Elements other than food factor in to one's assessment of a restaurant. This restaurant is LOUD, particularly the main dining room. We were seated in the secondary room which quickly filled, and was just as loud. Conversation was difficult. Terrible acoustics. Pescatore is popular. I get it. Management wants to accommodate as many people as possible. As such, seating is tight and tables-for-two are postage sized. I can't deny that our meals were good. You can get vegetables as a side rather than mashed potatoes, but there's an upcharge. (I'm guessing they go with potatoes because they can make a batch and quickly ladle it out. Spaghetti -- my preference -- would likely have to be made-to-order. And as I said, the place is busy.) My husband and I shared a house salad which we topped with "fritto misto" - calamari, shrimp and peppers. Very good! He ordered Veal Saltimbocca and I, Chicken Romano. Both recommended, both with portions big enough for another meal. The staff is solicitous and friendly. Everything came out on a timely basis. We like what we ate. We appreciate BYOB. But that noise! I'll give 'em another try on a weeknight. But if it's no better -- arrivederci, Pescatore! read more

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Nice place with a beautiful ambiance, 2nd visit to check out and explore the menu. I've had the fettuccine Bolanase and it was pretty taste, i could have used some more Italian flavors but it was a very hearty meal. Also, had the meatballs, very tasty and they come with a toast too. Service is Amazing & staff is friendly and accommodating. I promised i would return and here I am to eat dinner and watch the snow! Today! Short Beef Ribs... are delicious!! Very happy I came back!! Thank you!! read more

Pescatore - Amazing Space - Seafood Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

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Chef's Kiss to the Chef at Pescatore BYOB!! The food has always been spot on and phenomenal! This is a cozy BYOB Bala Cynwyd venue with unpretentious vibes, a moderate seating area and wonderful music to enhance your dining experience. Unfortunately, this time the service was slightly lacking. Nothing that cannot be corrected with proper staff education, in my opinion. Alex was our waitress, she was very pleasant and somewhat aggressive. The table that was seated before us who she also attended to received their entrees before their appetizers. I witnessed the food server and Alex correcting the issue at their table. We were interrupted 3 times by Alex while enjoying our meal and conversation. Just saying, "I'm sorry to interrupt you" after interrupting a patron is not proper customer service. She rushed my friend to surrender her plate, even though she was still eating. Again, "oh no, I don't mean to rush you", doesn't mean the offense hadn't already been commited. Then she dropped off the check... Circled back to take it and saw cards hadn't been laid in the tray... Came back and there were 2 cards to be split evenly. She just took the tray without inquiring and charged the full amount on 1 card. Then NO APOLOGY. Mistakes happen. Good servers acknowledge their mistakes. Especially after being uber aggressive. Food 10/10 Service 4/10 read more

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This is our 2nd go around with Pescatore. The vibe here is old school Italian American. This place hasn't changed one bit since it opened way back when! We had a large group for a Saturday evening and we were seated and taken care of very well and throughout the whole night. What we snagged: -Calamari -Mussels -Sunday Gravy -Veal Mia (VERY Flavorful) -Chicken Milanese Overall, the meal was great. Highly recommend checking this place out for a great meal that's BOYB. Can't catch those in Philly. Only downfall was my wife's uncooked chicken. Like WAY undercooked. Sent it back and it was fixed. They even gave us a free cannoli to apologize. Very sweet. read more

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Spent the early part of New Years Eve at this vintage Italian spot in the Ardmore area. This BYOB place is great for all occasions. Birthdays, graduations, or even an intimate date with a partner. Food - Branzino - Soup - Lemoncello Food was pretty good, but the real star of the show was the service and ambiance. Our server has intensive knowledge of the menu, and was an all around great person to talk to. Really enhanced the experience. read more

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I enjoyed the food here, everything came quick. The service could have been better, as I had to repeat my requests a few times but overall still a good expierence. I would come back and definitely order the calamari appetizer again and meatballs. If they do not give you bread (which i had to ask for) do not skip it. The pesto they gave on the side was delicious! The only downside is there was a lot of roasted red peppers, which I am not a fan, but my boyfriend loved. read more

