Thank god the food here is so fresh and delicious. Quick note: Do not come here on a holiday weekend when the city is dead. When this restaurant is not full, the handful of 10 waiters shuffle around awkwardly looking for anything to do, and in turn will take plates away before you're finished with them. You'd think it'd be easy just telling them to leave them right? Well, no.... they get serious credit for being so ninja. While you have a mouth full of wine or decide to take a quick glance out the window is when they strike. Aside from this unusually rushed service, dinner was excellent. I was ready to give La Viola five stars as I've always had impeccable service and great food, but I think this weekend was a small hiccup showing me a perfect Italian byo's imperfections. read more

I've been to La Viola a million times. It's a fan fav BYOB with delicious food, reasonable prices, and incredibly attentive service. We had a 6:30 reservation on Saturday night, and this trip was no exception. There was a table of 6 of ous, and they promptly sat us on the east-side which was great news. The west-side seems to be a bit more expensive. If you're not aware, La Viola occupies 2 storefronts that are across the street from one another. You can walk into either one, and they'll find your reservation and get you in the right spot though. It's a bit weird, but not really... So they sat us at this table in the back... which was honestly pretty awful. I was with my boyfriend, my parents, and my aunt and uncle though, so I took the worst seat and caught the brunt of the activity, since I know they're more likely to kavetch. The problem was that my chair was partially in front of the doorway leading into the kitchen. Anytime anyone came or left the kitchen, I got bumped. The bathrooms are also back there, and some really big idiots stood in the doorway (thereby blocking the kitchen) and then looked at me as to say "am i in the way?" to which i was happy to have a big glass of wine in front of me. Anyhoo, bumps aside, the experience was great. Our server, was attentive and matter-of-fact with a warm tone to it. Everyone pitches in to help with each and every table too which is great! I got the tricolored salad as an appetiser, and the gnocchi as my entree and i was full and very happy. Each and every bite was a real treat. Very delicious. My boyfriend got the calamari appetiser though, and said it wasn't quite as awesome. I think he expected the calamari to be fried, and was a bit confused when they weren't. It was my dad's birthday, and they brought out a piece of cake with a candle which was great, and with such tight quarters, nobody had anywhere to run to so everyone had to sing. All in all- great meal! I'll be back always and forever... This would have been a 5 star review if i just had a smidge more personal space, but honestly, I'm glad they pack-em-in. It's a great spot! Everyone deserves the opportunity to enjoy it! read more

When I graduated from Penn 5 years ago, I took my family to La Viola for some hand-made pasta for my graduation dinner. I have fond memories here and the quality of food is great for the price. Speaking of price, this place is cash only so please keep that in mind when you visit. This dish had grilled calamari (steaks not the rings) in lemon juice, garlic, olive oil and tomatoes. I wasn't too fond of this dish but Joe thought it was all right. To be fair, I'm not a huge fan of calamari steaks. Joe ordered the home-made tagliatelle pasta sauteed with salmon in a pink cognac sauce. I liked his a lot. The salmon offered a nice variety in texture. This was home-made tagliatelle pasta with shrimp and fish in a blush tomato creamy sauce. I preferred my dish over Joe's dish because I loved the blush sauce and the shrimp. The dishes here are simple but delicious. I love treating myself to hand-made pasta! read more

Phenomenal BYOB! CASH ONLY Perfect for dinner. My mom, friend and I went prior to seeing a show. It was fantastic! read more

Three stars. One star for attentive service (yay for coat checks), one star for the food (the calamari, the orrechiette, and the seafood risotto) and one star for the cute and cozy ambiance (the restaurant is one room in a townhouse and lit by candle light). One star off for small portions--the seafood risotto had a pitiful amount of risotto in the middle; the amount of seafood was probably not enough to satisfy a grown man (read: my boyfriend). The orrechiette was delicious and the small portion was okay with me. The calamari appetizer was delicious as well--nice and tender with a hint of smokiness. But again, you only get like, seven rings of calamari on the plate. Another star off for eating in a tiny, tiny space. It was not too busy when we ate, but we had to check our coats because there was no space to put them anywhere. I don't think I would come here if it were busy. Moreover, I don't think I'll go out of my way to come here unless to check out the Belgian beer bar across the street (lambic ale, anyone?) read more

