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Top French Restaurants In Philadelphia

Critically-acclaimed French restaurants have been dropping like flies in Philadelphia's restaurant scene over the past couple of years. Only the best of the best have survived. While it's harder these days to satisfy your appetite when you yearn for some food from the country of love, don't despair. The City of Brotherly Love still comes through with great places to get your soupe a l'oignon on.

Bibou
1009 S. 8th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 965-8290
www.biboubyob.com

Bibou is a family-run, cash-only BYOB that boasts a rotating menu of delicious French dishes with a twist. Take for instance, the Pied de Porc, a braised pig foot stuffed with foie gras and served with French lentils. Or try the Duo de Foie Gras, a marriage of seared foie gras with date compote and foie gras custard. With Chef Ron Fougeray moving west with his family, Chef Pierre will take the restaurant in a new direction by offering a set, multi-course menu four nights a week beginning in May 2015. Cost will be $100 per guest.

Bistrot La Minette
623 S. 6th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 925-8000
www.bistrotlaminette.com

You have to love Bistrot La Minette's French Family Dinner Menu. For $45 per person, guests can choose one of 10 tempting appetizers, including rillettes de porc, tomates sechees and poivron rotis, and one of 10 fabulous main courses, such as daube provencal, coq au vin and canard a l'orange. Not only that, but patrons get an entree dish, a legume choice and a starch item like riz au pilaf and gratin dauphinois. Also included is dessert. The choice is as difficult as climbing the 1,710 steps of the Eiffel Tower, with 10 mouth-watering treats to choose from such as tarte au citron, gateau au chocolat and creme caramel, all served with a house-made ice cream or sorbet.

Creperie Beaumonde
624 S. 6th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 592-0656
www.creperie-beaumonde.com

Nothing is more synonymous with French gastronomy than crepes. Follow the delicious aromas to Creperie Beaumonde's picture windows, where you can watch the masters make light, flavorful varieties of these savory delicacies. Step inside an airy, art-nouveau wonderland of sweet batter spread on cast-iron griddles brought over from Brittany. Try the house recommendations, including chocolate, apple and goat cheese, and coq au vin and swiss cheese crepes, or create your own. Either way, you can't go wrong. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday, with lunch and dinner hours on Tuesday through Friday.

Related: Top French Fries In Philadelphia

Lacroix Restaurant
The Rittenhouse Hotel
210 W. Rittenhouse Square
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 790-2533.
www.lacroixrestaurant.com

If you're working with deep pockets, then visit Philly's ultimate fine-dining restaurant. Lacroix bills itself as serving progressive international cuisine, but its French-inspired dishes are the upscale eatery's piece de resistance. Executive Chef Jon Cichon receives high honors for preparing fresh, elegant and innovative French cuisine such as walnut butter and pumpkin croissants, black Perigord truffle, and foie gras made with venison, pineapple, kale and black radish. Whether you go for breakfast, lunch, dinner, afternoon tea or Sunday brunch, the ever-changing menu is sure to fulfill your fancy for fabulous French fare.

Related: Top Pastries In Philadelphia

Parc Brasserie
227 S. 18th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 545-2262
www.parc-restaurant.com

You can satisfy your French cravings with breakfast, lunch and dinner, seven days a week, at Rittenhouse Square's Parc Brasserie Restaurant, Bistro & Cafe. Classic dishes like onion soup, ratatouille, seared fois gras and escargots share the menu with all-American fare including cheeseburgers and macaroni and cheese. Be sure to order the in-house baked baguettes, and of course, leave room for dessert. The pot de creme and moelleux au chocolat are great choices. Wine, beer and specialty cocktails also share a large portion of the menu.

Susan DeFeo has been a professional writer since 1997. She served as a community events columnist for New Jersey's "Cape May County Herald" for more than a decade. A writer for numerous online publications, Susan has covered health, fitness, beauty and travel, all subjects that are near and dear to her as a married mother of seven children. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.

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