La Locanda Ristorante

The service was good, but we weren't too thrilled with the food. While I generally love Italian cuisine, the food offered here wasn't to our liking. The pasta was decent, but nothing special. The appetizers were also fairly unremarkable. Overall, we didn't find the food to be worth the price.

Bread is outstanding. I'd buy if it's for sell. The spaghetti and sauce taste better than the look. The space feels welcoming too.

Always a good meal here, never disappointed with the food. The service here is usually very good, but they were pretty busy during our last visit and I'm hoping that was the reason for the service being a little less attentive than in the past. My one gripe is that they try to squeeze in too many tables. My wife and I were sitting next to a doorway to small dining room and the was no way to avoid one of us partially blocking the doorway. The wait staff did a good job of not making us feel uncomfortable but the place is big enough that a few less tables is completely reasonable.

My friends and I enjoyed a wonderful night at La Locanda!! The waitress was absolutely incredible. She could not have been nicer or more attentive. The food was absolutely excellent. Shout out to Massimo, who was a wonderful host that evening and made everyone feel so welcome. Looking forward to many more wonderful evenings at La Locanda!! Ms Mary Walls🙌

We enjoyed a delicious dinner at La Locanda last evening! Our server, Tracy, was THE BEST from the moment we sat down to the moment we said goodbye. In her hands we experienced fine dining at its finest! Thanks, Tracy, for making our evening special. The salmon entree, the scallop entree, and the Chicken Saltimbocca were delicious…and the limoncello cake for dessert is not to be missed!

Everything was great. 9 people ordered 9 different dinners and all came out perfectly. Our waitress was really great and the owner thanked us for our business. All the way around a great experience.

We went with a party of 12 people and were sat at a long table. Not my favorite, round tables are so much more suitable for large parties. We wound up not having conversation with 6 of the 12 people because we were at the one end of the table and they were at the other. Small room, not conducive to getting up and wandering around. Food and service were excellent. Just uncomfortable seating arrangements.

We’ve lived in the area forever and have always wanted to go and finally did! We will be returning again and a lot quicker! It was one of the most exceptional meals I’ve had in a long time. The prices were not outrageous for the quality of the food that we received. Staff was friendly atmosphere is very nice. Service was nicely paced as well. Unfortunately, we were seated next to the door to a room with a party and there was staff constantly opening and closing the door for about a half hour of our time there. Although they did it quietly, it was intrusive being about a foot away from the door. At the time of our seating there were other options to be at in the restaurant. It would’ve been nice if that had been considered when we were seated. That said still can’t wait to go back and try something else from the menu!!!

Great service, buzzing ambiance, delicious food - this is the spot to go for a nice Italian dinner! My parents brought us here straight from the airport and we waited for maybe 10 minutes before we were sat. We ordered a nice cabernet sauvignon with our dinner. The standout dish for me was the squid ink pasta with crab! Perfectly cooked noodles with a deep savory seafood flavor and a generous topping of sweet crab meat, this was the best dish of the night. It was a great way to start our time in Pennsylvania.