Food: 4.0 Stars La Viola's menu provides a good selection of appetizers and entrees; The ingredients, meats, pastas are of good quality and prepared well. The mussel appetizer is delicious (red sauce recommended compared to the white) and inexpensive for the quantity of mussels served. The pasta dishes are very good to but not exceptional compared to other Italian restaurant preparations. The meats are delicious and generous in servings and recommended on the more Medium to Rare level of preparation. Service: 3.0 Stars The service at La Viola is hit or miss; With certain more established servers the service is great and the server is knowledgeable and caring. On busy nights, the service is very mediocre; the staff is younger and brazen and can tend to come across uncaring. Service is definitely better on slower nights. Ambiance: 3.0 Stars The restaurant has two separate rooms across from one another; The interior of both is very simplistic (almost appearing as if they are making no decor effort); The tables are simple and can appear cramped on busy nights. Nothing incredible but nothing distracting either. Price: 4.5 Stars The prices are La Viola's greatest draw. Dinner at this restaurant is very affordable and far more inexpensive than other Italian restaurants. Also, the restaurant is BYOB and caters well to patrons who bring in their own bottles of wine/alcohol. The cost for a dinner for two will have you leaving the restaurant with a smile. Location: 4.5 Stars La Viola has a great location on 16th street. It has a branch on each side of the street and has a strong hold on the street between Locust and Spruce. The restaurant is close to other Rittenhouse/Center City bars, restaurants, lounges. Very good location. Miscellaneous/ Overall Impression: 4.0 Stars On days or nights with normal or less traffic, the experience at La Viola can be very enjoyable. The quality of the appetizers and meals for the asking price makes each trip to La Viola enjoyable. This is a great place to go for a first date or a romantic night out on an off night. I would definitely recommend La Viola, particularly since its a BYOB. Definitely try all the other Italian BYOBs in the area before making this your stable, go-to Italian restaurant. read more

If you live in Center City you've probably eaten at La Viola at some point. It seems like people love having large gatherings here for the BYO and promise of lots of good food for somewhat reasonable prices. My occasion was a going away party and they expertly handled our table of 8. The food is just ok. There's nothing wrong with it but it's nothing extraordinary. I started with a frisee salad with goat cheese. Pretty average. As I'm a sucker for a special I ordered the scallops with home made farfalle in a blush sauce. There was something missing. The scallops were good, the pasta certainly was fresh but the sauce was pretty bland. I will say my friend who ordered the rack of lamb special was more than pleased with his choice. He was kind enough to share and that was hands down the star of the table. Against better judgement we ended with dessert. Tiramisu which was good but nothing unusual, the underwhelming tartufo and a dark side of the moon cake which I didn't try but got pretty average feedback. La Viola is a great place for large groups as the service really is great, the entire restaurant helped us at some point. If you have picky eaters with difficult taste this place is perfect. You can't go wrong with a good heaping bowl of pasta. For those looking for something with the wow factor head to Davio or Il Pittore. read more

I'm quite surprised by the negative reviews for La Viola. Cash only does suck but unless you live off your credit cards, then I don't see the big deal. It's very inexpensive to eat so you can probably get by with the money in your wallet!!! As for the wait, even with reservations, yes that does kinda suck but La Viola is not the only place in the city that is guilty of this. Let me say that the "waiting issue" was not a big deal for me. I think we ended up waiting about 10-15 minutes to be seated even though we had a reservation. This was made up for by the outstanding service and inexpensive yet amazingly delicious meal. When I say inexpensive, I mean it.... I think my Gnocchi was $12 and Calamari appetizer was around $7-$8. We all shared each others meals and everything from red to white sauce dishes were excellent. The staff would help you pick out a meal and the authentic old-world accents added to the experience. Many of the staff have a great sense of humor and are fun to interact with. If you love a good BYOB, I highly recommend a visit to La Viola. Just make sure to set your own expectations as well as your guests. There may be a little wait even with a reservation during prime time. Go grab a drink before hand or bring a road soda for your wait before you're seated. Overall, this is a great, non-pretentious place to eat in Rittenhouse. read more

