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Name: Vetri
Address: 1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107
Telephone: (215) 732-3478
Price range: Under $11
Rating: 4.36

Vetri

1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

(215) 732-3478
Store is closed

Vetri Menu

Fish

Cured Swordfish Involtini

Cabbage Braised Monkfish

Diver Scallop

Baccala Gnocchi

Whole Fish “secondo Il Mercato”

Skate Wing
Vegetable

Persimmon Salad

Scorzonera Sformato

Sweet Onion Crepe

Spinach Gnocchi

Almond Tortellini

Fontina Agnolotti
From The Earth

Tortellini Pie

Vitello Tonnato

Pheasant Saltimbocca

Canadian Goose

Saffron Malloreddus

Doppio Ravioli

Bollito Misto

Roasted Capreto

Milk Braised Maialino
Dessert

Chocolate Polenta Souffle

Pistachio Flan

Hazelnut Marjolaine

Cinnamon Date Tart

Piccolo Pasticceria

Healthy Meal suggestions for Vetri

Fish

Cured Swordfish Involtini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cabbage Braised Monkfish [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Diver Scallop [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Baccala Gnocchi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Whole Fish “secondo Il Mercato” [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Skate Wing [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Vegetable

Persimmon Salad [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Scorzonera Sformato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Sweet Onion Crepe [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Spinach Gnocchi [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Almond Tortellini [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Fontina Agnolotti [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
From The Earth

Tortellini Pie [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Vitello Tonnato [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pheasant Saltimbocca [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Canadian Goose [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Saffron Malloreddus [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Doppio Ravioli [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Bollito Misto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Roasted Capreto [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Milk Braised Maialino [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]
Dessert

Chocolate Polenta Souffle [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Pistachio Flan [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Hazelnut Marjolaine [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Cinnamon Date Tart [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

Piccolo Pasticceria [ Carbohydrates (ms): 0, Sodium (s): 0, Saturated Fat (ms) : 0, Calories: 0, Sugar (ms): 0 ]

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Write An Anonymous Review

Mariangela S.

Having just read about Marc Vetri and his eponymous restaurant in Bon Appetit (Sept issue), and having a scheduled trip to Philly, we decided to visit this much lauded Italian restaurant. You might have missed this place walking by it. The restaurant has only 35 seats, a very cozy atmosphere as you would find in typical Italian restaurants. Buon Ricordo (good memory) ceramic plates on the wall remind you that this chef travels to Italy often to further immerse himself in food. The menu is updated weekly and changes with the season. They also offer 6 and 8 course tasting menus during the summer. We called just a day before our visit (they book 2 months ahead) we were very lucky to get in! The chef and staff were so welcoming and treated us like royalty! Here's what we ate: Antipasti - huge antipasto round with lots of yummy grilled, marinated vegetables, smoky cheeses, mixed greens with grana, and freshly sliced ethereal slices of prosciutto done a la minute and brought to our table. We also ordered the Crisp Suckling Pig with Roasted Corn antipasto that was so delicious! The chef also sent out the Foie Gras Pastrami with Cherry Mostarda (the foie gras is "cured" like pastrami - this was such an amazing dish!). For pastas, we ordered the Mint Pappardelle with Lamb and Sweet Pea Ragu and the signature Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta and Brown Butter. Lots of butter in the gnocchi sauce! The gnocchi were almost entirely made of spinach - and just so light and delicate. The chef also sent out a taste of the not-on-the-menu corn ravioli with shaved black summer truffles from italy. Divine! We decided to share the main course - another signature: Roasted Capretto (baby goat) with Soft Polenta - it was out of this world! Chef Marc Vetri presented each dish to us, and this was especially incredible - they roast the goat outdoors for hours. It was so tender! Such a great experience and we loved meeting Marc. He is an incredible chef and we will be back!
(5)
Scott W.

We went to Vetri to celebrate Martha's birthday last weekend. We were very lucky to get a 7:30 p.m. reservation the very same week that we called. The dining room was the first floor of an elegant townhouse. I can't remember if it was a brownstone or not. Intimate, classy, but not pretentious. We had the nine course tasting menu with a different Italian wine paired with each course. The combinations were wonderful and the service was impeccable. Fortunately they gave us the menu to bring home so we could remember what we had. I am looking at it now but I can't really pick out a favorite. It was the whole experience that I enjoyed - a bite of Nantucket scallop crudo with grapefruit with Abbazia di Novacella, Kerner 2009, a morsel of seared skate stuffed with mushrooms with Jermann, "Vintage Tunina" 2006. It is all just words now but then it was all sensations. The only thing that disconcerted me was when I had to leave my first born behind.
(4)
DML K.

Thank heaven I ate here. We were in Philly for our anniversary on the fourth of July and found more than several great reviews of Vetri and had to try it. Vetri is now in my dreams. I will forever remember my fabulous meal and evening I had. First, Vetri is tiny about 35 seats, very cozy and intimate with whimsical touches including in the bathroom where the walls behind the sinks are covered with broken sections of ceramic plates. Second, the service was wonderfully attentive, informative and not intrusive. They even helped us find a cab on a horribly rainy night -- I had not realized the poor man was wading through ankle deep water trying to find a cab for us for over 15 minutes. Now that is dedication. Finally - the food. We had the tasting menu -- which is personalized to your likes and dislikes. Every course was more amazing than the last. The gnocchi -- I will always compare future gnocchi to this experience. Do not miss this dining experience!
(5)
Steve J.

Well, I finally got there after 2 months of telling my girlfriend that this is all I wanted for my birthday. It was worth every penny she spent one me! We both got the tasting menu. As other people have mentioned; the pastrami, foie gras and fruit mustard amuse is probably the best things I've ever eaten. All 3 pasta dishes that we got were beyond fantastic. I got to try baby goat for the first time and it was some of the most tender meant I've ever had. Even the petit fours were amazing. There was one item that I actually thought was bad. It was polenta pound cake dessert with black berries and lemon curd. It was dry and the berries they use weren't very good (kinda crunchy). I just didn't like the dish. I won't hold that against them. The staff was absolutely fantastic. Thanks to our server, Bobby, and the sommelier, Steve. Steve, was the most down to earth and coolest sommelier I've ever interacted with. I find that some sommeliers can be stuck up and ramble on a about wine. Not this guy. He is there to make sure you are having a good time and answer any questions you might have. I wish I would have talked to him more. Please go here if you love Italian food and have the money for it. It's worth it for a special occasion. It's easier to get a table during weekdays and in the summer as compared to the rest of the year.
(5)
Anand B.

