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    L'Anima

    4.3 (175 reviews)
    ModerateItalian
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:30 PM
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order L'Anima Takeout or Delivery

    L'Anima Photos

    L'ANIMA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Trendy
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - L'Anima

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    Burrata
    Daniela D.

    Finally went to L'anima after passing by here so many times and it was great! First of all, the restaurant is so nice inside and they have outdoor seating as well. Service was so nice and welcoming. Our server was a sweetheart and exclaimed the whole menu to us. The food was delicious and tasted very much like classic Italian. All the food is made and prepared fresh and you can taste it in the ingredients. Would definitely recommend L'anima for your next date night!

    Tuna tartar
    Stephen R.

    Went here for a neighborhood event. Everything was stellar from the service to playing. They have a broad menu with something for everyone. Kid friendly with beautify interior and patio

    Caramel Affogato
    Kim P.

    A delightful surprise. I didn't even know this restaurant existed when my friend recommended it. From the moment I pulled up, I was delighted with the aesthetics. The outside courtyard area is beautiful and heated. The interior has been tasteful decorated simple and elegant. Immediately I was greeted by the owner who was more than glad to share the restaurant's history. We were seated promptly. The wait staff was very knowledgeable about the specials and dishes. He made great suggestions based on our taste. Every morsel was delicious. We started with the octopus- Polipo alla Grigio. The pictures don't do it justice, the presentation was great. Then we both couldn't resist ordering Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe as our entree. It was crabmeat, pasta, tomatoes in a chili oil. It was so good, it had a hint of heat and a good portion of crabmeat. We wanted to resist desert but we couldn't. My dining partner has never had affogato, so since I kept telling her how delish it was from my recent trip to France she gave it a try. It was caramel affogato and it rivaled what I had experienced in France. I had a chocolate flourless cake with gelato and pistachios. I didn't want to share it was so good. It was a wonderful dining experience and will definitely return with a bottle of wine, byob. I forgot to mention it was also reasonably priced; it didn't compromise my wallet.

    Angie B.

    Such a lovely dinner at L'Anima. The restaurant has such nice ambiance...warm setting, warm servers, big dining room and on a less hot day (98 degrees in Philadelphia last night) a lovely outdoor patio. We chose to dine inside. Julio was our server and he was lovely and professional and treated us with care. We started the meal with the special for the appetizer which was cantaloupe with prosciutto. It was delightful . I would have never considered this combination but it was so delicious. Summery and sweet and salty. For my main, I enjoyed the pappardelle wild boar bolognese and my friend had the roasted pork tenderloin. Both dishes were excellent. Pasta was al dente, the sauce was rich and flavorful and the meat was tender throughout the dish. My friend said her pork was excellent (served with polenta). We ended the evening with a mixed berry and mint pane cotto. So good! We enjoyed delicious food, great service and an evening well spent while we lingered over our glasses of wine. (BYOB!) Don't skip this one, Philly. You'll be missing out.

    Private event

    We had an event here. I can say from the moment we arrived we were greeted with a smile and nothing but great vibes. The atmosphere is calm and very welcoming. The service was fantastic as well, the waiter was wonderful and very patient with our demands and got everything right. Not to mention he kept bringing out appetizers for us to try "ON THE HOUSE". Now for the food, which is the most important thing to consider, it was AMAZING. I ordered the "bistecca" which is essentially steak and truffle fries. The steak came out just the way I wanted it, medium well, it was flavorful, juicy and cooked perfectly. 10/10.

    Crab Weekly Pasta Special
    Amber B.

    Our first time here and a lovely little walk to get there. The ambiance and service were top notch. It was really lovely eating outside in the courtyard. My favorite was the bread and the dessert. Hands down the most incredible parts. The entrees were ok. We were excited to eat here as my wife is from the same area in Italy as the chef and the food was very authentic. But severely under-seasoned. It really needed more salt and unfortunately it was one of those restaurants that doesn't give you salt at the table.

    Bread
    Peter T.

    L'Anima offers a stylish atmosphere and exceptional Italian cuisine. The pasta is fresh and flavorful, and the service is top-notch. Highly recommended for a great Italian meal.

