Victor Cafe

If you LOVE this place like I do, LIKE them on Facebook! more

I am really grateful that we have this place handy. I like the fact that this is a pretty convenient store, they also have a wonderful meat section. more

Unfortunately, the beautiful waiters and waitresses were so understaffed it was painful to watch them work so hard and entertain the customers at the same time. more

the only con for me - is that if this restaurant was a byob it would be the best. but thats just me. the waitstaff is very attentive, knowledgeable, come back often to check on you. AND of course, the reason most people come here - because the watiers and waitresses are all trained opera singers! they are amazing and it is so much fun! the portions are large and the food is very tasty. during the week, there is never a wait and it is not too noisy or crowded. the prices are a little high - but not when you consider what you are getting! def. a place to take the relatives when they come to visit. and this is the restaurant Rocky owns in the lastest Rocky movie!! Pros: singing waitstaff more

My husband and I chose to go to this restaurant to celebrate our wedding anniversary based on the good reviews found on the internet. Pros: Pesto Dipping Sauce for bread. Cons: Slow service. OK food. more

The opera singing waiters make it much more than a dinner. We celebrated my fathers 80th birthday here and brought along our 11 & 13 kids. The short little interludes break up the dinner and make it a night out not just a nice dinner. The owners didn't know us at all but made a special effort to accommodate us. Pros: Beautiful singing, nice owners more

Was in town from Texas, visiting a few friends in Philly and we had the pleasure to dine at The Victor Cafe. Absolutely incredible dining experience and a very unique atmosphere. The servers take turns belting out beautiful opera songs every 15 minutes. The food was GREAT as well. We eat out alot, and have all over the world, and our Victor Cafe experience is certainly up at the top of our dining experiences!! Pros: Incredible dining experience! Great date place!! Cons: Location is a bit difficult to get to more

We have been to this charming South Philadelphia restaurant a few times and its always entertaining; the food is delicious and the service is very friendly. Wonderful date or family place with valet parking. Pros: wonderful, refreshing entertainment, great food, excellent service, valet parking, good for dates or a large group. more

Where do I begin? My dining experience at Victor Cafe was nothing short of spectacular. I took a date there a while ago on the recommendation of a friend. This is a place where ""Grammy,"" who incidentally is pushing 90 years old, spends the entire day in the kitchen concocting new specials with the freshest ingredients available. When your server decides to break into song (which he or she will), the music may enchant you as much as gazing on the black and white photos of all the opera stars and celebrities who have patronized the restaurant over the past 80 years. If you are lucky enough, the current patroness, the latest in the family line, will come over to your table and charm you with her beauty, grace, and wit. Especially good for birthdays, anniversaries, and other celebrations, the staff will welcome your party as if you were a guest in one of their own homes. My pasta was perfectly cooked - not too soggy as is so common these days, and the chocolate cake melted in my mouth. When the check finally comes, you are assured not to want to leave - I stayed long enough that I was afraid to overstay my welcome - but true to family hospitality, I was never made to feel that way. Though I live in New York City, I look forward to the opportunity to return again - and for the right occasion, I would make a special trip just for the dining experience. BEWARE: there are other places nearby that claim to have waiters who sing opera, but don't be fooled: Victor Cafe is the original. Pros: Ambiance, Italian home cooking, opera... Cons: They eventually close at night... more

I had no idea what to expect when I decided to attend the Victor Cafe. A colleague of mine had recommend it a s a must see when visiting Philadelphia. Not only was the service perfect, but the staff's incredible singing talents blew us away. The food was excellent (get the filet, it was ridiculous) and the overall ambiance is something that will stay with me and my guests for a long time. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! more

My wife and I are longtime Victor's patrons and I agree with the above poster- there are a lot of new faces among the staff at the Cafe.. but I have to say- it's great! To be honest, I was getting a little tired of hearing many of the same arias each time we came, but my wife loves their Filet Maria and so we went last thursday night. To my total surpise I heard all brand new songs! Our waitress did a gorgeous version of ""Summertime"" and one of the busboys sang a beautiful aria that was so sad my wife and I were totally drawn in by his performance even though we don't understand Italian and then he sang a note we couldn't believe- High C??? The new staff are definitely younger but they share the same dedication to classical music and great service that their predecessors had.. Also, I recommend trying the cheesecake- it's new on the menu and the chef does a great job of keeping it very light and smooth. Pros: Filet Maria, gorgeous singing, valet parking Cons: can get loud at times, definitely need reservations more

I went to Victor's several times with my date. When I took my girlfriend over the weekend, I was shocked to see so many new faces. The singing was not that great. The food was just ""ok"" - but not great. What happened to this once popular restaurant? I would have to say that I was disappointed. I may return in the future. Pros: Valet more

