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

went to this place a while back and forgot to add a review. will def be coming back this place was so good!! i got fish with crab and pasta sooo good read more

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Really cool atmosphere, bartenders are average, slow and not attentive , food is above average.

Great atmosphere and great food! And the bar is awesome! Going to eat there tonight hopefully it stands up to this awesome review. Cause I really resent the fact that I have to write 80 characters for this review. read more

Awesome ambiance and great food! The staff is also very nice. I would recommend this place for family dinners, dates, and events too! read more

La Sponda - Outside - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Excellent service. Quality of the food was very good. This will be our 4th in the last 4 months visit since we found out there were new owners. read more

Absolutely delicious! Service was excellent. A very elegant dining experience! We had some wine, appetizers, and pasta! Dessert was great too! read more

Fabulous food, server was on point! Everything came out piping hot! Has been a consistent experience every time! Can't wait to go back!

Perfect spot after exploring the area with kids! Everyone enjoyed their food and service.

Food was amazing every dish was better than the last. Can't wait to go back and try something else. Service was on point from the waiters to all the staff. If you are looking for a great meal and atmosphere head here. read more

Been there twice, experience was consistent both times Service 4 stars Atmosphere 4 stars Prices 2.5 stars average for area Food 4 stars read more

We visited early on a Sunday afternoon, so not a peak time. The service was excellent and the ambiance was nice and relaxing. It's a long narrow space that's well laid out. We chose from the decent beverage offerings and ordered an appetizer of dates stuffed with Gorgonzola and wrapped with prosciutto. Really enjoyable. They served bread with a plate of olive oil and sun dried tomato (I think). Not a lot of flavor. The bread was disappointing. It was a small, white bread roll in a baguette shape, about five slices, served cold and just a little stale. They offered a special entrée of corvina, which my long suffering wife had. I ordered the short rib ravioli. The food was served hot and was well presented. The ravioli was an interesting dish that was creative and well executed. Points off, though, for the corvina. The flavor was good, but it was crispy on the outside and a bit mushy inside. A frozen product a tad overdone. With properly done Italian bread and fresher fish this would have been an easy five stars. We'll return. read more

La Sponda - Dates stuffed with Gorgonzola and wrapped with Prosciutto (four of them were served with the appetizer) - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Where have I been? La Sponda was excellent all around. Very creative menu with Real Italian influence. Nice setting. Pleasant helpful crew. Carpaccio was great. 2 seafood entrees were home runs. Desert swell too. Special plus: prices were remarkably reasonable. This will be my Italian food stop in Downingtown- a busy food market. Well done!! read more

We had a beautiful bronzino broiled to perfection then deboned at our table side! We will definitely go back.

Excellent service, Excellent food!!! I would highly recommend this real Italian restaurant if you have not experienced real Italian cuisine! What an amazing experience read more

Food was fabulous. Service was a little spotty. Waiter didn't check back after food was delivered, perhaps because they use a runner to deliver entrees and the waiter didn't know it was delivered? read more

Everything was great. Food never disappoints. Service is excellent. The staff helps each other so that customers are not left waiting. Highly recommend!! read more

We had a party of 10 this weekend and everything was most excellent, from the food , service, ambiance and friendly natured Staff. If you're a fan, try the veal saltimboca !! Great !! read more

A top restaurant for our area with excellent menu selections, attentive service and consistency. This restaurant is a family favorite and many of our out of town relatives request dining here when in the area! read more

A warm and welcoming staff. Great food and great service. Excellent value as well. Loved the music that was playing. We will be back!

Had a nice time here. It's a very pretty space, food is tasty and well portioned, and the menu has lots of really good choices. I'm giving 4 stars because service was slow and hubs said his veal saltimboca was mid. What astounded me the most was the reasonable pricing. Cocktails for $12?! Multiple sub-$25 entrees?! It felt like we went back in time. We had 2 entrees, 2 apps and 4 drinks- bill was $100. I can see why it's popular. read more

Visited for a meal with my mom while visiting after Christmas, and OH MAN did we enjoy our dinner! It was a weeknight, a Tuesday, and it was packed. It was so nice to see so many people enjoying themselves and enjoying great food! I started with a martini and it was delicious. Very strong! We received warm bread and a yummy tomato/olive oil dip, which was a great starter. We split two salads, the arugula and the wedge. The wedge was very good, if not slightly underdressed, but the arugula salad was outstanding. Hazelnuts were the star of the show! We split the short rib ravioli and the nana's castellane, both of which were SO delicious and interesting, flavor wise. There was a slightly mix up in which we received the short rib entree dish instead of the ravioli, but they amended it super quickly and it was no issue at all. We were able to take the short rib entree home and it was also delicious! While we didn't get dessert, they provide complimentary limoncello shots after dinner, and the liquor was so sweet and bright after the hearty fare. A perfect cap to the meal! Service was friendly and consistent throughout the night, the ambiance is warm and modern, and the food is generously portioned and reasonably priced for a more upscale Italian spot. Can't wait to return next time I visit Downingtown! read more

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Great spot for a relaxing meal in Downingtown. Terrace seating is lovely. Fish, salads, and pasta all very good.

