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Vita

4.3 (147 reviews)
InexpensiveItalian
Closed • Closed

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VITA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Trendy
Intimate
Classy
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Vita

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Kinjal S.

The only good thing I can say about this place is the service and the fact that the patio has a tv for the World Cup matches and apps are half off. That being said, this place for food is just not good. Granted I can only speak on two of the apps but they were not good. Especially the broccolini I couldn't even cut it with my butter knife. It was so chunky too so it was hard to eat. The whipped ricotta was ricotta on a piece of bread. I thought it would be a dip situation with bread on the side. My drink was fine. They also had spritzes but I didn't know until I saw the instagram there wasn't anything on the menu or on the side.

Focaccia bread and Zucchini chips
Linda L.

This speakeasy restaurant is right behind the red door of the gelato place. Drinks here were delicious! Highly recommend coming for apps and drinks before dinner. We ended up coming back after dinner for their gelato.

Bruschetta very good!

Vita was very good. We had a party of 8. We were attended to right away! We got 6 apps 8 meals 6 drinks. The food was a great portion size and the ingredients were very fresh! I love the fact that they do not overload you on food, leaving you bloated. They leave you with enough to go enjoy the gelato on the way out. Our bill came to 600.00 which is very reasonable for what we enjoyed. Will return.

Tagliatelle Ragu Bolegnese
Peninna A.

This is an interesting one to review! We dined at both the gelato shop and the Italian restaurant. The ambiance of both was great! The gelato shop felt cozy and friendly, and the restaurant was dark and intimate. It was a cool contrast. Food: Overall, the food was perfect. At the restaurant, I ordered the Focaccia and the Tagliatelle Ragu Bolegnese. I would describe the portion size of the pasta as "smedium" (likely small to some, but just filling enough for me with an appetizer). At the gelato shop, I ordered the pistaccio gelato. All the food was 10/10! Service: This is where it gets interesting. The servers were extremely polite and very attentive. To a fault. It felt like the servers were hovering over us to collect our plates. There were at least two instances where I had stopped touching my food for a few minutes, and someone approached us to collect our plates. It felt like we were being rushed out, and made the politeness translate as curtness rather than friendliness. Weirdly, although the food was great, I likely would not return to the restaurant because the service felt so RUSHED. It made it hard to enjoy the intimacy of the environment. By contrast, the gelato shop staff was very friendly and I would at the very least stop by there again!

Downstairs art instillation
Jazmin C.

This restaurant/speakeasy is behind a gelato shop, and it was so phenomenal. The drinks were really yummy. The food and ambiance exceeded my expectations tbh. We had leftover steak that I ate the following day with some instant ramen as a hangover meal 10/10 recommend. Service was really good, and it was my birthday, so the manager brought us complimentary glasses of Prosecco. I traveled from NYC and found this spot on TikTok. I will be back next time I'm in Philly :)

Christine C.

Just came here for gelato- and I hope to be back for the speakeasy! Such a cool concept. The gelato was pretty good, and the servers were very nice. I just got the oat milk Oreo and white chocolate raspberry (this one was better). I hope to comeback to try other flavors!

Shirly L.

I discovered Vita through Tiktok when I was looking for a place to host my birthday dinner at, and they really came through! For starters, it's really cool that they're an ice cream shop out front, with a hidden speakeasy-style restaurant in the back. You can get a reservation through their website, but for larger groups, you have to email them. I emailed & spoke with Massimo Boni to coordinate - for groups of 9+, they offer a pre-fix family style menu with a minimum of $75pp (food + drinks). Massimo walked me through the dishes and offered great suggestions to help me tailor the courses to my guests, all while keeping dietary restrictions in mind. 10/10 experience, and super fast response! For the pre-fix menu, we were able to get 2-3 antipasti, 3-4 primi, 1-2 secondi, and 1 contorno from the menu. I ended up getting the Gamberi, Stracciatella, and Arancini for starters, then the Balanzoni, Vodka, Bolognese, and Cappalletti for the pastas, and ended with Ribeeye steak and Zucchini chips. My favorite was probably the Arancini and the Rigatoni vodka, the flavors were amazing. I equally liked the rest of the dishes, though I will say the Ribeye steak was a bit too salty for my liking. The zucchini chips had an addicting crunch and were a favorite in the group. Overall would come back here again, and the service was also great!

