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Caribou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
Caribou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
Caribou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
Caribou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA
Caribou Cafe, Philadelphia, PA

Caribou Cafe

4.4
4.4
1849 Reviews
$30 and under
French
Step into the vibrant world of Paris. This 25 year old landmark has brought Philadelphia and its visitors a taste of France in a relaxed atmosphere.
The art deco bar, leather banquettes, warm orange walls, and antique mirrors make Caribou Café your destination for Lunch, Dinner and Brunch.
Live music Fri and Sat.
Best True French Bistro in town!

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 10 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Cuisines
    French, Wine Bar, Comfort Food
  • Hours of operation
    Sunday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:30pm; Friday - Saturday: 11:30am - 11:30pm;
  • Phone number
    (215) 625-9535
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Neighborhood
    Center City
  • Cross street
    12th Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Entertainment
    Friday and Saturday Night 8:30-11:30pmOriginal Jazz trio
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 1,849 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.4
4.4 based on recent ratings
  • 4.4Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.3Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Philadelphia / New Jersey Suburbs

    French

1,849 Reviews
  1. Carl907

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I've been eating at Caribou Cafe, and enjoying the ambience, for over 30 years. It's one of the best restaurants in Philadelphia - an extraordinary place!

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  2. AhsanN

    Philadelphia

    11 reviews

    4.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on September 25, 2023

    overall4food3service5ambience5
    Have been a loyal patron of Caribou since its start in the 1990s. Was a little disappointed with the steak Frites.

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  3. KelseyC

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic food, great coffee, definitely want to come back to try extensive dessert list!

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  4. AliraA

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was delicious, and the cream dessert with raspberry sauce that I hadn’t before was a great surprise treat since I usually have crème brûlée; this was better.

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  5. PamK

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I took advantage of Center City Restaurant Week and had a wonderful three course lunch for $20. The food and drinks were excellent.

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  6. RichardF

    New York Area

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    If you haven't been there in a while, come back. The food is memorable, from salads to crepes, to pot de creme, this place is a gem. And it's backed up by super attentive staff who answer detailed questions and check on you frequently. Even the bussers are paying attention.

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  7. Wendy

    Philadelphia

    19 reviews

    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We went to Caribou Café to celebrate one of Philadelphia's "Restaurant Weeks." Three courses for $45 is hard to beat. The food was outstanding, particularly a swarm potato and goat cheese entree. The boeuf bourguignon melted in the mouth, as it should. The waitress's description of the lemon curd dessert did not prepare me for how good it turned out to be; I'm so glad I ordered it. Service was outstanding; ambiance is very France of a time long ago. I recommend this restaurant very strongly.

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  8. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on September 21, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Lovely lunch. Nice atmosphere. Really good food and service. Would recommend it.

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  9. JanetG

    Philadelphia

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on September 18, 2023

    overall1food1service3ambience3
    Terrible food. We all ordered different things off the restaurant week menu and all were mediocre to bad

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  10. Reviewer1

    New York Area

    125 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    125 reviews

    Dined on September 18, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    The restaurant week food was very good and reasonably priced. The server was polite and efficient. The decor is appealing.

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  11. AnthonyT

    New Orleans

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Went for restaurant week and will be back. Great service and food.

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  12. Christophe

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 16, 2023

    overall3food4service3ambience5
    Went here during Philly's Restaurant Week. The food was great but the service a bit slow at times and I had to raise my hand to get the servers' attention. Tip: don't order the bottled water, just get the tap.

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  13. outandabout

    Philadelphia

    326 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    326 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience2
    I have gone to Caribou for several years now off and on the food is good but nothing outstanding. I also go as a single and that is a problem with seating even if you are two people because the ceiling is very limited they do not use the upper level and so there are a few seats across the bar and a few booths and that's it. I asked to be moved to a booth when one of those opened and they told me they will be filled the rest of the night which was not true but I decided to stay seated in the middle rather than argue about it.

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  14. Disappointed

    Atlantic City

    16 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We went here for Restaurant Week to try it out and will definitely be back for more!!

