We were able to get a last-minute reservation on a Saturday night, and I'm so happy we did! We've…read morebeen here a couple of times. I actually celebrated my birthday here last year and this place is always a hit, never a miss! We started with the cucumber and tomato salad and the country bread, and what a delicious combination! We also ordered a side of olive oil, and they seriously have some of the best olive oil I've had in a while. I definitely recommend getting some on the side to dip your country bread in. Trust me! We paired everything with a pitcher of sangria, which gives you about four drinks and was much more economical than ordering individual cocktails. I finally tried the chicken Parmesan, and boy, am I kicking myself for not trying it sooner! The chicken breast was thick, juicy, moist, and perfectly crunchy. Some places make their chicken Parm so thin that it barely feels like you're eating chicken, but this was an actual substantial piece of chicken with the perfect bite. Our waitress told me I could swap out the pasta and sauce that normally come with the chicken Parmesan, so of course I did! I got the rigatoni with vodka sauce, and it was DELIGHTFUL. The portion was massive, so I took leftovers home and yes, I absolutely ate them the very next day! My fiancé got the branzino and wanted something lighter so he could help me with the rigatoni. His plate was beautifully presented, the fish tasted incredibly fresh, and it was exactly what he wanted. Overall, we had another wonderful experience. This restaurant will always hold a special place in our hearts, and we'll definitely be back! A special shoutout to our waitress, who was absolutely delightful and told me I could change the pasta and sauce with my chicken Parmesan. You changed my life! You have no idea how happy you made me. I wish I had gotten your name, but truly, everyone there is always so lovely. Thank you for another amazing experience!

Its ambient and a small but specialized meno…read more HUGE portions of greatness- you can def share and taste away. My dish is below for proof Very pasta/salad forward

During a busy summer of sporting events we were concerned we would need reservations but we walked…read morein and were seated right away. Our server apologized for a delay in taking our drink orders. She was attentive the rest of our meal. I ordered a Charles deGaulle whiskey cocktail. Lemon, aperol and simple syrup added a refreshing twist. For entrees, my wife ordered the pacherri; a simple pork ragu with tender broccoli rabe, Parmesan, stracciatello and basil. The dish was delicious. I enjoyed my plate of sea-inspired tonnarelli nero. Bay scallops in crab ragu with fennel sofrito. Served with squid ink pasta that imparted a slight brininess. The pasta was cooked pangrattato style-- coated in panko bread crumbs and garlic. The dish had many flavors but they all came back to the theme. Cocktail prices and entree prices were very reasonable. They offer happy hour drinks and specials. Certainly a very good choice if you're in the area.

None of us had eaten there before so we just ordered a bunch of stuff to split. The whipped ricotta…read moreand grilled bread was gone almost immediately, barely got a second piece. The short rib over polenta was probably my favorite thing on the table - it fell apart easily and the polenta underneath wasn't as heavy as I expected it to be. We got the salted caramel budino for dessert too, and I was glad it wasn't one of those desserts that's so sweet you can only handle two bites. Would go back honestly. Probably order something different next time just to try more of the menu, but I'm getting that ricotta again no matter what.

Our first visit to Gran Caffè L'Aquila was just two weeks ago, and we enjoyed it so much that we…read morereturned today with a different group of friends. As it turned out, we were seated at the very same table and were fortunate enough to have the same waiter, Simone. Gran Caffè L'Aquila offers authentic Italian cuisine, and everything we ordered on both visits was delicious and beautifully prepared. We truly enjoyed every dish we tried. The restaurant itself is small, cozy, and full of charm, with a warm and inviting atmosphere that makes you feel comfortable the moment you walk in. And a special mention must go to Simone. He is exceptionally friendly, attentive, and genuinely helpful. His warm and professional service made both of our visits even more enjoyable, and we were delighted to have him as our waiter again. We will definitely be returning to Gran Caffè L'Aquila, and we certainly hope Simone will still be there to welcome us. Authentic Italian food, a charming atmosphere, and wonderful service -- a place we are very happy to have discovered.

Another trip to Philly and another delicious lunch at Gran Caffe L'Aquila! Appetizers, entrees,…read moregelato, coffee- all delicious! Prompt, friendly, courteous service, as usual. The place was busy, but that didn't delay our orders. We could hold a conversation without having to speak loudly. We bought some dark roast beans, ground there for espresso, to take home.

It was an amazing experience great food and good service too overall was super great :)read more

okay, yes. over one-year later, i finally came back to try the chicken parmesan and it was so good…read more definitely better than whatever i had last time. my boyfriend and i shared the caesar salad, the fried mozzarella, and the chicken parmesan, and it was honestly a good amount of food for the both of us (though we did get ice cream before lol). i like that they have outdoor seating, which is perfect for our dog. it was a warm day, so sitting outside was perfect, but i do believe they have heat lamps for when it gets a little chilly. we didn't have a reservation, but they were so accommodating and able to squeeze us in after a short 5-minute wait around 8p. definitely worth the hype, very cute neighborhood spot!

