La Fontana Della Citta

First floor experience is wonderful. Would avoid the basement. Very dreary.

Reviewed on Opentable

Went there last night with a party at 4. We were promptly seated at our reservation. Had the penne alla vodka was one of the best in the city. BYOB which is always a plus. Will be back to try the special lobster ravioli. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Ok let me explain that the bad reviews are from people who are not familiar with Philadelphia and it's fabled service. Suck it up and enjoy the abrupt in your face atteetoood and experience local folk. We were treated exceptionally even though we waited 30 min past our reservation (7:45 on a Saturday after the Ballet ) due to the lingerers who chatted away when done. ( more on that below) The place is relatively small and very popular. BYOB, homemade pasta and sauces (red gravy if you're from south philly) so waits can be expected. That and BYO means rude people can sit for a long while drinking for free and not get up to let the (very) long line of people with hunger pangs. Shame on them, not the management. Prices are cheap for Rittenhouse, if you want bargain basement priced head up to Maggianos for chain Italian. And the fact that it's byo keeps prices to under $25 a person. I challenge you to beat that, especially in the most expensive part of the city. And yes staff have accents, it's an Italian restaurant, why that bothered other reviewers is beyond me. Good sized portions but not Magianno or Cheese cake factory size but still hard to finish. Yeah and no butter for the bread who complains about that at a real Italian restaurant needs to eat at Olive Garden. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

First time trying La Fontana - My boyfriend and I were headed to the Kimmel Center after dinner and this was within walking distance so it seemed perfect! We were completely unaware that it was BYOB. We were looking forward to a nice Italian meal with drinks. BYOB restaurants are fine... but not if you don't know to bring a bottle along. We go out in the city a decent amount and naturally assumed an Italian restaurant would serve alcohol. Upon reflecting on the restaurant bio I see it is mentioned, only once, at the very bottom of the description. I wish it stated BYOB in a few other places so we would of known to bring wine with us!The food was very great for the most part. The bread didn't seem very fresh and we didn't have a pepper shaker on our table, to add to the oil. Our appetizer and entrees both tasted very fresh and were nice portions.We did feel rushed during dinner, however. Our server asked us if we were ready to order about two minutes after being seated. They have a decent size menu too, so while trying to take in all of our options we definitely were not ready that quickly. We ordered an appetizer and our entrees came out while we were still eating the appetizer. When the server placed our entrees down he asked if he could clear our appetizer plate, which still had a decent amount of food left on it. We asked to keep it on the table and he seemed displeased. We made a 5:30 dinner reservation thinking we would be there at least an hour an a half, and didn't want to be late for our 8:00 concert at the Kimmel Center... well after everything was so rushed we ended up finishing our food and paying by 6:15. I don't think I've ever been in and out of a sit-down restaurant so fast. We went and sat at a bar down the street for the next hour and a half! Would of been much nicer to have a relaxing dinner with drinks at La Fontana. I'm not sure if we'll go back, but if we do at least we know now to bring our own bottle of wine. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Went here for a birthday dinner with about 10 other people! The restaurant was perfect for a large group. Many of us ended up splitting an entree because of the portion size. I highly recommend the eggplant rollatini and gnocchi sorrentina. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing Italian for a reasonable price! Definitely will be coming back!

Reviewed on Opentable

Went here for restaurant week with a friend FINALLY after walking by this place countless times and wanting to go but never finding the occasion. The restaurant was warmly lit and decorated with golden-framed paintings which made for a very rustic, old-school Italian vibe. Every staff member we encountered was friendly, accommodating, and professional. Overall the ambiance was cozy and felt like family dinner at my parents' house, but without the poorly concealed animosity and naive arguments about politics.The wine was awful, but keep in mind it's a BYO so it was our own bottle of cheap merlot that was two-thirds full and had been opened over a week ago. Fun fact- if you're a fully functioning adult and bring an unopened bottle of wine that is not twist-off, they do not have a corking fee! Ok, the food: The eggplant rollatini was everything I was looking for in a first-course. It's essentially an eggplant lasagna roll-up with a perfectly executed cheese to sauce ratio. It was really hard not to lick the plate after, but I managed to restrain myself because my friend said he would leave if I did that and I'm not self-confident enough to dine out alone.Next, the three pastas. The gnocchi and the ravioli were FLAWLESS. Gnocchi was delicate, soft, and melted in my mouth. The sauce on both gnocchi and ravioli was rich, buttery, and delish. Penne wasn't my fave, but I'm not a big marinara sauce person so it was probably just a matter of taste. Unfortunately as with many of my life decisions, I made the wrong choice when it came to the entrée. It was really hard to decide between the varying options of veal, shrimp, and fish dishes, but I ultimately went with the Veal Carciofi: veal, artichoke, cherry tomatoes, and shrimp. It tasted better than it looked (see photo), but I think I should have done the shrimp risotto, which is what my friend ordered. The patrons next to us (we couldn't tell if they were mother/son or cougar/poolboy) happened to order the same entrees as we did, so I assume these are popular dishes. For dessert, I had the tartufo, which is basically Italy's answer to mochi- a little vanilla ice cream ball coated with chocolate chip sprinkles. As tasty as it was adorable. TLDR; this isn't the most incredible Italian restaurant I've been to, but I would definitely come back for the gnocchi and the good vibes.P.S. they do serve complimentary bread, but it doesn't come with butter. New meaning to BYOB. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My coworkers and I went here for restaurant week and loved it. If it's BYOB, it's for me. The portions were just enough and everyone found something they liked on the menu. The service was pretty quick which some of my friends complained about but I'd rather than be too quick than too slow, ya know? More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Huge portions! Need to make reservation and dress better than casual. Huge fan of the gnocchi

Reviewed on Yelp

Great BYOB place in the city where the food is actually good and well priced. Service was good and the portions were good as well. The restaurant is a tad crowded, but as long as you get a reservation there is no wait. It is hard to find good, moderately priced italian food in the city -- will absolutely come back! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

My new favorite restaurant! Service is very quick we got our food so fast! Very friendly waiter as well. Had the mussels in white wine sauce. Arugula beet salad. Gnocchi gorgonzola. Literally the best gnocchi I have EVER had. 100% recommend this place! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Still one of our favorite restaurants after several years of dining here. Delicious food, amazing service and byob! You can't beat it.

Reviewed on Facebook

Thanks to Andrés Carazo I went to this restaurant with my family, the food was great we felt like we were in Rome!

Reviewed on Facebook

This place never fails to disappoint! Fresh, delicious generous portions of food, friendly attentive staff and convenient location.

Reviewed on Facebook

Food was delicious. Appetizer was Portabello Alla Fontana. I had the linguine da diavolo and husband had veal parmigiano. I never eat red gravy out and this was delicious. Our server was very polite

Reviewed on Facebook

It was a busy Friday night but the service was great, food was to die for and staff was pleasant- will definitely be back.

Reviewed on Facebook

Wait staff diverse and excellent. Penne Arribiata Devine. Best Caprese ever. Eggplant rollitini very good. Fabulous location. Too full for desert but we will be back. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Fell in this place 7 years ago when we got a gift certificate for our anniversary. The food is amazing and the staff is wonderful. My favorite Italian place in the city hands down. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Unbelievable, food was out of the world. Service was excellent. The wife and I was out riding the motorcycle, stopped in for some appetizers, ended up eating a full meal. the best accidental dinner I ever had. Looking forward to going back. More...

Reviewed on Facebook

The food was absolutely delicious and the service impeccable. It is quite rare these days to eat in an establishment that has a staff as well trained as this! Perfectly lovely place!

Reviewed on Facebook

Excellent,excellent service. Food was amazing, and I would definitely recommend this restaurant to all my friends and family. P.s. the waiters have great accents and they are very nice as well More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Great food and service! Authentic Italian cuisine in the heart of Center City!

Reviewed on Facebook

Excellent food! Highly recommend it if you're in the area.

Reviewed on Facebook

Amazing meal, went with a large party. Fyi this place is a byob

Reviewed on Facebook

The best food ! The option is bring ur own drink is the best !

Reviewed on Facebook

What a gem! attentive staff. well prepared & presented food. great desserts. AND,i get to bring my own wine.

Reviewed on Facebook

Second time and it was excellent! Excellent service and food as always. Bring your own wine and the corkage fee is only $1. 95. Great place to eat and located close to all the hotels More...

Reviewed on Facebook

Awesome restaurant, great food and service over the top...also not to pricey...

Reviewed on Facebook

The food was excellent! The pasta was cooked exactly right. The sauce was better then my mama would make! The service was exceptional. I will be back again!

Reviewed on Facebook

I went here with a crowd of family after the Nutcracker at the Academy of Music. We first thought of going to Pietro's (where I've steered age-diverse crowds I've seen The Nutcracker with in the past) but they had quite a wait so we moseyed over to La Fontana Della Citta, and we weren't disappointed. The food was quite good. I started with the arugula salad, which was served with a sufficiently but tastefully applied lemon vinaigrette (with great lemon zest flavor) and with long shavings of a high quality sharp Parmesan cheese. The cheese was a good sign. For the entree, I got the gnocchi sorrentino. I'm kind of spoiled with gnocchi... it was the dish my Italian grandmother learned I loved as a kid and so she put her all into making it great for me when I visited.  In her memory, I seek out the best gnocchi, and this place's offering was pretty legit. Everyone else in our large group enjoyed their food, too. The servers were nice. We were trying to have some leisurely family holiday time and they welcomed that without being painfully slow. While it's not a discount spot, the prices struck me as pretty reasonable.I've added it to my short list of classy-ish Italian places in the area. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

We host a Formal for our group here every year, and each year they don't not disappoint. The food is amazing, and the staff is even better!

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing food!! The wait staff was great and very friendly. The food came out really quickly, even though the was a party in the second room and several other people in the restaurant. There is free bread when you sit down, but no butter? Still was great to dip in the sauces that were leftover after we finished eating. I highly recommend the gnocchi sorrentina! So good! With fresh mozzarella!Only negative would be that the wait staff doesn't come to your table quick enough after you're finished eating. We paid and we're waiting for our waiter to come pick up the check for about 10 minutes. We finally decided to just leave the cash with the check and left. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Had a great time every time I've been here (twice) lol enjoy the food it's amazing especially the lobster ravioli I recently had in a pink cognac sauce was so damn good  BYOB also don't forget to bring your favorites

Reviewed on Yelp

Amazing authentic Italian cuisine!! In the heart of Rittenhouse Square with a home feel. Extraordinary customer service and management!! Def recommend !

Reviewed on Yelp

Very solid Italian food. Not sure why this place has such a low rating. The food was actually very tasty. The ambiance was solid. The service was a non-factor, but that's not to say that it was bad by any means. Overall, a place good enough to revisit at the very least. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I can't believe I haven't written a review yet for here! I've come to La Fontana a million times (when I lived in the burbs as well as when I lived in the city). I tend to end up here for big group dinners like friends birthdays/valentines group dates/etc. They are always able to accommodate the groups and the food has always been plenty good. I tend to order their penne vodka with shrimp here and it's always a hit. Love this location as well as the 2 at the shore! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Fantastic!!  Still confused as to why this place doesn't have more 4 or 5 star ratings Reading other reviews seemed as though many of the diners with low ratings were a bit uncultured or lacked dining experience. Stumbled across this place while visiting Philly.  What a pleasant surprise & awesome find.  They weren't too busy so we were sat right away - which I can't believe. The wait staff was very pleasant and attentive. BEST calamari ever - fresh, tender, not over fried, and prepared just right.  Risotto was phenomenal - not typical but phenomenal none the less.  We learned at the end of dinner this is a BYOB restaurant- note for next visit. All in all, we will definitely return and highly recommend this place when visiting Philly. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

BYO which is fun, and very good fun!  Was lovely to sit outside.

Reviewed on Yelp

My favorite Italian BYOB in Philadelphia. Definitely a Philly best kept secret. Authentic food, you can't go wrong with what you order!

Reviewed on Yelp

Again, another fantastic meal at La Fontana. The Lobster Ravioli is to die for -  it's worth any wait. Ari the owner is always very gracious.

Reviewed on Yelp

went here for dinner after a show. it was not busy at all and the food and service was very good. i had the gnocchi for dinner and tiramisu for desert. i would totally go again!

Reviewed on Yelp

I really, really enjoyed this little BYOB!  I am not much of a drinker so I was designated driver for a dining group of 6 which was recommended by friends.  To start we ordered the calamari and a antipasto.  Calamari was good, but the platter of antipasto was EXCELLENT! I ordered the lobster ravioli special, which was fantastic!  Someone in our party ordered angel hair, the fish on special by another, manicotti by another,...every dish was spectacular.  Desserts:  I ordered the chocolate mousse...fabulous!  Our party also ordered chocolate cake, the cannoli, a tiramisu...no plate was left other than wiped clean.  Not a morsel left!  We were seated upstairs, which felt semi-private.  Nice!  On the other side of the room was a large party of around 20 people...perhaps an engagement party or rehearsal dinner. Did not feel crowded at all! Atmosphere was really nice, service excellent.  I really enjoyed this place!  Will definitely return! More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I'm very surprised at the 3 stars this restaurant is rated at on Yelp. It has very good reviews on Open Table and I'm glad I went with the reviews from there. I booked this place for a last minute bday dinner for 6ppl on a Saturday night. We were all running late and the hostess called me 10 min after the reservation to make sure we were still coming. I told her we were all running late and looking for parking and if she could please hold our table and she said of course, that's why I called. I was so grateful, a busy Saturday night and she was so gracious. When we finally arrived there 35 min after our reservation, they led us to our table. The whole restaurant was filled. I was so appreciative. This just marked the beginning of a great dinner. Service was excellent, food was scrumptious. I definitely recommend this place for group dinners! There were 2 parties with birthdays, including ours,  and they turned off the lights for everyone to celebrate the birthday ppl. Also, not only was the staff amazing, so were the other patrons. When they left, they gave us their bottles of wine they hadn't opened. Needless to say we all left tipsy and very happy. BYO. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

Came here on restaurant week with some girl friends and had a great time. Food overall was good - nothing bad at all, but nothing blew me away either. The bread was okay - wish there was good sauce/oil for dipping though. The mussels were good, pasta sampler was the best part of the night - very good but not a huge portion - chicken parm was also good, but again, it didn't blow me away. Staff is friendly and it's a BYOB which is nice. Overall, good but not out of this world. More...

Reviewed on Yelp

I really enjoyed my meal here. I ordered the penne a la scampi. It tasted great and I'm not a big Italian food eater. Their appetizers which consisted of a house salad, calamari, and bruschetta was light and went down easy. I would recommend coming here if you enjoy Italian food and great service. More...

Reviewed on Yelp