Friendly, small and authentic Italian spot with honest service. For those with gluten sensitivities or allergies, you can feel safe. The owners have a family member with Celiac and Crohn's and know what it's like to struggle with food restrictions. Call ahead to ensure they have gluten free pasta available for you. If you can stop yourself consuming the housemade bread, save room for the penne alla vodka. read more

A couple going into the restaurant stopped us as we made our way to the car. "What did you think?" they asked. I hesitated. "Well.... I thought it was very average; likely a one-shot deal for us. BUT, the restaurant appears to be popular, so you may think it's great." I hate assessing Core de Roma as less than wonderful. The owner is so gracious and wants everyone to be happy. But the reality is, with so many Italian restaurants in and around Philadelphia, you've got to be on top of your game. They start you off with warm Italian bread and a plate of tasty cannelloni beans in olive oil. We ordered calamari as an appetizer, described as being served on a "bed of greens." Had we known the "bed" was two meager leaves of lettuce, we would have ordered a salad as well. The calamari should be crisper and include tentacles in addition to rings. My husband's chicken Francese was pretty much indistinguishable from my saltimbocca. I like when the breasts are pounded thin, but these were sliced overly thin, and the portion, somewhat skimpy. One piece of T's was lemony, the other not. I did taste sage on my saltimbocca, but had I not known that the chicken was topped with prosciutto, I wouldn't have guessed it was there. I read that some restaurants don't serve angel hair pasta because it's easy to over-cook. You guessed it. Boiled to the point of being almost mushy, with sauce that literally had no taste. When we split a small piece of limoncello cake, T said "this is the most flavorful thing we've eaten." And sadly, I agreed. The restaurant is BYOB with a reasonable $5 corkage fee. The staff is young and efficient. There's a parking lot down the hill in the back. Ambience is okay -- despite some other Yelpers' complaints. The only thing needing improvement: the food. read more

See all

This place is such a gem to have in Bala Cynwyd! The restaurant was a little difficult to locate on a dark, rainy evening however, once inside the restaurant is well lit. The decor reminds me of going to eat when I was young at a family owned Italian restaurant so some may say the decor is dated but I think it adds to its charm. This is a converted home turned restaurant so you so see some pipes but that doesn't really change the look or feel. Just be careful with the parking lot. The parking is in the back of the building but the walk up is quite steep...so it may be easier to find street parking if you are worried about a hike. The service was quick and pleasant! Our waitress Jenna was witty and didn't miss a beat! We were a large dining group so I can imagine how hard it was to keep track of everything being asked and requested. One of my dining companions wanted the tripe which was unavailable. The owner came and spoke to us about it and I found that both thoughtful and very sweet as she didn't need to do so! The food was delicious but of course, everyone has their own preferences. For example, I liked the calamari but others found them a little chewy. The artichokes are a must and I honestly could have just eaten a ton of them and called it a night! The zucchini flowers were a bit overbattered for me but again others enjoyed them greatly! My vodka penne was sublime and everything was delicious once again. One veal dish was too garlicky so there is that. I didn't try the desserts but they looked phenomenal! I left out a star based on my own preferences. At the end of the day, you come here for a good, nonna made meal and the decor suits it. read more

i love this spot so much - anytime I want to walk in and grab a table im able to. everything i've gotten here has been amazing - especially the chicken parm and the alfredo. the service is amazing and they're super attentive. i have been & will be returning :) read more

The Mrs and I went here with good friends and couldn't have had a lovelier evening, with great food, wonderful ambience and terrific service. The place is tucked away in a neat little Belmont Hills neighborhood (and if you can't maneuver walking hills, get dropped off at the door). The owner Judy takes care of everything, from warmly greeting you, to seating you, to taking your order. And the food was outstanding! We all went for various pasta dishes while the Mrs opted for chicken parm (maybe the biggest piece I've ever seen), and everything was terrific. What really stood out though was the Supploni al Telefono, two risotto balls with a pomodoro sauce that were done just right. Judy and Luigi have a gem here in Belmont Hills, so be sure to check it out. read more

My friend and I were craving pasta so we were very excited to go to Core de Roma! We went on a Friday, early evening, and luckily we got seated without a reservation (it was getting busy though!). We brought a bottle of wine since it's BYOB ($5 corkage fee). We enjoyed the free bread and beans in oil as we checked out the menu. We were having so much trouble deciding between all of the amazing pasta choices so we picked 3 - spaghetti cacio e Pepe (amazing!), penne arrabiatta (yummy), and we asked for the penne vodka with rigatoni instead (our favorite!)! The service was great and quick and the restaurant had such a friendly family feel. We left very full and are definitely looking forward to coming back soon! read more

See all

This was our first time at Core de Roma. There's a parking lot in the back. It's BYOB which I didn't realize when I made the reservation. We had a table for 4 at 6:30pm. The restaurant filled up quickly. We didn't order any appetizers. They did bring us a basket of warm, delicious bread and a small plate of beans in olive oil. Our meals came out quickly. We had veal parmigiana, fettuccine Alfredo, lasagna, and gnocchi. Everything was delicious. Our server was hustling around the whole time. There only seemed to be 3 servers for a large dining room. I would definitely recommend Core de Roma and would go there again. read more

See all

Great food! Great service! BYOB! The place is a cute mom and pop restaurant with authentic taste. The portion size is great as well!