Dark chocolate gelato and apple caramel tart? Cinnamon? Scrumptious either way!
Karen S.

I loved every second of this experience. Came to celebrate my birthday with friends and every mouthful was AMAZING. My birthday dark chocolate gelato was the best I've ever had. Such a lovely and charming place that I'm considering making it my new birthday tradition. Atmosphere and service were impeccable. No notes!

Retna S.

Vita has been expanding its dessert selection. I had the cheesecake with Nutella topping and it was divine. For Nutella lovers like me , I highly recommend it. Smooth and creamy with some pieces of crunchy Kinder and enrobed with generous amount of Nutella. The latest addition that I tried today Is key lime pie bar topped with beautifully torched sweet meringue. Perfect for spring.

Everything in this photo was delicious
Apephanie P.

Came for a birthday celebration. Food was good, different than what Im use to but still good. The kale salad I liked surprisingly. The shrimp were probably my favorite. Steak had a sweetness to it but I loved the flavors. The risotto was ehh Ive had better. I just think they need a bigger bathroom area because the line was a little wait for the ladies room in the basement. Friendly staff

Tiramisu
Katherine O.

This place is a really cute speakeasy Italian restaurant. The drinks are good. The pasta was okay but small portions compared to the price. I would come back but just for drinksanf the atmosphere. The service was really nice.

Linda S.

I've walked by Vita countless of times and never went in until recently. My friends Dream by Dream started playing there every other Wednesday in the speakeasy part of the Italian restaurant so I wanted to stop by to see them. It was a nice surprise seeing the restaurant after going through the door from the gelato shop. We had the potatoes from the happy hour menu and a drink. The decor of the restaurant was very cute and the vibes were nice. It's definitely a nice hidden place in the city that I'm looking forward to going to again.

Complimentary anniversary dessert
Morgan C.

I really, really wanted to love Vita/Behind the Red Door, but unfortunately it fell flat for me. The experience itself was so fun and unique with the password and hidden door, and the decor was super cute. Our service was unfortunately a little on the slow side, which was odd considering we were one of the first tables for dinner and it was pretty empty. For drinks, we had one non-alcoholic option (shout out for the options!), and I opted for the When One Door closes but asked to sub tequila. Unfortunately it was not my favorite and was not what I expected, but maybe others love it. For food, we started with the whipped ricotta and zucchini chips (normally a side), both of which were delicious. Oddly, our waitress offered us extra bread for the whipped ricotta (which we opted for), but then it never came and our waitress never came back while our starters were at the table. I also picked the scampi risotto for my entree, and it was not at all what was advertised or what was expected. I was expecting a white wine/butter/garlic sauce, but instead it was red/tomato based and had a serious kick (but the menu did not have a chili pepper). I would not have ordered it had I known what I would be getting. We opted against dessert, mostly because we were disappointed and confused that they didn't offer the same flavors in the restaurant that they did in the gelato shop out front. They did offer us a complimentary gelato as we were celebrating our anniversary which was super sweet and appreciated. In all, I think I had high expectations and Vita just did not hit the mark for me. I'm glad I tried it, and I would go back if asked, but I don't think I'd suggest it myself.

Pollo al mattone

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1 year ago

Service was insanely slow and several drinks were messed up/wrong drink entirely. The restaurant also smells so bad.

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Ask the Community - Vita

What is the dress code for Vita?

No dress code. In average, people dress casual

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Little Nonna's

Little Nonna's

4.2(1.6k reviews)
0.4 mi•Washington Square West
•$$

We were staying at a nearby hotel and we were looking for a really good pasta. We came in last…read moreminute. They didn't have any open tables, but luckily she was able to get a seated within five minutes. This is hands-down, the best dish we had in Philly. The pasta was so amazing so flavorful and so rich. We ordered the shrimp shrimp and the short rib pasta, both of them were bursting with flavor. This is not a large restaurant. It's very small, but it still has a beautiful interior. Service was excellent. I wish they had one near us.. we talked about this place throughout our trip to come back a second time.

