Café Lutecia

Oh Mon Dieu, I cannot stop telling people about the wonderful dinner experience I had here the other night! Yes, you read that correctly: Dinner. The Fitler Square neighborhood has been keeping a giant secret from you, and it’s authentic French Tuesday Dinners at Café Lutecia from 6−9pm, BYOB, no reservations (you can call ahead to put your name down). On those nights the sleepy café is transformed into a bustling neighborhood hang where all 25 seats are full, the wine is flowing, the staff is laughing, joking (and occasionally taking shots with) customers who seem (and probably are) more like old friends, an adorable french lady (the owner) stops by to chat about your (delicious) meal, and an impressive array of tapas (think Brie and fig crostini, spanish omelette, and other delights) is spread out for you to drool over and choose from.
The menu is small and changes every week– tapas ($ 2 – 5 a piece), a few small plates ($ 5 – 12), 5ish larger plates ($ 12 – 20) (not full entrée size, but maybe this is why French people are skinny?), and a few desserts ($ 6ish). Check their instagram for a preview, or if you want to torture yourself.
«The Fat Four», as we call ourselves, took down the following with several tapas:
— Coquille St Jacques a L’espagnole– scallops perfectly cooked, a little spicy, and with potatoes, these were everyone’s favorite– must try.
— Salade Landaise Chaude– Large duck leg, topped with yolky egg, delicious dressing, amazing, if this is on the menu, get it.
— Escargot– we asked for extra bread for all the butter and fought over the extras.
— Roasted Pork Belly– very fatty but very amazing.
— Duck Pâté– Holy duck this was good. So creamy and flavorful.
— Cauliflower au gratin– cheesy, creamy, more bread for dipping please?
— Grilled Garlic Shrimp– very messy (they’re head on, so if that skeeves you out, beware) but very flavorful.
— Anchovies in vinaigrette — not my favorite but others loved them. The vinaigrette was great.
— White Asparagus with bernaise– the bernaise was great but the consistency of the asparagus wasn’t great– the only thing I’d skip next time.
The desserts! Chocolate bread pudding made from chocolate croissants! Amazing. Lemon Meringue Tart with Meringue so high you’d think you were skiing in the alps.
Honestly we were pretty full, but we probably could have had more because it was so good!
I sincerely apologize to the Fitler Square Neighborhood for spreading this secret, and especially to my friend’s parents, who have been eating here weekly, but (like almost all of the dishes) this is too good not to share!
Tres Bön! Magnifique! Delicieux! Excellent (it’s the same in French)!

Authentic family owned French cuisine. Great place!
Love their breakfast items

Beyond adorable and delicious with AMAZING PRICES. I just ate a croque madame and a bread pudding made with their almond and chocolate croissants and it was divine. This restaurant is about two blocks from my apartment and I’m very VERY excited to have a go-​to spot that close to me!!!

By far my favorite breakfast and lunch place in Philly. I used to go every weekend when I lived close by, now it is a bit harder. They have always fantastic soups and quiches. Their sandwiches are great, like the perfectly toasted baguettes with ham and brie. They make great espresso-​type coffee drinks.
Now, let me repeat, this is a breakfast and lunch place, not brunch. It is a true French café, so don’t come here expecting your generic american brunch menu. If you want to drink a bloody mary and eat eggs benedict or huevos rancheros, please stop reading now and go somewhere else. Unfortunately, lately they caved in to the american taste and started offering egg dishes, but if you want to eat your brunch eggs, please do us all a favor and go somewhere else. Hopefully, we can preserve their Frenchness for a little while longer.
Now if you are more inclined to try eating a soup and a quiche for breakfast, please try this amazing neighborhood gem. They offer great food and great value.
Useful info: Cash only. The place does not take reservations, it seats about 20 people in there, plus another 15 outside when the weather is good. It gets crowded and the wait can be longer than 30 minutes on a weekend. Parking in this area is not easy to find.

Sit outside at a small table, sip coffee, and pretend like you are in Paris in the summertime. That’s exactly what I did. I had a baguette with butter and jam and sipped a latte and forgot for a little bit that I had things to do and was really just hanging out in the neighborhood.
This place is a total mom and pop place with a good breakfast/​brunch menu worth checking out. Now that I see other reviews in going to have to go back to try other things on the menu. Especially their specialty coffees!
Its cash only and this place was super nice and let me run out and go to the atm because I completely forgot to bring cash. Nice people ! Check it out!