My wife and I have been going to and enjoying La Locanda for almost 20 years now. We recently visited as guests of some of our friends, it seems things have changed for the worse. It's been about a year since we had a meal here, so we were excited to enjoy some good Italian food. To start off, the Matre'd (manager/owner?) took his sweet time hugging, kissing and catching up with friends waiting to be seated while the line of folks waiting to check in clearly went out the door in the cold night. The place was also unusually loud. After being seated at a table, another table of twelve nearby got up to leave but decided to mull around, crowd the other tables and continue their loud cackling discussions (& eventually farewells) while the owner flitted around this group with glee. You could see the folks seated near them getting irritated not only by their loud conversations but also from being subjected to frequent bumping at their table by these pretentious fools as they bobbed between the tables. IMHO they should have been politely yet gently led towards the door rather than encouraging them to linger and irritate other guests. As we watched this group slowly filter out, one by one, we wondered where our drinks were. The waitress reported that the bar was "backed up". It took 30 minutes to get our drinks and the wait time did not get better as things slowed down. It seems the bar gets "in the weeds" very easily. While waiting to be seated I watched as bartenders BS'd with folks at the bar while the wait staff waited and waited and waited to not only be simply acknowledged but provided service for their customers. Just lame. I ordered a Caesar salad and their "famous" Lobster Ravioli which I had never tried before. Our meals took a while to arrive. When the salad eventually arrived the food runner said sheepishly "Uh, this salad is a little wilted" and put it before me - it sure was. I looked at him and was about to say "Why would you serve it then?" and he looked back at me with a frowned look that said "The next one won't be much better (so why ask)". So I didn't. I tried to eat it, but it was just too soggy. I ate about a third of the salad. The dressing was pretty good but the wilted Romain and lack of cheese made it not worth eating. I did not want to embarrass our host fitting the bill or myself by returning the salad after singing the restaurants praises earlier. The "famous" Lobster Ravioli was described on the menu as "Lobster filled Ravioli" which "sounded" good on paper. I can assure you that there was no lobster meat filled in the ravioli on my plate whatsoever. What I got was six ricotta filled ravioli with maybe the lobster meat from 1/2 a claw and just a few miniscule pieces of tail and part or two of the small leg meat in a salty pink sauce ("delicate"? No). I felt this was outrageous for the charge of $33! I found neither any taste of lobster flavoring in the ravioli nor the sauce! I ended up eating only 3 of the ravioli and picked what pieces of fishy lobster I could find out of the sauce. If you're going to advertise "Lobster fille Ravioli" on your menu at a place like La Locanda you should maybe just try to deliver. The other diners in our group reported salty sauces as well and no, we aren't old folks. I tried a piece of my wife's chicken dish but found the cutlet tough and flavorless. I don't know what happened to this place, but I'd offer that perhaps a major refocus on service and food quality may be a better plan for ownership ignoring this current downward slip rather than wasting everyone's time with over-the-top coddling of a favored portion of their patrons while dissing other paying customers. If I go back, I'd go back solo only to see if anything has changed before embarrassing myself to friends and family by dragging them here again.

When the restaurant is full, parking can take a while. The 4 of us (one child) were warmly greeted and promptly seated. Took a little while to get our beverages and hear the specials. The wait staff member was friendly, attentive and helpful. Two of us split a really large and tasty house salad. For mains, we tried the lobster ravioli (really good), veal chop (very tasty) and the sea bass special (delicious). The child had the meatball (huge) and spaghetti and they enjoyed it thoroughly We also shared a very reasonably priced Malbec that was pretty smooth.

The service was good, but the food did not meet our expectations. While we enjoy Italian cuisine, the dishes offered here were not to our liking. The pasta was satisfactory, but not noteworthy. The appetizers were also unremarkable. As a result, we felt the food did not justify the price.

It was 3 friends for lunch today. Two had burgers and I had the La locanda chicken panini. Came with side of zucchini chips or fries. I chose the zucchini. Yummy. Our waiter was fabulous. It was not crowded on a Monday. Great place! Recommended!

We had reservations at La lacanda last Sat. and were seated 35min. later. No apologies for the delay as we stood in the crowded lobby. When we were finally seated , our waiter wasn't wasn't very attentive.At one point, we thought we were abandoned. We have dined there over the years and our experiences were very positive. We discovered there was a wedding reception in nearby banquet room which was probably the reason for the long delay. Although the food was very good, we couldn't enjoy our meal due to the stressful environment. We witnessed some conflict among staff which was unsettling. Not sure if we will be back.

We've passed by La Locanda countless times but never stopped in for a meal until today. Wished we'd given it a try sooner! Impeccable service, cozy setting (two fireplaces), and enticing lunch options (we highly recommend the Asparagus Wrap and the Blue Crab Ravioli). The white linen tablecloths and old-school atmosphere made our impromptu Saturday lunch feel more like a special occasion.

We come here every year when we come to Philadelphia. Their prime rib is the best around. My mom and I loved this place. She passed due to the effects of Covid, but I keep our little traditions going. The service is always the greatest here. They always took great care of mom and I and now just me. The ambiance here is so nice. It gives you that little Italian restaurant vibe, but the food here is bar none the best. We would always get the Prime Rib and a Crème brûlée. I was disappointed this time with the Crème brûlée and the Prime Rib. The Crème brûlée was cold and the Prime Rib was tough and fatty. With that being said, I still will be back again next year.

What an experience! We came on a Friday afternoon and spent several hours here just enjoying company and the atmosphere. Our service was fantastic! The waitress was very attentive and even noticed we accidentally had the wrong menus. She brought out the dinner menus for us that had several other selections as well as specials for the night. She made sure our wine was always refilled! There were many menu choices! We ordered lots of appetizers, including mussels, oysters, and fried calamari. So fresh, YUM! My mouth is watering just thinking about it. For the mains, we ordered Fettuccine Bolognese, Orecchiette, Swordfish, and the Gloria. All came out piping hot and delicious. The dessert menu is also fanatic! Lot of food choices and drink choices! We ordered the cheesecake and cannolis. The cannolis were indescribable. I can't wait to come back for those! I loved this spot so much! And it's been around for years. Highly recommend!

Went for happy hour and stayed for dinner. Sat at the bar and had the ribeye. Steak was excellent as well as the sides. Drinks were good and service was greats

Location to ambiance to the awesome wait staff, I could go on and on. Myself and three friends went out to this location, the wine list was expansive, the food was amazing! I got lasagna, one got veal piccata, one got special rigatoni with steak tips and I think the other guest got veal. Drinks were good, bread was delish an all around great evening! Ten stars will go back !

Some of the best Lasagna I've ever had. My wife had the chicken saltimbocca and loved it. Service was good too. Our two other dining companions enjoyed their food too. Better than anything near San Francisco, CA.

The best Italian food in the area, hands down. Always perfect, wonderful staff. Highly recommend! Make sure to try the lobster ravioli and pistachio gelato!

Very pleasant evening with friends. Haven't been here in years. Food was excellent. My wife's salmon was delicious. Service was excellent, we were enjoying company and never felt rushed. Definitely will be back. Had forgotten how much we liked it.

Great food, service is excellent, and the dining room is beautiful, and clean and you can't beat the portions, especially the veal Parmesan is out of this world, I go there every chance I get, and there prices are very reasonable

Food is always so good every time! Everyone enjoyed their meals. The lobster ravioli is creamy and delicious. Can't go wrong with their calamari. Crème Brule was good too! Staff are very friendly and sweet. Looking forward to coming back

My family always goes here whenever someone is celebrating an important birthday. The staff is always very welcoming and the food comes out quickly. Everything that I've tried tastes amazing and I always look forward to coming here!

Service 4 stars Atmosphere 5 stars Prices 3 stars Food 4 stars Bar and bar area 4 stars Went with family while traveling. In area. Staff very friendly. Food was solid, did not encounter anything negative, would definitely go back

Wonderful authentic cuisine, well prepared. Exceptional service. Especially loved the ravioli and prime rib. Great ambiance.

I would probably give the restaurant 3 1/2 stars if I could. Here's why: The restaurant has an old world feel that attracts older clientele for the most part, regulars are probably considered family. The pasta was nicely done, and the menu was expansive. The drink menu was a little adventurous and had lots to choose from. Nice desserts and after-dinner drink options as well. Our server Noah was pleasant and knowledgeable but I made the reservation pointing out it was my wife's birthday and even mentioned it to our server and nothing was done. I didn't expect (or even want) some garish display, but there are a myriad of nice touches that can be provided, some that don't even cost the restaurant anything, and it was a missed opportunity to really impress us. The bill for two with a round of drinks at the bar, wine and beer with dinner, a shared appetizer and dessert plus after-dinner drinks came to around $250 and that felt a little high for what we got, but not terribly so. Overall more positive than negative but not quite enough to tempt me to make the half hour drive specifically for a meal there.

Just picked up our takeout and what a let down . Waited a hour for takeout which is fine because they had told us it was a wait. Picked up the food and saw that there was a soup added to the bill , didn't mind - hoped I would like it . Then saw that the peach and burrata appetizer was not in our bag , turns out it was in the bag but was just a container full of tomatoes and a small piece of burrata. ( pic) They were out of peaches I guess - -Then we opened the beet salad -Which was just arugula, beets and oil dressing . (( nothing like described on the menu - pic included ) entrees were bland and the only thing we liked was the added soup we didn't order but paid for . Looks like they just said fuck it , it's Sunday and getting late let's just throw together whatever we have left. Shitty way to spend 80 bucks and a hour waiting for half ass food. Be careful when ordering takeout -

