Just finished my meal here. Good food! Linguine - good. Asparagus not great. Salad good. read more

Bellini - Linguine al Ragu ti Astiche - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jimmy, the owner, has built this place into a beautiful Italian restaurant. It's very comfortable and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable of the menu items. I really like that if you want something off menu they tell you up front that they are more than willing to accommodate you to the best of their ability. We ordered garlic bread, which wasn't on the menu, and it was very very tasty and they were quick and courteous about it. I had the smoked chicken tortelloni, not only did it taste great but it was filling and I went away with half of it for lunch the next day. The portions aren't huge but the food was hearty. My dad had the fettuccine bolognese, I've had that dish in Florence Italy, and Bellinis was better, by far. Hard to believe, I know, but you'd have to try it for yourself. This place could definitely be romantic if you're looking for a good, reasonably priced date spot in center city. There is also room for large parties if you're looking for a place to go out with a group. Many places have been open in the same spot as Bellini in the past, but Jimmy has created a restaurant that has stuck around for over a decade and will not be going anywhere any time soon. If you want dessert, order the profiterole. read more

Bellini - I hear the profiterole are delicious - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Really cute place and the service was good, our waiter was very nice. Unfortunately, my pasta was very aldente it felt like it was barley cooked. My whole tables was actually barley cooked. The drinks were good though. read more

I came here back in 2015 and had an amazing experience, so I was excited to come back and bring my boyfriend for our anniversary. Unfortunately, we had a disappointing experience. We were greeted by a very friendly host when we walked in and were able to choose our table. After that, things went downhill. Our server was rushing us from the beginning, even though the restaurant was only half full. He came back so often asking if we were ready to order yet, I started timing it. He came back to us every 2 minutes, even though we kept saying we needed more time. At this point we had only been seated for 15 minutes. We rarely go out to eat and just wanted time to chat and enjoy a meal without feeling rushed. My boyfriend ordered the caprese salad and I ordered the ricotta gnocchi for apps - both tasted incredible. For entrees, I got the lobster linguine which was also amazing, and my boyfriend ordered the seafood risotto. The risotto was filled with crushed bits of shell, and he spent most of his meal spitting out pieces of shell until he just decided to stop eating. He (very reluctantly) mentioned something to our server, who just said "oh, sorry". We're not ones to make a big deal out of these things, and we were hoping maybe he would comp our bill since the meal was essentially inedible. Nope - got a bill for the full cost. We just made the decision to pay and leave but will never be returning, which is a shame. read more

I really enjoyed this place! Both the food and the team that works here are fantastic! The owners are very welcoming and I tried all their recommendations, so glad I did. If you're in the area and are thinking Italian then totally check this place out! read more

I'm not sure why this restaurant has so many negative reviews here. First time here with my friends and we all enjoyed our experience immensely. Our server Mike was friendly and attentive and was happy to suggest adjustments to the menu options that catered to our group's preferences. Would 100% come back! read more

Food: Menu states that pasta is homemade daily. That is not true as both our dishes were clearly boxed pasta. It takes a very elementary skill to tell the difference. Drinks: Bourbon breeze was solid but the aperol spritz was extremely watery. A near by table had to send their dishes back for being cold. All in all we spent around $100 on 2 drinks and 2 pasta dishes + tip and we left to a nearby bar for some appetIzers cause the portions were so small we were still hungry. Truth is, there is numerous places in just a 2-3 block radius that surpass bellini in price, taste, quality of food , serving size and overall vibe. Would only recommend if everything else is fully booked. read more

Recently decided to dine at Bellini after our friends recommended we try it out. We started off with the Gnocchi Ricotta which was a fresh take on traditional gnocchi and was masterfully done. Loved the truffle sauce. Next dish was the Agnolotti Con Melanzane. Those little moon shaped raviolis had so much flavor. I wasn't sure I would like this dish as I much more of a meat ravioli guy but it hit the spot. Main course I had the Vitello alla Saltimbocca and my date had the Bronzino. Veal was tender and the sauce was almost as good as the truffle sauce from the 1st dish. Bronzino was flaky and melt in your mouth and my date definitely enjoyed all the food we shared. Server was polite and knowledgeable about the menu as we made minor changes. Highly recommend coming here for a date, but also as a mid-week refreshing meal. read more

We had a wonderful dinner at Bellini. Even though it was Restaurant Week, the menu offered great choices of high end options. Some of the best risotto I've ever had, and an outstanding Dover Sole. Absolutely fabulous services by friendly and attentive servers. A great place for date nite, a group, or a pre-theater dinner. read more

