We live close by and haven't been since it's been La Sponda. Went there today with family for an early Mother's Day lunch. What a great experience! Our server was great and attentive, the food was really good! We ordered the Caesar salad, calamari, chicken with crab, veal saltimbocca, pasta with shrimp and crab, pasta with meatballs (the person who ordered didn't care for the meatballs but is very particular), baked salmon, and chicken parm dinner. Only issue I would address is that some of the parties food came out at least 5 minutes before the others (about 1/2 the party) which made it awkward. Otherwise, a great experience and all want to return! read more

Saw this restaurant listed as one of the 4 good Italian restaurants off the beaten path. Besides the Italian cuisine, the fact that it is on the banks of the Brandywine River was the attraction. I like dining close to water. When I arrived, I drove past the restaurant because I did not know where it was located. I turned around at the municipal building and drove around to the main entrance which is behind the building and not on East Lancaster Avenue. We were there for lunch so there was plenty of parking. Given the large number of tables that they have, I can imagine that the parking lot can get crowded when the restaurant is full. The interior is large with lots of tables inside and outside. Outside there are tables on a patio overlooking the river. The building appears to be a converted mill. We ordered the Caesar Salad, Basa Francesce, Seafood Fettucine, and Chocolate Mousse Cake. The Caesar Salad was delicious. The dressing had a hint of anchovy flavor. The Basa Francesce was a light fish washed in butter with a lemon butter sauce. The fettucine was not as flavorful as I expected. The Seafood Fettucine by contrast was extremely tasty. The Chocolate Mousse Cake was rich and delightful. I expect us to be back again. read more

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Service and food were great. I ordered the special fish of the day which was the grouper on a bed of mushroom risotto. Very tasty... Grouper cooked just right. Nice and hot as well. Cocktails served just right as well as my Negroni. Unfortunately for me the chair I was on was uncomfortable and pinched me in my back. Better seating would be appreciated. Overall great dinner. Recommend. read more

La Sponda - Cream burlee which was delicious..wish the chocolate was on the glaze not the plate - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

What's not to love about this place? Food, service and venue are all great. We have never had a bad meal here. They normally have really good specials too! read more

I ordered the braised short rib and it wasn't very tender... kinda tough actually. And my server took and really long time to grab our check after we put the card out. I wanted to love this place but it wasn't my favorite read more

La Sponda - Braised short rib - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Start with the good. Pasta dish my husband had was very good and was cannoli. Food arrived piping hot via food runners, not waiter. Bad-Service, Caesar salad. Fish entee was ok, but the pasta that accompanied it was bland. read more

We came in on a Wednesday at 6:30 with a baby stroller. We had no reservation. The staff was very welcoming and it was absolutely no problem. We got a table near the back that had plenty of space for the stroller so we didn't have to worry about getting a booster for a six month old baby and we weren't in anyone's way. We told the waiter we would be needing quick service since we had the baby with us and he was wonderful. The food was incredible too. I had the gnocchi house made gnocchi rapini which had chili flake - I asked him if it was spicy and he said no, it's just a nice flavoring. He was so right. DELISH!! My companion had the butternut squash agnolotti - scrumptious!! As promised, svc was quick and just in time as baby began to fuss! Highly recommend this place! read more

La Sponda - Gnocchi rapini - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Always a go to spot!! Even when they are busy and you don't possibly think they can fit you in... they ALWAYS DO! the host is amazing! All the workers are great and the food is great excellent!! read more

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Great food and atmosphere. Always a pleasant experience. Servers are attentive and above average. Prices are good. A rated.

Growing up in NYC and now living in northern NJ, one gets pretty spoiled by the large number of great Italian restaurants. Traveling to Downingtown to visit my stepson, my wife and I were so happy to find La Sponda in this awesome town! The decor (we're guessing it was once an old mill), and the food was fantastic. We started with glasses of wine and the bruschetta appetizer. Made with mascarpone and a delicious tomato jam on top, it was one of the best I've had. The entrees didn't disappoint either. My wife had the Basa Francaise and my stepson and I both had Nana's Castellane. Nana sure knew how to cook because this dish with pasta, meatballs, sausage, and pork, was amazing! We finished off the meal with coffee and slices of the Lemon and Chocolate cakes. The extra calories were well worth it! Our service was attentive, but never rushed. Parking was easy in back. Prices very reasonable. This restaurant which opened in 2021 (a tough time for new places to open), is doing it right! read more

