This place is absolutely amazing!!! The food is solid old school Italian, the service is top notch from the moment you walk in until the moment you step out, and the ambiance is one of the most unique experiences you'll ever have. If you are looking for a great restaurant experience mixed with the real life Andrea Bocelli, this is the spot for you! read more

Small portions Th food was Not great Service was too fast Minimal ambiance Won't return read more

In town for work and the locals brought me to the spot, which was amazing. The performances put on by the opera staff during the meal is very enjoyable and top-notch. The service was excellent from our main server, Ben. The Pollo Tosca was cooked beautifully well seasoned and very juicy, and the polenta was a great addition. I very much enjoyed the Pomodoro Basilico. Angel hair pasta was cooked perfectly el Dante and the sauce was light and refreshing. read more

The service was outstanding! The food was enjoyable. And hearing the wait and bussing staff sing arias makes the experience unforgettable. Thank you all for a wonderful night! read more

During our trip in Philly, my friend recommended we go to the restaurant that was in the Rocky movies, and I was totally game for it! It felt like we walked for miles to get there and once we did I wasn't impressed by the outside. However, once you step inside it's like you're transported to this family type restaurant that was a little awkward between the two rooms that were on the bottom level. Or seat was next to a doorway where we could see some performances through the doorway and some would perform by us near the doorway lol. Anyway, our waiter was great and he actually was one of the opera singers that performed during our time there. After we ordered our food, we noticed that the area with all of the pictures from the Rocky films was empty, so we decided to check the place out. There were so many cool pics of Stallone, behind the scenes shots and scenes from the films on the wall. After admiring the wall and taking it all in, we went back to our table for our food and more performances. The food was great! Homestyle Italian food at its finest! I ordered the Burrata and the Fruti Di Mare. Both were amazing, especially the seafood in the Di Mare. I wasn't really a fan of the cheese texture of the burrata but hey you have to try new things. I loved the bread and vegetables that came along with it. After the meal, he headed upstairs to check out the bar, scenery, pics on the walls and photo ops. Overall, such a great experience and I'm glad my friend knew about this place. He's a diehard Rocky fan so we hit up a few monumental places from the movies. I recommend checking it out for the food and entertainment! What an experience. OOOOO 5 out of 5 Afros read more

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Absolutely loved my experience here! My fiancé and I came here on a Saturday night and it was relatively busy. Very cool aesthetic with the walls being covered in old photos of performers and guest. Every 20 minutes one of the waitresses or waiters stops and performs an opera piece in the middle of the restaurant floor. Amazing performances!!! Phone use is prohibited during the performances so no photos or recording is allowed. If you appreciate classical music, this place is for you. Food was nice, we liked both our meals and the cocktails were great! read more

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Food was fresh and the portions were generous. The staff was wonderful except our server who seemed like she didn't want to be there. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming and the rocky nostalgia was also cool too. All of the waiters and waitresses take their turns singing opera and oddly, even some Disney inspired music. read more

Really special and amazing experience. Went here for Valentine's Day and the entire night was spectacular. From the authentic food, to the cozy old timey ambiance, and of course, the amazing singing from the staff! Service was friendly and the performances were brilliant all throughout the night. They even offer valet parking, which is a big plus in South Philly due to limited street parking. Definitely try this place out for a unique experience! It's perfect Italian cuisine done right! read more

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Incredibly cool restaurant with amazing food . I hosted a group of 20 . Everyone was blown away . All the attendees that live close said they will be back with their families . Really solid spot ! Adina was fantastic! read more

The Victor Cafe - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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The food was good, the environment was great, and the service/entertainment was perfection! Sean was amazing at service and his theatre performance. I will be back when in Philly again. Oh yea, they have valet (cash only). read more

I have nothing new to add from the other reviews. Decent Italian food. Sub-par service but incredible performance and experience. Very inspiring and absurdly talented opera singers! Lovely. Perfect place to take parents and not talk Full spot but not impossibly difficult to get into. Walk down the street for Milk Jawn after read more

