We were able to get a last-minute reservation on a Saturday night, and I'm so happy we did! We've…read morebeen here a couple of times. I actually celebrated my birthday here last year and this place is always a hit, never a miss! We started with the cucumber and tomato salad and the country bread, and what a delicious combination! We also ordered a side of olive oil, and they seriously have some of the best olive oil I've had in a while. I definitely recommend getting some on the side to dip your country bread in. Trust me! We paired everything with a pitcher of sangria, which gives you about four drinks and was much more economical than ordering individual cocktails. I finally tried the chicken Parmesan, and boy, am I kicking myself for not trying it sooner! The chicken breast was thick, juicy, moist, and perfectly crunchy. Some places make their chicken Parm so thin that it barely feels like you're eating chicken, but this was an actual substantial piece of chicken with the perfect bite. Our waitress told me I could swap out the pasta and sauce that normally come with the chicken Parmesan, so of course I did! I got the rigatoni with vodka sauce, and it was DELIGHTFUL. The portion was massive, so I took leftovers home and yes, I absolutely ate them the very next day! My fiancé got the branzino and wanted something lighter so he could help me with the rigatoni. His plate was beautifully presented, the fish tasted incredibly fresh, and it was exactly what he wanted. Overall, we had another wonderful experience. This restaurant will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we'll definitely be back! A special shoutout to our waitress, who was absolutely delightful and told me I could change the pasta and sauce with my chicken Parmesan. You changed my life! You have no idea how happy you made me. I wish I had gotten your name, but truly, everyone there is always so lovely. Thank you for another amazing experience!

Went for a work dinner with my colleagues and had such a good experience here!! We got the…read morearancini, the garlic bread, and the shrimp and lobster pastas and all were perfect. The arancini was so decadent and the garlic bread came with a head of garlic confit - both were perfectly appetizers. We also got the shrimp pasta and lobster pasta and both were delicious! The lobster pasta was very filling, so I recommend the shrimp pasta if you want something on the lighter side. The service was good, but there was a wait both times we strolled by (Sunday and Tuesday), so would recommend making a res. The only caveat is that I would not recommend coming here with a party larger than 4 people, the restaurant is very small and rustic and can't fit a larger party. It was fine for us as we were able to push some outside tables together (and it was a beautiful evening), but I do wish we could have sat inside.

During a busy summer of sporting events we were concerned we would need reservations but we walked…read morein and were seated right away. Our server apologized for a delay in taking our drink orders. She was attentive the rest of our meal. I ordered a Charles deGaulle whiskey cocktail. Lemon, aperol and simple syrup added a refreshing twist. For entrees, my wife ordered the pacherri; a simple pork ragu with tender broccoli rabe, Parmesan, stracciatello and basil. The dish was delicious. I enjoyed my plate of sea-inspired tonnarelli nero. Bay scallops in crab ragu with fennel sofrito. Served with squid ink pasta that imparted a slight brininess. The pasta was cooked pangrattato style-- coated in panko bread crumbs and garlic. The dish had many flavors but they all came back to the theme. Cocktail prices and entree prices were very reasonable. They offer happy hour drinks and specials. Certainly a very good choice if you're in the area.

None of us had eaten there before so we just ordered a bunch of stuff to split. The whipped ricotta…read moreand grilled bread was gone almost immediately, barely got a second piece. The short rib over polenta was probably my favorite thing on the table - it fell apart easily and the polenta underneath wasn't as heavy as I expected it to be. We got the salted caramel budino for dessert too, and I was glad it wasn't one of those desserts that's so sweet you can only handle two bites. Would go back honestly. Probably order something different next time just to try more of the menu, but I'm getting that ricotta again no matter what.

10/10 all the way around . A can't miss!…read more Have been there several times and can't recommend enough.

I haven't seen my Cuzn since we dined at Louis Vuitton Cafe in NYC. Called her up and asked her to…read morejoin me for a late dinner. She obliged me. I made reservations (day of) for 8:30 pm. We were a little late due to traffic, but our reservation was still honored. Our seating was inside and upstairs (which we appreciated b|c it rained while we were dining) Ambiance was lovely, dimly lit and romantic if you're on a date. Restaurant is family friendly!! We were quickly sat, our waiter introduced himself to us -- lovely gentleman by the name of Vincenzo?!? He was effortlessly efficient and friendly. Made our night exceptional. My cousin said it was late and she didn't want to really order anything. I talked her into ordering and then at least she could eat the leftovers for "midnight snacking" or lunch the next day. We ordered: -- Bellini: Prosecco infused peach purée -- Bread -- Scamorza -- Fire-roasted aged mozzarella, prosciutto -- Torta Granchio -- Italian crab cake infused with crab, shrimp, and mascarpone served with cucumber fresco and gastronomic roasted red pepper gelato -- Cesarina -- Kale, romaine, creamy Parmigiano dressing -- Agnolotti -- Torino-style Ravioli filled with veal, pork, and vegetables. Butter sage sauce topped with gastronomic black and white truttle gelato -- Pappardelle al Ragu -- Ribbon pasta, slow cooked pork, veal, lamb and chicken ragu (my cuzn's meal) -- Tiramisu Classico -- Lady fingers, espresso, mascarpone Everything was delicious, especially the Torta Granchio. Gran Caffè L'Aquila needs to lead with this appetizer. It was delicious. My cousin and I ordered two more to go!! Our pasta meals were decadent and delicious. We shared the tiramisu and we both agreed it was fantastic. Classic is the way to go. We left with full bellies after having wonderful conversation. We both agreed we'd be back!! BTW: I booked our reservation OpenTable and got 1000 points for it!!!

