I think overall it's kind of mediocre. Their food is excellent, but I think it could add a little more if they had alcohol and they accepted anything but cash. The ambience is just dated I think but it's kind of like a classic Italian spot. You can't go wrong with their ravioli and their bread is really good too. read more

There are actually two restaurants down the street that are both La Viola so be sure to double check which one you are supposed to be at! This was a small and cozy spot that is BYOB and cash only. Good thing there is an ATM inside! The pasta was decent and I really enjoyed the cannoli cake. Others in the group seemed to enjoy their dishes and desserts as well. Service was attentive and everything went as expected . read more

La Viola - Pasta with shrimp - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I wanted to like this place, but overall I wasn't impressed, and I'm sharing this in the hope it helps them improve. First, the gratuity policy. An automatic 20%+ gratuity added to a check for a party of 7 feels excessive. Inflation and food costs affect everyone, including customers, so automatically pushing gratuity that high comes across as unnecessary and a bit greedy. A standard 18% or clearer justification would feel more reasonable. Second, the lobster ravioli. The dish (see photo) had very little actual lobster. It was mostly filling with shrimp or mixed seafood, which was disappointing given the name and price. At $29 for only five ravioli, I expected a much more generous portion and a stronger lobster presence. The food was okay, but nothing that stood out or justified the price. Between the high automatic gratuity and the underwhelming value of the food, I won't be returning. If this restaurant wants to really establish itself in this city and area, it needs to deliver more--either better portions, clearer pricing practices, or dishes that truly stand out. read more

La Viola - Lobster Ravioli Alla Viola - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We had a very nice dinner for four last night at La Viola the dinner reservation was at 8:30 and we had a great dinner. The food was delicious, hot and flavorful. It is a BYOB. We had to stop to get wine, that's nothing against the restaurant. However, our experience was dampened by the fact that we were being quite rushed through our entire eating process. The waiter was asking for drink orders before the 4th person came in, and asked "when will they be here? " Waiter asked to give the specials when someone was still away from the table twice, we had our plates removed while we were still picking and having conversation. And then at the time that we asked for the check, several staff were lined up against the wall, and some of them had their coats on sitting looking at us. It was approx 9:45-10 when this ended our one hour meal experience. We were looking forward to relaxing all together for our new years dinner but we felt encouraged to leave asap. We ended up heading to sky high to finish the night out. The staff was friendly, but we were given the feeling that we needed to get out read more

Overall: La viola is always my go to when I'm feeling Italian and byob. All the spaghetti I've ordered from here never fails to surprise me and ingredients are decent! Ive shown up several times with out a reservation and they stil happily take my party on a weekend night, definitely a hidden gem! Ambiance: not too dim, can get crowded Service: always great and friendly Tip: BYOB and CASH ONLY! read more

La Viola - a plate of pasta, shrimp, and musselling - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We had the rehearsal dinner for our son and daughter-in-law's wedding at La Viola West this weekend. The food and service were both excellent! We used their private room which was perfect for our group of 55 people. They couldn't have been more helpful, friendly, and accommodating. The owners and staff are all very professional and care deeply about your dining experience. I don't know why it says prefix menu in the Yelp description, that's misleading, because it's not a prefix menu. The menu is varied and prices are separate based on item as you would expect in a restaurant. We will be back again! read more

Nice little spot but very crowded and loud. It's BYOB which is really nice but cash only which is hard in a large group. We went for my friends bday dinner and each tried something different. We all split some apps which were good. The Caesar salad dressing is delicious. The antipasta had a lot of food fresh meats and cheeses. My orecchiette was ok but pretty bland. There wasn't much flavor to the sauce or dish in general. My friends enjoyed the gnocchi but overall no one was super impressed. read more

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3.5 One of the best options for restaurant week as they give you a four course meal with coffee/cappuccino. First course - Caesar salad was delicious in a light dressing with great flavor. The trout salad was also very tasty. Standard Buffalo mozzarella Second course - mussels in a red sauce was very good could have used a title heat. The mushroom appetizer was fair. The pea soup was spot on Third course - the homemade pasta was cooked perfectly but lacked flavor. The veal was fair but the lemon chicken was tasty. Best meal was the Orecchiette Alla Romana (not pictured) due to the rich flavor and tasty combination of meats. Fourth course - dessert; we had one of each and they were all good. Added plus was the coffee/cappuccino which isn't usually offered at a restaurant week. read more

