It started as a pretty great experience, but then ended with disappointment. We went with a group of people from all around the country, who were excited to experience the restaurant. I would definitely encourage getting a reservation because it fills up quickly. You choose from a three or four course menu with an appetizer, entree, and dessert. For the appetizer, I got the butternut squash soup. IT WAS SO GOOD! 10 out of 10. Others at our table ordered the burrata, which was also 10 out of 10. For the entree, I selected the rigatoni. It was good, but nothing out of the ordinary. This is where things became frustrating. I had only eaten a few bites and asked for a box. 95% of the entree remained to be taken home. The waitress insisted on boxing it, which was fine by me. Now, did I ever get my box of food.... No. I asked three times and she kept saying that she would go get it AND never brought anything back. The crazy part was the everyone who had one or two bites left on their plates received their to go box of food. But, mine with a vast majority of food remaining never did. I would have rather boxed it myself. For the dessert, I selected the lemon olive oil cake, which ended up being the most mediocre dessert. For only having three options to choose from for dessert, all of the table left home disappointed with what they ordered. The cake was dry and dense and lacked flavor. The added berry compote was necessary to instill any sense of moisture for the dried out piece. Now, the billing situation is where I was most disappointed. They give a random surcharge for using a credit card so I said that I would pay with cash. AFTER 15 MINUTES OF WAITING FOR THE RETURN OF THE BILLS, they came to tell us that they actually don't have the ability to take cash!!! So why is there a credit card surcharge when they don't event have the capability to take any other payment? To me, this is bad management because the credit card charges should be included in overhead or the receipt should say card only. Also, I asked for my bill to be separated from the rest of the table because my portion was different than the rest of the table who ended up sharing and ordering a bunch of different items all together. The waitress came back and had charged me for multiple things that they had ordered and were not mine because she did not want to separate me from the bill. Our water cups stood empty for the majority of the night, which was wild with how many service staff were just standing around and watching everyone eat. It was also hard to get the staff's attention for any needs. No one checked up on us or asked about how we were enjoying the food. Also, there is only one bathroom for the entire restaurant and the line to use it trails throughout the restaurant. The music did not fit the nature of the restaurant. Multiple people commented on it at our table and the tables around us. It felt like someone's random playlist at a random shop. The butternut squash made me give this place a two stars over one star. Just go order that and then leave. read more

I'm Ambiance * Small yet intimate space with surprisingly ample seating. * A great spot for a relaxed evening out. Menu Options * Fixed-price 3- or 4-course menu. * Dishes are beautifully presented, but the flavors lacked depth and variety. What We Tried 1. Burrata - Overly sweet sauce that overpowered the dish. 2. Chickpeas with Pork Belly - Too salty to enjoy. 3. Pastas - All tasted very similar with no variety (mostly tomato-based sauces, no white or pesto options). 4. Beef Shank - Tender but bland, lacking flavor. 5. Chicken Milanese - Nothing special or memorable. 6. Branzino - Crispy with a well-balanced sauce; one of the better dishes. 7. Gnocchi - Fresh and flavorful; the highlight of the meal. Service * The waitress was attentive initially but became less engaged toward the end. * Plates were cleared without asking if we were finished, which felt rushed and a bit impolite. Final Thoughts A Mano offers a charming setting and visually appealing dishes, but the food itself fell short of expectations due to its one-dimensional flavors and lack of variety. The service, while decent at first, ended on a sour note. Worth a visit for the gnocchi or branzino, but overall, it didn't leave a lasting impression. read more

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First time here and brother and husband and I all really enjoyed our meals. FYI it is BYOB. Its prix fix, either three or four courses. The three courses are antipasti, primi and dessert. The optional 4th course adds in a secondi entree. Honestly, we were sooooo full with the three courses I don't know how anyone could get the fourth. I think a better option would be to replace the primi course with a secondi for an additional fee. Across the board, the food was excellent. We had: butternut squash soup and the pork belly for appetizers and for entrees we had the potato gnocchi, squid ink pasta and the bolognese. Gnocchi was a standout. The pastas were slightly more al dente than we would like but that's a personal preference. Pros: Food was delicious. The bread was amazing. The lemon olive oil cake is one of the best cakes I've ever had. Service was friendly and attentive. Cons: Bread was cold - wish it was warmed up. It was extremely loud (like, you couldn't hear what the person across the table was saying). It's a small place and the music wasn't too loud, so there's something about the physical space that bounces the sound around. The space was in need of some attention (there were big unpainted patches on the walls and ceilings). It could use a coat of paint and a little TLC. Took awhile for the bread and first courses to come out. Would we go back? For sure. read more