Stopped by last night with a large and rowdy (lol) party and the staff was so lovely and…read moreaccommodating. An extra person ended up joining us early on in the meal, and the team was so great about expanding the table and making us comfortable. Our food was so great, from the apps to the entrees everyone loved what they got. The portions are huge and most of us ended up taking some of our meals home. We had a party of 8, and our bill was only about 350 bucks, which is a great price for a large Italian dinner here in the city. From the staff to the space to the food, everything was lovely! Will definitely be back soon!

I think the food here is decent, but it wasn't anything new or inventive that you wouldn't find at…read moreany other Italian restaurant. The service was great and everyone working there was friendly. It had a small amount of tables indoors, but it didn't feel cramped and you could easily hear your table partners. They also have a nice outdoor setup as well in the summer.

It's our first time in Philadelphia, and we couldn't have picked a better spot for Italian food!…read moreThe fried mozzarella was AMAZING, especially with the homemade honey drizzle. Sounds crazy, but it works! Everything is homemade -- the bread, pasta, sauces, and even the honey! Everything was delicious and reasonably priced. We wish we had a place like this back home! And a huge shoutout to our server Shelby -- amazing personality and truly top-notch service!

This is located downstairs when you enter into the location. It's spacious and has a great…read moreambiance/aesthetic to the space. We had reservations for which we were seated shortly after getting there. The booth was cozy and in the corner which we appreciated. The waiter could have provided better feedback when we asked for his opinion between items to order from as we wanted to know what was popular. For food we ordered the house made ricotta cheese which was light and airy with the sweetness of honey coming through. They give you foccacia bread while your waiting for which one has sauce on it and one plain but both were so fluffy. I love me a good foccacia and this did not disappoint. For entree we ordered the rigatoni vodka which had a spicy kick to it that we truly enjoyed. Also, we ordered chicken parmesan which was good however we wish that vodka sauce was on top to make it even better. For drinks we got wine. The chanti, rose Prosecco, and Pinot Grigio. Overall we enjoyed our dine in experience.

Best Italian food in the city of Philadelphia. Very good service. Wonderful atmosphere.read more

A home run find in Center City Philly. From the moment we…read morewalked in and were greeted to the goodbyes and thank you as we were leaving. Everything was as perfect as it could be why is that because this restaurants been doing it for over 126 years they know a thing or two their customers and had to prepare plate delicious meals. Surprise surprise we actually found parking OK maybe that's because we got there earlier than our reservation in hopes to make another stop that didn't work out so we came early and they greeted us with open arms took us to a beautiful table in front of vintage fireplace hence we were sitting in the perfect spot. Our server, Justin came over to greet us. We got into some conversation before we even touched upon the food. He was exceptional at his run through the menu, his explanations on preparations handling questions. This was definitely not his first, not his second and not his third rodeo he's definitely a professional at what he does. Upon review of the menu we started off with steamed clams and a spicy marinara and actually asked for fra Diavlo hence they gave it an additional hit of spice. It had a nice kick. It was very tasty. My wife was going back-and-forth between their signature lasagna and a little weak weenie with crab Bianco and in the end she went with the baked lasagna oh my goodness the size of that piece on the plate we took half home. She certainly enjoyed her. For me, I went with the veal Catherine, the medallions veal with shrimp, lump crab meat, and fresh tomato and a Bianco sauce the plating presentation I can't describe you'll just have to see my photograph. I've never seen it like this before and it was extremely tasty. Very tender I would certainly get that dish again. And since I am not a pasta eater, I ordered a side vegetable of broccoli Rob. And we ordered a bottle of the Italian Montepuliciano wine, what was the perfect compliment to our dinner? And this was my birthday. My wife was surprising me she had already pre-ordered their homemade tiramisu with ladyfingers, which would wind up taking with us cause we were kind of full and had later that night at one of our favorite coffee houses in Philly and boy that dessert was perfect and I'm glad we waited. Again, everybody was smiles, friendly, and helpful. The place of spotless and you really feel like you're in someone's home. Be sure to see my food photos and don't blame me if you drool on your cell phones

Best Italian food I had in a long time. The host and wait…read morestaff were amazing. The food was so delicious, everything we had. Wish I lived in Philly just to go back. Thank you