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I made a reservation for dinner today... Thanksgiving online. I called two weeks ago to verify if the restaurant was truly open due to the holiday. When I called the hostess verified my reservation and took my cell number as verification. I waited all day to eat and enjoy a fine dinner experience with family to arrive at the restaurant and it was close. Terrible!!! here is some management advice: check your books to see if you have reservations particularly after your hostess verified it by saying "oh yes I see your reservation" and I specifically asked her to verify they were open on Thanksgiving and she stated "yes.. yes we are" with a little edge as if I should t have asked!!! No meal for my family because you said you were open and you were not! You had my cell number and you could have called!! Jackie W read more

Haven't had anything this bland since swearing off Wonder Bread decades ago. Three dishes that normally send taste buds soaring - grilled octopus, tuna tartare, and seared scallops - might as well have been white bread. read more

Location is convenient although parking is on the street. They look like they are remodeling so be prepared for some construction. The current location is relatively small as are the tables. We had a table for six, but it felt a little tight. The service was good and about average. Similarly, the food was good, but nothing that I would say was memorable nor tasted especially authentic. The meatballs were a little dry and not that tasty. The calamari was also good but the tomato based sauce was a little too much. The short ribs probably could have been slow cooked a little bit longer since it was very chewy although the risotto was very good and rich. The cheesecake was also good but somehow didn't taste very fresh and seemed to be held in the refrigerator a pretty long time. The crust was very thick and hard to break. read more

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Food was great, service was great. It was a little packed in there, but luckily we were seated on another side of the restaurant away from everything which was very nice. read more

Pescatore - Gnocchi - Seafood Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

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Multiple things need to improve. Food options are outdated but the food is pretty good for what it is. Nothing interesting or different. Our appetizers came out in a reasonable amount of time but the entrees took FOREVER. THERE WAS OVER AN HOUR WAIT between apps and entrees. Plus it is overpriced for what they offer. For 6 people we had 4 apps and 5 entrees. No desserts. And the bill came to over $70 per person. Many other BYO s I'd rather go to. read more

Very disappointed. We were first seated in the back room but asked to move to the front room because of a weird odor. I started with an apricot salad which was basically fresh spinach with a few cut up dried apricots. The chicken Florentine had barely any spinach and was smothered in a flavorless brownish sauce. The panko crumb topping on the chicken was gummy and pasty. The accompanying mashed potatoes sure tasted like instant potatoes. I looked at the dessert menu but frankly didn't trust them to get a dessert right. Service was friendly and well informed and the ambiance was fine, but they didn't make up for the poor food. read more

PHL natives back to visit family, we found Pescatore could seat 7 people on a Sunday night. Pescatore's service, food, and atmosphere was DELIGHTFUL! BYOB was a nice way to bring our favorite wine and order more from the menu. We enjoyed steak, salads, pasta entrees, and dessert. read more

Best crème brûlée we've ever had. Great service and every part of the meal was good. Will definitely be back to try more food!

it was our second time and they still surprise us. me and my picked from specials and they were delicious! it was BYOB and we grabbed white wine and ordered seafood specials. Plating was so good! atmosphere and musics were fitting and I think it is really important. Service deserve 10 stars! Lucy and Hasan our servers and they were amazing! they made that experience unforgettable. We will be in Pescatore again and again. approved and definitely recommend! read more

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Delicious bring your own restaurant in the heart of Bala. The octopus salad is amazing -- as are all the seafood and fish specialties. The short ribs are wonderful on a cold evening. We prefer the main room for ambiance, but the second room is good for a larger group. The service is always attentive. Great neighborhood gem! read more

We came to Pescatore on a Tuesday evening around 6pm without a reservation and were easily seated. They are BYOB so we brought our own wine. We started with a special that included baked stuffed clams, clams casino, and calamari. The baked clams were amazing, calamari was great, and clams casino may have been good but the style is not for me. In addition we had a burrata salad, which was well dressed with good flavor. We were surprised by the amount of greens on the flatbread but it was delicious with generous amounts of crab. The gnocchi had a wonderful texture and a rich delicious sauce. The mixed ocean grill was in an oil sauce and had a generous lobster tail and great big scallops that were expertly cooked. The meatball was pretty good, but a meatball's a meatball. Go for the seafood, it's great and the prices are definitely a good value. The staff were all very attentive and the food came out quickly. The ambiance was fairly relaxed and as the place filled up it wasn't too loud. We came with a baby and they were very accommodating! We will absolutely be back. read more