The rigatoni bolognese wasn't good. The pasta was way al dente and didn't taste homemade. I couldn't find a piece of meat in the sauce. The portion was huge and didn't have that melt in your mouth experience I have had before. The Bronzino was great. The Lemon cake was good by very dry but the whipped cream helped that a bit. Service was awesome. Just didn't have the wow factor with the pasta that I remember. read more

My friends and I selected the 3 course experience, and were pretty satisfied with everything. I would say that everything that I have tried were in between great and excellent, and even if nothing was exceedingly spectacular, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a pleasant Italian food experience! The peach panzanella and the roasted beets were both pretty good, with the beets having enough whipped ricotta and vinaigrette to remove the beets' earthy flavor. I had the rigatoni bolognese for primi, and the pasta was very al dente, which was a plus! The sauce was a bit soupy, and sometimes it was a bit difficult to get the sauce on the rigatoni, but in terms of taste, it definitely had a good amount of flavor. Out of all the primi we have had, mine had the largest portion, and I was a bit surprised at the portion size for the potato gnocchi and the squid ink lumache. The roasted beets also had a very small size, which surprised me as well. In terms of dessert, my friend thought the honey rosemary panna cotta was too sweet, while I thought the tiramisu had a very strong espresso flavor and the ladyfinger at the bottom was a bit too wet. But the mascarpone ratio was good and it still tasted good enough. Service and atmosphere were both great! Our waiter was very attentive to our needs, and made a conscious effort to ensure our orders were correct. The place also had good decor and a good vibe for dates for those that are interested! read more

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We added a reservation easily on a Friday night so we were seated immediately. The space is cozy and somewhat close quarter but it was fun to look out their big windows and people watch. It was a little drafty so I'd recommend a shawl or light jacket. Note, this place is BYOB. We ordered the 4 course meal. I had the Roast Pork Belly, the Ricotta Cavatelli, Grilled Salmon, and Rosemary Blueberry Panna Cotta. The food was excellent: - The roast pork belly was delicious with a nice crunch. - The cavatelli had a nice lemon-y flavor with lots of broccoli rabe. It was tasty. - The grilled salmon was perfectly cooked, soft and moist in the middle, and went well with the sauce and capers. - The panna cotta had a very strong rosemary taste which was not necessarily my preference. All the hot food was incredible and flavorful and I was absolutely stuffed by the end of the meal. It's a great choice for a fancier night out. read more

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We came by on a Friday night -- made a reservation about 45 minutes before on Resy. The space is elegant and cozy, but it can get a little loud when it starts to fill up, making it a little hard to keep a conversation going. The food was amazing -- we chose the 4-plate option and were completely full by the end. To start off, they gave us delicious rosemary focaccia bread with olive oil drizzled on top -- very nice. Butternut Squash Soup - So rich and flavorful. This dish was a huge hit for me, and I'm usually not a big fan of soup. The walnuts were a nice twist too, adding a bit of sweetness and crunch to the puree, Saffron Rotolo - Really enjoyed this one as well. The ricotta was wrapped tightly atop the chunky tomato sauce. I think the chunks of tomato added a more impactful tomato taste than just a puree. Eaten together, the ricotta and tomato sauce were delicious. Pork Shank - First off, this looks a little small in the picture, but this is actually quite a lot of meat after having two dishes beforehand. The pork completely fell off of the bone and paired perfectly with the polenta and gravy. Everything was wonderful with this dish. The apple slices were fun and gave a bit of diversity of flavor as well. Lemon Olive Oil Cake - I really loved this cake. Simple and effective. It's a bit dense, which actually works well with the big dollop of whipped cream on top. A moderately sweet cake, nicely plated. A nice end to the meal. read more

