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This review is for inside brunch with a small note about outside dining (wine + cheese).
Brunch: Last Saturday, on that unseasonably cold, damp, miserable morning I met up with some friends. Parc is so large that even without the outdoor seating there was no wait for a party of three at 11am. We were in a nice central area up against a booth flanked with mirrored glass. Service was just what we were looking for - prompt, efficient, not overly chatty and never in the way.
The restaurant was noisy, but we were able to comfortably hold a conversation about my friend's upcoming wedding. I started off with an amazing mocha hazelnut and ordered the oatmeal brulee ($11). I never thought I'd say this, but it was completely worth the money! The texture was perfect (perhaps steel cut oats?) and the consistency was indulgently creamy. The raisins were cooked in with the oatmeal, making them plump and juicy. The entire dish was served with a burnt sugar top. I devoured the entire serving, and it filled me up until dinner.
Outside Wine + Cheese: I guess you have to order an entree to get their restaurant baked bread because I've never been offered a basket. The seating on 18th is great for views, but if you have a larger dog with you I'd choose Locust for the extra space (side note: my small dog was stepped on while I was seated curbside on 18th). Another caveat - the deep concrete reveals are perfect for collecting shards of broken glass. On my first visit my dog proudly dropped a chunk of glass that he found on my lap.
As for the cheese plate, for a similar price I prefer Rouge because they offer more accompaniments and a variety of breads.
People thought this was:
So I have made it to yet another Stephen Starr restaurant. This time up Parc.
Parc seems like such a great place from the outside. I would definitely think that dining outside or right by the window would make all of the difference in the experience eating here. I did not have one of these seats so I have to say that I was not too impressed by the decor of the place.
All that being said - The food is what was the star for me here (no pun intended).
I started my meal off with a nice glass of shiraz and the steak tartare. If they served that in more than an appetizer I would have been a happy man. It was so good that I wanted it again. I also shared oysters that night which was indeed just as good.
My meal for that night was also the special for the night. I had the Beef Burgeon. The meat was so tender and flavorful.
To finish off the meal I had the creme brulee which was not so spectacular but I ate it.
I think I would definitely go back again. Though I think next time I could kill a bottle of wine and some of the appetizers and be absolutely in heaven with that.
People thought this was:
3.75 stars.
Because your hollandaise is truly luscious, and properly accented with cayenne pepper. And, your poached eggs are heavenly.
People thought this was:
3.5 stars.
Gorgeous escargot swimming in salted butter, swirled with garlic, mushrooms, hazelnuts,…
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My husband and I checked out Parc on a dreary Saturday night. To be honest, I was a little nervous about all of the Yelp reviews of over seasoning and poor service. But we were delighted to have none of those issues!
We arrived a few minutes early for our reservation, so we squeezed in at the bar. I ordered a French 75 and fell in love. My better half got his usual, a Johnny Walker. The hostess tracked us down (she was very sweet) and sat us at a romantic table towards the back on the restaurant. We started with a cheese board (delicious!) and the steak tartar (AMAZING!). My husband went with the Saturday night special- a filet mignon topped with foie gras and black truffle mushrooms, and I went with the monkfish. Both were absolutely wonderful. I would say the monkfish is a great choice if you want to keep it healthy. The filet is obviously a major indulgence. We rounded out our meal with the apple tart- also delicious! And I must say the service was impeccable.
Great food, great service. And I didn't even mention how absolutely adorable this place is! It's a must-go.
People thought this was:
Not bad for a fake-Balthazar. Notable dishes include the beef bourguignon, bouillabaisse, the lamb sandwich at brunch, and, believe it or not, a fairly respectable cheeseburger. Thumbs down for the New York strip and scallops. And, aside from the Dogfish Head 60 Min. on tap, the beer list is flat out average. The outdoor seating is perfect for a warm day and the best spot on the square for those who enjoy people watching (which does not necessarily include me). The front of house is your typical Starr snoots. We've been to Parc nearly a dozen times, and we have been promptly directed to the bar for at least thirty minutes each time despite our having reservations and several tables being open. In addition, each time they try to seat us in the quiet, "geriatrics" dining room or in no man's land. Thanks, but I don't want to sit by the front door when it's 30 degrees outside. Nor do I want to sit in the utmost corner of the restaurant beneath your noisy air conditioner. This place will not knock your socks off, but the right meal selections and a decent seat will enhance your experience. Of course, Rittenhouse denizens absolutely love this place.
Parc is a good option for the group that wants to grab a quick and tasty bite in a popular area. The couple that longs for a few romantic hours together should steer clear.
