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse SquareMon-Thu. 6:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 6:30 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sat. 7:00 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 7:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Loading...
As a college student on a budget, it's not too often I'll frequent a place like Lacroix. My friends and I decided to take advantage of Restaurant Week and visit a place we'd not be able to afford otherwise. I must admit that we'd originally aimed for Le Bec FIn, and Lacroix was our fall back plan when we couldn't get a reservation there. Yet for a Plan B, Lacroix didn't fail to stun. It's one of the few places where it's definitely worth the $35 flat rate.
Thanks to it's name and website, we were under the impression that Lacroix was a French restaurant. I looked forward to upscale French cuisine, and was slightly disappointed to discover that it's more of an Asian-French-American fusion type menu (at least the restaurant week menu). That being said, I'd be a liar if I said it wasn't a great dining experience despite not being purely French.
For the first dish, we were able to choose between a pumpkin soup and a salad with lots of ingredients I'd never heard of. In fact, that pretty much sums up the menu-- lots of things I'd never heard of. Thankfully, one friend had traveled extensively and was able to describe most of the foreign foods.
Anyway, the salad was great. A mix of different types of lettuce, tangy dressing, bread chunks (not croutons though!), and cheeses made it a refreshing start to my meal.
Next came the main dish, a monkfish-tower-thing with a red wine/beet sauce (I think?). It was one of those classic plates with a little tiny entree in the middle, that somehow always makes you really full despite its size. The server who brought it out describe all its ingredients when setting it down, and then poured the sauce around the plate. Awesome presentation. The taste was exquisite, especially the fish. Being a huge fan of fresh fish, I was a little skeptical about fish being prepared in such a fancy way, but was amazed at how delicious it was. I didn't particularly like the crunchy texture of the polenta on the bottom, but overall, a great dish.
Last came dessert, which was a "hot chocolate soup" that was just as delicious as it sounds. Beautifully prepared in a round white bowl, it was European style hot chocolate, chocolate gelato, cookies, and chocolate bark. While usually I'm not much of a dessert person, it was easily my favorite part of the meal. Definitely order this if you go.
The atmosphere of the place is elegant without being too pretentious. The decor has a glow-y, golden black feel, and the view of Rittenhouse really completes your experience. Try to request a table with a view.
As for the service, the runners who brought out the plates are great. They really explain every detail of this dish before you eat it. The server who took our order could've been better though. He seemed uncomfortable (maybe because he was serving 5 pretty college girls?) and stuttered a bit when taking our order. In any other establishment I wouldn't care about this, but Lacroix really tries to put on a classy show, and the server just didn't fit in.
Overall, I had a great experience at Lacroix. I'm not sure I'll be going back any time soon (at least until I have a steady income), but it's definitely worth the hype.
Exquisite.
I've been to Lacroix several times, but somehow haven't written a review. Now it's time.
I went last Friday. I didn't know that it was the last day of Restaurant Week, so they had that menu out. I wanted the a la carte menu and that was promptly brought.
First, I spent a ton of time looking at their impressive wine menu. I asked my waiter about a bottle of Bordeaux; he liked the idea, but consulted with the sommelier and said they had a great bottle for me: a Marques de Grignon petit verdot. Wow. The wine was less expensive than the one I asked about, and it's the first time I had a full petit verdot. Amazing.
Then, the food. My dinner companion had the squash soup; I had the pate, which the sommelier paired with a sweet win from Bergerac. Supr tasty choice.
For the entree, we had the veal cheeks and the duck breast. Both were perfectly done, and I still can savor that brown liquor sauce that the veal cheeks were done in. Amazing.
For the dessert: fromage. Our waiter chose three soft cheeses to go with the last of the Marques de Grignon. Perfect.
You know, going to Lacroix I have the same conversation in my head that I do when I get a massage: "Why don't I do this more often?" I ask myself.
You get what you pay for when you go to LaCroix for its Sunday brunch -- and that is a good thing. Their brunch is served in an elegant, buffet style, with various 'stations' set up (raw bar, hors d'oeuvres, dessert, etc.), which have enough items to entice you for hours after you've ordered a mimosa to start. But save some space to venture into the kitchen, where the Lacroix brunch experience truly begins with various entrees (from breakfast delicacies like perfect french toast and pancakes to heavier wonders like short ribs, pork belly, and lamb). Finish your LaCroix tour at the dessert station, where it becomes truly difficult to gauge how much more you can eat.
Bottom line: although not everything is perfect at all times, the wide selection of tasty options means you can always find enough to satisfy and leave you wondering if you need to have dinner. A great place for Mother's/Father's Day, graduation lunches and other special occasions.
The private dining rooms are exceptional -- well decorated and relaxing atmosphere with impeccable service, perfect for a small gathering. The only complaint would be the fact that they renovated a part of the original seating to a bar area, so if you're stopping by for lunch (instead of brunch), make sure you get a reservation because the bistro seating by the bar can be a tad tight.
-pinkposy
I had read really great reviews on the food and service at Lacroix so my friend and I decided to go during Restaurant Week. We were happy to find out that Lacroix did not skimp on the quality of their food or their customer service even though it was Restuarant Week and other fine dining restaurants have been known to do so. I had the Japanese Pumpkin Soup with Coconut and Hisbiscus (very good!), the Halibut with Whipped Potatoes and Pork Belly, and a Petit Trio of Desserts (the Caramel Mini-Cheesecake was absolutely delicious!).
The service was also quite good. The restaurant was on the cold side and there was a consistent breeze that was making it even chillier. The kind manager moved us to another table and provided us with nice blankets/wraps to wear during our meal. A nice touch. And our server knew that we really enjoyed the mini-cheesecakes and sent us home with some. We both had a great time and plan to go back.
My boyfriend and I had Sunday brunch there today for his birthday. We were so excited walking through the restaurant as we were seated, because we walked by all the appetizers and it was already overwhelming! The service was great, attentive but not intrusive, and we never felt rushed even though we were there for like 3 hours.
There were a LOT of choices for us to choose from, and I think boyfriend said he was able to fit in 2 plates of cold appetizers, 3-4 plates of hot foods (in the kitchen, which we got to see which was cool), and countless plates of desserts. We were both really full before having tried everything, but I think we had everything we really wanted to try. I love that the portions are small enough that you can have little tastes of everything you're intrigued with. Half the appetizers were the unconventional experimental types, like foie gras in malted milk crisp... which were cool to try but often not my favorite.