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  15. FSCHI

    Philadelphia

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on September 15, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Cute space. Good service. Everything was delicious.

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  16. Dotcat8201

    Philadelphia

    12 reviews

    vip
    2.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on September 14, 2023

    overall2food2service2ambience2
    Haven’t been here in years so went for Restaurant Week. Inside looked like it could use a renovation- very dark and dated and a little shabby. Appetizer was decent, beef bourguignon was dry and over cooked; even the 3 noodles were over cooked and rubbery. They were serving their regular menu as well so I’d assume this dish would have failed, Restaurant Week or not. So disappointing. Our waitress was very young and friendly but didn’t know a lot about the menu or the drinks. Oh, and they don’t have a Cabernet on the menu. At a French restaurant. Even PJ Whelihan’s has a glass of Cabernet.

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  17. OpenTable Diner

    New York Area

    11 reviews

    1.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on September 12, 2023

    overall1food2service4ambience1
    I have to say the food was mediocre at best, but we knew that going in due to the reviews. It was just close to the theater we needed to be in. However, not only did we see a mouse, but I shined (shone? Dunno) my light next to my booth, and there were mouse droppings all over the floor. About 10 minutes in, we saw the mouse again. He was big. When we first saw the mouse, we told the waiter, but he assured us we hadn’t—must have been a shadow. When I saw the droppings, I didn’t want my dinner, companion to panic, so I did not tell her. But when we saw the second mouse (or the first mouse for the second time—that all look the same), I went up to the waiter and told him we definitely saw a mouse. He moved us to another table, but barely apologized—Nor did anything about it. Not looking for something for free, but I really think their reaction could have been more caring.

    1 person found this helpful

  18. MichaelB

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    2.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on September 10, 2023

    overall2food2service4ambience4
    The seafood crepe was very fishy. It said it contained crab, shrimp and salmon but all I tasted was fish (and not a good fish flavor). The drinks were expensive. I ordered a Jameson and Seven Up and the drink came in two separate glasses, a half on the rocks glass of Jameson and a half on the rocks glass f Seven-Up. There was a separate charge for each. $2.75 for about 2 ounces of Seven-Up? I call that a true rip off.

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  19. OpenTable Diner

    Philadelphia

    15 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    15 reviews

    Dined on September 8, 2023

    overall1food5service1ambience5
    We’ve had a lot of good experiences at Caribou Café, but last night was an exception and a big disappointment. The main problem was that there was only one waiter for a full restaurant, which is obviously completely unacceptable. We got a drink order promptly when we were seated, but after that no one took our food order (or the orders from either of the two tables sitting next to us) for over a half hour. Eventually we gave up waiting and went to another restaurant. None of this is the fault of the poor guy serving, who was doing the best he could in an impossible situation. Management needs to improve: hire a few more employees, especially for busy times, and treat your staff better so you can retain good workers.

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  20. Markysparky

    Western NC

    52 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    52 reviews

    Dined on September 8, 2023

    overall4food3service5ambience4
    Nice neighborhood low key French style bistro. Dinner was just ok. I selected the pate' to start. It was ok but not remarkable. I also had the crab and salmon sandwich - not that good - while I know these are fish items, the flavor was a little off-tasting. Service was very good.

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  21. BarbaraT

    New York Area

    105 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    105 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Excellent all around!! The food! The service! The ambience! We’re so happy we found this gem. Definitely will return.

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  22. ddiner

    Philadelphia

    12 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on September 4, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    Onion soup is the best that I have had in the city!

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  23. Anthony

    Philadelphia

    44 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    44 reviews

    Dined on September 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    The food was good, service was good. We were allowed to sit for a long time, which enabled us to catch up after not seeing each other for awhile.

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  24. Lycopodium

    Philadelphia

    14 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    14 reviews

    Dined on August 31, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience3
    I have been going there for years for the mussels and French fries. Always as good

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  25. HeresJay

    Philadelphia

    89 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    89 reviews

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We go a few times each year because we love the service, food, and drinks. We never have a bad meal or experience.

