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    Illata

    4.6 (62 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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    ILLATA ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Illata

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    20 seats intimate and the best menu
    Colleen P.

    Small/intimate/great food. Cant ask for much more and at a great price. The service is excellent and I believe they got a nod from Michelin last month. Every time i come here we order the full menu. The full menu is the perfect amount for 2-3 people to share. Huge shoutout to Mary who always brings her best. I come here year-round but a nice summer evening and a glass of wine here is really perfection. Don't miss out on Illata!!

    Michael C.

    Absolutely fantastic meal at Illata. Mad I just discovered this place honestly. Food was delicious - simple, exciting combinations, and so flavorful. Prices were more than fair and the staff were all extremely friendly. Must try in Philly!

    Brown Butter Tart, Chocolate Cake
    Melissa A.

    Had a great dinner at Illata a few weeks ago after hearing many rave reviews, and I love finding new BYOB spots! The restaurant itself was small and intimate, which allowed food to come quickly and the staff to be very attentive. Food: we ended up ordering/splitting 75% of the menu as each dish is "tapa" size. Overall, the food was unique, rich and beautiful in presentation (I was so excited to eat I forgot to take more pictures!). The Carrot, Chicory salad and Brown Butter Tart were my favorite. I am only deducting a star due to the price of the food compared to the actual portion sizes, though this is to be expected at a "fine dining" type of restaurant (though the actual restaurant feels a bit casual for the prices). Overall would recommend Illata for some unique, contemporary American food!

    Rebecca K.

    My husband used to live right around the corner from what is now Illata, so when we heard about this spot opening, we had to try it out. We made reservations through Capital One, so we snagged a prime time Friday night reservation without issue (shoutout to Capital One and Illata for the collab!). My favorite Philly restaurants tend to be those housed in row homes, and Illata was no exception. It's a fairly unassuming storefront with simple lettering with the name above the doorframe and a cute chair sitting outside the door a flower vase and their current menu. Simple yet creative and cute, which is pretty much the perfect description for Illata overall. Once inside, since it is a row home, it's limited seating but they've organized the space so well to really maximize the dining area without feeling crowded at all. Our cute 2-top was perfect for our date night, giving us the intimate vibe we were hoping for. Our server was SO kind and friendly, excellently describing the menu to us and offering realistic suggestions on how much to order. She had great vibes all around, which really made our experience shine. For the menu, Illata features only a few dishes each night, leaning into seasonal and fresh ingredients while also featuring some popular dishes consistently. Based on feedback from our server, friends who previously dined at Illata, and Yelp, we ordered the bread and butter, chicory salad, carrots, tortellini, and octopus. We also were gifted the mussels by the staff, which was so generous and paired well with the bread. Our standouts were the carrot (loved the crab inclusion, I would never have paired the 2 items but man, did they work) and octopus (the mojo rojo spice was perfect to pair with the fresh seafood). Everything was so delish though, really nothing was a bad bite at all! I continue to love the BYOB scene in Philly, and it was perfect to bring our own bottle to enjoy alongside our meal. I was quite full by the end of the night, so when offered dessert, I couldn't even think of it ... but our server did us a solid and packaged 2 desserts up for us to take home! Loved that special touch to again, make the experience shine and leave me wanting to revisit and spread the word. The price for our meal was very reasonable, especially considering the BYOB and the freshness / quality of the dishes. Overall, I would definitely recommend Illata for anyone looking for a fresh, ever-changing, and quaint date night spot in Grad Hospital (although I would travel a good bit to visit again). We truly enjoyed our meal at Illata, and we cannot wait to visit again to try a new menu in the future!

    Lypheng K.