Don't believe the positive reviews about this place let me warn you. The special beef short rib dish was terrible. It was so fatty I did not eat it. The price on the board was lower than what was on my bill. My husband was not happy they do not have a baked potato. Dude, how do you have a fresh flower and tablecloth and with your high prices on your meat dishes, you do not serve a baked potato. Have you gone mad serving mashed potatoes that were disappointing. Sorry we spent some money here $ cause the drinks were disappointing and so was the food. The older blonde bartender is miserable and did not do my drink order correctly. We caught her a few times rolling her eyes on customers. I got to read about the owner and the restaurant on this page. Perhaps he should have stuck to working on cars than opening a restaurant. Will never return. And I was charged double with my card which I will be sure to dispute. Terrible and never again!

Have gotten takeout from here twice I think and each time it was pretty good. Not the best Italian in the area but people seem to love it. I'd give it a 7.3. Pretty expensive too

It has really nice management/staff, but there are a few kinks to work out. Confusion about who was covering our table led to having to flag down a server after sitting there with incomplete place settings and insufficient water glasses. The food was solid, though, and the manager was so personable and kind to offer complimentary limoncello and dessert for our troubles.

How can anyone give La Locanda less than a 5 star review? The restaurant is welcoming, service is always excellent and the food is delicious. Whether you sit at the bar or in the dining room, the experience is always exceptional. One of the best things about LL is you can easily hear your dining companions. No need to raise your voice amidst a cacophony of noise! This place is a true oasis for people who like great food served by excellent staff in a lovely venue. Can't say enough good things about La Locanda!

Worse Italian restaurant and the worst service. Chicken piccata was gross. The server had a huge attitude and had no recommendations maybe since she worked there and knew the food was that bad she couldn't recommend anything

First time here. Lasagna Bolognese was delicious. I only at half and the leftovers were great the next day!

First time there, Staff were good and very nice. But the food was horrible. we all had spaghetti and meatballs. Spaghetti itself tasted like it was boxed from a store shelf. The gravy was like from a jar and barely any on the plate at all. But the worse of all was the meatballs. They were gray in color, boiled in water not the gravy. Not in anyway an Italian would cook them. They were so dense it remind me of a gray clay ball. There was no sigh of any beef in them. Looked and tasted like turkey meatballs. No Italian spices or if there was you couldn't taste it. They show be ashamed of calling themselves an Italian restaurant. And the price for it wasn't cheep. But the food was. We will never go back. I could have and have cooked myself a better dish. Olive garden better than this place and claim they are not a true Italian restaurant. Shame on you . Do it right or get out of it.

Came across this place while driving through town on our way to a hotel for a quick business trip. It was around 9pm and there were still cars in the parking lot so we took a shot at it. Immediately upon entering, we were greeted by a gentlemen who welcomed us in what sounded like a true Italian accent. We were seated at a table and began looking through the menu. So many great choices. It was truly hard to decide what to pick. Eventually I ended up ordering the Beef Carpaccio as an appetizer and the Veal Florentine as the main. The presentation on the Beef Carpaccio was a work of art, hand crafted to perfection. I don't believe I have ever tried anything like this before. It was certainly memorable enough for me to want to try this again. The Veal Florentine was delicious. I'm not sure that I'm a huge fan of shiitake mushrooms and perhaps there was a tad too many of them. Really good portion of veal, lathered in a truffle infused white wine sauce. Delizioso! A really good experience here at this very authentic Italian restaurant. Really great service and atmosphere. Would definitely recommend.

I don't know what happened to this establishment but the food has drastically gone downhill. Maybe a new cook? Whatever the case may be, the high prices do not reflect the quality and freshness. If you look under the tablecloth, our table was all taped together. Really? I was shocked. We won't be back unfortunately.

Just moved into Newtown Sq and decided to try this Italian restaurant. A little wait for my reservation but well worth it. The staff was extremely friendly with a fabulous waiter Noah. Noah was personable, engaging and accommodated us with exceptional service. Our meal was simply delicious. The Fresh Chilean Bass, eggplant appetizer, and the calamari salad that was superb. Off to the bar and pleasantly greeted by Ryan and Christina (bartenders) as we finished off our evening with Chambord and Limoncello for a second dessert. Really enjoyed the evening and highly recommend La Locanda for a very nice evening.