Absolutely flawless, bite-for-bite, during a friday night tasting. After a great first visit and an awful second visit (burnt onion crepe, nose-in-the-air service) this was the place's last chance in my book, and they delivered beyond my wildest expectations.
(5)
D L.

yes, it is as good as the hype. treat yourself to this just once if you can afford it. a very nice experience and great service
(5)
Andrew W.

Mark Vetri is best Italian Chef in the United States. Period.
(5)
Andrew M.

We did the regular tasting menu with a few bottles of wine--possibly the best meal I've ever had. The chef clearly focuses on great textures and on selecting a few key ingredients with strong flavors in their own right (the pigs feet meatballs were outstanding). The service was absolutely perfect and much appreciated having just eaten at another place where I felt rushed through my dinner. Absolutely excellent!
(5)
Clare D.

When my friend Peter said he was coming to town and that he wanted to take me out to dinner, I said "Awesome!" He let me choose Vetri, one of my favorite restaurants. Mario Batali once said "Vetri is the kind of restaurant that I don't mind just going in and letting the chef make whatever he wants to; there's not going to be anything less than perfect." An undercooked pasta dish three years ago was forgivable, especially since my most recent culinary experiences at Vetri were wonderful. We ordered the six-course Tasting Menu and glasses of Santa Tresa wine. Among the many dishes we sampled were foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard, house cured charcuterie, fluke crudo, marinated venison loin with red cabbage and pistachio creme, sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue, cauliflower flan with egg yolk and pancetta, pappardelle with goat bolognese, stuffed tagliatelle with foie gras and sweet onions, spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter, veal loin cooked on a stone, and desserts of chocolate polenta souffle with vanilla gelato and hazelnut cake with bittersweet chocolate ice cream. My favorites were the pappardelle, the sweet onion crepe, and the venison loin, but I would find it difficult to not give credit to any of these dishes because they were all wonderful in their own way. A raspberry sorbet course preceded the dessert and a selection of petit fours were presented post-dessert. I like tasting menus because they give you a sample of many of the things you'd probably order anyway along with new things to try. The restaurant is very quaint and cottage-like, so it's like sitting in a nice little old Italian mother's home in Brooklyn or South Philly and letting her prepare a special meal for you. Spaghetti and meatball queens, this isn't your kind of place. The food at Vetri is not the kind of fare that you could easily cook yourself.
(5)
Elena S.

I love many of the inexpensive Italian BYOBs in Philly... BUT, this is the best restaurant I've been to in Philly, and definitely one of my top meals overall. We went for an anniversary dinner and did the Grand Tasting Menu (though we just ordered our own bottle of wine and didn't do the wine pairing). They asked us what kind of food we like and made sure to bring us different things so that we could try a bunch of things. The food was absolutely incredible. Even the tiny amouse bouches (sp?) they brought at the beginning were full of flavor and totally memorable. I don't like foie gras at all, and I loved the foie gras they served. Really everything was amazing - sweet onion crepe, the wild boar ragu, all the desserts. You can't go wrong! The atmosphere is upscale, but also very intimate and casual. There's nothing pretentious or snooty about this restaurant. The service is fantastic - properly attentive without hovering. This is the ideal place to go for a special, memorable, and absolutely amazing meal!
(5)
Mona C.

Did some research before selecting Vetri...and that research paid off. My husband and I thought it was outstanding. We started off with the bagna cauda and quail as appetizers. The quail was to die for. We chose the guinea hen and a fish dish as our main course. I believe the name of the fish was Orcata - it was a white fish (similar to orange roughy) that sat on top of thinly sliced potatoes fanned around the plate - mmmm. We were so full at the end of the meal that we had to pass on dessert. We wished we had tried the Grand Tasting Menu since we enjoyed every dish...but maybe next time.
(5)
Will M.

Anyone who says that this restaurant is "shockingly average" does not know anything about fine dining. I have eaten in famous restaurants all over the world, and this one is right up there with any of them. I will admit that if you are looking for a "scene" or a "trendy atmosphere", this restaurant is not for you. However, having said that, I will say that there is no other restaurant in Philadelphia that produces food that is as interesting, fresh, and delicious as Marc Vetri's. The service is impeccable, the menu ever-changing, and the preparations fascinatingly nuanced. I went there tonight for my tenth time. I took a few friends out for a celebratory dinner. We ate their famous charcuterie plate, a special preparation of nantucket bay scallops, pig's foot ravioli, pork belly papardelle, spinach gnocci, shoulder of baby goat, salt-cured branzino, a cheese plate, lavender gelato, and chocolate souffle. We ordered "family style" and enjoyed every single bite. In fact, we ordered "seconds" of the papardelle and scallops because they were so delicious. Some advice before dining at this restaurant. First, eat family style. It is the best way to taste as much as possible of the diverse menu. Second, let them help you choose the wine. The employees of this restaurant are well-versed in the nuances of their wine selections and will help you find a reasonably priced bottle that pairs well with your menu choices and preferences. Third, when you eat here, "go all out". That means, get ready to eat a lot, and prepare to enjoy yourself thoroughly. This is a restaurant tailored for those who enjoy a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, nice people, and good food. Again, if you are looking for a trendy restaurant, go to Morimoto. The food won't be NEARLY as good, but you'll find all of the wannabe hipsters you can handle. I know this is a strong review, but I believe every word of it. There are a lot of excellent restaurants in Philadelphia that may enjoy more "street cred" (think Le Bec Fin, Morimoto, Buddhakan, etc.), but certainly do not deserve it. This restaurant is absolutely terrific, and if you walk in with an open mind (and granted, an open wallet), you will absolutely enjoy it as much as I do. Enjoy. This will be one of your better dining experiences, anywhere. --WEM
(5)
Evan W.

