Il PittoreDelicious and delightfulNo, not a Gershwin tune. . . Il Pittore (can't stand the habit of subtracting the 'Il'), in its upstairs, open, black and white dining space, is welcoming and well-staffed (almost too assiduous at times). The food, in suitably small portions, was interestingly presented, full of flavor, and not too wild (but wild enough). I had the best gnocchi I've had for years. A fine prosecco and a hearty primitive for the two of us -- a really good wine list and a waiter who knew how to help us choose.
I'd go back in a minute.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMAlmost five starsVery attractive room and excellent service. Superb cauliflower salad, grilled octopus, wonderful pastas , delcious side veg dishes, and rabbit "rack". Only real flaw was the mark-up on the wine list -- more than 4 to 1 on some offerings.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMDeliciousWe had a great experience at II Pittore. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming from the hostess to our server. Our meal was delicious and we will definitely come back.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMMost EnjoyableFirst-rate all down the line. Hostesses, Servers, Sommelier, Chef all were great. Each course was delicious and we can't wait to go back to try those dishes we weren't able to try this time. An overall enjoyable night out.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMJust the best.Seriously, the whole experience at Il Pittore was mind blowing. The menu is broken into three main sections, with each representing a course in the meal. Every dish was perfect and absolutely delicious. The service was out of this world - the wait staff was very attentive and helpful. Neither of us have eaten at a place of this caliber before, the waiters were more than happy to answer our silly questions about etiquette and the different dishes.
The only downside was the price; it was very, very expensive. However, this isn't the kind of place we'd recommend to visit every week anyway. It's truly a unique experience and great for special occasions.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMTop shelfBest of the best. We had the chefs sampler. Every course was expertly prepared5/6/2013 12:00:00 AMSimply OutstandingThe passion of the owners, chefs and staff is apparent from top to bottom. Creative food, incredible taste and excellent service. Simple but nice design with great lighting.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMExceeded expectations!My parents came into town over the weekend and I wanted to take them somewhere nice for dinner. We all loved our experience at Il Pittore! The food was excellent (although the portions are small, as is to be expected at a more upscale restaurant). My dad loved his black sea bass dish and their house-made pasta was really, really good! The real standout, however, was the outstanding service we received! My parents like to drink hot water with their meals and they were each given individual teapots that were replaced several times throughout the meal without prompting to ensure that the water was always hot. Everyone-waiters, servers and hostess alike-all went out of their way to make us feel like VIP's. Would absolutely recommend!!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent service and goodExcellent service and good selection of delicious dishes. Looking forward to the next visit.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMSuperb serviceWe dined with another couple, we ordered...Sea Bass and Stuffed Trout, both were delicious. Their Antipasti beet salad and baked ricotta were our favorites. Be prepared that this is an expensive restaurant, you pay for their superb service and very special dishes.5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMA Great New Restaurant!We met friends for dinner on a Sunday evening. We all were very impressed with Il Pittore. Everything-- food, wine, service was outstanding. The food is northern Italian and everything that we tried was first-rate. We started with a chicken sausage appetizer with chanterelle mushrooms, followed by pappardelle with wild boar ragu, and veal cheeks for the main course. My wife and I shared each of the dishes and we felt nicely full. Our friends had a salad, ravioli and fish dishes. The wine list is Italian and outstanding. The sommelier was very helpful in helping us choose a great white. Service was helpful, friendly and not intrusive. All in all, this is a top-notch restaurant and a great addition to the Philly scene.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic!Had a teriffic dinner served by an attentive and very knowledgable (and passionate!) waiter. Food was out of this world excellent with so much flavor, but still it was all so elgantly simple. This is top of my list and I cannot wait to return!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMThe folks at Il Pittore wereThe folks at Il Pittore were so lovely and accommodating, even when half of our table showed up twenty-five minutes late for our reservation. Service was outstanding, and our server recommended a fabulous wine for the table. The food was exquisite, especially the baked ricotta and the swiss chard ravioli with truffle oil. Also, the dessert portions were very manageable - a trio of sorbets was the perfect finish. The space is really pleasant - not too loud or too crowded, and the plant lined skylights do an excellent job of opening the room up and bringing the outdoors in. I would recommend coming for an earlier dinner just to enjoy how nice the light comes through. Overall, a truly wonderful dining experience! We will be back!4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMSavory!!Great date night. Amazing food. They totally take 'up selling' to a new level though.4/26/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was delectable.The food was delectable. The preparation was