One of our favorite Sunday traditions is dining at the bar at Caribou Café. Great cocktails, a warm atmosphere, and consistently terrific food. This visit: Belvedere dry martinis, Chesapeake oysters from Maryland, and one of our favorite cheeseburgers in the city. Special thanks to Aaron at the bar for the wonderful hospitality, as always. read more

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We've eaten here before and as we had a show at the Forrest Theatre the location was ideal, especially on a cold, blustery night. We arrived at the restaurant and the hostess wanted to seat us by the door, which is NOT a place you want to sit at in this restaurant, especially on a cold, windy night as the wind blows right in. I asked the hostess if we could sit in one of the booths,cawsy from the draft, as I get cold easily. She looked at me and my husband and said, sorry those are for 3 and 4 people. So she made us sit at the end of drafty row. While looking at the menu, another couple was seated near us, must have said something to the hostess, and were reseated upstairs. Two more couples came in and they were ushered yo the empty booths I had asked about. We hadn't ordered yet, and I was ready to leave. I wound up putting my winter coat back on and wrapped my scarf around my neck. Apparently they are going for the whole "caribou" environment and making you feel like you are dining in an igloo. So basically the inflexibility of the hostess set the tone for our meal. The waiter was nice, but in light of the situation with the hostess, I think he kept his distance as much as he could. My husband ordered off the special menu. He had the potato soup as they were out of the butternut squash bisque, and the salmon for his entree. I ordered the coq au vin, and it was good, and if I ever would return to this place, I would probably order it again. Again, the waitstaff and food were good, but since the hostess flat out lied about the seating, she set the tone. Definitely would not recommend this place, especially in the winter, unless they reconfigure the front door situation. read more

A charming but unpretentious French bistro close to the theaters, Caribou Cafe is often overlooked because of Parc, a nearby French restaurant that's much more popular, but also more expensive and crowded. This place has what I consider the best chicken I've ever had, juicy and succulent, perfect every time. Lots of other great entrees for the adventurous and the more cautious alike. Save room for dessert: there's a small three dessert sampler which is perfect for two people to share. I constantly recommend Caribou Cafe for the perfect spot in Center City before a night out. read more

Met some friends for an early dinner. Was really excited to try this place as I've heard good things. First impression, it is wonderfully designed with bistro seating and vintage plates. When we entered it was SO WARM. With a feels like of nearly 100°, you'd think they'd run the AC. Instead they had the windows open and made a smidge of an apology. Fresh bread and butter came out first, which was delicious. We had French onion soup, mussels, a burger and salad among the four of us. Even with the heat, we knew we needed to try the famed soup. It was good but hardly the best I've ever had. The mussels were yummy and plentiful. The burger was fine as well as the salad. We decided to skip dessert when one person in the party couldn't take the heat anymore. With the correct temperatures, this might be worth a revisit. read more

Caribou Cafe - Onion Soup - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Service was good, Kind, attentive, polite, helpful. Thanks Carly and other service members. All the things I appreciate in a restaurant when I'm anticipating a good dining experience and shelling out top dollar for a meal. The food..honestly? Decent. I've been around and dine out over the past few decades. Decent. Cocktails were solid. Thanks drink slinger. Ambiance? Ok. read more

Caribou Cafe - Steak Frites - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My husband and I have come to this restaurant once a year for the past few years. We always enjoy the service, food and ambiance. This time was a total miss for me. My first drink was horrible so I asked if I could just switch it to a diet coke which was totally flat and I didn't want to send it back too. My short rib dish was meager and fatty. Not at all like it had been in the past. It was served to me in a dish that had a huge chip. I would Never serve anything in that dish. I will not go back. This restaurant definitely went downhill. Also the entrance was dirty. The service was excellent as it had been in the past but it is too bad about everything else. read more

