First Pics: Restaurant Neuf opening Sept. 30 in the Italian Market

The new restaurant from the Joncarl Lachman and Bob Moysan of Noord has been one of the most-anticipated new restaurants in the city since the news first broke of its opening in January.

As of Wednesday, September 30, Restaurant Neuf will be officially open at 943 S. 9th St., serving North African-style food with Southern French influences.

This location was formerly home to 943, an Argentinian-Italian restaurant. Since that spot closed in 2013, this location has remained vacant. While walking through the Italian Market, you’ve likely noticed the black and white tiling outside.

Neuf’s food menu is mostly in the mid-$20 range. Menu items include dishes like kamounia, bouillabaisse, braised goat leg, swordfish and more. Restaurant Neuf uses locally sourced ingredients, mostly from around South Philly. You can check out the menu here.

Unlike Noord, Neuf has a bar, run by Jesse Cornell. You can try the bottled wines from Morroco, some cocktails, a small selection of beers, among other options. On Sunday nights, the restaurant will be a BYOB.

The decor of Restaurant Neuf is what Lachman describes as “simple elegance with a bit of grit.” He hopes the location still has a bit of a romantic feel to it, which Neuf plans to emphasize with a nightly candle-lit cocktail hour after 10 p.m. He plans to offer mainly drinks then, along with a small bites menu. Other noteworthy decor is the wall with the wallpapered images of bottles from Moysan’s collection, bar stools from Bok, curtains from NRS Boutique and more.

Neuf is having a neighborhood open house on Monday, September 28 for the community to check out this new spot. You can stop by after 6 p.m. Lachman also says that he hopes to have an industry night at the location on Tuesdays with certain specials.

Restaurant Neuf is open for dinner from Tuesday through Sunday. You can make a reservation through OpenTable if you’re planning on checking this new restaurant out.