Citronnelle
A cozy, intimate BYOB French bistro in Lancaster, offering creatively sourced, globally inspired dishes in a classy, modern setting.
Highlights
Must-see attractions
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Citronnelle
Highlights
Must-see attractions
A cozy, intimate BYOB French bistro in Lancaster, offering creatively sourced, globally inspired dishes in a classy, modern setting.
Make Reservations
Secure your table in advance, especially for weekends, as this intimate bistro is small and popular.
Embrace BYOB
Bring your favorite wine to enjoy with your meal; a low corkage fee applies, making it a great value.
Quick Facts
Cuisine
Modern French
Price
$$$
Highlights
Discover the most iconic attractions and experiences
Innovative French Cuisine with Global Flavors
Experience creative, well-balanced dishes blending French techniques with Asian and North African influences. Locally sourced ingredients shine.
Intimate and Refined Ambiance
A quiet, classy, and intimate 32-seat bistro offering a refined dining experience perfect for special occasions.
Exceptional Crab Croquettes
Highly recommended appetizer: soft, flavorful crab croquettes with an excellent crab taste and creamy texture.
Plans like a pro.
Thinks like you
Menu
Most Popular Items
Insider Tips
from TikTok, Instagram & Reddit
Make Reservations
Secure your table in advance, especially for weekends, as this intimate bistro is small and popular.
Embrace BYOB
Bring your favorite wine to enjoy with your meal; a low corkage fee applies, making it a great value.
Consider Early Dining
Opt for an early dinner to experience a quieter ambiance and potentially avoid crowds.
Don't Skip the Soufflé
Order the soufflé (lemongrass or chocolate) in advance, as it requires 25 minutes to prepare but is worth the wait.
Tips
from all over the internet
Make Reservations
Secure your table in advance, especially for weekends, as this intimate bistro is small and popular.
Embrace BYOB
Bring your favorite wine to enjoy with your meal; a low corkage fee applies, making it a great value.
Consider Early Dining
Opt for an early dinner to experience a quieter ambiance and potentially avoid crowds.
Don't Skip the Soufflé
Order the soufflé (lemongrass or chocolate) in advance, as it requires 25 minutes to prepare but is worth the wait.
What Travellers Say
Reviews Summary
Citronnelle is praised for its innovative French cuisine with global influences and impeccable, friendly service, creating a refined dining experience. While many rave about the creative dishes and intimate ambiance, some reviews mention inconsistencies in flavor or execution, and occasional service hiccups. However, the overall consensus points to a unique culinary gem worth visiting, especially for special occasions.
"I came here for my birthday with my family; I have come here for ten years and I have never been disappointed with the food, service or atmosphere. The dishes are innovative, well balanced and always cooked perfectly. Andrew the server was great, the owner Susan is always so welcoming and kind and Chef Rafael is a master of his craft!"
Emily Yam
"Absolutely incredible. The crab croquettes were very soft and had a excellent crab taste. The arrangement of the plates were beautiful. The inside of the restaurant was very personal. You could tell that everything was done with care, intentionality. The main courseries were fantastic. The steak was cooked perfectly, chicken was delicate with a beautiful mushroom flavor. The desserts were not overly sweet. I would really recommend giving this place a try!"
Amy S
"Rude.
Initially, when I sent an email to change my reservation the owner was very gracious.
Unfortunatel, the young woman who is waiting on us was less so. It is rude to tell your customers, once you've told them that you've run out of french fries, after putting down the menus and not mentioning the items that you were missing, to suggest that they go to McDonald's if they want fries.
It's also very strange for a Modern French bistro restaurant to run out of bread at 7:30 in the evening. Yes, it is odd that they served some sort of version of focaccia instead of a proper baguettes but maybe that's all part of the modern twist? However, every one of us has access to even Frozen baguettes from any chain grocery store that we can reheat when we run out of bread for ourselves and in a pinch, for our customers. The waitress seem to have an attitude when she delivered that news as well.
It is the hospitality business even in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and she did not seem very hospitable.
As far as the food went, the appetizers were fine. We especially enjoyed the croquettes and the carpaccio.
I found the duck and fig bisteeya to the incredibly dense and lacking in duck. There was a lot of fig. Not an interesting dish. Although my co diner enjoyed his so it is a case of to each his own.
The fish of the day was good and so was the lamb.
The complete failure was the dessert. The souffles, which we ordered with our mains tasted like scrambled eggs with sugar and flavorings in them. They were curdled. They were not souffles and the creme anglaise was the consistency of milk not properly made creme anglaise.
Two good things about this restaurant are:
One, that it's fairly quiet.
It's a very plain room ambiance-wise, but you can't hear your fellow diners, which is nice.
Two, the corkage fee is very low.
Another snide response from our waitress was regarding whether or not they had anything that was non-alcoholic to drink. She said only coffee or tea. I found out later there was a ginger beer on the menu that she didn't think I needed to know about.
It seems strange with the plethora of non-alcoholic drinks and mocktails available at most restaurants these days that this place would not have a better selection."
Jackie Gordon Singing Chef
What People Like
What People Dislike
Frequently Asked Questions
Citronnelle serves modern French cuisine with influences from Asia and North Africa, utilizing creative and locally sourced ingredients.