We were invited to a party at Giorgio on Pine in the summer and as someone who lives trying new to…read moreme restaurants I couldn't wait. I scoped out the menu ahead of time and read all the reviews. When the day finally arrived I noticed how small the space was for an event. Everyone was crammed into the space and we were smushed into the corner. We were able to easily ignore the discomfort once we saw there was roasted garlic in olive oil on the table with fresh bread. I was so excited to try the sweet potato gnocchi that I had seen on socials, but it was no where to be found on the menu. When our server came to tell us the specials, she announced the sweet potato gnocchi and I was sold. We decided to start with the burrata, which paired well with the roasted garlic and bread. My sweet potato gnocchi was served in a decadent cream sauce. The gnocchi itself was very dense, almost a harder consistency. My sister in law got the regular ricotta gnocchi and it was pillowy and light, a completely different texture than mine. I still enjoyed mine, I just wish it could have been a little softer. We shared the cheesecake for dessert, and it was fine. Not memorable, but good. My sister in law got the creme brûlée and THAT was good. I regretted not getting that instead. Another person we were dining with got the pork chop and it was phenomenal. I wished I had gotten it, it was THAT good. For this experience, the ambience, location, and everything else considered I'd give it 3.5 stars.

Went here for lunch, had a good experience!…read more Food: 8.8/10 - I really loved what u ordered. I could eat everything again. Good portion sizes too. We also got the Cacio e Pepe which was fantastic and Al Dente. Service: 9/10 Ambiance: 8.3/10 - This venue is pretty small. Don't sit outside or else you will smell the fishy streets of Philly.

cute restaurant in center city with the iconic spicy chicken caesar!…read more all i can say is: spicy chicken caesar. it lives up to the hype, and it is delicious. i've eaten here several times now and none of the other food is particularly memorable, but the spicy chicken caesar is fantastic albeit a little expensive. i really need my boyfriend to learn how to make the spicy chicken caesar so i stop coming back, but it makes for a fantastic girl dinner. most of the times i've come here were either for restaurant week or the spicy chicken caesar. i really don't think it's worth coming for restaurant week, it's kind of a bummer that your whole table has to order the same thing and that you share a lot of the dishes. it ends up being not a whole lot of food, and i did the math and the cost comes out to be about the same. overall, it's a decent restaurant with good service. it's located right in center city with a million other restaurants so it's easily overlooked, but when i think of prunella i think of spicy chicken caesar.

Maria and I came here with our good friends Mariangeli and Chef Dionicio, who were the ones who put…read moreus onto this spot. It was actually a birthday dinner too, Maria and Mariangeli were treating Chef Dionicio and me for our birthdays, so we were already looking forward to a good night, and Fiorella definitely delivered. We sat outside and honestly, that might be the way to do it. Really nice setup, relaxed South Philly atmosphere, good drinks on the table, good food coming out, and you're just hanging out with friends. Nothing felt rushed. We ordered a bunch of things to share and try. The arancini were great, and the pork belly & octopus skewer was probably one of the more interesting things we had. I wouldn't normally think of putting those two together, but it worked. Then the pasta came out. The ravioli with lamb, peperonata and caciocavallo was really good, and the rigatoni with Fiorella sausage ragu was one of those dishes where you keep going back for another bite even though you're already getting full. And don't sleep on the focaccia and olive oil either. Simple, but so good. We definitely weren't letting that go to waste. Drinks were great too. They have some interesting cocktails instead of just the same stuff you see everywhere, which I appreciated. The staff also deserves a shoutout. Everyone was friendly and attentive, but they gave us space to enjoy ourselves. That's a big thing for me. When you're having dinner with friends, you don't want to feel like you're being pushed through the meal so they can flip the table. By the end of the night, it wasn't even just about the food anymore. We were outside in South Philly, eating some really good Italian food, having drinks, laughing, celebrating two birthdays and just enjoying each other's company. Those are the dinners you remember. Big thank you to Maria and Mariangeli for treating Chef Dionicio and me, and to Chef Dionicio for putting us onto Fiorella in the first place.

My favorite restaurant that I went to while visiting Philly. This place feels like being back in…read moreItaly. It is tiny inside with just a bar and a couple tables. That's it. I love this European feel. Up first, I had a $17 El Noe. I was hoping for a strong burnt mezcal taste, but nope. It seems like only Florida gets this drink right. The drink wasn't bad at all, but I was just looking for that burnt taste. I also had a $18 Dirty Pasta Water Martini, basically a dirty martini. It was fine, but it came in a micro grass which was kind of weird. Clearly this isn't a place you come for cocktails. Now, onto the star of the night, the food. Up first, the $16 Spring Salad. Loved it, hit the spot. Also, had the $17 Arancini. I really liked those little balls and especially the dipping sauce. I had the $26 Rigatoni. It was absolutely phenomenal. I could go eat it every day. My mom had the $24 Tonnarelli and it was also top tier excellent. The flavors, the atmosphere, the staff, everything here is top notch. The Internet did not let me down. I'm so glad I decided to book this restaurant. I had a wonderful night.