My favorites were the duckling croissants (and the chocolate croissant too!), grapefruit soda (we had a dozen of these little shots), grilled crab pizza, salmon, pork belly (ugh so fatty so decadent), duck confit (so tender), and chicken thighs. Also, boyf said the applewood smoked bacon was the best bacon he'd ever tasted.
There were a bunch of desserts and it was pretty hit-or-miss for me, but their chocolate earl grey ice cream was great, as were the banana chocolate trifle, pear brioche, and almond profiterole!
It was a great experience and definitely something fun to try for a special occasion. You'll definitely find something you love. I wish they had more vegetables though.. and the sushi rice was hard. Haha that's all.
I was thrilled when I walked into Lacroix and saw the cast of Dynasty sitting in a booth. hEllO Joan Collins, love your cheetah-print hat!
You can't imagine how disappointing it was to learn that these were just old bourgies from the Main Line. And that's the thing about Lacroix. It's not for the young and beautiful. Regardless, I was taking my Jewish matchmaker Haddasah out to eat and wanted to impress her with an upscale French restaurant.
I had been to Lacroix once before, and had a fabulous time. Hadassah and I immediately ordered wine from some cranky white guy (it wasn't their handsome sommelier... he was elsewhere). He recommended a "whatever" white, and then we each ordered the Eight Plate tasting menu.
Thankfully the servers were sweet. Probably just because they all wanted to get my phone number. As Hadassah and I spread out the latest issues of American and Italian Vogue on our table (at the window overlooking snowy Rittenhouse Square), our food began to arrive.
I love it when I go to a restaurant and have no idea what I'm eating. I have that same experience at Denny's. I must say, the first three seafood dishes in Lacroix's tasting menu were excellent. The halibut wrapped in hearts of palm was brilliant. The foie gras was very good, but so buttery. I wanted to squeeze it into a spray bottle and use it for tanning oil. I think Joan Collins was thinking the same thing.
The venison was delicious, but I think next time I dine at Lacroix I'll just stick to fish. All of the dishes were beautifully prepared--I mean hEllO, you don't even want to eat some because of how nice they look on the plate.
At this point Hadassah and I were low on alcohol, so I we ordered some champagne to keep us going through dessert. Cranky retrieved us a bottle. I was so over him, and I could tell that the old bourgie in the cheetah hat was too. Girlfriend and I had developed a "connection" by the sixth course. It was like heterosexual love at first sight, only the Liberace kind.
FinaLLy dessert came: a bowl of chocolate soup with a cinnamon cream and a delicious gelato. And I dived in. Who cares, I knew I was going to throw it up later anyway.
Dinner was grEAt, but next time I'm ordering a la carte. Especially when I'm paying. Yes, you heard it. Hadassah nor the old Cheetah Girl footed me any money for the bill. And Lacroix didn't let me use my Neiman Marcus credit card either.
If you come here, ask for a table with a view of Rittenhouse Square. Or just go to Bibou, where you can get the same quality without all the foo-foo presentation. I must admit though, the wine list at Lacroix is out of this world. Just make sure that you ask for the actual sommelier. He smiles.
This has been a Review by Fulgencio
I went here for restaurant week with a group of my friends. We had foie gras split (amazing), and I had the Japanese pumpkin soup and monkfish. Everything that everyone had was really great. I've never been happier with restaurant week.
It was good. I had a duck sandwich which I thought was interesting. The truffle fries were delicious but then the cole slaw was kind of off. Very good service and a good atmosphere. It is a night spot. I'd go back.
Oh - and the chocolates are great!
I came here for the brunch on Dec 27th with three others. The atmosphere was nice, a bit ritzy, and the service was attentive. I can't remember too much about the particulars of what I ate. My overall impression was that everything was pretty well-executed and good, but not great. The dishes seemed intricate and inventive, and I wanted to like everything more, but whether the chef's palate is just different from mine or whether the dishes maybe objectively weren't great dishes I don't know. I didn't feel much desire to go back for seconds of anything (although given the quantity of items and my desire not to miss trying anything, that's not such a bad thing). The items that were the worst for me were the items from the carving stations and the desserts. The proteins were a tiny bit overcooked in some cases, and just generally not all that interesting. I remember a salmon dish that had a too-sweet, generic glaze on it. The desserts weren't very flavorful, and the texture was off on some of them. For example, the crusts on some of the pastries just weren't very good.
Overall, I'm happy to have had the experience. There was a wide variety of interesting dishes. But, I don't need to do it again.
We made a reservation for the eve of Christmas Eve about a month ago and were very excited for our date night out. We had a cocktail in Bar 211 first before moving to our table. While we were having our drink, 2 couples came in with 2 kids (2 and 4 years old), and our first thought was please don't sit us near them!
They did. Right next to their table with both kids facing us. After some hemming and hawing between us, one of the kids screams out "no!" to mom, and we ask for a table at the other end. Our server, Anthony, knowingly had us quickly reseated. I feel bad for the other diners left trapped near this table from hell. It eventually got real bad with the kids screaming and was even very annoying from our end of the restaurant. Finally I guess they were asked to leave (the two men in the group had some words with the maître d' because they were offended - screw them - it's after 9pm those kids shouldn't be eating fries in Lacroix).
Anyway, food was excellent! Shaved hamachi with root puree as a starter and a huge portion of axis venison (one spot was a touch raw though, but I imagine they're tough not to overcook). We both had the Bûche de Noël for desert (and kindly comped by the restaurant due to the screaming kids).
Our server - Anthony - was excellent. Attentive and informative on the dishes, but never felt like we were rushed.
I went here for lunch yesterday to take advantage of their RW $20 menu. It was worth it. I got their fresh greens salad that has a light vinaigrette dressing that was not over powering or over dressed. I picked their chickpea dish as my entree and it was amazing. Really bright and flavorful, well seasoned, served with baby carrots, toasted almonds and smoked raisin puree. Now I normally hate raisins but this gave a nice balance to the almonds and helped balance the seasoning of the chickpeas themselves. I ate it all and had to restrain myself from licking the plate. Then we were given their trio of desserts. The standouts were the caramel cheesecake and the raspberry tart. Enjoying these little desserts while enjoying a cup of tea and the view of Rittenhouse Park on beautiful day made for a wonderful overall experience. The portions were a great size, not large, but not too small to where you felt hungry or lacking. The service was very friendly and attentive but not pushy, snooty, or oppressive. We did not feel like we were being hustled or were less welcome because we came during RW. This is now on the top of my list of places I will return to and indulge.
