Hands down one of my favorite restaurants in Philadelphia. I go there often and have never been disappointed. It's sometimes a little loud, but the food is to-die-for so it's well worth it (and the wait, which can be up to 2 hours on weekends). I always order the same thing (I know, boring, but I can't get enough) - porcini appetizer and black cod entree. I've also had the mushroom/truffle pasta which is a close second to the black cod. Add in the fact that it's a BYO and I highly recommend it! read more

The food here is very sub-par. I've gotten better pasta at Olive Garden. The pasta came out in a blob. I expect any restaurant that serves pasta to have pasta served in such a way that you can separate the strands. That said, the environment is very nice. I suppose I paid for a nice place to eat, not good food to eat. On the plus side, the bread was pretty decent. read more

I know this place probably doesn't need another glowing review, but I just had to share my experience. My friend had a really bad day, administrative problems and a cancelled flight. Remembering all the good reviews of Melograno, I took him here. This was Tues evening, and we snagged the last table. His face literally lit up the minute he put the pasta in his mouth. He ordered some mushroom pasta (forgot the name...), I had the wild boar parpadelle. The pasta was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was unbelievably good. Not your usual boring red/white sauces. We also shared a pistachio strawberry panna cotta, which was absolutely fantastic. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was the price...while the food was very very good, it was just a tad overpriced. But if you love Italian food & dessert, run to Melagrano at once! read more

I give Melograno a four for its food and our waiter. The food at Melograno is impeccable. Our waiter was excellent . . . humorous and detailed. The food was fanastic I normally get the mushroom pasta but decided to go with something new. It was great. The dining experience and food is not to be missed. I have one bone to pick with Melograno. I would rather them not take reservations at all then have to feel like I am annoying the staff by arriving on time for my reservation. read more

The pappardelle with wild boar bolognese was absolutely out of this world. I also enjoyed a mushroom appetizer and a salad, but all I really remember about the night was that pasta. We made reservations for a Sunday night and were seated without a problem. The atmosphere was elegant yet cozy--though perhaps a little too cozy, as the table behind us was squished up pretty close to ours. Another downside was that the "molten" chocolate cake was cooked all the way through, but still delicious. Bonus points for this place being a BYOB. read more

The server was amazing, and the food was awesome! The BYOB is a huge plus!

delicious and clean byob, melograno promises a good time with great food, great drinks (BYO, so pick a good one), and great friends! The service and hostess are forgettable, but the food is tasty and the ambiance is really nice. read more

One of the best italian restaurants in Rittenhouse. The fixed price on Sundays is a bargain. Good food, good people and the best service.

Went on a Saturday. Placed was jammed with good energy. Service was great. My dining partner loved is dish and lick the plate clean. My special was bland but had been there previously and loved my dinner. The appetizer of meatballs was very good along with the gelato dessert. Would recommend. read more

Besides the insanely long waits on Friday and Saturday nights, Melograno is perfection defined. If you haven't had the Papardelle Tartufate, you haven't lived. I would go there if you haven't, because if you die tomorrow, you are totally f***ed because you will never try the single best pasta dish ever know to humankind (possibly alien-kind as well if any undocumented workers ever dine here). Honestly there is no describing it. I have tried many of the other dishes too - the rigatoni with amatriciana sauce and pancetta (very satsifying), the cacio e pepe (didn't care for this one, too peppery, not enough other flavors), the various raviolis always covered in their divine brown butter and sage sauce, and the quail (very succulent, although I didn't care for their polenta). The Melograno salad is always a great start to the meal with a light and refreshing dressing. I also really enjoy the fried goat cheese and anchovy appetizer, which is a really dressed-up and grown-up version of one of my childhood favorites. The ability to bring your own wine is great, and even though the wait is often long, they will take your cell phone number and call you when your table is ready, so you can go get drinks at a nearby bar (try Village Whiskey or Jolly's). If you haven't eaten here yet and you are reading this right now, stop. Go now. read more

