Caribou Cafe Reviews

A frequent Philadelphia visitor, Caribou Café is my default option when in the City of Brotherly Love. Have dined at Caribou perhaps 8 or so times over the last 15 years. The French food that comes out of the kitchen is "very good" to "good", more typically the former. Aside from being conveniently located to the Kimmel Center and to the Academy of Music, Caribou Café is an elegant oasis in the 'City Center'. The décor is elegant and warm, the service is excellent and utterly beyond reproach, and the prices are reasonable indeed, for what you get. As with a good French restaurant, the selection of wines and liquors is extensive. The layout and acoustics of the main and balcony levels of the café are good, and allow for conversation at normal speaking volume.

visited this week before theater and what a pleasant experience. bar is incredible and friendly and food and service top notch! Food is typical of French bistro! And cannot beat the Happy Hour prices! can't say enough about the seafood vol au vont provancal that i had! Ran a little late, so no time for desert! but don't miss this one!

steak tartare was fantastic. my husband got the burger - it was large, juicy, and came with remoulade he was happy! the whole scene felt like we were transported away as if we were going back in time at a french cafe, the way I felt when I saw Midnight in Paris. next time will try the duck pate sliders. Just wish it was good weather more often for this!

I was there with my girl to celebrate 1.5 years together. I ordered an amazing piece of Salmon, and she ordered a type of beef with wine. Both dishes were amazing. For dessert I recommend their Creme Bruleé and Profiterollis.

My partner and I went for dinner on 2/1/17. The atmosphere and service were very good. My partner enjoyed his dinner but said he would order a different entree the next time. He ordered the chicken Wellington and although it was prepared well it just wouldn't be something he would have again. My French onion soup was excellent. However the Cassoulet was very disappointing. If I remember correctly, the menu said sausage, beans and duck confit. I didn't see any sausage, the beans were to thick almost like traditional baked beans at a BBQ and the duck was ok. I have only had cassoulet 3 times before. Once in France and the other two times in local restaurants in my hometown and the flavor and texture were totally different. If I go back I would try something different.

Stopped here on a Saturday afternoon in Philadelphia, as I enjoy Armagnac. We enjoyed a seat at the bar, had a couple great drinks and the charcuterie as a companion dish to go with a nice glass of Armagnac. Service at the bar was prompt, courteous and friendly

After a long day of taking in the Philadelphia sights we stopped to take a light happy hour and were not disappointed. Recommended for their wine list and location (adjacent to Walnut Street) the happy hour was superb. A glass of wine along with salmon rilette sliders and salmon flat bread pizza went a long way in reviving our tired selves.

I loved this restaurant! I had “Roasted Half Amish Chicken”. It came with mashed potatoes, haricot vert (AKA green beans) and mushroom sauce. This dish, in my opinion, was exceptionally good. But, I made this review 4 stars for a reason. Although my food was very good, the rest of my company that went there with me said that the food was average, and not that good. One member of my group said that the mussels were nothing special. Thus, I recommend the “Roasted Half Amish Chicken” as a amazing meal to have if you are going to eat at the Caribou Cafe.

We found this cafe on Walnut Street whilst looking for a seat out of the sun. No sooner had we sat just inside the open window area a glass of iced cool water was offered. Rather than opt for a coffee we were tempted to look at the menu and were glad we did. Eventually we settled for the Caribou Cafe Burger with additional Swiss Cheese for me and Blue for my partner. Whilst waiting we were served slices of crusty bread and fresh butter scattered with salt crystals. The crust was as a good French bread should be and a delight having sampled the original in a previous visit to Paris! The burgers were well cooked, juicy with great flavour lying on a bead of sweet caramelised onion and the brioche buns spread with a delightful mix of cheese, peppers and just a hint of mustard. Washed down with a couple of glasses of Merlot Bordeaux and a constantly refilled glass of iced water from vert attentive waiting staff. I have added a photograph and apologise that I have already started eating this meal however it was looked too good to leave waiting for a photo. Not to be missed

This is a neighborhood place in Washington Square West. They have a bar menu and one served at the tables. Upstairs is quieter, but I like the booths on the first floor. If it is nice, consider eating outside on the sidewalk. Onion soup is superb, as are the omelets, steak frites. Great for a business lunch too. Do not forget happy hour!

We reunioned with a friend who was the best guy at our wedding. We choose Caribou for its authentic Parisian ambience and menu. It had always been a popular lunch venue for us whenever we visited Philadelphia. Dinner gave us a better chance to explore the menu, cocktails and wine list. So glad we did. We started off with cocktails followed at the right time with their soup de jour—a delicious tomato-lentil-spinach blend. My cassoulet was divine as was our friend’s steak frites and my wife’s beef bourguignon. We shared an outstanding grand cru bordeaux that was quite affordable. Great evening with wonderful service. Our nice waiter let us linger into the night with the sounds of other happy patrons in the background.

My wife stopped in here for a late night drink. I ordered a Chimay Red, expecting a draft. When the manager came and poured it out of a bottle, I said that I expected a draft, he said that I had mis-read the menu and turned and walked away. He didn't acknowledge my disappointment. He didn't try to temper my frustration. He just didn't care. There are better spots in Philly than this miserable place.

A little pricy, but the food and drinks were GREAT! French cuisine, and recipes were quite authentic. Definitely worth checking out.

Having frozen our butts off all day we popped in here for a coffee and ended up enjoying the happy hour sliders. They were delicious and cheap! Faced with heading back into the cold we parked at the bar and had dinner. The barman was great and very attentive. The food was fine for what we paid so the value was good but my steak was cold when it arrived, I should've mentioned it but it was tasty so I just munched it down! My wife's chicken tasted like it had been microwaved but again it was tasty enough! It's a pity there isn't a 3.5 as this was better than average but not good enough to be very good! Really nice atmosphere, service and decor but the food was just ok.

First I want to say the service was excellent! My wife and I live in Europe and were expecting a French Café. We were surprised that they served only basic coffee and nothing else. The lunch was okay and we felt it was definitely overpriced for the quality of the product.

Really amazing food, a taste of Paris in PHL......I particularly enjoyed the Steak Frite.....great wine list.

Dinner here couldn't have been better. We had a salmon in a cream sauce with mashed potatoes that was excellent. Service was efficient and friendly. Although the restaurant was small, it has an outdoor seating area and the ambiance was nice--definitely French Bistro. I'd go back if I lived here.

I had brunch there today before the theater, it had been some time since my last visit & forgotten how much we've enjoyed it. The atmosphere is very charming similar to those in Paris, the food also well prepared. Classic mussels & pomme fritz then a frisée salad with smoked salmon, goat cheese & a lite shallot mustard vinaigrette both very good. We had a couple glasses of the house champagne very pleasant & a very nice compliment to our meal.

My boyfriend is a vegetarian but knows I love anything French so he checked on line to make sure that the Caribou Cafe offered a vegetarian entree and since they did, he made reservations there to celebrate my birthday! We asked the server for a vegetarian entree and was told they do not offer one. I told her we dine out all the time and have never had a problem with the chef making a vegetarian meal - again she said the Chef cannot make a special meal but suggested he get the chicken sandwhich which she said most people say it's good without the chicken. Once the entrees came - what a disappointment in this so called great sandwhich - it was a thick bread with a clump of spinach and sauted onions on it. We asked the server if we were paying the same price as the chicken sandwhich and told yes - really - $20+ for a piece of bread with a scoop of spinach and onions on it. He showed her on line that the special of the night was Egg Pasta - she stated that menu was the old menu and yes its still on line. She said the new menus came out the previous week - don't you think the on line menu should have been changed? We had our two bread plates and the empty bread plates stacked up and they were removed from our table - she asked if we wanted more bread which we said yes. She brought us 3 plates with the bread on top of plate 1. As I went to hand my bf a plate, we discover we had 2 dirty plates so I called over the waitress and she informed us that they were our dirty plates - really - take dishes off our table and bring them back to our table. How do we really know that they were our plates and not someone elses. Totally disgussed us - we didn't eat the bread at that point. My meal was very good so I cannot complain about that and the manager did take the cost of the sandwhich off our check but this was a special birthday celebration that was quite disappointing to say the least. We would have usually had coffee and dessert but we just wanted to get out of there.