I proposed to my girlfriend during the day (saturday), and had a reservation that evening for the chefs tasting. About me: I am a working stiff from East Falls, we eat out about once-twice a week in center city and the surrounding hoods, but for me to drop ths kind of coin on one meal, happens probably only once, as I don't plan on getting engaged again :) We also opted to do the wine pairing, so we were served a sampling of wine with each of the 9 or so courses. We really enjoyed this! I won't go in to each course, because chances are, yours will be different.. For the most part, the food was simply divine, melt in your mouth. There were a couple of dishes that didn't do much for me, but only a couple. The service was OUTSTANDING, top notch. And we loved the ambeance of the restaurant. Overall, dinner was $500 without tip, which means I could have had dinner at 5 different BYOB's and still had money left over for a lap dance at Delilah's and a couple of Lorenzo's slices, HOWEVER VETRI WAS WELL WORTH IT. THE EXPERIENCE WAS AMAZING, AND IT WAS THE ICING ON A MAGICAL DAY. I recommend this for a VERY special occasion.
(4)
Gary S.

Finally dined at Vetri, and to be honest I had mixed feelings. Service was excellent, and each dish was fine. (We did the tasting menu - only option on the weekend, though we skipped the extra $90 for the wine pairing). Some of the (7?) courses were more than fine - excellent in fact. But nothing was extraordinary - that explosion of taste and texture and aroma that transports you, that gives you a culinary memory you won't forget. At the prices Vetri charges, it's got to deliver extraordinary. Even without comparing to NY restaurants, I have had better meals in Philly for far less $ - at Little Fish, Gayle (both alas now closed), even Chifa and Tinto. I still give it four stars, because as I said the food is excellent - gourmet versions of traditional Italian, very delicate with the seasoning, allowing the ingredients and preparation to dominate. If I were marking for value, it would drop to three stars. For a special occasion if price is no object you will a lovely evening here. If you are looking for excellent food that won't break the bank, there are many other options in Philly. Even without the wine pairing and with one modest bottle of wine for four people, it was $200 pp w/tip.
(4)
G H.

Hype, hype and more hype. My wife took me here for my birthday in January and my memory of the experience is still strong enough for me to write here. We dine out quite often and know quality food and service. Unfortunately, we chose Vetri for my birthday only to be served ridiculously small portions (an entire order of tagliatelli was two pieces of pasta) that were DRENCHED in truffle oil. If you are interested in paying a premium price for ill executed culinary attempts in pea sized portions, this is your place. Perhaps it was an anomalous event, but at the price charged for meals here, there should be no such thing. We actually went to Barclay Prime afterwards for some sliders that delivered in all the departments Vetri didn't: taste, portions, value.
(2)
Pink T.

The chefs employ great ingredients and great technique, though I hesitate to offer 5 stars as this was not among the best meals I've ever had. It was certainly one of the best prepared and crafted, however. My hesitation lies in the fact that I didn't have one dish that was absolutely delicious. Normally when I eat at a purportedly world-class restaurant I find at least one item that I think I could eat for every meal for the rest of my life--unfortunately not so at Vetri. My favorite dish was the cold fois gras pastrami, a homemade mixture of fois gras and pastrami seasoning. I'm not sure how it is made, but it was certainly unique and among the best fois gras I've eaten due to its supremely creamy texture. This was my best view into the creativity and craftsmanship of the chefs, and also their potential, but ultimately was a let down because the dishes that followed failed to demonstrate such inventiveness. I also enjoyed the cauliflower flan, which was creamy and surprised with a delicious and well-paired egg yolk inside. The veal kidneys over polenta were well cooked but lacked seasoning. I also enjoyed the onion "crepe", which is really more of an onion lava cake than a crepe. It was creamy and perfectly cooked. For an entree I ate the baby goat. The skin was crispy and delectable, though I found the portion to be small. The meat stood up on its own, though I found the paired polenta to be unimaginative and lacking any zest. I also tried the spinach gnocchi. They were the airiest gnocchi I've eaten, though I felt they could be paired with a sauce more flavorful than browned butter. The casoncelli, which are veal and pork filled dumplings, were well crafted and contained a sweet hint of raisin, though the olive oil-based drizzle held this dish back. For desert I tried the chestnut napoleon and the chocolate polenta (though i could be wrong on that ingredient). Both were very good and well made, but didn't "pop." I enjoyed Vetri. I would give it another try. There's no doubt about craftsmanship or quality, but I remain slightly underwhelmed. It's worth noting that contrary to some other reviews I've read, I felt the dinner was reasonably priced at about $100 per person for a full meal with one drink each.
(4)
Robyn F.

i want to give this restaurant 5 stars, but i haven't been back in a long time since i moved out of philly a while ago... i just remember that the italian food here was so delicious. i would say that this restaurant has the best food in philly.
(4)
Matt W.

Don't get me wrong. Food was tasty, but for the level of stardom that Vetri has recieved, I expect more than good italian comfort food. Good italian comfort food is what every italian grandmom is supposed to do. When I'm deeling with a James Beard award winner, I'm looking to be dazzled. We did the eight course tasting WITH wine pairings and walked out feeling about 450 dollars lighter...I shit you not...two people! And the ingredients used weren't even luxurious, save for the paper thin speck of foie gras and microdot of mustard fruit. One course was actually grantineed cauliflower. I understand that philly has a boner right now for farm to able, hand made, local, simple, blah blah blah. But when you're charging that kind of money for a meal, you better bring the magic. I don't care where the beets came from, or if you killed the goat or someone else did, or if you know the guy who picked the scallop off the ocean floor. As a consumer, we need satisfaction at the table. Unfortunately, I think that it's a growing problem in philly which is fostered by our critic, craig laban. Anything fun and flashy is dissed as trendy, so every new chef is scrambling to open a "rustic" restaurant and name it after their grandmother. Let's leave the garden tending to the farmers and put more soul on the plate. Because this fad too, shall pass, and the grandma themed restaurants will go the way of Maia.
(3)
Matthew D.

