FAN-tastic dinner. Came in from LA with family who brought us here and we immediately felt at home. Concetta and family took care of us! Mussels, Gorgonzola salad, shrimp scampi, chicken parmesan, cavatelli, salmon - all of it was incredible. They told us their cheesecake is amazing and they were NOT lying - make sure you get it. Everyone dines here, young and old, and the whole restaurant has such a warm vibe. Do yourself a favor and join them. read more

Found this place on Yelp and decided to give it a try while my parents were visiting from Korea and craving Italian food. The ambiance was lively and welcoming. The food was fantastic and my parents were incredibly pleased with both the taste and quality. To top it off, the owner personally came out to check on us and even treated us to a complimentary cheesecake when I told them about their upcoming anniversary. Highly recommend! read more

I popped by Ristorante Pesto on a friday evening, looking for a bite to eat since it's close to Society Hill Dance Studio's Latin DJ night. Went in table for one, no reservations, and there was no wait even though it was pretty packed at 8:30pm. It feels really homey here, the front lady was super sweet! She recommended their gnocchi flight, but I ended up getting their Black Ink dish, I think it was one of the two most popular dishes here. I'm also a huge sucker for homemade squid ink pasta and theirs was delicious, nice flavor, and generous with the seafood. It was one of the rare times where I finished the entire plate of food! Service was a bit on the slower side, mostly because it seemed pretty bustling, but everyone was very nice. Would come back again to try another pasta dish! read more

Ristorante Pesto - Menu - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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This place was really fun for a girls' dinner. It was loud and boisterous so we fit in just fine. The service was a little delayed but the server herself was absolutely lovely and clearly stretched thin. Plus it gave us more quality time so we really didn't mind waiting a bit. The food was sadly just okay for me. The chicken saltimbocca was to die for but I guess I messed up trying to have a classic of chicken Alfredo. It was a bit bland and I think all our dishes needed salt. The viral gnocchi sampler was delicious of course. I liked it. I might need to come back to try again because the vibes were so right! read more

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A group of 6 of us stopped by last night and had an incredible meal. The space is massive, clean and well lit. Their staff does a great job of clearing tables and checking in for drink refills. Our server Gianna was lovely, she was so well informed on the dishes and provided some really great recommendations. The shrimp wrapped in bacon and pastry was so delicious, and we otherwise would not have gotten it if she didn't recommend it so highly We saw the gnocchi flights all over social media and had to try it. We got the blush, pesto and gorganzola sauces and they were incredible. Each sauce was so delicious and the gnochii was so pillowly and cooked perfectly. The chicken parm was also crispy and came out beautiful. Everything pictured below was truly delicious. While we we're stuffed by the time dessert came around, it was worth it. The homemade ricotta cheesecakes was easily one of the best desserts I've ever had at a restaurant. It's made in house with a family recipe and it shows. It was so flavorful and creamy. Overall, it was a fantastic meal and we felt really well taken care of. Will be back soon!! read more

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I was highly recommended this restaurant and I was not disappointed. The cavatelli was amazing with a perfect amount of pasta and seafood. I loved the sauce on it as well. We also ordered the burrata and I really liked the sauce and prosciutto. The smores espresso martini could've used more vodka but it was delicious. The service was amazing. The owner was so friendly and went over the entire menu with us and was very thoughtful towards my friend who is gluten free. (There's gluten free penne and gnocchi.) the vibes are very homey and I will make sure to return in the future read more

Ristorante Pesto - Cavatelli - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Everything was awesome. It's a classic family style Italian restaurant with extra emphasis on the word "Family". It's run by a family and they really treat you like one. Wonderful people with great food and a fascinating selection of drinks. The chicken francese is the best I've had in Philly. The bruschetta is so good. The gnocchi flight is a feast for the eyes and taste buds. And be sure to check out the drink specials. Prices were very fair and you will come out of here very satisfied and excited about the next visit. Do attend! read more

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These desserts were some of the best I've ever had. My favorites were the ricotta cheesecake and pistachio creme brûlée. We also split the iconic gnocchi flight and I think my favorite was the pesto sauce! The staff was also so friendly and made us feel like we were part of their family. read more

Ristorante Pesto - Dessert - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

The food, service & staff are amazing The food, service & staff are amazing The food, service & staff are amazing read more

The restaurant has been here for a long time. The balsamic stewed carrots as an opener are unlike anything you've ever tasted before with fresh bread. Polivr oil salt pepper and some hot flakes it's an excellent starter, but don't stop there continue with the specials or the chicken parm. The branzino is my go to woodruff every cent. The sauces here are very well made from scratch. One can't go wrong with the menu Selections. A family owned business for at least several generations. read more