    Papperdelle
    Rebecca K.

    We've lived right around the corner from L'anima for 2 years, and we finally made it to try out their cuisine! I easily made reservations for me, my husband, and my parents on a Friday night. The inside space is quite large, and they also offer ample outdoor seating. It was a blistering summer day, so we were super grateful to be in the nice AC of the restaurant! The decor is simple yet modern, although not much from the decor screams "Italian restaurant." We did love the large light fixture in the middle of the room (is it pasta? is it octopus tentacles??)! Our service was very attentive during our meal, and our server provided many helpful suggestions. L'anima's menu is small but large enough to showcase some great pastas and more. We all split their seasonal app with corn and crab, which was delightful and fresh for the season. We indulged in the complimentary bread that hit our table prior to our meal coming out, which is always a welcome addition to any meal. The accompanying oil was a nice touch, as well. For mains, I had my eye on the squid ink pasta, which did not disappoint. It was pretty full of tuna, and the simplicity yet complexity of the squid ink infused tonnarelli was excellent. One of the best pasta dishes I've had in Philly! My husband and dad went for the papperdelle with boar bolognese, which they highly regarded. My mom opted for the potato gnocchi - after trying a bite, I was a tad jealous I didn't go for this dish, although I did love mine. The gnocchi weren't too heavy themselves, and they were nicely paired with a light yet somewhat dense cream sauce and many mushrooms. Another of the finer Philly pasta dishes I've tried! On top of our delish pasta, we loved that L'anima was BYOB without a corkage fee (something my parents are not used to in their hometown of Pittsburgh). With the $$ we saved on wine, we were able to enjoy our pastas and app without concern. Overall, we loved L'anima and I would argue that they have some of the finest homemade pasta dishes in the city. I'm only disappointed that it took me so long to get here! I would highly recommend anyone looking for an authentic BYOB Italian restaurant at a reasonable price point. We will definitely be back!

    Nancy N.

    BYOB restaurant! My faves were the burrata and the gnocchi. The short rib pasta was good too. I didn't love the squid ink pasta. The tuna was good but it felt frozen. Staff was nice and accommodating.

    Squid Ink Tonnarelli Tuna
    Bianca F.

    I've been meaning to try this place for years and finally made it this week. My friend & I were seated immediately (we had reservations). It was pretty empty when we arrived, but it filled up quickly. We had already decided to split the octopus since my friend remembered it being delicious when he came a few years ago and it lived up to the memory. It was cooked perfectly and was the perfect portion for two people to split. For entrees, my friend got the squid ink tonarelli with tuna and I got the pasta special of the night- it was pasta with crab in a garlicky-lemon sauce. Both of us loved our entrees. We also appreciated that there was a generous amount of meat in both dishes. We got two desserts to share: the coffee tiramisu and the pistachio gelato with chocolate flan. The chocolate flan was more of a lava cake than flan, but lava cake is always a good idea so no complaints there. We really enjoyed both desserts. Overall, this is a really cozy date spot and we had a good time here. The staff were all wonderful and we didn't have a single complaint about the food.

    Delicious and well-priced BYOB Italian spot. All the staff at the restaurant are friendly and attentive. Had the octopus, burrata, crab pasta, and rose panna cotta.

    Complimentary Bread
    Leena S.

    L'anima provides good food, nice ambiance and great service, even amid a Global Pandemic. The name translates to "the soul" in Italian. And it's a BYOB! The outdoor dining was not crowded on a Thursday evening. Perfect when social distancing is a requirement. The restaurant is located on the first floor of a condo building and it's the only nice restaurant within blocks in this residential part of Graduate Hospital. We ordered the Potato Gnocchi Wild Boar Bolognese and the Eggplant Tomato and Mozzarella Pinsa (i.e. Flatbread). Both items were flavorful and delicious. The entree portion size was adequate. The Pinsa is large enough to share and my husband helped me polish it off.

    Coffee Tiramisu Cup

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    The vibe is great especially outdoor with byob being a major plus. Flatbread pizza is good and the gnocchi is amazing but slightly small

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    Ask the Community - L'Anima

    Do you offer Gluten Free pasta or any Gluten Free dishes?