Had the regular tasting menu. Just exquisite. The pasta focus is a bit unusual for a long tasting menu, but there was plenty of other stuff as well -- with something of an Asian feel (in presentation and texture, if not in flavor) for many ofthe items.
(5)
Steve I.

A caveat- no valet parking. Once parked and nestled inside with a glass of prosecco, we were elated to be greeted in the waiting area by Chef Vetri himself, so I guess he does work Saturdays. Seated in less than 15 minutes, and the dizzying carousel of amazing food began to twirl. After some home made salumi and crudite as an amuse, we three experienced 6 courses, sharing 16 of the 20 something items on the menu. Standouts- the cauliflower flan, antelope, mullet, casconcelli and the chocolate polenta. Had a long drive so couldn't enjoy the wine pairings. Next time, I'll get a room in Philly for the night. We were stuffed, but managed a bite or two of the ubiquitous macarons brought with the check. As far as the check goes, I actually thought this was a great value considering the amount, taste, presentation and quality of food we were given. To those Yelpers complaining about the cost, this is obviously not your type of restaurant, next time get a cheesesteak. The restaurant itself is small (about 10 tables), rustic and welcoming. Everyone was upbeat and friendly with absolutely no pretension. I'll return as soon as the menu changes for another ethereal experience.
(5)
Tesh S.

went there for my first anniversary and it was amazing....all the dishes were works of art and would be hard to duplicate even if i tried...my fav dishes of the night were the spinach gnocchi, the corn filled ravioli (forgot the name but was a special), and the almond tortellini all great to wash down with some dogfishhead namaste beer which complements all the dishes well(although for the steep price of 25).....they also have an italian beer tasting complement for those that arent fans of wine.....definitely a special occasion type place with price coming to nearly 400 for two
(5)
Keith R.

Vetri was shockingly average. We had such high expectations given the restaurants sterling reputation, but were really disappointed. We made reservations two months ago for a Friday night so we could choose our food a la carte and not do the tasting menu. It's in a small cute location, but once you sit down it feels a little claustrophobic, especially since there are so many waitstaff hovering over your table and over the other diners' tables. It was actually very distracting, because many of the customers are regular patrons there and thus know the staff well. As a result we spent more time hearing about the host's family then we did talking with each other. The chef also seemed out of the kitchen more than he seemed in it, and the result was evident in our food. The menu is intriguing, it's classic Italian with a nice mix of meat, fish, and pasta. As expected at a place like Vetri, it's very expensive. However, when you pay $43 for loin of venison you expect a decent size portion and exceptional execution. That was not the case, except for our pasta appetizer all our dishes were luke warm and only one was a substantial portion. After spending $200 for apps, dinner, dessert, and wine you really should not leave hungry. We thought the pasta was excellent and nothing was bad, but just average. We eat at nice restaurants all the time, and this really didn't measure up. Don't buy into the hype, save your money and eat somewhere else.
(3)
D L.

yes, it is as good as the hype. treat yourself to this just once if you can afford it. a very nice experience and great service
(5)
Andrew W.

Mark Vetri is best Italian Chef in the United States. Period.
(5)
Andrew M.

We did the regular tasting menu with a few bottles of wine--possibly the best meal I've ever had. The chef clearly focuses on great textures and on selecting a few key ingredients with strong flavors in their own right (the pigs feet meatballs were outstanding). The service was absolutely perfect and much appreciated having just eaten at another place where I felt rushed through my dinner. Absolutely excellent!
(5)
Clare D.

When my friend Peter said he was coming to town and that he wanted to take me out to dinner, I said "Awesome!" He let me choose Vetri, one of my favorite restaurants. Mario Batali once said "Vetri is the kind of restaurant that I don't mind just going in and letting the chef make whatever he wants to; there's not going to be anything less than perfect." An undercooked pasta dish three years ago was forgivable, especially since my most recent culinary experiences at Vetri were wonderful. We ordered the six-course Tasting Menu and glasses of Santa Tresa wine. Among the many dishes we sampled were foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard, house cured charcuterie, fluke crudo, marinated venison loin with red cabbage and pistachio creme, sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue, cauliflower flan with egg yolk and pancetta, pappardelle with goat bolognese, stuffed tagliatelle with foie gras and sweet onions, spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter, veal loin cooked on a stone, and desserts of chocolate polenta souffle with vanilla gelato and hazelnut cake with bittersweet chocolate ice cream. My favorites were the pappardelle, the sweet onion crepe, and the venison loin, but I would find it difficult to not give credit to any of these dishes because they were all wonderful in their own way. A raspberry sorbet course preceded the dessert and a selection of petit fours were presented post-dessert. I like tasting menus because they give you a sample of many of the things you'd probably order anyway along with new things to try. The restaurant is very quaint and cottage-like, so it's like sitting in a nice little old Italian mother's home in Brooklyn or South Philly and letting her prepare a special meal for you. Spaghetti and meatball queens, this isn't your kind of place. The food at Vetri is not the kind of fare that you could easily cook yourself.
(5)
Elena S.

I love many of the inexpensive Italian BYOBs in Philly... BUT, this is the best restaurant I've been to in Philly, and definitely one of my top meals overall. We went for an anniversary dinner and did the Grand Tasting Menu (though we just ordered our own bottle of wine and didn't do the wine pairing). They asked us what kind of food we like and made sure to bring us different things so that we could try a bunch of things. The food was absolutely incredible. Even the tiny amouse bouches (sp?) they brought at the beginning were full of flavor and totally memorable. I don't like foie gras at all, and I loved the foie gras they served. Really everything was amazing - sweet onion crepe, the wild boar ragu, all the desserts. You can't go wrong! The atmosphere is upscale, but also very intimate and casual. There's nothing pretentious or snooty about this restaurant. The service is fantastic - properly attentive without hovering. This is the ideal place to go for a special, memorable, and absolutely amazing meal!
(5)
Mona C.