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Went here with some friends and it was great! Staff was great, recommending great dishes to us. Food was good, some of the best gnocchi I have ever had. Valentines drinks were also fun! Overall great experience read more

Ristorante Pesto - Margaritas - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Incredible service from staff and stopping by for friendly chats. You know a place is authentic and has been around for a reason when everyone there was middle aged to older Caucasians. Really enjoyed the clam with garlic and olive oil pasta, but everything else was on the more standard side read more

Ristorante Pesto - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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What a divine experience we had dining at Pesto for the first time. It's days later and still thinking about our experience! The cavatelli and chicken parmesan actually made me feel nostalgic! Seriously haven't had cavatelli like that since my Aunt Milly, so many years ago. Do not get me started on the gnocchi. Seriously like pillows from heaven. The only sin here, is that we haven't tried it sooner. Looking forward to returning with family to share the joy we experienced Sat night. read more

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Several of us had placed a very large group order, and the DoorDash driver only grabbed one bag of the food when he arrived, and then left behind more than half of the order, refusing to help us. We were of course shocked but luckily we called Pesto directly and Stacey personally delivered the rest of our order to my home a few blocks away and was incredibly kind and understanding about the whole situation. Needless to say the customer service here is phenomenal and the food was so amazing it made it all worth while. I will 100% be coming back to eat here in person soon and hopefully a lot more times in the future!! read more

Ristorante Pesto is frequently listed as one of the best places to eat in Philadelphia. Even though I love Italian food, I am usually disappointed with many restaurants that claim to serve high quality pasta. Well, I am so glad I chose to visit for dinner because the food was phenomenal! I made reservations for 5pm on a Friday (yes, you must call since there are no online reservations). I ordered the Eggplant Rollatini and Cavatelli at the recommendation of my server. The Eggplant Rollatini was decadent! Tender eggplant was filled with gooey mozzarella and ricotta, wilted spinach and topped with a rich milky rose sauce. The Cavatelli, the restaurant's most popular dish, lived up to the hype. Soft savory lightly doughy pasta was mixed with tender briny crab, meaty shrimp, flakey lobster and topped with the same rose sauce as the eggplant. The Rose sauce made the dishes and is one of the best sauces I have ever had. The portions were also massive! I could barely eat half of what I had ordered. Please do yourself a favor and make reservations to Ristorante Pesto ASAP! read more

Ristorante Pesto - Eggplant Rollatini - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I love this place. I've been a few times over the years and am finally writing this review. The owners are extremely kind and treat everyone like family. Even thoughout our ~1.5 hour dinner, we were able to watch the servers go around the room and interact with everyone and greet their regulars - this creates such a joyful atmosphere. The food is very good as well - I've gotten the chicken parm, alfredo, gnocchi flight, burrata, and everything was great. The ambiance was bustling on a Friday night and was the perfect amount of liveliness I needed. read more

This is my second time here and I can't speak highly enough about this restaurant. I came here last year on a business trip and fell in love with the food, but more importantly the atmosphere. It is family owned and operated and you feel like you're at the dinner table with the family. The daughter was our waitress and she was quite the character. Mom greeted us at the door and her outer beauty was matched even more by her inner beauty. I cannot recommend this place enough. If you're looking for a family environment, excellent Italian food, and just an overall wonderful evening come and dine at the table with the family. read more

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Really enjoyed my experience here, as we came with a large party and had a table just to the left of the main entrance that felt private so we could all talk and not feel like we were disturbing other guests. All the staff were friendly and explained the specials to us, as well as made recommendations to order. We shared a ton of appetizers - calamari, crab stuff mushrooms, eggplant rollatini, bruschetta - all of which were excellent! I loved that the eggplant and mushrooms were served in their blush sauce. At the recommendation of who I assume is the owner, I ordered the chicken parm in the blush sauce which was perfect! Cutlet was crispy, cheesy, and saucy. However, I wasn't a fan of the meat entrees being served with spinach and potatoes, as the spinach was flavorless and was better suited to just be mixed into the sauce or pasta if you had it and eaten, and the potatoes left more to be desired. I would have preferred a small side of pasta without the up-charge for $6, as you can't substitute the veggies for pasta and have to "add on" to an already $22-$30 entree. Overall, a very enjoyable experience and had fun spending 3 hours here for our dinner! They do offer BYOB but have bottles of wine to order and can order drinks from the bar as well. read more

Ristorante Pesto - Pollo Parmigiana - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Hands down do not have enough positive things to say about this restaurant. Connie was wonderful and introduced us to John her husband who is the chef! A great family vibe, with amazing quality food and the best service! We loved it here and will most definitely be back! I didn't get a picture but the chicken parm, bruschetta and gnocchi trio were to die for! Can't go wrong here! read more

Took my mom out for an early Mother's Day dinner with my sister in law Saturday night. We had the most amazing time!! Our server Gianna was so sweet and hilarious. The food was to die for as always and the vibes are always 10/10. Don't walk RUNNN there for your next night out / dinner. read more

Went for the first time with my cousins tonight and dinner was amazing! Service was great too. Highly recommend for an Italian BYO!! We loved contessa so much read more

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Delicious food, beautifully prepared, with no pretention or snobbishness. As homey and comfortable a place as you could find, with kind wait staff and an owner who confirmed our reservation herself, checked in with us several times during the meal, and said good night to us as though she were our mother. We will be back again and again. read more

If you're looking for a place that feels like South Philly at its best, Pesto is it. From the second you walk in, you can tell this is a family-owned spot that genuinely cares. The hospitality is next level; they treat their customers like gold, in that warm, effortless way that makes you feel less like a diner and more like a regular, even on your first visit. The food? Consistently excellent. Everything is thoughtfully prepared, full of flavor, and clearly made with pride. On top of that, the prices are more than fair, especially for the quality you're getting, which is rare these days. in my opinion, you've got a restaurant that checks every box. Pesto isn't just a meal, it's an experience, and one that keeps you coming back. South Philly gem, through and through read more

I had my Birthday celebration here and it was wonderful!! The food was amazing, the atmosphere great and the staff were so wonderful and welcoming! We had a large party of 17 and they were able to accommodate us perfectly. The owner Concetta made us feel so special and personally talked to each on of us. Loved it and will definitely be going back! read more

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Ristorante Pesto added the extra special touch we needed for a friends reunion! The food, service and vibe was over the top! Conchetta, John, Eric and the entire team know how to treat their guests with warmth and hospitality! Not only is the food sumptuous but the Pesto team treats you like VIP's! The vibe was energetic like you were eating in your mother's kitchen! The appetizers were delicious, and entrees fabulous! Oh and how can I forget about the cheesecake! We actually stayed until closing.... We didn't want to leave! read more

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My wife and I are in Philly for a brief vacation and I wanted to eat authentic Italian food - like I remember from my college days 50 years. Ago. This restaurant was 100% perfect! It isn't a flashy restaurant - it is as old school Italian as you can get. Ristorante Pesto was exactly what we were looking for! We split the chicken parmigiana for dinner and it was wonderful. The best part was the authentic tomato sauce. Rich and slightly acidic and great with the chicken and pasta. We started with the puffed shrimp appetizer - shrimp wrapped in bacon and deep fried along with a honey mustard sauce. It was delicious. For dessert we had authentic ricotta cheesecake. We can't get this in California and it was delicious. Slightly grainy - not super creamy - and with a nice soft little crust. I can't wait to come back to Ristorante Pesto in my next visit to Philadelphia. read more

Wonderful place to gather with our family of 7 for delicious pasta, apps, and dessert! We are big fans of the Chicken Parmesan (with red and cream sauce) and the house wines! Delicious bread and crab filled portobello appetizer. The owners and servers are delightful and welcoming! Take your people and go have a great night out! read more

1st of all the owner of this place is such an amazing bubbly woman that makes this wonderful restaurant so warm and welcoming. The food was spot on the best Italian cuisine ever!!! It's so tasty that it makes you want to clear out your plate till there's no sauce left on it. Every dish that we from the appetizer all the way down to our dessert was so impressively delicious. Our waitress was very helpful, attentive and friendly. It explains why this place had every table filled with happy family and friends enjoying each other's company. This will definitely be my go to place on my next visit from Florida. Reservation fills up fast. I would advise to book In advance. Thank you to this wonderful hidden gem that makes you feel like part of their family and leaving with a HAPPY Belly!!! Aloha till we meet again!! read more

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You know it is quite the dining experience when I cannot wait more than 12 hours to write the 5 star review! Ristorante Pesto is so special. It isn't a "hidden gem" per se, but I wouldn't have known about this family-owned and operated spot on Broad near Passyunk had my Aunt not sent me a gift certificate for a recent celebration. I am forever grateful she did her research as my boyfriend and I's Valentine's Day experience here was perfect start to finish. To start, making a reservation couldn't have been easier and they were lovingly able to squeeze us in at 8:30pm with not much notice. Reservations are recommended as this is a hot spot, but that they were able to accomodate us on Valentine's Day at ALL was a total surprise and delight. Speaking of surprise and delight? Host with the most (and co-owner Concetta) had heart shaped chocolate boxes for all of the couples upon arrival. An act of hospitality like that doesn't take much, but really sends the message that you love and care about your customers. That message is weaved into the fabric of this restaurant from the staff that feels like a family to the food to the ambiance and beyond. But the FOOD? WOW. Bruschetta, burrata, the famous seafood cavatelli, and chicken parm were all ordered and there was not one miss. I especially loved the bruschetta which was super simple but refreshing and reminded me of my time in Florence. The Cavatelli is the can't miss dish and my chicken parm was served with potatoes and beans which I appreciated as a departure from the usual pasta. You just HAVE to make a reservation and go. If you were raised in an Italian family and miss the experience of the more classic or dare I say "old school" dining experience (me!), you can find it here. We brought a bottle of red wine, though they do have cocktails and a full bar for your enjoyment as well. Choose your own adventure imbibing! Thank you SO much to the team at Pesto for making this night so memorable. I can't wait to return, bring my parents and other out of town guests, and share the Pesto magic far and wide. read more

Ristorante Pesto - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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To begin, Concetta is an amazing, welcoming, generous host. The atmosphere is lively, upbeat and all the servers are stellar. They are good at their job, know the menu, good personalities and really seem to enjoy working there. We have never been disappointed with the food here. Top quality, delicious food. We love it here! read more

Coming back for a second review of this absolute gem of a place. Went to dinner here last night and it was nothing short of absolutely delicious and just fantastic all around. I made my reservation with Connie and she was a doll! She was so nice as I had to originally make a change from Saturday to Friday, and she was accommodating especially since this place gets soo crowded. Reservation definitely recommended. Our server was Eric and he was great! We had the chicken marsala and veal francese and then gnocchi trio flight- which was absolutely delicious! All the food was perfectly proportioned and the flavors were out of this world. The sauces were some of the best I have ever had. I texted a friend about Pesto while we were there and said we needed to bring them here. Even though it's crowded, it's friendly , beautifully lit and comfortable! Truly great ambiance. I love that you were able to bring your own wine as well. That is a true we're fine in South Philly and extremely appreciated.. Thank you Pesto family for a delicious and wonderful dinner we will be back! Thank you Connie for all your help! read more

Ristorante Pesto - Gnocchi flight trio- creamy rose sauce, Gorgonzola sauce and pesto - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Our favorite go-to Italian in S. Philly. This family operation has a long menu, the food is first rate, friendly service--you'll be known and even more warmly welcomed every time you return. It can be crowded and you may have to wait a bit for your reservation. We tend to go on a week day night and after 7:30 it opens up a bit. BYOB is a huge plus but there is also a bar (not really to sit at, but liquor, wine, beer is available) too. There's also a separate room that would seat perhaps 20. We had our group cruise get-to-know each other there several years ago. Wonderful people and food. Appetizers are shareable and there's complimentary wonderful balsamic carrots and bread at the start. read more

They have great food They have great service There is reasonable pricing wide selection on menu Italian neighborhood mood/ambience read more

This place never disappoints. Our group of 10, including my aunt visiting from Rome, had dinner at Pesto last night and everyone left fully satisfied. We ordered a bunch of appetizers served family style and each one was better than the next. The crab salad special of the night was a standout. Other highlights were the calamari which were crispy and not chewy, and the eggplant rollatini which are always a favorite of mine. For my entree I ordered the cavatelli - there is a reason it's award winning. My husband had the stuffed veal chop which he said was amazing. Portions are generous - and I can't wait to have the rest of my cavatelli for lunch. The veal chop was so big that even my husband brought home leftovers. Although this place has a liquor license, they also allow you to BYOB which is unheard of. But even more so than the food, the reason we keep coming back is because we are treated like family. Our servers Gianna & Sabrina were super attentive, as always, and Connie always welcomes us as if she is welcoming us into her home and inviting us to sit down and eat at the family table. Although I no longer live in South Philly, I keep coming back, and have turned quite a few people onto this gem. (I intended to take more pictures of our food, but we were too busy enjoying it) read more

Ristorante Pesto - Espresso martini - Italian Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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One of the best food and staff in Philly. The free balsamic carrots are great so are the eggplant appetizers and the braggiole is wonderful!! read more