My girlfriend and I stopped in here during CC Sips, and I left pretty disappointed that I had wasted my second to last Sips of 2017 at this place. Although the restaurant is very pretty, the food and drinks really fell flat. I walked in at about 5:45 pm on a Wednesday to a completely empty house (CC Sips goes from 5-7 pm). Sips does a pretty solid job of bringing people into restaurants/bars, so being the only person there almost half way through was a bit of a red flag. My friend was on her way there though, so I stayed. The second red flag took place when I was talking to the bartender. Although he was nice and friendly, when I asked him which of their wines he would recommend, his direct response was, "I wouldn't recommend any of their wines". Yikes. Not something you would expect a restaurant employee to say. I then asked him which of the cocktails he would recommend, to which he forcibly suggested one out of list of four. His answer was not at all convincing, so I opted against it and just played it safe with a Bellini (you can't really go wrong with peach purée and prosecco). For food, we both shared the Bruscetta and Mozzarella alla Caprese. The bruschetta came two to an order, and the Caprese came four to an order. Both were mediocre, at best. I've recently been on a huge caprese kick, and I couldn't help but think my homemade version tastes better (and trust me, that's saying a lot)! Sadly, I don't see myself returning here after my first experience. I guess I didn't give it too much of a chance since I didn't have a full meal, but if the small plates I tried are of any indication for their entrees, I'll pass. read more

Bellini - Bruschetta - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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We love Bellini! The service here is unbeatable, the staff takes the time to make you feel comfortable and wanted there. The space is beautiful and both owners are typically on-site, so you know you are getting intimate and friendly treatment from a family-owned business. Their meat is sourced from a local butcher and even as a vegetarian, I had plenty of options. We ordered a bottle of Tre Leoni which was smooth and lovely. The staff also took the time to tell us about upcoming specials! read more

I was so happy to return to my favorite Philly restaurant. I've been coming here since they opened and have never been disappointed either by the food or the service. Although I missed seeing Jimmy, It was great to see Chris and other familiar faces holding down the fort in spectacular fashion. Thanks for another wonderful meal. We'll be seeing you again soon! Mary Ann read more

Do not go to this italian restaurant. we waited 40 minutes for our reservation and then was sat outside in the cold.the owner was rude and the server was awful. our food was ice cold and the portions were the smallest, ever.i had a fish entree that was maybe 2 ounces of fish.my wife had a seafood pasta with no seafood. we sent our drinks back twice .the bartender could not make a martini.we ordered a glass of wine which was 3 ounces. the food tasted like a frozen dinner, no pun intended..almost forgot our appetizer was 5 small gnocchi pieces in sour cream..our bill almost 300. DO NOT GO TO THIS RESTAURANT read more

Went for restaurant week. Waitress had an attitude from the beginning. Asked for bread never brought it , asked again dirty look. Other staff good. Brought husband wrong dish and had the audacity to argue. Most importantly, restaurant week website had dessert but she said no. I told her that was the reason we went. I think they did it to make more money. Honestly, it should have been honored. Very dissatisfied and disappointed that we had to spend extra money ( not much, but it's the principle of it Plus all the sides were extra. What a waste. Never would have gone there if I had known . Bread was stale and they brought one little piece and that's it. No butter or oil with spices. Awful!! Do not recommend UPDATE Bellini manager said he had already contacted restaurant week to takeoff the desserts. Center City district this morning advised us they just received an email at 10:15 PM last night from Bellini that advice to takeoff dessert. So Balenie lied. Never go there ever ever read more

I have eaten here twice over the past six years and both times service and food was outstanding! I highly recommend, Tonight three of us ate and all of our meals were spectacular.Our service was attentive! We really enjoyed the atmosphere, food and service! read more

Excellent food and service and lay out, very good Italian wines list, highly recommended restaurant

Great place for a casual lunch. Bellini Grill has a $20 deal that includes soup or salad and entree plus dessert. I can recommend the artisan salad and asparagus soup as a starter. The spinach fettuccine is also an excellent choice. All the seafood is fresh... never frozen. The seared Ahi Tuna is my favorite. For dessert, try the cheesecake. Tables are adequately spaced so as not to feel crowded. The restaurant is nicely appointed with a lovely ceiling in Sistine Chapel style. The wait staff is a attentive. read more