Did some research before selecting Vetri...and that research paid off. My husband and I thought it was outstanding. We started off with the bagna cauda and quail as appetizers. The quail was to die for. We chose the guinea hen and a fish dish as our main course. I believe the name of the fish was Orcata - it was a white fish (similar to orange roughy) that sat on top of thinly sliced potatoes fanned around the plate - mmmm. We were so full at the end of the meal that we had to pass on dessert. We wished we had tried the Grand Tasting Menu since we enjoyed every dish...but maybe next time.
(5)
Will M.

Anyone who says that this restaurant is "shockingly average" does not know anything about fine dining. I have eaten in famous restaurants all over the world, and this one is right up there with any of them. I will admit that if you are looking for a "scene" or a "trendy atmosphere", this restaurant is not for you. However, having said that, I will say that there is no other restaurant in Philadelphia that produces food that is as interesting, fresh, and delicious as Marc Vetri's. The service is impeccable, the menu ever-changing, and the preparations fascinatingly nuanced. I went there tonight for my tenth time. I took a few friends out for a celebratory dinner. We ate their famous charcuterie plate, a special preparation of nantucket bay scallops, pig's foot ravioli, pork belly papardelle, spinach gnocci, shoulder of baby goat, salt-cured branzino, a cheese plate, lavender gelato, and chocolate souffle. We ordered "family style" and enjoyed every single bite. In fact, we ordered "seconds" of the papardelle and scallops because they were so delicious. Some advice before dining at this restaurant. First, eat family style. It is the best way to taste as much as possible of the diverse menu. Second, let them help you choose the wine. The employees of this restaurant are well-versed in the nuances of their wine selections and will help you find a reasonably priced bottle that pairs well with your menu choices and preferences. Third, when you eat here, "go all out". That means, get ready to eat a lot, and prepare to enjoy yourself thoroughly. This is a restaurant tailored for those who enjoy a cozy, comfortable atmosphere, nice people, and good food. Again, if you are looking for a trendy restaurant, go to Morimoto. The food won't be NEARLY as good, but you'll find all of the wannabe hipsters you can handle. I know this is a strong review, but I believe every word of it. There are a lot of excellent restaurants in Philadelphia that may enjoy more "street cred" (think Le Bec Fin, Morimoto, Buddhakan, etc.), but certainly do not deserve it. This restaurant is absolutely terrific, and if you walk in with an open mind (and granted, an open wallet), you will absolutely enjoy it as much as I do. Enjoy. This will be one of your better dining experiences, anywhere. --WEM
(5)
Evan W.

I proposed to my girlfriend during the day (saturday), and had a reservation that evening for the chefs tasting. About me: I am a working stiff from East Falls, we eat out about once-twice a week in center city and the surrounding hoods, but for me to drop ths kind of coin on one meal, happens probably only once, as I don't plan on getting engaged again :) We also opted to do the wine pairing, so we were served a sampling of wine with each of the 9 or so courses. We really enjoyed this! I won't go in to each course, because chances are, yours will be different.. For the most part, the food was simply divine, melt in your mouth. There were a couple of dishes that didn't do much for me, but only a couple. The service was OUTSTANDING, top notch. And we loved the ambeance of the restaurant. Overall, dinner was $500 without tip, which means I could have had dinner at 5 different BYOB's and still had money left over for a lap dance at Delilah's and a couple of Lorenzo's slices, HOWEVER VETRI WAS WELL WORTH IT. THE EXPERIENCE WAS AMAZING, AND IT WAS THE ICING ON A MAGICAL DAY. I recommend this for a VERY special occasion.
(4)
Gary S.

Finally dined at Vetri, and to be honest I had mixed feelings. Service was excellent, and each dish was fine. (We did the tasting menu - only option on the weekend, though we skipped the extra $90 for the wine pairing). Some of the (7?) courses were more than fine - excellent in fact. But nothing was extraordinary - that explosion of taste and texture and aroma that transports you, that gives you a culinary memory you won't forget. At the prices Vetri charges, it's got to deliver extraordinary. Even without comparing to NY restaurants, I have had better meals in Philly for far less $ - at Little Fish, Gayle (both alas now closed), even Chifa and Tinto. I still give it four stars, because as I said the food is excellent - gourmet versions of traditional Italian, very delicate with the seasoning, allowing the ingredients and preparation to dominate. If I were marking for value, it would drop to three stars. For a special occasion if price is no object you will a lovely evening here. If you are looking for excellent food that won't break the bank, there are many other options in Philly. Even without the wine pairing and with one modest bottle of wine for four people, it was $200 pp w/tip.
(4)
G H.

Hype, hype and more hype. My wife took me here for my birthday in January and my memory of the experience is still strong enough for me to write here. We dine out quite often and know quality food and service. Unfortunately, we chose Vetri for my birthday only to be served ridiculously small portions (an entire order of tagliatelli was two pieces of pasta) that were DRENCHED in truffle oil. If you are interested in paying a premium price for ill executed culinary attempts in pea sized portions, this is your place. Perhaps it was an anomalous event, but at the price charged for meals here, there should be no such thing. We actually went to Barclay Prime afterwards for some sliders that delivered in all the departments Vetri didn't: taste, portions, value.
(2)
Pink T.