Nice atmosphere and the food is pretty good Friend had the octopus and he liked it I had Caesar salad and it was average Also had chicken parm and it was pretty good, not great The menu on yelp is much different than what you see at restaurant Not sure I would go back I would give it 3.5 really read more

Our server, Morgan, was wonderful. So nice and so attentive. The food was good but very small portions. They are under new management. It was extremely hot in the restaurant and there were white plastic fans attached to the walls (very odd and not very aesthetically pleasing) that essentially blew the hot air around. It made for an uncomfortable meal. read more

Small restaurant with a huge party room. Always ask for at least one of the specials. Tonight my friend and I both had the Arancini which they added shrimp and lobster. Realize the restaurant is seafood. Yes a few meat dishes but go for the fish. Arancini balls were perfectly cooked, flavorful and served quickly. Next I went for the pistachio crusted Chilean Sea Bas over pea risotto and it was delicious. Light, fresh and glad I have some for lunch tomorrow. My friend had the shrimp pasta special. I forget the name but a curly noodle in a blush sauce. Big shrimp. It is BYOB and I do not believe uncorking fee. I would return with others for sure. read more

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Bravo Pescatore! You made our 50th wedding anniversary truly memorable. The surf and turf menu was delicious. The filet mignon tender, lobster tail enormous, caramelized scallops sweet, grilled shrimp were plump and fresh and tiramisu finished the meal with a flourish. There were 32 of us so we had a side room to ourselves. It was roomy enough for toddlers to move about and decorated beautifully. Julianna set up a projector and screen ahead of time so that we could take a trip down memory lane. I can't think of anything that went wrong. Many thanks to the excellent staff of Pescatore! read more

Pescatore - Rob and Shelley Evan's 50th Wedding Anniversary at Pescatore! - Seafood Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

GREAT. Who needs to go into Center City. Dined there last night. Wonderful all around. Had their fish special. Perfectly cooked. Flaky and tender. Can't wait to go back read more

I got the salmon tartare, Caesar salad, and pescatore here. The former two were pretty good, the latter was very mediocre, which is surprising given its the name of the restaurant. The shrimp were over cooked and tough, the pasta was something out of a box, and on the whole I just wasn't very impressed. It tasted like spaghetti with red sauce, throw in some canned crab and those shrimp cocktails you get at Costco and boom, pescatore. My wife's Chilean sea bass was very good. read more

Everything was amazing! Food was delicious! Service was impeccable! Beautiful surroundings! Will definitely be returning!

Food just fantastic. Served well,attractive ,ambience, can be a bit noisy at times, Remember to BYO.

The place is small and in a nice quiet area. It looks like a good place for a date or even family night. They seem to care about the menu offerings and server knowledge. I rsvp'd for 1 to have a celebration dinner alone. I was seated and within mins the server says oh I'm sorry I didn't notice it was just 1. It was very loud and potentially embarrassing. I wasn't embarrassed but it's the principle. I was given a wine glass but didn't have a wine bottle. When my water was delivered, I had to ask the food runner for a water glass. I ordered the arugula salad which was very good, seasoned and dressed just right but I had to ask the food runner for utensils. I assume the owner/manager delivered my food (he was wearing a different shirt) but he didn't even announce what my meal was or say anything just threw the plate on my table. It was veeeerrrryyyyy welcoming . Lobster ravioli was good nothing spectacular it came with 4 scallops which one of mine was undercooked. This was my first ever time enjoying a birthday meal alone and although the food was satisfactory, the service and environment were subpar and uncomfortable. Other POCs may feel similarly. read more

Wonderful food. The specials are a must to try even if they aren't your cup of tea. The environment is wonderful too, it's very enjoyable. The wait staff are great too. The appetizers are wonderful and great complementary items. They never rush you when you're there despite how crowded it can be. One of our favorites! read more

Overpriced, noisy, and just not a friendly place to eat. There are better choices in Bala. Save your money and eat elsewhere.

