Bistro Romano

We enjoyed an exceptional dinner for our Valentine?s Dinner last evening. I have been dining at Bistro for over sixteen years and we continue to enjoy the innovative and interesting menu. The place was busy for the special day and Bistro made it special for us. When we arrived the host greeted us by name and escorted us to a nice table in the lower level dining room. The tables were covered with rose petals and had red candles on them for a nice Valentine?s touch; the atmosphere is very romantic. Our server, Jen, presented us with a variety of nice chef specials for the evening. I selected the Pork Chop with Broccoli Rabe, Roasted Peppers and a Sharp Provolone Cheese and my wife chose the Ravioli filled with Goat Cheese and Asparagus. Both choices were delicious, a great combination of flavors and outstanding quality. We began with the Caesar Salad which was prepared at our table. It?s the traditional Caesar, which you cannot find anywhere; the presentation is great, but the taste is phenomenal! For dessert we shared the Tiramisu, another treat that was over the top. Coupled with authentic Italian espresso the entire meal was a sensational experience. I would recommend a reservation as it is very popular. Pros: Exceptional Food, Authentic Espresso, Great Wine Selection, Sensational Caesar Salad Cons: Very Popular - Make Reservations more

Been here a few times...first time, had one of the better meals I've had in quite some time. Great ambiance, nice service, Ceaser salad lives up to its name. Lobster Ravioli was fantastic and highly recommended. Last time I was there had a pasta dish that was drenched in sauce and had just got out of the microwave. For whatever reason, seems as if this place has gone downhill since its received so much positive attention recently. Pros: Ambiance, Ceaser Salad, service Cons: Quality of food seems to have dropped off in recent months more

My wife and I went to Bistro Romano last night, partly based on reviews on Citysearch, and also on the recommendation of an associate in my firm. We were celebrating an anniversary; I must say that the celebration was over the top. When I made the reservation of Opentable I noted that it was our anniversary, thinking maybe some type of special treatment. But I couldn't have dreamed of the romantic experience that the Bistro staff created for us. They sat us in a table in their wine cellar; it's extremely romantic. The table was covered with red rose petals and the room was entirely lit by candles. There were two complementary glasses of champagne delivered to our table immediately after we were sat. The waiter introduced himself and welcomed us with a happy anniversary and the champagne; a very nice touch. I must say that I've been celebrating anniversaries for a while and have never had this level of hospitality before. Pros: Outstanding Food, Very Romantic Setting, Great Hospitality more

My husband and I went to Bistro Romano last night, in large part because we had been inspired by the many, MANY positive reviews on this site. We've actually been wanting to go for a year or so, last night we finally got around to it. I'll cut right to the chase and say -- it's a pretty, romantic spot, but the food was just average and WAY overpriced. And the prices listed on the menu on this website were WRONG. We started with the Caesar for 2 ($8.95 / person; menu online says $7.95 / person). The Caesar might have been the best part of our meal (though extremely overpriced), it was a little spicy, but very flavorful. It was a hefty salad for 2. Hubby had Veal Saltimbocca ($22.95; menu online says $18.95). He said it was good, but the plate was so big and the veal was so small it looked like the plate was missing something. I had the Chicken Ravioli ($22.95; menu online says $17.95). The raviolis were HUGE, the sauce was pretty good, but it wasn't worth $23 to me. We each got a dessert -- he got the chocolate torte with raspberry sauce and I got the profiteroles ($7.95 each - yikes!). His torte was really good but my profiteroles were disappointing -- they weren't covered in the traditional chocolate ganache, it was more like melted ice cream or a loose chocolate moose. My recommendation -- try it if you want, but if you really want great Italian food, you can find more reasonably priced options, with better food and selection, elsewhere. We both think Italian Bistro is better than this place. Our bill last night came to $105 with tip -- and we weren't even drinking alcohol! $105 for 2 salads, 2 entrees, 2 desserts?? We could have gone to Morton's Steakhouse, without drinking, and had a better meal for $105. This place is way overpriced, the food is not worth it. If you want Italian food, go to Italian Bistro (NE Philly or downtown), or Vinny Testa's in Wynnewood. Pros: Romantic Cons: Value for cost more

