News

First Look: The Bercy, a French Brasserie for Ardmore

The luxe, expansive restaurant is about to open on Lancaster Avenue. We've got the menu.


Photo by Alex Jones

The Bercy is finally bringing its classic French brasserie fare with a luxe, outsized vibe to Ardmore (7 East Lancaster Avenue) this Friday.

The revamped building, which once housed a pizza restaurant, is big — 10,000 square feet — with tall windows, cloudlike chandeliers, gold-framed mirrors, and illuminated, U-shaped bar that gives guests a view of the action at the raw bar, rotisserie, and wood-fired oven.

“It took a lot of imagination, but we knew it was the space we wanted to be in to do something at this scale,” executive chef and co-owner Joe Monnich said of the space, which is decked out with a clever combination of sleek, contemporary designs and cheerfully over-the-top touches.

The upstairs mezzanine space includes a second bar and a private dining room. The space seats 240 inside, including an eight-seat raw bar, plus sidewalk seating that will be added during warm weather.

Photo by Alex Jones

Photo by Alex Jones

Photo by Alex Jones

As for the food, Monnich and co-owner and chef Justin Weathers, both alums of Starr restaurants, will be cooking up fresh takes on brasserie-style fare, with a slate of classics as well as rotating seasonal selections to keep the menu fresh.

Lobster Thermidor at The Bercy | Photo by Alex Jones

Smoked whitefish croquettes | Photo by Alex Jones

French onion soup | Photo by Alex Jones

Fire roasted shrimp salad | Photo by Alex Jones

Tuna tartare Napoleon | Photo by Alex Jones

Spaghetti pomodoro | Photo by Alex Jones

Steak frites | Photo by Alex Jones

“It’s been a dream of mine to do a French brasserie,” Monnich said. “The concept is what a restaurant should be — casual, fun, approachable.”

The Bercy opens this Friday at 5 p.m. Take a look at the menu below (click to embiggen), and make your reservations here.