I came here with a large group and the service was very slow. We came during restaurant week so we got several courses to our meal and it took forever for them to come out. We had a reservation and while it was busy, it was not overly busy on a weeknight. We had to wait over 2 hours for our actual entrees to come out. By then it was almost 9:30pm and I was over it after waiting for so long. The food itself is very average and it didn't seem like anything special. I probably won't be back here, as there are many other restaurants around the city that I would rather try. read more

Not sure how this place only has a 3 star average (a lot of negative reviews seem to be from Restaurant Week...?) but we had a delicious meal there and excellent service. To start we had a calimari special and Caesar salad. My boyfriend has Pollo San Marco which was flavorful and perfectly cooked. I had the Casarecci al Ragu di Pollo and it was *chefs kiss*. I'll be thinking about that dish for a while. Dessert was great too. FYI they have a full bar now so there is a $20 corking fee if you BYOB. It's right in Center City so would be good before a show at the Kimmel or something. Go to Bellini for a delicious Italian meal in a beautiful setting! Go! read more

First time in Philly and this restaurant was recommended to us. They make their own pasta which is always a plus. The Caesar salad might be one of the best I've ever had. I did not care for the pork medallions I ordered and I must say the server and the manager bent over backwards to do everything they could to make it right. Everything else was stellar -- the veal saltambucca, the angel hair pasta with oil and garlic and the desserts -- omg. Tiramisu was rich yet light and the manager gifted me with a chocolate mousse-type dessert I can't even describe except it made me want to move to Philly. Based on the food and the dedication/caring of the staff, we will definitely return as well as recommend this excellent restaurant to others. read more

We are in Philadelphia for the weekend from Chicago and i have to say I was impressed with this restaurant. I'm always nervous to bring my 2 year old to any restaurant nicer than chili's but I didn't have to be here. The staff was amazingly attentive and so good with her. They played with her and were constantly entertaining her. It was so nice to see that instead of being judged for bringing a toddler to a nice restaurant. 5 stars for the staff. Food was good too, 4 stars. I had the pollo si marzo and it was presented beautifully. Big kudos to the wait staff. read more

The moral of the story is never let your cell phone run out of juice. Because then you don't respond to a confirmation request and then this restaurant cancels your reservation on a Saturday night. But what really stands out about Bellini is how crappy the maitre d treated us when we showed up not knowing we'd been cancelled. On the good side, it made my wife so angry that she didn't blame me for not confirming. Making all this funnier, we chose this restaurant, even with the many reviews here panning its service, because it was the only place that still had room for us on a Saturday night in Philly. Ah well, we ended up having a great meal at aka Kitchen down the block. read more

old school italian place w excellent service, decent food (not out of the world or phenonomenal but still finds a way to be yummy and different), but the vibes are not there. Def for an older crowd, inside smells like smoke and it just feels...old, outdated. they have outdoor seating which theyve dressed up with fake plants but the tables (with white cloth) are like lawn tables. so it's like do you want to be fancy or no? They do serve complimentary bread w olive oil after you've ordered very accomodating staff - made vegetarian dishes off the menu, customizable. $5 cake cutting fee per person: we brought our own stuff so we didnt have to pay! read more

This place was terrible. Came here during restaurant week since we've always wanted to try it.. well raviolis were cooked way to long the shell was too hard. Gnocchis were undercooked the flour was still raw. Salmon and chicken were next dish. Salmon was over cooked, my husband could not eat the dish since he couldn't cut into it. My chicken was squishy and raw in the middle. Our reservation was at 6 and we were out by 645 since they rushed every course. Also not one employee was wearing a mask and they didn't ask anyone for a vax card. I would not recommend this place to anyone unless you want to get rushed and feel sick all night. Spend your money somewhere else! read more

Apps were incredible! Odd experience however overall. The waiter could not find a spot to place the bruschetta app on the table so he took someone's knife off the table and pushed it sloppily onto each of our plates saying "this will be easier." rang up the wrong drink and said "i rang up the wrong one but this one is better than what you got" and left me with it. i ordered the Fusilli Puttanesca di Mare and it tasted like i was licking the bottom of the ocean. overall: apps 10/10, experience: weird/10, food: 0/10 for me but the veal and chicken parm were solid 10s. would go back for the chicken, but stay away from the seafood!! read more

Espresso Martini, Seared mozzarella and tomato salad, tortelloni affumicati, caramel gelato. All superb! Very polished, courteous, and friendly staff, too. Will look forward to coming back! read more

Our go-to Italian place in Center City, with great dishes, attentive waitstaff and management, cozy ambiance and a stunning ceiling fresco worthy of an old master. Special treat: Generous wine-by-the-glass pours done with theatrical flare. Bravo to new (June 2021) owners for creating a memorable dining experience. read more

