Talula’s Table

The corner of South Union and West State Streets in downtown Kennett Square has become a mecca for food lovers, marked by a cheerful yellow awning and understated outdoor seating. Talula’s Table has built its name on a simple but appealing premise: exceptional ingredients, treated with respect and served with a flourish of creativity. 

Morning through afternoon, Talula’s operates as a gourmet market, where cases of food display carefully sourced and crafted delights. Abundant cheese boards change with availability and the season, including a game-day iteration for football season. Year-round, soft cheeses wrapped in crisp white paper are carefully selected and stacked. Prepared foods range from homemade dips in neatly labeled containers to cookies wrapped in cellophane with handwritten labels. Cranberry scones arrive with generous swipes of house-made frosting, and cinnamon-dusted crullers are served alongside proper baguettes and glistening croissants. Come autumn, pumpkin spice lattes come topped with cloud-like whipped cream and swipes of latte art—a simple, but nearly universal joy. 

The curbside patio seating offers prime real estate for watching Kennett Square unfold. Locals grab morning coffee, tourists explore the Mushroom Capital of the World, and couples grab a something to eat before heading to Longwood Gardens. 

But Talula’s reputation derives primarily from its evening persona, when the market closes and transforms for dinner service. The evening experience requires reservations for good reason, as the restaurant’s approach to locally sourced fine dining has earned devotees throughout the valley and beyond. The menu changes with the seasons and the availability of local farms, reflecting genuine seasonality and making good on the promise of farm-to-table dining. Kenett’s Square’s mushroom industry offers obvious opportunities, as the town produces a significant share of America’s mushrooms, but the kitchen’s reach extends throughout Chester County. 

Guests can reserve either the Nook Table, which seats four to eight guests near its generous front window, or the Farm Table, which seats eight to 12 guests in the heart of the market.