I went to Parc for dinner with a friend and enjoyed my experience for the most part, but found that the service was a little too speedy. This wouldn't normally be a bad thing but Parc's attentive servers border on pushy and you feel the pressure to down your meal so that they can turn their tables in record time.
That being said, it is still good food. I enjoyed my warm shrimp salad very much and stole a bite of my friend's spaghetti bolongnese -- yummy if a tad unadventurous.
All in all, not a bad option -- but leave Grandma Ruth at home, the din can climb to a clamor (hows that for a tongue-twister?)
People thought this was:
What bugs me most about Parc is that it has quickly become the "scene to be seen at" in Philly. The outdoor seating on the park attracts a douchey group that enjoys inventing parking places for their Lamborghinis.
I finally stopped to check out the menu around Lunch time. The lunch menu looked pretty great with somewhat affordable prices and a good looking selection of food. I came back for dinner, but was pretty disappointed. Not only were the prices 3x higher, the food wasn't really anything to Yelp about. The appetizers (French Onion Soup and Tomato Tarte) were better than the dinner. Overall impression = meh.
People thought this was:
After being heartbroken Saturday morning because Day-by-Day is closed (after I called and they said they were open the day before..grrr) we were in need of a quick and local brunch spot at 10am. Shockingly there really aren't a lot of options for a good brunch at this time on a Saturday in Ritt Square so we decided to check out Parc. It was a little chilly so we sat inside but in the window so we could still look out onto the park. It was absolutely beautiful and a great way to start off the morning with a cup of coffee and people watching.
The service was good, then not so good, then great. Our server was super friendly but not the best at remembering things we needed but got better once she realized we were trying to be patient. Melissa C. ordered the Quiche Lorraine and I ordered the Scrambled Eggs (I know not exciting). The quiche was really great and had a nice dark top but stayed completely creamy and wonderful on the inside. My eggs, though not the largest portion, were PERFECTLY cooked. I don't actually think I have had eggs cooked this well in years. They were creamy but not raw, had great herbs tossed in and were accompanied by a thick slice of brioche bread (slightly overdone). The coffee was perfect and the waitress kept it nice and full all meal.
The food was pretty great, the ambiance ok (the outdoor view was much more exciting than the inside one) and the service was ok. I probably won't return very soon for breakfast as the prices are a bit steep for what you get and the overall feel of the place is a little obnoxious on a Sat morning pre-coffee, but I am still really happy that we went and will keep it on the list of places to go when my favorites are unavailable.
People thought this was:
Only had the chance to have drinks here, but plan on eating here soon. Beautiful setting and TONS of outdoor seating. The bread smelled amazing.
Be aware it is a STARR establishment, so it's not fine dining. I would recommend going here to impress someone who is not familar with Philly. You can view the beautiful park and peoplewatch as well.
Seems Reese Witherspoon and other movie stars who have shot a movie in the city seem to love this place, so keep an eye out for the celebrities as well ;)
People thought this was:
I thought I had enough of Parc...but when my mother came to visit for her birthday she wanted to explore Philly. I obliged because I knew I would get some Parc out of the deal.
Lunch was delicious. I had some champagne (ok, dr-unch)...some steak tartare (yum in my tum)...and that much coveted lamb sammich all to myself (back of my high school--see previous review). My mother had a cheeseburger which is unusual for her but she enjoyed it and it was her birthday afterall. I couldn't give her grief for it.
Service was great. Weather was beautiful. My mom enjoyed it so I was happy.
Please give me the strength to go to Amada next time for a chage of pace. I have been dying to go and get pulled in every other direction every time I am in Philly. Damn you Parc.
People thought this was:
My galpals and I enjoyed a stellar brunch at Parc on Saturday. I was quite...um...hungover to say… Read more »
Equation for star assignments:
best view of the square +5 stars
My lamb there was chewy -2 stars
My fiance's skate was super salty -2 star
seated right away twice + 1 star
Burger was excellent +2 stars
Burger was $16 -1 star
service was a push
drinks also a push
Escargot in butter twice +2
Stephen Starr over charge -1
Based on dinner and lunch...I suggest lunch.
People thought this was:
Not worth the money. There are much better Starr restaurants. I probably won't go back here if I can help it. There are also much better french bistro's that are more affordable.
Let me break down each of my visits:
1st time: Nice experience, good service, good table and good food. We sat in the front room by the front door. Had the steak frites and the seasonal fruit tart. No complaints.