Last night was my first visit to Melograno, a long-time neighborhood favorite (while in its old location) that I had simply never visited. I was with a group of ten, and we had a great experience at Melograno overall. The ambience of the new location is nice! Dim lighting and warm golds and browns of the decor makes it feel special, yet the openness of the new space makes it feel breathable and group-friendly. This location still boasts the Philly signature open-kitchen restaurant style, and it's fun to be able to see the chefs as they cook and place the hot dishes out on the counter before they are whisked away to each table. Our waitress was attentive and nice, though one of my pet-peeves is when servers list the specials and fail to note the price. We all know that specials are always more expensive... and if prices are listed for everything else on a menu, why is this piece of information always left out? As a diner, I want to know what I'm going to be paying for a dish instead of being surprised by a huge bill at the end. So, please, do all patrons all a favor and embrace the practice of informing us.... That said, we ordered the Antipasto Rustico, which was a generous platter of meats, cheeses, olives, and pates. The prosciutto was buttery and soft, the mozzarella fresh, and the grilled vegetables perfectly tender. We then also ordered the mussels, which came in a tomato garlic broth. These were also delicious, and the olive oil that was served earlier with the bread was absolutely neglected in favor of scooping up the tender garlic cloves and sweet diced tomatoes from the broth. As an entree, I ordered the Wild Boar Bolognese and my fiance the Quail Arrosto. The bolognese was well balanced, and the papardalle extremely fresh and tasty. I did not feel that the bolognese had enough boar in it, though, and secretly wished I had ordered the Mushroom papardalle that my neighbor sitting next to me was busy scarfing down (it smelled like nutty, savory heaven). The Quail entree was also disappointing. It was plated nicely, but I found the quail difficult to eat, a bit dry as there was not enough pomegranate glaze, and the stuffing inside an afterthought. The polenta it was served with was a baby scoop of dry, tasteless cornmeal. I want my polenta creamy and plentiful! This was certainly not the case, and I would not order this dish again. On the other hand, another of our dining companions got the Pork Chop entree, which was a huge portion of pork served over sweet and savory farro that was completely delightful. Other than the fact that I spent my dinner pining over the entree choices of the others in my group, I would return to Melograno... only I would order what they got! The fact that this restaurant is a BYOB is a major plus, as it would otherwise be a bit too pricey Italian for my taste. I recommend going here on a weekday night for crowd control.... Enjoy! read more

Took our family to Melograno's for hubby's 60th birthday and very disappointed. Have been here several times in the past, but this is probably last time. Four guys ordered the filet mignon. One wanted it done medium the other medium well (I know, I know, but to each their own!). The waitress came out to tell us that the chef would ONLY prepare the filets rare or medium rare (I don't disagree). However, and here is the big however, if you are ordering the most expensive item on the menu and that is your taste, who is the chef to tell you no??!! The hostess (Ann) intevened and the chef compromised (!) on cooking them medium. We have been to many nice restaurants in our city, other cities and internationally and have never experience such a thing. To add insult to injury, absolutely no acknowledgement of the birthday, even though I had made reservations weeks in advance and let them what a special occassion it was. Sorry Melograno's .. there's a lot more "customer friendly" Italian restuarants in the city to go to. read more

My family and I went to this restaurant on Sunday night. after doing a little research on line... According to the Philadelphia magazine, Melograno is one of the best 30 Italian restaurant in philly. well ! let me tell you that I will not return to that establishment. we made a reservation on line for 7;30 and arrive few minutes early, the place was quiet. the hottest was very pleasant and make us feel welcome and we like the décor. Our waitress give us the impression that she did not want to be there, probably exhaust for the previous night "Saturday ".. Now about the food. 1 Calamari with cannellini bean was fresh and very tender 2 Mussels little blend 3 Snails on top a bruschetta with mushrooms was uneventful and dry 4 Zuppa di mare was to REDUCE and the seafood and calamari beyond CHEWING 5 Risotto with gamberoni goat cheese and marsala, "a slap on the face" I order that dish because I was curious about he choice of ingredients , it was EXTREMILY blend with over cook shrimp , could not taste the goat and the marsala . I agree about the chef doesn't have a good sense of what goes together. We have few order dish not worth to talk about 6 crème brulee with ginger, someone spend to much time with the torch, was a little burn and the custard to so warm. My impression is that we have to many chef's and not enough cook's. Party of four,We spend 204.12 dollars including tips for a mediocre food and ok service. read more

This is hard, because the food was excellent but the service was poor. Even with a reservation we had to wait almost half an hour to be seated. Then there was a wait for our water, bread, and wine to be opened. Our waitress poured our champagne like a newb. The snail and mushroom appetizer was amazing. The fresh pasta in the pasta with wild boar ragu was very satisfying. My veal entree was pretty good, though I was stuffed at that point. A mixed seafood plate had exceptional head on prawns. Its also a little loud and cramped, but I would have minded less had I been seated and at least served some bread more promptly. Hungry people give less stars. read more