    Stopped by Illata with my boyfriend for a surprise dinner so I didn't know what to expect. It was really intimate which I really like. The restaurant is not big at all. I will say, I thoroughly enjoyed everything I had that evening. My boyfriend picked out every dish and there wasn't one that I didn't like. We started the meal with the fluke and bread/butter. Both were excellent. The fluke was a great start to the meal - it was light, citrusy, and had a little kick from the Thai chilis. The bread was fresh and delicious paired with the butter. Next came the marinated mussels and carrot with crab. We used the bread to scrape the sauces and it was a yummy combo. We refreshed our palate with the tortellini which came in a mushroom base broth. It was so good and felt like a warm hug. To wrap up the savory part, we enjoyed the NY strip and that was equally as amazing as the tortellini. The verjus was perfect with the streak. As if it wasn't enough, we got the chocolate cake and the brown butter tart. By this point I was so full but I couldn't resist the desserts as they were so good. Overall, the food came out in a timely manner and the staff was so personable that it elevated the experience of the meal even further.

    Sourdough and butter (nothing special)
    Kristen C.

    Really struggled between 3 vs 4 stars for this place because there wasn't anything wrong but I am also not clamoring to go back because there are comparable options closer to me and the bill ended up being pretty high still even though it's a BYO. Small restaurant with a dim / romantic ambiance--it can be sort of hard to hear the person sitting across from you because of how echoey the dining room is so just be ready to project a bit if it's a full house (which seems to be the case more often than not). This place is somewhere where you can conceivably order the entire menu including dessert if you come very hungry and I would recommend trying everything that sounds even remotely interesting to you, as the menu changes and items might not be there forever. I love to order bread and butter at small places bc it tends to slap but the bread here was nothing to write home about, although it served the purpose of mopping up sauce in other dishes (mussels in particular). If I could do it over again I'd get the agnolotti, steak, tuna crudo, chicory salad, mussels and save room for dessert rather than get the trout and sourdough bread.

    Tortellini in broth
    Susan M.

    We ordered one of everything for our table of four and it was all quite good. The tortellini in broth especially was delicious as were both desserts. The vibe is cozy rather than fancy but the food is trying some interesting things.

    Swordfish
    Marah H.

    Illata is a gem. My husband and I came back for our monthly BYOB date night and had another incredible meal. Highlights: the carrot with crab and brown butter (like an elegant kani salad--absolutely delicious), the perfectly al dente tagliatelle, and the most tender swordfish I've ever had. Always save room for dessert--the brown butter tart is a must. Service is warm, attentive, and clearly passionate about the food. Can't wait to return.

    Bread and Butter [$5]
    Felisa F.

    I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner at Illata last weekend. I was sat at the bar and chose the very comfy and intimate seat in the corner next to the wall. The restaurant is tiny and you can basically see into the kitchen. The service was so warm and hospitable, I'll definitely remember it for a long time. The food was equally great. These were the highlights: The Illata sourdough bread [$5] was magic. I'm glad I got a whole portion to myself. I was also impressed with the tortellini [$24] which swam in a tomato-like broth. The tomato flavor was super concentrated while the tortellini themselves were thin and airy. The brown butter tart [$12] is what I imagine all tarts and pie crusts to taste like, nutty with a bit of salt. It made me so happy. It's BYOB. I spent $107 after tax and tip.

    Sourdough bread and Fried oysters
    Ju L.

    My husband made a reservation for us for date night at Illata a few weeks ago. It was a Thursday night, and I was surprised by how packed the place was. I'm not particularly a fan of the small-menu-highlighting-local-ingredients-and-changes-often format, but I have heard good things about Illata and was interested in checking them out, plus they are BYOB which already won them extra points in my book. Sourdough bread - We saw a lady come in just to pick up a loaf. We thought it must be that good and put down an order to share. It was okay. Fried oysters - my husband wanted to order this, and I didn't think I would enjoy them that much, but I did. It was the best thing I ate all night. The tomato and aioli combination really completed the whole dish. Pastas - I was looking to carb up, and so we ordered 2 pastas to share, the Trofie alla Nerano and Rigatoni Alla Pesto. Both were also okay. I like that they make their own pastas from scratch, though. Chicken Schnitzel - this was a good dish because it was prepared well. The schnitzel was crispy and juicy. This all was quite a lot of food. I have to say, I was very full, but we decided to share the brown butter tart anyway. Brown Butter Tart - I definitely do not regret getting the brown butter tart. It was the second-best thing I ate all night. While we probably enjoyed half of the dishes we ordered, we still had a good time. I really liked the ambiance and the staff were very nice. Maybe we'll come back again, but we'll skip the pastas next time.

