Caffe Casta Diva

I ate here with my son and my daughter and we loved it. It is a small restaurant so it fills up fast, I would highly recommend reservations. I missed that it is cash only and BYOB so I had to run to the ATM but luckily there is one right outside. It does seem odd with all of the easy payments there are today to see a cash only restaurant but a small inconvenience. The food was fantastic. We had an order of the house special burrata, a caesar salad, an order of the gnocchi, two steaks and pappardelle with boar. All were excellent and I have to say we were way too full for dessert. If the burrata is on as a special I would highly recommend it, it was so smooth and creamy and there was a healthy portion of toasted bread and a roasted tomato, it was a highlight. The rest of the meal was perfectly done and the staff could not be nicer. The pace was perfect.

One of the city’s best Italian restaurants. The burrata bruschetta appetizer, the wild boar, and the short ribs were nothing short of excellent. The kitchen is quite talented and it shows with every bite. Will be coming back here ASAP.
Side note: Bring a big Lodi Zin with you. Pairs surprisingly well with the array of dishes available.

Can I give 0 stars? I can’t rank the food but I don’t live in the area and came in to get a gift card and was told they’re in the middle of dinner service and to come back between 4−5pm. I have worked in the restaurant business for about 10 years and I’ve never worked anywhere that turns away someone buying a gift card. Bad business.

Cute little BYO nestled in Rittenhouse. We were traveling through on our way back to New York and we stopped here via a friends recommendation. Candace was our server and she was super lovely. Very knowledgable of the menu and everything she recommended was hella tasty. We will definitely swing by again in our travels.

I think about Casta Diva’s Trofie dish frequently! I cannot wait to return again. I’m hoping it will be as delicious as I remember it to be!

Fabulous food, great service! Two things one should know… it is BYOB and cash only! There is an ATM in the hallway, but I preferred to be prepared. The restaurant is a little small, so make sure you make a reservation.
You won’t be sorry you tried it!

It doesn’t get any better than Caffe Casta Diva! The food is consistently delicious and the service the best! Steve (the owner) always comes out and «smoozes» with his guests.
Best salmon in Phila. and the TROFIE pasta… OMG! I dream about it!

My meal was amazing! I ordered the calamari and I appreciated that it was prepared in an untraditional manner, not fried and by far more healthier! It was robust with flavor by the capers, and cooked in delicate oil.
I also had the wild arugula salad which had a surprise for me, my favorite cheese, asiago! It was very light, balanced and refreshing!
As my main course I ordered the gnocchi with ricotta. The sauce was with gorgonzola and it was so creamy and rich and the greens peas gave a lovely splash of color. Aesthetically pleasing. All the flavors of the cheeses were in perfect harmony. With each bite I died and went to heaven!
But it was not over there. I mean how could l leave without trying my beloved tiramisu? And I am glad I did!

Wish I had a chance to review the food, but when you have a reservation at 9pm and you arrive only to find out they closed at 8pm without calling you, the chance has been lost. Guess I am going to Vernick.

wow — just wonderful! The Calamari is not fried (a refreshing presentation) and the broth it’s served in, briny herby tomato, amazing. We had to sop it up with the bread before we let the plate go! I had ricotta gnocchi with pancetta and peas in a light gorganzola sauce — once again and a fantastic sauce — not too heavy, so no feeling guilty about the creamy cheese based sauce. Also had the beet goat cheese salad. I am a beet fanatic, and this was the best beet salad I’ve ever had. Thanks for the great dinner!

Accidentally found this place when our reservation got screwed up elsewhere. And really happy we did — once we addressed the BYOB and cash things. Lovely little place with great service and even better food. Dishes were great to look at and tasted even better. Wish I could remember what we had but will be back when I am in Philly again.

Great, great BYOB spot. Service was unbelievably attentive to detail. The host was very accompanying and certainly went above and beyond with his suggestions. The food itself was on point. More importantly, the portion sizes here are just right — a light but filling meal.
Highly recommended. Suggest following it up with a stroll through nearby Rittenhouse Park.

I have wanted to try this restaurant for years, but for some reason or another it never happened until recently — and I’m sorry I waited so long! It is a small, simple yet well-​appointed place that is cozy and intimate but not crowded or cramped. Diners tended more toward the middle-​aged/​older Rittenhouse (but not fossilized!) crowd than young/​hip, so much more on the staid than the trendy end of the restaurant spectrum.
The food was excellent. Calamari app was nicely cooked — tender without any of the rubbery texture that careless cooking leads to. The Bronzino was especially outstanding — delicious fresh fish with perfect crispy skin over a wonderful saffron broth. The trophie pasta was equally satisfying with just the right hint of truffle without being overpowering. Poached pear desert was great. The only disappointment was the cannoli — soggy, not very flavorful — Philadelphia is the wrong place to fall down in the cannoli department!
Servers were pleasant and service was good, although it was understaffed for the number of tables. As a BYO, this is solid good value for above-​average food — $ 120 for 2 inclusive of tax & tip for a shared app, 2 entrees, 2 desserts.
Definitely worth a trip back!