There are three positives about this place: location, atmosphere, and it's a BYO. That is why I give it the three stars. The menu has some good variety as well. However, the food is definitely underwhelming . There is nothing special here. The service was also very poor. If you are in the Rittenhouse/Fitler Square neighborhood, there are much better options if you are seeking out a nice Italian BYO. read more

I had the gnocchi special which was very doughy. My husband had a pasta dish and the portion was very small. I had a mushroom and goat cheese "flatbread" type dish which was very bland. The service was friendly and excellent. read more

The food here is undeniably awesome. The waitress seemed fun and had great energy, but you could also tell she was ready to get the hell out of there since we were her last table. The grilled squid with eggplant marmalade was delicious. There just wasn't enough of the perfectly cooked, melt-in-your-mouth squid. It was not really an appetizer meant for sharing. It was also over a bed of bland, blanched string beans that I didn't really care for. The string bean's purpose was to buffer up the dish and give you less squid. The pappardelle with wild mushrooms, roasted walnuts, and truffle oil was excellent. The walnuts provided the perfect texture and crunch with the homemade pappardelle pasta. The unfortunate thing about this dining experience is that I promised my starving boyfriend I'd bring him back some pappardelle with wild boar. I told the waitress at the start of dinner that I'd be ordering something to go. She told me to remind her at the end of dinner, before we ordered dessert. The only problem was, it took her FOREVER to take our dessert order. She was sitting 2 tables away from us, busily counting out her tips and closing out the night. We tried to get her attention and 2 of the other servers even tapped her on the shoulder, but she was just not even going to look over at us until she was done counting out her tips for the night. As we were waiting, I saw the kitchen closing up. When the waitress finally came over, I asked her about ordering the dish to go, she was like "oh, sorry the kitchen closed early." Um, no the kitchen didn't close early. You just waited until it closed to come over to take our order. All in all, I'd definitely come back for the food, but I'd make sure I was getting dinner well before closing. read more

Service was 2 stars, food was 3. As other yelpers noted, bring earplugs. The interior looks cozy and quaint, but with the jarring sound of a cafeteria. It's impossible to have a 1-on-1 conversation here. Great for groups especially after a few bottles of wine when the senses start to numb--all the more reason to shout across the table at the top of your lungs because you can't hear a single thing! We walked in on a Thursday night for a table for 2 with no wait. Although it didn't seem too busy, service was painfully slow. We were seated without menus and when we finally did get them, the waiter must have waited at least 15 minutes to come back to check on us. We ordered the rustico (their "charcuterie" platter), mushroom pappardelle, and the wild boar raga pappardelle. The rustico platter was a little underwhelming. It looked impressive at first glance, but the roasted vegetables were pretty boring and nothing was particularly memorable. It was all kind of standard fare, nothing terribly wrong, but nothing that would have me coming back for more. The highlight of the meal was the freshly made pappardelle pasta. Don't underestimate the size of this entree. It looks tiny, but it's actually really dense and filling. I was pretty satisfied after all was said and done. Food is decent, but service needs some serious work. Oh, and be prepared to feel like you just left a rock concert when you walk out. read more

Such a good BYOB Italian place in RIttenhouse. The feel is super homey and cozy. The waiter we had was very nice and attentive but not overbearing. I had pasta which you could tell was freshly made which i always appreciate. And my boyfriend had the chicken which was also very good. Juicy and not overly breaded. Good italian places are hard to find, this one was moderately priced for good quality food! read more

For a BYOB it has amazing food, fresh, tasty, and a busy festive atmosphere. Come when it's not busy and it can be quite intimate and quiet but it always seems to be busy especially weekends and evenings. read more

Melograno is an Italian restaurant located in Center City close to Rittenhouse Square. We went on a Friday night without reservations (which they now take despite being informed otherwise online) with high expectations. The rustic Italian decor adds to the great ambiance. Our table lined against the wall was very close to our neighbors which made it a bit uncomfortable given that we arrived early and there were not too many diners so the noise level was down leading to an uncomfortably intimate dining situation. Our server was nice and attentive. The food was good yet nothing particularly stood out. For our starter we shared the Prosciutto di Parma e Rucola. A plate of arugula prosciutto and shaved parmigiano served with a lemon vinaigrette. It was a really nice consistent dish that I would order again. For our entrees we ordered the Pappardelle Tartufate and Risotto ai Gamberoni. The Pappardelle Tartufate is usually a favorite of mine. The ingredients in this one happened to be ground up to a paste mixture consisting of wild mushrooms, walnuts, truffle oil and pieces of pecorino. I was not a big fan of the mixture in this form nor was the Count who was forced to switch his plate with mine halfway through the meal. The Risotto ai Gamberoni was a delicious plate of fennel risotto served with fresh shrimp, goat cheese and wine reduction. It was very creamy and fragrant without tasting too fishy. For dessert we shared a warm chocolate cake with strawberry reduction. It was served within minutes leading me to believe that these are pre-made and microwaved. I am sure I was not wrong because it was too hot and did not taste like it was freshly baked. read more