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  26. MarilynG

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Attentive service. Good selection of lunch dishes. relaxed atmosphere. Music a little too loud . A favorite spot to catch up with friends.

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  27. Chimpey

    Philadelphia

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on July 30, 2023

    overall4food3service4ambience4
    Had the quiche of the day, delicious. Weather was ideal for outdoor dining. Waiter was very gracious.

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  28. Lovegoodfood

    Washington DC

    17 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on July 24, 2023

    overall3food2service5ambience4
    The ambience is quaint. Our server was lovely…could not have been better. Good wine selection. However, the food was mediocre at best, unfortunately. It is just not good. Not for foodies. I don’t need to be specific about our dishes as it applied to all. I do regret wasting one of our meals there while we were in town. But did I say very nice server?

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  29. StephenB

    New York Area

    19 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on July 19, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Pre show dinner and drinks

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  30. Tania

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on July 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Our server was attentive and the food was delicious. Ambiance was great, felt like I was in a different country

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  31. Scott

    Philadelphia

    48 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    As always, a very pleasant experience. Bastille Day offered a couple of items with a glass of wine included, a nice touch. We always get the wonderful escargot to start, and then we had moules frites. Nicely done, and we asked for and got extra bread for the moules sauce. Perfect frites, too.

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  32. Miam5

    Philadelphia

    33 reviews

    5.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    I went for Bastille day and got to enjoy the steak frites and mousse au chocolat. A perfect bistro ambiance

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  33. Cocina

    Philadelphia

    24 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined on July 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic Bastille Day celebration with mussels and a glass of wine. Super food, super service, great ambience.

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  34. JoeK

    Philadelphia

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on July 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Always enjoy going to Caribou for over 25 years. Love the food and the ambiance!

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  35. LoveParkLady

    Philadelphia

    87 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    87 reviews

    Dined on July 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    This is getting a bit redundant, as all my reviews of Caribou Cafe are pretty much the same --- outstanding. It is in the top 2 or 3 Center City restaurants and it never disappoints. We took 2 friends with us this time and they loved their entire meal, from the French onion soup to the croque-monsieur. I got my favorite, the pork loin stuffed with spinach and goat cheese, as well as the onion soup. I've reviewed all these items before and they can be counted on to always be delicious. Service is always perfect and perfectly friendly, We travel to Europe a lot and every time we enter Caribou Cafe, we are transported to France, from the moment we walk in to the moment we leave. We're eating there again tomorrow and no doubt I will write yet another review that has nothing but positive things to say, because that's how it is at Caribou Cafe.

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  36. MichaelD

    Philadelphia

    38 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on June 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Hidden gem! We have probably passed by a few times and not realized what a great restaurant this was. Ambience was perfect with the open front and windows. Great bar. Wonderful menu from all over France, and everything was delicious! We have to come back again and see the menu as it changes

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  37. Robert

    San Diego

    6 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on June 26, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Nice casual dinning ambience with great French inspired food.

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  38. OpenTable Diner

    Atlanta Metro

    13 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined on June 25, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Nice place great quality food. Onion soup was delicious

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  39. koalatravlr

    New York Area

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on June 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Third time here for dinner. Just as good as before. Can’t wait to go back.

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  40. Scott

    Philadelphia

    48 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    48 reviews

    Dined on June 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Always dependable. The escargot is absolutely delicious. Loved my mussels and the frites are first rate.

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FAQs

Caribou Cafe offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (215) 625-9535.

Caribou Cafe is rated 4.4 stars by 1849 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

7:00 PM


Booked 10 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Caribou Cafe

1126 Walnut St, Philadelphia, PA 19107

Additional information

  • Cross street
    12th Street
  • Neighborhood
    Center City
  • Hours of operation
    Sunday - Thursday: 11:30am - 10:30pm; Friday - Saturday: 11:30am - 11:30pm;
  • Cuisines
    French, Wine Bar, Comfort Food
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Entertainment
    Friday and Saturday Night 8:30-11:30pmOriginal Jazz trio
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cafe, Farm to Table, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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