I dream of the day I can be a man of leisure and have a long lunch overlooking the park every week. Until then I'll have to settle for a Sunday brunch once or twice a year, and what I think is one of the best kept secrets in town - Lacroix's weekday breakfast buffet.
$16 gets you juice, coffee, eggs, pastries, house-cured lox, bacon, sausage and more. Plus you get served by some of the most accommodating and professional wait staff I've ever encountered.
i had sunday brunch here. we arrived at 11am. upon seeing the spread of cold and hot dishes, we sat back down at our table and asked the waiter how long they serve sunday brunch. "until 3pm" he replies. my husband turns to me and says "we're staying until 3". I didn't think we could do it, but between eating, resting, having good conversation, and repeating that cycle, it was 3pm before we knew it.
my favorites:
-service was excellent - attentive but not overwhelming
-hot food served in the kitchen from the very pans on which they are cooked. love it!
so so:
-the cold dishes are artfully done, but felt more like an educational experience than a delicious one. they were good, don't get me wrong - but I definitely preferred the hot dishes
overall, a top notch brunch experience that will be difficult to surpass.
Is there Royalty in town? The Duke and Duchess of Windsor must be dining here today because service like this cannot always be this perfect and attentive.
The only word I can use for this experience is exquisite.
After the Bec Fin disaster of '09, I really thought that fine dining had all but dissappeared from the City of Philadelphia - but I was wrong.
The service - unreal. You really are treated like royalty here, I kid you not. Everyone greets you, tends to your every need and whim. Our service was a perfect dance from beginning to end.
The restaurant itself is majestic - perfect table settings and silver and the ambiance is just pure elegance.
The food. Ah, the food. It was exactly what I expected, wanted and more. Presentation and preparation were perfection. Baby octopus salad was drool-inducing with precisely cut watermelon cubes and fresh ricotta. The ceasar salad came with grilled romaine and sweet onions and it was nutty, sweet and rich. Main courses didn't dissapoint, salmon and pork belly cooked just right; a baby zucchini and scallop baked risotto had me at the first bite. We ate in bliss with a crisp white Cote du Rhône (wines by the glass are pretty reasonable, $9 to $13). After the dénouement came the ideal dessert tray: three levels of miniature offerings: a panna cotta, a kahlua profiterole, a white chocolate and coconut mousse, just to name a magical few. The whole lot came with a plate with a side of fresh whipped cream and fruits (blackberries, sauteed pineapple and strawberries).
I'm still dreaming of this meal and I don't want to wake up.
You too, can experience this ecstasy. They have a recession deal with a $24 3-course lunch. Otherwise, treat yourself - you'll quickly see what you've been missing - royal treatment and all.
Lacroix is a difficult place to review. Only because I have nothing bad to say, and criticizing is what I do best!
This week I have had the pleasure of lunching here twice and quite frankly, it made my week. I have had the crab cakes which are just perfect, served with an egg on top to add a wonderful texture. The Yellow-fin ceviche is also brilliant. Seasoned perfectly and just a pleasure to eat. I also had the burger which came with the most wonderful truffled fries. They really were perfect! I cannot say no to truffles.
I'm very impressed with the stimulus lunch they offer. For $24 you get a starter, entree and a yummy dessert. Well worth it. If you haven't eaten here it's time that you did.
Lunch was boring and mediocre. Won't go back. Too many other options in the city.
Let me start off by saying that this was easily the best experience at a restaurant that I have ever experienced.
We both got the $35 3-course stimulus menu option. We went on a Sunday night so all wines they offer were 50% off as well. Can you beat that?
The Somalie was perfect. We both didn't know too much about wine and kind of gave him something along the lines of what we were looking for. He pointed out a fantastic German wine from South Africa that was to die for. Absolutely incredible. For $25 after the discount! Unbelievable.
Now to the stimulus dinner. There were a couple appetizer options, 3 entrée options, and 2 dessert options. We both passed on the house salad and got the cured fluke for an appetizer. I have never had fluke before and saw it was prepared with beets, coconut, grapefruit, I was just a little weary at first. It was incredible. The flavours together were perfect, props to the Chef on every behalf here.
I got the roasted chicken thigh, with black beans, corn, radishes, and a parmigiana foam. It was the best dinner I have ever had anywhere. The chicken was completely tender, and the flavours of the corn and black beans were incredible. I don't know what they did to the radishes but it was delicious, and the parmigiana foam was nothing but unique.
My girlfriend got the scallop, with sausage, and scallop raviolis. You could possibly say that the flavour was a little too much? But it was delicious none the less. Perfectly cooked scallop and it also came with pieces of artichokes that were perfectly seasoned and tender. Incredible.
For desert she got a soufflé with lemon sorbet and an assortment of fresh berries. I ordered the "chocolate and cherries", which was pretty much just that. Mini brownies, fresh cherries, coconut sorbet, drizzled in sweet chocolate sauce. Both were absolutely amazing.
The service was impeccable. My wine glass was never even low, same with water. Food came out fast, hot, and fresh. We were there no longer than about 1.5 hours for all of this. Chef sent out a watermelon purée with blue crab to wet our palettes before dinner, as well as an assortment of hand made chocolates with the check, AND a home-made blueberry pastry to take home.
There is nothing bad I can say about this restaurant. The ONLY critique would be that it was freezing in there, but this could also be a plus, it was an extremely hot day out. Servers were very friendly, and very helpful. A wonderful experience.
Would go back any time.
Once upon a time, in a magical place, there was a girl who entered the dessert room of the Lacroix kitchen and was commanded to eat and sample all she wanted- for free!!!
Sigh. It is a true story. Lacroix was retiring. To celebrate the handing over of the reigns of his empire, he invited various people to dine and sample and imbibe FOR FREE. Champagne- another glass, miss? Why, OF COURSE!
I longed to have a reason to return. I so enjoyed my time there.
I dined with a friend in the main dining room for restaurant week. EEK. What a way to destroy the perfect facade. Everything was fine- fine being ok- not perfection.
So, finally, when my prince charming and I tied the knot, we had our wedding dinner in the private dining room. SUPER FABULOUS. My new nephews were treated like the princes that they are. Everyone enjoyed themselves immensely. The food was superb, but the service is the gleaming crown jewel of the experience. The amuse bouches/desserts/little extras are the sparkling pave gems around that bigger jewel.
I enjoyed the food. The mediocre review isn't really about the food. It's expensive, yes, and the wine is insanely marked up, but there were things on the menu I had never seen before. (Malted red peppers? Octopus in Horchata sauce?) Everything we ordered was good.
