Best Fun Restaurants in South Philly

Bottom line: will be back. Not the only BYOB around with this level of quality and price, but very good food and a welcome addition to the scene. We went on a Friday night and the atmosphere was boisterous. Had to shout a little to talk and the staff had a good, friendly attitude but they seemed pretty hurried. Good for starting a fun night if that’s your vibe, but definitely a bit more chaotic feel than some places. Had the pork chop special, the paccheri with duck ragu and crème brûlée cheesecake. All were great.

The owners and staff are very welcoming. Staff takes lots of time to describe the food and wine. We know how fish should be cooked/served: moist yet fall apart with a fork. Each seafood dish met this criteria. The flavors were all wonderful but for the fist dish which I believe has a Japanese radish that was fine but a little dominating. Each dish that followed was perfect, especially the grouper. Their wine selection is wide enough to make anyone happy, and the wine prices kept in the very reasonable ranges.

Wow! This was an awesome experience! As a fan of the Rocky film series, I knew about this place from the Rocky Balboa and Creed films. It is so much more than that, though. As the founder was a major player in early 20th century opera recordings, The Victor Cafe has an opera theme permeating its soul. The walls are adorned with photos of the opera greats, opera music plays softly in the background, and, most importantly, the waitstaff are all classically-trained opera performers. Every half hour or so, they gather everyone’s attention to perform a selection from a popular opera, complete with a synopsis of the story they’re about to tell through their performance. Every performer was wonderful and this made for a unique, joyful and memorable experience for my family. I grew up on Italian cuisine, and this was among the best I’ve had in a long time. We shared the Calamari Fritti, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that we could have substituted Smelts for the calamari. This was a staple of our Christmas Eve dinners when I was young. My Veal Saltimbocca was perfect, as was my Daughter’s Prince Igor (penne with a vodka blush, salmon, tomato, and Asparagus). We enjoyed our cannolis while watching our last performance of the evening. Breathtaking! Special shout out to our server, Brenna, who took our dessert order mere seconds after completing her duet! Remarkable! I can’t say enough about The Victor Cafe; if you’re looking for a classic South Philly Italian Restaurant, paired with one of the most wonderful and unique experiences you’ll find today, then this is the place for you.

Excellent restaurant! Always a great meal in the heart of South Philly!

Another excellent night of food at Gabriella’s. I can’t wait to return and try more of the menu, thank you for great service and a fun evening with Chef Nini.