If you enjoy solo dining (as I do) this has a great bar with a friendly, attentive bartender that will provide you with great service and good cocktails. And happy hour is offered seven days a week. This restaurant has been around for a very long time, and I remember experiencing the flavor of upscale dining and considering this a "special" occasion restaurant. Granted, that was probably 20 years ago. I even remember putting money back as a single mom of three very young daughters to celebrate Mother's Day brunch with them here ( a long time ago). It stayed around but I felt like it couldn't compete with the thriving food scene in Philly after Caribou's heyday so it fell off my list. I had been wanting to try it again after reading that the Townsend, Wentz restaurant group purchased, remodeled and revitalized it. Perhaps that is the reason for an A-ok rating of 3 stars. My expectations did not match my experience. The food was good! I ordered the escargot and it was served in a delicious cream sauce with peas and crunchy crostini. I ordered the frites featured on the happy hour menu and they were delicious! Thin, crispy, potatoes topped with Gruyère. My manhattans were well balanced and my water glass was filled. But the ambiance? It was akin to a sports bar. And if I thought that was what I was stepping into, that would have been fine but I thought I was entering a redone, restaurant offering a delicious Parisian menu. The tables are outdated, there are banners with beer advertisements hanging in the restaurant and a prominent television over the bar. I was looking towards the redesigning, new and improved. Now that I know what to expect, happy hour with lower expectations about the vibe would not disappoint me. But if you hear that this place is offering something different than the last few years it's been around, you won't experience that. But those fries and the cocktails were on point! read more

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Caribou is always a solid choice for us. Happy hour has good food and great drinks on special. Dinner is reliably good and doubles as comfort food with hearty portions of French staples. If you want a good meal at reasonable prices with a relaxed atmosphere that could be somewhere in France except it has friendly waitstaff and a contemporary American music playlist, this is it. We'll be back, guaranteed! read more

We stopped in for lunch. No reservation. This typically has never been a problem. We were interested in trying Caribou under the new management. No such luck. They were understaffed. The bartender seemed to be managing the entire front plus bussing and was clearly frustrated. We stood for awhile unacknowledged and then decided to go to Parc, it seemed there was already a problem and we didn't want to add to it. It certainly isn't the bartender's fault if there's not enough staff. read more

It was ok. Came during the mid afternoon. Charcuterie and fromage board was fine. But at least they accommodated my bestie read more

Caribou Cafe - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

So each year my wife and I visit Philadelphia around the same time. For 5 years we have been frequenting Caribou Cafe. If you look at my review from last year, you'll see we were pleased with staff but food was great as always. This year we must give positive feedback, as our experience was great and food was spectacular. Not sure what happened but staff were amazing, polite and courteous. To the ownership, Well Done! Also, McKenna V. Was great for our dinner experience. Definitely recommend sitting at her tables..... keep kit up Caribou Cafe! See you next year. read more

Caribou Cafe - Caribou's Bar.... - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We settled on Caribou for a nice lunch after being in the area for an appointment. Caribou used to be a favorite neighborhood restaurant. I was so looking forward to the escargot and beef bourguignon. I was disappointed with both. The escargot was in a cream sauce with bits of fatty and grizzly meat and some tasteless Brussels sprouts.This used to be such a great restaurant. What happened? if you want good French food go to Parc. read more

We came for restaurant week and ordered the 3 course meals for $40 each. Was our first time trying escargot and it was enjoyable. Butternut squash bisque was excellent and very flavorful. Entree portions were small but to be expected during restaurant week. The beef bourguignon was cooked well but felt bland. Chicken pot pie entree was on the saltier side and the puff pastry didn't have much flavor. The lemon tart used the same puff pastry and was okay. Creme brulee was also just okay. Service was good and the staff was very kind. read more

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Service, vibe, and the beer oh my gosh, the beer! Staff knows how to chat you up and act like a person long lost friend read more

We've walked by this place for years. The Chamay and other Belgium beer flags reeled us in. We walked in and sat at the bar. My husband asked for a Chamay on draft... they only have in bottle - that was disappointing. My husband pointed to the dust on the bottles of wine behind the bar. The staff appeared to be overwhelmed- appears that it's a hopping place with theater go-ers and since there were 2 different shows going on that night it started to get busy. Our time was brief and i can say I really didn't get a feeling for the place. I didn't see a dinner menu but I did see a French onion soup that looked good. I can tell you that it keep getting busier so that must say something but our experience wasn't positive so i hope your experience is better than ours. read more

Caribou Cafe - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Ellen was the best bartender!! She was extremely attentive and kind to my group all night, LOVE the Kronenbourg sooo much.