Good Italian BYOB! Loved the atmosphere/ambiance and open kitchen style. Our server was attentive and knowledgeable of the menu especially concerning food allergies. We had the meat and cheese platter, risotto and striped bass special. everything was fresh and delicious! I would like to go back and try their pizza dishes. All in all good stuff! read more

On my second trip to Melograno, everything was delicious as I had hoped. Made a miserable rainy night much better! I felt it necessary to write an update to mention how delicious the rustico platter is. Full of bread, meats, fresh cheese, and roasted vegetables. Everything was extremely flavorful and a great start to the meal. We shared the beet ravioli which was amazing. The beets added a really interesting sweet flavor to the pasta. We shared another seafood dish as well with calamari, shrimp, fish, and scallops. Fresh and light. Chocolate lava cake at the end of the meal was a slight disappointment, but didn't take away from the overall delicious meal. Only complaint is the noise in this restaurant because they smush everyone in like sardines, be prepared to raise your voice to be heard. read more

I really liked the food at Melograno. The salad was superb, and we also had the pizza for an appetizer, which was delish! My pasta (homemade) was outstanding. So much flavor and alienate, just the way it should be. It was also piping hot, which I love! The only (slight) drawback was that the noise level was really high, but it still gets 5 stars in my book! read more

Melograno is definately a place I would revisit. The food is decent despite limited menu offerings; ambience is warm and lively; and BYOB(no corkage fee) is always preferred. I recommend a reservation before you stop by because the place gets really busy during dinner. We waited for almost 45 minutes as walk-ins on a saturday night. We ordered the grilled sea bass and spaghetti with clams in tomato sauce as entrees. Both were execellent but the sea bass really made me smile. The dish was nicely prepared in a light cream sauce with artichoke hearts and potatoes, you can really taste the freshness in the seafood. The clams/shrimp/beans appetizer was also lovely. The dessert was just average(choco crepe). Overall, I would give this place 4 stars. The place is well lit and can get noisy, so not recommended in a romantic setting. read more

I wish that I could give this a zero rating. This restaurant is the worst. The food is bad, and the waiters are super rude and incompetent. I went recently, the waiter forgot all of our order, and forgot my drink order so that I had to ask for it twice. When I gave him a 12% tip, he had the nerve to confront me in front of my entire party about the service. When I told him I wasn't changing the tip, he swore at me in Italian. Food was very mediocre. I called back later to let the manager know, and to my complete lack of surprise, no one would address the issue. Will never be back again, and will make sure to tell everyone I know not to go there either. read more

This place is so cozy and friendly. The space is small, which gives it such a personal feel. There's a lot of energy from the diners, the staff, and kitchen. It's a great BYOB and everyone has at least a bottle of wine at their table. The handmade pasta was great and so were the desserts. Just be prepared to wait since they don't take reservations. read more

Went here based on reviews from other yelp-ers. Okay, I'm vegetarian so that limited my choices a bit but the pasta I got was floating in an oily tomato sauce (arribiata). Not so good as I've had better. More importantly, the place was LOUD... for some reason, this place carries a lot of noise and it was really hard to hold a conversation. I would head down the street to Porcini's instead. read more

Outstanding cuisine in a quaint setting. The food is spectacular and the service is helpful, attentive, and candid. If you have the opportunity, request Antonio as your waiter... He is as outstanding as the restaurant! read more

The food costs much too much for what is served. Our appetizer was cold and the bachemel sauce had separated. There was nothing special about the pasta dishes and the papardelle stuck together in an unappetizing lump. read more

Worst experience I've ever had at a BYOB. To begin with, the hostess Ann was incredibly rude and arrogant when taking my reservation and rude to my entire party when we arrived. Listen, we know you need to turn your tables but telling us over and over again was not necessary. We were hurried through our dinner, perhaps we were not aware that our money wasn't as green as the other customers (??) The waitress was sullen, unfriendly and glared us down while we looked over the menu and at the end unceremoniously flung our check at our tables. Servers were equally rude and unpleasant. The food was decent but not worth being treated like dirt when you go out to eat. There are many more excellent BYOBs in Philly to partonize in this economic climate. Don't ruin your dinner experience by going here (unless you're a sucker for abuse) read more