I had been to Caribou for dinner years ago (and had a great skate dish there; my husband had a lovely cassoulet) and took my Mom there for lunch over the holidays. Her quiche and salad were very good, as was my onion soup. But my main - a vegetable crepe with a side of beans - was so oversalted as to be almost inedible. I was able to scrape the sauce off of the crepe, and that wasn't overly salted, but the beautiful green beans were a lost cause. I will return, because I think this was a fluke, but someone please remind the kitchen that it's easier (and more pleasant) to add salt than to remove it!

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.

went to Caribou for restaurant week and before theater. cannot say enough about service and quality of the food. an absolute gem in that city! we took the 3 $35.00 sinner menu and it was so nice! sat at the bar for a few cocktails prior and that was also a nice experience --bar tender was so kind and informative. if in the city you must stop by even if it is for drinks. you will be pleased!

Simply awful. They literally ruined my wife's birthday. Never got to eat as we waited almost two hours for the main course. We had show tickets that the host knew about.

My husband made reservations for dinner. Initially we were sat right at the very cold door. We asked to be moved and we requested the upstairs area which is clearly nicer... it was Valentine's Day! The tables were very small and barely accommodated the plates. The menu was nothing special. My steak was cooked to my liking, but I was only provided a butter knife. My husband ordered something with foie gras and you couldn't tell it was even in the dish. The table next to us was very close and another diner was rudely making comments about how quickly our meals came out and that she was upset her grilled cheese sandwich took longer. The service was ok, nothing great but nothing terrible. We did not opt for dessert, nothing really sounded that enticing. I definitely don't think it was worth the money or the time. Oh well.

Menu has one chicken, one beef, a few fish entrees. They do a good job with vegetables and sauces. Comfortable place near the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music and a few theaters---they do a big pre-theater business. Wait staff has a bit of a brusque attitude but they do get you in and out with efficiency. Ask for a booth.

Ran in here for a quick bite late afternoon. I had the salmon timbale which was good and substantial but was ice cold. Place was sort of empty but pleasant.

Lunch choices are always a homerun. If nothing is on the specialty menu, you can't miss with the quiche du jour and French Onion soup. The quiche is tall, light and airy and the soup is perfection.

Had a dinner with business colleagues here this week. Very good variety on menu (though not much for vegetarians), including sandwiches, crepes and more substantial meals. Happy hour prices were great for beer and wine and appetizers. My dish was very good-a mix of seafood in a puff pastry-very fresh scallops and shrimp. My dining partners all said their meals were very good as well. Definitely worth a try in you are in the neighborhood. Small, so unless early on a Wednesday evening like us reservations are probably needed.

Pleasantly surprised at the variety in menu, with all in group being happy with their dishes. Attentive waitstaff who allowed the time for a leisurely dinner on a busy Sunday night. From appetizers to dessert, we were impressed with the quality and the service. Will definitely go here again next time we are in Philly. The six of us varied in age from 12-70. All of us were happy with our selections at the Caribou Cafe!

I had been to Caribou Cafe many years ago, but for some reason had never been back. A few weeks ago, I was looking for a restaurant within walking distance of Jefferson Station and this one came to mind. We were a party of 4-got there in time for the Happy Hour drinks which were certainly a bargain from the usual center city prices. Two of our party had the Prix-Fixe hanger steak-done to our liking. The third party had the grilled salmon and the fourth a boulliabaise. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Our service was efficient without being rushed. While the prices seemed a bit high for the general ambiance of the restaurant, it was not exorbitant for the location. This is not a great place for vegetarians so I would not visit with certain family members, but I would consider returning for lunch or dinner with friends.

A fun, low-key restaurant in a great location. The food was fresh, well presented, and tasty! Our server Leetza was friendly, knowledgeable about the menu, and made sure we were taken care of. A good place for pre-theatre meals, as well as a leisurely afternoon lunch.

The Caribou Cafe was within walking distance of our hotel while visiting Philadelphia. We made reservations, and were glad we did, because the place was full when we arrived and we had only a brief wait to be seated. My husband ordered the pre-fix meal with salad, Chilean salmon, and chocolate mousse. i had the soup of the day, which was a tomato base with white beans, and my entree was the seafood crepe. Everything was delicious! The service was good. We were happy to be seated in a booth, away from the crowdedness of the tables, but where we could enjoy the interesting atmosphere of this French cafe.

Came here with my wife and daughter. Waited 20 min with all waiters ignoring us then finally, one decided to show up. Too bad, it was 7:00 and the happy hour is over at 7:00 and the waiter made a point in explaining this to us before taking the order. We talked to the manager who clearly did not care. End of the story, we walked away and will never come back to Caribou Cafe.

Looking for French Bistro cuisine we happened on the Caribou Cafe, here for 30 years. The room is Art Deco with a long walnut bar and plenty of table and booth dining. The limited menu led us to choose the short rib bourguignon and the coq au vin. Service was excellent. Bread was fresh, French, and excellent. A Cote du Rhone and chardonnay were very good at average prices. The entrees were both disappointing for different reasons. The beef dish had a delicious sauce but most of the meat was dry and overcooked. The Coq was well-prepared but the chicken portion was very small. At $32 and $30 both dishes were underwhelming. The dessert crepes were tasty but needed more toppings. We alerted the server who said the chefs had left and she was helpless.

A beautiful restaurant with a lovely atmosphere. The staff were friendly and helpful. Then came the food. Delicious. A really excellent Meal. Please try it. I’m from London so unfortunately won’t be able to make this a regular stop.

Inedible meal. Chicken over cooked to point of being hard to chew. Sloshed with gravy. Steak was prewarmed and over done. We left most of it. Ugh.

I've been wanting to try this restaurant for several months, and finally had a chance. It's been far too long since I've been to a French Bistro and had high hopes -- I am so sorry to say that I was disappointed, and will likely not return. For the dishes, I had the price fixed and got their "caesar salad", coq au vin, and crepe with "ice cream" and caramel sauce; my son had mushroom appetizer special and stuffed pork loin special, along with the bread pudding. We were there on a Monday night and I wonder if this is the regular chef's night off, to explain at least the food issues. But the service was lacking as well. The caesar salad barely tasted like caesar; it had black olives, some tomatoes, and barely any caesar dressing, nor romaine lettuce. It almost seemed like a doctored up regular salad. The coq au vin was decent, although I felt it had a little too much bacon in the flavor. When the dessert was delivered it was missing the ice cream, which I pointed out. The server's response: Oh, we haven't included ice cream in a long time -- my thought, well, then, they should have updated the menu AND the server should have told me that before ordering, My son's mushroom appetizer was fine. His pork special was okay, but very small. He was not crazy about the bread pudding at all. We had a few other questions during the meal with the server, including the timing of the dishes we ordered, including forgetting my son's appetizer. Our assistant server knew very little and had to keep checking. Sorry Caribou Cafe, the anticipation was far more promising than it turned out to be.

As the French say, what a shame how once charming authentic Caribou has deteriorated! To begin with the blast of inappropriate rock music that overwhelmed at entry to slow surly service and cold food, it seemed the end of an era. Although my friend and I ordered the same quiche w/ salad, after a long wait, only one barely warm serving was dropped onto the table; and when we returned it to be reheated, along w/ a second order, another long wait ensued. And for the record it wasn't that busy, leading us to ponder what was or wasn't happening in the kitchen and where to dine next time we meet in Center City.

