Doesn't Recommend

PennDiner

Joined 5 years ago

Don't waste your time--much better places to go. Of all the restaurants in Philadelphia, this should be at the bottom of the list. The service and food are both bad. Despite hearing some good reviews, my experience was far from it. Service was lacking--the waiter paid no attention to us. He also spilled a drink on the table next to us. The manager failed to make good on a nearly inedible entree. The wine list was only ok, but nothing to brag about. Try one of the many other quality restaurants in Philly instead.

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auntchovie

Joined 5 years ago

Great Food & Service. I've been a long time foodie and fan of both Patou and Bistro St. Tropez . I think they are simply two of the best restaurants in the city. And Patrice Rames is certainly one of the most talented chefs in the city. Philly is so lucky to have him... Thanks for many years of great dining Patrice!

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kmh33philadelphia

Joined 7 years ago

Great Food, Amazing People. I went to Patou last night for dinner and was not disappointed. The restaurant was itself beautiful and comfortable. Unlike many of the restaurants in Philly that have amazing food, you didn't have to sit ontop of other customers to enjoy it. The tables are spaced out nicely, but not so much its feels empty. I would highly recommend it for couples, you can actually hear each other talking but the table to your left and right can not. Amazing bonus thats hard to find in the city.

The food was unique and amazing. Having had very little experience with true French food, i was not disappointed. Everyone at my table raved about the food. The seasoning and mixtures were unique and worked very well. And the portions were just right. This is not a place that skimps on the food by any means. I will be eatting here again.

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jessilauren

Joined 5 years ago

Good food, disappointing Valentine's Day experience. I reserved a table for two at Patou for Valentine's day. When my boyfriend and I arrived, the whole restaurant was packed and crowded. The hostess was very friendly and asked us to wait at the bar. At the bar (again, friendly bartender), there was no place to sit so we had to stand up against the back wall for 45 minutes. I felt disappointed that on Valentine's day with a prix fixe menu, they could not have accurately estimated the amount of customers so that the wait would be minimised - or atleast offered those of us who were waiting with reservations a free drink. The food was good but our service was disappointing. I have worked in a restaurant setting in the past and am typically forgiving when a restaurant has a busy night- but I felt that service was subpar. The truffle soup was delicious but luke warm. The oysters were fresh but our waiter/busser forgot to bring us silverware. We sat near the cooking line and I watched our food sit for 10 minutes. My steak, which I had ordered rare, was very well-done. The waiter apologized, but by the time my meal came out (15 minutes later), my boyfriend had already finished his halibut (which was great). Then he had to wait while I ate.... The whole experience took nearly three hours. Under other circumstances, it might have been relaxing to sit over the meal and not be pushed to leave - but in this case, it felt as if we were just forgotten half of the time!

I'm sure that the restaurant is great on other nights of the week - but I had hoped that they would have upped their service a bit on Valentine's day...

Doesn't Recommend

snic21

Joined 5 years ago

Had high hopes, sadly was very disappointed. The first time I experienced Chef Rames cooking was several years ago, when I had the privilege of dining at Bistro St. Tropez. We had a fairly large group and everyone left dinner that evening raving about the food (as well as the experience). It was because of this that I chose Patou as the restaurant in which to celebrate my 30th birthday this past weekend.

I will admit, I did read the reviews on citysearch prior to making my reservation. While there were several reviews that suggested both the service and food at Patou left a bit to be desired, the majority of diners writing reviews seemed very happy with their experiences. Ever the optimist, I went into Saturday evening with the highest of hopes and was left VERY disappointed.

I had 12 people with me to celebrate my birthday and they seated us in the upstairs area. There were a few other tables in that area with smaller parties and I swear they only had ONE waiter taking care of all of us! Needless to say, it took 20-30 minutes to receive drink refills and when you asked for them the waiter seemed anything but happy to oblige. It took 20 minutes for our appetizers to come out and once they were cleared it took almost an hour and a half for our entrees - individuals within our party had to ask three times when the food would be coming. The only thing we didn't have to wait for were the desserts, but only two of us had ordered them.

