8 Chester County Restaurants Named Among Best In Area

Chester County is home to a wide array of stellar cuisine. Hotspots like Phoenixville and West Chester are home to some of the nation's best chains, local food, and ethnic options, while more options are scattered around the county.

But as you ponder your many delicious options this weekend, you might be wondering: where are the best dining spots in the area?

Eight en of them are right here in Chester County, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. The publication recently put out its list of the 25 top restaurants in the Philadelphia suburbs. Establishments from Princeton, N.J. to Delaware County, Pa. were included in the analysis.

The following Chester County eateries were included in the list:

BANGLES, 889 E. Lancaster Ave, Downingtown

The dinner menu has a variety of spicy and non-spicy Indian options.

Bangles aims to serve an Indian audience, but also attract mainstream American diners, with a little upscale polish, plus some fusion touches.

BIRCHRUNVILLE STORE CAFE, 1403 Hollow Road, Birchrunville

The dinner menu features venison filet, black angus strip steak, chilean sea bass, roasted rack of lamb, and roasted breast of duck foie gras.

Ringed by misty cornfields and steepled churches, this old general store turned idyllic French BYOB remains one of the single most charming dining experiences in the region. No wonder weekends are booked months ahead for the cash-only dinners. There’s almost always stuffed roast pheasant, fresh fish with wild mushrooms, rack of lamb with minted risotto, and warm butterscotch cake for dessert.

LA PENA MEXICANA, 609 W. Cypress Street, Kennett Square

The authentic dinner menu is highlighted by tacos, with burritos, fish, quesadillas, tortas, and more.

The immigrant-rich agricultural community around mushroom country has a long tradition of great Mexican food, but La Peña Mexicana is my absolute favorite. This modest, no-frills taqueria has a paint job that’s impossible to miss, its shedlike buildings striped like a bumblebee in a Mexican flag.

MAJOLICA, 258 Bridge Street, Phoenixville

Majolica's dinner menu features four courses, highlighted by oysters, roasted beets, rabbit ragout, and dessert choices like nutella crepes.

Before the new, hip version of Phoenixville took root, Majolica was the pioneer. This ambitious 44-seat BYOB, launched a decade ago by Savona alum Andrew Deery, was the first project that really brought wider attention to the possibilities of Bridge Street as a nightlife district.

RESTAURANT ALBA, 7 W. King Street, Malvern

Alba's dinner menu includes diverse antipasta, pasta with rabbit, boar, duck, and other unique options, and a "secondi" menu of fish like grouper and trout.

It’s all about the live fire at Sean and Kelly Weinberg’s Malvern oasis, where the aromatic wood grill and the flavors of Northern Italy pair with excellent service and great Piedmont wines for a refined rustic vibe that makes for one of the best overall dining experiences in the suburbs.

TALULA'S TABLE, 102 W. State Street, Kennett Square

The rotating dinner menu always includes fresh ingredients and changes daily. The October menu was themed "American in Paris" and included Frenchie chicken, fruit and fromage, beef croquettes, and more.

Hard to believe it’s already been a decade since the trendsetting debut of this locavore paradise for prepared foods, artisan cheeses, and evening tasting menu feasts put Kennett Square on every gourmand’s hot list. And amazingly, you still need to plan a year in advance to book dinner at the 12-seat country table in the charming market dining room, and a few months out for the smaller butcher block square in the fluorescent-lit kitchen (my preferred choice).

TERESA'S NEXT DOOR, 124 N. Wayne Avenue, Wayne

This trendy Main Line locale has a wide variety of beers and options like the game burger, goat tacos, and mussels.

What began a decade ago as a Belgian bar with a novel Mexican twist has settled in, refined its Euro-taqueria bistro menu, and evolved into so much more than just a great beer bar.

VECCHIA PIZZERIA, 249 Bridge Street, Phoenixville

The menu includes a variety of pizzas, including marinara, white, covaccino, fior di latte, regina margherita, and much more.

In a world that rewards multitasking, Frank Nattle is single-minded. And his quest — for the perfect Neapolitan pizza — has long been one of the best reasons to visit Phoenixville. Don’t get overly complicated with toppings.

Photo: Morguefile