New Life On Rittenhouse

Rick Nichols feels the Parisian style of Stephen Starr’s Parc.

As much as the food – maybe more than the food – the interior bespoke its classic French bistro origins. Suspended art deco lamps. The chunky, time-dulled zinc bar. Intricate tiling. Smoky mirrors. Curvy brass railings. Retro nudes (or, rather, black-and-white photographs thereof) reclining over chest-to-floor urinals.

All that, Starr pointed out, was once original equipment, yanked from bistros of yore. Parc’s woodwork (and some seating) is the only new stuff, made to look distressed with torture tactics, including the administration of cigarette burns.

On the Side: French style for the square [Philadelphia Inquirer]
Parc [Official Site]