2nd time: Went back here with my mom and sister a few weeks later for my birthday. We had reservations even though it was a Tuesday night. It was not crowded but they sat us all the way in the back where there was only one other table occupied. We sat. ...and sat ...and sat. No one came by to greet us or drop off bread or water even though a server stopped by the only other table occupied and dropped off a check. We tried to wave him down but he either didn't see us or didn't care. After 45 minutes of waiting we decided to leave. We told the host on our way out that we were leaving because no one came to wait on us. She said sorry and told us to have a nice night. We ended up walking into Rouge and having a great dinner at cheaper prices.
3rd Time: The last time I was here was about two months ago. My friends from Baltimore were in town and they wanted to check out Parc. It was a busy Saturday night, we had reservations, and again we were seated all the way in the back. The service was just OK. She wasn't the most attentive server I've ever had and she seemed a bit frazzled. All I can say about the food is how unbelievably salty everything was. From our apps to entree's, we could barely eat it. Even my Lyonnaise salad was so salty that I sent it back. We told the waitress that every item we ordered was too salty to eat and I asked her if anyone else had complained about the overly salted food. She said there were two other tables that night who mentioned it as well.
What I want to know is, if people were already complaining, why did they keep over-salting the food?? I find this a strange coincidence because a few months ago we were at El Vez and my mushroom queso fundido was so salty that I had to send it back. However they didn't charge me at El Vez for the item. They must have a line cook or a sous chef on staff that they rotate around the Starr Restaurants who is obsessed with salt.
I find it really disappointing that some of these pricey Starr restaurants can't do something so basic as properly season their food. It says a lot.
People thought this was:
I look down on people who order salads at restaurants. I especially despise people who get salads at a buffet. Why would you waste time on cheap greens when there's all-you-can-eat roast beef?! But I have to admit, my kryptonite is a frisee "salad". Something 'bout a perfectly poached egg paired with pork bits sitting atop a frisee garnish gets me all googly eyed.
Parc has a 'Salade Lyonnaise' on their menu, aka a frisee "salad" so duh I ordered it. The food came out ridiculously fast, almost suspiciously fast (could it have been pre-made?). The best part about our meal was sitting at an open window overlooking Rittenhouse Park with a fresh breeze blessing our meal. The view of the park was wasted on me; I spent my time looking at other people's food. Everything on everyone else's plate looked delicious.
The complimentary bread is really sharp, literally. The bread almost cut the inside of my mouth. Of course that didn't stop me from eating half a loaf. I took it on as a challenge.
My only drawback is that the prices don't reflect the French blase bistro atmosphere, it's more like $11 for my "salad" and $3 for my coffee. ($11 isn't bad at all but the salad is amuse bouche tiiiiny.) I hate paying for salads. But mine was dressed so well, I can't complain.
People thought this was:
I know I'm so late on finally getting to Parc, but I shyed away because escargots and pate are so not me; I'm more of a cheap-drafts-and-fries kind of girl. Finally, my mom and I had dinner there - I can't believe what I've been missing out on!
We were told it would be about a 20 minute wait for a sidewalk table with a park view. We went to the bar inside, and when I walked in, for a second, it was like being back in Paris (only on a larger scale; it's huge inside). Starr's team did a great job crafting it like a French brasserie...very chic. After less than 5 minutes, the extremely nice host came to the bar to let us know our table was available.
I have never in my life ordered a cheese plate in a restaurant, and when I mentioned this to Mom, she said I should try it. Our waitress (who looked like traffic girl Jamie Shupak from Fox29) asked us a few questions about what we liked and disliked, and the selection she put together was awesome. Everything on the cheeseboard was killer.
I was dying to try some of the delicious-sounding dishes (like the French onion soup or macaroni gratin), but it was so hot and humid out and I couldn't handle anything heavy or hot. I ordered the warm shrimp salad, which was the best salad I've had in a long time. The shrimp were tossed in a white wine-butter sauce (awesome), and the greens were heaped with avocado. The combination of flavors was so yummy.
Mom had a cheeseburger (sans onions), of which she ate about 1/4 of because she was full, and there was SO much food on her plate. She loved it. I stole some of her fries, and they were bangin': thin, crispy, potato-y, perfectly salted, and not greasy.
The bar menu had a full list of specialty cocktails, and a good selection of draft beers. Mom had the Romarin cocktail, which was strong and citrusy, and I had a Hoegaarden draft.
Oh, and the view is obviously beautiful, regardless of where you're sitting.
It's as close to Paris as you can get in Philly.