Yes, Citronnelle is a BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle) establishment, and they have a low corkage fee per bottle.
Reservations are recommended, especially for weekend dining, as Citronnelle is a small, intimate restaurant with limited seating.
Customers highly recommend the Crab Croquettes and the soufflés. Many also praise the innovative main courses like Steak Frites and Duck Bisteeya.
Yes, Citronnelle offers gluten-free options, with menu items like grilled octopus, Wagyu beef carpaccio, and steak frites.
The ambiance is described as quiet, refined, classy, and intimate, making it suitable for special occasions and relaxed dining.
Dessert options include soufflés (lemongrass and chocolate), which are noted as a specialty. Other desserts like apple pie are also available.
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Return to downtown Lancaster—and the present tense—with dinner at Citronnelle (110 W Orange St.; pictured above), an intimate BYOB bistro offering a contemporary take on French cuisine, with some Asian and North African influences thrown in, too. Classics like duck leg confit might share space on the seasonal menu with a harvest salad enlivened with Moroccan spices or crab croquettes served with wasabi aioli. Dishes are rich and complex without getting snooty about it, and ingredients are locally sourced wherever possible, thank goodness.
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Citronnelle is a tiny, 32-seat BYOB restaurant serving modern French cuisine with a global twist. It uses fresh, local, seasonal produce (organic whenever possible), local proteins and the highest quality exotic ingredients in its dishes. To start, taste the global flavors in the grilled octopus a la Basque or dive into the pure richness of the luxe country pate with Iberico pork, duck, chicken liver, bacon, Sauternes, pistachios, cherries, pickled beans and shallots and country mustard with garlic baguette toast.
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Another French restaurant in Lancaster is Citronnelle offering a seasonal, locally sourced, globally inspired menu. Citronnelle is BYOB and offers a range of non-alcoholic drinks such as ginger beer, hot teas and espresso. Be sure to end your meal with a soufflé, either the signature or decadent dark chocolate, both of which require 25 minutes to prepare and are worth the wait.
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Citronnelle brings you just that, with a cozy spot that serves French food with flavors from around the world. Chef Rafael Perez keeps things exciting with a menu that changes often, offering special dishes like seafood stew with saffron and slow-cooked duck that melts in your mouth. The warm, welcoming space makes you want to take your time and enjoy every bite.
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Citronnelle offers modern French cuisine in downtown Lancaster, with a seasonally changing menu and BYOB. For an idea of their gluten free options, current menu offerings include grilled octopus a la basque, wagyu beef carpaccio, black angus steak frites, vegetable paella, fish du jor, and homemade sorbet duo for dessert. Reservations are recommended.
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Citronnelle, a French-style Lancaster BYOB restaurant, offers a fun take on the farm-to-table concept. Their new ‘Global Wednesdays’ events approach fine international cuisine, while still using mostly locally sourced, fair, and fresh ingredients. And it is safe to say that they have succeeded in their challenges.
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New Restaurants in Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Urbanspoon/Zomato Best Restaurants in Lancaster, PA - Horse Inn, The Black Goat Gastropub, LUCA, John J Jeffries, Lancaster Brewing Company, Norbu Lancaster, Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant, Citronnelle, Decades, Callaloo Menu Dining - Good 'N Plenty Restaurant 4.4.
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Citronnelle is a chic and intimate little French BYOB located right in the heart of downtown. Their dishes are classically prepared, yet modern, with global influences from Asia and Africa. Citronnelle, which is French for lemongrass, is synonymous with fresh, local, natural—and often organic— ingredients.
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Citronnelle is a tiny yet chich 32-seat jewel box of a BYOB restaurant serving modern French cuisine with a global twist. We use fresh, local, seasonal produce (organic where possible), local proteins (hormone-free and sustainable where possible), and the highest quality exotic ingredients in our dishes.
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We have been to Citronnelle twice. Very special little French restaurant. Citronnelle is a gem, we will reserve a table again. The combination of the assorted seafood dish complements each other and tastes very delicious. Usually shellfish tend to leave sand in the dish, but this dish delighted me...
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Citronnelle, with its French-inspired menu, creates a cozy and intimate setting for an evening to remember. And at The Belvedere Inn, live music and a lively crowd mean you can propose at dinner and then toast to your future upstairs with music playing in the background.
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110 W Orange StLancaster, PA 17603(717) 208-6697 Visit Website See Menu Open in Google Maps. This dining establishment with outdoor seating is one of the great Lancaster eats that serve authentic French dishes with a modern twist.
Fine Dining and Simple Elegance
Citronnelle is a chic and intimate super club offering a stellar dining experience in the heart of downtown Lancaster. The cuisine is modern French. Dishes are classically prepared, yet modern, with Asian and African influences.
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French restaurants come up with creative dishes that are carefully crafted. This restaurant has great flair, style and menu. Address : 110 W Orange St, Lancaster, PA 17603, USA
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- Rating: 4.5/5 (126 reviews)- Price level: $$$- Address: 110 West Orange St. Lancaster, Pennsylvania - Categories: French, Asian Fusion, Basque- Read more on Yelp
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110 W Orange St, Lancaster, PA 17603Phone: (717) 208-6697 Visit Website. A post shared by Citronnelle, Lancaster PA (@citronnellepa). Love fancy French food?
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