    Chicken Schnitzel
    Stephanie W.

    Vibes: casual, intimate, minimalistic byob; bring a date Tasting notes: - bread and butter: thick cut slices with an airy crumb and crackly crust; a little nutty, just sour enough; butter was mild accented with large flakes of salt - fried oysters: excellent crunch with creamy, tender meat inside; tomatoes added color, a refreshing contrast in texture and flavor - trout: irresistibly crispy skin with flaky, delicate meat - chicken schnitzel: satisfyingly crunchy with well-seasoned meat; loved the fennel salad's gently spicy fragrance and snappy bite - brown butter tart: easy to fork into pieces, ; very indulgent; richness is cut by tartness of the cherry; better suited for one person than to share Other thoughts: - offered still or sparkling water upon sitting down, with glasses of wine poured within minutes - dishes came free flowing from the kitchen at a steady pace - the above meal was just satisfying enough for two moderately hungry adults Impression: can't wait to see how the menu changes up as illata gets comfy in the neighborhood!

    Brown Butter Tart (blueberries, creme fraiche)
    Sarah A.

    Welcome to the neighborhood, Illata: keep it up! Caught up with a friend over a delicious meal in this cute new restaurant in Graduate Hospital. Terrific service and food: every dish was well-seasoned and simply worked! We shared the: - Bread and Butter (Illata sourdough, served with salted, spreadable butter), perfectly pocketed and chewy; - Cucumber (melon, lime, basil), what an exactly-ripe melon, which is so hard (for me) to find and paired so well with the seasoned cucumber; - Marinated Mussels (hakurei turnips, miso, chili oil), the right balance of creamy, hint of spice, and gigantic mussels; - Fried Oysters (heirloom tomato, aoili), what an exactly-ripe tomato, which is also so hard (for me) to find and paired so well with the oysters--who doesn't love fried oysters?! - Trout (english peas, watercress), delicate with a nice crisp skin; - Brown Butter Tart (blueberries, creme fraiche), could've eaten an entire tart, or perhaps just the crust...no, the entire tart. Definitely recommend and look forward to seeing how the menu changes with the seasons!

    Chicory Salad / anchovy, buttermilk, comte

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    Great food. Super nice wait staff. BYOB. Yummy bread. Recommend the mussels and the octopus.

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    Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar - HH: oyster

    Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar

    4.3(310 reviews)
    1.0 miAvenue of the Arts South
    $$$

    I think the last time I was at this corner munching on something it was a different place. But, on…read morethe multi-festival Saturday, second of May in the year 2026, I can definitively say that I've now tried the little seafood spot on one of our favorite corners, that we're almost always just passing by to get to Time. First, the friendly, informative service: in an oyster bar with a rotating fresh selection, that's an underrated must. We were seated outside, given a rundown of the menu and "as it's ready" flow of the kitchen. We got a pair of cocktails, the Melonata and a Tequila Julep. I think the Melonata might be my new summer favorite. It looks like Ecto Cooler but doesn't give a distinct feeling of growing diabetes while drinking it. In grown up terms, it was well balanced, not too sour, not too sweet, and deeply herbal, fruity, and refreshing at the same time. The Tequila Julep was a Mint Julep with tequila instead of bourbon. It was good, though it's hard to mess that set of ingredients up. We got a selection of oysters and a shooter. Every oyster was distinct and different. Felt like there were no "different on the menu but same in flavor profile" that you can sometimes run into. This implies it's well curated. I have no idea, because I'm not an expert fishmonger, nor do I know whether that term specifically applies here - case in point. Anyway, I got 2 from Washington State, and another from Cape May. The first WA was large, buttery, and had the satisfying chew of young coconut flesh. Semi sweet. The second was smaller, sharper, and briny as hell - tasted of the ocean. And finally, the Cape May was mild and fresh, a good balance between the two others. It was a perfect little tasting menu that I'd created by just ordering the first three guys off the list. Not sure what selection came with the shooter, but the concoction in the shot glass shooter was bright green and pickly. Glad I got it as a contrast to the classics with what I assumed was red wine vinegar. Besides that, we snacked on salmon avocado toast with the Calabrian Chili Oil. It was also very, very good. Sometimes things are better than the sum of their parts. This is true here, but it's also worth noting that the individual parts - the bread, the smoked salmon, the chili oil, the avocado, the shaved onions - were excellent in their own right. We will be back for sure.

