Highlly recommend this restaurant
Delicious food reasonavly priced. Good service. Along with an excellent menu and its already famous ice creams, the coffee is the best we've tasted in Philadelphia
I found the menu kinda confusing and hard to follow....the food is great but the portions are set up more like tapas.... smaller portions .....which is good if you want to try a little of this and a little bit of that.....not what I'm accoustomed to.....this wait staff is fast and friendly and willing to explain the menu and portions.....the food is good but the restaurant gets kinda loud....the dessert are excellent actually better that the food... sorry...but the gelato was fantastic and the chocolate mousse was even better..... good place but there is better in Philly
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One of the best Italian restaurants in Philadelphia, in my opinion. I stopped by for a quick dinner at 4 pm on a Tuesday and got seated immediately. The interior is clean and modern looking. I don't really care about tables or interior designs much as I emphasize on food quality, but their tables have pockets on the sides to place purses, small jackets, phones, and misc. stuff in. That definitely solves the awkward "stuff your crap on this chair/side of the booth/on the floor".
I had the Fritto Misto appetizer, Linguine Al Granchio, and Gnocchio. Each and every dish tasted like real Italian food. I mean yeah, I've never been Italy and my Vietnamese household certainly don't make Italian food on the regular, but my taste buds don't lie when comparing to other Italian restaurants and having Italian dishes from Italian immigrant friends. Oh and they give you unlimited bread and such.
If you are someone that wants more meat on their pasta dish, I'd suggest Pappardelle al ragu Aquilano or Tagliatelle Alla Panna. Otherwise, ask your servers. They are more than happy to describe you dishes and give you recommendations based on what you want, especially if you're overwhelmed with the menu.
Whoever my server was (long hair, beard, brunette, male), you're awesome. Overall, totally recommend this restaurant.
After a devastating 2009 earthquake destroyed their restaurant and an unfortunate portion of the city of L'Aquila, Italy, brothers Riccardo and Gigio Longo opened up Gran Caffe L'Aquila in the Rittenhouse area. And once you exit the bustle of 17th and Chestnut and enter their establishment, it's as if you're transported to a proper Italian cafe, replete with stellar gelati, panini to go, and cappucino. That's not to say that a proper dine-in menu isn't available, but much of the fanfare surrounding Gran Caffe L'Aquila has centered around their gelati.
Found it on google search for Italian coffee Philadelphia. It does not disappoint! Great find! Full bar, food&wine choices great. Tons of coffee, tea, fresh pastries and desserts- you cannot go wrong here. It pretty much rules.
The dinners we shared were as delicious as those we had at a family restaurant in Italy, and the service was exceptional. The veal saltimbocca and side of broccoli was excellent, the gnocchi was perfect, the antipasti were all amazing, and saving room for dessert is essential.
Very authentic and delicious Italian restaurant and caffe. The Caffe on the bottom level has amazing Italian espresso and gelato. The restaurant upstairs is beautiful and has a full menu featuring specials each week based on regional cuisine of different Italain cities. Flavors evocative of my trip to Italy! Try the arrosticini and the octopus...
The dinner was amazing. I had grilled octopus ,Aranchini and spaghetti and clams. Save room for dessert. Service was brilliant
Delicious Italian restaurant right in the heart of Center City. Best service in the city. Staff was so awesome, always asking if we needed anything, spoke to us in Italian. Food was excellent and came out quickly. Shout out to our server Tina and manager Chris.
The place is legit. There is a reason people wait in line for hours to get in. Prices are very reasonable for the area and they seem to use fresh ingredients. Coffee bar staff can be a bit dismissal but our table waiter was phenomenal. Overall, great experience and will definitely be back.
Tha is what we call Italian restaurant.
Don't skip this place if you are around.
Food is simply amazing,service was extraordinary, thank you Tina for taking care of us.
In this restaurant you feel are in Italy.
Food is out of discussion,super nice, quality amazing.
Thank you for having me here.
We have brought numerous groups to Gran Caffe L'Aquila over the years. Their consistent delivery of high-quality service, authentic food, and beautiful ambiance cannot be found elsewhere. The many corporate dinners, birthdays, networking events, and bachelor(ette) parties that we have hosted at this restaurant have all raved about their experience and were eager to return again on their own. Food is delicious, with large portions, and very affordable pricing.
I had the bread pudding italiano which had a totally different name on the menu but it was Nutella bread pudding with banana and Vanilla Gelato. The dessert was excellent and our friends enjoyed their desserts and drinks. The service was enjoyable as our server recommended dessert drinks to go with our choice of treats. Excellent experience overall.
Amazing place, one of those if you blink while on the street and you have missed it, but once you walk in it turns into a culinary experience.
First the menu is authentic, the Carbonara is as good as it gets, the Boars meatballs are to die for and the Gelato, ough the Gelato. You should not walk out of here without trying at least two scoops of gelato and believe me you will only want more and keep on going back for more.
We also had a problem with our records once we got home and they were amazing at helping us, by sending us our receipts right away.
Thank goodness I was able to make a reservation for 8 with just an hour notice on a Sunday night! My party was from out of town and none of us had eaten here before, but we were looking forward to good food, drinks and conversation and this restaurant delivered perfectly! We ordered a variety of appetizers, my favorite was the crab cake with the roasted red pepper gilatto. The cocktails were very good and our server Paulo was accommodating, funny and very attentive. The Zuppa de Pesce was incredible and then the dessert gilatto to finish was the most delicious I've ever had. I can't even review every dish we shared except to say that every person at the table loved the variety, presentation and flavors of what we chose. We arrived at 5:30 and left after 9:30, never feeling rushed and the night ended with nothing but satisfaction and compliments. Thank you for a memorable evening!
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Borro was probably one of the best hosts/ managers I’ve ever encountered in the business. He treated me like family, the rich history of this place dates back 30 plus years the Longo family has some of the best recipes this side of the pond. Authentic old world cuisines with modern day twists. It’s like transporting you back to the early bistro days where one felt at home when you came to eat there. The staff is simply put some of the best in tbe business. I felt the magic of the original Italian bistro there. The seasonal dishes the fresh seafood the mussels red were just as good as the other dishes they served. The linguine di mare red sauce was perfect Al dente pasta literally just melts on your tongue. The buttery gelato flights are masterfully made in-house by authentic Italian hands. The wines by the bottle are moderately priced so have one if you’re going to drink more than two glasses. The tiramisu was made fresh and had some great texture with a signature cappuccino. I didn’t want to leave the place at all but my meter was close to running out. I’ll come back Again’ can’t thank your staff enough for the love I felt right from the door. It’s a hidden gem in mid city that people need to know about. I highly recommend this place , the mercato italiano is an added bonus pick up some wine cheese and gelato or any desert of
Your choosing you can’t go wrong with this place. I want to thank everyone for making my experience and first time there so memorable next time I’ll come with a party of 6 or more it’s just worth it!
This is such a great place- cheerful, service oriented, and cozy due to the way the dining rooms are broken up. Tables are nicely spaced to afford a bit of privacy. ..And the food! It’s delicious with top notch ingredients served at perfect temperature with attention to detail.
The retail area has some of the most interesting and high quality products from Italy. Go and enjoy!
I enjoyed a delicious lunch of two antipasti: carciofi fritti (flash-fried artichoke hearts) and melanzana parmigiana (eggplant, ricotta, and mozzarella over tomato sauce). Of course, I had to end the meal with a pistachio gelato, and it was spectacular and elegantly served. Great atmosphere, including a large retail display of Italian specialty grocery items. Shout-out to Katie for excellent service—she was friendly and attentive throughout the meal and even provided some history about the restaurant.
One of my favorite places in town! Their carbonara is the best one I've ever had! They have all dining options: casual first floor, formal second floor, and dog-friendly outdoor seating. Amazing dessert options too! I highly recommend it if you haven't tried!
Fantastic! The food was absolutely divine. The service was great and our waiter suggested fantastic dishes.
Best gelato I've ever tasted!
Really creative Italian restaurant with bar, caffe, bakery, gelato. We came in looking for a place for a coffee and ice cream in the area while staying at a local hotel.
they had a couple of high tables in the bar area, which we grabbed one, and four of us enjoyed a cup of cappuccino and some yummy Gelato! I went with the chery and cream and half chocolate. Amazing flavor! My wife went with mint chocolate, and our friends shared a Creme Brulee. Really smoth and delicious!
What made the experience better was the staff all poke to you in Italian. even if they did not speak it, they welcomed you and thanked you in Italian. Gracie por tuti!
I visited this place especially to try tiramisu. Visited this place just for desserts and coffee. Will surely visit again to try their food. Classic tiramisu was really good, my most favorite was affogato we tried it with salted Carmel gelato.
We tried chocolate mousse and ricotta cheesecake. Over all the service was quick and staff was really polite and friendly. They were really sweet about me having my cat out, my cat definitely loved all the attention. I really loved the whole ambience, would love to visit this place again. Also they have loads of things to buy instore which is something I would like to explore when I am there next time.
Absolutely incredible food and service. There are not a lot of places you can go with a young child and get treated well but this is one of them. The food was incredible. The service was top notch. I highly recommend eating here!
Listen, there’s Italian-American food, and there’s ITALIAN food. Gran Caffe L’Aquila is a legit Italian restaurant and bar. One of my all-time absolute favorite spots! The experienced baristas are legit Calabrian and Roman. They know their stuff. The coffees are superb. The gelatos are award-winning out of this f**** world. The wines and cocktails are no less impressive. This appetizers are wonderful, the olive oil is high quality, the pasta dishes are delicate and not too heavy. It’s like nothing on the menu sucks. Everything just tastes amazing. I don’t even know what to recommend because everything tastes great. 5/5 stars without skipping a beat. I come here with my gf regularly and we’re coming again soon. For best experience, request high top table. You get a great vibe with a good view of the bar. Highly highly recommend!
My second time here, I love the service and Italian gelato were great.
Also, this week you can get restaurant week experience
We visited for the Fall restaurant week and our overall experience with this place was happy. Since I'm not a big fan of pasta or Italian food person, I choose this place because of its vibe and gelato!! I really loved their "Valentino" (chocolate covered strawberry) the most and it's perfectly sweeten but not too sweet! I will definitely go back to try their other gelato. Their pasta and meatball were just okay but I was surprised by their lamb skewer (juicy & tender)! The people serve in the restaurant and gelato were all super nice (unlike other typical European restaurants in Philly haha). Always reserve a table before you go because this place is ALWAYS BUSY! If you're an Italian food lover or gelato lover, highly recommend to try this place as your treat to yourself or as brunch/dinner date.
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