The chefs employ great ingredients and great technique, though I hesitate to offer 5 stars as this was not among the best meals I've ever had. It was certainly one of the best prepared and crafted, however. My hesitation lies in the fact that I didn't have one dish that was absolutely delicious. Normally when I eat at a purportedly world-class restaurant I find at least one item that I think I could eat for every meal for the rest of my life--unfortunately not so at Vetri. My favorite dish was the cold fois gras pastrami, a homemade mixture of fois gras and pastrami seasoning. I'm not sure how it is made, but it was certainly unique and among the best fois gras I've eaten due to its supremely creamy texture. This was my best view into the creativity and craftsmanship of the chefs, and also their potential, but ultimately was a let down because the dishes that followed failed to demonstrate such inventiveness. I also enjoyed the cauliflower flan, which was creamy and surprised with a delicious and well-paired egg yolk inside. The veal kidneys over polenta were well cooked but lacked seasoning. I also enjoyed the onion "crepe", which is really more of an onion lava cake than a crepe. It was creamy and perfectly cooked. For an entree I ate the baby goat. The skin was crispy and delectable, though I found the portion to be small. The meat stood up on its own, though I found the paired polenta to be unimaginative and lacking any zest. I also tried the spinach gnocchi. They were the airiest gnocchi I've eaten, though I felt they could be paired with a sauce more flavorful than browned butter. The casoncelli, which are veal and pork filled dumplings, were well crafted and contained a sweet hint of raisin, though the olive oil-based drizzle held this dish back. For desert I tried the chestnut napoleon and the chocolate polenta (though i could be wrong on that ingredient). Both were very good and well made, but didn't "pop." I enjoyed Vetri. I would give it another try. There's no doubt about craftsmanship or quality, but I remain slightly underwhelmed. It's worth noting that contrary to some other reviews I've read, I felt the dinner was reasonably priced at about $100 per person for a full meal with one drink each.
(4)
Robyn F.

i want to give this restaurant 5 stars, but i haven't been back in a long time since i moved out of philly a while ago... i just remember that the italian food here was so delicious. i would say that this restaurant has the best food in philly.
(4)
Anand B.

Absolutely flawless, bite-for-bite, during a friday night tasting. After a great first visit and an awful second visit (burnt onion crepe, nose-in-the-air service) this was the place's last chance in my book, and they delivered beyond my wildest expectations.
(5)
Mariangela S.

Having just read about Marc Vetri and his eponymous restaurant in Bon Appetit (Sept issue), and having a scheduled trip to Philly, we decided to visit this much lauded Italian restaurant. You might have missed this place walking by it. The restaurant has only 35 seats, a very cozy atmosphere as you would find in typical Italian restaurants. Buon Ricordo (good memory) ceramic plates on the wall remind you that this chef travels to Italy often to further immerse himself in food. The menu is updated weekly and changes with the season. They also offer 6 and 8 course tasting menus during the summer. We called just a day before our visit (they book 2 months ahead) we were very lucky to get in! The chef and staff were so welcoming and treated us like royalty! Here's what we ate: Antipasti - huge antipasto round with lots of yummy grilled, marinated vegetables, smoky cheeses, mixed greens with grana, and freshly sliced ethereal slices of prosciutto done a la minute and brought to our table. We also ordered the Crisp Suckling Pig with Roasted Corn antipasto that was so delicious! The chef also sent out the Foie Gras Pastrami with Cherry Mostarda (the foie gras is "cured" like pastrami - this was such an amazing dish!). For pastas, we ordered the Mint Pappardelle with Lamb and Sweet Pea Ragu and the signature Spinach Gnocchi with Shaved Ricotta and Brown Butter. Lots of butter in the gnocchi sauce! The gnocchi were almost entirely made of spinach - and just so light and delicate. The chef also sent out a taste of the not-on-the-menu corn ravioli with shaved black summer truffles from italy. Divine! We decided to share the main course - another signature: Roasted Capretto (baby goat) with Soft Polenta - it was out of this world! Chef Marc Vetri presented each dish to us, and this was especially incredible - they roast the goat outdoors for hours. It was so tender! Such a great experience and we loved meeting Marc. He is an incredible chef and we will be back!
(5)
Scott W.

We went to Vetri to celebrate Martha's birthday last weekend. We were very lucky to get a 7:30 p.m. reservation the very same week that we called. The dining room was the first floor of an elegant townhouse. I can't remember if it was a brownstone or not. Intimate, classy, but not pretentious. We had the nine course tasting menu with a different Italian wine paired with each course. The combinations were wonderful and the service was impeccable. Fortunately they gave us the menu to bring home so we could remember what we had. I am looking at it now but I can't really pick out a favorite. It was the whole experience that I enjoyed - a bite of Nantucket scallop crudo with grapefruit with Abbazia di Novacella, Kerner 2009, a morsel of seared skate stuffed with mushrooms with Jermann, "Vintage Tunina" 2006. It is all just words now but then it was all sensations. The only thing that disconcerted me was when I had to leave my first born behind.
(4)
DML K.

Thank heaven I ate here. We were in Philly for our anniversary on the fourth of July and found more than several great reviews of Vetri and had to try it. Vetri is now in my dreams. I will forever remember my fabulous meal and evening I had. First, Vetri is tiny about 35 seats, very cozy and intimate with whimsical touches including in the bathroom where the walls behind the sinks are covered with broken sections of ceramic plates. Second, the service was wonderfully attentive, informative and not intrusive. They even helped us find a cab on a horribly rainy night -- I had not realized the poor man was wading through ankle deep water trying to find a cab for us for over 15 minutes. Now that is dedication. Finally - the food. We had the tasting menu -- which is personalized to your likes and dislikes. Every course was more amazing than the last. The gnocchi -- I will always compare future gnocchi to this experience. Do not miss this dining experience!
(5)
Steve J.

Well, I finally got there after 2 months of telling my girlfriend that this is all I wanted for my birthday. It was worth every penny she spent one me! We both got the tasting menu. As other people have mentioned; the pastrami, foie gras and fruit mustard amuse is probably the best things I've ever eaten. All 3 pasta dishes that we got were beyond fantastic. I got to try baby goat for the first time and it was some of the most tender meant I've ever had. Even the petit fours were amazing. There was one item that I actually thought was bad. It was polenta pound cake dessert with black berries and lemon curd. It was dry and the berries they use weren't very good (kinda crunchy). I just didn't like the dish. I won't hold that against them. The staff was absolutely fantastic. Thanks to our server, Bobby, and the sommelier, Steve. Steve, was the most down to earth and coolest sommelier I've ever interacted with. I find that some sommeliers can be stuck up and ramble on a about wine. Not this guy. He is there to make sure you are having a good time and answer any questions you might have. I wish I would have talked to him more. Please go here if you love Italian food and have the money for it. It's worth it for a special occasion. It's easier to get a table during weekdays and in the summer as compared to the rest of the year.
(5)
Matt W.

Don't get me wrong. Food was tasty, but for the level of stardom that Vetri has recieved, I expect more than good italian comfort food. Good italian comfort food is what every italian grandmom is supposed to do. When I'm deeling with a James Beard award winner, I'm looking to be dazzled. We did the eight course tasting WITH wine pairings and walked out feeling about 450 dollars lighter...I shit you not...two people! And the ingredients used weren't even luxurious, save for the paper thin speck of foie gras and microdot of mustard fruit. One course was actually grantineed cauliflower. I understand that philly has a boner right now for farm to able, hand made, local, simple, blah blah blah. But when you're charging that kind of money for a meal, you better bring the magic. I don't care where the beets came from, or if you killed the goat or someone else did, or if you know the guy who picked the scallop off the ocean floor. As a consumer, we need satisfaction at the table. Unfortunately, I think that it's a growing problem in philly which is fostered by our critic, craig laban. Anything fun and flashy is dissed as trendy, so every new chef is scrambling to open a "rustic" restaurant and name it after their grandmother. Let's leave the garden tending to the farmers and put more soul on the plate. Because this fad too, shall pass, and the grandma themed restaurants will go the way of Maia.
(3)
Matthew D.

Had the regular tasting menu. Just exquisite. The pasta focus is a bit unusual for a long tasting menu, but there was plenty of other stuff as well -- with something of an Asian feel (in presentation and texture, if not in flavor) for many ofthe items.
(5)
Steve I.

A caveat- no valet parking. Once parked and nestled inside with a glass of prosecco, we were elated to be greeted in the waiting area by Chef Vetri himself, so I guess he does work Saturdays. Seated in less than 15 minutes, and the dizzying carousel of amazing food began to twirl. After some home made salumi and crudite as an amuse, we three experienced 6 courses, sharing 16 of the 20 something items on the menu. Standouts- the cauliflower flan, antelope, mullet, casconcelli and the chocolate polenta. Had a long drive so couldn't enjoy the wine pairings. Next time, I'll get a room in Philly for the night. We were stuffed, but managed a bite or two of the ubiquitous macarons brought with the check. As far as the check goes, I actually thought this was a great value considering the amount, taste, presentation and quality of food we were given. To those Yelpers complaining about the cost, this is obviously not your type of restaurant, next time get a cheesesteak. The restaurant itself is small (about 10 tables), rustic and welcoming. Everyone was upbeat and friendly with absolutely no pretension. I'll return as soon as the menu changes for another ethereal experience.
(5)
Tesh S.

went there for my first anniversary and it was amazing....all the dishes were works of art and would be hard to duplicate even if i tried...my fav dishes of the night were the spinach gnocchi, the corn filled ravioli (forgot the name but was a special), and the almond tortellini all great to wash down with some dogfishhead namaste beer which complements all the dishes well(although for the steep price of 25).....they also have an italian beer tasting complement for those that arent fans of wine.....definitely a special occasion type place with price coming to nearly 400 for two
(5)
Keith R.

Vetri was shockingly average. We had such high expectations given the restaurants sterling reputation, but were really disappointed. We made reservations two months ago for a Friday night so we could choose our food a la carte and not do the tasting menu. It's in a small cute location, but once you sit down it feels a little claustrophobic, especially since there are so many waitstaff hovering over your table and over the other diners' tables. It was actually very distracting, because many of the customers are regular patrons there and thus know the staff well. As a result we spent more time hearing about the host's family then we did talking with each other. The chef also seemed out of the kitchen more than he seemed in it, and the result was evident in our food. The menu is intriguing, it's classic Italian with a nice mix of meat, fish, and pasta. As expected at a place like Vetri, it's very expensive. However, when you pay $43 for loin of venison you expect a decent size portion and exceptional execution. That was not the case, except for our pasta appetizer all our dishes were luke warm and only one was a substantial portion. After spending $200 for apps, dinner, dessert, and wine you really should not leave hungry. We thought the pasta was excellent and nothing was bad, but just average. We eat at nice restaurants all the time, and this really didn't measure up. Don't buy into the hype, save your money and eat somewhere else.
(3)
Nigel T.

Amazed reading reviews about Vetri where wankers on Yelp use this forum as some sort of play-by-play account of their meal! Such douchery! Moving on...I found Vetri to be an excellent, high-end restaurant that serves clean, pure Italian food, often not so familiar to American diners. A lot of the dishes I had truly reminded me of Italy...not Little Italy. No red sauce or Batali style cuisine here. My only mild complaint is that I think it a shame that this relatively simple, yet elevated food needs to be offered in such a formal way, and in a prix fixe format. In New York, this restaurant would not work in this way. However, the food is very, very good and the whole experience is special.
(4)
John K.

