Royal Boucherie
French restaurant · Old City
52 S 2nd St, Philadelphia, PA 19106
![Royal Boucherie by Royal Boucherie [official]](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/65823419/Super_Sexy_Royal_Boucherie_Holiday_Photo_300_dpi.0.jpg "Royal Boucherie by Royal Boucherie [official]")
Highlights
French-inspired brasserie with raw bar, charcuterie, and deck
French-inspired brasserie with raw bar, charcuterie, and deck
"If you’re interested in basking in the sun while eating steak frites, head to Royal Boucherie’s serene outdoor garden on the second floor. The Old City spot has a French-inspired menu that includes things like oysters, chicken cassoulet, and a few other dishes that will make you feel grateful for clear skies that day. And if you’re in the mood to people watch, you can post up at their outdoor setup and eat their Boucherie Burger that’s oozing with gruyère, peppery watercress, and smoky bacon." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"Royal Boucherie, once the gold standard for date night in Old City and French food in the city writ large, is a relic of its former self. Sure, the tavern-y space remains dark and sexy. Good cocktails are still served at the ornate wooden bar, and the dining room still looks like a movie set where a grizzled detective might meet a gorgeous, troubled suspect. The major change is that the French food is now passable at best, and at worst, inedible. Sandy mussels sit in a watery broth, a fatty cut of underseasoned steak comes with floppy frites, and the chicken is so salty you’ll need an extra beverage on hand (service can be generally inattentive, so be sure to order that well in advance). None of these plates warrants the $75+ bill you'll pay at the end of the meal. If you want a drink and a cheese plate in the neighborhood, the bar will suffice, but head elsewhere for dinner. Even though this restaurant comes from the same team as Royal Tavern and Royal Izakaya & Sushi, some of our favorite spots in the city, Royal Boucherie is now the weak link in a family of stars. And we're not mad at it. We’re just disappointed. Food Rundown Moules Royale These mussels are supposed to bathing in white wine, a saffron sauce, and crème fraiche, but there’s no detectable element of any of the above. It’s bland, watery, and you get sand on your baguette when you try to sop it up. photo credit: Alison Kessler Steak Frites The steak is cooked properly, but much of it is gristle and fat. It’s also criminally underseasoned. photo credit: Alison Kessler Roasted Chicken We enjoy the asparagus and mushrooms in the rich chicken jus. But the chicken itself is so salty, it’s inedible." - Alison B. Kessler
"Royal Boucherie’s burger doesn’t mess around. The grass-fed patty is finished off with a tangle of watercress, nutty gruyere and — wait for it — a dollop of bone marrow for good measure." - Maddy Sweitzer-Lamme
"Capacity: Up to 65 people for a seated event or 85 people for a standing reception The covered patio at this Old City restaurant feels like an enchanted garden, and the parlor room gives off that prohibition-era vibe. Both can be the setting the next time you want to have drinks, steak tartare, and pomme puree with 20 of your closest friends and their plus ones whom you don’t know the names of." - candis mclean
"Votives on the tables, sconces on the walls, and a candle-lit fireplace give this Old City brasserie a sultry glow that helps set the scene for his French-influenced offerings." - Ernest Owens