True gem of a place. I would go here at any opportunity if given it. The Tuesday tapas nights seem interesting but I have concerns that this might get too popular for too small of a place. I did go on a Tuesday morning, and that casualness, sparseness of customer was exactly what I needed. Weekends might get too hectic.
No clue how someone can give this a poor rating.

I came here on a Sunday morning (~9:30am) and it was packed. The space here is very tight, but it’s very quaint and I could see myself coming here more often if I lived nearby. Finding parking around this area is doable but not easy. I got melted brie on a baguette with strawberry jam. It was delicious but not very filling. In hind sight, I should have ordered one of the ham and brie sandwiches which my friend got and was very satisfied with. The coffee here was not impressive. I an avid coffee drinker, so I look forward to that strong cup of coffee more than the meal in the morning, and when the coffee does not meet that need it puts a damper on the whole meal (am I being too dramatic? haha – but it kind of does). My friends and I didn’t get our caffeine fix, so we headed to Rival Bros a block away afterwards.

While in a hurry before battle the crowds at Trader Joes’s on a Sunday, we happened to see this place on Unilocal and take our chances.
Perfect location, accessible walking distance from both University And Center City! There was just a bit of a wait because it’s small inside, but the servers kept checking on us even though the wait was minimal. We didn’t mind.
Super cute and cozy inside. Definitely small, but reminded me of a café straight out of France!
My tip would be get there early or you’ll definitely wait!

I have never encountered a place with food as good as this (the best tomato bisque in the city!) and an owner-​chef who is so astoundingly and consistently unpleasant. Honestly, it is inexplicable how she remains in the service industry.

This small French restaurant is easy to get to on the 40 bus. The staff are very nice and the food is amazing. It’s a small restaurant and clearly popular, so you may have a wait. There’s outdoor seating as well for when the weather is nice. I got a goat cheese, oregano, and roasted red pepper sandwich on crispy baguette which was to die for. My café au lait was very good as well. My friend got the red lentil soup and goat cheese and fig quiche. I tried the soup and it was very tasty. We are definitely returning because of their varied menu and delicious food, for a very reasonable price.

I loved it. Went there for a Sunday breakfast. Had the Egg, Provolone, and Ham on Baguette. It was delicious, and my boyfriend had the same on a bagel, also great. The coffee was strong and smooth… perfect. Service was fast and very friendly. They were fine with us sitting there for awhile, and chatting after our meal. Didn’t have any of the pastries but they looked very good. The place is cute, small, very «mom & pop» feel, and the prices were spot on. We will certainly be back! Philly has a ton of great little places, but this one has a uniquely unpretentious, relaxed, community feel.

Tomato bisque on a snowy day? Yes, please! I love their soup because it strikes the right balance between tart and creamy, with a nice bite from little bits of onion and black pepper. The consistency is also great as it is not too watery. I’ve also had their daily quiches twice now. On my most recent visit, it was brie cheese with a red pepper relish. Though the quiches are tasty, I have to say they are just too oily for my liking. Regardless, I would stop by again to have some more tomato bisque!

Love this little café for easy weekend brunches or weekday lunches. They have a good selection of sandwiches with different assortments of cheese and meats and pates. I love the Croque Madame, which is baked with soft bread, good ham, creamy bechemel (cheese/​cream) sauce, and topped with a sunny side up egg. Lots of cheese in all their dishes.

It might be a good place to spend a Sunday morning if you want to brunch your weekend away.

Cute place– friendly owners and wait staff, delicious food! Yum their quiche is my go to but everything is equally as delicious– the soups, the Brie sandwiches yumm! Have both eaten there and typically order take out on weekend mornings. Highly recommend!

Went here on a whim one Sunday morning around 9:30 a.m. It was a lovely atmosphere, with just a few people there reading the paper, or having breakfast with their families. The servers were pleasant and quick, and refilled the coffee without having to ask for it. The food however was so-​so. It wasn’t anything spectacular, and quite frankly was a bit overpriced. We had a pastry and an omelet. Overall, it was fine, but nothing I really would crave for again. If you want a cute-​Parisian type restaurant, this is your place. But for food, it was only okay.