This place is quite reminiscent of the many restaurants I ate in while studying abroad in Italy. Its dimly lit, cozy atmosphere makes you wonder if there are 10 Italian grandma's cooking up a storm in the kitchen. The grilled calamari was cooked to perfection. The pasta special (homemade garlic and herb papperdelle with shrimp and chicken) was one of the best pasta dishes I've had in recent history, and was the perfect portion size. The lobster ravioli were plump and delicious, and the cream sauce had me wiping the plate clean with bread. The service was quick and attentive, and we barely had time to finish a bottle of wine between the 4 of us (okay, so it was a gallon sized bottle...) before we had our check. Perfect for a date, or to take out-of-towners. read more

La Viola is one of my favorite restaurants in the city. Its most attractive features are the affordable prices, the great food and BYOB. I frequent la Viola and have never been disappointed. I usually get the penne, which is just a classic pasta dish with no frills. The best part of la viola is how great it is for groups. They have a lot of space for large groups and are very accommodating. They also let you get loud and have a good time without shushing you or being rude. On the same token, it can be very loud in there and I would not recommend it for someone seeking a quiet/romantic evening out. If you are looking for fun place to start a night out with a big group I would definitely recommend la viola. read more

Summary: fine but fairly generic food, noisy, b.y.o.b Review: The food at La Viola was not interesting or innovative, but overall fairly tasty. My salad was not good - came with a remarkably bland cheese. But, my pasta was tasty and my girlfriend enjoyed the veal medallions. Tables are right on top of each other and the place is very noisy. Have to yell to be heard across even a small table. BYOB is nice. read more

This is a great BYOB place, except for their cash only policy. I've been here twice before I got on Yelp, and each visit was a delight. I'd love this place as a dating restaurant. This time we ordered the mussel and mushroom as the starter, and daily special pasta and fish. Everything was perfect. The amount of food, I had to say, is less compared to other places, however enough for a 165lbs asian guy like me. It is a small place so it gets really crowded after 6:30. Don't know if they allow reservations since I always arrive around 6pm. And for what might be worth mentioning, their specials are about 1.5 times the common price on the menu. read more

I have been waiting to go to La Viola ever since a friend told me it was their favorite BYOB in Philadelphia. I went there on a Wednesday night after leaving the Academy of Music. I had pasta on the mind the second I sat down in my seat at the ballet so I couldnt wait to get dinner, get my big spoon and my fork and start twirlin away at some spaghetti. Service was top notch. I ordered the special which was the Stuffed Chicken with fontina cheese, spinach and roasted reds. mmm mmm mmm. delicious. My fellow diner got spaghetti with shrimp which was also amazing. Very reasonably priced. I can't wait to go back! read more

Go on a WEEKNIGHT. I have been to La Viola twice now, once to the west side location and once to the east side location (although the menus are essentially the same). This past Saturday night I came to the east side location for a birthday dinner with friends. If I was rating this place on the food alone, it would definitely be a four or five star. I am still giving it four stars because the food is really great, and I had a positive experience the first time I came, but the scene on Saturday was insane. They have so many people in this tiny restaurant that it is LOUD. Very very loud. At our eight person table, I could only easily hear the four people closest to me. When I was here on a weeknight, it was nothing like this. Below are some key points: BYO: This place serves no alcohol and is a BYO. I love this about the restaurant and the waiters are extremely helpful in terms of opening your wine and getting you glasses. However, on a Saturday night, the place can get very rowdy. We saw some people open there wine and drink it in the hallway while they were waiting for a table. So beware of that. CASH ONLY: I think others have mentioned this but it is worth remembering that this place is cash only. FOOD, GENERALLY: This place serves typical classic Italian dishes very well. I haven't tasted anything here that I didn't like and that includes everything from appetizers to desserts. The pasta dishes seem like the best options for the main course. GRIGLIATA DI CALAMARI: We got two of these grilled calamari appetizers to split between the eight of us at the table. They were delicious. The dish was so fresh and light tasting and the calamari was cooked perfectly. It wasn't chewy or overdone at all. LINGUINI PIZZAIOLA: This was a linguini served with veal, olives and capers in a marinara sauce. The meal was really good. it had great flavor and the portion size is perfect ( I didn't need to take any home and I was still very satisfied by the end of the meal). BOTTOM LINE: This place serves great traditional Italian dishes and there is no real difference between the east and west side restaurants (they are right across the street from each other but have separate kitchens). However, if you go here on a weekend, it is likely going to be loud with lots of young people drinking and making lots of noise. If you are coming here with a date or for dinner with one other person, I would definitely recommend coming on a weeknight. On a weekend, they will accommodate large groups, but it is difficult to hear each other. read more

