PHLReview
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
My Loup
Included In
You know the difference between a great restaurant and a just-okay one? It’s like going to someone’s birthday party because you love them and going to your boss’s housewarming because it’s the socially acceptable thing to do. One will satisfy and excite, and the other, well, you’re just waiting until your stomach’s empty tank light goes off. With stunning dishes and an intimate, warm atmosphere, Rittenhouse’s My Loup is one of those exceptional places that, like your best friend’s bash, is somewhere you truly can’t wait to be.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
As soon as you walk into the dimly lit Walnut Street restaurant you’ll be met with friends clinking glasses of Grüner, couples playing thumb war over the last oyster, and plates of juicy halibut hitting the table almost to the beat of Jay-Z playing in the background. It’s a commotion that screams this is the place to be (and in Mbappé‘s accent, no less). Yes, it’s a French restaurant, but not in the stuffy, white tableclothed, Marie Antoinette’s-drawing-room kind of way.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
In the entry, there’s cozy leather lounge seating that beckons you to plop down after a long day, a gorgeous orange-tiled bar, and beautiful floral wallpaper that you’d like to gift wrap your entire place in. The main dining room is flanked by bookshelves that look like they were designed by a family garage sale: they’re stacked with everything from Molson wood carvings and countless cookbooks to ‘80s family photos and a vintage Phillies cap. It’s a laid back yet vibrant spot to have a date, your last meal on earth, or throw a dinner party in Hogwarts’ library.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
The menu is filled with phrases like “au poivre,” “cote de boeuf,” and others you’ll recognize if you've listened to Beyoncé’s “Partition.” And that’s no surprise—it’s the sister restaurant of French-ish Her Place Supper Club. But My Loup is far from a copy-and-paste version of its older sibling. They put creative spins on traditional menu items—you’ll find perfectly-crisp soft shell crab topped with hollandaise and caviar hats, friends wrapping frites in slices of ruby-red roast beef, and overhear “this is the best slider of your life” when the table nearby tries the beef tongue on doughy focaccia. The menu changes daily, but some things remain: irresistible seafood dishes (especially the seafood plateau), innovative mains big enough for three, and execution that feels luxurious but is served without pretension.
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
My Loup is a sexy place where you can sing along to Madonna while sipping on a rare wine, eat dishes that deserve their own book on the shelves, and celebrate everything from your favorite cousin’s birthday to RSVPing “no” to a third-tier friend’s game night.
Food Rundown
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Plateau Fruits de Mer
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Philly Balls
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Soft Shell Crab
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Cold Roast Beef Au Poivre
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Striploin
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Whole Grilled Trout
photo credit: NICOLE GUGLIELMO
Sundae