I'd been to Melograno once before and had a great experience, so when it came time to make a reservation for my birthday dinner I was very excited to return. I made a reservation for 8 for Saturday night at 7:30 using their online reservation system through Urbanspoon. But when we arrived at the restaurant on Saturday night, the reservation was missing. I didn't know what we were going to do as a party of 8 without reservations at 7:30 on a Saturday evening. Thankfully, the staff at Melograno really came through and saved the day. Though they were incredibly busy and did not have my reservation, they still managed to find a way to accommodate us with only a very short delay. We had an amazing dinner, the service was great, and the error with the reservation will definitely not prevent me from going back. read more

Really good antipasto and food in general - the lamb was cooked perfectly and we had a ricotta ravioli that was delicious. However, the service seemed to lag a little but they did let us sit and talk for a long time after paying the bill. Overall a great neighborhood gem but it would be great if the bread was warm!!! read more

The best restaurant in town! We really like it and come pretty often-always had a great time. Both pasta and meat dishes are superb. They take reservation on weekdays but on weekends be sure either to come early or to be willing to wait up to an hour. Starters cost around 10$, pasta ~ 15$, meat 25$. read more

HORRIBLE FOOD - SERVICE AND ATMOSPHERE. READ BELOW AND KEEP READING the reviews - AS I REPEAT AND ECHO THE SAME AS BELOW..RUDE SERVER'S, RUSHING YOU IN AND OUT AND WATCHING THEIR WATCHES!! RUINED MY BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION and I had guests from Europe with us!! The food was horrible, small portions, soggy pasta, everything was terrible.. I have been here before and I have had good meals...but last night was a horror i won't return. 6 guests all were disappointed We were rushed and treated terribly My daughter who lives in the city stated, "there are a lot of restaurants who are good, why did you chose this place!" read more

I had an absolutely terrible experience here (probably the worse service I've ever seen at this price point) and will never return and highly encourage others to follow suit especially on wknd nights. I went for a party and rather than the relaxed experience you might expect from a BYO, they brought the food in about ten minutes of us ordering and the check within about 10 seconds of us finishing, despite nearly every person having a half-glass of wine. It was raining cats and dogs outside at the time, and they wanted to kick us out as quickly as possible to make room for the next party. They didn't bring bread or red and white wine glasses and they wanted to charge us exorbitant amount to bring an outside dessert (which is fine I suppose, but they were very rude about it and not in the least bit apologetic). As for the food, it was fine but I definitely prefer the food I've had at other Italian joints in the city, such as Porcini (right next door), Paradiso (South Philly) , La Viola (Center City). I never write Yelp reviews but I was frankly infuriated on behalf of my friends who were expecting a nice, leisurely meal, and were instead treated as if they had entered a fast-food joint. read more

Went out with a group for a friends birthday, seven of us in total. The food was excellent (highly recommend the meatball appetizer and the pork main course). The service on the other hand was abysmal. Not only did we have to continually remind our server to bring us water but on most instances she just stood in the back. Then when it came time to pay, we provided 80% of the bill in cash and the rest was to be split on two cards (not complicated by any means and we do this often if someone forgets to bring cash with them). She returned with our bill and told us she couldn't do it that way and when we asked why it was such a problem proceeded to ask if we thought she was stupid! In the end our one friend fronted the whole bill and just pocked the cash. Then when leaving the tip and departing she picked up the check before we had even begun to leave (still sipping coffee and chatting) and then turned around and berated us on why we only left her 15%. To which we proceeded to say she was hard to get a hold of and we felt like our table was neglected most of the evening. She then became even more agitated and demand more explanation to which we retorted we didn't have to provide one and walked out without finishing our coffee or desert. I will not be returning regardless of how good the food was there's no reason harass a customer. read more

Great Italian food! Ordered the shrimp scampi and really enjoyed the overall experience. They have good desserts too as well.

Delicious pasta with wild boar, not too pricy and had a great atmosphere. Everyone else enjoyed their pasta dishes.

Looks like I'm the odd one out here that didn't really enjoy Melograno. I was disappointed in the service and food-- but it was Restaurant week, so that may be atypical. Not a bad evening, but I won't go back. read more