My family and I absolutely love this place. The food is amazing and the service is wonderful. We've been two times and both times everything was perfect. The mushroom appetizer is to die for! The veal is so tender and delicious that you can cut it with a fork. We have gotten the veal viola, veal carciofi, linguine pizzaioli (which has veal, capers and olives in a spicy red sauce), and the chicken rollatini. The prices are reasonable and the portions are huge. The veal/chicken dishes are served with vegetables, so a side of spaghetti costs extra, but it's so worth it! The side is huge and the red sauce is hands-down the freshest, most delicious sauce I've had since being in Italy. The restaurant is BYOB and the outdoor area is picturesque with all of the overhead lights. The desserts are reasonably priced and delicious, we especially loved the tiramisu and the cannoli cake. Lastly, the staff is friendly, welcoming and attentive. read more

Loved this BYOB restaurant! We went during restaurant week and everything was delicious! The service was great and was more than what I could ask for during such a busy time! I loved the tortellini soup...probably the best I have ever had. I The place was a little small and loud, but the food and service definitely made up for it! Great restaurant! read more

Great BYO location for large groups. Be careful because it will get loud! Great service and yummy food. read more

Family style Italian BYOB. We have walked past this restaurant many times but when friends were in town we decided to head in. When you first walk in, it's a small restaurant and space is limited. But once we were settled in our seat and they accomodated our group of seven, we hardly felt cramped. The waitstaff was friendly, knowledgeable and super attentive ( I like that). When it came to ordering there were so many great choices we couldn't decide, so we all tried to order something different so we can sample from each other. And the dessert, oh my, there were so many excellent options. We will definitely be heading back to order more items from the menu and experience the wonderful atmoshere. read more

Very good italian food for real reasonable prices. BYOB. Dinner for two with an appetizer was 70 including tip. I got the veal parm and it was stellar. I've had better lobster ravioli, but the sauce was very good. So you know, the place is VERY small and loud. You'll be sitting at a long table directly next to other parties, which isn't a bad thing if you have pleanty of time to talk to your party before or after dinner. I went with my gf and we were there to eat delicious food, and we talked the whole ride home. Not sure I would bring a first or second date here, because you can't hear anything. read more

Just marvellous. Based on the quality of food we had, I can't imagine anything less than a five. Service is a big 5 as well, and that's a rarity for me. The food was nice and hot and the service prompt. I had a great cappuccino. read more

I really didnt like this place. We went during restaurant week. I will say they had sooo many options. The service was terrific! I just feel like the food was sooo wet. I tried to get into the flavor but it was really hard wen the food is so moist read more

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I had not been to La Viola in probably 10 years, Saturday night was a HUGE disappointment! We went early which was no problem, the problems were service and food quality. We had not finished our appetizers and entrees came rushing out from the kitchen. My chicken dish with asparagus, fontina and prosciutto was cold, salty, too much cheese and very unappealing to the eye. I remember loving not only this restaurant but this dish as well. The sautéed mushrooms use to be in a bowl with such amazing broth to dunk bread in, now they are just slapped on a plate. We also were approached by multiple male only....really....servers asking the same questions over and over. If you're going to do team service figure it out people! I will not go back with all of the amazing Italian restaurants in Philly...too bad...the only good thing was it's still cheap! read more