People thought this was:
Expensive but the food is good. The atmosphere is different from most other places in Philly. A bit pretentious and a copy to Balthazar in NYC but I guess whatever brings in the people and dough.
The setting is a large Bistro on a street in Paris. The noise inside, not over-whelming; the walls and ceiling looking as though they've been stained by years and years of cigarette smoke; the floors, fixtures and the bar out of a movie set; all this gets you ready for an exceptional experience.
I've been here 3 different times, with a group of 4, 6 and 9. Everyone seems to love the atmosphere and for the most part have enjoyed what they've ordered. Most, however, have said the kitchen needs to (drastically) cut back on the use of salt. Now I love salt as much as the next guy but most of the items were way over seasoned - to the point that we asked our server to please say something to the Chef for us on our last visit. Another complaint is that on 2 different occasions, the Steak Frites was, at one sitting, "gamey", at another very stringy. An odd failure for a Bistro.
So, if I go back, I will politely ask them to cut back on the seasoning - not order the steak and enjoy the feeling of being in this great setting.
People thought this was:
EXCELLENT place for lunch. The atmosphere is gorgeous - well appointed and just very lovely.
Service was excellent! So friendly and attentive despite how busy it was.
I had the salmon tartine - a little too salty, though the bread was tasty.
The dessert was awesome! And the coffee was very excellent. Not sure about you, but it certainly is a relief when you can finish a meal with a delicious cup of coffee.
I give it 2 stars only because of the GM. Our food was late, our table wobbly, our drinks wrong . . . let me put it this way, anything that could of gone wrong...did
Carol came to out table, the GM. Beautiful, smiling, friendly, listened, seemed to care, took care of us. We, I still won't go back, there are too many other places to try, but I would give Parc no stars if she wasn't there
People thought this was:
This is the place to people watch and transport yourself (for a few hours anyway) from Philadelphia to Paris. The food is fantastic, great sidewalk seating to people watch. The Rittenhouse Square outdoor space is a little loud, but fun; try the Locust side if you'd like to have a little less distraction (and usually quicker to be seated). Great wine list! The attitude of the staff wasn't the best, but once seated and with a great book or friends, everything gets better. Worth a try, and I'm sure you'll be back again soon. (And if there's a long wait, check out Caribou Cafe. I've been there many times with great experiences!)
People thought this was:
The food was good, however the service was terrible. Why pay such high prices for such terrible service? I decided to skip this place from now on. I did complain to the management, but they could have cared less. So I would have to say skip Parc completely and find a better restaurant that actually gives you the service you deserve.
I'm noticing a theme... Parc seems to be my go-to place for lunch when I'm having a crap day and in serious need of some vent time. Not sure whether it's the food, the relatively noisy atmosphere (which means I don't have to whisper while I rant), the scale of the place (which means we can usually score a secluded table in the back) or a combination of all of those factors. Either way, it does the trick.
Today was the onion soup and the warm shrimp salad.. both were divine. I will admit that i'm easily wooed by citrus, and the lemon/shrimp/avocado combination is a winner in my book. The soup can be hit or miss for me, but today I was in luck and it was great.
On past visits I've had the chicken paillard (delicious) and the burger. The burger, dare I say, is my favorite burger in the city. The mussels are decent, and the lemon tart is incredible. (see? again with the citrus)
Overall it's a great spot and I leave happier every time.
People thought this was:
2.5 stars.
we started my bachelorette day of debauchery here for brunch. we started off with a selection of five cheeses. they were served with baguette and there were a couple fruit spreads and almonds on the plate. the cheeses were nice-n-stinky, just the way i like them.
i absolutely love eggs benedict, and was looking forward to trying parc's all week. the hollandaise sauce was actually very thick and too lemony. it didn't have a rich buttery flavor at all. it tasted like a liquified lemon meringue poured over breakfast. the eggs were also slightly under-poached, which kind of grosses me out. the whites of the eggs aren't supposed to be dippy.
the reason for the lower rating is not just because of the mediocre meal i had. the service started off great. but when one of our dishes didn't come out with the rest of the food, my sister told the server that we had ordered another dish. the server's response was "no you didn't." really? maybe it was just our meal, or our server was having a bad day, or whatever, but i don't get all the hype.
I really enjoyed this place. My fiance and I actually ate here twice last weekend, once for a light lunch and the next day for brunch. It was convenient from our hotel, and we liked the outdoor seating. We are both total suckers for Balthazar and Pastis in NYC, and the menu here is somewhat similar.