I don't believe they made a right decision in using an enclosed space for big groups as the noise…read moregets contained and amplified. Story time: We came here for a group dinner of 4 (not a big group), made resy. They sat us at the back in this greenhouse space which was cute but OMG so LOUD. This space was obviously used for their bigger groups and there was this huge company dinner happening. I noticed all the other patrons with small parties (2 -4 people) all looked very uncomfortable because we couldn't hear ANYTHING but the screaming and loud talking of the big party. Otherwise, the food was delish! I wouldn't say this is "OMG!" Italian food. Some dishes too salty, some too soggy but I think the stars were the chicken parm with vodka sauce and shrimp scampi. Crispy chicken, al dente pasta, shrimp just right! Service was okay, we didn't get much attention maybe because the huge party was there. It affected our dining experience and we don't think we would come back, albeit delicious food.

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Gran Caffe L'Aquila - Breakfast

Gran Caffe L'Aquila

4.4(1.7k reviews)
0.2 mi•Penn Center, Rittenhouse Square
•$$

Another trip to Philly and another delicious lunch at Gran Caffe L'Aquila! Appetizers, entrees,…read moregelato, coffee- all delicious! Prompt, friendly, courteous service, as usual. The place was busy, but that didn't delay our orders. We could hold a conversation without having to speak loudly. We bought some dark roast beans, ground there for espresso, to take home.

The food here was fresh and delicious. Starting with tomato and basil bruschetta and Mozzarella,…read moreboth the tomato and Mozzarella tasted like they were harvested that day. Even the grilled bread used for the bruschetta tasted fresh. Arancini with pork and veal ragu peas was great; the peas added a new texture to the traditional arancini. We also got fried artichokes as an appetizer. It was crispy and salty -- I could munch on that alone. For the entree, I got the veal braciole with tagliatelle and tomato sugo. The whole dish tasted homey, like what you would get at an Italian family's house. The veal braciocle was small, and I wished there was more protein and less pasta to be more balanced. For dessert, everyone raved about their gelato. Their pistachio flavor was clearly a favorite, as it had intense fresh pistachio flavor. It was also tan in color, as you would expect a pistachio nut to be, not the artificial green color added to other pistachio gelatos. I had the amaretto cherry flavor. It was good too, although I wished it had more cherries. A few people got their espresso, and really enjoyed it. They roast their own coffee on-site, so I am not surprised again how fresh it tasted. Tip: Pour a little of their fantastic coffee over your gelato to make your own fresh affogato. I came here with a large group and despite the tight space, we felt cozy. Service was spectacular. We had multiple food allergies in the group, and the waitstaff took each one very seriously, asking down to the detail if the allergy was by consumption or cross-contamination. Thank you to the staff for being so conscientious!

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Gran Caffe L'Aquila - Dining | Seating

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Giuseppe & Sons

Giuseppe & Sons

4.1(697 reviews)
0.2 mi•Penn Center, Rittenhouse Square
•$$

I can't believe I haven't been to this restaurant sooner ! I've walked past this place so many…read moretimes, it's hard to spot but once you're inside you head downstairs and are greeted with a truly beautiful restaurant .... Perfect for date night ! The servers were attentive .. They had a great selection of cocktails and every single pasta dish was flavorful and made perfectly! I will definitely be returning . Also bonus points for the beautiful & clean bathrooms!

Came here for happy hour, which is available even on weekends, and first of all, this place is…read moreGORGEOUS. The vibes are immaculate. It's dim, stylish, and has that intimate, moody atmosphere that makes you want to dress up a little and take approximately a million pictures. Trust me, bring your friends, bring your date, and take pictures! It's perfect for a date night or a girls' night out. We decided to try everything on the seafood section of the happy hour menu, which was a pretty fun way to sample a little bit of everything. The happy hour menu itself is great, especially if you want to experience a restaurant like this without paying full dinner prices. The staff were polite, and the food came out in a reasonable amount of time, so no complaints there! Now, here's where things get a little interesting. My friend and I had VERY different opinions on some of the dishes, so take our experience with a grain of salt! The clams were a hit with my friend, but I personally thought they were pretty mid. Meanwhile, the mussels were the opposite. My friend wasn't particularly impressed, but I absolutely adored them. Funny how that works when you're sharing food! The calamari and fritto misto were also very similar dishes, with the main difference being the addition of zucchini to the fritto misto. I would have liked a little more distinction between the two, especially when ordering the entire seafood happy hour selection. Both were carried pretty heavily by the accompanying sauce. Don't get me wrong, the sauce was good, but the seafood itself didn't have a whole lot of flavor going on. I wanted a little more from the actual ingredients rather than relying on the sauce to do all the heavy lifting. The shrimp scampi, though? AMAZING. Easily one of my favorites of the night! My only complaint was that the portion was quite small. Granted, this IS the happy hour menu, so I wasn't expecting a full dinner-sized serving, but I could have happily eaten more. Overall, the food was a bit of a mixed bag for us. Some dishes were great, others were just okay, and our differing opinions made it hard to come to a unanimous verdict. Maybe you'll love the clams and hate the mussels, or vice versa! What I can confidently say is that the atmosphere is fantastic, the staff were polite, and the happy hour is worth checking out. It's a great way to enjoy this beautiful restaurant without committing to a full-priced dinner. I'm giving it 4 stars because I really enjoyed the overall experience, even if the food itself was a little hit or miss. I'd come back for the vibes and happy hour, but I'd probably be more selective about what I order next time.