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Three people on a Friday night. Restaurant was full but service was still attentive. We all had the 4 course menu, it was definitely a hearty meal but not overwhelming. The braised pork and the butternut squash soup were excellent, and the gnocchi was very good as well. Really enjoyed our meal. Only downside was it was quite cold outside and although the restaurant was nice and warm there was a draft when the door opened. I don't love the credit card surcharge (actually I hate it) but it is at least posted clearly on the menu. read more

Beef Tartare, Romaine Salad, Rigatoni Bolognese, Squid Ink Lumache Frutti di Mare, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, White Corn Panna Cotta Oh. Mygod. This is unbelievable. Such a cute italian place, very cozy interior. We both opted for the 3 course menu rather than the 4 course since we weren't terribly hungry. Every dish was exquisite. The tartare was so good, the salad perfectly dressed. The bread was amazing (I kept eating it with the tartare). Then the pasta!! Hand made in house, the best al dente pasta with the perfect sauces. The lemon olive oil cake was tasty, but the Panna Cotta definitely was the star, and I'm not a Panna Cotta fan generally. So light and milky and perfect. Servers were so friendly and efficient. Portion sizes not too heavy but definitely filling. We will definitely be back!!! read more

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We started with the pork belly and beef tartare as appetizers, and the portions were more than generous--perfectly suited for three people. Both dishes were quite delicious and well-prepared. For our mains, we opted for the Bolognese with whipped ricotta and the Fritti di Mare. Although the pasta in the Fritti di Mare was slightly undercooked, I actually enjoyed the dishes overall. They had a pleasant touch of spice and rich, flavorful broths that paired well with the sauces. To finish, we tried the tiramisu and panna cotta. While the panna cotta was a bit too sweet for our taste, the tiramisu was truly a highlight--authentic and infused with just the right hint of espresso. A delightful end to the meal! read more

A Mano - Roasted Braised Pork Belly Beef tartare - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I was surprised to find that A Mano was so good. A few friends came here and didn't like the service much but I thought it was fantastic. I will definitely be returning for the food!! read more

We were very excited to try A Mano. Found BYOB appealing. Priz Fixe menu- we chose the Abbondaza 4 Choice & added the Antipasti Board - great choice. It was bountiful and beautifully presented - Excellent! 1st course was the beef tartare & pork belly. Beef tartare was good. Pork belly was chewy. 2nd course the potato gnocchi- good and the squid ink lumache fruite Di marre- good but a little too saucy. Entrees were Chicken Milanese - solid choice and the Salmon - also good. As a side we had the Spicy Charred Broccoli- good choice. We finished with the Lemon Olive Oil Cake which was ok. Servers were nice. Dining room is small & tight. We order too much food and couldn't finish. In hindsight we should have ordered the 3 course option instead. We had an enjoyable meal . read more

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This was a perfect spot for a mid week celebration. The courses and portions were great, and they were super accommodating to nut allergies. We got the 4 courses, but honestly could have probably went with 3 and have been satisfied. What is absolutely fantastic about this is that one person can get 3 courses, while the other can get 4. The fact that it's a BYO makes it a place you'd keep going back to for a great meal that isn't outrageous In price. read more

Mano a Mano means direct competition/conflict and I definitely feel conflicted about this restaurant. Firstly, the interior was quaint and they had some outdoor seating. The kitchen is visible in the dining area and I think was meant to give a "cooking in front of you" feel which sort of missed the mark. The restaurant wasn't super busy when we went, but the tables were close together. I could imagine it would get very loud if it were more full. The service was good and the food came out at a reasonable pace. Secondly, my biggest pain point would be the price vs food quality and amount. I thought the prices were a bit steep, which makes sense since it's a BYO place and most likely are trying to balance out the loss of drink revenue. However, that being said based on the servers description I expected slightly larger portions. The kale salad starter was quite small. The pasta and dessert were ok portions. I did enjoy the homemade focaccia! Overall, I am happy I stopped in but won't be writing home about this one. read more