    Definitely can do better and dropped from my 5 star last few visits to this experience. Happy hour…read moreand we managed to snag the last two seats at the bar just at 4. Placed an order for drinks, oysters and the rest of happy hour menu and choice selection of regular menu. I assumed things would come out staggered. Usually cocktails and raw bar would come first. But no. Raw bar came after sandwiches and wings so that threw off the ambiance. I still hadn't received my drink as more food was being delivered around me; and while I was watching one bar staff crouching under the bar on their phone, after a while I was like...do you know if my drink is on the way? It was her. She forgot. Literally It's first seating at the bar. Anyways wings were fine. oysters and clams great. Shrimp toastie & fish Sandwich fine. But when it came to the Al Pastor Octopus that I generally love here, this one was both chewy and slimy. Like the whole sleeve of the octopus had a slime layer- , was it the tentacles part? I had to keep spitting out. Not a nice chargrilled taste but each slice chewy with slime layer. Bleh. So disappointed. Threw the $20 into the trash. Didn't even get an "oh no" from the staff. Like why did we not want it when asked and I made the face. each bite was slime We settled up and immediately went next door to eat at double knot and that, per usual, WAS 5 star amazing.

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    Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar
    Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar - $2 oysters

    $2 oysters

    Pearl & Mary Oyster Bar - Oysters

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    Oysters

    Shaking Seafood - Shrimp Fried Rice

    Shaking Seafood

    3.8(107 reviews)
    1.2 miWashington Square West

    It's not worth it even if it was 1/2 off or buy one get one…read more They are running a deal on uber eats & Instacart so I decided to try. It can't be that bad but it absolutely WAS! The boil had no flavor tastes like water with the everything seasoning. I actually was disgusted with how bad it was typically corn is my favorite and they found a way to F that up. The broccoli was damn near raw. The mussels were just okay. Crab was pitiful and the shrimp was overcooked. Again no flavor. Even the butter didn't taste right. I wouldn't eat here for FREE. Never ever again.

    I came here with a group of friends for lunch. This is a cute little casual eatery, serving seafood…read moreboil, coconut shrimp, fried fish, pasta, fried rice, and an assortment of other small bites and offerings. The decor is colorful with a nautical theme. Since there were so many options, I had a hard time deciding what to order. I finally went with one of the seafood combination boils, and chose Combo A, which consisted of half pound snow crab, half pound shrimp with no head, corn, potato, and broccoli. I also added Sausage, which was $1 extra. I was very happy with the Snow Crab, because the legs were nice and thick. I used the cracker tool to get the meat out and it worked pretty well. The crab meat was delightfully tender, flaky, and was full of flavor made even tastier in the buttery garlic sauce. The shrimp had to be peeled, but was quite juicy and succulent. The veggies were fresh, soft, and cooked perfectly. The sausage was wonderfully well seasoned. I also got to try Coconut Shrimp, Hush Puppies, and Sweet Potato Fries. The Coconut Shrimp was lightly breaded, amazingly crispy, with the great taste of coconut. The Hush Puppies were also decent, and satisfyingly crunchy. Sweet potato fries were yummy and addicting. Service was great. Our server was friendly and on top of it, making sure we were taken care of. I was certainly happy with meal. If I return, I would try the Fried Basket of Fried Flounder with Calamari, and Seafood Fried Rice.

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    Shaking Seafood
    Shaking Seafood
    Shaking Seafood

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    Illata - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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