A few months back, I had the pleasure of writing about Memphis’s most enduring dining institutions — all the beloved spots that have fed this city for decades, and in two or three cases, over a century. But I have a confession to make. Among those iconic culinary landmarks, there was one crown jewel I had never actually visited.
That place was Chez Philippe.
Growing up off Summer Avenue near the original Putt-Putt Golf & Games, there wasn’t a lot of opportunity (or extra family funds) to dine on French cuisine beneath the fancy ceilings of The Peabody Memphis. Escargot wasn't on our weekend itinerary. Instead, our Friday nights belonged to late-80s and early-90s Memphis staple: the old Po Folks on Summer Avenue.That was our idea of fine dining.
(Does anyone remember Po Folks?)
When I stepped into the role of Food Writer at The Commercial Appeal in May, I knew I had an immediate professional duty to correct this oversight. On Sept. 17, I finally did. I sat down for what might be the city's standard-bearer of fine dining, a legendary destination quietly preparing to celebrate its 45th anniversary in January 2027.
National accolades, local gem
While the menu at Chez Philippe favors restraint and intention, its recent list of national accolades is staggering. Just this year — and it's only September — one of Memphis' top dining restaurants landed the No. 3 spot for Best Hotel Restaurant in the 2026 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. In March 2026, it earned the coveted AAA Five Diamond Award, an honor it has held since first receiving Four Diamonds back in 1989, making it the sole Five Diamond winner in the entire tri-state area.
Add yet another Wine Spectator Award of Excellence to its fireplace mantle, and the restaurant’s historical pedigree remains as impressive as ever.
Much of that current momentum belongs to Executive Chef Keith Clinton. Joining Chez Philippe in 2023, Clinton holds a unique distinction: he is the restaurant’s first-ever Memphis-born-and-raised head chef. Bringing local roots alongside fine-dining chops sharpened at places like Erling Jensen and Lobbyist, Clinton takes the grand lineage of The Peabody's flagship restaurant and grounds it right here at home.
When you enter the large dining hall, just off the main lobby floor of The Peabody with its fountains, iconic ducks and excellent people-watching, you are immediately transported in time to old-world French opulence. The room has great, dignified character and romance: high vaulted ceilings, Roman-style columns, gold drapery, chandeliers and artful fresco work. You half expect to see Marie Antoinette at the table next to you, not a pharmaceutical rep in town visiting from Corpus Christi, Texas.
You also know you're in for some serious business when you're greeted by an assembly line of servers.
So many servers.All dressed like Secret Service men, in perfectly tailored black suits, complete with covert surveillance earpieces. They use them to communicate with the kitchen, bar and management, coordinating service smoothly, while maintaining a quiet, seamless and elegant dining-room environment. Oh, that's another thing about Chez Philippe. It exudes quiet elegance. You're not going to hear the latest pop hits blaring over a loudspeaker by the restrooms.
You're also not even seated for two minutes before your seven-course tasting begins. I ordered sparkling water and a Diet Coke — no wine here, I'm on the clock — and it was presented as God intended, in a large glass bottle that they poured for me right there at the table.
Perfectly paced courses
The tasting menu moves quickly, too, and very intentionally. The staff moves at your pace, and because I'm a fast eater, I noticed this incredibly polished wait staff seemed to anticipate every move before I made it.
Here's how the evening unfolded:
- Amuse-bouche — A chef-selected bite that looks like a mini ice cream cone, except this cone is filled with caviar and served as a delicate cornet canapé — a perfect flavor to set the tone for the many, many more tastings to come.
- Bread course — House-baked Japanese milk bread served with a variety of seasonal butters, including Beurre Bordier tomato-basil butter and my favorite, a sweet apple-infused compound butter.
- Tuna crudo — Chef Keith Clinton brought this course out himself, describing it as his "favorite of the night." Served in a large ramekin with a spoon, this light starter combines tuna, avocado, and pomelo with cherry blossom. It was the raw, delicate counterpoint to some of the richer courses that followed.