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Service was good. If u appreciate quality ingredients and fresh ingredients and good flavoring this is not the place for you

i made a reservation at La Viola West and received a confirmation from WEST. Saw their menu offerings on their site which offered Prix Fixe, seasonal and regular menu. Also, the menu stated there is a 10% discount for cash payments. We arrived at LaViola WEST to find a sign on the window stating they were closed and to go across the street to LaViola bistro. We were told that our only choice was to eat at an outside table in a shed like setup next to LaViola Bistro. I saw many others walking across the street from WEST who had the same experience. Once seated we found that there is no Prix Fixe menu at the bistro and that they only accept cash, thus negating the 10% discount for cash advertised at La Viola WEST. The service was efficient, not overly friendly and the food was meh Italian at best. They need to be honest with customers when reservations are made as to where they are eating, discount policies and menu choices. My group was extremely disappointed with this restaurant. Won't be back! read more

Intimate BYOB, CASH ONLY dining experience almost like in the dining room of someone's home. Came here on a Thursday night and all tables were full, would definitely recommend getting a reservation. Some of the closer banks didn't even having working ATMS so I would plan ahead getting cash. Ambience was intimate and low lit so nice for a date but also great for groups with a reservation for a nice BYOB spot. The have two prix fixe menus along with the normal menu. One comes with an appetizer and entree for $25 and the other one is the same with dessert and a more extensive selection of dishes for $35. We chose the first one which was a pretty good deal. I got the arugula salad and pasta both of which were yummy. We also got the tiramisu for dessert to share. read more

La Viola - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Great service! And I loved the chilled and authentic vibe. The food was good. I tried something new. Whitefish! Prepped very well and surprisingly filing. read more

La Viola - The special. Black Linguini, shrimp and spinach - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Had a taste for some Italian food and based off the reviews decided to stop and try it out. We were seated immediately. Inside was clean yet dim. Staff was friendly and attentive to tables around. Ordered the lobster ravioli and ..can't remember but penne pasta, red sauce and add a protein to it (chicken). Nothing about the meals stood out. Flavor wise it tasted like something was missing but couldn't place what was missing. I wasn't too impressed with our food and left a bit disappointed. read more

Oldie but goodie BYO between Rittenhouse and theater district. Everything on the menu is fantastic, especially the homemade pasta. Excellent service highlighted by the family feel of the entire experience. Like many family affairs, it can get quite loud but that didn't stop our group from having a delightful conversation with our neighboring table. read more

La Viola - Fantastic Pasta trio - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Decent overall meal. Great complimentary bread options. I ordered the lobster ravioli but it didn't really have much lobster... it just tasted like some form of a seafood ravioli? I do appreciate the fact that they are BYOB but the cash only aspect was a bit frustrating for my group. read more

La Viola - Lobster Ravioli Alla Viola - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Came here as a group for a friends birthday. We were surprised since the restaurant was still loud and bustling at 8 PM. The food wasn't particularly good, I ordered the veal which was thinly sliced and quite tough, The sauce on top was not very good either. We did bring a cake to celebrate my friend's birthday and were flabbergasted that they told us they would be charging a $3 per person fee for slicing the cake. When we expressed unhappiness and offered to just leave and eat elsewhere, they reluctantly told us we could avoid the fee by cutting the cake ourselves. We were quite disappointed that the restaurant would charge us so much for a very basic task. We also had some trouble flagging down the wait staff all night to order and get drink refills. Overall the food is mediocre, overpriced, and the service was not great. We would not recommend this place to others. read more

Service was awful. Our server took our order than dissappeared for the rest of our meal. Very strange "flow" (or lack thereof) for a restaurant. Appeared that no one was really "in charge" and no management to speak of. The food was fine , but nothing earth shaking. The ribeye was decent. Again, "service" was practically non-existent. Very clearly understaffed and there seemed to be no one who really cared to make our visit a memorable one. Honestly, I'm surprised this restaurant manages to stay in business with the wide variety of italian restaurants that surround it such as Ralph's, villa d, etc. No one is taking pride here and if it's family owned, you really should have dinner at your own restaurant on a saturday night. as a former server for many years I can only say good luck and I hope this was an anomaly because we will not be back:( read more

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Philly. It's classic quaint and authentic. Whenever I'd miss living in Italy I'd come here. The service is always top tier. They don't rush you even given the size. My favorite dish was the mushroom appetizer. Now that I've moved out of Philly I always make it a point to come here when I'm in town. read more