After reading some reviews praising this BYO we tried it last night It wasn't very busy (we were a party of 4 ) Seated in middle of restaurant My point being staff had to pass us serving other patrons After about 10 minutes we were acknowledged Ordered meals and appetizers came about 15 minutes later The owner? came over and asked if we wanted dessert I said we didn't eat yet Just to finish my experience to share with others One and done (found food bland at best) Rick R read more

Not an attractive place but we heard good things so sat down at table with family 3 adults 2 teens. Service very spotty. Long story short. I have never had such inedible, terrible food at the worst place I've been in my life. One family member who will eat anything, left his food after a couple bites. There is nothing good I can say about the food or the place except we got out of there and no one got sick from what few bites we did eat. I cannot understand how it stays in business. Sorry to give a bad review but all 5 of us agreed and everyone got something different. read more

Came here with my family for a birthday dinner. Food was really good! The artichoke appetizer was heavenly! Good service and clean establishment! Will definitely be returning! read more

The food is so good and always consistent, never had anything but a great meal and delivery from them!

First visit last night with two couples. Great experience. Started with an excellent Caesar Salad and the house made burrata. The salad was off the charts good with perfect dressing from scratch. We could have made a full meal out of the homemade bread and beans. Four different entrees all outstanding: lemon chicken, salmon, rigatoni with sausage and mushrooms, and lobster ravioli. Big portions perfect for sharing around the table. All the while Luigi will chat you up and make friendly recommendations about the food. He was alarmed that we did not want dessert, but we had red velvet cake waiting at home. Can't wait to go back. See you soon Luigi! read more

Nice, relaxed neighborhood restaurant offering traditional Italian food. I went there for the first time and their menu had a lot of items I would have liked to try. All the food we had was good to very good. We started out with some great bread that was served with butter and a tasty bean salad. For appetizer, we had Caesar salad (good) and a summertime special tomato and watermelon salad (very good). For entrees, we had cacio e pepe, spaghetti puttanesca, and salmon piccata. I liked all the entrees, the pasta dishes in particular. The pasta was a bit too cooked for my liking, but both sauces were great. All the service was friendly and welcoming. I'd like to come back soon! read more

Amazing pasta!!! Got the Cacio e pepe and alfredo and calamari, will definitely order again read more

Core de Roma - Creamy Fettuccine Alfredo, did the basics - Italian Near Me - Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania

The food here is super! The owner will come to check the status time to time. Highly recommended read more

See all

I am really picky when it comes to Italian food and giving my honest opinion. I was not that impressed based on the reviews I read before my visit. I had spaghetti and meatballs and it did not really resonate with me. The meatballs were disappointing, and the sauce was not what I was expecting in terms of flavor. They overload their sauce with too much Romano cheese and they must add cream due to the lighter color. The sauce was also sweeter than what I prefer, and know they add sugar to it which is not something I would ever add to my sauce. San Marzano tomatoes do not need sugar, and this sauce was most likely made without them. I would like to try other items on the menu and give them another try, but it was a bit of a letdown based on what I got and the price, which was over $22.00 for spaghetti and meatballs. read more

Our first trip to Core de Roma & have a mixed review. The place itself is quite nice, we were seated promptly, as there were only two other tables in use. (We had a 6 pm res,) The four of us ordered apps, only one being hot. I ordered the soup, which was a special. We waited nearly a half hour for the apps. When asked, we were told the soup is 'made to order". Am I the only one who thinks this odd? Dinner came out in a timely manner, but mine was cold. Being restaurant people, I know exactly why. The chef prepared the veal, plated it, then made the sauce. then poured it over the now cold veal. When we informed our waiter, he argued that it was impossible. He did take it back & returned it unchanged, still cold. Turns out the 'waiter' is also the owner. The food is really good, everyone else had ordered pasta & was served hot. We were never asked if we wanted dessert and when we ordered coffee it was delivered one cup at a time! I must say, the bus boy was excellent, kind, polite & attentive. My advice is to elevate him to waiter & let the owner kabitz with the tables. read more

Second time in a row there only one waitress, big parties plus other tables not looked at for 20 min, wine not opened, no bread so we left and went elsewhere. Not sure why they only have one person. People waiting at door to be seen and seated. First impressions are important. Not sure we will be back. read more

Decided to go out last minute for our anniversary, but wanted to get out of our usual neighborhood and find something new. I saw Core de Roma on Yelp with multiple 5 stars so we decided to try it. Absolutely fantastic! The service was very hospitable with a welcoming atmosphere and the food was SO delicious. That's coming from and very picky eater. Can't wait to go back and try more of the menu. read more