I literally just re-downloaded this app just to write about this restaurant. We just flew into town and were looking for somewhere to eat by our hotell. I stumbled on when I tried Googling "pesto" to find somewhere that serves pesto. The pictures on the reviews looked so significantly better than anything in our immediate area, and we got a Lyft over to try it. I am soooo glad we did! Absolutely everything was great, from the ambiance to the service to everything we ate. We tried the (forgive the spelling) eggplant rollitini (stuffed eggplant rolls), insalata de pere (pear salad), gnocchi trio, pollo di parmesiana (chicken parmesan), cannoli, pistachio gelato, Reese's explosion cake, and the cheesecake, and there were carrots and bread to start. Every single bite was delicious. I'm a big back. Never before have I been so excited to eat carrots! I mopped up some of that sauce from the carrots with the bread, and I had to stop myself from just eating that and filling up before the food came because it was so good. In fact, most of our plates were literally wiped clean by the end. I was pretty stuffed and ordered dessert to go, but the owner convinced us to try the cheesecake, her mother's recipe. Good Lawd Hands down the best cheesecake I've ever had. My youngest doesn't usually even like cheesecake, I said, "just try a bite"...ended up eating over half of it lol. I truly cannot say enough. Everyone was so friendly and helpful, such a great environment, loved the decorations and music, and every single bite of the food was amazing! This was a great dinner, great way to start our trip, great intro to the City of Brotherly Love, great way to celebrate a birthday. Highly recommend! read more

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Have gone to this establishment for 5 years. Conchetta, the owner is so friendly you feel like you are at her home. The food is exceptional. Stuffed steak and the stuffed lamb chop are delicious( this is what I always get). It doesn't matter what you get, It is always delicious. Wait staff cannot do enough for you, they are so attentive to all your needs. This is a must go place! read more

Haven't been here in years. Food was exactly how I remembered. The calamari was fried to perfection, the veal melted in my mouth. read more

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When in Philly we new we had to get Italian at least once and the friends we were staying with told us we had to go to Ristorante Pesto and we were so glad we did. We made a reservation for 6:30PM on a Saturday. Our friends also told us that you can bring your own wine and that they don't have a corking fee which is unheard of now a days. When we arrived we were greeted upon walking in and taken to our table. Our server was extremely friendly and so was the whole staff that we interacted with. I will say when we were hear we really felt like family. Hmmmmm why does that sound familiar. They started us off with free bread and Balsamic Carrots which were very good and a first for me. We of course got started with apps and we went with a couple. First the Puffed Shrimp which are wrapped in bacon, puff pastry served with a honey dijon mustard sauce. Clearly this was my pick. As Ron Swanson would say ""my No. 1 favorite food, wrapped around my No. 3 favorite food". You gotta love it. They were cooked perfectly and the Honey Mustard Sauce we great. Could see this being an entrée at another restaurant Next was the Eggplant Rollatini which is Stuffed with spinach, ricotta, and mozzarella in a rose sauce. I know this doesn't sound like something I would go for but it was pretty good. The only issue was had with it was it was just lukewarm and for sure could have been hotter but still good. Last was the Burrata with smoked prosciutto, sun-dried tomatoes, drizzled with a balsamic reduction. Did you really get Italian if you didn't get Burrata? I also love that it comes with prosciutto which I love. I made sure to put it all on some of the bread. Really made it for me. As soon as I looked at the menu I knew was I was going to get and it had to be the Cavatelli. I love homemade Cavatelli and this comes with all my seafood loves, lobster, shrimp, and crabmeat in a rose sauce. Yeah that had my name all over it. Once it came out it looked great and I got into it. It was loaded with seafood and the pasta was clearly homemade. I will say it was very rich but I did my best to eat as much of it as I could. This was also a very big serving for the price of $29. This is for sure worth it! I also got to try Ashley's Gnocchi in a gorgonzola sauce. My favorite way to have Gnocchi. The gnocchi was for sure homemade and the gorgonzola sauce was nice and thick. I will say you can't go wrong going to Ristorante Pesto. No corking fee, great fresh and homemade pasta, plus some of the best staff I have even seen in a restaurant. This would for sure be a place I would come back too and I am very jealous you Philly locals can enjoy Ristorante Pesto anytime. read more

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We made a reservation for a party of three. My wife and I have been here many times but we wanted to share this restaurant with our neighbor who has never been. We were greeted with open arms as usual by Concetta the owner and her daughter Gianna, then Johnny also came to the table to say hello. The food was exceptional as always, the service was superb, and the ambience is the home away from home in South Philly. We will be back. I highly recommend Pesto, who go above and beyond to make sure your experience is nothing but the best. read more