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Food was good according to my parents but the restaurant/mgr didn't do anything special for their anniversary. I told them and nothing. Kinda disappointed with that part read more

Amazing food. Great wine selection and bar offerings. Quick courteous service. Old paper mill gives a rustic ambiance. My husband has seafood risotto and I had the rib eye special. Highly recommend. Indoor or out door seating available. read more

This was our 3rd visit and it all begins well when we see Rose's smiling face when we walk in the door. The food was great. The service was amazing. We can't wait to go back. read more

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I wanted to like it, I really did, but maybe this building is cursed because I've lost track of the number of restaurants that have been here over the years. It's a shame because it's a really beautiful location. I had made a reservation for 1PM but after arriving I couldn't even get anyone's attention for 5 or 6 minutes, during which time two other groups of diners came in after me and looked equally annoyed about the lack of someone at the front desk. The guy I flagged down seemed irritated that I had walked into the restaurant to find someone, and he just waived me at a table. Another member of the staff brought me some bread and oil to start and I ordered a bottle of sparkling water. That water took nearly 10 minutes to come out. For a starter I ordered the Caesar Salad, which again, took a really long time to show up. It was good though. Very heavy on the cheese, so if that's your thing, you'll be happy. It was also pretty inexpensive for the size. The entree is where it really nosedived though. I ordered the Short Rib Ravioli and unfortunately it wasn't any good. The veal demi glace was so strong it completely covered up the flavor of anything else on the plate, making the whole thing very one-note. Also, unlike the salad, this one wasn't a great value either and if it had tasted better I'd have probably been annoyed that there weren't another two on the plate. read more

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We were in Downingtown for another sports practice and decided to celebrate our Anniversary. The outdoor dining had a lovely view of the creek. Our waiter never missed a beat, very attentive and friendly. We started with the beef carpaccio. It had a lovely mix of arugla, fennel, pickled onions & shaved cheese on top of it. It gave it a great balance to the beef. We especially loved the fennel in it. As our entrees we got the pork cheeks radiatori & seafood risotto. I loved the pork cheeks, the pasta was unique and helped to soak up the creme sauce. Yummy. My hubby liked the seafood risotto but wasn't blown away. Would we come back? Yes, we would love to try other dishes. A great date night. read more

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Food was good but heavy on the salt. Server was good but they seemed short staffed. No one was working the front desk. Ambiance is nice but chairs are horribly uncomfortable. read more

Great service and piping hot food. Literally steaming and oh so good! Definitely recommend.

Food and service excellent, friendly staff, gorgeous building with warm, friendly ambience.

Came here for a lunch date and enjoyed perfectly prepared seafood, risotto, and salmon over rice. Risotto can sometimes be tricky, as it's easy to over or undercook. However, my dish was served on-point and was incredibly flavorful. My wife's salmon was seasoned to perfection. The outside dining area it's very enjoyable and an offers a sense of seclusion, despite being off a busy street. It was very easy to sit back with a refreshing glass of white wine and take a perfect fall day. Service was prompt and attentive, and very friendly. Easily one of my favorite dining options in Downingtown. read more

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Food and service were excellent. Tom our waiter was professional and Rose the hostess was welcoming. This was our first visit and it won't be our last read more

Always super good! We love this place. Salads are fresh and the fish is really good. Will be back.

Great food and good service. Staff were attentive and pleasant. There was not an extended wait for food or drink.

Service was ok, there wasn't a host up front so kinda had to wander around until we got someone's attention that we wanted a seat. Rustic decor. Food was absolutely insane. So decadent and delicious! Every bite was delectable. read more

Been coming here since 2022. Always very delicious. One of our favorite local restaurants. Friendly servers & bartenders. Ambience is always wonderful in either room or outside. read more

The deboning of the Branzino was great. We were pleased with our service but the veal dishes had slightly tough veal. Not fork tender like Pomodoro's. It appeared as if the veal saltimbuca had set for a bit. The Branzino was out of this world. Having it deboned at the table was fabulous. read more

This is an old stone building. Decorated in an Industrial theme. Yet not cold. Nice. The food was very good. Our group of 5 each had different dishes that each person very much enjoyed. Our server was another story. Not very friendly and did not pay appropriate attention to us. Our requests were meet with an attitude that was not helpful. read more

Food, service and ambiance were excellent. Best Italian restaurant in Downingtown. The Bronzino is prepared table side and was perfect. No bones. The strip steak special was excellent and they have the best calamari. read more