Last Saturday night me and my boyfriend wanted to try something different then just a restaurant, so we went to victors where there was live entertainment while we dined. I was first excited to see they had Valet parking in South Philly then when greeted by the hostess (who was all smiles) I was ushered to my table that I had reserved earlier in the week and was ready for me when i got there. My server neat and respectful also an amazing singer started us with cocktails and appetizers which I got a vanilla martini that was great and the Caprese and Mussels Red.. yum!. The portions were perfect . Then my main course the Tortellini took my breathe away the sauce was delicious and I found it to be really fulling that i even had leftovers. The opera singers gave me chills there voices were beautiful at the table or on stage. After ever good dinner we followed with dessert .. a warm piece of molten chocolate cake . need i say more .. and I was impressed by there large selection of herbal teas since Im not a coffee drinker. All in all this place was great , quint atmosphere , delicious food, and live opera entertainment . We Will Be Back Again! Pros: Valet, Good Service, and Delicious Food more

I drove about 2 1/2 hours to get there last week. I found the place was where they filmed Rocky so I was excited to see the place. The food was ok but overpriced, I walked out of there about $70 bucks for one person. The manager was nice had to give him that. But the waiter I had was a bit on the snob side. When I was seated at the table for 4, the waiter came over about 5 times and never bothered to clear the remaining glasses, dishes and silverwear, so I was swamped by the whole thing. I had the most expensive piece of meat on the menu and asked them to cook it rare. There was no problem with the cook, but the waiter I think purposely didnt pick it up because when I got it the entire plate was ice cold. Pros: Manager was really nice. Cons: Waiter was acted like a 25 year old snob. Food was ehh. Ok for a quick bite to eat. Nothing more. more

I brought my son and daughter-in-law here last weekend for my son's 35th birthday and we had just the best time. We got there about 7:45 or our 8 o'clock reservation and they seated us right away. We had the Clams Casino and the Caesar Salad to start- both were really great. For dinner we had the Filet Maria (Oh My God is all I can say- it's like you die and go to heaven - the mashed potatoes!) and the Dido and Aeneas (like seafood pasta) -Delish! and I forget what my daughter-in-law ordered. For dessert I HIGHLY suggest the Warm Chocolate thing- it's melty gooey chocolatey goodness. Also had the tiramisu- it's big! definitely enough for 2 people to share. Last but definitely not least: The Singing! Wow. Just wow. The waiters sing a beautiful opera song every 15 minutes and basically bring the house down. Come here for romantic dinners, birthday parties, or any old thing- just come. Pros: Food, Cheap Valet Parking, Singing! Cons: none! more

First- The whole staff are so sweet and helpful- they went above and beyond in accomodating my handicapped fiancee. Pros: Food, Atmoshpere, Singing. Cons: None! more

The entertainment is fun, and the bar is great. Service is also above averge. Food is only so-so. Nice to experience once, but wouldnt take anyone there because the food was good or well priced. A bit pricey and small portions also. Pros: The singers are excellent. Cons: Price/Value/small portions and so-so food. more

This was my first time at the Victor Cafe - I had avoided it for over a decade, fearing that the music would be cheesy and and the food mediocre because of the emphasis on the music. We went for a child's birthday. The service problems recounted in the most recent reviews seem to have been cleared up - there was no problem with our reservation, we were seated promptly, and served well throughout the meal. The waiters do let you linger, which was lovely for such a small space (it was a week night and only the main room was in use). The waiters were also the kindest I'd ever encountered, and I've eaten in a huge number of restaurants - perhaps the kindness comes from being treated with respect (because of their musical abilities). I would have expected them to have attitude, and they did not. The music was pretty good - the 3 selections we heard were well chosen, not the least bit cliched, and beautifully sung. The waiters had good voices and great technique, and managed to integrate serving and singing which can't be easy. As far as the food goes, I was also pleasantly surprised. My husband noted that his dish was heavy on the cream and cheese, but then again he did order the tortelloni. The Victor salad was large and really yummy for being a green salad (perhaps it was the Gorgonzola and chopped egg garnish). The squid in my linguini fra diavolo were tender, delicious and plentiful, and the sauce had some serious heat and good flavor. The pasta was well cooked. I tasted a friend's pasta with chicken livers and it was also delicious, the livers tender. The spumoni was elegant and light, the pistachio creme brulee also elegant despite its bright green color. Pros: good quality opera during dinner! Wow! more

I was only in Philly for the day, wanted some South Philly Italian and found Victor's on this website. It was FANTASTIC. more

I and 10 friends went to the Victor Cafe' last Saturday night.. I've been going there for about nine years now, no one else had ever been. I can honestly say that it was as good as it has ever been. I was a little nervous about bring these frinds after reading a few less than flattering reviews that were wrtitten recently. However, our table for 11 people was waiting for us as soon as we walked in at 8:00 PM, our waiter was knowledgeable and friendly and my meal was excellent. In fact, everyone in our party had a great experience. I can't help but wonder if the negative reviews were written by local competitors trying to disparage the Victor. Pros: Ambiance, Service, affordable valet service more