This was my second visit to Caribou Cafe -- the 1st was for lunch and that was a much better experience. Dined at this restaurant during Restaurant Week. Will not eat there again and here’s why: Seating — there were three of us and they put us at a very narrow table at the end of the second floor balcony; one of us had to sit under a sloping ceiling — WE had to pull the table forward in order to allow her enough headroom. Service — leaves alot to be desired; polite, but not attentive and seemed quite inexperienced. Food — I ordered from the Restaurant Week menu — two VERY THIN slices of salmon over a bed of sauteed leeks and endive, and topped with mashed potatoes sprinkled with chopped chives. Frankly, the salmon looked and tasted more like Atlantic Char; the potatoes were out of a box, not real; and the sauteed greens were DOA. The only high spot of the dinner was the mixed greens salad with diced beets and haricots verts, dressed with honey-dijon vinaigrette — should have just eaten two plates of that! Dessert — Creme brulee was good, but the espresso didn’t come out to me when it should have and it tasted weak. The worst part of the whole experience was that I got sick that night and the next day, and found out that one of my dining partners also got sick. Needless to say, we will never return.

Husband and I had tickets for a show at the nearby Forrest Theater. I was worried because several restaurants do not serve dinner until 5 p.m., and the show started at 6:30. Luckily, Caribou Cafe is right there and open all day! We did not have reservations, but were able to get a small table inside. There is also outside seating in front. I would recommend reservations when there is a show at the Forrest Theater, as the restaurant was fairly full at 5 p.m. Joey was our friendly server. Decor in restaurant evokes a Parisian cafe. Charming. Husband and I chose the $39 pre fixe 3 course meal, with a choice of 3 entrees. There were also Happy Hour specials from 5-7, with glasses of house wine priced at $5. We both had the bistro salad to start, with a mustard dressing. Very good. I chose the steak frites for my entree with the shallot sauce. My husband chose the fish entree, which was butterfish. Very nicely prepared. For dessert, I chose the chocolate mousse and my husband had the salty caramel crepe. Very nice finish to the meal. Only wish that the coffee was more French! I was really craving some stronger French coffee. Very nice cafe, relaxed ambiance. Good food. Perfect for pre theater dining!

I was part of a group that went to Caribou Café. I had had a rather large brunch meal which may have been why the menu didn't particularly appeal to me. I had the Croque Monsieur sandwich with fries and wine. The sandwich was fine, but not like they make them in Paris. The fries were fabulous! The crème brulee for dessert was not the best I've ever had, but passable.

We went to Caribou Cafe on Friday night and it was weirdly empty. The house pate was okay not the best I've had and the escargot was good. I had the trout special which was very good with a couple of glasses of Riesling. We were there once before and I thought the first time was much better. Wait staff is very friendly.

Dinner before the show at Walnut Street Theater. Excellent food and service. We had the Onion Soup, Seafood Crepe and Steel Head Trout. Cozy atmosphere. Will definitely return.

We ate here for dessert one night. The atmosphere and service was wonderful as were the dessert, I'd like to go back and try for dinner!

I'm not quite sure how people can claim this restaurant serves real French food, because my experience (and that of my fellow diners) did not lead me to that conclusion at all. My steak-frites was awful. Three slabs of what was essentially stew meat, smelled like cow tongue and tasted equally chewy. The "wine and shallot" sauce was brown gravy. The fries were the only saving grace, and they were the only things I ate. One bite of my "steak" and I pushed it away. One of my dining companions had the salade Lyonnaise, which was just a pile of croutons piled on gray frisee salad. The egg was poached nicely, thank goodness. My other companion had the chicken pesto sandwich, which truly resembled airline food. Ungainly slabs of chicken with pre-melted cheese were piled on thick slices of bread. I rated this three stars because I realize there are people who love this place. But if you are truly a connoisseur of French food, you won't like this restaurant at all.

Ate brunch here today. Lots of butter, which of course is always tasty! Had a crepe with ham, cheese and mushrooms, which was very good. Their fries are amazing. My husband had steak with scrambled eggs and seafood on it that he thought was amazing(except there were too many peppercorns on it).

This was a big disappointment as I love French fare. Portion size for my salmon dinner entree was fine but the ratatouille seemed like leftovers that were reheated rather than something fresh. The salmon was slightly undercooked but edible. Service was adequate but it was left to the busboy to notice that I had not been offered any bread when I was served my entree. Perhaps they are looking to save more money. My bill indicated an extra fee for credit card payment, when I would have assumed it would already be built into the prices. Restroom was clean and there is a small outdoor dining section. Maybe they are just better for happy hour, when less is expected.

Nice French bistro in the downtown area of Philly. I had the Croque Monsieur which was excellent. Nice atmosphere and good service. Highly recommended.

Some friends and I went to Caribou Cafe for Center City Restaurant Week as it looked like really good. The food I ended up getting was very good for the most part. The chicken breast was very good but the escargot was only okay and not very flavorful in my opinion. The chocolate souffle at the end was a very good end to the meal as well.

If you're not in a rush - great. The food here is good, and the kitchen produces consistent and reliable standbys like french onion soup, roasted chicken and a nice selection of salads and pates. The ambiance is delightful and Caribou has an especially nice bar (with TV, newly installed, on mute) for dining and drinking. Unfortunately, what should be a 4 star review is a 3 star, just because the service is so uneven and spotty. It's a shame because it really does diminish your enjoyment of the meal and undermines the chef's efforts at providing an enjoyable experience. I hope management will read this review in the spirit in which it was offered and try to tighten up their staff's performance.

We stopped in for a happy hour pint and a glass of wine. I liked the decor and service was excellent. It was a really nice day out and the patio was open. Wish we would have had more time to sit out and people watch.

A friend and I had lunch there while Christmas shopping and enjoyed it very much. The décor is lovely and we sat by the front window. I ordered one of the daily lunch specials and my companion ordered from the regular lunch menu. We were both pleased with the meal. Service was attentive but not overwhelming. It was also a tiny bit slow, but it was about 1:30pm, the early lunch crowd gone, and we were not in a hurry. One tiny flaw - my friends glass of red wine had a fruit fly or gnat floating in it. The waiter was visibly embarrassed, apologized profusely, and replaced the glass immediately. We actually felt sorry for him! Clearly this kind of thing doesn't happen there. We will definitely go back.

Such a cute little restaurant!!! We loved the french onion soup (SO GOOD!!) and croque monsieur so much we went back a few days later to eat their food again. Excellent!!

Center City Philadelphia is changing rapidly. A wonderful place we hope does not change is the Caribou Cafe. This cozy french style bistro is a delight. The menu is great, but don't miss out on their daily specials. Sit in one of their "turn-of-the-century" booths or at the bar and savor the atmosphere!

Two friends and I really enjoyed the food here: delicious bread, entrees and desserts plus really friendly service. We were able to get a table outside on the sidewalk, a charming spot. All in all it was a terrific experience. It's a great place to take visitors to Philly.

We have lunched here twice recently. It is a pleasant restaurant with a long bar and tables both nearby and on the upstairs. The menu is varied enough, and the food is nicely prepared. Our server both times has been outstanding

I have eaten here several times over about a six-year period. The atmosphere is great - like a French bistro, authentic. The food this time was not as good as in the past. One big problem, the menu never seems to change.