The Bistro is a great place for its culinary creations, European atmoshere and very attentive service staff. Pros: Great Food, Nice Atmosphere, Attentive Service more

I chose Bistro Romano based on the reviews and I must say it was a great decision. Spent the weekend in PA from NY and decided to take a friend for b'day dinner..this place is a definite must!! We enjoyed the Caesar salad that was made table side...the best I've ever had!! The Smoked Mozzarella and Clams as appetizers. For dinner, the Lobster Ravioli was AMAZING and she had the Smoked Chicken Ravioli! For dessert we shared a Tiramisu! This place was warm and charming, attentive service, and the best food I've had in a long time! Would be ideal for a romantic dinner or date. Will definitely return to PA just to visit the restaurant. Reasonably priced for the food and service! Pros: Everything, food, service, reasonably priced Cons: It's not located in NYC! more

My husband and I are both vegetarians and this is actually the place we went on our first date ever. The menu is not very vegetarian friendly but they will change the dishes somewhat to accommodate vegetarians. By far the best thing here is the Caesar salad. They make it at your table, for a minimum of two people but I would go here just to have the salad, it is that good! It is a great romantic place although being tall i felt a little cramped as did my hubby. But we would def go back, even just for the salad! Pros: best salad Cons: street parking or find a garage, not many vegetarian options more

Dined with our extended family and I must say the food and service were excellent. It was our first dinner at Bistro Romano and it's now my family's favorite. The Caesar Salad was the best, prepared right at the table, the Beef Tenderloin very tender and cooked to perfection and the Cannoli was the best, I mean really better than the traditional S. Philly bakeries. I had selected the restaurant based on the very positve reviews on Citysearch. I was extremely pleased with the entire experience. The wine list is very extensive and had one of my favorite bottles of Super Tuscan called Boschino, it was priced very reasonably. The atmosphere is very unique, it reminds me of somehthing in Florence, Italy. Excellent experience and highly recommended. Pros: Excellent Caesar Salad, Great Service, Tender Beef more

My husband and I dined at Bistro Romano last Saturday night. The place is a fabulous restaurant. The host was friendly and accommodating; the server was knowledgeable and provided attentive service without being overbearing. The food was outstanding, and the serving sizes were of a nice portion. For appetizers we ordered the artichoke hearts presented in a casserole with combination of cheeses and mushrooms; and Portobello with sausage and broccoli rabe, both were superb. The wine list is very extensive, looks like it has several hundred selections, we choose a nice Super Tuscan that was moderately priced at $48. We also ordered the Caesar Salad, which the servers make right in front of you at the table. The preparation looked great, and the taste was outstanding, one of the best we've ever tasted. My husband had one of the chef's specials, Tenderloin of Beef, it was an excellent cut that was presented with garlic mashed potato and rosemary mushroom sauce, and it was so tender it melted in your mouth. I had the Lobster Ravioli, which was amazing. We shared dessert, Tira Misu, a delicate combination of that had a light coffee flavor, it was sensational. This was one of the best dining experiences I've had. The prices are moderate, with most entrees around $20, but I must say that I felt that we received more than we paid for. Reservations are recommended; I made them online on their website. There is a parking garage on the corner that we used. This area of the city, Society Hill is really beautiful. The ambience of the building is great, very romantic with stone walls, candlelit, even the bar is amazing. Pros: Excellent Food, Outstanding Service, Great Ambience more

To start we are told to make a reservation then are asked to wait 25 minutes while our table is being set. Okay well it happens, so we sit over by the bar where the piano man is playing The Monkeys (romantic? I don't think so). After being seated in the poorly decorated basement with fake ivy strewn about, we make the best of it. When the waiter finally comes over we order the ""acclaimed"" Caesar Salad that is billed as $7.95 feeds two. The waiter says two? I say no just one but it feeds two right, yup...nope we were charged for two. Because you must order two to have it made at the table to have it made period. The food was okay seafood pasta was good nothing to rave about. They try to make you feel your getting a great bargain by giving you an entire bowl of pasta. Dessert was no better, the Tiramisu was dry and the check was dropped along side it. It's sad to think that this is number one in a town where the Italian population is so prevalent. Please try harder. Pros: Busboy was hysterical. Cons: Everything esle. more

