La Viola

Myself and 2 friends went here for Restaurant week. The food was very good, fresh authentic Italian food. It seats about 50 people small but they move around very well. The bread was good and the service was excellent. I will be returning soon.

Honestly, this is my favorite restaurant in Philly. If you want amazing Italian food, skip the lame Italian Market and restaurants down there — go to La Viola.
Remember it’s BYOB and cash only! I personally like this set up much better, buying one bottle of wine at the liquor store is equivalent to two glasses at any other restaurant in the city. No corkage fee!
The money you save on drinks lets you spend a few dollars on an appetizer after devouring some fresh bread. The antipasti, calamari, and mozzarella are all amazing.
As for entrees, everything myself or guests have ever ordered has been amazing. My faves are the gnocchi or lemon chicken. Not into seafood but everyone loves the lobster ravioli (the vodka sauce I have tasted is to die for). All the pasta is super fresh and tastes homemade.
Lastly, for desserts, the cheesecake or tartufo can’t be beat.
Love the atmosphere at La Viola (this side is more intimate then La Viola West). The same guys have been working there forever and they are fantastic. I’ve brought my friends and family that have come to visit, my off the boat Italian uncle loved it. If you are around during the Center City Restaurant weeks COME HERE for one of the best deals.
This place is amazing.

I had not been to La Viola in probably 10 years, Saturday night was a HUGE disappointment! We went early which was no problem, the problems were service and food quality. We had not finished our appetizers and entrees came rushing out from the kitchen. My chicken dish with asparagus, fontina and prosciutto was cold, salty, too much cheese and very unappealing to the eye. I remember loving not only this restaurant but this dish as well. The sautéed mushrooms use to be in a bowl with such amazing broth to dunk bread in, now they are just slapped on a plate. We also were approached by multiple male only… really…servers asking the same questions over and over. If you’re going to do team service figure it out people!
I will not go back with all of the amazing Italian restaurants in Philly… too bad… the only good thing was it’s still cheap!

I really didnt like this place. We went during restaurant week. I will say they had sooo many options. The service was terrific! I just feel like the food was sooo wet. I tried to get into the flavor but it was really hard wen the food is so moist

Delicious! We has superb Veal Marsala, and Lobster Ravioli and then an exquisite Risotto. Excellent dining and quality. Finally: one of THE best tiramisu
Desserts I have ever had!

Went here early on a Friday night before a show and was very impressed. Small place, a little noisy and crowded (to be expected in the city), but the food was great and the wait staff were truly wonderful.
The four of us all ate different dishes and they were all very good (Spinach gnocchi, orichetti pomodoro w/​shrimp, chicken rotellini, and shrimp-​chicken pasta of the day). All were served piping hot and fairly quickly.
The waiters (mostly young men in white shirts and ties) were the best. Very friendly and efficient. I don’t think any of our water glasses got below half full before someone appeared and topped them off. The teamwork was amazing — just moving around in that small room was difficult but that pulled it off.
BYOB and cash only so plan ahead.

I used to come to this place weekly when I lived in this neighborhood. 10 years later I still come whenever I visit Philly. The food is reliably good, well priced, and served by basically the same crew who have been there forever. They seem like a tight crew. I always order either the lobster ravioli or the salmon fetuccini and the bistro salad which is a plate full mixed greens in a simple dressing.
Yes, I agree that the quarters are tight and it can be a little noisy filled with regulars. For me, it’s part of the charm and reminds me of a little European café. My joke is that you only realize that there is music playing if you stay long enough for everyone to clear out. I recommend they add some sound proofing/​aura lox to the ceiling to dampen noise (doesn’t keep me away), but otherwise, I wouldn’t change anything. The simplicity here works: good food, amazing wine (BYOB), nice staff, and decent price.

BYOB. Make sure you go to the right one (there are two right across from each other). Always satisfied at both! Delicious food and decent quantity to fill you right up. Service is great! Lots of servers around to clear plates and fill up your water (and wine)
Definitely try the gnocchi :)

Really good food and great service. It’s a nice restaurant with classy but cosy atmosphere. I wouldn’t recommend it for a date because it’s kinda crowded and not necessarily super intimate, but it’s great for dinners with larger parties. Definitely recommend the ravioli and the vitello. Better to make a reservation, be careful because they also have another location with the same name across the street so make sure to know which one you’re going to :)

Very nice ristorante. Food great!!! Portion just perfect size. A little bit small room, but it’s perfect clone of European ristorante and life
5 stars!!!