While we have been very satisfied with this restaurant in the past, our recent visit was extremely underwhelming in my view. My chicken dish was undercooked (pink in the middle) and arrived lukewarm at most. Our chocolate pudding dessert was lacking in taste and body (I wonder what the mousse is like?), and I regretted not being served French bread and butter to nibble on...you would think that this would be a given in a French restaurant. Finally, I thought that the ambiance was lacking (no French music playing for example) in spite of the pretty authentic Brasserie decor. The best thing about our experience was the service given that the staff was welcoming and attentive...everything else was like any other mediocre restaurant. I cannot say that we will be back:(

My wife and I dined there last week and what a wonderful experience, again. Lovely ambience, excellent service and really good food.

My husband and I are visiting Philly for the first time and staying with family friends. They have dined at Caribou Cafe many times for lunch but had never gone for dinner before. We all chose the restaurant week deal which was a 35$ 4-course meal with 3 options each for salad & main course, and 2 options for dessert. My husband chose the spinach salad with a goat cheese pastry puff and salmon wellington; I chose the arugula salad with smoked salmon and steak frites. I admit I was a little skeptical about the salmon Wellington beforehand, but it was delicious! The salmon was cooked perfectly and the puff pastry was the perfect combination of a little crispy and still soft. I ordered the steak rare and rare it was! Great flavor, thinly sliced, and almost melted in your mouth. The frites were generously seasoned and good combination of crispy exterior/soft interior. We both chose the apple tart for dessert and we're pleased! The pastry was a little tough to cut through, but the flavor was there. Very nice decor, lighting, and overall ambience inside as well.

Calm and assured - did not eat but nice beer and staff. Definitely will go back to try the food. Friendly and comfortable.

Dinner was wonderful . It's cozy French style gastro pub serving steaks , chicken and fish. The food was wonderful and they had a great beer selection . The service was quite decent as well. I recommended the steak frites in the peppercorn sauce .

We enjoyed an early lunch/brunch on a Saturday here. Place was nearly empty at first, then quickly, but quietly filled up. We opted to sit at the bar instead of at one of the inviting sidewalk tables. May try that next time. French decor, tastefully done (but not sure why all the music was American Rock and Roll, given the theme). Delighted to find they had Stone IPA on tap. Great sour-dough bread and butter was served first - very good. I ordered French onion soup. Served in a crock with delicious shredded cheese on top. Disappointment came when digging in to get some of the soup. It was lukewarm! Sadly, often the case when ordering French onion soup. Raised the issue, and second bowl of soup was hot and satisfying. A little sweet, but that seems to come with the territory. My husband ordered the omelet with smoked salmon, asparagus and Boursin cheese. Absolutely delicious! High-quality smoked salmon, and the asparagus as well as the omelet itself were perfectly cooked. Boursin cheese added lovely flavor and creaminess. Highly, highly recommended. Only question for us is, next time we return, should we order it again and hope for the same quality, or risk being disappointed? Very friendly server and great service at the bar. It seems almost impossible to get anything other than sweet and uninteresting brunch food at lunch-time in Philadelphia these days. This place also sadly has replaced the lunch menu with brunch. But we were pleased to enjoy a delicious meal and will be back.

We stopped in for afternoon tea and got the cheese platter which was absolutely delicious. Besides the cheese we got fresh-from-the-oven bread, butter, honey and fig jam. It was such a nice place to have a meal I was tempted to stay on well after we were done. I will definitely be back!

Good brunch menu. We enjoyed our food before heading to the Forrest Theatre. Waiter was attentive. Food arrived fairly fast.

We have been coming here for a long time, and it never disappoints. Come for a pastis at the bar, come for brunch and a bloody Mary. The food is excellent and the atmosphere takes you back to that romantic place you visited your junior year abroad. There is outdoor dining if you want to sit facing the street like the French do and watch the world go by.

First time here and a great experience. We had calimari with a great sauce salmon rillette as appetizers. We all had great meals. Hamburger with carmalized onions and wonderful French fries, mobiere cheese and chicken sandwich, steak, and a croquet Monsieur with tomato and fried egg. Dessert was capoucino cheese cake with cream boule. Coffee was excellent. It was a great experience and food.

Good place to meet a friend for lunch. Easy walk from Downtown Marriott. Pleasant service - very good quiche.

We absolutely love the Caribou Cafe and stop there when visiting Philadelphia. We stopped in for a recent Sunday brunch and were delighted with our meals, once again. The seafood crepes and salad frisée were amazing and we took home a serving of the bread pudding which is to-die-for!

This was our second time here and the food was very good. Our server Lisa was great and very attentive. There were two things that I was slightly disappointed in. They offered a salad special that consisted of rock shrimp. It was good but not worth $15. Also the duck skin in my cassoulet was very gummy - I would have liked a crisper skin.

Had dinner here on a Monday night by myself when my companions had other plans. Place looks charming, very atmospheric, with the wait staff in traditional French waiters attire. Service was attentive and my dinner (pasta with chicken, asparagus and mushrooms in truffle sauce) was divine. I picked the restaurant because it was close to the hotel but would definitely go back, no matter where i was staying.

Went here for dinner with a group of four. Waiter took a while to finally take our order, drinks and food took a long time to arrive. Some of the wait staff not very friendly. The food was pretty good though.

Went in for a late bite and ordered the Croque Madame which was delicious. Nice beer and cocktail selection, and friendly service. Will go back here again.

Our waiter was stressed trying to deal with the theater deadlines and what seemed like a lot of table for him to handle. (He said they were NOT understaffed.) There was a fair amount of confusion and delay getting our order out which, in full disclosure, might have been due to my partners gluten allergy considerations. It was not a relaxing experience but the food was outstanding. We made our reservations to allow plenty of time before the show. Caribou is a great location for the theater. I wish there was a better way to make a pre-theater dining experience at that restaurant more enjoyable.

The food and ambiance are fine- especially for Philadelphia where there aren't that many "French" options. But I did not appreciate receiving my credit card statement and seeing that it was more than I signed for - did they decide my 20% tip was not enough? Had an issue years ago with being told the wrong price for wine by the waitress- so we ordered more glasses and were then faced with a much higher bill than we planned- and management rather rude about it- so I "boycotted" this place for about 6 years. Decided to give them another chance but they seem to be a bit shifty. It's a shame, but I will not go back.

I will need to eat dinner here! I have been dying to dine here for quite some time and finally got desert (for starters!) after dining all night, we decided on desert b4 heading back to our hotel... we were not disappointed by any means! Cappuccino, a snifter of Grand Marnier, and a slice of Cappuccino cheesecake made our night complete!

My husband and I just happened to look down the street and see the Stella sign so we thought maybe we had found a lunch spot. And we sure did! A very pleasant little oasis in the middle of the bustling city! I had a parsnip with ginger soup as well as a caesar salad. Delicious! The slices of crusty bread with salted butter were superb! The bar looked like it was original. We did not step into the back part of the restaurant but where we sat by the window was very nice.

We are American francophiles so we are always looking for authentic French comfort food to remind us of our visits to France. Caribou Café was perfect for us! Our pre-show meal included the Peasant board, cassoulet, steak frites, & monkfish - all delish. The staff was SUPER friendly, attentive & efficient while also allowing us to enjoy our meal at our own pace. The ambiance has a great neighborhood feel as well.

Cosy place, excellent food ( I had the chilean salmon). Mouth watering desert menu! Highly recommend hanging out here.

What a disappointment! First of all, I ordered a Sauvignon Blanc - got a Rose instead. The waitress said, “I saw him open the bottle.” No you couldn’t have. Then they gave me the correct wine. The food was lousy to mediocre. French- no. Just not good

We have walked by the Cafe many times in our strolls up Wlanut Street after the theater. Yesterday, we walked in and what a marvelous treat it was. My wife ordered the crepe aux fruits de mer and loved it. It was full of seafood and the sauce was excellent. I had the choucroute alsacienne, a dish of sauerkraut, sausages, braised pork, and potatoes. It was very flavorful and the prok melted in my mouth. You have to save room for dessert. I had the Caribou Cafe Brioche Bread Pudding. It was the best I have ever had. The brioche was buttery and the pudding was delicious. My wife enjoyed her desert. We highly recommend the Cafe.