Been there twice. Not enough. Need to go more. Food was outstanding! I had Pappardelle with mushrooms. Best Italian dish in Chester County. Carpaccio also very good. Very diverse, desirable menu. Prices are very fair all around. Ambience just fine. Wine reasonable. They are now No. 1 on my Downingtown "go to" dinner spot. Well done! Pass the word... read more

I ordered seafood risotto that waitress said was good. It was very close to inedible. There was NO flavor (completely bland) and the rice and fish were dry and overcooked. I used to love coming to this restaurant but it seems they've gotten lazy and don't care about their customers anymore. Very disappointing read more

There are not many restaurants out there for which I would drive out of my way. This is one. On my way home from a girls week in PA, I drove an hour out of my way, to have lunch at LaSponda. I had told my sister in law how good it was. Now, she knows. As we ate our lunch, overlooking the river, we planned to go back. We enjoyed the short rib egg rolls, and entrees of chicken Parmesan and the carbonara. Above the excellence of those dishes, was the cream of zucchini soup. It was herbaceous and delicious. I can't say enough about how good the food is, what brings me back, is the superior service that compliments the flavors of that food. Well Done!!! read more

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We had a great dinner there on New Year's Eve. The food was fabulous as usual with great service. We were glad we dined early because it was getting so busy there. read more

Second time here, and this time we brought friends to celebrate a birthday! Service was awesome for it being so busy. I'm glad to see the business doing so well. Food was absolutely delicious. The gnocchi is wonderful and it tastes so fresh. Definitely try it if you haven't yet :) read more

La Sponda - Chocolate mousse cake - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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I just moved to Coatesville recently and I've already dined at La Sponda three times! The food is delicious!!

Sunday at 3pm: Empty so service was great. Martini and Limocellini were delicious. Short ribs ravioli were in a mushroom ragu. Would have liked a marinara sauce better. read more

The quality of service and genuine care of us by servers is always superb. The food never disappoints! We are taking my best friends from North Carolina there today. I hope La Sponda continues to be a place we return to again and again. read more

Great atmosphere. Server was pleasant and tentative but not overly. Food was great. Feel I must mention the beet salad as that appetizer would bring me back alone. Will dine there again read more

Have been to La Sponda four times now and they are very consistent in overall food, service, and ambience. They have a well run restaurant and their food is delicious. My husband gets the salmon and I get the shrimp and it never disappoints. read more

What a great experience. Despite the place being jam packed on a Saturday night we walked in and were given a seat almost immediately! The staff were all friendly and fast and Anna our server had a great attitude and had a talent for handling many tables with a smile. The food was well prepared, great portions, served hot, and delicious. This is a great Italian eatery with a nice bar and great vibe. Thanks for the enjoyable time! read more

Very very surprised on how tasty this meal at la sponda was. This restaurant is located in the heart of downingtown 50 min from Philly. We were skeptical to make a reservation on 31st of December but I am so glad we did. The vegetarian dishes were exceptional and our friends really loved the mussels and the meat entrees. The deserts were pretty and tasted lovely. Special mention to the perfectly made cocktails as well! I highly recommend this restaurant. Park hassle free without the busy downtown hustle and bustle and enjoy a very relaxing dinner/lunch. read more

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Well well well, so after three failed ventures in this space, finally the spell is broken. While I initially had little hope for La Sponda, and I haven't ever tried it largely for that reason, tonight I ventured into virgin territory, and was pleasantly surprised. My companion had the Seafood Risotto and refused to share, although I did nab a taste. The scallops and shrimp were well seasoned and cooked perfectly. The risotto was flavored with a seafood theme including lump crabmeat. Excellent, and as evidenced by the tables that had this entree on it, a very popular item. My entree was Nana's Castellane which is a unique wide cut pasta in a red meat sauce accompanied by two meatballs, chunks of sweet Italian sausage, and guancale topped off with a dollop of ricotta. The pasta were perfectly cooked (even for this al dente avoider). The meats were excellent and the sauce was tasty enough. Our shared appetizer, the Roasted Beets were lackluster and I'm still not certain there were actually roasted. The accompanying greens were however spectacular and the highlight of this disappointing dish. Dessert, Chocolate Mousse and a Cannoli, were to go so I'll report back on those. The service was excellent but not overbearing. It's not overly noisy, and parking is convenient for downtown Downingtown. All in all a very good first encounter with some authentic Italian fare in a pleasant atmosphere and all very reasonably priced. Highly recommended. read more