Delightful restaurant in the historic district of Philadelphia. Beautiful lighting and decor. Friendly and excellent service. I enjoy my steak frites (NY strip) - the best NY strip I have ever had, cooked perfectly and seasoned. My wife had the bone-in pork chop - absolutely delicious and tender. Potatoes like cream puffs. Unfortunately no room for dessert. Highly recommend! read more

Caribou Cafe - Steak Frites and pork chop - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have been wanting to try Caribou Cafe for sometime now. I enjoy French bistro food and I saw the owner win an episode on Chopped several years ago. Finally went on a beautiful summer July evening. The restaurant is really nice with classic French charm. We sat outside and it was very pleasant. We had the muscles to share as an appetizer. I had the steak frites as my main. Both dishes were excellent. Caribou serves homemade bread and that was also delicious. They have a nice selection of beers and French wines of course. Service was great. Will definitely return. read more

Caribou Cafe - Beautiful summer outdoor dining - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I walked by here all the time on my way home from the gym. I'm drawn in by the open air seating and the cute atmosphere. The food was yummy and so glad I got the bread pudding for dessert. I was served by the bartender during happy hour and I was in and out in less than an hour. read more

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Great happy hour and bar service. I find it to be an authentic French cuisine experience at a good price

My friend and I just happened to stumble upon this place when walking around the city hungry. I wasn't expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. The interior had a nice feel, the lighting and the art on the wall with a piano player upstairs. Our waiter was helpful. It was my first time trying escargot and I ended up loving it! The garlic sauce and pastry was sooo good. It made trying something new super easy and not intimidating. The Beef Bourguignon was so rich and hearty I got full so fast but continued to eat it anyway! The beef was so tender and the noodles were good, but the carrots surprisingly ended up being my favorite of the dish! I still think about the bread they brought to the table, to this day. I'm not sure what they did to it to make me love it so much, but it's fresh, and salty and I kept going back for more. Would definitely recommend stopping here for some French food. read more

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Terrible food and service. The worst restaurant I've been in a long time. We ordered beef tartar and got the ugly gray color minced meat that only smelled vinegar. After the waiteress took it back to the kitchen she came back and told us that the chef said it shouldn't be served like this and he'll make us the fresh one. We refused - how come he sent it like this in a first place. Than we asked the waitress about the pork entree for 2 persons. She said it a large pork chop. Instead we got a piece of pork leg with the bone which was completely dryer and inedible. Don't ever go to this place. read more

Eh. Caribou Cafe was an okay place. The food isn't so close to French cuisine or the quality. I came here for restaurant week and it was okay with the location. The atmosphere was fine but the food was a little disappointing. The gazpacho was probably the best part. The tuna was okay but felt it needed more flavor or seasoning. I would come back if I heard things changed. read more

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The cafe in itself is a bar and small seating area, fully opened to outdoor dining. Casual but good food. Attended RESTAURANT WEEK 2021 so three course meal for $35. Good drink menu/options. Nice area & great staff. Order the escargot, skip the soufflé. Service: 5/5 - our waitress (Arabella? Ariabella? Beautiful name!) was funny, very attentive. Rest of the staff was very polite, no complaints. Very quick on water service. Escargot: 5/5 - good presentation, good appetizer, well-seasoned, nice sauce. Puff pastry was great. Scallops: 3.5/5 - dish itself was good, but only three small scallops for serving. Well-seasoned & well cooked, again good puff pastry. Chocolate soufflé: 1/5 - it was not a chocolate soufflé. It was really dry and did not come with anything to even it out; would be better with sauce or ice cream. Tasted like dry cupcake with powdered sugar. Goat cheese salad: 3/5 Dressing was heavy for my taste but lovely plating. Personally a fan of fresh spinach so that was nice. Goat cheese was good but not overbearing. If I were to recreate on my own, would probably include walnuts or some kind of nut to add texture. Ingredients: spinach, beet, slice of bread, dressing, goat cheese. Steak-frites: 4/5 steak was medium well and was lovely, very juicy. Wish there was a little more seasoning but was good steak sauce. Fries were shoestring style, which isn't my personal style, but I felt like they were frozen or just not fresh so didn't love that. Overall good though. Profiteroles: 4.5/5 Serving is really small and wish I had a knife with it, but overall no complaints about pastry and ice cream Not sure I would go again, but overall was good. read more