This is one of my favorite spots in fitler square. The food reminds me of my trip to Europe. The coffee drinks are fantastic. It’s cozy. The waitstaff is friendly. It’s a no rush, no fuss kind of spot. But. It’s cash only. And I always forget.

Sooooo good!
I take my dog to the Schulkyll River Dog Run at 11:00am every day, and every day it’s hard to walk past Café Lutecia without stopping in. Their soups are amazing (the chilled cucumber is my favorite) and the quiche Lorraine makes me feel like I’m in Paris. 5 stars to my favorite neighborhood spot!

A simple café with the perfect french croissants. The vibe is no frills just great food. We especially come here for their amazing soups.

My boyfriend and I finally tried this place out a few weeks ago and have been back three times already! It’s a quaint café that reminds me of a trip to France I took four years ago. It’s a bit small inside, but the outdoor seating is great when the weather is nice. The servers are always friendly. The coffee is great and they make a cool design in the froth of their lattes. The food, which is mainly soups, sandwiches, quiche, and salads is homemade and very good.

I am very disappointed to have to give such a bad review of Café Lutécia. Very little about my experience there was positive, and though I hope it was just a bad day for them, I won’t risk it by going back.
First, our waiter was not very kind. I (as well as others in my party) felt that we were being given attitude based on our orders (hinting that we should order more, for instance). It did not make us feel comfortable. Our food came very late– it took about an hour to get our food (salads, quiche, and a baguette with butter and jam), and it was fairly clear that it was because our order was forgotten. When it did come, the portions were very small, and my quiche was pretty flavorless and, worst of all, the crust was undercooked to the point of being raw.
As much as I wanted to love this cute little café, I left wishing that I had simply had my friends over to my place to make them brunch, because I am positive that I could have done a much better job, and for a fraction of the price.

Outstanding food! We tried and loved the African peanut soup, tomato soup, quiche and tuna sandwich. I’ll be visiting again very soon to order the soup and sandwich. LOVE!
Thank you!!!

Cute little café with decent espresso and breakfast selections. The food is good; simple and delicious, nothing too fancy. The espresso is average, tasted a little weak but it could just be my presence. Also note that the service is slow, so be sure to come when you have time to relax and enjoy the morning. There is outdoor seating as well, which is the best part about eating in the city!

Good service. Had one of the special quiche of the day. Very good though maybe a little overpriced for the size. Would recommend.

The tuna sandwich is made with some kind of special magic. The cute waiter with the glasses always makes fun of me for being basic and ordering the tuna, SUCH A TEASE! But he admitted last time that it was indeed made with something special that makes it taste so good.
If you come here and they have the Af Chick Pea soup on the menu that day, stop everything you’re doing and order it. Otherwise you’re dead to me.
The owners are charming. The woman owner is especially lovable. And the waitress who is there on weekends is the funniest girl ever. I mean, she wears t-​shirts with unicorns on them! Like what is that?!
Go here, get the soup, get the half sandwich. Just don’t ask for substitutions.

My friend and I stopped here for brunch on Sunday. The food was tasty and reasonably priced. I had the soup and sandwich combo and chose the peanut soup and ham and cheese sandwich and my friend had the a Alesia salad and started with the refreshing gazpacho soup.

I would easily have given this place four stars but my husband is bitter that they wouldn’t give him a glass of ice with his coffee and believes this is a glaring representation of their customer service.
Had I dined alone, I would have said the customer service was exceptional, very friendly and attentive. The food was delightful; the warmed chocolate coissant was light, buttery and flakey and the croque madame with a Sunnyside up egg atop was delicious, filling and the perfect balance of swiss cheese, salty ham and creamy bechemel with 2 thick slices of soft, fresh bread making it a double decker. The café au lait was delicious, with lots of frothy milk.
Had it not been for their policy to deny a glass of ice with hot coffee so iced coffee can be refilled without charge, I definitely would have given 4 stars and returned.

It was one of those rare days when I only had a salad, so I don’t have all too much to say about the food. My friend had a soup, quiche, and croque — all three got a thumbs up.
Service was also friendly and fast for a Sunday brunch.

I love this place! Everything I have eaten here had been simple and delicious.
I love that there is no fluff, just good quality ingredients placed in beautiful soups, pastries, sandwiches, quiche, and salads.
Also, there lattes are delicious!
When it’s warm out, it is a true delight to eat outside.
Finally, the staff is so friendly! :)