I was lucky to get a Restaurant Week reservation on a Friday evening. We were originally reserved at the Bistro but we're directed across the street to their other location which was actually a lot bigger! We were seated right away and our wine was opened immediately (love that this is a BYOB). Our servers were all very helpful and attentive. The salads were small but good and the pasta dishes were all delicious. We got the penne and orecchiette which were both fresh and flavorful. The BEST part was the dessert and espresso. What an amazing way to end a meal..the cannoli cake did not disappoint and the espresso was heavenly. Thank you La Viola for an excellent Restaurant Week experience! read more

I wanted to love this adorable little spot. Visiting Philly... a short walk from Rittenhouse and during restaurant week. I grabbed a cute cafe table outside after popping my head inside. It was late lunch hour and there were just a couple people there - all much older and I wish I had thought to check reviews before committing and ordering. I'm sure this used to be a great spot, but it's like a bygone era establishment now, with high standards long forgotten. The mozzarella & tomato appetizer featured what I'm pretty sure was pre-sliced mozzarella like the logs of it you get from the grocery store. The tomatoes weren't quite ripe, and the whole thing was over salted. The spinach gnocchi was a kinda huge portion but the gnocchi were lacking that fluffy magic that usually makes gnocchi amazing - and they were on the dense and flavorless side. The sauce was unremarkable and there were cubes of cold cheese on top. I didn't finish it and didn't take it to go. For dessert I optimistically ordered a tiramisu that they say is homemade. Not bad but not the best, and I generally have an aversion to Hershey's syrup just drizzled for effect. The cappuccino was great though. The service was polite if not a little rough. Little things like being asked to keep silverware for the next course kinda drive me nuts lol, but it was efficient. read more

La Viola - Spinach gnocchi - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food was average during restaurant week. They only accept cash, which was only became obvious when the check was presented. Our bank card didn't work since we always pay by credit card. What reputable restaurant doesn't accept credit cards in 2025. WILL NEVER RETURN OR RECOMMEND THIS RESTAURANT TO ANYONE. read more

My girlfriend and I unfortunately chose this restaurant as the place for our first Valentine's Day together. I had reservations almost a month in advance, and due to us being in college, going out to a dinner like this is a special event and few and far between due to my financial situation. When we arrived, our reservation was not even taken, and we were brought to a side room. This side room was essentially a glorified shed. We were sat on fold-out chairs and an extremely small table. Some of the tables were right next to garbage cans! The door kept getting stuck open, so we were met with a freezing breeze for large portions of the meal. The menu itself was questionable and fixed at $65 per person. The appetizers were nothing to write home about, and their selection for entrees was very limited and did not seem to cater to the strengths of the menu that it looks like they usually have. I ordered the filet mignon, and it was huge, and not huge in a good way. It was a chewy, massive blob of meat that I only ate because I was paying $65. The desserts were very good, as well as the coffee that was also included, but that was the only pleasant part of the experience. To top things off, this place is cash only, which isn't too much of an issue, but the ATM has its own fee, so it feels sort of like you're being taken advantage of. I am so disappointed in this experience as a whole. read more

La Viola - Essentially sat us in a shed - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Always a good choice for good food and fun times. The portions are hearty and tasty. We ordered calamari for the table and each had a pasta. Delicious. Staff is fun. read more

I was looking forward to dining here and was unfortunately disappointed. My friend and I had a reservation and were forced to order from the restaurant week menu. Neither of us were hungry enough for a 3 course meal and we would have appreciated it if it was indicated before we reserved that the standard menu would not be available. We were also not informed that the restaurant is cash only until the bill arrived. In addition, the hostess was rude to my friend. I don't usually write negative reviews but it just felt like one thing after another with this place. My friend and I are both easy going people and even we felt fed up with the entire experience. At least there was an ATM machine within the restaurant, the food was okay, and the waiters were nice enough. Overall, I was not impressed and will not be returning. read more

Food and service were good. It is a small room, but wasn't particularly noisy. One negative? How can an Italian restaurant serve toasted bread instead of fresh? read more

Dinner tonight was amazing. However, our wonderful meal was capped off with Dominick, coming over to our table. What a sweet, funny and interesting man. We look forward to going back for dinner with the hope of Dominick joining us for dinner! read more

The gnocchi was horrible , if you don't eat meat Go. The menu is really limited and pasta was horrible read more

Never going back. Went with a small party and portions were tiny. they added an automatic 20% tip to the check and the service was terrible. they places us in a dinky garage on plastic chairs. the worst part was the food. The only reason it was eatable was because I was black out drunk. read more