Beautiful room! I forget what you call it, but the' pig's belly was delicious, the gnocchi not so much. The olive oil cake was less impressive than the whipping on top. The service was perfect. read more

Probably the worst pasta Bolognese I've ever had... It was dry. I asked for more sauce and they wouldn't give it to me. We will never never return to that restaurant for dinner. By the way, the service was terrible as server canceled part of order and was very abrasive to customers. Overpriced underserved and can't believe they're still in business. read more

Total disappointment. We were a party of 4, some of us had pasta that was completely underwhelming with too much sauce and no other flavor to it. I had beef tartar that was incredibly salty and hard to eat, and I also had branzino which was even saltier if possible! I left 3/4 of the dish there and mentioned to the waiter how salty the dish was. The server did not respond, she just acknowledged that it was unfortunate. For a BYOB and 4 of us, paying $160 per couple for a 3 course meal of $48 would possibly be acceptable if the food was at all decent. Alas, it was not. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. To top off the already regrettable evening, I ordered a panna cotta to go for my daughter. I asked for the fruit and the custard portion to be separated and the picture below is what I found when I got home. Our server also told us it would travel well, which was obviously not the case. Sad to say that this restaurant does not live up to the expectations. We will most certainly not be returning. read more

A Mano - Panna cotta - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Food was just ok, the only good dish was the appetizer. The pasta was almost too salty to eat and the branzino was luke warm and sub par. Dessert was flavorless and in total meal was definitely not worth the price. Server was mildly impatient. Save your money. read more

I ordered the 4-course option. My choices were: Liver Mousse, Malafaldine Bolognese, Pork Shank, and Tiramisu. I found the level of execution to range from excellent (Liver Mousse) to disappointing (Pork Shank and Tiramisu). The mousse was smooth, and nicely balanced with sweet, chewy accoutrements. Quite high level of attention to this plate's composition. The mafaldine was a good plate of pasta. And was generous in portion. The pasta was of nice chewiness, thickness, and body. The Bolognese tasted like any other Bolognese. It "did what it does well." The final two courses were no-go's. The pork shank is just a big piece of overcooked pork. It's not clear what the chef's intention was for the dish. Not only was it unwieldy on the plate, it was not evenly cooked. And many parts were tough and dry. The tiramisu has some sort of maple flavoring that I believe made it too sweet for this dessert. The cocoa dusting was too heavy-handed. Overall this spot is fine. There's a cool vibe. And the portions are generous. But the execution and compositional design left a lot to desire. read more

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Love this restaurant! The ambiance is very intimate and relaxing. The food is fresh and the service is wonderful. Did a 4 course recently and will definitely be returning read more

A Mano - Braised Pork Shank - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Review A Mano wins purely by the fact they are BYOB, so it makes the meal incredibly affordable. Also, the 3-course and 4-course tasting menus are $48 and $68 respectively which is so incredibly reasonable, especially for how large the portions in each course. Major downfall - in the winter, their entrance is a killer. We were sat in front of the door, and every time someone came in, all the freezing cold air came in which led to our food being cold half the time. Also, the service was absolutely terrible. There was only one waiter with three bus staff, which was not enough to support all the tables. Our appetizers took forever to come out, and then we had to wait 45 minutes before our main course...Not ideal. But for the food, like I said, the portions were incredibly generous and the dishes themselves absolutely delicious. Antipasti - burrata (fantastic with all the extras on the plate); butternut squash soup (totally get this here); pork belly (this is massive for an app. Not crispy which I would have preferred but still good) Primi - rigatoni bolognese (this is the best we've had in the city. Totally worth coming here just for the dish); *special* tagliatelle lamb ragu (honestly, I ate it and was so confused by the taste because it was THAT gamey. Would NOT recommend) Dolci - Pear compote with sponge (amazing); Chocolate mousse jar (with cherry, not great for the chocolate purest) Contorni - DO NOT BOTHER. #1- you'll have enough food. #2- they were not good. Brussel sprouts were way under cooked and not crispy at all. The "broccolini" was in fact just regular broccoli, which was annoying and not spicy. Will I go back? Probably, the food was amazing. I hope next time the service is better. read more