Lovely French Bistro cooking with tasty food. Our first visit and would definitely go back for more if visiting the City again.

Two hungry people looking for a quick lite lunch, we find this busy small place near our hotel. The decor is euro style cafe. The menu is very short which, probably, leaves them to concentrate the kitchen on a few dishes and render them well. Our choices of the onion soup and the spinach salad were excellent. Presented in eye appealing style these choices were as good as we have had at so many other restaurants. Caribou Cafe was a treat for us and we would return again with pleasure.

We really enjoyed the ambiance and authentic "feel". Service was adequate but distracted. Dinner was poor. I had the soup de jour which was a fairly good lentil. Caesar salad overdressed and not real Caesar but OK. My Beef Bourguignon was also very odd and not good. It was more of a brothy soup (not sauce or gravy) with lots of noodles and large pieces of meat. It was not like other dishes of its name and was just thick noodles and tiresome instead of nuanced and tasty. The low point was my guest's fish dish. The fish was grossly undercooked and the plate swimming with butter and some kind of oil. The haricot verte were totally overcooked/burned/dry. When we politely complained, the waiter merely said an unconvincing"I'm sorry", and moved on. This would have been one star except the restaurant has a warm and inviting feel. Maybe OK for wine/beer.

My husband and I sat in the small cafe style tables right in the front. Food was delicious! Warm goat cheese salad was amazing, pork loin had a ton of flavor, and Bread pudding dessert was top notch.

The quiche and salmon were good, portions small and cost high.. Service was adequate. Nothing really special to make this dining option worthwhile

We returned to Caribou Cafe after a few years away...oh, what a wonderful place. The menu choices are interesting, the environment is cozy and inviting, the service is wonderful. I so wish we lived closer!

We used to absolutely love Caribou. It was always dependable and wonderful. Now there is new ownership and the kitchen has gotten truly bad and disappointing. Beef Bourignon was worse than a Banquet pot pie. My partner's duck cassoulet was tasteless. The formerly extraordinarily wonderful escargot in puff pastry has been replaced with tasteless escargot (and few of them) with mushy bussels sprouts. Too bad, we won't be back. At $200 for a Monday night dinner, only the pate and the wine were edible. Yuck. Too bad. RIP.

Thought this was a burger place-it’s a beautiful French cafe’ with delightful cocktails and great food! Will return soon! Romantic,quaint and well staffed at our visit !

We have been wanting to try this place for years. My girl and I, stopped here for after dinner drinks on our very first date. So we figured we would actually go there for dinner during restaurant week since it's a little pricey. They offered a $35 menu where you were able to choose from multiple options and have a 4 course meal. We made reservations for 8:15, got there on time even after parking and we were greeted and sat immediately. We decided to sit outside cause the weather was great and they have these huge planters that separate you from the street. Our waiter was prompt and informative, taking our drink order and explaining how the limited menu option worked. He returned with our drinks in about 5 minutes and we let him know we were ready cause he seemed eager to run away. We both got the special menu. We both got croque monsieur to start and then she got Escargot puff pastry in garlic and I got the salad. We added soup(French Onion), and then both got the Lamb Shank entree and soufflé dessert. Croque monsieur is basically fancy ham and cheese. They were delicious but they were about 1 inch by 1 inch squares, I received 2, and although they were good, the size was laughable. The salad was a nice portion but lacked flavor. The croutons literally tasted like plain toast, and the dressing was disappointing. Kinda like a watered down Italian dressing from a dinner. The soup was lights out, best I've ever had, and the Escargot was unbelievable. Not just the flavor of the sauce but the puff pastry melted in your mouth. It was honestly fantastic. Our entrees hit the table and there size was surprising. The portion was huge!! My guess would be at least 16-18 ounces bone-in, plus the couscous and gravy. And it was perfect. I mean perfect. The temp, the texture the gravely and flavor the cut and trim, it was perfect. Dessert was good. I kinda expected better but I was stuffed so I wasn't exactly in good shape to judge. All in all the food was very very good. The service wasn't great. It was ok. We waited a really long time between our entree and dessert. We waited forever for the waiter to drop the check, we waited even longer for him to come back to get the credit card, and we waited almost 15 minutes for him to come back with it for us to sign. I wouldn't have cared about it taking so long except we were 1 of only 2 tables in the entire place and our waiter had a back waiter and bartender helping him. So it was basically not ok. The food and atmosphere make it worth going there. Plus it will always be someplace we remember just because of our first date. But the service could be better, a lot better. I think it's a shame cause the place has unbelievable potential, it's on Walnut between 11th and 12th in case you were wondering. Check it out. Be patient!!

Zinc ,My favorite French in Philly closed. They recommended Caribou Cafe. It was OK. Very average and mediocre. I had the pork charcuterie. Sounded great. It was an enormous amount of sour kraut with some sausages slices mixed in. The pork shoulder that was mixed in was dry with no fat. My husband had the pork chop. Dry and served with a small amount of salad. Had a salad with the house dressing. Not good dressing. I mourn for Zinc. It was special. Sad to say Caribou Cafe is very mediocre.

We stopped in here for dinner twice while in Philly to visit the nearby Thomas Jefferson. Both times I had the special, salmon wellington. The dish was slightly different each time (which was nice to have slight variations) but delicious both times. We were in during happy hour on our last visit and took advantage of the lower priced drinks. The first floor is dominated by the bar and decor is French inspired. Service was friendly and helpful. We'll definitely be going back when we're in Philly for the orchestra.

We had a very nice lunch here yesterday. There were many traditional choices of French dishes and everyone found something they really enjoyed. They also have an outstanding French wine list as well cocktails with a French flair. My burger with caramelized onions was done nicely with a nice crust on the meat but not overcooked inside just perfect. Brian our server was excellent.

We've been here several times and the food and attentive service is consistently very good. The ambience reminds us of our trip to Paris. Our steak frites with au poivre sauce was very flavorful and tender. The tomato Provencal and frites were perfect. The apple tart tatin was good but not in the especially good category. All in all, we had an enjoyable dinner and a wonderful evening with friends.

The staff seems to be unfamiliar with the place and just here to make a quick buck. They cannot answer questions. They really have nothing to add to the place. It is crazy how a good waiter can make a difference and you should go to Caribou to see how a poor waiter can really take the place down

We had no prior plans to have dinner in this restaurant but it turned out to be very good experience. Seared scottish salmon was amazing. The service was good and fast, no pressure, no games. The rating primarily reflects the value: good food for a fair price.

Every time we go to the Walnut Street Theater, we have to have lunch at the Caribou Cafe ... just a few blocks away on Walnut Street. It’s not your typical Philly fare or your typical Philly place but it is a place you should experience. It’s a comfortable, easy going, friendly place with a French twist at a very reasonable price. The staff are friendly and the food is not your typical fare. Try it ... you’ll like it.

We visited the Caribou twice, once for drinks and once for a late supper. Both times we sat outside in the enclosed seating area, which was delightful. The wait staff was friendly and helpful. The café itself is very attractive. We had excellent drinks and ate the medium cheese platter, which had a nice variety of cheeses, and a seafood crepe, with an excellent sauce and contained ample seafood inside. We recommend this café for drinks and a light meal only because we have not had a full meal, although the entrees looked great on other tables.

Nice place in center city. The desserts are amazing. I loved the crème brûlée. The steak frites as an entry was great! Definitely worth a try.

Friendly staff. Did not find them at all pretentious. Lovely atmosphere sitting towards the front of the restaurant outside. Chicken Crepe was delicious, as was my husband's ravioli. I didn't love the homemade pate - just a little different from the pate I'm used to. Would definitely go back and would recommend.