After about a 25 minute wait on Saturday afternoon, we secured a table outside. The place was slammed, probably due to the art festival at Rittenhouse Square. It was warm out, so we opted for a lighter meal. We started with a bottle fo Chablis, the beet salad, and decided to share the petite plateau seafood platter. The beet salad was good, but the seafood was AMAZING. I am usually weary of raw bar platters at restaurants- I find that the shrimp is usually overcooked and rubbery and the oysters/clams to be not as fresh as they could be, but this was declicious. The dish consisted of shrimp cocktail, mussels, amazingly fresh oysters and clams, ceviche, and octopus salad. I was beyond impressed. Service was a little slow, but given how busy they were, our server was pretty attentive.
Brunch was somewhat standard fare- we ordered scrambled eggs, bacon, and a croque madame with fries. Wow, the fries at this place are unreal- probably one of my favorite plates of fries I've had in a long time.
We would definitely come back here next time we are in Philadelphia. The only thing I was not a huge fan of was all the obnoxious women with their small dogs who seem to frequent this establishment. Um, your purse dog is not cute- it looks like a rat- get it the fuck out of the restaurant.
People thought this was:
A great addition to the Rittenhouse Square dining options.
The food and service are good and decor hits on all the French brasserie details, including fans and nicotine stained ceilings.
If a trip to Paris seems a little over the top, this is the place to be.
Worth a detour.
People thought this was:
I can honestly say that I had the best veal cheeks I have ever in my life had here. Part of that is because they were the only veal cheeks I have ever had, but another part of that is because they were just amazing. They just melted right onto my tongue, and everything it came with was equally as tasty. As was my friend's meal, the lamb chops - perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned.
We also got the french fries...it felt funny getting them in this place, but they just looked so good. it was NOT a mistake.
The appetizer we got, which was a bunch of different meats, including I think a boar sausage were all amazing. Plus pate and chicken liver spread, all of which were amazing. We asked for as much bread as they would give us, it was so fresh and went so well with all of our dishes.
Can't comment on dessert, because we were much too full at this point (and fed up..read on.)
I'll put it to you this way: I am doing this place a favor with the five stars - basing that on the FOOD ONLY. If the service were included, I'd probably jump it down to a 3 (but since I've only been there once, I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt).
Our service started out great - waiter was friendly, knew the menu back and front and was able to make suggestions (granted, he only recommended the two most expensive items on the menu....) and explain what was in different dishes. Then....a larger table came in, and our little table of two was promptly....IGNORED. It was tricky to track down the waiter and get his attention to order something else, the dessert menu was dropped (as in drop and run) on our table (hence being fed up and not ordering dessert...), with no stop to offer it, and the check - with our credit cards in it ready to be run - sat and sat and sat until someone ELSE finally noticed and took it. Like I said, I'm giving it the benefit of the doubt in the service department, since this was only one visit.
I'm definitely going back, and hoping for a table closer to the windows, or even outside next time - 5 stars for ambience, in my opinion - just different than anywhere else.
People thought this was:
My oysters were excellent. The half-dozen comes with three different varieties which were all distinct and equally good. My spaghetti Bolognese was rich and flavorful, but far too salty. I was able to ignore this until about half way through when it became simply too intense to ignore. I still finished it, however. I don't recall what I had for desert, but I remember liking it a lot as well.
Lively and charming atmosphere, even nicer if you sit outside (the inside can get a little loud). Exceptional bread and butter. I would have easily given this place five stars if it weren't for my overly seasoned entree.
On a nice night, be prepared to wait for an hour if you want an outside table.
People thought this was:
Cute French brasserie situated on Rittenhouse Square, with Euro style sidewalk seating with both chairs facing out. It looks exactly the same as Rouge, just a block or so away.
I came here for brunch on a nice Sunday morning and sat on the sidewalk. Our waiter was friendly yet it somehow took him 10 minutes to bring us coffee - and people who were seated after us got their coffees first. Slightly annoying.
I had the polenta and eggs, which, while very tasty, was served with onions that were not mentioned on the menu. I guess at a French place maybe I should assume everything comes with onions? Anyway, I picked them off and proceeded to enjoy my dish. But this is not a cheap place. $15 for polenta and eggs. Yes, $15. I very rarely pay that much for brunch in NYC.
I suppose since we were tourists we sort of got hosed by the price of a cute sidewalk cafe on the square. Lesson learned for next time in Philly.
People thought this was:
We ate breakfast at 9 and headed into Parc for our noon reservation. It felt like we were setting ourselves up for failure given that we really weren't hungry. Eyeing everyone outside on the patio, we were disappointed when we were taken into the back of the restaurant.
But then, I saw the menu and found the Mozzarella and Tomato Baquette. It was delicious. The iced tea was great and our drinks were refilled constantly. The service was almost overwhelming.
The bathrooms were beautiful. Would like to return when I wasn't so full!
Simple formula for having fun at Parc: Sit outside, order a nice cold cocktail, watch people, repeat.
Service is very good, havent' yet eaten there, drink selection is above average, and location is great.
Probably the best outdoor space in Rittenhouse.
People thought this was:
I did brunch at Parc. Normally if I try a meal and don't like the food - I'll go back at a different time to try a different portion of the menu.
In this case the food was good enough - but honestly not good enough to interest me in going back. Overall - this was probably one of my worst restaurants experiences in Philly.
first - I felt out of place - almost like an inconvenience for the ample wait staff. Not that they were discourteous or slow to respond - there was just a pretentiousness about the staff that far outweighs any of the other Starr establishments - and that is hard to do. Look - having a cool name, a good location, neat atmosphere and a high price tag isn't enough for me. I'm want a solid dining experience. And I just didn't feel like Parc was going to give it to me at any price. I felt like I was "just" a customer... like somehow not being on staff made me not part of the "cool" crowd.
I had the eggs Benedict - and while not horrible it wasn't great either. There again - who gets an eggs Benedict at a French Brasserie? My date's omelet was masterfully cooked - so I think I just made a poor menu choice. Silly me. I will say the french fries were amazing.
The bar had a good menu but my experience with them seemed inconsistent. My first Bloody Mary was fine - if maybe oddly garnished. So oddly that I took a picture. This was a mistake - because when I ordered my second drink it allowed me to check and verify they had reused the garnish from the first. I expected that sort of thing at French restaurants in Africa... it shocked me a little at a Starr establishment. But the rel problem was that the second drink was horrible - just a bitter punch to the gutt.
Another reviewer likened the experience to almost like Disney World - good enough but with that fake half copied feeling. I don't know if it was the porn in the bathroom, the cut rate quality of some of the ingredients, the pretentiousness of the staff... but this was one of the worst overall experiences I've had in Philly - which is a shame since the food was halfway descent.
So in short - Parc has a great airy atmosphere. It looks great as long as you don't look too close. And NPH was spotted there recently... But if I'm looking for more than drinks - I'm not going to waste my time going there again.
PS - seriously - Parc needs to hire a real designer. The menu nearly gave me an aneurysm - it looked like it was laid out in Microsoft word by a high school student with no prior experience using Microsoft Word... and the website is even worse. If you want to hold a premium brand - make half an attempt to look like you care or pay someone else to do it for you.
PPS - I wasn't kidding about the porn in the bathroom - be warned if you have kids.
People thought this was:
I really adore Parc. It actually has little to do with the food, which I'll say more about that in a minute . . . what I love is the ambiance, the decor, and the vibe that surely I'm in Paris?! It really captivated me, especially the bistro chairs straight from Paris that faced the park for excellent people watching. What can I say . . . it must not take much to captivate me.
Now, the food -- I had the eggs benedict off the brunch menu, and it was quite tasty indeed. The freshly squeezed orange juice was divine, and the whole experience was very pleasant. I'd love to go back and try dinner sometime!
People thought this was:
Came here again for brunch with my girl friend. We started out with the escargots in hazelnut butter - divine! It was my first time and I'm glad I didn't have to go through the intimidating and seemingly arduous process of extracting the meat from the snail shell. The sauce for this was delicious.
My friend ordered typical brunch fare - pain perdu with hazelnut butter and apples. I ordered atypical brunch fare, but not uncommon for myself - steak frites. The steak wasn't my favorite cut (hangar steak), but it was tasty, if unsurprisingly tough. The frites were wonderful and served with aioli. They did add some greens to the plate, but I'm really not sure why; they were left completely untouched.
It was a Saturday brunch on a wonderful day in the city so the service was a little slower than I'm used to. But I still love Parc for the cute, quaint atmosphere. My girl friend said it really reminds her of bistros in Paris.
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I went back again on a busy Friday night...alone, again, because that's just how I roll. I was… Read more »
Yes, that is a one star rating you see. And it's all because of the horrible service I (barely) received during my second visit. If I had reviewed this place after my first time there, a very delicious brunch that included an attentive waitstaff, I probably would've given a four star rating. But I'm still so dumbfounded at the lack of service I received during breakfast on Thursday! I think it says something about the experience if I'm still puzzled by it, four days later.