okay, yes. over one-year later, i finally came back to try the chicken parmesan and it was so good…read more definitely better than whatever i had last time. my boyfriend and i shared the caesar salad, the fried mozzarella, and the chicken parmesan, and it was honestly a good amount of food for the both of us (though we did get ice cream before lol). i like that they have outdoor seating, which is perfect for our dog. it was a warm day, so sitting outside was perfect, but i do believe they have heat lamps for when it gets a little chilly. we didn't have a reservation, but they were so accommodating and able to squeeze us in after a short 5-minute wait around 8p. definitely worth the hype, very cute neighborhood spot!

I originally made a reservation for 2:30 PM thinking they offered a lunch menu, but if you're…read morecoming for the pasta, make sure to come after 4:30 PM. We actually had to leave and come back later & I'm so glad we did! The food was absolutely fantastic. The service was 10/10 from start to finish. We ordered the chicken Milanese, which was perfectly crispy and fresh. All of the pastas were seasoned beautifully and cooked to perfection. My favorite dishes were the cavatelli and the chicken cutlet!! both were incredible. I'll definitely be coming back, especially to try the chicken parm. This place has officially earned a special spot in my heart.

Stopped by last night with a large and rowdy (lol) party and the staff was so lovely and…read moreaccommodating. An extra person ended up joining us early on in the meal, and the team was so great about expanding the table and making us comfortable. Our food was so great, from the apps to the entrees everyone loved what they got. The portions are huge and most of us ended up taking some of our meals home. We had a party of 8, and our bill was only about 350 bucks, which is a great price for a large Italian dinner here in the city. From the staff to the space to the food, everything was lovely! Will definitely be back soon!

I am trying to stay away from Italian restaurants for 2026 and was very hesitant about trying this…read moreone, but my friend insisted--and I'm so glad I listened. This is a very small, quaint restaurant, which made the experience feel cozy and intimate. The servers are very attentive and made us feel well taken care of. The rigatoni Bolognese was some of the best I've ever had absolutely incredible. The Caprese was also very good, though the portion was huge. The only miss for me was the chocolate cake: it was very cold and a bit dry. That said, I would 100% go back just for the rigatoni Bolognese alone.

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.

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.

What is up with the raving reviews yet only 4 stars?!…read more My goodness, this is one of the best Italian restaurants that I've ever visited! Mind you, I understand they don't have risotto, ossobucco, and some other exvellent Italian staples, but man do they make up for it with abundance, price, and quality, The linguini with prosciutto is one of the best I've had. The fresh bread to start with garlic confit also paired well with our appetizers of prosciutto and carpaccio. Thankfully this was found on accident as it's walking distance from our hotel, so we're reserving our spot for tomorrow and will come prepared with our bottle of wine. This is a BYOB establishment. They do not have any alcohol on the premises but do not charge a cork fee. It's a true family run business, which is my go to back home so I'm so THRILLED to have stumbled on this wonderful establishment. I'd give 10 stars if I could! Don't walk here, RUN!

Vibes: casual, mom-and-pop Italian BYOB; bring a friend or the whole crew…read more Tasting notes: - Calamari: lovely combination of tender shrimp, beans, and rings that was so scoopable with the bread - Burrata: appetizer special for the night; cherry tomatoes were delightfully sweet - Caprese: large wedges of juicy tomato paired with bite-sized mozzarella balls over fresh spinach with a drizzle of balsamic; shareable for a few people - Linguine with clams: very light but clammy broth; abundance of pasta Other thoughts: - Friendly service - Very busy on a Monday evening, can get pretty crowded and loud - Plates are generous, as is the bread service with garlicky olive oil with smashable and smearable whole cloves - Great for gluten-free and vegetarian Impression: What a homey Italian gem!

Went here for lunch, had a good experience!…read more Food: 8.8/10 - I really loved what u ordered. I could eat everything again. Good portion sizes too. We also got the Cacio e Pepe which was fantastic and Al Dente. Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 8.3/10 - This venue is pretty small. Don't sit outside or else you will smell the fishy streets of Philly.

The ambiance was prunella was cute and cozy. I opted for the spicy Caesar salad with shrimp, and…read moretwo pizza : white claw and queen bee. The Queen bee was by far my favorite, with the delightful hint of sweetness from the hot honey. White claw felt a bit plain for me and I probably would go for something else. The pizza was of great value. The service was questionable. I made a reservation and as I got there, the hostess didn't have a table - suspected that it was given away. So we sat at the bar for 20/30 min until we can be properly seated. They also forgot our order so we had to wait even longer as we reorder our food. I would love to go back for the food but the service is kinda deterring.

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!