Best Authentic Restaurants in Northern Liberties

Best and most consistent restaurant in South Philadelphia for the last 50 years!!!

Food: very good, with the only very minor glitch IMO being that the habanero sauce not being spicy (& actually none we tried were). The ribeye in my fajitas was excellent with a very smoky outer layer, and my wife liked her octopus (& now learned that not all Mexican restaurants are just places with tacos, burritos, etc.) Service: good. Only one waitperson and she quickly covered all tables well. Ambience: noise level ok, but it wasn’t crowded. I suspect it could be a lot noisier on more busy nights like weekends.

I just cannot tell you how much we enjoyed our visit to Gran Caffe L'Aquila on Wednesday, March 12. First of all, our special table was ready for us when we arrived, and, of course, we had their best waiter, Mimmo, who was just wonderful in terms of his service and personality. Both the veal dish and pasta with a delicious white cream sauce went way beyond our expectations. The meal was topped off with an out of this world rich Italian hot chocolate that I have not discovered anywhere else in the city. All of the staff is just so attentive and gracious and we are just counting the days until our next visit.

I visit here everytime I visit Philly. It’s a great spot, good energy and most importantly dining alone is heaven here. The open kitchen is one of my favourites. Great vibes, loud music, delicious food, tasty and considered drinks - what’s not to love!

I had a nice Tea time with friends today. The 3 tier tea sandwiches and scones are all delicious. We will be back for sure!