Via Locusta

I had a dinner at Via Locusta last week and overall enjoyed the group dining experience. My group had the Fennel Salad and Tomato Salad as starters - these were light, but flavorful. I personally had the Grilled Swordfish plate as my entree - this was was really big portion with a very minimal side salad.. so much so that I had to take half of it to go. Lastly, we had the chocolate gelato as dessert. Overall, the lively atmosphere, side options, and big portions make Via Locusta a good option for group dinners.

I went to this place with my husband and friend for the restaurant week. Interesting place to enjoy. The vibe was amazing. Love this place’s happy hour menu. I had a cocktail made from limoncello. Loved it. Their fried zucchini was also good. They also had a good wine selection. Not impressed by the olive oil cake. I can make better.

10 out of 10! What an amazing dining experience!! One of the best Italian in Philly. We started with focaccia, which was absolutely top-notch especially with olive oil and rosemary on top. We also tried the gnocchi fritters which was also tasty. The highlights were the pastas and the roasted pig, which was so tender with the crispy skin. The only downside was that the side salad to the roasted pig was quite salty but I personally eat really bland so that might be why. The service was excellent and the pear tart was amazing too. Highly recommend!! We will definitely go back :)

Food 8/10 Absolutely outstanding happy hour deals and drinks. We loved the Hugo aperitif, not too strong but very refreshing. The small plates also were very solid, but the short ribs were very tough and chewy, don’t order that. The fried zucchini were really good, and the agnolotti was not bad but not something you need to order, the truffle flavor wasn’t especially strong. We ordered the garganelli, and since my friend is gluten free, her garganelli came with the same sauce but different pasta shape. Really enjoyed the al dente home made garganelli, great shapes to hold sauce, had just the right amount of bite. Atmosphere 8/10 Quite a small restaurant, really dim lighting and very modern and sleek lighting, reminded me of the Ace Hotel in NYC. Quite loud inside as happy hour progressed, and it was a little tight at the bar. There was a lot of table space at the bar, just not a lot between seats. Huge air vent spews out hot air right above the door, not that great. Service 8/10 We came Friday early evening, no reservations, and were lucky to get seated at the bar. There was a table that was free until 6pm, but we didn’t want to rush ourselves. Food came up really quickly, and the server was really nice.

Solid restaurant. The bread is outstanding, I would return just for more. The pasta is also good, but not the best I’ve had. There is an entire page of pasta shapes on the back of the menu, yet they don’t serve all of them. Our waiter told us it’s just for reference… It’s not the best place for vegetarians so keep that in mind.

*HIGHLY RECOMMEND* As someone who normally does not go for Italian food, I think Via Locusta is very good, one of the best Italian restaurants I’ve been to. I’ve been here a couple of times and the first time I was disappointed with their brunch menu. The avocado toast was burnt and not it. However, their standard menu is very good so I’d highly recommend skipping brunch menu and go straight to their standard menu items. The restaurant itself is very cozy, dimly lit, which makes it a great date spot. The ingredients are very fresh and high in quality. Perfectly cooked al dente pasta all the time. Overall, great Italian spot in the city. *Focaccia - MUST GET! So soft and fluffy, you can see all the olive oil shine on top. The whipped honey butter is amazing, sweet and salty and melts so nicely on the hot focaccia *Octopus - tender, not too chewy. Charred well. *Agnolotti - truffle flavor comes in strong. I like the idea of dipping this pasta in the sauce on the side vs normal pasta being smothered in sauce *Doppi Ravioli - I love the concept of splitting the ravioli into two, one half fig, the other half the cheese. It was very balanced. I am a huge fan of fig in general so this was good *Grilled Swordfish - very tender and I love the vinaigrette it comes with. And the minty flavor very unique but work *VERDICT* Would definitely go again if craving Italian

The focaccia is the best restaurant bread I’ve ever eaten, before you put the AMAZING honey butter on it! Every bite of everything we ordered was absolutely delicious, the atmosphere is wonderful, and our server (Ester) was perfect! Add this as a MUST visit for every trip to Philadelphia! You won’t be disappointed.

Everything was very good except the Pappardelle. Ratings: Focaccia w/ burrata (5/5), Gnoccho Fritto (5/5), Tagliata Salad (4/5), Agnolotti (4/5- could have been warmer), Pappardelle (3/5- could have been more flavorful and saucy). Ambiance was cool. I didn’t like that our table was super close to two other round tables. We basically sat and ate dinner with strangers. Also, it was kind of loud and I couldn’t hear the waiter. Overall, food was very good and we will definitely be back for the Focaccia and Gnoccho Fritto!!