    Ask the server before ordering They are able to subtract anything that may have gluten. A lot of seafood appetizers, vegetables, and other options

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    Barbuzzo

    Barbuzzo

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    We had a really enjoyable dinner at Barbuzzpo. The food was delicious, the staff was friendly and…read morewelcoming, and the service was excellent throughout the evening. Reservations are a good idea since it can get busy. To start, we shared a fresh goat cheese salad along with the following entrees , including short rib over polenta, mushroom pasta, grape leaves, and an octopus salad. Everything was flavorful and nicely prepared, and it was fun to try a variety of dishes. For dessert, we had the salted caramel boudino, which was a perfect way to end the meal--rich, smooth, and not overly sweet. Overall, it was a wonderful dining experience with great food and a warm atmosphere. I'd happily come back and would recommend Barduzzo to anyone looking for a great meal in Philadelphia.

    Came to Barbuzzo for happy hour, and overall it was a pretty good experience, especially for the…read moreprice. The restaurant itself is pretty small, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. Thankfully, we came right when they opened and it wasn't crowded, but I can definitely see it filling up quickly, especially on weekends. We came specifically for happy hour and were told you can only order from that menu if you're sitting at the bar. It was a little inconvenient for a group since there were open tables available, but it wasn't a huge issue. Their happy hour menu isn't the biggest, but it still has a good selection of staple food and drink options. I started with the red sangria, which was really good. The wine was smooth, and the apples added a nice sweetness. The papas fritas were pretty standard but came with a generous portion size. The artichoke + mushroom arancini were decent -- I've definitely had better, but they were still enjoyable. The whipped ricotta was easily the star of the show. The bread was perfectly crispy, and the ricotta paired with the sauce was so delicious that I almost wanted to order a few more servings of just that dish. The Barbuzzo burger was okay, but nothing too memorable. It wasn't very big or unique, just a simple burger with an aioli spread. Overall, I'd maybe come back for happy hour if I'm just with one other person since the bar seating requirement makes it harder for groups. I'd mainly come back for the whipped ricotta and sangria, but I definitely still want to try their full dinner menu since I've heard great things about their food.

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    Giuseppe & Sons

    Giuseppe & Sons

    4.1
    (684 reviews)
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    Giuseppe & Sons is downstairs!!! When you enter the lobby, locate the stairs and head down. The bar…read moreto the right is a different place with a different menu. The space is actually pretty large! Lots of table seating. It's dimly lit and a great date night spot. Service is friendly and attentive. Get there right at 4pm for guaranteed seating at the bar for happy hour. On the happy hour menu, I recommend the Meatballs and Ricotta Toast. The Calamari was just okay.

    This spot is unexpected. Went back to this spot last evening for dinner . The dining room is…read moredownstairs and much larger space than anticipated. Decorated vintage chic Italian restaurant with booth and table seating. We started off with three cocktails that were seasonal options all were good and boozy as expected. The waiter was great at recommending top picks and favorites. We started dinner with the 8oz mozzarella and meatball appetizer. The meatballs were served 4 in sauce small to average size meatballs were good, soft and flavorful. The mozzarella was a show pulling it tableside from curds to a full 8oz ball finished with salt , pepper, and flavored olive oil. Dinner we ordered three Italian specialties. Chicken Milanese that was served with shaved Italian cheese and arugula. One vela parm which had the perfect ratio of sauce to cheese. The third meal was a basic bolognese that was served with mafaldine pasta. Entrees were all good. We also added the truffle pasta option for the table which was also prepared tableside with the cheese wheel and shavings of fresh black truffles was a perfect finish. We also had a sharing side of gnocchi with sauce. All in all we had a solid meal. It wasn't the best Italian I even had but it's good. The total was 336 for three with 2 rounds of drinks . This is pretty good for center city fine dining.