So let me start off by saying if you are looking for a trendy place and happening atmosphere this isn’t the place to go. Having said that, what this place is great for is a romantic, quite atmosphere with an authentic Italian flare. The pasta dishes are unreal, calamari was great (not fried) and the artichokes are a must have! And it’s byob, even better.

Visited Caffe Casta Diva for an impromptu dinner with the bestie and had yet another lovely meal here!
We had a short wait, but overall it wasn’t too bad considering we didn’t have reservations. We started with the Caesar salad and it was absolutely delicious. The croutons and dressing are made in house, just FYI.
I had the orecchiette and my girl had the tagliatelle. Both were delicious. Usually I don’t eat pasta at restaurants, but there’s no way I could recreate what Casta Diva does.
Service throughout the night was attentive and friendly. Drinks were refilled often. We were so busy eating and catching up that we didn’t realize that we were coming up on closing time and not once were we rushed.
Solid restaurant for a great meal around Rittenhouse.

Wow, this was incredible. I came as a recommendation by a friend and was not disappointed! We changed our reservation from 4 to 6 people last minute on a Saturday night and they accommodated us no problem. First, it smelled INCREDIBLE when we walked in, beyond amazing. The food was delicious, and the presentation was gorgeous!
I got the Trofie dish, which was curled pasta with mushrooms, pecorino, and truffle oil and was outstanding, and everyone else enjoyed their meal just as much. I would 100% come back here in a heart beat, and it was BYO! Not the cheapest one I’ve been to but the food quality was beyond expectations, so there is no doubt it was worth it. I’m in love!

My first dining experience in Philadelphia was at Caffe Casta Diva. My friend and fellow Unilocaler Min Y. took me here because he lives down the street and he and his lady had a great dining experience previously. Moreover, it’s BYOB, so The restaurant seems very quaint from the outside. It’s quite intimate and romantic on the inside. The menu is simple but seemed very appetizing. We ordered calamari as the appetizer. I believe my friend ordered the pappardelle, but I don’t see it on their online menu. I originally ordered the peking duck breast, but was informed the chef was unhappy with the quality of the duck and the disk would be prepared with chicken breast instead. I was ok with the decision.
The calamari was good but slightly too salty for me. I thought the presentation of my dish could have been better. Everything looked brown, from the chicken to the charred carrots. The chicken was dry. The dish tasted very one-​dimensional. The pappardelle dish fared better. However, I have had fresher pasta. Needless to say, even my friend thought the food was not up to par with his last visit. He raved about the branzino here! I trust my friend’s words and believe we probably came on a bad night. Our server was friendly and attentive. He was memorable. He had a soft, soothing cadence to his speech.

Excellent place to go and have an awesome Italian meal. Best part? Its BYOB (and you won’t have to worry about cork fees like certain other places have started doing in philly). We were here with a big group and they were really accommodating. For my entrée I got the salmon with the potatoes and it was fresh and yummy. Everyone else at the table seemed to be enjoying their food as well. I also had a taste of the truffle pasta that my friend got and I highly recommend it if you want a vegetarian dish. The truffle tasted delicious and it wasn’t too overpowering. Good place for large groups or a date night.

Lovely place! Came for a small group dinner for a school club, so dinner was subsidized. Otherwise, the place can get pricey, running over $ 30 for pasta. It’s BYOB though!
I tried their daily special handmade pasta, which was delicious! I would give this place 4 stars, except its pricey and the weird service.
They wouldn’t let us order until our entire party arrived! (Though we were already seated). Also, they wouldn’t let us order appetizers first! We had to order it together with the main course… Inflexible. Ugh.

With a wine bottle bag in our hand, we decided to take a leap of faith hoping we’ll stumble upon a lovely BYOB on a beautiful autumn night in the city.
GRAZIE Unilocal! After several unsuccessful attempts, we struck foodie gold when we found this tiny, charming Italian café/​restaurant in the heart of Rittenhouse. We instantly fell in love with Casta Diva for its locally sourced ingredients and essential Italian offerings such as homemade pastas, acacia, deserts, succulent veal dishes, delightful fish dishes and robust salads.
Although packed to max capacity, somehow the server managed to squeezed us two seats! The atmosphere was very romantic and relaxing (Not loud at all). It’s a great spot to get to know each others on a first date. The food was simply fantastic. We opted for the orechiette pasta with sausages and Ricotta gnocchi with pancetta (Italian bacon). Everything definitely tasted so fresh and homemade. The pasta literally melted in our mouth.
Service was exceptional. Only complaint was that entrees are $ 20 – 30. That would be perfect for the quality of food prepared if they accept cards. But they don’t so that makes it one of the most expensive BYOBs I’ve been to (Most people don’t carry that much cash).
Excited to come back here again one day. I just need to remember to bring more cash so I don’t have to run to the nearest 711.