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We came here for a birthday dinner a few days ago but found the place has no air conditioning and kind of run-down looking. The food was pretty decent and innovative. However, the set price for our group of 6 was very expensive, given the restaurant looked a bit unkempt and the ambience was not great. Probably won't return because of the sticker shock. read more

The hype is real on this place. I have lived in the neighborhood longer than this place has been open and never been. I think the price (and it used to be cash only) deterred me a bit. I finally went last night. I forgot it was prix fixe and 3 courses were 48 and 4 courses were 68. The 3 course included the antipasti, a larger portion of the primi, and dolci (dessert). The four course added the secondi which had some great options such as cioppino, pork shank, and bronzino to name a few. We ordered the 4 courses and added a special as an appetizer, the grilled octopus. I had the burrata as an app, the bolognese as the primi, branzino for the secondi, and tiramisu as the dolci. By the time the branzino came out, I could barely eat anything, I was stuffed. So we boxed up the secondi and dolci. I generally feel that not every experience can be perfect, and certainly tried to keep an open mind for this place. But everything knocked my socks off from beginning to end. My faves were the grilled octopus and the bolognese. The bolognese was a surprise because I'm not really into that but it was the best option for me in that category. It was spicy, fully of meat and ricotta and was just to die for. Gawd, if I could afford it, I would go back ASAP haha. Service was great and being a BYOB helps you to keep your dining bill down. And they accept cards now! Such a great experience. read more

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This may be my new favorite neighborhood restaurant. I always walk by this place and finally made reservations with my two girlfriends who were in town visiting. I can't believe it took me this long to try this place out. I am already planning my next visit here! The food was SO fresh, light and absolutely delicious. I normally feel extremely full after eating Italian because it can be so heavy, but this was the complete opposite. Sizes are perfect for sharing so we ended up ordering a good amount of plates. We had reservations but waited an extra 20min, so the owner gave us a free dessert. Service was phenomenal! Everyone was so attentive, professional and friendly. We ordered the Roasted beets, Panzanella and Honey grilled peaches to start. The beets were so creamy and delicious. My two friends are not beet lovers, but they could not stop eating it. The panzanella was extremely fresh and the perfect summer side dish. House focaccia bread was addicting as well and I wish they gave us more to indulge! We all agreed that the honey grilled peaches stole all of our hearts. Only complaint was we wish it came with a little more prosciutto. It was absolutely amazing and the combo of all flavors was to die for. We then ordered the Lumache and so creamy, fresh with a light sweetness from the corn. Amazing pasta and everything about it was perfect. We also ordered the Chicken Milanese, which was a perfect way to finish dinner. Not heavily breaded, juicy and the peppers tasted amazing with it! We waited some time before ordering dessert and ended up trying all 3 (one being on the house). It was a tie between the Honey panna cotta and Lemon olive oil cake for me. My two friends said tiramisu. All in al great experience and amazing food! read more

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Amazing! Did the family style tasting menu with a party of seven. The servers were attentive and friendly. The kitchen did a great job accommodating dietary restrictions at our table and delivered course after course that was delicious. Can't wait to come back. read more

All around great meal! Visited on a beautiful fall evening and enjoyed outdoor dining. This quaint BYOB has a few warming lamps and are taking COVID precautions. The menu is relatively short and they seem to keep their mainstays over the years, but this means they have mastered each dish. They started with fresh sourdough focaccia and at that point I wanted to say forget the meal, give me a loaf of this. It was so good and I had to restrain myself. Appetizers: Pork Belly and Brussel and Romain Caesar. The pork belly was cooked perfectly with grapefruit to cut the fattiness. The Caesar was just ok, they smartly used lemon to breakdown the raw Brussels, but I could barely taste the Caesar Pastas: Both the Crab Strozzapretti and Bucatini were OUTSTANDING. So good. Entree: Chicken Milanese was simple, but delicious. The chicken was so moist and a good portion. Dessert: Chocolate Panna Cotta and Cotton Cake with gelato were a great finish. No complaints here read more