My complaint was the service. Looking around it seemed like other tables had it better, but we were ignored most of the night, tucked away in a corner of the restaurant. What interaction we had with out waiter (who seemed new and out of his league) was awkward. I found myself wishing he'd hurry over to answer our questions, but then fidgeting uncomfortably when he finally made it over until he left.
I'd say there are more enjoyable experiences to be had close by for less money.
As good a deal bruch is, this write up is to let you know of an even better value - Lacroix's Appetite Stimulus package which includes a 3 course lunch for $24 (M-F) or $35 dinner w/50% off the wines (Sun and Mon). Go for the 1982 Haut Brion. No need to wait for restaurant week !!
I recently had the 3 course dinner in the private dining room and it was great!!
This is my favorite brunch place (along with the Ritz in Miami beach and Four Seasons in Bangkok).… Read more »
My parents have wanted to visit me since I moved to Philadelphia, but they kept dragging their heels when it came to setting a date. In the hopes of enticing them, I told them when Philly's Restaurant Week was and they agreed to choose a day during those two weeks and that I could pick the restaurant for lunch (YES!). Lacroix was at the top of my list of places to try when an opportunity arose, and so I made reservations for their Restaurant Week menu.
We arrived and were seated at a table where we could overlook Rittenhouse Square. We each ordered different appetizers: I got the mixed green salad (tasty, nothing TOO special), my mom had the caesar salad (THAT was good, and the presentation was pretty cool - gotta love the parmesan curled crisp), and my dad had the fennel soup (another win - but then again, he does love fennel). For our main course, both my mom and I had the Seafood Tajine (like a stew with a variety of seafood including scallops, white fish, mussels, clams over quinoa and dried apricots) which was really fantastic, I love the spices they used in the broth, and my dad had the mushroom risotto, which he finished before my mom and I had a chance to ask for a taste (therefore, it must be good - he usually offers us a bite). Dessert was a trio of petite fours: chocolate banana creme brulee (meh - I'm much more a fan of the simple vanilla), chocolate ganache cake (soooooo chocolately, all you need is that small bite), and fig tart (so cute, so delicious - my fav of the bunch). The food was great, the service was wonderful, and the view is fantastic. I'm so glad that I got a chance to dine at Lacroix thanks to Restaurant Week - and so are my parents! They loved it so much they requested we go back to try out their full menu :D
Looking over the other reviews makes me wonder. . . maybe there is good food to be had here.
My fiance and I dined here last night and although we do have good things to say, the overall taste left in our mouths after a dinner here- is blah. This review is truly a critique of taste, because wine, service, and ambiance all served us well (minus a little service snafu of not mise-ing our table until the food had arrived and then not giving us steak knives for our thick cuts of venison). An error easy to forgive with such charming and helpful service.
We came here on a whim, and I will say, the flexibility of this place is certainly a draw. What once would have only been considered a fine-dining institution now provides us with a comfortable bar/lounge which has it's own menu and also allows you to order of the Lacroix menu. This is a huge draw for us, people who love good but don't always want to make a reservation and dress-up. It holds the potential to be a secret destination that locals would only know you can casually go to and experience fine dining without the fanfare. If only the food would have impressed us the way the prices demand.
We were all over the menu in ordering, In a snap decision I ordered their boneless chicken wings and escargot off of the bar menu, not realizing we were going to be drinking a bottle of a '96 bordeaux. I was hungry and didn't want to wait for my fiance to order the wine. Reasonably priced at about $7 each I knew they wouldn't be much more than a little snack until we could agree on our dinner. When the wine was chosen we decided that we definitely needed some red meat which is only on the Lacroix menu. Venison was our choice and we were excited to see what the chef would do with it. We also chose the brussel sprouts and risotto to accompany it (these were what I was most excited for!).
First the chicken, the biggest disaster of the night. Overcooked, dry darkmeat wrapped in skin is the biggest mystery to me!? I do realize the chef is not looking to win any awards with a boneless chicken appetizer, but please, just cook it properly. We both agreed that general tso's chicken at our local chinese restaurant would be much more enjoyable than what they served. The escargot, which I expected to be transcending were mediocre at best. The sauce was coyingly sweet and remeniscent of a grocery store bbq sauce, not what I want with my escargot. The venison was well cooked, perfect med.rare and nicely seared on the outside. The dish was just lacking. The caraway seeds did nothing for the meat, neither did the reduction on the plate. Our biggest criticism were the decorative chops that were left on which prohibited us from being able to eat all of the meat. The brussel sprouts were good, probably my favorite thing of the night, dressed in a lovely mustard sauce that was delicious although they were just lacking the crunch that l love from sauteed brussels. The risotto was a total disaster. It's only saving grace were the crunchy chestnuts on top. It was bland, undersalted, and gooey instead of creamy.
Let it be known, we ate most of the food we had (well my finace did at least; he says because "it's the way his mother raised him") And did not express our disappointment because of time and we just didn't have the heart to complain to our server who was so sweet or the sommelier who was extremely helpful as well. If we were rating this place on wine, service, and ambience alone, it would be a 4 star, all the way! Maybe we ordered wrong or maybe the kitchen is trying to be TOO versatile in doing a bar menu and 3 tasting menus all at once. We will definitely return for the wine and hope the next time the food will stand up to it.
N and I went here for brunch as the coup de grace of our weekend of luxury to celebrate our 10th anniversary, and we were not disappointed.
We settled into super-comfy chairs next to the huge window looking out over beautiful Rittenhouse Square. And we stayed for hours.
The brunch is simply amazing. The appetizers and salads and cute little shot glasses of soup cover an entire table, and then there's the raw bar -- oysters, shrimp cocktail, caviar with all the fixings. One of everything is a large and fantastically delicious meal already.
Do not eat more than one, no matter how good it is! If you do, you won't be able to manage an entree, let alone dessert.
Pause after the first enormous course and drink coffee. The french press coffee was delicious and came in a gorgeous silver pot. We figured it was going to cost a fortune, but was only $5/pot. Take that, Starbucks.
When we were ready for the next course, we signaled for the waiter and he led us into the kitchen. Lunch and breakfast foods simmered everywhere we looked. I took a tiny portion of everything, and, again, it was all amazing.
After another coffee pause and some leisurely conversation, back into the kitchen for the chocolate fountain. Dipping fruit was so fun that it was hard to hold back. We totally wasted some that we couldn't eat. And then I filled a plate with the little pastries that covered the dessert buffet. I couldn't even manage to look at the ice cream and fruit. It just wasn't possible. I ate a single, tiny bite of each pastry. And then the waiter brought out a special dessert wishing us a happy anniversary -- when making the reservation they'd asked if it was a special occasion. We could barely manage to touch it.