I was deciding between going to Primavera Pizza Kitchen and Pescatore. I went with Pescatore and I was treated with an above average meal! I started off with their burrata salad. It was filled with fresh chunks of tomatoes and a giant piece of burrata. The burrata itself was the best I have ever had. The outside was fresh mozzarella, but the inside was soft cream that just melted in my mouth. It was topped off with a housemate vinaigrette. For my entree, I got the chicken parmigiana, I was already full, but I still had a couple bites. Altogether, it was just okay. The chicken looked fresh and was topped with delicious bread crumbs. It also came with spaghetti. The cheese melted on top of the chicken was alright, but I was getting a fishy taste. I suppose, it was stored next to fish. Even though I was stuffed I decided to try out their cannoli. It was beautifully presented. It had a crisp shell covered in powdered sugar and chocolate drizzle. The inside was stuffed with cream and chocolate chips. It was not "out of the world", but I would have it again. Altogether, I had a nice meal and would return. read more

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Oh, man. That was awesome -- was going to stop there but the word limit in Yelp is making me continue. Had the Stuffed Long Hots, The Chilean sea bass, the beef bolognese, and the cannoli. Everything was cooked perfectly and deliciously. I forget my waitresses' name but she was very friendly, and as a former server who had to memorize many specials myself, I was super impressed by the way the described what seemed like a ridiculous amount to memorize. I wasn't surprised when I heard her tell another table she was a neuroscience major at Penn. My only regret leaving here was that I didn't get to eat more of the seafood, and that's only because my wife has allergies. read more

Ordered takeout. Pescatore. The shrimp totally dried out and tasteless. I order extra scallops. They were dried out overall a very subpar meal for Pescatore. The shrimp is most disappointing, small and dried out. read more

Dinner at Pescatore was great. It is a cute little gem in Bala Cynwyd. We ordered the Crab Cake and Mashed Potatoes, Sauteed Calamari, Gnocchi Autunno, and Chocolate Cake for dessert. Everything was delicious. Our only disappointment was that it's BYOB. Otherwise it was great...and we'll be better prepared next time. read more

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Just had dinner there with my wife and son and grandson. The food was fair. Chicken Florentine had too much and somewhat inedible spinach. Spaghetti Bolognese was chewy. The service was very nice but slow. The ambience was not bad. All in all it was okay, but we will not rush back. It was also pretty expensive. read more

The lovely wife and I dearly love BYOBs especially when they are close to home. My Yelp App was screaming at me to visit these folks so we made OpenTable reservations for 6 PM last night and off we went. We were pleased to see that that there is a private lot behind them so PARKING was a breeze. The entrance to the lot is on Highland Ave. We arrived on time and were seated immediately. The ATMOSPHERE is warm and cozy and intimate. A great place for a romantic dinner. The tables are a little close together but this is a high-end BYOB and the patrons know how to behave so we felt completely comfortable. Our waitress for the evening was Deana and we received 5 star SERVICE the entire evening. In addition to being friendly and knowledgeable, she knew just when to touch base and when to keep her distance. Much appreciated. Here is a little ADVICE on portion sizes and ordering. Your meal is going to begin with a delicious plate of bread, pesto and cheese. If you decide to go with four courses (appetizer, salad, entree and dessert), that is likely to be too much food! Last night the wife and I each enjoyed an appetizer, split a salad, each had an entrée, and split a desert for a total of six items. We were stuffed. What should you expect for PRICES? This is not an inexpensive restaurant. The six items mentioned above totaled $107. However this is superb cuisine and the wife and I both feel it was an excellent value. So what did we eat? As the restaurant name implies, there are plenty of choices from the sea. The wife enjoyed sautéed octopus as an appetizer and skate as her entrée. I ordered stuffed long-hots as an appetizer and unbelievably delicious Pumpkin gnocchi with spiced apples and cranberries as my entrée. Our shared tiramisu was decadent and voted Best on the MainLine for the last two years. Check the Yelp entry for lots of photos. We walked out of the restaurant with smiles on our faces, looked at each other and said 5 stars! read more