So, ya know, I was here on a recent Thursday night for a friend’s bday party. There were 11 of us and 13 bottles of wine b/​c we know how to party. I was the very last one to get there (a fashionable 20 minutes late) and I must say, it was a little chaotic. I believe they were fine w/​seating everyone on time, but 20 minutes in, only 3 bottles of wine had been opened and bread was just being set on the table. That worked for me just fine, but kind of sucked for everyone else. I brought a bottle of white, as did two other girls, and when we asked them to put the whites on ice, they whisked the bottles away. And then we didn’t see them again until the end of dinner when we had killed the 10 bottles of red and were wondering where the heck our whites had gone. We finally asked and apparently there’s one wine bucket for the whole restaurant by the front door where they were storing them? Weird. Also, trying to get the servers attention to get more wine opened was just a pain. I think if there’s a next time, I’ll just bring my own corkscrew. Or tell them to leave theirs on the table.
We didn’t have a problem w/​space since we took up the whole right side (if you’re front facing back), but the side next to the wall had trouble getting in and out of their seats. Basically, one whole side would have to get up if someone needed to leave their seat. Also, one bathroom for the whole place is a bummer. I had to stand awkwardly by a table and try not to trip up the servers while waiting in line.
The food was stellar, though. I had a bite of someone’s calamari app and someone else’s mushroom app. Both were really delicious! For myself, I had the pasta special, which was house-​made basil linguine w/​sausage and shrimp in a white wine sauce w/​raisins. That’s right, raisins. And I ordered it and ate it and enjoyed it! Honestly, the raisins were in no way a bad addition, but I’m not sure they were a great addition. They didn’t really add anything. But the dish was good overall! The linguine was delish and basil-​y and the sausage and shrimp when really well together.
For dessert, I split a cannoli cake w/​my friend. The cake and frosting were very yum and cannoli-​ish, but the actual mini-​cannoli on top was just soggy and sad and not yum. I tried someone else’ tiramisu, which was basically a cup of coffee in cake form. Too much coffee, not enough creamy mascarpone goodness. BUT THE CHEESECAKE! I would come back just for that cheesecake. Finally, a real, honest-​to-​goodness cheesecake w/​o any of the nonsense you usually get in most cheesecakes these days: no lemon zest in the filling, no cinnamon in the crust, no weirdo topping. Just a delicious cheesecake that tasted like cheesecake on top of a graham cracker crust that tasted like a graham cracker crust.
In the end, it was a fun time, but b/​c of the copious amounts of wine and friends. The service was lacking and standing in line for the bathroom was less than ideal, but the food was satisfying. I would give it 3.5 stars, but that’s not a choice, so let’s say I would come here again, but I wouldn’t necessarily choose to come here again if I were in charge of decision-​making.

I stumbled on this place last year when I was looking for a nice place for my mom to take me to for my birthday dinner. It had some pretty good reviews and I figured, why not? It was a Monday night and the restaurant was pretty empty. I didn’t care, it was nice to have the space to ourselves and not feel like we were sitting on top of each other. Besides, the staff was extremely attentive. I got the gnocchi that night and my mom got a steak special. They were both delicious and we had nothing to complain about.
On my return visits, I’ve got the squid ink pasta special and the ORECCHIETTE ALLA ROMANA, which I would definitely order again. I’ve never had a bad experience with the staff, even when we get shoved into one of those little side tables that are in high traffic areas.
The only reason I won’t give five stars is because they pack people in there like sardines. It’s not fun to be on top of each other like that, especially when you don’t know the people sitting next to you!

Came here yesterday at around 4PM for a very late lunch… or should I say linner? Due to the strange timing, my boyfriend and I were the only people in the restaurant. Slightly awkward because I felt as though all of the staff could hear our conversation. Service was good, but keep in mind that this establishment is CASH ONLY (and checks– luckily, I had my checkbook on me). In this day in age, I find it extremely inconvenient and inconsiderate when businesses do not accept credit card.
Food wise, everything was quite yummy, but nothing mind blowing. We ordered the Grigliata Di Calamari as an appetizer. I usually love my calamari fried, but this was pretty good for grilled calamari. The calamari tasted fresh and was not overcooked, so it was very soft and easy to chew. The seasoning was just right, and we asked for a side of marinara sauce, which was really delicious with the calamari as well.
I had the Ravioli Alla Viola (lobster ravioli) for my main dish and enjoyed it. The pink cognac sauce (which is really orange) was delicious and sat well with my tastebuds. The ravioli was also perfectly cooked– very soft and easy to consume. My boyfriend had the Pollo Gamberi Alla Marsala, which according to him, was very tasteful. This was a healthier dish, as it came with white chicken breast, mushrooms, and tomatoes. The only food item that I was disappointed by was the bread. It was over-​baked and very hard. Just having had my wisdom teeth taken out not long ago, I was sadly unable to consume the bread.
This is overall a decent Italian restaurant with solid food. It is fairly priced among other Italian restaurants in Philly, so that is a plus. It is also BYOB– another major plus. I went to the Ovest location across the street a few months back with a big party and remembered liking that experience better. Décor here seems a little outdated and could use some work to improve the ambiance. Would come back next time for the food, with bottle in hand :)

Went here with a large group for restaurant week. Food was delicious, service was great.

I came here for dinner one night with a group of friends not knowing what to expect and was pleasantly surprised! The space is small, enough to fit maybe 7 – 8 parties at a time, tops, so I was glad we’d made reservations beforehand. When the waiter brought out the menu, I wasn’t particularly wowed by anything, but luckily the specials sounded more appealing! I was between the sable scallops and shrimp dish and the shrimp and chicken pasta special, but opted for the latter (see photos). To be honest, I wasn’t expecting much so I was pleasantly surprised when the food came out. My pasta dish was hot, creamy, and super flavorful! The noodles were perfectly al dente, the sauce rich, and the shrimp cooked perfectly. Only 4 stars because the pistachio gelato we got for dessert had zero flavor and the restaurant is REALLY loud — I could barely hear the guy sitting directly across from me. It’s a really chaotic space in general so I wouldn’t come here for a romantic night out, but great for a wild, larger party!

I wanted to go to a BYOB dinner for my birthday this year, and my coworker recommended La Viola. Luckily, they were able to accommodate a party of 12 fairly easily over the phone.
When we arrived on Saturday night, both La Viola and Ouest across the street were packed. There were so many people standing out on the sidewalks on either side. We squeezed our way up to the hostess stand and were 10 minutes early, so we had to wait in the crowd. We ended up standing in the little hallway next door. Another party arrived and really blocked us in there. They then proceeded to open their wine in the middle of the hallway and started drinking it straight out of the bottle…
We were seated pretty close to our reservation time, so no complaints there. The waiters were really hustling. When we sat down, our waiter expertly opened our wine and shouted specials to us over the loud ambiance. The bread was delicious and warm but I wasn’t a big fan of the olive oil. We ordered calamari, marinated mushrooms and antipasto. The mushrooms were tasty, garlicky and flavorful. The calamari was NOT the typical plate full of crispy rings. There was a small pile in the center of the plate.
For entrees, I got the Linguine Pizzaiola with veal. I thought it would be whole pieces of cutlet laid over the pasta, but they were cut up strips instead, which is not my favorite. The sauce was flavorful and savory with the salty olives in it. My boyfriend got the spinach gnocchi, which was a little bland. My roommates both got the specials that sounded really good: grilled swordfish and tri-​color fettuccine with chicken and shrimp.
Since we weren’t blown away by our food and additionally full from wine, we passed on dessert. After the fact, I’ve heard that Ouest is bigger and has a larger menu, so maybe I would try that next time but the food here seems to be standard Italian food that I feel someone could made in their own kitchen.

My roommate and I needed to grab a bite before the Philly rock ‘n roll half marathon. Every athlete knows you gotta carbo load! In a dire search on Unilocal,la viola met our needs… somewhere close to where we were staying with great, and affordable Italian.
When we finally made our way to La Viola, I started to get nervous. Hangry-​ness mixed with pre race jitters is an awful combination. Luckily for us, the wait for 2 people was no more than 5 minutes… The only stipulation was, «Would you mind being squished between two tables?» For a faster entrée, I’ll say yes to anything and everything.
What does it feel like to be squished between two tables? For one, you better hope your dinner companion and you can read each others minds, or eyebrows expression. There is so much you want to say when eavesdropping on someone’s else dinner… But there is only so little you can say when you’re close enough to caress their hand when they speak of a recent tragedy. That being said, we took our mental notes and jabbered the rest of the night.
I wonder if those two lucky kids are still dating. They seemed to get along, and the the girl wasn’t shy about doggy bagging the left overs he paid for! The other couple to my left had it all worked out and plenty of self control! I had a hard time stopping myself from not eating their left over tiramisu. (After a dinner like that, I felt like I knew them well enough to eat from the same plate!)
Luckily Morgan and my entrees came out quickly enough and we were able to scarf down our pasta dishes. I can’t attest to whether la Viola gave me the extra oomph in making it to the finish line, but it definitely didn’t hurt!

Took my brother and his fiancée here to celebrate their engagement, and despite the recent negative press (see the recent gay Philly bashing), I’ve been wanting to try this place — I am glad I did! I was aware of the cash only policy, so make sure you bring enough for a reasonably priced meal. Since they had literally just gotten engaged that evening, I failed to produce any alcohol for the BYO portion of this place, so I will make sure that I am fully loaded when I next come in.
The waitstaff was very professional and willing to work with my brother’s fiancée’s gluten allergy — they actually let her craft her own dish! I had the Orrechiette Alla Romana, and it was absolutely delicious. My brother had a salmon based dish, and although I forget the actual name, it was excellent. Likewise, the risotto dish my brother’s fiancée ordered was great.
The only qualm I had with this place was the brusqueness of the FOH staff. They might be professional, but they were not quite welcoming.

Poor La Viola; she falls under the category of mediocre Italian BYO. As soon as you have dined at amazing Italian BYOs in the city of Philadelphia, the rest fall by the wayside.
La Viola is just alright; from food to service to décor, everything is just a-​ok.
The waiters are a bit creepy and they never smile, but they are prompt, efficient and will make sure your wine is never empty. The décor is plain, tables are close together and intimate so it makes for a loud restaurant.
The food was mediocre. You can tell a lot from a place with its bread presentation. The bread was nothing special, however the accompaniments were fantastic (olive oil and balsamic-​you cant really mess this up). I ordered the special salad as my entrée because I assumed that it is really hard to screw up a salad. The mixed greens salad was topped with walnuts, goat cheese, apples and prosciutto di parma. The flavors were fantastic together and the tangy lemon vinaigrette dressing tied the dish together. I did taste my roommate’s lobster ravioli– the sauce could have been much better, it seemed like it was lacking something.
Just looking around the table I could tell that this was an Italian restaurant for people who were new to the BYO/​Italian scene. There are much better places to go in the city– I will not be returning.

A few of my friends and I grabbed dinner here on a Friday evening when we couldnt get into the BYOB we wanted to go to. The five of us sat outside with a few bottles of wine and tried to figure out the crowd. It seemed to be a lot of very young kids, college students, drunk girls, not really a crowd I enjoyed very much. The wait staff was a little rough and not really very talented. Im not sure if they are used to waiting on the drunken and young crowds that we were sitting near or what, but they didnt make the meal all that pleasant.
I think I was the only one of our party that liked my meal. I didnt however really like our appetizers. We ordered the grilled calamari and the mussels in spicy broth. The mussels were ok. Nothing to write home about, but not bad either. The broth was pretty good. I dipped a lot of bread in it and chowed down on that since the calamari was so bad. It was so bitter from the grill it was almost inedible. I like a good char as much as anyone, but not when it tastes like a dirty grill.
As I mentioned, I think I was the only one in my group that liked their entrée. I ordered the fettuccine al salmone which was fettuccine pasta with salmon in a brandy cream sauce. Againt, it wasnt the best pasta I have had, but it wasnt bad and for 17 bucks I thought it was pretty reasonable. The flavor was good from the large amount of black pepper in the sauce and the flavor of the sauce was pretty good. I did get to try my fiancé’s vitello carcioffi or veal in white wine sauce with artichoke and sun dried tomatoes. Nothing was seasoned properly, and the sauce was pretty watery. I really didnt care for it.
The whole experience was pretty underwhelming and in a city of incredibly quality BYOB’s, this one just left me saying… MEHHHHHH.