I chose this place for my birthday dinner, with my mother and two close friends, because the restaurant sent me a $20 coupon to use for my birthday. Turns out, they didn't want to honor my birthday coupon because my mother and one of my friends participated in their ""WOW Wednesday"" promotion. The manager/co-owner Mike was extremely rude to my mom and to the rest of our party. Pros: food, atmosphere Cons: service, cleanliness more

My grilled ahi with onions was delicious, even the day after. A friend of mine ordered the lobster ravioli,... more

My grilled ahi with onions was delicious, even the day after. A friend of mine ordered the lobster ravioli, which was okay taste wise, but visually... more

We had an excellent evening last Saturday at Bistro. We ordered the Caesar Salad prepared tableside, it was outstanding. We also had the smoked mozzarella and sun dried tomato appetizer which was equally delicious. I chose the tender veal rosini and my date had a beautiful tenderloin of beef which was on special that evening. The food is exceptional, and I mean really above and beyond. For dessert we tried the pumpkin bread pudding and cannoli, both of which had great flavor. We ordered an Oakvilled Cabernet by Groth that was reasonably priced. The extensive wine list was superb and has an huge quantity and selections, it received the Wine Spectator Award. We give Bistro only accolades and can not wait to return soon. The staff were extremely professional and service was without a flaw, the food excellent and remarkably delicious and the portions very large. For a terrific experience in a romantic setting it is the best! Pros: Wonderful Wine List, Outstanding Food, Impressive Service, Romantic Setting more

Though the wine cellar atmosphere is lovely and the artichoke/gorgonzola appetizer is justly famous, the service and the rest of the menu are both uneven and we were totally turned off one evening with a piece of salmon that had obviously been frozen and tasted as bad as you'd expect from a TV dinner . . . except that it cost $26. From now on we will stick to the appetizers. more

I booked the wine cellar table based the review I read on Citysearch. I not aware prior to seeing it that the wine cellar has only one private table which is extremely romantic, including roses all over the table. All of the food we tasted was outstanding. We had the Caesar Salad, which was prepare by our server right in front of us, and as an entree I had Fresh local trout and my wife had Talapia with Gorgonzola and Spinach. All were clearly creative from a culinary point and the flavors came together in a nice harmony, the fish was fresh. For dessert we tried the tira misu, great taste, excellent coffee flavors. Service was very attentive, we were greeted by a smiling hostess, who welcomed us for our reservation. The restaurant is always a favorite for any romantic occasion. Pros: Great Food and Service, Very Romantic & Private Table more

Fun times with friends over good italian food. Great choice for a group setting or a girls night out! Pros: Fun, good food, reasonable price Cons: Dark more

From the street, this place looks unassuming, but once inside we were surprised at how elegant and romantic it is--dark wood, brick walls, and the Old World feeling of being in a beautiful wine cellar. We came on a Monday night for the $11.95 pasta and salad special and were pleasantly surprised at how fresh and tasty everything was, from the house salad to the entrees. I had the linguine with shrimp and scallops, and my husband had the lobster ravioli. Both were truly delicious, and the portions were really generous, not small plates like you might expect for such a low price. more

My first time there was for my anniversary and it was romantic. Someone had cancel their celebration so the person who took my reservations decided to give me the table in the wine cellar. That made my day that much more perfect. We wrote our comments to each other and 'til this day it is our favorite restaurant. I love the salmon and he loves the ravioli. And let's not forget the caesar salad. I loved it so much that I suggested it for my cousin's surprise 30th birthday celebration and everyone enjoyed themselves and the food! Pros: Cesar salad for two made in front of you Cons: Parking, but that's parking anywhere in the city. I think they should have Valet. more

My husband brought me to Bistro Romano for my birthday. It was an amazing experience. They allowed him to have flowers sent to the restaurant and they kindly placed them on the table before we arrived. The service was wonderful; our waitress was so attentive. Most of the time, we didn't even have to ask for anything. She just knew. We ordered the bruschetta and it was delicious. I am very picky about bruschetta and this was probably the best I have ever had. I ordered the smoked chicken ravioli and it was so tasty. The combination of the atmosphere, service, and delicious food makes Bistro Romano the best, most romantic restaurant in the city! Pros: Atmosphere, service, and food more