Pescatore - Tiramisu - Voted Best on the Mainline 2 years in a row. - Seafood Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

We loved the festive Christmas decor and appreciated the thick curtains by the door to keep the dining room toasty. Our server was attentive, and we loved that the restaurant is BYOB. Nonna's meatballs were two large meatballs with ricotta toast points. Loved this! The arugula salad with pumpkin seeds and cranberries was also a delicious appetizer. So, what wasn't good? Unfortunately, I should have listened to our server when she suggested the branzino over the mixed ocean grill. This dish was flavorless, and the lobster was overcooked. Additionally, the dish was described as having roasted peppers (they didn't seem to be roasted) with kalamata olives. There weren't any olives nor was there any type of sauce. It seemed as though the seafood was steamed rather than sauteed, and no salt, spices, or seasonings were added to it. It was bland and quite a disappointment. Also, my husband was surprised to find mushrooms on his chicken dish even though they weren't mentioned in the menu description. Although I was disappointed as the restaurant was my suggestion, there are too many other excellent Italian restaurants to come back for a return visit. read more

Had an amazing dinner here the other night. I am always looking for good BYOBs and Pescatore is going to be at the top of my list from now on. The atmosphere of the restaurant is intimate and classy. The menu has a lot of seafood and italian dishes. To start, they bring out the bread and pesto sauce which was delicious. The four of us shared the caesar salad with shrimp and crab on flatbread to start and that might have been my favorite thing, it was AMAZING. This is a must order for sure. For my entree, I had the crab mac and cheese which was great and very generous with the amount of crab. Others in our party had the halibut and risotto which they raved over. My fiancé had the gnocchis which he really enjoyed. I doubt you could go wrong with anything here. For dessert, we had cannolis and the tiramisu, both were great but the tiramusu was my favorite. Service was top notch as well. The maitre d, Tyler, was awesome. Our waitress was great as well. Food is a little pricy but well worth it, and BYOB helps cut down on the cost. I highly recommend for a nice night out. read more

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Great food, service and a pleasant staff. Not pretentious or pricey. My kind of place. HOWEVER! They're not playing nice with payment. One of the VERY FEW restaurants charging 3% for credit card use unless paying with cash. Three couples dined together. Two couples were prepared and brought cash to save the extra charge. One couple only had a credit card. The restaurant charged the 3% on the cash paying couples also, claiming if even one couple uses a credit card all must pay the fee. To make matters worse they don't allow separate checks to avoid aggravating great customers. Ridiculous off putting policy. For a restaurant to put a bad taste in your mouth is inexcusable. Pun intended. read more

The food was fine, but nothing that would make me want to go back. And, it was very expensive.

Wow. Our dinner tonight was amazing! We decided to get the house salad which is served family style. This was like a Caesar salad with crab and shrimp. Sooo good. I could have had that for a meal. Everyone loved it. They also brought out bread and pesto sauce to dip it in. That was delicious. For dinner, I had the halibut special. It came with risotto. It was fantastic! My friend had the same thing and she loved it too. My daughter had the crab mac and cheese and she loved it. Her fiancé had the gnocchi and that looked great. For dessert, we had tiramisu and cannolli. Delicious. This restaurant was well worth the price. It's nice that it's a byob so you can save on the alcohol cost. Restaurant is smallish so reservations are recommended. Our maitre d, Tyler was great. He paid us lots of attention. Our waitress was also super. Such a great restaurant. Can't wait to come back! read more

Pescatore - Halibut - Seafood Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

This is a wonderful Italian restaurant. They have recently expanded. This is a BYOB establishment, so bring your favorite vino. The service has always been superb and the food is always fresh. We had the ceasar salad over flat bread as an appetizer. This really could have been an entree. We had the Nona gravy pasta and the seabass which were both extremely good. Note:. Portion sizes are large and this is a BYOB establishment, so bring your favorite bottle of vino. When I am in Philadelphia, this is my favorite restaurant to visit. read more