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Dante & Luigi's

Dante & Luigi's

4.3(616 reviews)
0.8 mi•Bella Vista
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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.

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Prunella - Still looking scrumptious 7 hours and 1000 miles later

Prunella

4.2(339 reviews)
0.4 mi•Avenue of the Arts South
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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.

cute restaurant in center city with the iconic spicy chicken caesar!…read more all i can say is: spicy chicken caesar. it lives up to the hype, and it is delicious. i've eaten here several times now and none of the other food is particularly memorable, but the spicy chicken caesar is fantastic albeit a little expensive. i really need my boyfriend to learn how to make the spicy chicken caesar so i stop coming back, but it makes for a fantastic girl dinner. most of the times i've come here were either for restaurant week or the spicy chicken caesar. i really don't think it's worth coming for restaurant week, it's kind of a bummer that your whole table has to order the same thing and that you share a lot of the dishes. it ends up being not a whole lot of food, and i did the math and the cost comes out to be about the same. overall, it's a decent restaurant with good service. it's located right in center city with a million other restaurants so it's easily overlooked, but when i think of prunella i think of spicy chicken caesar.

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Fiorella - CRÈME ASPARAGUS

Fiorella

4.5(412 reviews)
0.9 mi•Italian Market, Bella Vista
•$$$

I honestly can't remember the last time I enjoyed a meal this much. We tried essentially everything…read moreon the menu at Fiorella, and there wasn't a miss anywhere. Usually when you order that broadly, something is merely "good." Not here. Every time another dish arrived, the reaction was basically, you've got to be kidding me. Small, lively, comfortable, and completely unpretentious, with extraordinary food coming out of that kitchen all night. One of my favorite meals in Philadelphia in a long time. Just outstanding.

Maria and I came here with our good friends Mariangeli and Chef Dionicio, who were the ones who put…read moreus onto this spot. It was actually a birthday dinner too, Maria and Mariangeli were treating Chef Dionicio and me for our birthdays, so we were already looking forward to a good night, and Fiorella definitely delivered. We sat outside and honestly, that might be the way to do it. Really nice setup, relaxed South Philly atmosphere, good drinks on the table, good food coming out, and you're just hanging out with friends. Nothing felt rushed. We ordered a bunch of things to share and try. The arancini were great, and the pork belly & octopus skewer was probably one of the more interesting things we had. I wouldn't normally think of putting those two together, but it worked. Then the pasta came out. The ravioli with lamb, peperonata and caciocavallo was really good, and the rigatoni with Fiorella sausage ragu was one of those dishes where you keep going back for another bite even though you're already getting full. And don't sleep on the focaccia and olive oil either. Simple, but so good. We definitely weren't letting that go to waste. Drinks were great too. They have some interesting cocktails instead of just the same stuff you see everywhere, which I appreciated. The staff also deserves a shoutout. Everyone was friendly and attentive, but they gave us space to enjoy ourselves. That's a big thing for me. When you're having dinner with friends, you don't want to feel like you're being pushed through the meal so they can flip the table. By the end of the night, it wasn't even just about the food anymore. We were outside in South Philly, eating some really good Italian food, having drinks, laughing, celebrating two birthdays and just enjoying each other's company. Those are the dinners you remember. Big thank you to Maria and Mariangeli for treating Chef Dionicio and me, and to Chef Dionicio for putting us onto Fiorella in the first place.

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Fiorella - You get to see the food being cooked right there!

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Fiorella - FIORELLA

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Ravioli (peas, lardo, chili crisp)

Vita - italian - Updated November 2026

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