What a gem of a restaurant! The bread came with a lovely seasoned olive oil that I found amazing. I ordered my go to dish - Fettuccine Alfredo and I was not disappointed! The fettuccine was a light homemade pasta - and the sauce was perfect! Great find! read more

We haven't eaten there in person, but we have bought their chicken parm family dinners as takeout several times. It comes with six chicken cutlets sitting on top of pasta, salad and bread for $60. It's tasty and since it's intended to feed up to six people, we always get at least two dinners for the three of us, and usually one or two of us also get a lunch. My only complaint is that it's apparently aimed at families where only one or two people (the adults?) actually want to eat salad. We can barely stretch it to three. It's in the neighborhood and will definitely keep it in our takeout rotation. read more

Service is fine. Ambiance is meh -- paintings of sad clowns? Any way, was looking forward to eating here, based on the reviews. I cannot agree with the positive reviews of the food. The artichoke specialty? Neither or us liked it. We split one of the three and left the two. My pasta fagioli was red base -- unusual from my experience. Usually I love this dish and order it at every nice Italian restaurant I visit. I had four spoonfuls. Tasted like tomato soup with rigatoni and carrot bits. My entree was veal osso bucco. The meat was tender, but the red sauce was passible. Over all, very disappointing. Perhaps my expectations going in were too high. read more

Got takeout. The pasta dishes were all excellent as was a veal Marsala dish. The bean salad was a bit too oily for my taste. The special artichoke appetizer was loved by the artichoke fans in the group. read more

Delicious food... a hidden gem in the neighborhood with wonderful ambiance and very good service. Everyone in our party loved what they ordered - from the Eggplant parmigiana to the Bucatini alla Gricia to the Veal Core de Roma. Will definitely be back to discover other delicious dishes. Thanks for making our evening a culinary delight at a very reasonable cost. read more

Have been to this restaurant several times. Food is delicious, service very good. It's a BYOB. I brought in a screw cap bottle of wine, opened it myself, and poured it myself. We were charged $5.00 corkage. No way was I paying that. We were told all restaurants are charging just to bring in a bottle. No way. Never heard that. Was I wrong? read more

Excellent food, pleasant atmosphere and lovely wait staff. It was a great way to celebrate my birthday!

Came here for our anniversary dinner, reservations through open table. Service was accurate and comforting, food was awesome , Luigi is very professional and attentive, will be back soon read more

See all

The food was traditional and absolutely delicious! We received excellent, friendly and welcoming service that made us feel right at home! Thank you for a great dinner! read more

Delish, authentic Italian, family feel restaurant. The vibe is great for date night or for a larger group! Our appetizers were yummy! I had the Penne Vodka and my husband had the lasagna. Both were excellent. Save room for the Tiramusi... best I have had in a long time! read more

Hands down the BEST Italian food I've had in a very long time. Everything was DELICIOUS!! Calamari, Artichokes Roma, and the Eggplant Parmigiana were EXCELLENT! read more

WOW just WOW. Met at the door by Luigi, the epitome of your Italian Grandfather. What a sweet wonderful guy. Followed his recommendations. Cacio de Pepe was wonderful. Crab and Shrimp ravioli was delicious. Artichoke appetizer and home made fresh bread before entrees was delish. Huge portions meant we had entrees for lunch the next day, yummy. He even gave us tips to reheat. Then, we had the cannolis.....Just YUMMY. I can't say enough how wonderful the food and the service was here. So well done. A must! read more

The food at this little Italian BYOB is excellent! The chef Luigi is outgoing and fun and clearly loves his craft. I've had the lasagne, eggplant parm and cacio e pepe and all of them were just tremendous. The artichoke appetizer is incredible. If you love genuine Italian, this place is spot on. read more

Great find. Authentic and comfortable. Delicious, good vibe & better yet, my wife enjoyed it more than me.

I grew up with Italian food and this place is authentic. Food is delicious, attractively served, ample and at right temperature. The artichokes are amazing. I could make a meal out of them. Our Branzino fish was flavorful and the green beans and baby potatoes that came with it were just right, not raw or overcooked. The lemoncello cake is divine. Cannot wait to take my 94 year old Italian mama! BYOB do not forget your wine! read more

Excellent, Excellent, Excellent! Italian food at its best. Be patient for the food. A little under staffed. Worth the wait. Plenty of time to relax. Excellent, Excellent, Excellent! read more

Had an excellent experience from start to finish - easy ordering online, food was ready at the time promised, and it was fresh and hot when picked up. The food was delicious and serving size was plentiful - the best chicken parm we've had in ages, pasta well cooked and flavored, and caesar salad tasty and well dressed. Will definitely be back. read more

This place is the BEST! Such a family oriented and kind place. The owner Gigi personally comes to greet you himself. Delicious, authentic food! read more

Gigi and his staff served an amazing dinner! Every single thing we had was excellent!! We will definitely be back!

Amazing food, great service. Luigi the owner greeted with a warm welcoming smile. I definitely recommend. I will be back. Fresh