This family owned restaurant would've received 5 stars. But however, I will never come back here again during restaurant week. It's unorganized with all the commotion going on around. Service was amazing, food tasty, then the icing on the cake it's BYOB!! P.S. CASH ONLY!!!! read more

La Viola has never disappointed me when I have visited, especially during restaurant week. In fact, I think that their RW menu is one of the better deals when considering both quality and quantity - their dinner menu is literally so much food you cannot finish it. One of the great things about this place is that it is BYO, but there are some cons to go along with it, mainly being that they are cash only and fairly small. I wouldn't say this is my favorite Italian place by any means (or that I ever go here when it isn't RW anyone), but I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who wants both quality and quantity (especially if you like gnocchi - their gnocchi is great!) read more

La Viola - Grigliata Di Calamari - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

This place is horrible. Bad service, food sucks and they stole my bottle of wine. I do not recommend this place at all.

So Delicious. I had been here a couple times and decided to choice it as the venue to host my rehearsal dinner, which hasn't happened yet, but I know it will be great! My fiance has never been there, so I took him last night so he could see what him and his guests were in for - a treat! The staff was so much fun, nice, and fast!! I can't say enough wonderful things about this place, but I hope it speaks volumes that I trust the success of my rehearsal dinner in their hands. Can't wait! read more

Overall: 4/5 * a somewhat "fine dining" experience at more "modest dining" prices * great food and service * load up on bread because the entrees are just a tad on the skinny side Food: 4/5 + I had the gnocchi, which was excellent but needed more sauce + dark side cake and NY cheesecake are both good, not great - their menu could use a few more seafood options Portion Sizes: 3/5 - you shouldn't have leftovers as entrees are on the smaller side + they keep the warm bread coming, which makes up for the entree sizes Price: 5/5 + extremely reasonable for the quality of food and service + five of us had entrees + dessert and we left with a $108 bill! + BYOB, I didn't see a bottle-opening fee on our bill, bonus! Atmosphere: 4/5 - get's loud and they really jam pack people in to tables + "finest" dining atmosphere that you'll get for these prices Comments and Recommendations: * make reservations or you'll be spending some time out in the cold * I couldn't tell if the waiters were Italian or Russian * all male waiter staff on the West side, with one female hostess read more

The food here was absolutely incredible. I had the pasta special which I made into a vegetarian option. It was the first and only time that I didn't have left overs because it was so darn good I ate the whole plate! So why four stars? The pasta was over 20 bucks, which is quite pricey in my opinion, and the potion wasn't exactly generous. Lastly this spot is CASH only, and BYOB only so make sure you hit up the ATM and the liquor store before you get here. read more

The mussels are fantastic! We found the place via the introduction of Lonely planet America East. The restaurant really makes people feel at home. My wife and I had a delightful meal there. We had the mussels, the special salad for the day and the mushroom. For entree, we had the salmon and the lobster ravioli. read more

La Viola - Ravioli with lobster - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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They have some pretty ridiculous policies. If you have a larger group, they will force each person to get one entree and one app. Waiter was rude, telling us to "calm down, seriously" when we were just asking for a chair. Mandatory gratuity of 25 percent (would've gone way less). They dont tell you it's cash only until you get the bill. read more

Racist! Not LGBT FRIENDLY. Me and my girlfriend went here on 2/13/2022, front counter woman was very nice and polite. We had no issues with her. We reserved a table on OpenTable app for 10pm. They brought us in to be seated and attempted to give us a seat by the BATHROOM! All the while they had many open tables to seat us anywhere else in the establishment. That was very rude. so we ask for a different table. Then while we sat and overlooked the menu, we were feeling rushed by the waiter to order. our waiter didn't tell us what drinks they had, they said "oh well since you didnt bring your own wine we have waters". The menu we went for was the Valentines date menu, 65$ PP, he told us they only have that menu for groups of 6 or more people for Valentine's Day!! On the website it showed a prefix menu for two that he refused to give us. He rushed us to finish, and we left. And it seemed as though they were happy to have the two black gay women finally out of the restaurant. Never go here if you are a POC or LGBT! Try Cottoletta instead! Best Italian restaurant in the city! read more