We had a large party so we were seated in a party room. Room as the perfect size for us. Great wait staff! Food was delicious....I tried a bite from everyone's plate. Would recommend this place a million times over! Thank you all

My uncle raved about La Locanda and now I understand why. . The restaurant is nicely decorated. From what I can tell they have a main dining area, bar area and a small room to the side. We were seated in the small room to the side which is great because it felt like a private party. Customer service was great. Lauren, our server was very attentive. The manager/owner (?) stopped by a few times and even shook our hands on the way out to say thanks. Made us feel like family. Appetizers - Bruschetta which is Grilled tuscan style bread, fresh tomatoes, basil, olive oil, aged balsamic reduction with Parmigiano. It was very good and the balsamic reduction made the dish. Minestrone - It came in a huge bowl which was great since I loved it and ate each bite. Grilled Calamari Salad had an Organic spring mix with Limoncello dressing. IT was big so my hubby and uncle split it. They really enjoyed it. The calamari was fresh and was not fried. Portabello & Prosciutto Tower had Grilled Portobello & tomato, prosciutto, smoked Mozzarella & roasted red pepper coulis. Hubby really enjoyed this appetizer. I didn't try it. Dinner Chicken Parmigiana - I substituted the spaghetti with cheese ravioli. Both were really good. I would come for the ravioli as a main dish since it was that good. Veal Parmigiana- Hubby was not a fan maybe because it was too thin? Crab Cakes - Uncle was not crazy about it. Veal Piccata - Aunt loved it. Kids meal - kid had chicken nuggets and fries. He loved the chicken but wasn't in the mood for fries. Dessert Chocolate cake - Loved it Chocolate gelato - son loved it. We really enjoyed our meal. We weren't a fan of the Veal parmigiana or the Crab cakes but the other items were amazing and would come back again.

Great service delicious meals. Veal parmigiana was great and short rib special was melt-in-your mouth tasty.

My 86 year old grandmother and her 2 friends (also 85) came in here for lunch two days ago. They had a $100 gift card to use that was left over from 2 christmases ago. My grandmother kindly asked the waitress upon arrival (a mistake in hindsight) "can we use this gift card here?" To which the waitress replied coldly, "you can but not for a tip" Fast forward to the end, the waitress recommended ordering a salad before their entree and did not tell them that they were dinner sized salads. None of these ladies ordered alcohol and their bill was over $200. For a lunch! Ridiculous and yet another sad way that society takes advantage of the elderly.

On Tuesday, August 8, 2023, our family gathered at La Locanda Restaurant for a big event: two college graduations, a high school graduation, and three birthdays - we are a big family. When Carmen, our brother, announced that he was coming from Palm Springs, California for this event and wanted to eat Italian Food, we immediately thought of La Locanda. The staff went out of their way to accommodate our requests. I've been at La Loconda several times and each time was well pleased with the food and service. I highly recommend this restaurant. Rita Genovese

As always, EVERYTHING was fantastic! We normally sit in the bar area, fun and great service. Masimo (spelling?) Is wonderful and always friendly with a warm welcoming. We will be back next time we are in town from Pittsburgh

A very authentic Italian restaurant. The Dover Sole is the absolute best. Great service and delicious pasta as well.

We visited here for our nephew's communion. All I have to say is that I never liked cannolis until I came here and it's all I've been dreaming of since! Beautiful restaurant and amazing staff!

First time here. Was seated in the cantina where there's a family seated plus 2 empty tables. Family was very loud with 3 young kids talking and crying and the adults yelling to keep them quiet is as bad as the kids. Slow start..but then the food came out fast. Servers were very pleasant. Minestrone was meh because vegetables were a bit overcooked but maybe that's what it should be. The linguini with cockles was good since I like it on the saltier side. Cockles were tiny which is what I like. Could not get a refill on my water so could not finish. 3 servers passed to get wine but no luck. Finally the server came out with food for the family and turned towards me. Asked for water and check.

We invited our friends to the restaurant for dinner on a Saturday. The server was sloppy and inattentive. I guess Covid has the best of us. Most importantly the quality of food was less than acceptable. We ordered lasagna, linguine with clam, penne with shrimp and scallops. All failed on taste and quality.; total disappointment! Their house wine was also a disappointment. I'm not a wine connoisseur but even I could taste that their wine was diluted Ior the cheapest bottle from Wegman's. The kind you use for cooking! Do not order their penne. It was hard and extremely salty. I'm a huge pasta fan and if I couldn't finish the dish of penne, that spells AWFUL! To make matter worse their dessert "hot love " was nothing more than a couple scoop of ice cream and not as described on their menu. I guess I expected too much. Lastly the crème brulee tasted like it was from Costco. Happy to say that was edible. My husband and I are big foodies. We eat out 5/6 times a week. We know food and this place certainly failed our expectations and standards of service.

Went for dinner tonight with friends at my recommendation. Had a reservation at 6:15. Arrived early and were seated promptly. Waited 15 minutes before a server came to our table. We actually had to stop another server and ask about our server. He came over introduced himself and apologized stating he didn't know we were his table. Once we finnaly were able to order our drinks, one of the ladies at our table asked for a cup of hot water. He forgot completely. Never received until after dinner when we asked again. I ordered chicken Massimo. terrible. it was bland, no color and flavorless. looked like it had been microwaved. I told the waiter this, and he disagreed with me , but said he would tell the chef. I did not eat it. So disappointing. More I could complain about, but I think I'll just stay away for awhile.

Food is super bomb. Old school italian menu and atmosphere that reminds me of 70s County club. Not even being negative it actually works. Its a nice change from the fine line modern designs we see today and I actually really enjoy it. One of the best veal ossobucco I've ever had! And the presentation of the table side branzino fillet is pretty cool and something unique. It's a great neighborhood joint!

Consistent. Best veal chop ever. Great service. Pasta homemade and a terrific lasagna. BYOB a few nights. A go too place for exceedingly great dinners.

My family and some friends came here to celebrate my brother's graduation. They were totally accommodating, were flexible when our party number changed (multiple times) and were totally cool with us bringing our own cake. We were seated in a nice side room that was quiet and not super crowded so we were all able to have a really nice time together. For dinner I had a Caesar salad and the Orecchiette pasta. The salad was good, though I wished the pasta had a little more flavor, or more garlic or something. It was good, just needed a little more. Everybody else at our table had all different meals and everyone seemed to enjoy their food. Our server was very friendly, and really patient with us; we were able to hang out and celebrate together and he was totally flexible. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a large party.

Came here after work to meet a colleague and was surprised at how fancy/romantic it was. I definitely did not do my homework beforehand. We only ordered drinks and one appetizer each. Though my octopus salad wasn't quite filling, I think it was worth the $13 considering the ambiance of the space and the exquisite presentation (picture attached). I thought it came out with two chopsticks but in reality those were breadsticks. Great flavor, well-seasoned, and was nicely paired with the accompanying cheese and arugula. My colleague said that she enjoyed her calamari salad, as well.

My family and I went for Mother's Day dinner. Unfortunately we were very disappointed, the menu was very limited and you could tell the food was pre-cooked for the day. I ordered two of the same cocktail and for some reason it was two different sizes one MUCH smaller than the other but I was charged the same price. We felt very rushed during our meal, and thought the food was very overpriced. We won't be going back.

I have driven by this place dozens of times but my usual dining partner is not a fan of Italian food so we never have stopped in. We were invited out to dinner by another couple and this is one of their favorites so we finally made it here. We were greeted very warmly as it was apparent that our dining companions are regulars. We got a great table next to one of the fireplaces. Two of us ordered specials and thoroughly enjoyed them including the dry aged rib eye (although the sides were sleepy) and the mushroom ravioli with a cream sauce with mushrooms and sausage. I tasted both and we would definitely order them again. For the quality, this place is a bit pricey but it was a convenient spot. I can't say that they offer anything particularly special here that would encourage me to return except that they will fillet whole fish entrees table-side so people who want a show at dinner may find it appealing.

Here is a tip, walk over to Trattoria Giuseppe and copy their menu. If that is not doable, youtube "How to make Italian food" and have your chef watch it. If you're chef is not Italian, fire him and hire one. Make your own salad dressings. Go undercover and visit any Italian restaurant in the city. Google "old Italians over 80 yrs old in South Philly", call them, and ask them to come work in your kitchen part-time. They will straighten your staff out. So much potential because of the building, I gave the building 1 extra star. It's the overflow go to place for Giuseppes when you're starving and Bonefish has a 1 hr wait. This place should be on one of those restaurant reality make over shows.