The French restaurant, Caribou Cafe, is a great spot for lunch, afternoon drinks and a snack, or dinner. Great selection of French cocktails to choose from and a classic French menu. Limited outdoor seating.

Although Caribou offers authentically delicious French cuisine in a quintessential bistro setting, few practices make me angrier - especially in q quality restaurant - than to have conversation interrupted & plates cleared while someone in the party (in this case, me) is still eating. Remarkably rude, it leaves a sole diner hurrying self-consciously to finish eating as quickly as possible, thereby diminishing the dining experience. Somehow, sometime - perhaps in an effort to appear attentive & efficient - this has become a common intrusive practice. Such a sophisticated bistro should know better! And what happened to the Edith Piaf music?

This is a solid staple in my neighborhood that we frequent regularly. Good fare for a fair price served with a welcoming manner. So tried happy hour with a few friends..... It was early and not at all busy, so I sat at the bar noting that I was there for happy hour and expecting some friends. I had to ask about the happy hour. Not so welcoming. My friends arrived and we went to a table. Ordered more drinks and apps.Quality was good as usual. Upon receiving the check, noticed that wine that had been advertised for 4 dollars was charged 5-mistakes happen of course. We left and all agreed there was an aire of distaste. Perhaps the staff really would rather not serve us as. Yes it was a discounted check, but it was "happy hour". No one seemed happy. We all felt that the restaurant missed an opportunity to show its best,

Dinner, walking around town and before the hotel how about a nightcap. Thank you, Mike, for the great service. We had a glass of wine and an appetizer pizza. The pizza was like a flour tortilla, with some cream cheese, smoked salmon and chives. It was wonderful, I am going to do this at home. Wow. The place is a small and cozy place. Romantic, perfect for that dinner date. Sit outside or inside, depends on the weather but the inside is a better location.

We have been there for lunch but this was our first try for dinner. First. It is well located down the street from the Forrest Theater, so that it is a good place for a pre show dinner, The service is prompt and rapid, so that it its helpful to get to the theater on time. On the other hand, the food is only fair and less than one would expect for a French restaurant. On the positive, the desserts are very good. On a street with many choices, it needs to improve its quisine

If you're looking for a delicious dinner in midtown Philadelphia or perhaps even lunch try Caribou Café which is a French Bistro that shouldn't be missed. The 4 of us all enjoyed our food - from the delicious short rib sliders with Roquefort cheese, a plate of escargot and a good carrot soup through the fish du jour(Salmon) with capers, almonds and butter sauce w vegetable , the Beef Bourguignon and the Steak Frites. Some of us had room for dessert. We had the crapes with a chocolate sauce and the apple tort. The lack of enough ice cream with the tort was our only disappointment of the evening. If I wanted to nit pick the service - what was lacking was a friendly manner, It was very impersonal but efficient. You should check the prices on it's website to see if they agree with your budget and while you're at it notice the "lighter" items that could be had for dinner.

We truly enjoyed our dinner before the show. Nice atmosphere and close to the theatre. Great food and service. Will definitely be back again!

If you like French food, this place is for you. Steak Tartare and Pork Choucoutre both very nice. Excellent onion soup and enjoyed the Salmon Rillettes. Fun atmosphere.

Kindly accommodates food allergies offering delicious alternative, not just stripped down. A stalwart for decades, still a great destination for comfortable, French bistro fare. Love the skate wing (use rice or corn flour for gluten free alternative breading); taste is haunting. Great desserts so eat your after dinner salad (the vinaigrette helps with digestion). Great burger. Great mussels frite. Hard wood banquets or 4-top tables. Balcony seating is great for large group space. wonderful, long bar dominates, great for sipping French wine reasonably priced.

Had a drink at the bar before dinner reservation. Bartender was friendly and very efficient. At dinner our server was very engaging and was able to answer all our questions about menu. Enjoyed our food and will return in the future

Enjoyed a nice meal prior to show. Had dinner reservations 1.5 hours prior to show start. Arrived about 15 minutes early and had no problem being seated. Caribou has the theater dining perfected. Prompt and friendly service. My husband had the mussels and frites and I had the scallops mussels special. Both were very good! Will be going here again prior to show at the Forrest.

It was lunchtime on a trip to Philly and reading the menu on the street we decided to stop in. We sat at the bar and were “greeted” by a rather disaffected bartender/waitress. Eventually we struck a topic she liked and became a bit more personable, but it clearly took effort. Reminded me a bit of Paris… As for lunch: I had the Provincial Tuna Sandwich ($13) and she had the Special Salad ($15: arugula, salmon, goat cheese). My sandwich had large chunks of tuna and was veeery tasty. Once we went of the basic bear/wine menu – a simple Sazerac - another person (presumably an owner or manager) had to come in to make it on behalf of our happy server.

This place looks like a French pavement café and serves a mixture of French American food and as such does a good job.

Perfect lunch venue. We had the set daily menu. Delicious and well presented also excellent service. Charming setting.Highly recommend!

I had lunch there, Delicious Spinach, Mushroom and Brie quiche of the day with side salad that was also wonderful! Very friendly service and beautiful restaurant. It was like being in France again! Definitely a must try!!!

I agree with the prior reviews that were written. The service is so bad. The waiter was terrible! . When we go out and have service like that, we know we are at their mercy so we couldn’t complain. However, we tip appropriately!! You could tell that the work environment was toxic there. Not one employee speaking to another. Food was subpar. Would not recommend! Don’t waste your time whether you are out for business or pleasure. There many other excellent restaurants to choose in philadelphia.

We have had lunch and dinner at Caribou several times, on light and busy days. We generally enjoy the remarkably authentic Paris bistro atmosphere, and the well-prepared food. When Caribou is at its best, the service is friendly and attentive, and the food is well-prepared with imaginative specials. When it's "off" (as it was for our lunch there this week) the service is slow, the preparation is inattentive, and the special is overpriced and seems to consist of leftovers thrown together.

I ate here the other day, with many recommendations from friends. Was really disappointed, the sliders really needed a sauce, and my ravioli was really just one big 21 dollar ravioli...it was really weird and hard to eat. The server was nice but they were unprofessional, I saw them talking and casually drinking sodas in front of the guests from behind the bar, wouldn't recommend.

The Caribou Cafe is a great French restaurant near Jefferson, the Forest Theater and the Walnut Street Theater. A small bar with good drinks, the menu has traditional French fair and daily prix fixe option.

Had the pre-theater special (salad maison, salmon, chocolate mousse) before heading off to the Opera - service was excellent, the food was terrific, and we were out on time. Can't ask for much better than that! I recommend Caribou Cafe.

Whether you want brunch, lunch, dinner or just drinks this is the place for you. Great location. Outdoor seating and wonderful bar. Helpful staff and great wine list. One of my favorite places in the city.

BEST place to eat in Philadelphia. Get the mussels! Every meal I have ever ordered has been spectacular. Great ambiance... lovely in the spring & summer with the doors open.

I was the victim of a credit card theft in Caribou Café on April 13. I paid for dinner plus tip on a credit card. I later received an alert from my credit card company about possible fraudulent charges on this card. The transaction log for this card shows that a bill for the meal had indeed been processed but without the tip. Instead, two identical charges totaling the amount of the tip had been charged to a different vendor: Chick-fil-a. Later a much larger charge (this time more than $200) made to a retail grocery in the region appeared as an additional fraudulent charge on this card. Apparently whoever processed my payment in this restaurant recorded my credit card info, including its security code and then tried it out with a small test transaction. This was followed by a much larger fraudulent transaction. The paper trail for this theft is very clear and I have sent copies of the receipt and credit card log to CC. No response from them yet. Possibly they will respond to a public post.