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Worst food I ever had in restaurants. Food was not fresh, not properly prepared. Service was horrible. Waiter did not know answers about menu items. Horrible experience!!! read more

Had lunch with a large group upstairs. Many people liked the lamb burger. One person requested salad instead of fries, but their food came out with fries, so they had to make their request again. I got the fish of the day / fish du jour "Provençal" (tuna), which was really good. Not too heavy, just the right amount of food for lunch. I had a hard time deciding, but I ended up happy with my choice. It's a bit pricy for me, so I wouldn't come here often. read more

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My husband and I tried this place for restaurant week because our first date was at Caribou Cafe (an unrelated coffee shop in another state). The menu looked good, so we decided to give it a shot. It was decent. It was 7PM on a weekday night, and the place was pretty deserted. The restaurant itself was cute, and the service was great. The food was just okay. Nothing to really write about. It was decent and I was full after the meal. There wasn't anything that was particularly flavorful or enjoyable, but nothing was bad either. For a $35 pre-fixe menu, it was a decent value. Not something I'd be eager to try again, but not a disappointing experience either. read more

Caribou Cafe - Bar area - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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DO NOT ORDER FOOD HERE. It's a cute bar, maybe I'd go back for a drink. Actually, who am I kidding? I will never go back there. As for the food, I'm still getting sick from the Valentine's Day price fixe menu (probably the salmon). The service was sloooow. We waited an hour to get the first course (which we had to wave down a staff member to get). The topper? Toward the end of our meal we spotted a mouse running back and forth by the booths in the main dining. Just writing this is giving me PTSD. read more

We went there for restaurant week. The escargot was my favorite part of the menu. It was so tasty and didn't taste tough. For my main course, I got an ahi tuna. The ahi tuna melted in your mouth. Perfectly seared! The dessert was a chocolate soufflé that was the perfect temperature! Highly recommend! read more

Caribou Cafe - Escargots in puff pastry - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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My go-to French spot in Philly! I'm not really into French cuisine but this place have all the best items at a reasonable price for me. Their cocktails are really strong so if that's what you like then this place is perfect for you. If you do dine here, no matter how full you are please always get the Profiteroles with chocolate sauce, a really delicious dessert that is not too sweet. read more

Caribou Cafe - Profiteroles - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Drove up from southern Delaware to meet a dear friend on February 5, 2025 and both of us had fond memories of an earlier time when Olivier gave a damn about the quality of his food. The new owners, Townsend Wentz and his wife, seemingly do not give a damn about what is coming out of Caribou's cafe's kitchen or about having a restaurant manager on duty all the time. Being in total control of all their five restaurants is not working and they must be overwhelmed or just don't care about this stepchild: Caribou Cafe. Food wise, my escargots seemed like a great choice and would have been if the dish wasn't barely warm on arrival. There was a nice cream sauce but who wants barely warm food. The same could be said for my short ribs which had obvious good flavors but tasted so much like it was sitting in the fridge for a few days and this was also served barely warm. The bread was tasty and the friendly server was happy to bring over more.The so called lemon tarts where nothing more than soggy puff pastry with an equally old tasting lemon curd. We sent both of those so called lemon tarts back and ordered the warm chocolate cake which was actually the best part of the meal. My Negroni was well made and the bartender and the server looked like they were used to people complaining and did a good job both in making our drinks and serving us food. The ambience is the same as it was 15 years ago including the old booth tables which move around if you lean on them the wrong way. Obviously Townsend Wentz and his wife have bigger fish to fry and in their seeming attempt to replicate Stephen Starr fail miserably with regards to their latest acquisition: Caribou Cafe. read more

One of my favorite things in Philly is to go to Caribou for the $22 lunch special. I always feign to look at the rest of the menu but in my heart I know what's going to happen. I'm going to order the soup du jour or the classic entree du jour and walk away having tasted something different and absolutely delicious every time. No exception to this experience. The soup was a white bean and cabbage - tempting. The entree was a classic pike quenelles dish, a creamed fish and grits style meal which Caribou prepared with goat cheese - more tempting. So I went with my gut and did the petite salad and entree du jour. totally worth it. My only complaint was that they didn't serve it with a spoon so I could scrape the sides of the bowl. read more