outstanding on the suckling pig secondi. The skin was perfectly crisped and the meat itself was succulent. The accompanying dishes and dessert were outstanding! This restaurant is seriously good. Any foodie would feel right at home here, with the array of antipastis ranging from cabbage wrapped lamb sausage, with fennel pollen, to primis that include pappardelle (pasta ribbons with wild boar, rosemary and parmesan). Fantastic!4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurant! Food, serviceGreat restaurant! Food, service and ambience was outstanding. Worth another visit!4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMa PERFECT DATE NIGHT WITH MY HUSBANtHE SERVICE WAS IMPECCABLE AND THE FOOD WAS AMAZING. iT WAS A MEMORABLE NIGHT FOR ALL THE RIGHT REASONS.4/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGood service, good food, goodGood service, good food, good wine. Enjoyed the evening. Particularly enjoyed helpfulness from sommielier when ordering wine.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMMy wife and I love this placeMy wife and I love this place for special occasions but have no trouble finding other reasons to visit. The food is delicious, the wines well-chosen, the staff and management are impeccably courteous, efficient and friendly. The decor is elegant, yet comfortable and familiar, especially in the upper dining room.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMSooo goodOnly go if (1) you want perfect Italian food made with creative combinations-- no spaghetti and meatballs, no lasagna; (2) you have an evening to enjoy out, over a slowly served, multi-course meal; (3) you want to get dressed up. Allow for about $85 pp for your meal (plus drinks). TOTALLY WORTH IT!4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMMy husband and I were celebratingMy husband and I were celebrating my 70th birthday. The food, service, ambience, etc was excellent. Can't remember that last time we enjoyed a dinner this much14/18/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best restaurantsOne of the best restaurants in the city. The food is marvelous.4/17/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our first visit toThis was our first visit to Il Pittore. It was a wonderful experience from the start. Other than the acoustics not being the best making it quite noisy our evening was perfect. Todd took incredible care of us and was impecible with his timing. This was our first date night since our wedding two months ago. Todd made the night fabulous. Thank you!4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a wonderful anniversaryWe had a wonderful anniversary dinner at Il Pittore. The food and service were wonderful!4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI think you could do a groupI think you could do a group of 8 more than that might be a stretch. The service is excellent : the food is Amazing and if needs be the wine by the glass is even very good.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth the expenseGreat pastas; affordable list of Italian wines; excellent service; our favorite Italian restaurant in Philly. Favorites: Corzetti, Braised Veal Cheeks.4/14/2013 12:00:00 AMWe really enjoyed our dinnerWe really enjoyed our dinner at Il Pittore. The food was fabulous! Everything that we tried was great. Thank you for a lovely evening!4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely delicious foodAbsolutely delicious food in a beautiful atmosphere with impeccable service. Simply put, a lovely dinner experience. Homemade pastas are to die for and the seared fluke was the best fish I have ever had. Will definitely be returning.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat JobIt was our first visit to Il Pittore, but not our last. The Food was excellent. The Services was outstanding. My wife and I are going to the top 50 Restaurants in Philly and this should be #1. We had Mushrooms and Favas, Arugula Salad, Pappardelle, Gnocchi, Suckling Pig and Braised Short Rib all perfect. The attention to detail and service at every point of the night was just wonderful. The cocktails we also fantastic. Congratulations’ to Chef Painter.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMItalian food on par with VetriIl Pittore seriously gives Marc Vetri a run for his money for Italian supremacy in Philadelphia. They know how to cook here; everything we ordered could not have been prepared more technically perfect, and the service was also excellent. We will definitely be back (there is a lot on their menu I am interested in trying).4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMPhenomenal food and excellentPhenomenal food and excellent service! My friends from England were most impressed!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was a special occasionIt was a special occasion and the food was indeed special. Had the arugala, the trout, and the bombolini. Wow.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food, well-prepared andGood food, well-prepared and seasoned. Attentive service and knowledgeable wait staff.4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThis was our first time hereThis was our first time here and the food was amazing! Service was very good as well, the table was a bit smaller than I usually like to sit at, but overall definitely worth it!4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMAbsolutely deliciousSecond time dining at Il Pittore. The food is amazing!!! Everything we had was delicious. The palate combinations are absolutely perfect. My favorites were the hamachi crudo, mushroom bruschetta, and the lamp chops. I'm a salty food person so if you're not - a warning that all those products are pretty salty. Desserts were good as well. The best is the Nutella beignets.3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMReally Good FoodIl Pittore is a worthwhile splurge. The food is very good, and the service is flawless.
