Gran Caffe L’Aquila

This is a great place, had dinner with friends and had a great time. Wines are well chosen. I had a tuna tartar early on which was fresh and delicious. My friend had the gnocchi and the pork ravioli and loved it

Consider making a reservation for this gem. I called early afternoon Saturday to get in for two that evening around 6:30. Host explained he could get us in at that time in the downstairs area, but not in the dining room upstairs. I was fine with that because it was our first time. My family grew up in Italy and has raved about the food and authenticity!
The downstairs is where the gelato, coffee bar, other pastries, sandwiches and such are. Generally an area where you can come in and out more quickly than having a sit down dinner, which is what we came for. Aside from that, it is a very pretty ambience. Italian music playing, many songs I grew up listening to which brought me back.
The waiter explained that each week they chose a region of Italy and create dishes pertaining to that region. One thing I particular looked forward to was the knowledge of staff pairing wine and food as I heard that’s what they do. Unfortunately, our waiter did not suggest any wines after we said we were ready to order, but unsure what wine to choose. Our waiter educated us on the man who travels around to hand pick each wine for the restaurant, only to walk away giving us a few more minutes to decide on our own. Hm.
Ok now for food! Began with classic Italian starters of arancini, rice balls with beef, sauce, peas and cheese, and fritto misto, basically fried calamari with additional fried shrimp and zucchini. Both presented nicely and well cooked.
We had to order our main dishes with gelato pairings. We went with the ravioli with the back and white truffle gelato and crabcake with red pepper gelato. I was happy with both dishes. My boyfriend thought the ravioli was more al dente than he preferred, but I actually enjoyed the texture. Truffle is very distinct in this dish, so you have to like it if you’re going to appreciate the combo with the gelato. I thought the cool gelato complimented each dish nicely.
For dessert we ordered the brioche gelato sandwich with tiramisu gelato and the sfogliatelle. My boyfriend loved the sandwich and I really liked the texture and taste of sfogliatelle with ricotta filling. It is not a particularly sweet dessert, but very tasty. Only complaint was that the sfogliatelle was supposed to come with whole milk gelato, but it did not. I did realize it after it was served to me, but I did not say anything to the waiter because I suddenly wasn’t sure if I was mistaken. Later I checked the menu and they did in fact forget to serve the gelato with my dessert :(Also ordered espresso ristretto, which just means it is stronger. Don’t be surprised if it looks like a sip of coffee in a regular size cup. This is the traditional Italian way.
Service was fine, but nothing too great. I am wondering if it would be a different experience in the actual dining area.
Overall, the food was delicious. The gelato is out of this world (we sampled a few more on our way out) tremendously full of flavor, but what else could you expect from the gelato champion?! I’m already planning my next meal and brunch too!

One of the coziest restaurants in Philly! I love the upstairs area, which feels small and intimate, great for dates, friend catch up time and lunches. The menu is fancified Italian, and be warned it is HUGE! There are plenty of options for everyone! There are two fish dishes (both the salmon and branzino were great), a couple chicken dishes, and plenty of meat and pasta dishes. All are full of flavor, and heartiness. I would recommend splitting the crab cake appetizer (which comes with gelato… there is actually a whole section of food + gelato combos!) and also the eggplant parm stack. Followed, by an entrée each. And DEFINTELY try a couple of the gelato flavors! Absolutely best gelato I’ve ever had. So rich, smooth, creamy with intense flavor. I LOVED the white chocolate mint and mango/​mint combination. Great service, location and food!

Service:
Very good. Knowledgeable servers.
Ambiance:
Very nice. Deceptively large dining area on the 2^nd floor.
Price:
Moderate.
Food:
Truffle fries $ 4.70 — good
Cappuccino $ 3.90 — good
Veal + pork ravioli with truffle gelato $ 18.90 — NOT good. Not good at all. Here’s why: Pasta was either too al dente or not fresh. It was tough and had no chew to it. The flavor of the sweet gelato and truffle oil over cream sauce and meat raviolis made me gag a couple of times throughout my meal and could not finish. This is a tiny dish by the way. Coming from someone who eats rather large portions of food and could not finish the tiny plate of food means something. I felt that I would have been remised if I didn’t say anything to the server — which I did.
I want to say that it may be my lack in taste of good italian food, given that so many people are writing such rave reviews of this place and the veal + pork ravioli w/​truffle gelato dish in particular. But I think gelato on top of pasta is not a good idea. You can judge for yourself and let me know if you agree/​disagree.

Overall, I thought the food was great but there were a few things that kept me from giving a higher rating. First, when you walk in, it is confusing where you should go. It looked like downstairs was the gelato shop so we walked upstairs only to be brought back downstairs to the hostess. It was not obvious that this is what we were supposed to do. Once being brought back upstairs to sit down we were immediately greeted by our server.
I have to say that these poor servers look a little ridiculous in their Pinocchio hats and suspenders. Once I got past that, it took the server sooooo long to explain what the history of the restaurant and the idea behind the menu was. In my opinion, if you have to do a lot of explaining, then maybe the concept needs to be revisited so it is more clear. Is it small plates? Is it for sharing? Are you supposed to order items from several different areas of the menu? Will this be enough food? Who knows, it was all very, very confusing.
Also, our waiter was annoyingly attentive. He left so we could look at the menu and came back two or three times before we had a chance to make up our minds. He stood like six feet away while we discussed what we thought might be good and interjected every once in a while with some information or opinions. It was uncomfortable, I have never had a waiter do that before.
Whatever the waiter said to us in his long explanation was lost on us. We ended up looking at it from a more traditional stand point. We ordered an appetizer, some dinner salads and an entrée. I eavesdropped when the table next to us was ordering and it seemed like they were equally confused asking if that was going to be enough food and if they had ordered correctly.
Anyway, now to the food. We thought we had ordered lamb skewers to start but four shrimp in a spicy barbecue like sauce were brought to our table. There must have been something lost in the translations. We didn’t say anything and ate it. They were plump and tasted great. My salad was large and had a bunch of some bitter vegetable in it and a weak citrus dressing. I mostly picked around and left about half of it. For the entrée I had the branzino fish plate. It came with asparagus and roast potatoes. This dish was altogether delicious and I enjoyed it very much. I also ordered a scoop of café gelato. Best gelato I have ever had. It was so good, if I had not been so full I would have wanted more.
It is a bit of an expensive meal. It was $ 96 before tip. If our waiter had not been such a weirdo and there was less confusion I think I would have scored higher based on the food.

Nourriture décente, sans plus — gnocchi trop cuits. Sinon, difficile de trouver plus kitsch: dans un restaurant décoré de faux livres aux titres italiens, tandis que résonne une musique populaire assourdissante, un serveur mexicain croit vous duper en balbutiant quelques mots dans la langue de Dante.

The food was FANTASTIC. The flavors were on point and everything was delicious. My only pet peeve was the bread — for a place trying to market themselves as a quality establishment, I would expect them to toast the bread. I felt like it detracted from the bread to serve it cold. The olive oil and salt accompanying the bread was mediocre. I understand that they are complimentary but offer quality in every level of your service and food.

After returning twice to this café for coffee with my girlfriends I have to add a star to my previous review. It has become my new favorite coffee/​dessert destination in the city! The ambience cannot be rivaled, I really feel like I visit Italy each time. The coffee is also top notch– so many options for espresso, coffee, lattes and many great pastry and gelato choices as well. The worst part of this place is the service– it is so slow. From the time we arrived to the time we got our drinks was easily 45 minutes both visits and then it takes forever for them to bring the check too. I’d suggest this for a relaxing afternoon coffee and dessert stop if you want to kill some time and just relax.

Found this gem when waking around after the museums. It was amazing, best Italian I have had in a long time. Tasted the gnocchi and also carbonara. They have some plates that are paired with gelato on top. Sound strange, but it melts into the hot food and makes it so creamy. You have to try it. Service was amazing and atmosphere is quiet and open.
This is a must eat if you are anywhere in philly. The head chef is also a gelato chef which is why everything is stellar.

Came here again recently for lunch. The menu is pretty big, but more than half of it is alcohol.
Ordered the carbonara which had cheese, egg, bacon and black pepper with spaghetti. To top it off, it came with a bacon gelato. I was a little skeptical about putting a cold dessert with my savory hot entrée, but it worked. The spaghetti was cooked perfectly al dente. The flavors came through well and good portions of bacon.
My only complaint is that the lunch portion isn’t big enough as a standalone meal. You’ll need an appetizer or dessert to be full and have a few pieces of bread! Their gelato is the best in Philly and most similar to the gelato we ate in Italy this year. Also, their gelato guy is ranked number 1 in the world apparently.

I came here with com coworkers for lunch. Since the chef is a World Cup gelato (didn’t know such competition existed) champion, I had to try one of the gelato pairings.
The portion was small (guys may not be completely filled up) but the food was absolutely delicious! The gelato melts as you eat and serves as a cause/​dressing to the dish and added another layer of flavor to a already well made dish.
Service was very professional, ambience was modern. Recommend!

Odd location for a full restaurant, which is upstairs with café on street level. Service needs help, likely because owner/​manager has an attitude. Lucky for them, the food shines so we are happy to ignore the service deficiencies.
Had dinner at upstairs dining room — tapa styled menu. Loved everything. The lamb skewers were delicious– generous portion too! The mixed mushrooms were cooked and spiced perfectly. The octopus was tender and flavorful. The pasta al dente and tasty. The gelato — the dark chocolate and the coconut– YUMMY! Cappuccino perfect! So good that we returned the next day to enjoy another cup at the street level café to start the day.
Will return.

While visiting Philadelphia I ate here once and treated myself to their gelato twice!
The service was excellent and provided excellent recommendations based on my diet and preferences. After a delicious meal, it only got better with gelato and coffee. The next day I treated myself to more gelato and coffee.
This is a nice place.

I can’t get over how good this place was. I went here for a graduation party with about 16 people and they made accommodations in under 24 hours which we really appreciated. That was just the start. The second we sat down we were waited on by several great staff members. We ordered everything, bruchetta, lamb kabobs, oysters, aranchini, rimini and wine to start. Everything was out o this world. Then we received our entrees. OMG the papadelle aquila is amazingly tasty. Every bite I was shocked by the quality.
Let me tell you about the gelato. Many of the items you can pair with gelato since a world famous gelato chef works their. I got the Parmesan gelato which was fantastic along side my pasta.
When it was all said and done I don’t think I could have enjoyed the food anymore or had more attentive and wonderful staff.
I would recommend this place to anyone in Philly looking for their new favorite restaurant.

Best gelato ever. I can’t get enough of the Coco and Rum. But there are a lot of good options and no one I know has ever been less than satisfied with their choices. You can also get takeout gelato to make sure your fridge is always stocked.
I haven’t dined here yet but I will update my review once I do.

I’m never going to Capogiro for gelato ever again… what creamy indulgences I’ve sampled here.
I look forward to coming back to dine.

So far this is my favorite stop in Philly. It is such a special, genuine Italian café serving lunch/​dinner, gelato, coffee — both naughty and nice, beer, wine, you name it, they serve it.
I sat at the bar cause I promised myself it would only be a mini meal. I was served by the friendliest, most accommodating fellow, and you could discern that he actually liked his job. He was personable to all of us that sat there and gave suggestions as requested.
I got myself a hot chocolate, which wasn’t just any hot chocolate. My server offered to throw in a small bit of espresso because it was just better that way. And my god it was a perfect blend of slight sweetness, decadently bitter and oh geez I need to have another one. I thoroughly enjoyed every sip and was disappointed when it was gone.
I imagine I’ll find myself here every day that I’m in town… Maybe next time for the hot chocolate and gelato.

This review is solely based on dessert. We had dinner Dizengoff and thanks to Unilocal I found that Gran Café L’Aquila was only a short 2-​block walk.
The restaurant is very nice and oozes out a European vibe. We sat at a table near an open window that faced Chestnut Street. This only added to continental feel of this café.
Our waiter was very attentive and our desserts came out quickly. We had the Brioche Bread Pudding, the Lavender Panna Cotta and the Sfogiatelle. We very impressed the presentation and quality of all three of these desserts. We also had cappuccino, which was also quote good.
Gran Café L’Aquila is a really nice spot in center city and I would definitely come back for dinner or lunch.

After a devastating 2009 earthquake destroyed their restaurant and an unfortunate portion of the city of L’Aquila, Italy, brothers Riccardo and Gigio Longo opened up Gran Caffe L’Aquila in the Rittenhouse area. And once you exit the bustle of 17^th and Chestnut and enter their establishment, it’s as if you’re transported to a proper Italian café, replete with stellar gelati, panini to go, and cappucino. That’s not to say that a proper dine-​in menu isn’t available, but much of the fanfare surrounding Gran Caffe L’Aquila has centered around their gelati.
In fact, one of the principals of the café is award-​winning gelato maker Stefano Biasini. And with an ever-​changing option of 24 gelati on offer, Biasini’s technique and passion is on display for our gustatory pleasure.
A small serving provides a single scoop of one of the gelati, while the medium and large provide two and three tastes, respectively. After enjoying a weekend lunch at DanDan as well as some Walnut Street shopping, the GF and I stopped in to finally try 2015’s Best of Philly Gelato.
Medium Chocolate & Desire Gelato [$ 6]
The GF went with the chocolate and desire gelati. The rich chocolate notes were present, providing an enjoyable undertone of bitterness from the high-​quality chocolate. And the desire? Wow — that’s where we were really blown away by the ingredients. The deep cherry flavors really came through, with bits of whole cherry skins providing some texture. Amazing.
Medium Straciatella & Cannolo [$ 6]
I went with straciatella and cannolo. The straciatella was studded with chocolate chips and had surprisingly savory undertones. And the complexity of the cannolo had a great depth of flavor and an innate sweetness that was light.
I love me some Capogiro Gelato, to be sure. But Gran Café L’Aquila? They brought it to the next level. It truly is all about how Biasini allows the ingredients to shine through his creations. I’ll need to come back here to try the regular dining menu and some of those delicious-​looking panini’s, but it’s the gelati that has me sold on returning.

A little piece of Italy right in Philly! I was so impressed with this Café, I couldn’t stop talking about it for 3 days. The environment is very elegant but still casual. Perfect place for any occasion, weather you’re going out with your parents, friends or significant other. Our waitress was very well educated on the authenticity of food being served.
Their fresh bread and herb infused olive oil is so yummy, I would go back just for that alone! I started with an appetizer of fried calamari, shrimp and zucchini, which was served with a tomato dipping sauce. For my main dish I had a light salad with melon and shrimp.
Finally, to top it all off, the best cappuccino I have ever had! Everything was amazing! I can’t wait to go back.

This is one of those places where I could have spent an entire day here, sampling every possible item on the menu. Unfortunately, we already had dinner plans at a nearby restaurant, so we stopped in for some pre-​dinner caffeine instead.
I had a NOCCIOLINO, which is an espresso with hazelnut, foam, and chocolate. First of all, my heart was won over already by the adorable little to-​go cup it came in. Add to that the sweetness of hazelnut and chocolate permeating every sip of espresso and you pretty much can’t lose.
After dinner, we walked past Gran Caffe L’Aquila again and I decided on a SHAKERATO CLASSICO, which is a double espresso shaken with ice and sugar. Yes, I’m acutely addicted to espresso ^_​^. This was the perfect post-​dinner/​pre-​night out drink. It was cool and refreshing, just wonderful! It’s pretty sweet, so if you’re not a fan of exceedingly sweet drinks, you may want to tell them to add less sugar. Little ice crystals establish themselves throughout the espresso, but not in a diluting way; rather, you get a smooth and cooling feeling.