Caribou Cafe - Pike Quenelles in lobster sauce with goat cheese - classic entree du jour - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

THE French restaurant in Philly! Authentic menu & interior - hard to believe it's on this side of the Atlantic. Pastis, escargot, homemade pate & fabulous desserts! Highly recommend a visit! read more

Caribou Cafe - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Stopped in after an early afternoon drive from the Baltimore area. We were in Philly for one night and looking for a nice place to hop in for lunch and drinks. Stumbled upon this place when parking, the open patio was very inviting. Polite service from our waiter, tasty food and spirit forward cocktails made this a great time. We had the Fish Almondine and the Grilled Salmon which were superb and the standout cocktail was the Solaire...refreshing! I would def come back when I am in Philly! read more

Caribou Cafe - Solaire - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My husband & I have been patrons of this restaurant for four years. We fly out especially to come directly to Caribou. However, unfortunately this year we were met with an undeniably RUDE staff with the exception of the male bar tender. The first night we were turned away due to not having a reservation while the restaurant was completely empty. The second night we made a reservation - arrived prior to our reservation time waited - was seated and then waited another 21 minutes for any one to come to our table. We watched as the female servers cleared tables and refused to wait on us. Eventually the bar tender came to our table and apologized profusely for their behavior and took care of us himself. We repeatedly requested to speak to a manger both nights and was told the manager is hardly ever there. WOW!!!! How does one manage a restaurant without being there?! Sadly, we are now unable to recommend this restaurant that was once a fabulous place! As we watch the female staff stand in the back by the kitchen in a huddle talking and laughing for over 12 minutes - while not waiting on a single table and ignoring ours. Due to the OVERTLY RUDE female staff - the experience was miserable. read more

We were looking for a not-super-crowded spot to grab a drink and Caribou looked like it needed some friends. There was no one sitting out front. We walked inside and were told to grab our choice of table - woohoo! We picked a spot and the waiter (Kai?) was right behind us with menus. He brought us some water while we looked things over. We really just planned on having drinks but we caught a glimpse of the dessert menu and sorbet sounded so good on a hot day so I ordered a hoegaarden and the sorbet. My husband ordered a yuengling and the profiteroles (pastries with ice cream and chocolate). The sorbet/hoegaarden combination was perfect because the fruity wheat beer flavor went well the mango/apricot sorbet flavor of the day. It was a nice light treat. Overall I think it's still a solid place for quick bites and drinks. read more

Caribou Cafe - Sorbet Du Jour and Hoegaarden - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The Caribou Café has always been a favorite place to stop for a bite in the city. The restaurant is cozy and pretty, the food is always exquisitely delicious, and the service is routinely as pleasant as one could possibly hope. Last night, I was pleased to find that, although there are new owners, everything was just as wonderful as I have always found it to be. Our experience was completely delightful. 3/7/24 read more

Great experience during COVID. Streetside dining can be a challenge but the staff here made it easy. I felt safe and they seem to have everything under control. Lunch was really good. I enjoyed my roasted chicken breast and my friend enjoyed their salad. Hopefully indoor dining will reopen sooner than later so I can enjoy the experience inside. read more

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I ordered the Caribou Cafe cheesesteak. $19 and it comes with a side. I ordered french fries. I guess luckily they brought me a salad. Anyway, for this genre this is a good cheesesteak. I have learned from past cheesesteaks in this genre to take small bites which I did. I really like the French baguette but they cut it funny and we had a little ripping issue. The meat was very good but I think the small bikes definitely helped. There was a fancy cheese on it that had a good flavor but there was not a lot of cheese. The caramelized onions added a lot of flavor but took over the sandwich. For $19 I think it should have been made with a lot more love. read more

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Service, ambiance, price, and food = all 5 stars. Tried their peasant board, onion and bacon thin pizza, moules frites, cafe gourmand, and creme brulee. They were all really good and the portion sizes were perfect. Would love to come back here and try other dishes. We went during happy hour so the wine was also only $5! read more

Caribou Cafe - Peasant board - French Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania