Villa di Roma
Italian restaurant · Bella Vista ·
Classic Italian Market spot serving giant meatballs & seafood pasta
Classic Italian Market spot serving giant meatballs & seafood pasta
"Pasta just tastes better in an old-school Italian dining room, and it doesn’t get much more old-school than Villa Di Roma. This Italian Market restaurant has been serving briny, seafood-packed pasta di linguine, creamy baked rigatoni, and spaghetti with the consummate softball-sized meatballs since the 1960s. They’re all huge, comforting, and best when shared with a red wine-fueled group." - alison kessler, candis mclean
"Most Italian places in South Philly feel more like tourist traps than actual hangouts. Villa Di Roma is one of the exceptions. This classic Italian Market spot is filled with black and white family photos, oversized menu boards, and waitresses that still call guests "hon." The menu is long and has everything you’d expect, including softball-sized meatballs in gravy, lemony veal francese, and countless different pasta options. It's Italian comfort food at its best, and you may be lucky enough to hear a grandpa say “be good to your mother” while handing his grandkids $20." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"Most Italian places in South Philly, even the OGs, feel more like tourist traps than they do old-school Italian hangouts. Villa Di Roma is an exception. Walk into this spot in the Italian Market, and you’ll see pictures of families hung up on the walls and tables of regulars who’ve been eating veal parm here since it opened in the ’60s. The menu is long and has everything you’d expect from a red-sauce joint, including their famous (and genuinely good) meatballs in gravy." - alison kessler, candis mclean
"Villa Di Roma is a classic that takes you back to a time before dating apps. Walk into this spot in the Italian Market, and you’ll see pictures of families hung up on the walls, couples sipping red wine, and tables of regulars who’ve been eating veal parm here since it opened in the ’60s. The menu is long and has everything you’d expect from a red-sauce joint, including their famous (and genuinely good) meatballs in gravy. Share the Villa salad and the baked rigatoni, or get something spaghetti-based for your Lady and the Tramp moment." - candis mclean, alison kessler
"At Villa Di Roma, which opened in the '60s in the Italian Market, we once saw a grandparent hand his grandchild a 20 dollar bill and say, "Be good to your mother." And while you probably won't see this particular grandpa in action, there's bound to be something similar going down when you're there. Servers call guests "hon," the bar is full of regulars eating chicken parm in front of the televisions, and their softball-sized meatballs are satisfying no matter how many times you've had them. Touristy? Yes. Iconic? Also yes." - alison kessler, candis mclean