There was an entire fake fasad put on at the front door made me think it was going to me more of a fight class compassionate service but it was anything but read more

It was a packed house. This past Friday, my whole work department and I went to Bellini Grill to celebrate our beloved director's 80th birthday. In total, we were 13 people, 9 bottles of wine and few beer cans here and there. Bellini Grill is my director's favorite restaurant. We started planning something special, more than two months in advance, for her milestone birthday. During our planning process, and since we were a big group, we called Bellini Grill like a zillion times, to make sure we've covered all the bases before we got there. We opted for the 3-Course Tasting menu: 1st Course-Insalate (Salads), 2nd Course-Antipasti (Appetizers), 3rd Course-Secondi Piatti (Main Course). As it was a milestone celebration, we wanted to bring a cake, but there was a cake cutting fee $4 per person. Are you kidding me? NO-NO. So we decided to be creative and create our own tasting menu. We were able to choose between the Insalate and Antipasti as our 1st course, Piatti for our 2nd/ Main course, and 3rd course dessert. Did I mention it is a byob, with no corkage fee?! For $35 , the 12 of us, enjoyed a good meal, with a great service in a lively atmosphere. Our Director was able to choose from the regular menu, which to my knowledge was not so different from the tasting menu, just few more items. For a taste that really stack up, you can't beat the delicious fresh Insalata di Cesare, Linguine con Gamberetti, Salmone alla Griglia, Fusilli all 'Amatriciana, sweet treats, a killer creme brulee and much, much more. With a menu like this, you can't go wrong. P.S: - If I went there solo, on a date or with smaller group I wouldn't have given it more than 3 stars. However, because they handled our semi-big party very well. Also, everyone in my party loved and enjoyed their food. My Insalata di Cesare was good, but Tagliata di Manzo ( NY strip ) wasn't cooked to my preference, dry and chewy. The creme brûlée was an absolute delight. - This restaurants is great for groups as well as dates. Three and half Yelps. read more

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If I'm being honest, I think this place deserves two stars. Historically this has been a BYOB but not anymore. I'm giving it 3 stars because the staff was so friendly. The pasta I got wasn't great. My friend got chicken with scallops and didn't even eat the scallops. The bread they bring out is crumbly dry and flavorless. The balsamic dipping sauce tastes like burnt oranges. It was one of those places you feel bad telling the waiter that the meal isn't good. Entrees more on the expensive side. Please don't charge me 30$ for a bowl of bland pasta. Portions are small. The place feels a little outdated on the inside but does have some pretty art. We went during peak dinner hours and the place only had 2 other tables with people so my guess is that others have had similar experiences. read more

I don't normally write extensive reviews, but I want to share MY experience. Upon entering 10 minutes late (our fault), make sure you factor in parking for the downtown area, we were greeted by a not so welcoming male host. He didn't greet us or say hello. I initiated the conversation (no big deal..at first). I said we had a reservation for X time. He said "well you guys are late so I'm not sure if we can seat you" and my confusion came where we have a 20 minute grace period and we are walking into an empty restaurant. To my surprise it remained empty for almost an hour into our meal. Next, we went during restaurant week and whole restaurant week menu is always nice the opportunity to see the actual menu would've been nice, but the host did not give us both menus. Just assumed we only wanted the restaurant week menu. He offered the other older Caucasian parties both menus. I watched him turn away a brown young lady because they were "booked" as I sat in an empty restaurant along with me watching them seat a large party hours before their actual reservation. I couldn't tell you if the male host had an issue with women, people of color or young people. But he was the furthest thing from welcoming to those groups of people. I didn't enjoy the food much mainly because I was limited to just a restaurant week menu and by this point I didn't want to ask for anything. I wanted my experience to be as short as possible. The waitress was the nicest part of my experience. She was the sweetest and most helpful. If all the wait staff was like her then that is the saving grace of this establishment because the host was not. read more

I fine Italian meal during Restaurant Week! The wife and I stopped by last night. We were a few minutes early with Open Table reservations. We were greeted warmly by the owner and seated immediately. That set the stage for the service for the evening which was exceptional. At our request our wine was opened immediately. Water was on the table quickly and refreshed frequently throughout the evening. Our waiter (Tani) was efficient and pleasant. Every person that "touched us" throughout the evening was warm and friendly. I began my four course RW meal with a classic Caesar salad. Traditional Caesar dressing always contains a little lemon juice. This dressing had a touch more than most and gave it a little extra zip. I loved it! Next was Bruschetta. When I took my first bite the bread was still warm from the grill. The toppings were fresh and plentiful. Certainly not unique but very nice. My entrée was Involtone Di Manzo (Beef tenderloins rolled around thinly sliced prosciutto, mozzarella & spinach in a mushroom sauce). Wow, this was very very good. It was served with a few grilled vegetables and I tasted a little touch of that smokiness from the grill marks with every bite. Desert was classic Profiteroles with warm chocolate sauce. This completed an excellent meal. The wife had four completely different courses and was delighted with each one. Bellini Grill was a real pleasure for us! read more