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Cozy, top notch Italian restaurant! Recently enjoyed dinner for two and we were delighted! The selections on menu are varied and interesting. The pasta was perfectly al dente and dessert was fantastic! My partner ordered mostly vegetarian items and was very happy with how tasty his selections were. Best Italian food in Fairmount area. The wait staff is well trained and knows food! Tired of Pub food in the area? Please check out A Mano for an upscale delicious meal in a relaxed and cozy atmosphere! read more

We were able to make reservations for New Years Eve which was such a nice treat since most big events in the city were cancelled. The staff was very welcoming and seated us about 10 minutes after our reservation time (not bad considering it was very busy!) Our order was taken quickly and the server took care of our wine (no corking fee...bonus!) Our four course meal was up charged to $85pp because of the holiday. It took a while to get each course, however I believe it was because the restaurant was rather busy. The burrata was good, not great. It had a caprese style to it, so maybe my personal preference but I didn't love. The gnocci was good, not great. A little too oily for my preference. My third course was another pasta option which was good but not bursting with flavor. When it came time for dessert, it had been over two hours since we started to eat so we decided to take it home. I got the lemon blueberry oil cake and it was delicious! Overall our experience was good not great. I think the $85pp up charge was a bit of a turnoff, however it was NYE so that is to be expected. The food wasn't amazing but it was still good! Our servers and staff were all wonderful and the ambiance of the restaurant was very cute! Would I go back? Maybe! Just not for an $85 pre fixe meal. read more

We wanted fresh made pasta and delicious sauce. Italian restaurants aren't typically my first choice, but the "summer feeling" evening in June called for pasta. A Mano had mixed reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I wanted to drive from West Philly and I knew parking would be much more available in Fairmount than Center City. In addition, it's good to eat in other neighborhoods in this great city and Fairmount is beautiful. I scored a parking place just steps from the restaurant. I love intimate places with open kitchens and that is A Mano. Bustling kitchen, mood lighting and a spirited dining room. As mentioned in other reviews, their menu is pre fixe and I rather enjoy that. Appetizer, entree and desert all figured out with one price tag. Perfect. We opted for the three course and were stuffed so a hearty appetite would be needed if one were to opt for the four course. Our food was beautiful. The steak tartar was delicious and definitely had a spice level to it. I love this sort of thing, but if heat isn't what you are looking for in this dish, be warned. I ordered the rigatoni bolognese. Delicious! The pork note was throughout the dish and sauce tasted so complex and flavorful. The rosemary honey pane cotta that I chose for my desert was filled with berries a touch of rosemary and was creamy and delicious. I'm not a huge tiramisu fan but the bite that I had from daughter's dish could possibly change my mind. The service was great as our wine was opened, the menu explained and our water glasses were filled. I must add that the warm focaccia bread with butter that was served for our table was a gift! This is a good place. I'm glad we made the trip to Fairmount. (Don't forget your bottle!) read more

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I have been wanting to try A Mano for awhile now and finally did. When I first walked in the restaurant was packed and buzzing with excitement. I entered the front door and was greeted. I said that I had a reservation at 8pm and gave my name. I thought it was a bit odd that the first thing I was told was that they did not have a phone number for me, so they were not able to confirm my reservation, even though I made the reservation through Resy, which has my phone number and email address. We were seated along the wall, which was a bit close to the tables on either side of us. Definitely not 6 ft apart (not sure if that is still a thing?), but we were fine with it. I loved the atmosphere of the restaurant: warm, intimate, and energetic. We decided to go with 2 appetizers: the beets and the burrata with prosciutto. They were both extremely flavorful and delicious! The freshness and flavor of the beets paired with sour cherries was amazing. The burrata was creamy and also so good. You could tell the prosciutto was high quality. I don't always love prosciutto, but I loved this! The pesto was also delicious. I did think the beans were a little raw for my liking. Anyway, at this point of the meal I was sure I would leave a 5 star review. I overheard our server telling the table next to us that many of the ingredients come from a farm in New Jersey. I'm an advocate for sustainable food and for eating local, so this is a plus in my book. I was originally thinking, after the 2 appetizers we would be fine with the smaller portion of pasta and the trout. Try a bit of everything! Our server was pretty persistent in suggesting that we should order the large portion of pasta. I completely understand that servers want to upsell meals, but he was definitely too persistent for my liking and made me feel uncomfortable. After I said we were going to share everything and we would go with the smaller portion, he then asked me what I would like for my entree. I thought it was clear that we were just planning to share everything we ordered. Despite that, I did decide to go with the larger serving of the Lumache pasta. However, I was pretty disappointed. For $30, I was definitely expecting high quality pasta. I thought the flavor of the sauce was very good. It had corn and mushrooms which I thought were very sparse. For that price I would have thought it would have been homemade, however I'm sure that it was not. Finally, when we finished our pasta our server came back and asked if we would like dessert. However, we did not receive the trout yet. After apologizing they brought it out soon after. I thought the sauce was absolutely delicious. The fish was was a bit bland but in combination with the sauce it was very good. The vegetables I think were not cooked enough and seemed almost raw. When our server returned at the end of our meal he asked if we would like dessert. We declined but he proceeded to tell us the desserts anyway. I admit they sounded delicious, but we were full at that point and decided not to indulge. Based on other reviews it looks like most people received focaccia, which appeared to be delicious, however we did not receive any. I really wanted to give A Mano 5 stars, but overall I was left feeling disappointed. read more