The oil spread for the bread was not olive oil, but a cheap seed oil substitute. It was a little bit green due to the very small quantity of pesto. The bread came out cold, not preheated. The waitress, Iris, was cordial but not friendly, and told us the rules for not using a camera during the performance, etc. The veal parm was tough and had a lot of muscle to bite through. Yes, this was our first and last time. Btw. The restaurant was half empty on a Friday around 6 pm. The few folks that we spoke with were tourists! read more

This almost immediately jumped to my top 2 favorite Italian restaurants in Philadelphia. It was truly an experience. Between the ambiance, the food, and live singing from the staff, and the area upstairs, all of it contributed to a very beautiful date night. Me and my lady can't wait to come back. My only advice is tip well, they deserve it. read more

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This place was incredible. Great food and the singers were very talented. We really enjoyed this and would plan to come when visiting Philly. Highly recommend! read more

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Absolutely amazing! If you're in Philadelphia and you love opera, look no further. Some of the best Italian food anywhere it is a must! The servers are the best in the world! Everyone is nice and happy. The Italian ambience is amazing. The food is next level. Before you die, eat at the Victor cafe! read more

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This was one of the most enjoyable meals I have ever had, especially due to the kind wait staff and incredible performances by the same opera-trained staff! We enjoyed 3 performances during the 2 hours we were there and it was just such a lovely touch on top of an incredible dinner. Everything was delicious, I couldn't stop saying it the entire time we ate. The crème brûlée was the star of the show for me. The soup was a bit lukewarm so that could've been better but the remainder of our items made up for that. read more

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To be honest I only wanted to come here cause I was a Rocky fan but now I see why this Sylvester Stallone picked this place. It's because it has heart soul history and great food and it's family oriented the waiters and waitress are beautiful. They make sure you are well fed in every 15 to 20 minutes you hear opera with a story I was amazed me and my wife was more than happy and when you do go upstairs, everything is rocky, but when you come to this restaurant, don't come here cause you seen it in the movie come here because you want to eat. Good food and you wanna hear opera great great great night for my birthday thank you Victor Café for proving that you belong in more movies so more people can see your great restaurant. read more

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Old school Italian menu, friendly and incredibly talented staff of opera singers. Our server, Adina, was a gem- and really great with kids. Portions are huge- Frutti de Mare was stocked with a ton of seafood and perfectly cooked pasta. Recommend the side of garlicy broccoli rabe. A fun dinner experience. read more

The Victor Cafe - Linguine ai Frutti di Mare - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

What a wonderful experience! From our initial greeting by our wonderfully talented server to the time we left. The food was delicious. I had the chicken and my spouse had the pasta. We also had the bisque and grilled vegetable tower. Everything was perfect. The uber talented staff deserve all the credit in the world! They have the most beautiful voices! Can't wait to return read more

A wonderful experience! Great food, excellent service and live Opera and Stage Show singing from our waiters and waitresses!! Truly a Philadelphia Gem! read more

The Victor Café is a well known Italian restaurant after appearing in the Rocky films Balboa, Creed 1 and 2. In the movies, the restaurant is called Adrian's Restaurant, named after the late wife of Rocky Balboa, owned by the Rocky character. If you're a fan of the film series, visiting the restaurant is a must. At the back of the dining room, the painting from the end of Rocky 3 is displayed. The restaurant itself is interesting, with a louder atmosphere than I was expecting. I found the menu to be somewhat limited, food itself was ok. The place is also known for opera style singing during dinner. While this is a unique offering with talented server/singers, it is also a bit distracting and can be uncomfortable if you're just trying to enjoy your meal. In any case, if you're a Rocky fan, you definitely need to visit The Victor Café. read more

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Had a holiday dinner there and the experience was INCREDIBLE! Before i get to the food, not only were the waiters and waitresses attentive servers, but fantastic singers. Great for a date or a whole group. We had the Caesar salad, mussels in a white one sauce (best mussels ever) stuffed chicken and mushroom ravioli with walnuts and Gorgonzola. Crème Brûlée for dessert!!! So warm and cozy around the holidays :) read more