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    Ambiance
    Ambiance
    House made ricotta cheese
    House made ricotta cheese
    Love the pictures hung along this hallway

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    Dante & Luigi's

    Dante & Luigi's

    4.3
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    A home run find in Center City Philly. From the moment we…read morewalked in and were greeted to the goodbyes and thank you as we were leaving. Everything was as perfect as it could be why is that because this restaurants been doing it for over 126 years they know a thing or two their customers and had to prepare plate delicious meals. Surprise surprise we actually found parking OK maybe that's because we got there earlier than our reservation in hopes to make another stop that didn't work out so we came early and they greeted us with open arms took us to a beautiful table in front of vintage fireplace hence we were sitting in the perfect spot. Our server, Justin came over to greet us. We got into some conversation before we even touched upon the food. He was exceptional at his run through the menu, his explanations on preparations handling questions. This was definitely not his first, not his second and not his third rodeo he's definitely a professional at what he does. Upon review of the menu we started off with steamed clams and a spicy marinara and actually asked for fra Diavlo hence they gave it an additional hit of spice. It had a nice kick. It was very tasty. My wife was going back-and-forth between their signature lasagna and a little weak weenie with crab Bianco and in the end she went with the baked lasagna oh my goodness the size of that piece on the plate we took half home. She certainly enjoyed her. For me, I went with the veal Catherine, the medallions veal with shrimp, lump crab meat, and fresh tomato and a Bianco sauce the plating presentation I can't describe you'll just have to see my photograph. I've never seen it like this before and it was extremely tasty. Very tender I would certainly get that dish again. And since I am not a pasta eater, I ordered a side vegetable of broccoli Rob. And we ordered a bottle of the Italian Montepuliciano wine, what was the perfect compliment to our dinner? And this was my birthday. My wife was surprising me she had already pre-ordered their homemade tiramisu with ladyfingers, which would wind up taking with us cause we were kind of full and had later that night at one of our favorite coffee houses in Philly and boy that dessert was perfect and I'm glad we waited. Again, everybody was smiles, friendly, and helpful. The place of spotless and you really feel like you're in someone's home. Be sure to see my food photos and don't blame me if you drool on your cell phones

    Heavy reputation and history brought us here. Google and Yelp reviews were solid…read more We came on a Friday, and Saturday was their last day of service before their summer vacation break. I think they phoned it in as a result. Our server was disengaged, almost rude. Our dishes; the veal was tasteless, the lasagna was excellent and so was the calamari. Our pasta dish was tasteless and overdone. Our $70 red was beautiful. He never asked if we wanted another, or anything else. They were out of tiramisu. He could have told us. Also, the bill was handwritten, more like chicken scratches, I couldn't read any of what was written. I'm sure their rep is deserved, but as a visitor to Philadelphia, on our night it was not.

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    Fiorella

    Fiorella

    4.5
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    0.8 mi
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    My favorite restaurant that I went to while visiting Philly. This place feels like being back in…read moreItaly. It is tiny inside with just a bar and a couple tables. That's it. I love this European feel. Up first, I had a $17 El Noe. I was hoping for a strong burnt mezcal taste, but nope. It seems like only Florida gets this drink right. The drink wasn't bad at all, but I was just looking for that burnt taste. I also had a $18 Dirty Pasta Water Martini, basically a dirty martini. It was fine, but it came in a micro grass which was kind of weird. Clearly this isn't a place you come for cocktails. Now, onto the star of the night, the food. Up first, the $16 Spring Salad. Loved it, hit the spot. Also, had the $17 Arancini. I really liked those little balls and especially the dipping sauce. I had the $26 Rigatoni. It was absolutely phenomenal. I could go eat it every day. My mom had the $24 Tonnarelli and it was also top tier excellent. The flavors, the atmosphere, the staff, everything here is top notch. The Internet did not let me down. I'm so glad I decided to book this restaurant. I had a wonderful night.

    The rumps seasonal pasta was great and would come back for that!…read more Maybe because I had higher expectations this was a 4 for me! The antipasti we chose the crudo was not my style of sashimi pairing. They added a fish with something even more oily/heavy so it just made everything heavy and not light and fresh which I prefer. The rigatoni honestly was way too salty for my taste. With the focaccia that's mid...it was less salty. The rumps seasonal pasta was delicious and fresh tasting! The service however is amazing and the server gave the great rec of the seasonal rumps pasta!

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    Ravioli (peas, lardo, chili crisp)

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