- Celeriac scarpinocc — A savory beignet, this bite-sized nugget is filled with Parmesan cream and topped with chopped Australian winter truffle.
- Black cod — This was one of my favorites of the night: a remarkably tender, flaky piece of deep sea fish, submerged in a rich brown-butter beurre blanc and finished with Kaluga caviar. The buttery sauce against the naturally sweet, silky black cod was a perfect contrast.
- Intermezzo - This is where Chef Keith Clinton invites you to the kitchen for a "palate cleanser." It consists of a mint and matcha sorbet with watermelon on top and lime on the bottom. (Also the Chez Philippe kitchen is library-quiet and spotless.)
- 36-hour braised short rib — So tender it falls apart with the slightest touch of a fork, this piece of premium meat is served in Sauce Périgueux and might have been my personal favorite of the night. White asparagus in brown-butter crumb is served delicately on the side.
- N.Y. strip - A nice New York strip comes next. Another strong protein, this domestic Wagyu from Texas is served over a warm shallot sauce and paired with chanterelle mushrooms and fresh greens from Jackson Road Farms in Mississippi. This was another top-tier serving, and honestly, it would make an excellent entrée all on its own.
- Strawberry shortcake — Mint, diplomat, strawberry gel and macadamia crunch combining the ideal crisp and deliciously fruity and sweet ender to one fantastic meal.
Although it's called a seven-course tasting, there are additional components — like the amuse, bread, and intermezzo — that make the meal feel more like a long-form culinary experience than simply seven plates. The restaurant also changes its menu based on season and sourcing, so the exact progression can change.
More than a meal, an experience
Overall, I was surprised by how deceptively filling the seven courses are. Although most appear bite-sized and ornately beautiful, you are not going to leave Chez Philippe hungry. It was an incredibly satisfying experience and "experience" is really the word for it. This isn't something you do on a random Thursday night. This is more of a once-in-a-lifetime occasion you share with a wife, husband, child or mother.
Warm, inviting, precise
I'd characterize the entire evening as luxurious but not the least bit stuffy. I think restaurants like this can intimidate people, but the service is so warm, inviting and precise that it's almost overwhelming how excellent the entire operation is.
The food leans toward refined combinations — truffle, caviar, French sauces, and delicate seafood — while also incorporating Southern and local ingredients and contemporary techniques.
Clinton is particularly known for adding little surprise bites between courses and interacting with diners, so there's an element of theater, personalization, and fun bewilderment beyond what's printed on the menu.
And then, they even leave you with more food.
An elegant take-home bag full of sweet morsels to pop in bed, while ruminating over the very fancy evening you just gloriously spent at the Peabody Hotel.
That, ultimately, is what surprised me most about Chez Philippe.
For all the formality, history and fine-dining pedigree, the experience itself never felt intimidating. It felt fun.
The seven-course tasting is a polished, impeccably executed French-influenced modern American tasting experience that I believe every native Memphian should try at least once. The incredible food, the expert service, and little surprises at Chez Philippe are meant to feel like an evening-long event rather than simply a grab-and-go dinner.
So if you do indulge, enter hungry, expect three leisurely hours of fine dining — and absolutely no duck on the menu.
Chez Philippe proudly has not served duck since its inception in 1981, and for all of us fans of the iconic Peabody ducks — Memphis icons right up there with Elvis and Stax Records — we thank you.
Brian Strickland is the Food & Dining reporter at The Commercial Appeal. Contact him at brian.strickland@commercialappeal.com.
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Chez Philippe
Where: 149 Union Avenue (at The Peabody Memphis)
Hours: Dinner: Thursday–Sunday, 5-10pm; Afternoon Tea: Wednesday–Sunday: Noon—3:30pm
Website: https://peabodymemphis.com/dine/chez-philippe/
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: Memphis native puts fine dining experience at Chez Philippe on the table
