Fond

Mainline Today recommended 10 new restaurants in the area so Evan and I tried brunch at Fond BYOB (Ginny was working). It was okay. Long way to drive for good, but not great food. Probably cannot tell how dinner would be from what we tried at brunch. My butternut squash soup was good, but pretty standard. Evan liked his onion soup as well. We both got the double smash burgers on a brioche bun. Pretty good. Ordered some roasted potatoes on the side. They were good. Service was very good. The restaurant is very small (cozy) and I could fully expect it to be very loud when fully occupied. Parking was a little tight. Pricey for brunch.

We were glad to hear that one of our favorite Philly restaurants was now reincarnated in nearby Wallingford. The menu at the new Fond is a somewhat confusing mishmash, maybe to appease diverse tastes. While ostensibly French, there are dishes, including a Hummus appetizer and Lamb Kofta that one can expect pretty much around any corner of a Turkish (or European) city. The couscous with the lamb dish was the Israeli version of small pasta balls, served cold under the two lamb patties. I was interested in the gnocchi with roasted mushrooms but a server's information that truffle oil (a chemical formula from the flavor industry) was used in that dish dissuaded us. Very enjoyable: excellent tuna crudo in coconut broth, the carefully composed Belgian Endive salad, and hummus with house made pita bread. Someone in the kitchen took the searing of the foie gras a little too far but the small piece of liver was delicious. The roasted shrimp came with more of the very good pita bread, the beef burgundy had a satisfying rich taste. The small apple tart reminded us why we loved the old Fond: a flaky, scrumptious crust encasing warm apples with dabs of caramel. Addictively good. We came on a night when the restaurant was full and the noise was deafening! A decibel meter showed high 80s throughout our meal, with occasional forays into the 90s when someone said something funny at the neighboring table. We shouted at each other across the table the entire meal. Some type of noise-reduction remedy should be installed right away for times when the restaurant is full.

Came here on a Thursday night and there were plenty of seats available. My party ordered the gnocchi, salmon and beef burgundy. The gnocci was ok, wish there were more than 10 pieces. Salmon was good, it did have a piece of hair in it but since the place just opened I decided not to cause a hassle and send it back. Beef was also good but it was so tiny. For dessert we got the Apple pie and chocolate cake. They were honestly, just ok. All the dishes were very small and left us still hungry. For the price Fond charges, you can get great French food in NYC. I’m a bit disappointed since I had high hopes. I think if they increase the portions and work on their presentation this place could be better.

Excellent food and service - everything was delicious but also interesting! and well flavored. We had butternut squash soup (with red curry and crab), lamb pasta (with harissa and fennel) and apple tart (with cardamom, which was excellent). Definitely recommend.

Great dinner! Really love to see a place like this open up in Wallingford. Really loved the Gnocchi, Short Rib and Chicken Liver. Can’t wait to come back, and to try the brunch menu!

I could talk about Fond all day! My husband and I absolutely loved Fond in the city and were elated to see it back so close to us in Delaware County! The special of the evening was our favorite thing from years before (that we talk about frequently), which was perfectly nostalgic for our return. The waist staff was kind and accommodating. The beef burgundy was fantastic and note worthy. We cannot wait to return...with friends.

As soon as I came in the waiters welcomed me graciously, the hospitality at this BYOB is unmatched and paired with delicious food. The lamb Kofta was great with the tomatoes and couscous the breakfast sandwich had just the right amount of truffle and the Chocolate mousse just topped it all off I thoroughly enjoyed my experience and look forward to returning.

My husband and I booked a reservation on Friday for an early dinner. We didn’t realized it changed ownership and names so we did not know what to expect. We were blown away! The food was phenomenal. The menu was well rounded and service was great. We shared 4 appetizers and loved each one. We are so lucky we do not have to go downtown to get a “city-quality” meal. Well done! We will be regulars

The good: Food was delicious: onion soup, curried butternut squash with crab soup (although the curry overpowered the flavor of crab), mushroom risotto, beef burgundy, lamb. Everything was served hot, which was a plus, and the service was OK considering how busy it was on a Saturday night (only 2 servers plus one for water, clearing, etc.) They were clearly hustling to keep on top of things. The bad: we were a party of three seated right inside the door where it was uncomfortably cold every time the door opened (which was quite frequent). One of our party had to sit on a window seat that was very uncomfortable. It would be impossible for any person of a larger size or with mobility issues to sit there. It's obvious that they have squeezed in those extra seats where they should not be. I would be sure to request other seating before I'd return another time.

Wonderful dinner here last night with my adult granddaughter. I'm so glad Fond moved here. Visited on Passyunk but so nice not to have to deal with the city. Attractive place and friendly service. Very nice stemware is provided in this byob. The food is the star here! My granddaughter loved her tuna crudo and the French escargot, which was served with hazelnut butter and brioche. My gnocchi with mushrooms and hazelnuts was in a sauce worthy of the finest French restaurants. I wish we had room for dessert but it was a late dinner. They looked fantastic and I remember one of the owners is a pastry chef. Cannot wait to return.

Had a great meal here with friends. We started with a mushroom soup shot, which was delicious and very hot. I had the Escargot, which was very flavorful, followed by the Beef Burgundy - which was good, but the portion left me wanting more. One friend was not fond of the texture of the Gnocchi. Another friend enjoyed the Roasted Shrimp but felt a different side (pasta or grits) would be better than the pita. We shared two desserts and those portions led us to order another - one was not enough for two people to share. The service was good and unchanged from the previous restaurant La Cannelle. The other thing that has not changed are the acoustics. As a single large room with lots of windows the noise level gets very high when the restaurant is crowded. Will definitely return to try other options on the menu!