You would think after waiting so long that the food would be amazing, but after taking one bite of my filet I was disappointed. The filets were cooked well, however the sauce was watery. The swiss chard was mediocre and the potato gratin was mediocre as well. Even the chocolate mousse I ordered for dessert was somewhat bland and they forgot the candle which my parents had asked them to put on the cake for my birthday!

Overall, the best part of the night was the company - the restaurant left everything to be desired. I will not be going back!

Doesn't Recommend

MAK78

Joined 5 years ago

A Highly overrated disappointment. -Went there for a valentine's day dinner, was tremendously excited as the menu looked amazing. Our bread was pretty standard and the pinot griggio was great. Our actual appetizers - gnocchi and lobster rolls left much to be desired. We ordered both the couscous with chicken, and couscous with lamb dishes - both were again... just not that special... the couscous was dry, the lamb was oily, the chicken was dry... and about an hour afterwards left us both with awful stomach aches.

The creme brulee we got for dessert was ok, good, but again... nothing memorable.

The restaurant was about 2/3 to 3/4 full and it took forever just to get a glass of water or more bread.

All in all... for the price you'll pay... I would not recommend it.

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kl09

Joined 5 years ago

Go for the atmosphere, you'll come back for the food. I met five of my friends for dinner on Saturday night and had an incredible experience. With five different taste buds to please we asked the owner to pick our menu. The food was outstanding! From the tapas appetizer tray (the babba ganoush was excellent) to the sizzling tray of succulent grouper with an array of shell fish, highlighted by fingerling potatoes and fennel. All cooked to perfection! We ended up sharing many delectable desserts and I mistakenly left the table to early..... I heard the apple tart was off the charts. Can't comment because I didn't get to taste any, the only thing left to do is go back again to see for myself!

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jdr357

Joined 5 years ago

Patou Struck New Yorkers. We went to Philadelphia to escape NYC for New Years and found a gem of a restaurant! The food was amazing! Personally the appetizer* rocked as did my lobster and steak. The service was on point, and. The seating ( yes even in the front section) was comfortable and by New York standards roomy. I swear my partner and I had even commented that they could have fit another few tables in our area. As for the atmosphere we were taken aback by their ability to create a lively/colorful yet cozy and romantic ambiance. Anyone can be good for either food, or atmosphere or service. Rarely will you find a place that has all three under one gracious and inviting roof! Listen I have eaten in restaurants all over NYC and around the world and will tell you in my book this place deserves the five stars.

(* City search wont allow the French words for snails or the cut of steak... they need to fix this )

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k2fer

Joined 6 years ago

If I could only eat more!. Had dinner last saturday. Still great food and HUGE portions. I had the boullibaisse and there was at least a dozen mussels, a dozen clams, 1/2 a pound of monkfish, and a prawn the size of a small lobster in the dish. I couldn't finish. The broth was rich and perfect. For starters the table shared a huge oyster plate, fresh and tasty, spicy fried calamari, and a boston lettuce salad which was the coolest looking salad I've ever seen, the lettuce head had been reassembled with radicchio leaves to look like a flower on the plate. Dessert was the classic french apple tart, always a crowd pleaser. Add to the mix a few glasses of really nice wine and a glass of peach sangria, and a good time was had by all. Props to the servers, attentive and friendly. Seems the bar dining area has been remodeled, its warm and cozy, a nice contrast to the open airy main dining room. Highly recommended.

Doesn't Recommend

ldy31

Joined 6 years ago

Patou-y ( I couldn't resist ). I went during restaurant week, so-so service. Was seated in the front portion of the restaurant with tables too close together. Escargot wasn't very appealing, the pastry kind of hard as if it'd been sitting under a heat lamp. Cassoulet was just NASTY, the beans were mushy and the Duck was devoid of any flavor. Thank goodness for restaurant week, even though I was still angry that I wasted my time in that place at least I didn't waste too much money finding out.