A Mano - Trout - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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A great price fixe menu! The pasta is always perfectly Al dente. This is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to in the city! Highly recommend to everyone! read more

A Mano - Rigatoni Bolognese - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We were so excited when we heard A Mano opened back up! It has been on our list for years, and we feared the worst when it shut down during the pandemic - but all early signs show that it has come back better than ever. They have (yet again) a solid menu. It follows an Italian cuisine, but you won't be coming here for "Italian-American" food like chicken parm. While that is a personal favorite dish, I really appreciate restaurants/chefs who pay homage to the motherland's traditional eats. There are just enough options, with dishes suitable for vegetarians, and they have some really creative choices. I had their honey grilled peaches with prosciutto and sesame crackers. This was a perfect summer dish. Light and perfect combination of sweet and salty. This was a dish I would definitely go back for. Their pasta dishes were really delicious. If you are in the Fairmount/Spring Garden/Brewerytown/Kensington neighborhoods, this is probably one of the best upscale & handmade Italian restaurants you can find in the immediate area. They offer a 4 course, family style option for just $65 a person, and it is BYOB - which means you can really indulge in the actual food! Would definitely recommend checking this spot out. read more

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It's definitely more on the higher end side and is pricer. However, I had some really good food here and would love to be back more often but tend to miss it like when I wanted to eat on a Monday and they were not open. Highly recommend dining here. read more

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Went and had the 3 course tasting menu, if you get the 3- you get the appetizer, pasta and dessert- the peach salad was very good, the gazpacho was listed on line with crab meat but was plain when we got there, the squid ink pasta was ok, and the swordfish was very good- panda cotta was the best dessert. The service was good, ambience was a little too loud. I may go again, but will call and confirm menu before making a reservation... read more

I went to A Mano recently and was excited to try it out as it's been highly rated in Philly magazines. We both did the 4 course menu. We both started with the beef tartare (delicious and loved the addition of the chips!) For the primi my mom had the rigatoni and I had the saffron rolato (?). My dish was great, a little small but flavorful. My moms rigatoni was honestly kind of undercooked in a weird way I wasn't a huge fan. For our secondi I got the branzino and I didn't love it. The tomato sauce overpowered the taste and lightness of the fish. And this could've been because of the dishes I ordered but both the pasta and the fish being heavily tomato sauce based wasn't my favorite aspect, I was hoping for more depth with the flavors. My moms swordfish was great though I wish I had gotten that instead. Dessert was lovely, olive oil cake and tiramisu. Service was great, no complaints there. Ambiance was nice, it felt fancy enough. I just wish my primi and secondi dishes were better beef tartare had me excited but then the rest disappointed me. read more