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What an absolute blast of a spot with great food, service, ambiance, and drinks. A true Philly highlight! I went for a wedding rehearsal dinner and we had the upstairs booked for a private cocktail hour before hand. Our bartender (who ended up being our server downstairs) was so sweet and talented at making drinks. The vibe up there is so pretty and cozy - and this was the spot from Rocky Balboa used as Adrian's Restaurant! We then moved downstairs for dinner. My boyfriend and I split the minestrone, veal, and crab ravioli (which was a night's special). The crabioli was fantastic and the veal was to die for. The minestrone was also delicious and we loved the warm chocolate cake at the end. The most unique and fabulous part of the restaurant is the opera singing. Each server is a classically trained opera singer. Our particular service closed the night and she was SO good. We had opera songs in Italian, French, English, with pieces ranging from Mozart to Rodgers and Hammerstein. Such a treat! I can't wait to go back and in particular, to take friends and family from out of town for this one of a kind experience. read more

The Victor Cafe - Crab ravioli - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Cute restaurant for special events or just date nights in general. All the servers here are professionally trained opera singers, so they'd just randomly start singing every 15-20min ish while you are enjoying your meal, which I find quite special. I got the vodka pasta and it was delicious. They are very friendly with substitutions in the pasta. I did not like asparagus and they swapped it to spinach for me. read more

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The Victor Cafe was just an amazing way to spend my birthday dinner. This was my 1st time and not my last I want to see what the upstairs speakeasy has to offer. Steven our waiter was so knowledgeable about food and drinks. He also did an opera number which was outstanding!!! read more

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Expectations and experience play into an overall ranking, and Victor benefits from both! First, going the week prior to Christmas lets the evening start with a walk through the fabulous lights on Miracle on 13th street. The cafe opens directly to a hostess who is exceedingly attentive and well aware of handling crowds in and out. We were asked to abscond to a gorgeous upstairs lounge with bar to have a drink and await the table. This cozy space has couches, chairs, tables, several restrooms and a full bar. I ordered a seltzer with lime, an Italian Paloma and a Montenegro Spritzer. The bartenders is a pro. The same front of house hostess comes to escort us, love it, organized. Dinner is ordered at once, appetizers and entrees, house rules to help the kitchen pace the dishes. Clams Casino are a throwback hit. I just liked my Caesar salad. Love the anchovies and shaved Parmesan but it comes ice cold rendering the dressing very thin and a tad watery. The Pasta Igor is a wonderful penne in a vodka blush sauce with salmon and asparagus. The server declared this his favorite dish, and the teen at our table similarly suggested this is the best sauce he's ever tasted. The pork chop is cooked medium perfectly and is a touch sweet in the finish with apricot brandy. Combined with garlic mashed, a hit, but the ravings from others about the pasta dishes made for some buyers remorse!! The rigatoni all'Amatricia is a Uber-hearty helping of rich tomato flavor accompanied by pancetta and spices. The rustic spaghetti just hits the spot on a cold night. Traditional red sauce, perfect, wit meatball (top 3 ever), braciole, and sausage is delicious. Good bread with pesto oil on the table. House made desserts include lemon sorbet, traditional spumoni and a hot chocolate cake. Espresso and cappuccino, of course. The star of the show are the singing waiters. Just enjoy! read more

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One of the coolest restaurants I have ever been too. This was recommended to us from a local and I had no idea it was portrayed as Adrian's in the movie "Rocky". Food was top notch as were the drinks. The staff are all very talented singers, our 6 year old was amazed with the singing. Luciana was a great waitress with a stunning voice! read more

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Very enjoyable meal served well along with fantastic opera arias sung by the wait staff. Food was excellent and we will be back soon.