Great service and food. We'll be back! Lovely place, great for parties or a romantic dinner.

We were driving from Michigan to Wilmington and arrived near La Sponda at dinner time. We had never been here before but we stopped in. The menu is extensive with a lot of interesting items, with a definite italian orientation. I had pasta with meatballs and my wife had ravioli. Plus apps, salads etc. All of it was great and exactly what we were looking for. You definitely want to make it a point to go! read more

Wonderful Italian restaurant with good food, generous portions and very experienced staff

Met friends here for a local dinner. We made reservations ahead of time for our party of 6. It was our first time here and we were seated right away. The interior is beautiful with stone. There's a parking lot in the back for parking. Appetizers included short rib eggs rolls and the polenta. Both were delicious. They also served fresh bread for the table. Main dishes included: seafood risotto, seafood fettuccine, nana's castellane and 3 orders of the zuppa di pesce. Everyone absolutely loved their dishes. Food was very fresh and flavorful. Nice portion sizes. Service was excellent. Can't say enough good things and can't wait to go back. read more

Great service, great food, great wine! Came for lunch and had the best pasta and bruschetta. Had a bottle of white wine that was delicious! Ask for Hernand, he was awesome! read more

La Sponda - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

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A great evening of delicious food and excellent service! I look forward to our next visit!

I came here for the first time last week. I really enjoyed my bread, Caesar salad, and Chicken and Crab entree (although there were large chunks of crab shells in both my dish and my sister's dish, but I guess that's hard to avoid when the crab comes from a can). My sister loved her gnocchi, she said they were super pillowy. My Mom did not like her entree (Castellane Norma) -- the eggplant chunks were inedible and there wasn't enough sauce. Prices were fair for the portions. Ambiance was good and our server was nice. However, the manager was supposed to come over to talk to us (twice) and never came. read more

This is the fourth time I've visited this restaurant in a little over a year. Every single visit has been terrific! We sat outdoors again this time. Beautiful view of the nearby creek and park. Johny's hospitality and service are amazing. The food is scrumptious and the prices are reasonable. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a superb overall experience! read more

Good food and friendly service in a cool old building. I had Carbonara and it was served in an interesting and fun way.

Saturday was our first time at this great restaurant. My wife ordered the lamb shank special and loved it. My son ordered the zuppa de pesce and he loved it. I ordered the nana castalane and it was great. They give you good sized, high quality portions. It was our first time, but, not our last time. The waiter and other service staff were great. read more

What a great discovery! From start to finish it was great! Our waitress from Albania was great. Drinks very imaginative, and priced right "the devil goes down to Georgia". Yum. Appetizers awesome! Grouper dinner was wonderful, risotto, Brussel sprout leaves and cherry tomatoes. The atmosphere is very cool in the old mill with primitive walls. read more

The food was not that good, I think you'd be better off walking past for the views but eating elsewhere.

It took a few minutes for us to be seated as no one was at the host station, but it wasn't a major issue. Our service was excellent otherwise and our waitress was very informative about the specials. The food was delicious but definitely more on the expensive side. Overall I highly recommend for a special occasion lunch/dinner or intimate date. read more

Only came for drinks today but their whiskey sour was ON POINT. Of course, an open view of the Brandywine and a sixty degree day in FEB sure didn't hurt. Just tell em light on the ice ;) read more

La Sponda - Whiskey sour, water chaser - Italian Near Me - Downingtown, Pennsylvania

Came here for the first time last night for dinner and loved the entire experience. The ambiance was lovely and we were sat by the window with views of the old log cabin. I appreciated that the water tasted clean/filtered (no chlorine taste) Our server Hernard was attentive and friendly despite the restaurant filling up extremely quickly. I started with an old fashioned which although was delicious I would have preferred a larger ice cube to not dilute the quality whiskey. My friends and I split the octopus to start which was flavorful and not too filling, I then got the short rib ravioli as my entree and was blown away, I paired it with a Pinot noir which was a great choice. I ended the meal with the lemon tiramisu with a shot of espresso and it was unbelievable! I already can't wait to come back to try other dishes. read more

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La Sponda was incredible. We went for dinner a few weeks back. Took my parents who are very much foodies and they LOVED it. Everything about our experience was great. Really nice bar, the drinks were nice and strong. The building itself is really cool, lots of really cool architecture. Food was fantastic. We split some apps which all were really good (even the salad, and I'm typically not a salad fan). I had the seafood risotto which I loved. I'd go back and get the same exact thing. This will likely be a new staple for us when we want to go out to a nicer dinner. Well done La Sponda! read more

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I had probably the best pasta dish I've ever tasted last night at La Sponda! It was Valentine's day so we just sat in the bar area since they were very busy. The special was seafood pasta with salmon, crab and shrimp and it was AMAZING! We always love the food, atmosphere and service here. read more