We had the pleasure of dining at A Mano yesterday for a dinner with friends. We were honestly blown away by the quality of the food and the service! Our server greeted us warmly and explained the menu to us. We appreciated that while he let us know about the tasting menu, he did not push it on us when we decided to just order family style for the table. We really appreciated the BYO feature - they even brought out an ice bucket to keep some of our drinks cold! Now, on to the food. It was amazing! For starters, we tried the antipasti board, panzanella, roasted beets, and burrata with peaches. It was obvious that the restaurant prides itself on using seasonal produce - the tomatoes were ripe and juicy, the bread was crusty and delicious, and the burrata was just creamy deliciousness. All of the flavors were harmonious and blended together perfectly. The antipasti board has a nice array of meats, cheeses, and pickled vegetables, and each bite had something new to offer. The restaurant was super accommodating with certain restrictions, which we were grateful for. For the mains, we chose the small portions of the pasta - we tried the Lumache, the Gnocchi, and the Malfadine. Each gnocchi morsel was pillowy, accompanied perfectly by the toothsome pesto. The Lumache was the star of the show - plump elbow macaroni with fresh corn and mushrooms. Our plates were scraped clean! The pork ragu was probably our least favorite, but only because everything else was so good! We tried all three desserts (feeling bougie). The honey panna cotta stole the show. Lucious, creamy, with delectable summer peaches. Definitely a must order. Come to A Mano if you're looking for a fantastic meal, warm service, and a romantic ambiance. We will definitely be back! read more

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A lovely byob with great food and a cute, bustling little neighborhood atmosphere. The primi outshines the secondi so opt for that option.

A Mano gets an A plus from me. Every year for Christmas I get my mom a gift certificate for a BYOB I haven't been to yet and pray that she ends up liking it. So far I've never let her down. I was able to buy the gift certificate online and print it from my computer and make a reservation on opentable. It was pretty empty when we got there at 645 on a cold Tuesday but it was busy by the time we left. Service was wonderful! Waiter was very attentive and informative and when we couldn't decide what to order and told him to surprise us between 2 pastas- he sent out both! The food was delicious! Highly recommend the veal tartare, leek ravioli, sweet potato gnocchi, duck, and skate wing. Everything was cooked perfectly. That was enough food for 2 of us (and we probably didn't need the 2nd pasta, so I don't know that the set menu would be worth it for me, unless I was looking for leftovers). We sadly didn't have room for dessert either. One note for the entrees is that the main event is really the meat or fish, with the veggies as more of an afterthought, so if you were looking for more veggies I'd recommend getting a side. It was a bit pricey (maybe $50 a person with tax and tip) but my mom is worth it. Great spot for a date with your bf, girlfriends, mom, or even a high rolling tinder! read more

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This is such a sad review to write because this place had such a special place in my heart for many many years. My wife and I used to go at least once a month pre-pandemic. The food was great. The prices were reasonable. And the vibes were really professional but not uptight. Sadly, after the pandemic all of the things that made this place feel homey and charming are gone. The staff lost all of their personality and professionalism. The food has really taken a plunge off the cliff in terms of taste and quality. And now with the 3 course pricing on the weekends the prices are astronomical for the quality and quantity that you are getting. We used to be able to have a great simple dinner two for under $100. Now that they force the prefixed menu down our throat we spent $150 on items we didn't even want. I always give places the benefit of the doubt because "maybe they just had a weird/rough night" but after the second visit with an extremely lackluster experience I don't think I'll be coming back. read more

A Mano, a place with rave reviews, was one of the few options nearby to us late in the night on a Friday. Fortunately for us, the food is very good. The appetizer, focaccia bread with strachiatella cheese is priced at $6, which made it a tempting proposition regardless of its size. And, it was satisfying. We ordered two entrees that took absolutely forever to come -- something on the order of 35-40 minutes. The manager took note of that, apologized profusely which makes up for it mostly, and took the focaccia off of the bill, which was a nice gesture. She also promised to take good care of us next time we check in. The pasta with pork ragu (double portion) was very good, in spite of me not being a pork fan. Certainly of the better pastas we've had recently! As for the pan seared branzino, the garnishing makes the dish feel refreshing. However, we both did find it to be saltier than we'd have liked. Because of the delay, we didn't order any desserts, which is a bit of shame. read more

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