READ YOUR BILL CAREFULLY BEFORE SIGNING! We had a party of 3 stop in for a quick bite before leaving the city yesterday. The food was decent and our server was friendly. The total bill was $56. $40 cash was put towards the bill and I asked our server to put the remainder on my card. Well, my card was charged $32 and change, as the server added a 30% tip to the charge - before I signed. Unfortunately, we had to leave in a hurry so I didn't make an issue of this. Never have I experienced a server tip themselves with a party of 3. This felt like a sneaky practice, as we had all had a few cocktails before arriving, my assumption is the server thought he could pull one over on us....and he did. We will not be back. 30% tip? The food and service weren't that great. If you do dine here, please review your bill carefully. read more

Let me start with my long list of negatives first: They are located in Philadelphia and not closer to where I live in Buffalo. I'm very disappointed I won't be able to easily come back. This was one of the most pleasant and delicious dining experiences I can remember in recent memory. I went with a large group (13 of us) and they were super accommodating. Every part of the meal was better than the last. Everything was freshly made and I didn't hear a single complaint from anyone in my group (which has never happened before). Personally I had the Bruschetta as an app, the Zuppa con Pesce Del Giorno as my entree, and Spumoni for dessert. I would order them all again. The mixed drinks were a little on the pricier side, which would be my only actual minor complaint about the restaurant, but everything was priced reasonably well. read more

A centrally located BYOB restaurant near Rittenhouse, Bellini is just yet another Italian restaurant. I wish so much that I can find an Italian place in Philly with just a bit of an extra spark, but so far... nothing. The place seemed better suited for an older crowd, and my group of rowdy MBA students seemed a bit out of place. This place would be great for a date or a celebratory dinner though. There was nothing especially memorable about the dinner. The bill was over $35 per person, including a main for each person and a few shared appetizers. This is a bit more than what I would have expected to pay for mediocre food. read more

Most people that complain about the service are here at restaurant week. I generally avoid that week like the plague because no restaurant in this city can handle that week. Service was great. Food selection was interesting and much more vast then other Italian places. The food was above average, especially the starters. The bathroom is almost disgusting. I would hold it in if you can. read more

Bellini has your everyday, average Italian-style food that is catered to a modern crowd for BYO celebrations or just a casual dinner. On my Friday night visit, we were refused our reservation until our entire party arrived---this is a tip to be on time and being stuck in traffic is not an excuse as I learned! The atmosphere: most of the seats are squished together so every once in awhile I had my chair jolted, shifted or shimmied. Luckily, I didn't stab myself with my fork or anyone else for that matter. Best seats may be outside or window seating. The inside is nicely painted but if you do visit Bellini check out the creepy-looking baby on the ceiling. It was a conversation piece for a hot second at my table. While we were waiting, bread with plain oil was served. The food was nothing to rave or complain about. I had a chicken with mushrooms off of a common modern-Italian style menu. My gal pals had similar dishes and all seemed to be okay with their food. Service was pretty good considering it was a packed house and it did come out fast. read more

Went for my birthday last year. The godiva martini was the highlight, the food though... I can make something better at home.

Me, wifey and mom in law decided on Bellini Grill for restaurant week. The best part: the ambiance. The ceiling is a complete painting of lumpy angel babies which is somehow romantic and relaxing. It's extremely intimate with tables that boxed in some customers so you get a booty in your face as someone is getting up. The not so best part: the food. Based off of the restaurant week menu everything was ok but something had to be off. Chicken parm was good....spaghetti wasn't chewable. Crab ravioli got the potential...gross green pea sauce alllll over my ravioli. The service wasn't horrible nor was the drinks. BUT I want to bust a grub at a restaurant so probably won't be going back. read more

This place is amazing! Every single thing I had was truly phenomenal. I highly recommend the ravioli! Every part of the night was enjoyable, and the service was great. Nothing is better than a place with not only good food but also good drinks and a good environment. I highly highly highly recommend this place! read more

Bellini - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania