Paradiso

The only reason for 1 star is because they won’t let you give no stars.
Let’s start by saying that the waiter Norman was excellent. Next my Wife got the Halibut which looked like it would be 2 bites and done for me. My wife said it was good but very small. (she does not like to criticize). Now for my meal. I got the (Special) Short ribs, wow, there was NO meat on this short rib. All fat and when I say All fat, I mean nothing but Fat !!! I had to send the meal back which I never do. The Waiter was very apologetic but the Manager/​Chef never came over. There is NO way that the Chef/​Manager did not know this Short Rib was all fat while cooking it and still sent that piece of FAT out to a customer (Me)…The Chef/​Cook /​Manager or whatever never came out to apologize. I was so angry that I had to get up and leave My wife, Son and Daughter In– Law in theRestarauntI. I did not want to chance eating anything else after that mess.

My boyfriend and I came here with our parents on a Saturday night for a 7:30 dinner reservation. This was everyone minus the BF’s first visit. I don’t know how it took me this long to visit this South Philly gem. We’d considered a handful of options and Paradiso looked perfect for the occasion — and it proved to be!
It wasn’t crowded when we were arrived so we were given a choice of where to sit. As our meal progressed the dining room filled up slightly but never got completely filled which was a good thing in this case because I was able to hear everyone at our round table.
Our waiter was personable and the service we received throughout our meal was an appropriate mix of efficient and friendly. After placing our orders, our server noticed a number of us had ordered the same first course so he offered to combine them and bring them out family style for all of us to share amongst one another. It was a great suggestion that got everyone moving and interacting in a fun way. We started off with the burrata with parma prosciutto, roasted peppers and heirloom tomato. The burrata was wonderfully creamy and the tomatoes naturally sweet and juicy. Next up was ravioli with fava beans and fiddlehead ferns, and gnocchi with mild mushrooms. Since I ordered the ravioli as my main dish, I stuck with tasting the gnocchi here which had a delicate, melt-​in-​your-​mouth texture that were matched well with rich, meaty mushrooms. As for mains, my dinner companions ordered the branzino, the duck, the pappardelle, and the halibut. My ravioli, much like the gnocchi, was so light and the fava beans and fiddlehead ferns just screamed spring! Considering if you blink you might miss your chance for fiddlehead ferns. To accompany our meal, my boyfriend, the wine connoisseur, took care of ordering wine that complimented each dish wonderfully.
The menu at Paradiso isn’t your standard spaghetti and meatballs but unique creations, perfectly portioned with incredibly fresh ingredients.
As for dessert, which you definitely should save room for, we shared orders (1 each) of the: dark chocolate and gianduja budino, ricotta & apple crostata and the cinnamon bomboloni with chocolate, caramel & lemon curd. The bomboloni, which are like gourmet little donuts, was my favorite of the three.
There are a lot of hip new restaurants on Passyunk Ave. and this is certainly a neighborhood gem. It’s a really comfortable environment that has the right balance of upscale yet comfortable. Definitely worth a visit and a future return!

We had our small wedding (35 people) reception in Paradiso’s upstairs private room, and I cannot rave enough over how wonderful of a job they did! Lynn, the owner and chef, is a joy to work with. She’s organized, professional, creative, and practical. The food was amazing! Everyone was raving about it! The servers were attentive and timely, they adjusted to whatever we needed (including shellfish allergies, and substituting ginger ale for those not drinking champagne for the toast), and they even went the extra mile by brewing a pot of hot tea instead of just putting out hot water and tea bags with dessert. And the space itself was beautiful. We couldn’t have hoped for a better reception.
I’d recommend them to anyone — for a private party or simply for a fantastic dinner.

I really don’t understand most of the reviews here. Food is bad, service is mediocre and they are playing disco music while you eat. Dead on a Friday night for a reason. Don’t go here. Passyunk has so much better to offer especially for the price.

WARNING: DO NOT PAY USING A DEBIT CARD! If they make a mistake you will not get the money back In your checking account for 3 – 5 business days. We came here for restaurant week. We have been before and enjoyed it very much. The food was excellent– deserving of 5 stars. However the server gave us the wrong check charged to our credit/​debit card. We pointed out the error and he said he would take care of it. He did not and the next day our checking account was over drawn as we were charged 156 dollars in addition to what we charged for our real bill. The place is closed Mondays so I was left with leaving messages and sending an email to an address on their web site. Heard nothing back. They are open Tue so I called them AGAIN and the person acts like its no big deal that I’m still out of 156 dollars and overdraft charges. «It should be credited by the end of the business day». Thx for NOTHING. It has now been 4 days and the 156 dollars has STILL not been credited to our account. Really left a BAD TASTE in our mouths, be careful if you dine here.

Paradiso is simply a very good restaurant. It is also a pioneering restaurant as its opening on Passyunk Avenue helped to fuel a renaissance. Although it is not large, it is still bigger than all the famous restaurants on East Passyunk that have come afterwards. And it does have a full bar. There is one food item that Paradiso is the best in all of Philadelphia and that is their Pansotti. These Ligurian delicacies are only served at lunchtime but are they tasty. Resembling triangular ravioli, they are filled with greens and ricotta and served with cheese and a walnut sauce. Why more Italian restaurants don’t have pansotti on their menus is a mystery to me. Thankfully Paradiso offers them!

Decent, but not the «WOW» I was expecting. The food was just «ok». Our waitstaff was over-​attentive. Checking in with us was appreciated, but every few minutes seemed excessive.

Food was 5 stars. Service was 3. I Have eaten at many Italian restaurants in the city… Ralphs, Melagranos, Dante & Luigi’s, Langalo. Paradiso’s food was by far the best. We had the spaghetti and seafood, braised shortrib and polenta special, burrata appetizer and gnocchi with two desserts. Soooo good. Service was lacking. Had to ask for things more than once. Maybe they were short staffed.

Visited Paradiso for the 1^st time Tuesday night and it was fantastic.
I don’t know why it took me so long to visit this South Philly gem?
We were greeted immediately when we entered the restaurant by a huge welcome and seated right away. It turns out that person was also our waiter.
The restaurant was not crowded as it was 8PM and a Tuesday. They did have one party of 15 or so and our party of 3 with a few at the full bar. It was sort of a business dinner.
We had the calamari and escargot that was just as good as it gets. The escargot was served in a small black pot in a tomato based sauce, that was sooooo good, with toasted parmesan laced bread.
2 of us had the spaghetti with shrimp and crab meat and it was awesome. The other had raviolis that were excellent. Everything was very tasty and served hot.
They also offered wine by the glass that was good and a full wine list if you are seeking bottles. Finished dinner with a B&B from the full bar. B&B is a great after dinner drink~liquor that some restaurants forget to have around.
The only thing I would suggest is they can beef up the portions of the pasta dish. They were not small, but not really large enough if you know what I mean.
They also should carry a few cheater glasses as I forgot my own. They did have a magnified glass but cheaters would be better to read the menu.
Overall, I will definitely recommend this for a romantic date, friends or family. The ambiance was something you will like for South Philly. Can’t wait to go back and take my wife!
Great job to the entire staff at Paradiso!

Nice service and atmosphere, but the worst Italian food I have ever attempted to eat.
The calamari was too salty to eat and there was no aoll sauce.
Grilled eggplant with minuscule amounts of goat cheese. There were several servings left on the table.
The penne bolonese looked like dog food and tasted like Spam.
The ceased salad was not Ceasar. Just a vinaigrette over romaine lettuce.
Fertuccini Alfredo also extremely salty and tasted like it was from a jar.
Braised short ribs with polenta was good. Certainly not my idea of an Italian dinner.
The house Cabernet was udrinkable.
Don’t waste your time or $ 150!

My husband I made the trip out to Philly for a small family reunion. We went to Paradisio with a party of about 15. The food was good, and the servers were doing their best, but it is definitely not a venue for such a large table. In order to have all the meals out at the same time many of us received entrees that had been sitting for a bit. I was quite excited to try their ragu, but ended up being served an entirely different meal. My strong suggestion for perspective diners it to keep the table size to no more than 6 people.

We had the service of a food knowledgeable waiter guide us through the menu. Escargot appetizer excellent. Everyone ordered a different entrée and all were excellent.
It’s nice to go to an Italian Restaurant where the portions are sized to leave enough room for super delicious deserts.
Only downside is finding a parking place.

Awesome place! That’s all I can say, this place is so inviting and the locals are great company, I’ll defiantly return.

Really nice place, relaxed ambiance, courteous service.
The food was very good, escargot was amazing, awesome cheese trays.
The only issue is that the portion size was a bit smaller than I would have liked.

I enjoyed Paradiso.
We came on Saturday night at 6:30. It wasn’t crowded when we were seated, but as our meal progressed the dining room really filled in and had a nice ambiance. Our waiter was personable and the service we received throughout our meal was an appropriate mix of efficient and friendly.
Bread typically isn’t a stand out feature of a meal, but holy cow. The bread at Paradiso is SO good, and the olive oil accompanying it is light and fresh. Honestly, if I had to pick one standout item here, it might be the bread.
The escargot appetizer was delicious, as was the meatball I tried (I typically am not a fan of meatballs, so this one must have been particularly excellent). The bottle of Argentinian Sauvignon Blanc we shared was fantastic — it was light, dry, and perfectly chilled. Finally, whatever dessert comes with little bits of bacon on top was amazing! I wish I hadn’t been so full so I could have tried an extra bite. All in all, the Philly dining scene delivered once again via Paradiso and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this restaurant.

The first time there for me and it’s for their newly available lunch. Who’d a thunk it?!
I loved the food I had. The sandwiches ordered were definitely the best. The wonderful bread, the amazing ingredients. The very affordable menu at gourmet quality and sit-​down service?! crazy good.

Went for drinks after eating dinner elsewhere, but wish we had our dinner here instead! The service was great at the high top table near the bar, and the drinks were delicious. Ordered the «Bella Vista» which was really good and interestingly spicy. Ordered cheeses which were presented very nicely. Not sure we ordered the best cheese from the options, but then again we love just about any cheese so it was still very good. Will definitely come back for dinner!

Top notch Italian restaurant. Upscale and great for a special occasion. I’ve always heard great things and it did not disappoint.
I came here for my girlfriends birthday with a large group and we had a blast. There was nothing that was ordered that was just okay. Everyone was happy with their meal. The wine was amazing and the service was excellent. This is the kind of place where you can put your meal in the hands of the server and you’ll be happy.
Reservations are necessary, but not as difficult as you might think.

I visited Paradiso for the first time this past Saturday with a friend of mine. Clearly, a popular spot, as it was very busy. It seemed as if the staff was a little overwhelmed, as it took awhile for anyone to actually notice we (and a few others) were waiting at the hostess stand. We were passed by a number of the staff, and no one even acknowledged anyone was waiting, or said they’d be with us in a moment. It was a little strange that at least three parties that were waiting to be seated were essentially ignored completely for about five minutes. Would have been nice for someone to at least let us know they’d get to us as soon as they could.
The room is very nice, with some artistic track lighting hanging from the ceiling, and art on the walls. It’s pretty tight, and they clearly have packed as many tables as possible in what is a decent-​sized space. Many of the restaurants in S. Philly are converted row houses, and are very narrow… this space is much larger, though again, it’s pretty packed with tables. They have a nice bar off to the side, which was also very busy. The kitchen is at the rear of the room, and is semi-​open.
They have a decent wine and cocktail list, and I got an apple martini that was very good. They had a few specials added to the menu… one was a salumi plate, and the other was a layered veal dish with veal and sausage. We opted for the burrata and beet salad, the salumi plate (which I {after my drink} mistakenly called charcuterie, which the server was quick to correct), the duck breast, and the veal special. My friend asked for her duck to be cooked medium, and the server explained that the chef only cooks it medium-​rare, and that if she wanted it cooked medium she’d best order a different dish. Not that I haven’t heard of this kind of thing in the past, but it always surprises me. Some chefs still think they’re cooking for themselves, and not their customers.
Everything was ver nice, with the exception of the veal… which was somewhat dry. I can’t help but draw some irony between the dry veal dish, and the curt response of our server about the chef’s unwillingness to cook the duck to medium, ostensibly because it’d dry out.
The service was a bit on the slow side… it took about 20 minutes to get the check. They were pretty busy, but the courses seemed to drag more than they should have. I was also a bit surprised that they don’t seem to have a pasta course and meat or fish course, but have appetizers, entrée pastas, and entrees. Not a huge problem, but it’s always nice to be able to sample a pasta course and a main entrée in a good Italian restaurant. While I didn’t ask specifically, I doubt they’d have made any accommodations in the portion size.
Overall, the quality of the food was good, save the veal, and it’s certainly a popular and long-​standing establishment. I could do without the attitude, frankly, though that’s just my opinion, and someone else may not care as much.

I moved to the E. Passyunk area on Saturday and did not plan ahead. Thus, finding a restaurant to eat dinner at without a reservation was a serious adventure that night. My adventure was not helped by the unseasonably warm temperatures. After trying several restaurants with an impatient family member who was unwilling to wait, we finally came across Paradiso. It was a miracle – 8:00 pm on a Saturday night and they were able to seat us (though the host didn’t look thrilled that we had no reservation and we felt bad, but were too desperate after our search for a restaurant to dwell on it for too long).
The wine prices were decent for a restaurant like this (seemed to be trying for a fine dining vibe). All of the house wines were $ 8 to $ 9 a glass, with several bottles coming in under $ 40. I had the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, which was typical, crisp and cool. Our waiter informed us that all pastas were available by in appetizer sized (half) servings. Hearing that, I decided to start with the beet salad – my version of which came with toasted pistachios and housemade ricotta. The beets were nicely cooked, not overdone. The plate was less of a salad and more of a giant plate of earthy beets. I couldn’t finish, as the dish was too sweet for me by the end. There were a few greens tossed on top of the beets, but they seemed more like a garnish than a serious element of the dish.
For our entrees, my companion and I both got the spinach and ricotta gnocchi in a brown butter sage sauce. The gnocchi were light, and you could really taste the spinach and cheese. The gnocchi was topped with a ton of the brown butter (there was a pool of it in the bottom of my bowl when I was done my meal). I only found one sage leaf in the entire dish and wouldn’t have minded more to give the butter a stronger sage flavor. I ordered the appetizer serving and my companion ordered the full dish. Both were decently sized, the appetizer portion was, in fact, about half of the full-​sized portion (though the price was not half the full sized), and I was perfectly full at the end of my meal.
Altogether the meal was okay and we left full and not disappointed.