The Good King Tavern

"Between the maps on the walls and the handwritten specials on the chalkboard, this casual Bella Vista restaurant feels like a Parisian antique shop that happens to serve good food. The neighborhood spot works great for casual Friday night dinner with friends or first dates on a weeknight. You’ll find bistro hits like steak frites, escargot, and all kinds of duck. Plus, they have an extensive wine list—after all, they own the wine bar upstairs, and a fantastic snacky wine bar in Rittenhouse (see below)." - alison kessler

"You posted a picture with Swoop at the Eagles' open practice, they posted a selfie with Anya Taylor-Joy's blur in Cannes, and it’s been war ever since. They’ve come back from the French Riviera with two things: an awful I Heart Van Gogh shirt and an advanced degree in rosé. Instead of suffering through their sommelier-in-training rant sober, take them to Bella Vista’s Good King Tavern. They have great traditional dishes like steak frites, socca, and garlicky escargot. Plus, the wine list is long enough to get you buzzed when they start going on and on about nodes and perfect grape size. " - candis mclean

"Good Wine But No Influencers Good King Tavern has a wine list that will take you to the same horny place as Parc's will, except you get to drink in a much more intimate room. Between the maps on the walls and the handwritten specials on the chalkboard, this casual Bella Vista restaurant may incite a French accent after three chenin blancs. The menu also has bistro hits like a burger, steak frites, and escargot. In terms of the quality of the dishes, Good King edges it out over Parc—hence the higher rating. " - candis mclean

"The words “tavern” and “date night” don’t generally go hand in hand, but that’s one of the reasons that The Good King Tavern is so great. It manages to be both casual enough to go with a few friends for a Sunday night dinner, but quiet and dark enough to be the perfect place for a mid-winter date night. Make sure to get the duck wings, but you really can’t go wrong with any of their small plates (which are called “tavern fare” on the menu)." - sydney mcelwee

"The Good King is a laid-back French bistro with a drinks list worth paying attention to. It covers the usuals — sazeracs, martinis, and so on — just as well as any other cocktail bar, but riffing off the classics is where the bartenders here truly excel. The wine list is, of course, stellar." - Ernest Owens, Eater Staff