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My safety net. Split an app, 2 entrees, split a dessert, 2 coffees for about $50. Can't do that too many places in a 2 mile radius. A quick meal and you can get out of there for under $30. It is small, cozy, tight, no frills like most BYO's. The windows actually steam up in winter. Cash only. There is a 10% off coupon on their website good for all of 2010.
The service is matter of fact and to the point but that doesn't bother me as when I am there I am matter of fact and to the point. A large party could take over the place with their noise level.
Although I was not too inspired by the entree, mussels shrimp in a red sauce with pasta, the appetizer I shared with my group was one of the best I ever eaten.
They have this mushroom, shrimp & herbs concoction that even pleased my date's palate who dislikes mushrooms.
Be wary of the bench seating, its uncomfortable and its seat is higher than the chair which makes you tower over the person on the seats.
Dining experiences are creatures of happenstance, as indicated by the variable reviews below of this cozy and simple neighborhood bistro. Expectations can be difficult, especially for a no frills place like this that is not working especially hard to impress, but rather is focused on feeding folks a good meal at a fair price. While I concur that I would not drive across town to dine at La Baia, I would also not hesitate to return here next time I was catching a show at one of the many theaters nearby. Prices are quite reasonable, portions were perfect and well prepared, and the menu seems to have something to please just about every appetite.
The menu consists of basic northern Italian dishes sprinkled with a few non-traditional Italian dishes (e.g., New York strip steak). There is nothing that is altogether fancy -- unless you consider lobster ravioli or salmon risotto "fancy." Essentially, it is reliable home cooking for neighborhood clientele and anyone else who happens to stumble upon this quiet corner. Comments about the neighborhood being sketchy are unfounded. This is a perfectly safe place to be at night. And that's coming from a guy who does not live in the city!
Service was casual and polite, although I could see how these guys could also be quite frank and, yes, perhaps even a bit gruff on occasion. Whatever the case, the staff seemed genuinely loved by the regulars, who seemed to make up more than half of their customer base on this Saturday night. We arrived fairly late for dinner (10:30), but they generously accommodated us, served us quickly, and we showed our appreciation by not lingering too long. Result -- everyone was happy!
All said, Bistro La Baia is a mighty fine choice for a no nonsense, inexpensive, and "home cooked" meal if and when you find yourself in the area of SE Rittenhouse Square.
Seriously disappointing. We had a MAJOR (a bug!!! big one with scary legs!!!!) problem with our food and the apology was a dessert "to split" which one of us could not eat. When explaining that one could not eat dairy, they essentially said, sorry, oh well, then there's nothing we can do. Totally unacceptable. I'll never be back and I wouldn't recommend it, even to an enemy.
I'd heard good things about this place, but my friend and I were not impressed. The food was fine, but nothing I would go back for. We split a salad that said it included apples, which turned out to be something unrecognizable that looked like it came from a can. Our chicken was weirdly chewy. While the penne vodka was good, it was not any better (probably worse) than the penne vodka at comparable Italian BYOs in the area. Will not be going back anytime soon, if ever. Big disappointment.
The key to this place is knowing what to order because there really are a few duds on the menu. Also, I think that the specials are the same every time I come here--with one very important exception. They occasionally have veal osso buco which they prepare expertly. I often call ahead to see if they're serving it before I decide to come in. The mushroom appetizer is also very good and the lobster ravioli is the best I've ever had. It's a great place to eat outside when the weather permits but the comfort of that osso buco keeps me coming back during the cold winter months.
i LOVE THIS PLACE!!!!!!!!
I love italian food for sure but La Baia is some place i will bring my friends here again and again.
Maybe this place is a little small but i love it cuz it's coxy and cute. The menu is ok compare to other italian restaurants i've been to. I love the calamari and the pasta they have here. Did i mention the cheescake?
Get ready to loose your button cuz you'll love this place and its food will keep you eating.
Fresh bread that's piping hot? Check.
Fabulous outdoor seating? Check.
Good food? Check.
Reasonable prices? Check.
BYOB? Check.
What's not to love?
-1 star b/c the staff isn't the friendliest.
Really disappointing! They cut corners everywhere and the food seriously suffers for it. One of the worst restaurants I've been to in Philly. Just sad, really.
serviceable, but not great northern italian bistro. prices are low, food is adequate. if you just want a quick, inexpensive meal, this is the spot. air conditioning would be a nice add on, tho'
The food was pretty good, but like many others have stated, their customer service was abysmal. We came in with a party of 10 to celebrate a friend's birthday, only to be rushed to order, finish eating, and get out. They even went so far as to ask us to leave after 90 minutes so they could have the tables for another large party. Apparently, they alotted 1 hour for a party of 10 to eat a 3 course meal. I'll certainly give them credit for serving a decent meal, but that's no way to treat your customers.
Also, their health inspection report is pretty clean, but a few minor blemishes that might be dealbreakers for some. http://donteatthere.or...
I actually had a wonderful experience here. We made reservations - definitely necessary, and when we arrived a bit early we were actually seated quite quickly. We sat outside even though it was a bit chilly, but it was entertaining people watching.... Quite a crowd of young college kids which could have definitely been annoying if we'd had to sit inside when they took the place over.