With Edith Piaf singing softly in the background this supposed touch of Paris with delicious authentic French cuisine & enticing daily specials used to be my favorite bistro in Center City. But these days it's more like a rock cafe & I couldn't wait to leave. Inappropriate & much too loud music has tainted the ambiance & made table conversation virtually impossible. Today - after two requests & a report to the owner - finally the clumsy young inexperienced staff changed the tune & hopefully became somewhat aware that mature customers may have different musical tastes. Yet betting they'll soon revert to their own favorite brash sounds, sad to say, I'm unwilling to try again anytime soon, so am taking my business associates & friends elsewhere, where we can chat without shouting.

Three of us went here for Saturday lunch. Although just a stone throw away from City Hall, the ambiance transports you to the sidewalks of Paris. We sat at a table outside on the sidewalk, separated from the pedestrians by a railing and boxwood planters. It is very nice here for lunch as you are in the shade. The decor of posters, statues, and bistro chairs adds just the right amount of Paris reality. While perusing the menu, I drank a draft Kronenbourg. It was very refreshing after walking, touring, and shopping. A companion had a sparkilng rose. The menu is fun as well. Everyone has their favorite, but for me when there is a quiche of the day, I usually go for it. My vegetable/goat cheese quiche was very light and enjoyable. The side salad that came with it complemented the richness of the quiche. A companion had short rib cocotte, which was good, not great because it was a little dry. Another companion had the country crepe with ham, mushrooms, and gruyere. Although it was flavorful, she would have liked the mushrooms to be sliced rather than minced. By the way, the bread and salted butter were fantastic...had seconds on that. For dessert, we shared a piece of chocolate walnut torte with cappucino buttercream ganache. It was fantastic. One piece is not really shareable for three, barely for two, but we just wanted to try it; homerun. We would really like to go back to try something else.

The service was quick and courteous, the bread was delicious, the trout almandine was buttery and excellent. The bread pudding was perfect.

My wife and I had dinner here with four of her colleagues during a recent convention. We had a reservation but really didn't need it since they weren't very busy on Sunday night. It was Restaurant Week, so they had a special three course dinner for $39. We all got a spinach salad with warm goat cheese and excellent bread on which to spread it. It was superb. She had the coq au vin, which was good, but I had the pork choucroute, which was excellent - the sauerkraut, sausages and potatoes were just right. For dessert, we had butterscotch bread pudding, which was warm and not too dense, and crepes with bananas and chocolate sauce. This is a laid-back place without pretension, a brasserie more than a white tablecloth kind of restaurant. I found it relaxing and satisfying.

This Parisian Bistro is wonderful. The atmosphere is authentic, the service is excellent and the food is exceptional! When you try the french onion soup here, you'll never have it anywhere else. The salads are fresh and exciting. And the main courses make it difficult to select just one. I recommend the seafood crepes and the steak with pepper sauce. If you have room for dessert, the chocolate mousse is to die for. If you can't make up your mind what to have for dessert, try the dessert sampling. The bar is beautiful. The wine selection is fabulous and the service isn't intrusive -- but timely and caring. If you're looking for a Parisian experience the next time you're in Philly, you have to check out the Caribou Cafe.

We went for brunch and I ordered the surf and turf scrambled eggs with the puff pastry. It had an au poivre sauce. One of my friends got the exact same thing. Mine was completely inedible. It was as if someone accidentally spilled the cracked pepper on mine (or repeatedly forgot that they had already put it on). Literally, the only thing you could taste was pepper. My friend's meal (same thing) had maybe 1/16 as much pepper and looked great. The waiter (Cory), who was really great and deserves 5 stars, brought it back and I didn't order anything else. The food takes a while and I didn't want all my friends to wait around for me. So the bill comes and Cory explained that - instead of removing my meal from the bill - the manager reduced the total bill by 10%. My meal was $19 and 10% off of the total was $9. Basically, the manager expected me to pay $10 + tax for a meal that was inedible. We called the manager over and he actually tried to say that the dish was supposed to have a lot of pepper. When we explained that my friend got the same thing and mine was definitely messed up, he reluctantly agreed to remove mine from the check (he put the 10% back on). Anyway, my friends liked their meals and the bread and butter were good. The manager needs to get his act together though.

I have eaten here twice, excellent meal and service both times. Just two blocks from Market St., So easily accessible.

Wonderful dinner! Six people for birthday celebration. Everything from drinks (bartender's bourbon special) to charcuterie and páte and salad to mains (beef bourginon and striped bass were a hit) were delicious! Busy but not too busy so we could linger after dinner. Great place!

This has been my go to place for a great place to eat when I am spending time with my Mom at Jefferson Hospital. Food is generally very good, service is top notch, nice little tables outside. Beer selection and wine by the glass are very good. Feels like a bistro on the Left Bank. Try it out, I have been coming here for well over 20 years, always happy when I leave.

Standard French favorites prepared and presented well. I had lunch with an old friend and this was the perfect place to sit and talk for an hour. The soup of the day was wild mushrooms with sage, olive oil and almonds. It was excellent. It was pricey for lunch.

On a beautiful Autumn blue skied Saturday morning, there is no better place to enjoy brunch and watch life go by on Walnut Street. Excellent service and extraordinary food round out a perfect dining experience. The omelets, crepes and salads were wonderful. The seafood crepe was particularly good, but my mushroom crepe wasn’t far behind. Brunch has become institutionalized in center city, but the menu here offers unique dishes making it stand out from the eggs, sandwiches and burgers that abound in the other restaurants. It looks like it will be a very cozy setting when the weather turns cold and we are looking forward to returning for a winter brunch.

In Philadelphia for a conference, a group of colleagues stumbled on Caribou Cafe while looking for a place for dinners, wine, and conversation. The food was excellent, I had the fish of the day, prepared with capers and almonds. Wine list was concise, but excellent. My Alsatian white was perfect with my fish. Our waitress was a delight. Highly recommended!

The wine and drink selection is excellent. The curry mussels were delicious! The service was attentive without being intrusive We definitely will make this a part of our go to places

a friend and I went to the theatre and on the way we stopped here for supper , neither one of us had been here before..looked nice on the outside..well, it was nice on the inside. The restaurant serves simple French food, not 5 star french food, but everyday french food ..I had sausage, kraut and potatoes ; my friend had beef burgendy...no time for desert, had to get to the theatre. Service was excellent, my friends wine was tasty; i left the choice of what beer to have with the waiter and he did good...the mark that i rely on is , would i go back? and the answer is Yes...

Greeted quickly at our time of reservations and knowing that we were seated in the covered area made hubby and I feel so much better considering the forthcoming rainy weather.. Staff were just as amazing as the delivery and food. Matthew and our other server were just delightful and on point.. shrimp and avocado was melt in the mouth adn hubby's caesar salad great.. entrees of pork loin and ribeye - medium rare with frites - absolutely gorgeous - paired with a Cote du Rhone and a rose - thanks to Matthew for the recommendation - completed with a cheesecake and choc mousse - was just delightful.. Highly recommend supporting this eatery during this time as you really get such attention that highly deserves recognition. Thank you to all at Caribou

This is a great place. The food and service was fantastic. Next time we are in Philadelphia we will return"

This restaurant has been around for a while, and this was our first visit in a year or so. The quality of the food is good, and the ambience on the first floor is nice. On entering you see a bar that can remind you of a French brasserie. They have Kronenbourg on tap, which is a strong plus for me. Their food is good, consistent quality. Not much in the way of specials. The French onion soup was very good as usual. This is definitely the place to go if you want a meal before the theatre. Once the local shows started, the place cleared out! Service was friendly and attentive, not rushed. Not the best French in the city but a good choice.