The Victor Cafe was recommended by a friend to try while in Philly. It was easy to make reservations a day or 2 before online... Friendly staff and ambiance... all of the servers are trained opera singers. However, the rules are no pictures, videos or recording them is allowed as they perform, which was about every 30 minutes. Overall, performances were good...would help to understand what they were singing in Italian, though 2 sang in English. They do sing Happy Birthday if you're celebrating...when they bring out dessert if you order! Took an Uber here as street parking is not easy to find... and valet parking is $15. Inside the restaurant are pictures of celebrities who have eaten there... Complimentary bread to start and had vino. Appetizers: Clams casino were delicious and highly recommend. Burrata was ok. Main courses were ok - seafood frutti de mare was a bit spicy for me, but downside of the dish was the mussels were sandy. Hard to enjoy eating sand... Pork chops were just ok as well Dessert: Had the special - pistachio torta was excellent! highly recommend if it's on the dessert special. Definitely deserves to be on the main dessert menu! Restrooms are upstairs and non-gender specific. Would come back to try something else on the menu... read more

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Wow! What an experience. A colleague recommended The Victor Cafe to me and I was so glad a friend visiting wanted to check it out. We were lucky to grab a 9:30 reservation (last seating) on a Saturday night and even luckier to be seated in the dining room where a performance was just about to begin. We were stunned by the amazing opera singing! We scanned the menu which had specials for food and drinks (I ordered the spritz special which was amazing) and the Pasta Igor which was our server's favorite. We were impressed by the complementary pesto oil dip for the bread. We ordered a beet salad to split (very good although not too many beets) and our pasta dishes were SO delicious. They were a great size - finishable if I was really hungry, but perfect to have half and take home the rest. We also had to check out the dessert menu and decided to share a tiramisu which also was delicious. On top of the amazing food, we got to hear 3 performances, and learn a little about the unique history of the restaurant. Overall amazing, and I can't wait to come back. read more

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Italian is my favorite food and I was craving pasta recently in Philadelphia so found this cool place to check out. At the time, I didn't know what I was getting into but I'm so glad. The place is super cute and has lot of seating. Turns out all of the servers are trained professional opera singers! Every 10-15 min or so, one of them will give a background about a song they are going to sing and then they belt it out while walking around the room. It was incredible. I have never heard opera sing live before and it blew me away. The food was delicious too. From the bread to the fried calamari to the pasta, everything was perfect. It took me a while just to decide what to order because everything sounded so good. 10/10 will be back! read more

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HIGHLY RECOMMENDED: We were a group of 6, dining at The Victor Cafe 11/6/25. We had a great time, we hung out and laughed at/with each other over a delicious meal. VALET PARKING: Yes, thank god, they had an attentive valet out front, who found parking, where in South Philly, there is none. He waited patiently in the lobby for our dinner to end, where we exchanged keys, very helpful. FRIENDLY HOSTESS: The gal here was welcoming, sent us to the lounge until our table was ready and then found us ( in this very full bar area) & seated us. All smooth & easy. ECLECTIC AMBIENCE: The Victor is a pair of So Philly row houses cobbled together into one charming little bistro. It's a very colorful space, jammed with tables, art, decoration, its walls covered by. a veritable archive of singers, performers, all long gone, all who once sang opera on those hard 78 RPM RCA Victor records ( hence its name) A tiny stand up bar, just inside the entry, gives it appeal, you can hang out here, or head upstairs to relax among the mismatched furniture to await your table. It may sound funky, and it is, but has an unmistakable charm and genuineness of vibe. FOOD QUALITY: As you watch the staff run up & down stairs, from (what must be) the kitchens in the basement, with hot dishes, you say to your self, how can this be possible?. However everything was excellent, good crusty bread, yummy burrata, fresh pasta and above all. THE SAUCE, the red tomato sauce, (or as the Italians call it 'The Gravy') was full of flavor, very tasty. I had the rustic spaghetti & meatball plate with three varieties of beef, fantastic, my fellow diners all happy with their choices. We shared us a spoonful of the desserts Cannoli, Tiramisu, wonderful, freshly prepared from some nearby So Philly Bakery who KNEW what they were doing. THE ENTERTAINMENT: The Victor is famous for its performing singers, many are young music students at the nearby schools. First came a lady singer whose powerful voice, rolled across the room like a tsunami of warm honey. Other opera classics were heard, but the surprise performances were of well known show tunes, Joseph sang ' Some Enchanted Evening' from South Pacific, he sang with such emotion that you could see, sense, hear what love meant to Rogers & Hammerstein. Later, songs from Les Mis. were sung with real passion. The freshness of the newer B'way ballads mixed with classic opera was a smart and fresh way to balance the evening. EXCELLENT all around: We would return, a Rez a must, suggest you look at the menu and familiarize the location beforehand. A Classic Cafe that has endured for a century because the vibe, staff and food quality are so good. read more