Perhaps they put the least experienced staff on the breakfast shift? Maybe the two week training period is not enough? Perhaps the two different people waiting on us weren't sure of their job description? Who knows? All I know is I was unclear from the start which of the two employees was supposed to be our server. Neither one of them introduced themselves nor said they'd be taking care of us. My dining partner was a former Starr employee for four years; he was also appalled at their lack of knowledge of steps of service. I'm pretty sure if Stephen himself were watching from afar, those two employees would've had a talking to. And sweet Christ, what if one of us was a secret shopper?! Those two would be back to working at the Olive Garden.
Anyway, the first server to address us took our drink order (which took forever, by the way--not cool when you're waiting for a morning coffee) and the second server (who was either hungover or just plain slow, as in, I questioned his ability to even fill out a job application) took our order. That was the one and only time he spoke to us. Uh ... okay. Server #1 would walk by every so often asking all the tables if they were okay but in a tone that pretty much implied that we better be okay because she was just here to go through the motions.
Our food took forever (it wasn't crowded at all, there were maybe six or seven tables of guests on the side facing the park and inside looked pretty dead, too). It took fifteen minutes to get a coffee refill. The only person who actually did his job was the busboy! In fact, we found ourselves in a rare situation where we really felt the waitstaff was undeserving of a tip. All except the busboy, of course.
We pondered for a while--it took fifteen minutes or so from the time we asked Server #1 for our check to the time Dude (my dining partner) had to go inside to ask the manager if he could just pay right there, like the god damn Midtown diner--and came to the conclusion that only the busboy was deserving of a tip. I mean, hell, he refilled our water promptly and brought me ketchup when I asked for it, and even stopped to chit chat a bit (he used to work with Dude at the previously mentioned Starr establishment).
So the busboy got a sweet hook up from Dude and the servers got a whole lot of nothin'. It's EXTREMELY rare for that scenario to take place but this was just unbelievable and I honestly would've felt like a horrible person knowing the busboy would've only gotten a small percentage of the tip rather than the whole thing. The guy was clearly the only one busting his ass. if I had a restaurant, I'd totally hire him over the other two incompetent servers any day.
People thought this was:
This place is adorable and such a great location. It's so deafaningly loud in there though, it's ridiculous. luckily I requested a table either next to the window or on the sidewalk and we were put next to a window facing the sidewalk, so it was so loud during our meal. Our waitress was sweet and energetic and was pretty on top of things.
The food? my chicken was great- so tender with a divine red wine sauce! his? he characterized his steak as "tough and chewy" and didnt even finish half of it.
I liked it, but I don't think we'll ever go back.
People thought this was:
This is one of the first restaurants I ventured into upon becoming a Philadelphia resident.
While I had never been a fan of french food, I was quickly converted by this place. The harcot verts (not sure if I spelled that right) are amazing, and the roasted chicken has a nice blend of spices and is as juicy as you would expect had you made it at home, the right way.
The desserts are also great, but not something I would necessarily aim to get everytime I eat here.
The atmosphere is very calm, depending on what time and day you go, and you never feel rushed. The service is great as your water glass will never go empty. The prices are fairly reasonable for Rittenhouse Square and the experience is one that I know is consistent everytime I go.
People thought this was:
During my roughly 5 week stay in Rittenhouse Square, I went to this place eight times. Eight times. And not just because it's about a block away from my hotel, it's because this place's atmosphere, food, ambiance, service, drinks, and prices simply cannot be beat.
Tomato tart is unreal, as are the haricot verts and the cauliflower gratin. They make a mean Sazerac (absinthe and rye cocktail, not for everyone but very much for me), and have a really reasonable wine list.
I did find a piece of glass in my cauliflower gratin (which was horrifying, but law of averages folks, over a lifetime of meals, you're going to eat some glass), and they comped everything, took care of us, and made a potentially disastrous situation tolerable. Oh, and that was like the 4th time I had gone. So yeah, I went 4 more times after getting glass in my food, so I think that says something.
People thought this was:
They say there's a first time for everything.
And this is the first time I've had a 'meh' meal at a Steven Starr joint.
Service was spotty. The server looked exhausted and was wearing a battered filthy apron to prove it.
The frizee salad was limp and seemed as though it was sitting out for a while before it made it to my table. Same with the sauteed spinach. The crunchy wheat or rye bread was the best part - really.
They dropped off coffee but didn't show up with cream until the coffee was luke warm - really.
I'll give it another try down the road.