Food was decent, but nothing great. The waiter was very rude and practically kicked us out because they were expecting a large party. Part of the restaurant is located in the garage and the decoration and table setup is not very nice. read more

I'll tell you, from the moment Dominick greeted us at La Viola West I was sold. He was kind, gracious, warm, and had a passion for wine and Italian food. The food was exceptional, the atmosphere was so authentic. I cannot recommend highly enough. read more

La Viola - a black and white photo of a storefront at night - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Cute quaint place. Reservations are highly recommend as the place is small. I totally enjoy enjoy the atmosphere simply bc I feel there aren't too many hidden gems like La Viola left. The service was great. The servers were playful and very accommodating. The food was good and the entire table agreed the chefs special that night (beet noodles, mushrooms and shrimp) was the best! This is a cash only establishment so go prepared. read more

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My review is based on my dinner experience during Restaurant Week and unfortunately, it wasn't a very positive one. I was really feeling Italian food that night so I was happy when my group decided to go here. Sadly, I wish we had chosen someplace else because it just didn't live up. Our group of seven walked in at promptly 7pm for our reservation. In order to seat our fairly large party, they pushed two small circular tables together. I'd say this was the first sign of the unfortunate night we were about to have. Our group was getting together to say fairwell to one of our friends' that was moving, but we couldn't even talk to her because of the way the tables were set up. We were oddly seated and the people at one table couldn't talk to the ones sitting at the other one. Since we had made a reservation, it would have been nice if prior seating arrangements had been made by the restaurant and one of their rectangular tables was provided to accommodate us all. As for the food, I ordered Mozzarella Al Basilico for my first course (buffalo mozzarella with peppers and basil), Funghi Trentino for my second course (mushrooms in a garlic and olive oil sauce), Ravioli Alla Viola for my main (lobster ravioli in a vodka sauce), and Cannoli Cake for dessert. The first two items were just okay. The mushrooms really lacked in presentation and I was really surprised at how ordinary they tasted. Although the main course was good, it wasn't very memorable. The Cannoli Cake was definitely the highlight of my meal. It was moist and rich, and there was a sufficient amount of cannoli cream. Although I was tempted to finish it all on the spot, I took about half of it home with me which made for a really great sweet treat the next day. Although the seating and food added to the reason why I was disappointed with this restaurant, the service is really what frustrated me the most. The staff was very friendly, but there were numerous times when things were forgotten. My one friend had to ask for a cup of tea about three times before actually receiving it. We were given olive oil right at the start of our meal, however, they never provided us with bread. To add to this, the service was extremely slow. When we asked for bread we were told that they were still baking it. We weren't actually served it until about halfway through our meal. It also took a long time for us to receive all of our dishes. In my opinion, Restaurant Week is a great time for businesses to put their best foot forward in regards to service. Since customers are choosing off of a limited menu, I would think that food can be prepared quickly, however this wasn't at all the case at La Viola. If this is what I can expect for future visits, I'm in no hurry to return. read more

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Classic spot to go out and get a great meal in the city! Snug and cozy, you walk in and immediately get an overwhelming feeling of "home." BYOB, and still a place you can get dressed up and have a fancy meal. You can't go wrong with any of their pasta dishes. Servers are awesome, very professional and personable. read more

All of the yelpers are pretty spot on with this joint. When the boy suggested that we do an Italian BYOB on our trip up to Philly to see the NIN concert I, of course, turned to Philly Yelp for insight. Lo and behold, La Viola turned up as a solid Italian BYOB and was open until 2300 hours on a Friday night. It was on. Cozy, cramped quarters where you're pretty much sitting elbow-to-elbow with other (often Italian-speaking) diners next to you. Fortunately, we arrived circa 2230 and the place had pretty much cleared out, so we had a giant table toward the back (or as back as it gets in their little dining space) all to ourselves. The wines that I'd pulled out of my stash of Linden Vineyards stuff worked out incredibly well, and I think the wine made the meal more than anything else. The bread that everyone else raved about was totally charred for us. Unimpressive - I had a piece before giving up. The Vitello Alla Viola I ordered had a great rich sauce with savory 'shrooms and crunchy prosciutto sliced more like pancetta than the thinly shaved prosciutto I'm used to. The veal itself was surpassingly tender, but didn't seem to have any flavor on its own. Moderately priced at $15 - I certainly wouldn't consider it a steal, but completely acceptable. I think the star of the evening was the ricotta cheesecake paired against our Linden Vidal Riesling. The light sweetness of the ice wine matched the savory richness of the cheesecake, and by that point I was already pretty toasted off of the half bottle of red that we polished off with our entrees. It almost helped to placate my annoyance at the server presuming we wanted our second bottle of wine put in a plastic bag to go, instead of offering to serve it. Yeah - we get the message - you want to go home. Do your job. They did redeem themselves by chasing us down on the street to return the bottle opener that we'd brought with us and accidentally left. Up until that point, I was solidly in the three stars camp. Acts of kindness like that should count for something, yeah? read more