After a big meal I'm sometimes prone to claiming that I won't eat for a week. After this meal, I truly didn't eat for the rest of the day. That night a single glass of red wine and a few cashews comprised dinner.
FYI, we didn't order wine, and in retrospect I'm glad. It would have been too much. Plus it cost the earth.
This was one of the best meals of my life. I can't wait to go back.
I have to give this places 5 stars. I went during restaurant week (not always the best time to experience a restaurant), and it was still incredible. The food, atmosphere, and especially service were spot on. I've found that restaurant week service can be hit or miss (looking at Pearl for a giant swing and a miss), but Lacroix still provided probably some of the best service I've ever come across.
I agree with the other reviews about the friendly/formal service, and the fantastic food, so I won't belabor the point. I had the tomato grilled cheese soup, monkfish with mussles and cous cous, and the nomel from the restaurant week menu. All were very good, but the soup was probably my favorite: velvety tomato soup with aged parmeasan. It really tasted like an upscale version of the comfort favorite, grilled cheese and tomato soup, combined into one bowl.
My only problem with Lacroix was finding in the first place. I walked into the Rittenhouse, saw wall placards for Lacroix, and even saw a case with a menu, but couldn't figure out how to get to the restaurant. I clacked around the halls and contemplated taking an elevator or two, a little nervous to ask since I was unsure of how to pronounce la-kwah without sounding like a jackarse. Finally I called my friends who directed me to the second floor by way of the elevators around the bend. Well worth the journey!
I came here for restaurant week and it was fantastic!! Restaurant week isnt the best time to experience good customer service, but Lacroix was amazing. The waiters were all very very attentive and friendly, and the food was awesome. I'd def go for the sunday brunch some time!
Did I mention how great the service was again? Some of the best I've ever experienced in philly, to be certain =)
I didn't intend for my first visit to Lacroix to be during restaurant week, it just sort of happened that way. I was worried that the restaurant week menu might shortchange that experience. While I didn't end up eating foie gras, I couldn't have been more pleased with the food and the service.
In addition to the $35, 3 course meal (which seems like Lacroix has a version of all the time anyway for appetite stimulus), we got a delicious $32 bottle of red. The menu had 3 options for each course. I started with some pork loin wrapped croquettes (potato filling, I believe). Each bite was like heaven. My girlfriend got a salad, and even though she's not a big salad fan, she enjoyed it. The compressed watermelon and beets in it made it really unique. For my main course, I got the duckling breast. I thought it was very well cooked and the sauce/broth it came in was great. It also came with some very tasty edamame ravioli. My counterpart got the trout which was also good. My dessert was sort of their take on an ice cream sandwich, with crispy poundcake, chocolate, ice cream... all the ingredients that make up awesome. She got the basil mousse which was set on a cookie crust and came with a watermelon sorbet. This was also delicious; light and fluffy like a mousse should be.
Thinking about this meal, all I can really conclude is that I will go back for the $95 tasting menu at some later date. Excellent job!
I concur with Carrie E and the many other 5 stars seen here.
WOWZA!
I just had my very first meal (lunch) at La Croix - and it will not be my last.
Service is top-notch. The server called me by name (Ms. F.) numerous times during the meal. Attentive without being over-breaing and just perfect.
My dining companion started with the onion soup - which looked marvelous, and I had a delectable tuna tartare. The swimmingly-fresh fish was cubed and tossed with a wonderful blend of herbs and red peppers (bell peppers), It was artfully plated with tiny cubes of fried diced potatoes.
For entrees my friend had a deliicous - if a bit salty for my taste - dish of baked ham & cheese risotto - so comforting on a winter day. I had an Or-Gas-Mic and perfectly medium rare, sliced DUCK BREAST (Don't miss this) served with halved ripened blackberries and house-made gnocchi that were heaven on a plate.
Desserts were petit amuse-bouche style including profiteroles, chai creme brulee (miniature) and a sublim Opera torte (complete with the classic gold leaf garnish.)
I was having flashbacks to my honeymoon cruise in Europe.
What a TERRIFIC place. Much like Arnold Scwartzenager - I'll be baaaack!
I gotta try that brunch.
Yup, the brunch is to die for.... and at $56 per person it is an incredible deal. Ritz brunch buffets are typically $75pp (at least in Cali), and they don't compare. Lacroix's setup (half the buffet is in the kitchen!) is very fun and unique, and selection is incomparable. The cold app table was like a buffet of amuse bouches - assortments of very complex and meticulously prepared bites - I've never seen anything like them at a buffet. My favorites were definitely the caviar and gnocchi. I'll be stuffed and happy for a long time.
Why not 5 stars? The service was weirdly lacking. Had to beg to place drink orders and to have champagne poured. There was a sweet woman often nearby gathering plates, but for some reason she wasn't allowed to pour champagne- a little frustrating though nothing another mound of caviar cant fix. :)
This is a review of the Brunch buffet on Sunday.
I took the boyfriend here on Sunday for a late Valentine's Day event (he'll do White Day for me in March).
We both loved the brunch here. The setting was very nice and the service is impeccable. The wait staff is unobtrusive but always readily available for any requests and questions. Our napkins were always refolded when we came back to the table.
As for the food - There's a cold section and a hot foods section. The cold station is set in the main dining room. We had octopus, salmon sashimi, raw oysters, etc. They also had cold cooked items like a bean salad which was cooked to perfection - not too soft and soggy, perfectly crunchy- and soups in little shot glasses. The cold desserts section is in the same area with little tiny cute cakes and an ice cream station.
The hot foods station is apparently set in the kitchen! You walk through the very big and well lit kitchen and pick up all sorts of food like giant-clam sausage to brunch staples such as adorable little ham-egg-and cheese combos in its own little serving cup. There were at least 8 hot entrees too. I really liked the mixed mushrooms. There's a huge chocolate fountain which you can make your own chocolate strawberries, etc.
We had a bit of a hard time finding the place (it's next to the church) but it was worth it. My boyfriend said it was the best brunch and best buffet he ever went to. I didn't show him our check (we had wine pairings too) since it was a Valentine's Day event but actually, I'd go back in a heartbeat. Whenever my waistline goes back down, that is.
So my girlfriend and I went to Lacroix to celebrate our 2-year anniversary.
Let me list the pros: Beautiful setting, unobtrusive waitstaff, quality food.