Went yesterday on a Tuesday night. We started with a calamari and shrimp appetizer which was great. I ordered lobster ravioli as my main dish. I must say I have had this dish 3 times before this visit at la viola and was disappointed with the taste this time... The pink sauce had a lot of pepper/spice ( no I did not add any to my plate once I received it). I give this place 4 stars because I have been here many times before and have made amazing means and the staff is always wonderful. Hopefully next time is great again. read more

La Viola - Lobster ravioli dish. - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food was good but my group had the WORST service of any restaurant I have ever been to. We had a reservation at 9 and weren't seated until 9:45. Every group that night waited at least 45 minutes to an hour after their reservation. We had water spilled on a member of our group more than once with no apology. The staff dropped dirty knives on a member of our group AGAIN without acknowledgement. They actually handed a ticket to a member of our group on her way to the bathroom and asked her to take it into the kitchen. When she said "are you kidding me" they responded by saying "no it's right through there, just say 'order up' ". Not worth the food for the experience. Go somewhere else!!!! read more

Wow...so good! I came here with my cousin who lives in town, for a Friday night dinner. This place is so cute...very cool/romantic vibe. Lots of people here on dates. The bread basket is very good, and they give olive oil/vinegar to dip it in. I ordered the gnocchi, which was probably the best I have ever tried. It looked hand-rolled and like it was made that day. The red sauce was so decadent and fresh. It came with a few crumbles of a feta type cheese. At the end, we also split a tiramisu, which was really good. Note that they only take cash, so come prepared! read more

Checked in at La Viola on Sunday night on a reccomendation. Living in the Bronx for 4 years, I grew quite fond of the casual Italian restaurants in the neighborhood. La Viola had that feel. This place proves that you don;t need fancy dishes and cutlery to get the point across. What's the point? Serve homestyle Italian comfort food. This place was a little pricey, but in my eyes worth it. Another CASH ONLY BYOB, i'm willing to pay a few extra bucks to stuff my face if i dont have to pay for the vino. We started with the antipasta and the mushrooms. The mushrooms were delicious, several different types cooked in a savory brown butter sauce. For my primera i had the Ravioli alla Viola, which was a Lobster Ravioli in a pink sauce. It was great, not too heavy, not too fishy, but could still taste the lobster in the sauce. My date had the Orriechete, which came in a brown butter and mushroom sauce with sausage, and that was very savory and filling. For the secundi we split the special, which was a rack of lamb covered in fontina cheese over polenta and zucchini. This was SO GOOD. Smothered in cheese, drizzled with a red wine demi-glace, It was perfect. For dessert we split a tiramisu, and i could barely walk out to the cab. Definitely pulled a Tony Soprano after this meal and unbuttoned the top button of my pants when i sat down to watch tv. read more

If you want to have a pleasant conversation over a delicious meal and some wine, then this is not a place you're looking for. If, however, you and your group of friends are looking for a family style dinner full of shouting, elbowing and all around merry, reckless time, La Viola may just be the place. Ambience: well there isn't really any...it's a room with high ceilings, minimal air circulation and filled to its maximum capacity, especially on Friday and Saturday night. If you are looking to enjoy yourself, I would recommend coming here on a weekday a little before happy hour. Food: the food was amazing. I ordered chicken Marsala and every bite was like wrapping yourself in a warm fuzzy blanket on a cold wither night while listening to dry crackle of wood in the fireplace. It was everything you expect a good Italian meal to be. The tiramisu was pretty good, but I've been fortunate to have had better. I took off 2 stars for the calamari and mussels. Prior to coming here, I've heard and read rave reviews about the food so my expectations about the calamari were pretty high. It was kick-you-in-the-crotch, spit-on-your-neck-fantastic. In other words, it was among the worst I've ever had. There was a very pungent smell to it and it was so burnt that all you could taste was burnt smoke. Anyhow, that was a disappointment. Mussels were too salty and more than half of the shells were empty...so not too hot on this appetizer either. As you can see, I had a mixed experience, hence the 3 stars, if there was an option, I'd give 2, but chicken Marsala and tiramisu outweigh the awful calamari and mussels... Overall, the food, ambiance and service give you a feel of a casual nonchalant evening to be spent with your close ones. read more

