The title compound, C(16)H(8)O(3), was synthesized by the Pd-coupling reaction of phenyl-acetyl-ene with 4-bromo-phthalic anhydride. The phenyl and isobenzofurane rings are nearly coplanar, forming a dihedral angle of 6.70 (10)°. In the crystal structure, centrosymmetrically related mol-ecules are linked into dimers by C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.