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I came to philly for the weekend and the place I'm staying is right around the corner from here It was late and I wanted to find something that was open late and good. This place has outdoor seating and there's a little dinning area. The service was excellent and the food was on point! I only tried the pasta but, the rest of the menu had amazing dishes and this place is worth the visit. read more

La Viola - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Food was amazing with a handful of courses, but the service was disappointing and the indoor seating is not very luxurious.

A dependable Italian BYO staple in Philly. The waiters here are so nice and friendly. Have had great experiences here every time I come. They are great at accommodating large groups too :) read more

La Viola - Fettuccine Al Salmone, Orecchiette Alla Romana, Gnocchi Al Filetto Di Pomodoro - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I just wasn't impressed. To start and I can't blame them but they lost power. It wasn't particularly busy but it took almost 15 minutes just to get glasses of water. Our server was attentive and took almost 40minutes to get us started. It restaurant week so we don't expect the same day to day service but he was definitely far more attentive to the surrounding tables (Maybe they were more needy.) I was not a fan of their outdoor seating setup. Again restaurant week so take this entire review with that in mind... Portions were noticeably inconsistent throughout every course. My 3/7 for the same salad and they all look medi different. My Arugula salad had 1 1/4 artichoke heart and a tiny crumbs of feta... my friends got muscles in which sauce. Ones of them had virtually no white sauce when another's was swimming. The mushroom trio just blended into one pile of brown mush. The flavor was slightly under seasoned. Main courses were just fine... b/c they didn't have power on one side of their 2 restaurants we ended up being served cold cheesecake that my stomach is not happy about this next morning La Viola is ok... nothing to write home about. Its restaurant week, it's a panorama, they unfortunately didn't have power for some time. Wrong place wrong time... just not the place for me read more

So to start this review off, I will say the place has a good vibe and a good setup! Tight, but what's the harm in double dating with strangers? Sarcasm... Staff wasn't that nice and just got you in and out as fast as possible - they wanted a quick turn over. Food wasn't that great either. The pasta was solid but you could probably make better at home. Not good Italian food at all. Just go down to south philly for something more authentic. So I saved the best part of the review for last: VEAL MEDALIANS IN MARSALA SAUCE. I just ate a roast beef sandwich for lunch today. Good quality meat from Wegmens, but lunch meat nonetheless. My Veal Marsala literally tasted like that same exact lunch meat, but with some non-Marsala tasting gravy sitting on top. Literally, WTF!!! Very thin, makes you question the quality for $23, and the taste, like I said, reminds me of lunch meat. Overall, wanted to give 1 star, but our 4th server (Houdini 2.0) cracked some funny jokes and didn't pour wine into my water glass. read more

La Viola - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Visited La Viola with a large party on a Sunday evening and have to say, it was subpar. Immediately upon entering the restaurant, I was bummed by how hot it was inside. The servers were not the most helpful, waving us to the room in the back reserved for our large party. The room was definitely all set up for our group, and the view of the back garden was really pretty. However, we were not served water or offered drinks for a while after arriving. The menu was a fixed price menu for our large group. The options were traditional italian options, all sounded delicious. We were served fresh bread and dipping oil which was very tasty. I had the caesar salad, which was not as fresh as I'd prefer, followed by chicken marsala. The chicken marsala came with a shrimp on top, which was great, but not included on the menu and I could foresee a problem if someone had allergies or didn't prefer seafood. I had a few bites of the chicken marsala and thought it was pretty tasty. However, a waiter then accidentally knocked a glass of ice water onto my plate and lap. My food was immediately removed from the table, but no one spoke to me and I sat there with a lap and place setting covered in ice. I eventually asked for someone to take the rest of the ice cubes from my lab and was met with an eye roll from the waiter. They did make me another plate which was served about when everyone else was finished eating. I just wish they had communicated the plan rather than sitting there wondering if I would get a new meal. Overall, the food was okay, but the service and atmosphere definitely have room for improvement. read more

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