Now the cons: Waitstaff lacking knowledge about menu, no sommelier on Sundays, very expensive (especially the 400% markup on wines), less creative than I expected.
So, I guess this is one of those times where the hype leads to expectations that are far too lofty to ever be fulfilled. Upon arrival, we were greeted by the hostess and directed to our seats. It was all very French and very formal (seat pulled out for my girlfriend, we were referred to by name the entire night). The atmosphere is impeccable. Truly romantic.
Being the wine geek that I am, the fact that Wine Week coincided with our anniversary made it that much better for me. The tiger prawn app was very solid, if a bit undercooked toward the head of the prawn. The lamb entree was about 3 oz of meat with fried chickpeas and a cranberry sauce. I thought the pairing of the peas and the lamb, which was cooked to an exquisite medium-rare, was excellent but the accompanying sauce was odd and did not mesh well with the strong lamb. The dessert was a pear "three ways." It was average, with the pears needing a bit more time to soften. The semillion-based, sauterne-like dessert wine that was paired with it took the dish from average to above average.
Without question, the highlights were the sides. The blueberry and jalapeno risotto was absolutely phenomenal and for $6 a relative steal (as it was enough for 2-3 people, easily). The blue cheese croquettes were also good and large portioned. The fingerling potatoes were a bit overpowered by the heavy bacon fat, but the use of blue and white potatoes was a nice touch.
One massive downfall was the waiter's description of Matthew's Salad. He had it all wrong. He said it came with red pepper and parmigiano shavings. It did not. It came with diced tomato and cucumber. It was good but that's a bit of a let down from the waiter. My girlfriend's ribeye was cooked to perfection and it was around 6oz for $40, a la carte. Fairly pricy but more flavorful than a Morton's ribeye.
Our waiter knew next to nothing about wine, unfortunately and with the som not present this was dissapointing. When I asked about the dessert wine that was part of the 3-glass flight, he said "I don't know much about it. I didn't try it." ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? At one of the best French restaurants in the city you didn't bother trying the wine? To his credit he did try it and come back with a flavor profile half way through dinner (after I had decided on which dessert to pair with it based on the varietal). He also recommended a Chat-Du-Pape that turned out to be average (maybe a bit above average and it wasn't totally out-of-whack pricewise). And he did his best to entertain my questions about the wine cellar and the temps of the storage. I wish he had offered a tour of the wine cellar and/or kitchen!
I am geared up to try brunch here soon. And I'll likely return for dinner...serving food that is better than 95% of the "nice" restaurants in Philly can't be ignored.
Sunday night at the Lacroix is really a deal worth checking out. $35 price fix three course meal and 50% off any bottle of wine on the extensive list. I enjoyed Melon Bisque, Halibut and a decadent chocolate dessert. Emily had the salad, organic chicken (best chicken this side of the 11 herbs and spices) and the same dessert. Split a bottle of Viognier from Provence and all for $17.00!!! Well, $117.00, but if you stay at the Rittenhouse, you get a $100 voucher off your meal. Great room, delicious meal and wonderful staff. No joke...spend a Sunday night on the Park and indulge for not a lot of moolah.
I went here for restaurant week yesterday night. The food was alright, the service was excellent. I think because it is restaurant week, they probably gave the cheapest stuff on their menu for restaurant week menu. lol. there wasn't much to choose from. The place was really nice. It was hard to locate...basically just go in, make a left to the elevators and go to the 2nd floor lol. It's right next to smith and wollensky as well at rittenhouse square.
Appetizers was either a salad, tomato soup, or celery. lol. My friend got the salad and i got the soup. The salad was very simple and basic, so was my soup. It was like a richy thicker tomato soup. Then our entrees were either the monk fish, pork, or mushroom pasta or something. I dont like mushrooms, and i'm scared of fish sometimes lol. So me and my friend went with the pork. It was just basic...a good piece of prok with some sort of sauce and that was it. The pork was good, but i wouldve like some side stuff lol! And the dessert was either donuts or ice cream with some sort of cheesecake with toffee crisps - i got that one which was prob the best thing out of all of it lol. The donuts were bitter but my friend like it, cuz she likes bitter stuff. And they offered us coffee or tea and served us that which was nice.
Overall, we probably got the crappiest food from their menu because i know its all very expensive overall lol. So they were okay...i wouldnt mind going back to try their regular priced stuff...if i was flithy rich. lol. Very friendly staff though so that made me give them a 4 star because I know it's probably better food than what I had lol. I probably wouldn't come back for restaurant week though. It just didn't fill me up at all.
It's definitely a very dressy atmosphere. everybody that was there was in suits and formal wear. They also serve 3 course lunch for $24, which is pretty good...but how good is the food for $24? just like how we had dinner for $35. lol. oh well :D
Our dinner was a heavenly, leisurely affair, lasting an amazing 4-5 hours[1], with no lulls in delivery. Philip, Ben, and Jean-Paul provided top-notch service in an unobtrusive manner. As soon as we finished a dish, they asked if we were done before taking our plates, and we never were rushed. I was impressed with the evening's little details, including an unexpected free gelato dessert (and a muffin to go) and a (much-appreciated) walk through their kitchen, with Ben as tour guide.
A few other tables were there for Wednesday's wine dinner ($85; special), but we decided to order a la carte. The menu changed since I last saw it; besides the typeface design, there were overt Asian-influenced dishes. To start, we shared Kumamoto and P.E.I. oysters with caviar ($36). My entree, a Muscovy duck breast with rhubarb ($34) was perfect, along with the matching side, a leek casserole with spinach and croutons. The sommelier had paired a glass of wine for each course - the Riesling and Monbazillac were highlights - after all that, I was ready for a nap [2].
Lacroix is committed to excellence and their flawless execution in everything they do makes them worth visiting for any special occasion. (Don't have a special occasion? Make one up!) Highly recommended - tell them I sent you, and ask for Phillip.
[1] It'll rain BEER before I'm disappointed there. We were the roughly the first to arrive, and almost the last to leave.
[2] Suites at the Rittenhouse range from $700 to $3000 a night.
The four-year-old Lacroix at the Rittenhouse restaurant, named for executive chef Jean Marie… Read more »
Let me preface this review with the fact that I had to wait an entire 24 hours to think of how I wanted to explain to you, the lovely people of Yelp, how I feel about Lacroix.
You see, I'm totally in love with the place and at a loss for words. And that is a rare, rare thing indeed.
Plus, I needed a whole day to digest the brunch I ate yesterday. In fact, when I left, I felt like I had a food baby in my belly because I looked about 5 months pregnant. And my food orgy went on for a good three hours, so there was plenty of time to eat my way through the restaurant.