We sat at the counter, which is downstairs next to the communal table. We were eventually joined by two other couples. In other words, there's plenty of room for walk-ins on a saturday night at 8PM.
Yes, prices are steep, but the food is carefully prepared and well presented. The apps and pastas are very small portions, but the beets are the best I ever tasted, and the octopus is very tasty and tender. The papardelle with wild boar is lip smackingly good, but the lobster tortellini is a distant second. The main courses are respectable portions. The crispy wall-eye pike is truly delicious and perfectly cooked. Don't miss the brussel sprouts!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMBest service we've had inBest service we've had in a long time with exceptional food. Definitely one of the better spots in Philadelphia for the new wave of casual fine dining.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMBest experience in the city!Philly has no shortage of pricey restaurants. This is one of them, but it stands out and is totally worth it! Other reviewers complained about the time in between courses, but we found it to be wonderful. We dined on a busy Friday night and weren't rushed. The portions are small so you need to order 3 courses, but you will want to do so after having your first bite. The brown butter ravioli were amazing. The beets were perfect. The wine list was simple and interesting. The service was, hands down, the most professional in the city. It's an upscale clientle so make sure you dress well and enjoy!3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful night out!Took my boyfriend here for his birthday. Could not be better. The service was wonderful. Our server was so knowledgeable about the food and wine it made it so much fun to eat there. The wine was pricey, but there were a lot of great choice. They definitely made this a dinner to remember for us and we would love to go back. All the food was delicious. I would highly recommend the ricotta app, the duck breast entree and the lemon sorbet with pine nuts.3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was wonderful; pastasThe food was wonderful; pastas especially memorable. We were disappointed in the service which was very slow. It took 10 minutes for the server to appear with menus and he seemed to be missing in action at various times during our dinner. Although staff was pleasant and knowledgeable, the pace of the meal was too slow. Manager was very professional. Overall we had a delicious dinner but it was too long to sit.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMNever knew this place existed.Never knew this place existed. Food was absolutely wonderful. The pastas are excellent. Wines by the glass. Perhaps a bit overpriced, but worth it for a minor splurge.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFrom the minute we walkedFrom the minute we walked in the door we were impressed. First by how we were greated by the hostess, then by the ambiance. Overall this is an exquisite restaurant. The service was impecable. The choices were very interesting, so it was hard to choose. I personally left a little hungry, but overall, I highly recommend this resaurant.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat seasonal menu, it'sGreat seasonal menu, it's all about what's fresh with thoughtful flavor pairings3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMIt was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! NotIt was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G ! Not any other words to describe it. The food will blow you away. Awesome food, service, and atmosphere.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMMy favorite restaurant inMy favorite restaurant in the city. Nowhere else can you find excellent food, service and atmosphere. I'm always impressed with everything.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMStands out as a neighborhood rstrntA concept restaurant that doesn't feel as much like one. Food, especially the pasta, is excellent in a neighborhood where there is very stiff competition for great pasta.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThis restaurant is awesome,This restaurant is awesome, great food, great wine (thanks to the sommelier), and great service! Our group had the lobster totellini, pappardelle, gramigna, and sides of Butternut Squash, and Fennel. We all shared and each dish was delicious! We even had the pleasure of meeting Chef Chris Painter. Highly recommend Il Pittore3/14/2013 12:00:00 AMThis place is the best!A wonderful place and a wonderful meal! Vegetarian options are limited but delicious.2/14/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat service. Food was excellent.Great service. Food was excellent. Nice menu choices. Highly recommended.1/18/2013 12:00:00 AMnew upscale modern italian optionThis was our first visit to Il Pittore. We were quite impressed with the quality and sophistication of the options. The highlight of the meal was the five selection cheese plate--one of the best we've sampled this year. But every dish was enjoyed, from the pasta with black truffles to the napolean dessert. The only minor complaint was a LONG wait for our first courses--probably a good thirty minutes--with little in regard to explanation. However, the wait staff was friendly and knowledgable. We did not complain. I'd rather things be a little long than rushed anyway. Definitely a nice new upscale Italian (though not "traditional" italian) that we will return to and recommend to others.1/12/2013 12:00:00 AM