Came here with a couple friends for Center City restaurant week. As previous reviewers had mentioned, though I had made a reservation a week in advance, the hostess seemed to have no evidence of that. We did end up waiting another 15-20 min before we were able to be seated, but seeing as the place was absolutely packed it didn't seem too unreasonable. I found the decor to be a bit lacking. I've seen Olive Garden's that looked more warm and inviting. Also, for some reason we happened to be dining alongside the LOUDEST PEOPLE ON EARTH. I might as well have been sitting right in front of the speakers at a death metal concert. My ears were literally ringing all night and into the next day. The menu was quite extensive for a restaurant week deal. There were maybe 4-5 options for each course. After being seated we were presented with a basket of warm delicious bread. For first course I ordered the antipasto which was great, but way too big for a one person appetizer. Next I had the mushroom appetizer, which again, very tasty but way too much! I feel very conflicted about complaining about too much food, but for a 4 course menu, the portions seemed off to me. I was only able to eat about half of the mushroom plate which made the waitstaff think I didn't like it. After all that bread and appetizer build up, I was pretty underwhelmed by the main course. I ordered the chicken with shrimp in a lemon vinaigrette. The shrimp was cooked perfectly had tasted very fresh, but the sauce was too acidic for my liking, and the dish overall was just average. For dessert I had chocolate fudge cake with coffee. Overall, my dining experience here was just okay. Other than the bread and the antipasto, there wasn't anything that really stood out for me. read more

My wife and came across this place quite by accident and were delighted by the service and the food. We were seated outside on the sidewalk and were served a marvelous meal in a short period of time, which was perfect for us since we were going to a show nearby. The wait staff was attentive and the food was served hot and was tasty. We will definitely return when we have a bit more time to enjoy the atmosphere and area. read more

The food was amazing, although a tad overpriced (but let's be honest, most Italian places are). I feel torn. Positives: - The hostess was a sweetheart. She managed to squeeze us in without a reservation and was nice about it even though they were frantic inside. - The waiters were very attentive and made sure our bread basket and water glasses were always full. They regularly checked in on us. - The lobster ravioli was delicious. The sauce was amazing, and the pasta tasted fresh. I didn't taste too much lobster, so... eh? But it was still amazing. $15 - My friend's gnocci was good. A little dry but the texture was great. All pastas are home made and you can tell. $11 - Baby spinach salad was delicious with apples, goat cheese, and tomatoes. My only problem was that it was $9.50 for a small plate. Negatives?: - It's a nice place. We felt a bit underdressed (even though we were nice casual) and were surrounded by pretentious patrons, including one older woman who was on a date and felt the need to butt into my conversation and ask whether or not I was on a date (no, but how is that any of your business?). She then proceeds to tell me she's in marketing and that she saw my friend texting and wanted to know if we were on a date. WTF? She also spent the entire evening talking about how much money she had, how nice her jewelry was, and how she was a sophisticated woman in her 20s.... Um... Anyway, I digress... - The restaurant is TINY. TINNNYYYY. You will be sitting elbow to elbow with your neighbors because your tables are enjoined. There is simply no space to sit comfortably and they pack the room. - The waiters were nice overall but one guy had a rude attitude and clearly only paid attention to the other tables with "attractive" girls. Good food. Not a good experience. I'll have to come back to reassess. read more

La Viola was... Ok. Came here because Monk's had a long wait. They served decent Italian food, and guess what? Mussels too! Price was ok, food was ok. Basically, it's an ok place. There are two locations on the same street, on the same block. So, if one is full, try the other. It's good for large parties b/c it can accommodate, and there's mostly always space between the two restaurants! read more