First of all, I have to say that I knew it was fancy there, so I kind of expected to feel a little out of place. But as soon as we walked in, there was a friendly, casual vibe that I was totally not expecting. The staff was amazing, and it goes beyond the servers and managers. You see, part of the experience (and seriously, eating brunch here is a total experience) is going back into the kitchen and mingling with the chefs, who are super rad and make me want to go back just so I can sit around and hang out with them.
Food, food, food as far as the eye can see, buffet style in a beautiful setting, and it's everything from the traditional (eggs, waffles, etc.) to the Iron Chef of brunch. Poached quail eggs, strawberry wasabi shooters, scallop sausage...I could go on forever but there's a word limit on reviews and besides, I don't want to spoil all the fun for you. Just take my word for it and go. You'll have a lovely view wherever you sit, can eat the yummiest food you'll ever put in your mouth and have a story to tell your friends and neighbors. I loved my meal here so much that I'm going to make a bold statement, so I hope you're sitting down:
Lacroix is so good that I wish I could go back to every 5 star restaurant review I've ever written (with the exception of maybe 3) and change them to 4 stars so you understand how awesome it is here. So take my word, Philadelphia. This place will make you weep with joy. And don't forget to wear stretchy pants or a dress, because I promise that when you leave your belly will be ginormous and you'll be ready for a nap.
Brunch at Lacroix, will you marry me???
WOW this place is good. I came here for a birthday party in December 2008 for the Brunch Buffet. At first I was a little surprised by the price ($60 for brunch!?!?!), but I was left speechless.
An incredible assortment of items sprawls the restaurant -- I felt like keep uncovering more impressive displays of food in hidden nooks and wings throughout the place.
Most impressive was the attention to detail and the service. The birthday girl was served a custom cake (made to look like a wrapped present) that matched her outfit.
Ok why isn't everyone going here? Maybe because like me, you are thinking a great restaurant at the Rittenhouse is going to be fancy and stuffy and I'm looking at you Le Bec Fin..., yes... kind of boring.
This was the most laid back, fun and romantic brunch in the city. The staff was fun and friendly and we spent the afternoon there with no sense of being rushed, in fact I felt bad we we finally left that we were letting them down. We were seated at a great table with a view of the park. It made me wish C and I weren't married, just so I could propose to her again.
The brunch is buffet style, but this is not "old country" - the food is straight out of Iron Chef. I started with some delicious hors devours of quail egg, escargot and an octopus and melon cocktail. The raw bar is great and there are delicious oysters (nice for your romantic arsenal).
The main courses are served from the kitchen, which really helps to break that formality down. There are insane choices, I can't remember all the entrees, but the my two favorite items were the bruschetta with lobster hollandaise and heirloom tomatoes, and the scallop sausage.
While in the kitchen we met the chef, sous chef and some of the other cooks. They were chill and very fun to get to know. I do like to get to know who are cooking and let them know how much I appreciate there hard work.
Then the desserts... oh man. I usually go more for the savory, but the subtleness of the choice challenged and thrilled my taste buds. My favorites were the rice pudding, orange creme d'pot and chocolate basil dish. I had to check myself as not to just take a running dive in the chocolate fountain. Oh yeah, I said chocolate fountain.
We really felt like were left all our hassles and day to day concerns behind and could spend time enjoying each other. When you need a special place to be with people you love, or even like a lot, go to Lacroix and let them indulge you.
I seldom go with 5 stars in my reviews, but I have to admit, I can't really find anything wrong with Lacroix. Great service, great atmosphere, phenomenal food. It's not as intimidating as Le-Bec Fin and I personally enjoyed the food more.
I love that their menu is much different than almost anywhere else too. It's not a long menu, but every dish seems to take very basic things that you would find at most other restaurants but adds the smallest things that make them completely unique to the restaurant.
My boyfriend had the Organic Rib-eye Steak and he said (and I back him up, since I tried some) that it was fantastic (he actually said it was almost as good as the late "Brassarie Perrier" which he still mourns over) the au jus sauce had a very unique taste and was very different then any other au jus I've tried.
I had the Muscovy Duck with a Strawberry Reduction sauce. This is a perfect example of how they take something that is common on (french) restaurant menus and completely make it their own. The strawberry somehow took on a savory taste when paired with the duck which was intriguing (not too gamey, as duck can tend to be).
We also had sides of the Fingerling potatoes, which were perfectly cooked so they were very tender but not mushy, and the Green Asparagus in white chocolate and black garlic. I must admit, I almost didn't get them because of the white chocolate, I mean-how weird is that? but once again, they were able to take something that is typically sweet and transform it into this wonderful savory sauce.
Then theres dessert. We shared a chocolate souffle which was soft and airy and perfectly chocolatey (not overly chocolately which some places tend to do) and they served them with a delicious small plate of petit fours.
Like I said, I have nothing bad I can think to say of Lacroix. We never found ourselves needing everything as someone was always there to refill glasses and replace silverware as needed, without being annoying. We were also seated right next to the window looking over the hotel entrance, and Rittenhouse park. The chairs are comfortable and the decor is simple yet sophisticated.
If you're going to splurge and go out somewhere really nice in Philly, I would definitely recommend Lacroix.
I went to Lacroix for Easter Sunday brunch with the bf. Decided to spend the weekend in Philly to getaway. I took a look at the menu before coming here and was pumped to play Kobayashi for the day and eat as many different foods as I could.
We arrived at 10:30am with a reservation - being that it was a holiday, brunch was extra pricey at $75/pp. I made sure I starved myself before going and fully devoting my appetite to the meal.
First, the restaurant is on the 2nd floor of the Rittenhouse Hotel. Very elegantly decorated, you can also tell the clientele is high-class.
The area of cold appetizers was right by the entrance to the restaurant. Here they had many amazing small samplings which I'll summarize in list form:
-long island duck croissant (yum, who would've thought of pairing this?)
-foie gras inside a chocolate shell on a stick (dissolves in your mouth... yum, like a dessert)
-grilled octopus brochette (just like chicken, the sauce was good)
-prosciutto & brie grilled cheese, pesto (mini sandwich)
-lamb tataki, pistachio, fetta (i prefer my meats hot vs cold)
-red beet gelle, yogurt, pop rocks (this was interesting... i didn't really like it)
-chipotle apricot bread (tasted like a mini corn bread muffin)
-grape wasabi goat cheese salad (yum, i love grapes)
-lobster milk shooter (you could really taste the lobster)
-wasabi lime juice shooter (pretty tasty)
-cauliflower that looked like a square piece of tofu (mushy to say the least)
They also had a sushi, smoked salmon, caviar, assorted sushi, raw oysters, cocktail shrimp which was great!! The caviar went very well with the smoked salmon, and there was a wide variety of oyster dipping sauces and various flavorings. I ate 4-5 oysters...