I also loved the food. Starting out with grilled calamari - it was tender with a definite grill flavor and the dipping sauce was delicious olive oil/lemon/garlic. We split gnocci (half pomodoro sauce, half with pesto) and one of the evenings specials lamb chops. The gnocci was rich and both sauces were quite good. The lamb chops were absolutely incredible though - 5 decent size lamb chops with a lovely marsala-type red wine based sauce and mashed potatoes that even someone from the midwest can approve. I do wish they'd listed the specials somewhere, as it was a bit difficult to clearly understand the waiter when he described them.
Service was not the most attentive ever, but our waters were refilled often and we did not have to wait long either to order or to get our food.
Dependably good food at reasonable prices. Outdoor tables in fair weather can be pleasant as there is worse outdoor dining in Philly than on this shady section of Spruce Street.. Service is jadedly professional and as rote as one can expect from senior staff working a room decades longer than their original plan. But food arrives timely and sometimes there is little difficulty getting your glass refilled.
I LOVE THIS RESTAURANT. i come here to celebrate, or to mope after a difficult week. the service is terrific! they always remember my face AND what my favorites are. it's affordable for the area. being a BYO doesn't hurt. i recommend reservations, but if you want to walk in, do it early in the evening. the neighborhood crowd starts walking in by around 8pm most nights. it's a fantastic place, but snug in seating. what they lack in space they make up for in freshness of food and friendly service. best italian for me in the city without a doubt.
I went there two nights in a row because my friends love it. I don't understand why. The food was mediocre and the portions are only average. I finished my meal both nights and still had room for more food. I got lobster ravioli the first night and the calamari and linguini the second night. There just wasn't enough flavor in the sauces. As for the ravioli, I have had much better filling in a ravioli. I thought there was too much cheese and not enough lobster in there.
Also, the place is extremely cramped. It is a very small restaurant and you feel like you are walking over other people to get to your table and exit the restaurant. I guess it could be considered cozy if you were on your date. But then again, if you were on a date, be prepared to have the people at the next table hear all of your mushy gushy sweet nothings
This place angers me to no end!
I have tried...not once, not twice but three times to eat here!
I've made reservations, shown up on time and had them given away before I made it in the door. One of those occasions was my birthday. So while I have never consumed the food here, I hate it!
I was never so disappointed as the last attempt, because Astral Plane was not there to be my carry over! :(
Bottom line...even reservations don't help at this place! Go for lunch!
We went on a friday night around 7:30pm and it was pretty empty. The crowd started to roll in around 8:30pm to 9pm. It is a small and crowded place but very charming like La Viola. The specials included pork chops, shell pasta with sausage, lamb chops and tilapia. My future father in law had the shell pasta with sausage and it came in a large portion. It was creamy and the sausage was very flavorful. My fiance had the lobster ravioli -- I couldn't taste much lobster from my bite but he loved it. It had the same creamy sauce as the sausage pasta dish. I had the veal with porcinni mushroom. It came with mashed potatoes and veggies. Pretty good as well. The veal was cooked just right and thin. The sauce was good. Our favorite was really the dessert course. We had the 3 layer chocolate cake and the ice cream rolled in chocolate shavings. The ice cream was great. Dense but also light in flavor and the shavings were delightfully crunchy.
We will go again.
For some reason, people love this little Italian eatery.
It is wicked small, and can get loud. But such makes a great Italian BYOB eatery's atmosphere.
The reason it gets 3 stars from me was the food. It wasn't spectacular Italian at all. Actually there is another reason: service. The wait is usually ridiculous (make reservations) and the servers are kinda cold and unfriendly. And if you are in an aisle seat, prepared to get bumped by the servers going in and out of the kitchen!
Decent place, service very accomodating. Like La Viola, is very cramped but personable. I had the penne arrabiata but wasn't the biggest fan of it, which may be why i'm holding out on the last star. It didn't have that much sauce and was a bit more spicy than I was comfortable with (and I can handle my spicy!). I tried some of my friend's dishes though, and they seemed better. With the prices though, definitely worth a try. Just be sure to get reservations because this place gets packed!
We ate here a few weeks ago and it isn't a place that I think I would definitely revisit. The grilled calamari was great however the Lobster Ravioli dish we had was below par. The dish didn't have a great taste and was very minimal in size. This restaurant is a BYOB which makes it much more appealing. If you are looking for a moderate priced italian restaurant it might tempt your palate but I think there are much better options in Philly.
Good food. Prices are reasonable. BYOB a huge plus. I had the penne amatriciana with some chicken on top and it was great. Salads were delicious as well. It's a small menu, but presumably they do a few dishes and do them right. The restaurant is somewhat cramped to put it lightly. If it's full, don't expect to move around too much, and expect a good amount of noise. All in all though, it's a nice place with good food. I'm not really sure what the other reviews are talking about with the service. The woman (I'm guessing the owner), was extremely gracious and chatted with us after our meal, even inviting us back for restaurant week and telling us what would be on the menu. It wasn't crowded, but still the service was exceptionally fast.
This eatery like many others in Philly is a BYOB and is small and cozy. The grilled calamari was pretty good; however the pastas were too salty. Since most restaurants in the city do a decent job with calamari. I really don't think this restaurant is that spectacular since there are so many other Italian restaurants in Philly that are more worthy. A stellar example would have been Melogranos, but unfortunately they are closed now.
Three Course Recession Menu
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
18" Tomato Pizza $3.99
Philadelphia, PA
Neighborhood: Graduate Hospital
Category: Dive Bars
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Rittenhouse Square
Category: Italian
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