We were headed to Philly for one night. I wanted something special because it was my birthday. I found victor cafe on some list about Philadelphia institutions. I knew it was featured in the rocky movies and it was old school Italian. That's it. Right before we went I decided to look after reviews for menu recs and I start reading about the opera. I couldn't have been more excited. In Portugal there is something called Fado and it's traditional Portuguese type singing while you eat. It's amazing to experience. I left the fado not understanding while this isn't a thing with opera in Italy! We were ten mins early and ask to go upstairs into the lounge area to wait and get a drink. Very cute area upstairs with a little area with the creed memorabilia. Lots of cool pics with celebs throughout the building. We were seated and our waitress, Janelli, promptly greeted up and told us what to expect. We ordered arancini for a starter. Two of us got specials and two of us got regular menu items. Everything was finished. The specials were loved! Ravioli was amazing. I got the risotto. It didn't blow me away. Cocktails were excellent! Now... the singing now THAT blew me away. We got to listen to 4 songs be performed. Each was different style and type. Then our waitress Janelli went and sang something from The marriage of Figaro and well she blew all of our socks off. What a talent!! Such a special evening. read more

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We've been wanting to visit here for awhile after hearing about the opera performance. Turns out, all the waitress/waiter at the restaurant are trained opera singers. Every 15-30 minutes someone heads to the center of the room to perform their piece. I think everyone performs only once so you get to hear different voices. One lady even sang broadway song instead. It was such a unique experience, and with this place being some of the oldest food establishment in Philadelphia, you can expect to see frequent customers supporting the business. People seems to know each other. The interior decor transports you back to the early 1900s'. Now the food. The food was good but I was not impressed. Italian food is also not my favorite so I'm not frequently wowed by classic Italian restaurants. However, if you like Italian food I think this place is a must visit. I would highly suggest making a reservation and they also provide valet parking for a fee $$. Come enjoy some delicious Italian food while getting serenaded by these talented opera singers! read more

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Very fun evening! The service was fantastic, as all the waiters sing opera every 30 minutes. The food was overall good with only a few things that I didn't love. Great overall vibe. read more

If I could give this place more than 5 stars I would. Wonderful homemade Italian food and talented staff that sing Opera during your meal. That is right, Opera!! Outstanding talent and wonderful food. If you live in the area or are vacationing, highly recommend. read more

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The Victor Cafe is a fun evening out, especially if you enjoy opera and/or theater! My friends and I took an Uber so I cannot attest to the parking but the street certainly looked full when we arrived. The staff were so friendly and answered a of the menu questions my table had. All of the patrons were respectful and silent when each server would sing. The food was great! My friends chose the restaurant because they love Italian and they said that The Victor Cafe does it the best! read more

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NYE and the place was rocking. What a Treat and Great Experience! Great food only to be topped by the atmosphere and singing by the staff. Want to impress guests, this is the place. Opened up with Lobster bisque and a great Minestrone followed by a delightful Crespelle dish. Main entrees were Veal Saltimbocca, Veal Parm and Lobster and Shrimp in cream sauce. All were excellent. Finished things with Spumoni. (You had me a Spumoni) Memorable evening at a very memorable place. I highly recommend it. Buon appetito! read more

visiting Philadelphia a friend decided this would be a fun place to go and she was right you have dinner Italian dinner and you have opera singers and they have really good. Voices had a Caesar salad. It was good. The beet salad was good. Also split a Bronzino, which was good and the pasta with seafood in it, which was also good dessert we had a tiramisu gelato, which was very good averagefood, but the ambience is fun and the music is great and it's a great place to go when you're getting an experience that's different than most restaurant valet parking read more

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Great setting upstairs in private sitting area and bar. Cocktails duly prepared to perfection. Opera singers made the night. If the food could have only achieved even half the quality of the opera entertainment then we would be regulars. But the feedback from all four of us having different entrees with similar perspectives, it was clear this might be a once and done visit. read more

The Victor Cafe - Upstairs - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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