I didn't try the wide variety of salads since I didn't want to get full off salads and greens.
Now onto the entrees:
-malaysian bbq pork shoulder (the first time i had it was great. the meat was soft, and the sauce i had made it flavorful, it kind of looks like pink roast beef)
-veal breast piccata (was okay.. i guess i don't really like the taste of veal)
-honey mustard glaze wild king salmon (very delish - salmon cooked perfectly and tender, while the sauce added goodness to it)
-organic capon breast, natural jus (perfectly cooked moist chicken breast with flavorful sauce... no complaints there)
-lacroix frittata (pretty good eggy dish with some kind of fish meat inside)
-hand rolled gnocci (as my bf would put it... potato dumpling... very good!)
-crispy pork belly with braised white beans (yum... i loved this one, but maybe because i think crispy pork belly is great)
-ginger sweet chili glazed baby carrots (i literally had one little carrot to taste... not bad)
-fried mozarella cheese, red pepper jam (this one was also good and flavorful)
-sauteed wild mushrooms in herb nage (yummy veggies)
-blackberry braised red cabbage (very flavorful, not sure if in a good way or bad way)
-fried french toast (full of cinnamon flavor, had a small bite)
-soy braised beef short ribs (these looked sooo good, but upon further tasting, it was overcooked so a tad bit hard to chew)
-mini pancakes (this is not what it was called but it was interesting)
-scalloped pancake (looked like a jumbo mumbo sized sausage that was made of pancake, so when he sliced a piece, it was a large flat circle - interesting texture... not really sure what it was)
Best thing about these entrees is that you get to go in the kitchen to get them. The chefs inside are very friendly and helpful in helping you navigate your way through all the foods. Other foods they offered but I stayed away from were eggs, sausage, bacon, waffles, etc.
Now, the desserts were something else. They have a ginormous chocolate fondue fountain where you can make your own desserts (donuts, strawberries, pineapples, marshmallows, and the list goes on) They also have huge tables full of desserts, like icecreams, sorbets, creme bulee, sweet shooters, chocolate flourless cake, vanilla cheesecake, and again list goes on. Finally, they have a cheese and crackers station with assorted hams/salamis.
You spend a good two hours here. Other ammenities, a bloody mary bar where you make your own drinks. Very cool. The waitstaff is very attentive and every time you finish a plate, they'll take away your plate, give you new utensils, and fold your napkin. The hosts come by very often to ask how the food is, and refill your drinks.
I had a great experience overall even though not 100% of the food was stellar or amazing. Since it's buffet style, you really have to limit how much of one thing you eat, since you want to try a little bit of everything. Because I took a couple bites out of all my samples, I left feeling good, but not overly stuffed. :)
I wanted to write this before the mass quantity of food that I ate had time to fully digest.
The Sunday brunch at Lacroix (Luh-kwah) is 2nd to none. The assortment of fine fish, meats, salads, and desserts is beyond imaginable. There are around 60 different items to choose from, to the point that I couldn't even sample one of everything because I was so full.
Some of the highlights were:
Smoked Long Island Duckling Croissants
Salmon Crudo w/ Yogurt Panna Cotta
Lobster BLT
Bruschetta w/ Lobster Hollandaise
Smoked Soft Scrambled Eggs w/ Asparagus and Wild Mushrooms in a jar
Service was superb. Our waiter, Jorge, and his team were always on top of things without ever making it known that they were there. Everytime you went back to the buffet, your napkin was refolded, water refilled, and previous plate taken away. The staff honored my request for a table along the windows and even had my wife's surprise gift waiting at the table upon our arrival. They also gave us a little Tiffany-box looking piece of chocolate with "Happy Anniversary" written in chocolate.
We'd love to go back in the future so that we can actually get to try the chocolate fountain and liquid nitrogen station which we were told is the best part.
We originally planned to go here for dinner, but switched to the Sunday brunch to save some money and get to sample more items. We're glad we did.
We had Mother's Day brunch here, $85 per person. (On Mother's day, brunch is served all day, we had a reservation for dinnertime.)
Three stars for the food , minus 1 star for the service.
The good part: they had a lot of high-end dishes using a lot of expensive ingredients (lobster, caviar, etc.)
So why such a low rating? After having the brunch buffet here, I became convinced that high-end food can't be served buffet style. There were dishes that I could tell would have been good had they been cooked to order and not sitting out. It's really disappointing to have overcooked pasta or a cold escargot tart. And remember, for $85 / person, you can have a tasting menu at many restaurants where food is cooked to order for you.
Another thing we discovered was that there was too much to try and too much going on. We got lots of little tastings of everything , but never had time to savor it. Before our mouth could savor an item, we had switched to another. Having a prix-fixe meal of 5-6 courses is much better -- sure you don't get to try as much variety, but then you really get to savor the different flavors and textures that the chef is aiming for in a dish. You let a dish grow on you and understand the nuance of a dish. Instead this buffet brunch is like taking the top 40 pop songs and taking a sentence from each stanza and just playing them right after the other. It's a mad slapdash of really good things - but you don't really have time to savor and enjoy.
Service: OK, this can't be too hard considering it's a buffet service. Yet our service was not good. We ordered sparkling water and had to wait a good 10 minutes (after we had already gotten our food). We ordered wine, and it also didn't come promptly. They took away my silverware but didn't replace it. A lot of things we seemed to have to ask for twice -- really, service should be a lot better than that. It wasn't rude or anything, just not top notch.
And it seemed like they were really trying to rush us out of there. They kept pushing us to go to the next course. My boyfried and I like to use our expensive dinner dates as a time to talk and catch up on life , but instead it was like "go! speedracer go!'" to the next buffet table with these waiters. So we didn't get a nice elegant romantic dinner, we got a mad dash to try all these buffet tables.
Prix Fix Menu through February
Neighborhood: Northern Liberties
Howl at the Moon
Neighborhood: University City
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: French
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: French
Neighborhood: Queen Village
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: American (New)
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Here are some favorite places in Philly and…
Where to go (or avoid) when you're puttin' on the…
These places are great for large groups and/or…
In that case, I'm in! Places I would go to more…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