People thought this was:
Went to park with the GF in the early evening (4-5pm) on a Wednesday amidst a summer downpour. Parc was mostly empty when we arrived but traffic was starting to pick up when we finished up.
Food: solid A-
We ordered the charcuterie, which had an excellent selection of tasty cured meats, some pate, and chicken liver mousse. Great starter to go with the excellent bread. Can't go wrong here.
The entrees were well presented and technically were very well executed except for one thing: salt. My roast chicken + mashed potatoes would have been excellent if the kitchen had been more conservative with the salt... Similarly, my GF's duck confit with lentils and mushroom salad was very tasty and was very tender, except for the kitchen's penchant for a lazy salting hand...
Service: unparalleled. Terrific and unobtrusive.
Would I go back? Yes. If not for the entrees, I'd go for the apps & drinks.
this weekend me and my boyfriend were in philly, and since it was a beautiful night out we decided to take a short stroll around the hotel area. We had originally heard about "The Prime Rib" as THE place to go for a good piece of red meat... but as we were turning the corner we made a split second decision and we ended up at the parc because of its outdoor seating and "bistro-esque" ambiance.
with the huge open windows the whole restaurant has an "outdoor" feel to it which is exactly what we were looking for on a beautiful summer night.
We were seated promptly with out reservation (which i loved). Once we were seated our waiter came over and asked us if we had a water preference... (which i loved even more) because most of the time they just start pouring tap water when we were about to some sort of bottled option.
The wait staff was great, smiley and attentive! I got the new york strip_ mainly because it came with a side of potato gratin. I am pretty picky about my seasonings and everything was cooked right and seasoned evenly. The wine was okay, not too much depth but had a good summer feel to it (pino noir). The options were plentiful as far as wines were concerned. The dessert was just what we were looking for to finish off the night on a sweet note- we got some sort of icecream that had fresh berries and toasted nuts in it, with fresh whipped cream on top! to die for!
Only a couple negatives about this place... we had a used champagne bucket, with stale water in it sitting beside us, which should've been removed before we were seated... but didnt bother us tooo much. Secondly they should have pictures and or english on the bathroom doors for those of us who a not so french savvy, because at first I walked into the mens bathroom and then when I was washing my hands a group of guys walked into the women's--- obviously there is some kind of miscommunication going on here....
but all in all... great place- and if I ever get the chance to go back again... I WILL!
A friend and I had plans to meet at Parc, and being the first to arrive, I decided that we would be dining al fresco under the heat lamps. It was a little bit chilly but the lamps provided enough warmth to keep me comfortable in my short sleeved top.
We started our meal with a cheese plate that had five selections of our choosing: a Gouda-like, a soft, a semi-soft, a cheddar and a sheep's milk blue cheese. The presentation was lovely and was accompanied by quince paste, almonds, apple slivers, a fig jam and some toasted baguette slices. My friend and I agreed that the Gouda-like cheese reigned superior. Our server, Michael, happily wrote down the name for me (Roomano, Netherlands).
It was at this break in the meal where the people watching became most interesting. A giant Hummer pulled up to the valet stand in front of Devon. Eyes rolling, I waited for the occupants to show themselves. When two gentlemen stepped onto the sidewalk, I was taken aback by how attractive the taller, well built man in the army green shirt was. Then, I noticed something familiar about him... a second later, it clicked. Joffrey Lupul! Nothing like a hot Flyer sighting to get this cupcake's blood pumping! (The Hummer party foul was long forgotten at this point.)
Where was I? Oh yes, the second course; onion soup for me and mushroom soup for my friend. As others have mentioned, the onion soup is slightly sweet and smothered with cheese. It was so filling I didn't even finish. Last, we shared a salad with shrimp, avocado and Parmesan lemon dressing. The shrimp were large and fresh and the dressing was wonderful.
While we both thoroughly enjoyed our meal, several glasses of wine and our prime seating, there were a couple small things that were remiss. While some have described the service as being slow, I would argue that any restaurant that depicts itself as French should always serve courses at a very leisurely pace. With that said, there is no reason in the world why settings should not be cleared and silverware replenished in a timely manner. We received new forks and knives after we received our salad. Speaking of the salad, it arrived at our table on one plate, with another plate along with it. Fine restaurants will typically split a shared salad onto two plates before bringing it to the table. I was mildly irritated by this oversight.
Regardless of the slight mishaps, I enjoyed Parc more than I had expected to and would definitely return.
People thought this was:
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Real Estate
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Breakfast & Brunch
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Steakhouses
Collingswood, NJ
Category: Italian
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