We had good meals served by fast, friendly people, at an outdoor table, and reasonable prices. Portions were the right size - house wine could be a slightly bigger - and ingredients were fresh. This place is a welcome change from the gloom of COVID and the Philadelphia humid summer blahs.

We have eaten 5-6 times at the Caribou prior to last night, and we keep returning because the experience has always been a good one. Not so last night. When we arrived, we asked to be seated in a booth. Our server told us we would have needed to make a specific reservation for that (never had to before). He seated us at a table with 2 chairs and a bench. The bench cushio n was so warn that I almost hit my chin on the table (I'm 6'1"). I insisted on a booth, and after much consultation with the manager, we were moved. It took a while for our waiter to show up (he was MIA most of the evening). We explained that we had theater tickets in 2 hours - no problem (one would think). It was restaurant week, but the RW menu was pretty limited. We ordered. My onion soup was appropriately cheesey, but the soup was VERY thin. Our friend ordered a warm goat cheese salad. Normally one would expect the the salad to be ice cold and the cheese to be warm. This was just the opposite. Entrees were OK, but after waiting 20 minutes for the included dessert to come, we had to leave for the theater (1:45 after arriving). I hope our waiter enjoyed the dessert. It was most of his tip. With so many good restaurants in Philly, we won't be back.

Found this restaurant after a doctor's visit in Philadelphia. We were greeted warmly and seated in the front window with a view of the activity on Walnut St. Bread was wonderful, wine selection extensive, quiche was fluffy and tasty. Salads were fresh with light dressing. Service was attentive, friendly and knowledgeable. What a great find. Will try again if in this area.

A reasonable bistro with for real French food convenient to Broad Street venues. Decor is cozy and there is a great bar downstairs as well as a balcony for dining. Great onion soup, pate, and salad lyonnaise.

We booked after reviewing and just wanted a quick dinner, One main course for four and the service was excellent as was the food. We had pork chop on the special board and it was cooked wonderfully. Not all reviews on this place are positive but our experience was good and i would recommend it.

Food was ok but steak tartare too spicey. Too much worchestersauce. But what was upsetting us the most was the behaviour of the boss: he was very nervous and threw sauce on my sons pants. And he blaimed the charming young man who worked there for things the boy didn't do. Like forgetting to put a bottle on the check. The boy had nothing to do with that: we ordered the bottle at the boss and he himself forget to is put it on the bill. So overall we left the building quite upset and set. The charming young man deserved a better treament!

This is where my wife and I went for dinner on our first night in Philly, and it was a fine way to begin. The cheese and charcuterie plate was a fabulous appetizer, and we followed that up with beef bourguignon (for me) and tuna (for my wife), both of which were outstanding. The service and the ambiance were both superb. It's strange how you can sit upstairs and get a kick out of looking down at the bar. Well, it's a really elegant bar!

My wife is from Paris, and I lived there for a decade and Caribou is the real deal. Nice glass of wine, took the recommended specials and we were not disappointed. French portion sizes left us room for dessert and coffee and we left satisfied and happy. Service was attentive but not obsequious. We will come back. Worth the drive in on a Friday evening from Yardley.

Charming French bistro with excellent wine and cocktail selection. Luncheon was crepes with side salad or pomme frites, which they call french fries tax and tip $30 each and we skipped drinks. Seafood crepe was grand, the Country crepe was a bit salty... when you have ham and cheese DON'T add salt! Though the atmosphere is darling the staff was almost as snooty as most Americans, incorrectly, think the French to be! The waiter who sat us didn't utter a word even when spoken to by us!!! Well, you can't fault the menu for the staff.

This bar had an atmosphere that was a little stuffier than the other pubs we visited. They are not necessarily catering to the same crowd, however. There were several couples enjoying themselves, including us. It was fairly busy and still pretty quiet.

Stopped by for Happy Hour, 4-6pm. Enjoyed the atmosphere, the background music. Pleasant staff. Steak and Roquefort sliders ($3.-) were delicious. Tap Kronenburg ($3.-). Relaxing ambiance. On my next visit I brought friends and they agreed that Caribou Cafe is worth checking out. Full menu has many French dishes. Moderately pricey.

This was a nice spot for a "light" dinner. Menu is small but it has a nice variety. I was disappointed that the escargot was not traditional... brussel sprouts as an ingredient was a total turn off, Service was excellent as was the wine.

We enjoyed two dinners in this fine restaurant. We really like french food and this restaurant exceeded our expectations. We considered a real find on our trip to Philadelphia.

Great bistro with a solid French menu. Escargot in puff pastry was yummy, atmosphere was very authentic bistro. Service was friendly and quick.

Dining outside of the Caribou Cafe was a pleasant experience. I ordered the “Amish” Chicken. A quaint and tasty twist to add “local” flavor to a more traditional dish. The “Amish” flair was the addition of the wide egg noodles, a staple in many “Amish” dishes. The julienne vegetables and roasted chicken-the remainder of the dish were cooked to perfection. Topped it off with Creme Brûlée which was also prepared to perfection-large portion, creamy custard, with traditional flamed top was memorable. Will return—great food and professional wait staff!

We were looking for a place that could accommodate the whole family; including 10 & 12 year olds. This place filled the bill. The menu included burgers so the kids were satisfied and there were plenty of veggie options for my vegetarian relatives. The food was very good and the server was very helpful. Salads were large and delicious, and the escargots were to die for.

We had a great birthday meal here. The onion soup and the rabbit pasta quickly made the March chill fade away. With a large by-the-glass wine menu, we were very pleased. Only a small critique, we got a new server half way through our meal and I got the impression they wanted to close even though it wasn't even 8; maybe just a long night. Food was great and that was what was important.

Wonderful place for a taste of France. The best frites we've found this side of the Atlantic since Perch went away. They have a great, if limited, Happy Hour menu. The house red was WAY above expectations for a $5/glass. The Flammkuchen, (aka, Tarte Flambée) are a delicious small dish. Our Go-To place for before Orchestra drink/snack.

We went for an early dinner because we had theater plans nearby. With zero expectations, we were very pleasantly surprised. It was bustling. An ambitious menu, French bistro atmosphere, and attentive service for theater-goers. Food was quite good. We went back for lunch a few weeks later and the food was also quite good.

Had dinner here a few weeks ago. The meal was delicious. Our waiter was courteous and polite and very attentive. The décor and ambiance of the restaurant are very French. Loved everything about it.

Was recommended by a colleague that shares my love of Paris. Excellence location with quality, reasonably priced menu. Good both for a couple night out and a quiet place to conduct business. I'll be returning too check out their selection of absinthe.

My first visit was lovely… professional service, food nicely plated, people enjoyed their house special salad, quiche and croque madam. The second visit, staff were casual, and the mood was set when we were handed paper menus clearly stained with food from the last diner. The greens in the salad were a bit rusty, but things tasted ok. I guess it depends on who’s working that day!

Waited 45 minutes for food and to be ignored by the server without any update or refill of coffee until my wife finally got tired of her visiting every table except ours. I did a quick check for underarm smell, as I thought there must be a reason we’re being ignored. Nope! Not that. Magically after asking where the food was it appeared. Then I got sick from the chicken dish. Probably not their fault but just some icing on the cake to this experience. Would have loved to try a dessert but we spent too much time there already. Maybe offer some bread or an appetizer for free after 30 minutes of waiting? Hard pass on this place.

Can't comment on the food, because we never got served. We waited ten minutes and were totally ignored by the staff in a nearly empty restaurant. As we were leaving, one waiter glanced at us with an "I could care less attitude".

I venture here during Philadelphia’s Restaurant Week. I expected more from the food. This may be unfair but I thought the purpose of the week was to premiere the best so you’ll want to come back. This was the case! The food was average at best. A note to the chef, adding butter doesn’t make it more French.