... Review continued ... Almond Tortellini with Truffle Sauce Domaine Gerard Thomas, Bourgogne 2011 Easily the GF's favorite dish - the almond tortellini were cooked perfectly al dente, redolent with almonds and crushed amaretti cookies, which added a nice textural sweetness to each bite. The truffle sauce helped to add an additional depth of flavor that was not overpowering. It was paired with the Burgogne, an aromatic and intensely fruity chardonnay. Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter Poggerino, Chianti Classico 2009 My favorite Vetri dish is easily the spinach gnocchi with brown butter. The initial attack is all nutty cheese - Grana Padano and salty ricotta salata with hints of nutmeg. But then as the pillowy gnocchi envelops your tongue, spinach is readily apparent. The brown butter adds to the richness of each bite and it is at this point, I realize that the bite of spinach gnocchi alone is worth the price of admission. Truly a revelation of flavors. A perfect pairing with Chianti, the acidity and tannin in the wine helped to balance the heft of the gnocchi. Perhaps it was the Chianti that pushed it over the top, but it was at this point when I realized I was feeling the 'joy' involved with wine tasting. Pappardelle with Cockles and Tardivo Vie di Romans, Sauvignon 2009 "Vieris" At the halfway point, the pappardelle was presented to the GF. The GF was in love with the perfectly crafted and cooked pasta. And despite her wariness of bi-valves, she enjoyed the flavor the cockles lent. The raddichio helped to balance the dish and the pasta was paired with a sauvignon blanc that was intensely fruity, with a long full-bodied finish. Lasagna alla Giudia Vie di Romans, Sauvignon 2009 "Vieris" I received a decadent lasagna that contained baby artichoke and bechamel within baked pasta sheets. Parsley and mint helped to add an herbaceousness freshness to each bite. The crispiness of the pasta sheets helped to add texture. As with the GF's pappardelle, the lasagna was also paired with the Vieris sauvignon blanc. Ricotta Ravioli with Wild Pecan Yves Cuilleron a Chavanay, Roussanne 2012 We were also simultaneously presented with ricotta ravioli with shaved wild pecans. The gossamer thin pasta was filled with clean flavors and orange zest helped to add a unique brightness that simply enthralled the GF. The ravioli was paired with Roussanne, which was redolent with honey and fruit. Milk Braised Lamb with Mint Anima Libera, Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2007 For our final savory dish of the night, we both received the milk-braised lamb, with the GF receiving the bone-in lamb. As expected, though not as tender as slow-braised lamb shank, the grassiness of this lamb perfumed each bite in an intoxicating manner. The milk braise helped to temper each bite along with the meaty cannellini beans, which the GF appreciated. The classic mint pairing offered a refreshing note as well. The lamb was paired with the Anima Libera, which was intense with spice, plum, and blackberry. Quite complex in its intensity, it was seemingly a nice choice for the lamb. At this point, we were offered the option of a standard dessert or the cheese plate. Despite our mutual love of cheese, we opted to go with a standard dessert in deference to the GF's sweet tooth. Blood Orange Sorbetto Honey, pistachio As a palate cleanser, we were offered a blood orange sorbetto, which was heightened by the honey atop. For something so simple, the honey really added to each bite, with the pistachios offering texture. Piccolo Pasticceria We were also brought a plate of piccolo pasticceria or mignardises. Clockwise, we were offered torrone with pistachio and almond, an apple button cookie, biscotti with chocolate, pistachio, and almond, chocolate-covered balsamic-vinegar chocolate, orange tuile with lemon curd, quince cookie, ricotta hazelnut cheesecake, and in the middle was a peppermint marshmallow with chocolate. A melange of various bites, the balsamic vinegar chocolate and the marshmallow were clear favorites. Elio Perrone, Bigaro 2012 We were also served Bigaro, our favorite rose and a great way to end any night. We first had the tipple at Amis, so it was capricious that this sparkler made its way here. It was a refreshing and effervescent way to cap off the night, but in addition to a bonus pour from the staff, there was more to come! GM/Sommelier Bobby Domenick presented us with the entirety of panettone. As huge slices of panettone were served, Chef Adam Leonti himself came out to serve a heaping spoonful of sabayone made from prosecco - certainly a nice touch. And as expected, at the end of the meal we were presented with a take-home bag, replete with hand-painted menus and some almond coffee cake bites for the next day. Certainly come to Vetri Ristorante for the amazing tasting menu, but you'll find yourself returning for the unparalleled service. Kudos to the entire staff!
(5)
Samantha B.

This place is great! I took my clients there on a weekday in the evening without hesitation. when you have a crowd that truly needs impressing, this place is top notch. Since moving from NYC, I'm curating a list of must go to. Add this to yours it won't disappoint.
(5)
Anthony N.

***Marc Vetri's Vetri serves rustic and good Italian cuisine utilizing high quality ingredients, but it lacks the finesse and truly delicious cuisine of fine dining Italian restaurants like Quince (San Francisco) and Spiaggia (Chicago)*** Vetri is one of the most renowned Italian restaurants across the country. The restaurant has a small, rustic and neighborhood feel, but it features the tasting menu-esque approach and amuses of a fine dining restaurant. I had several courses at Vetri and while I liked a good number of them, I left not enjoying Vetri as much as other upscale Italian fine dining spots I have been to like San Francisco's contemporary Quince and the traditional but still delicious Spiaggia in Chicago. My dinner at Vetri started with a series of amuses including crudite with a strong balsamic dip. There was also a plate of assorted bites including sheep's milk cheese, a vegetable tart, cured pork, and foie gras with brioche and fruit paste. The bread offerings included a standard sourdough and a very good and unique semolina focaccia, which had a texture and flavor similar to Yorkshire pudding. The first course was a very rich sweet onion filled crepe with truffle fondue. The fondue was creamy and aromatic and the kitchen did a great job reducing down the onions so that it almost became like a marmalade. The fish course was Mediterranean sea bass with a crispy skin (as well as flaky and moist fish) paired with a lemon and fava bean risotto. It was a simple but good dish. Two of the pasta courses I had were signature courses at Vetri. There was soft and pillowy spinach gnocchi in a brown butter sauce. The nicely cooked gnocchi was topped with a good Parmesan to contrast the sweetness of the sauce. I also had almond tortellini filled with rice. The pasta was good and I liked the truffle sauce, but having pasta filled with rice was kind of odd because of the starch. The consistency of the rice grains was also a little unusual for a pasta filling though maybe this is common in traditional Italian cuisine. The third pasta course was not a signature Vetri item, but it was an exceptional dish and my favorite of the night. It was a dry pasta (durum pasta shells) sauteed with porcini mushrooms and escargot. It was interesting having the escargot and mushrooms together because they had similar textures. With the pasta being a mushroom pasta too, there was a great mushroom flavor throughout the dish and the flavor of the mushroom went really well with the escargot. My main course was a young goat over polenta. Like a lot of the courses at Vetri, this course was very simple and only featuring 3 or 4 flavors but impactful flavors (though definitely not the elaborate courses you get at some of the more modern fine dining restaurants). Like the fish course, Vetri handles proteins well here. The goat was juicy and had a great crispy outside. With the crispy outside and juicy, and easy-to-shred meat, this goat was a lot like crispy duck confit. And like a lot of duck confit dishes, the goat here was overly salty. The cheese course featured a good variety of cheeses including goat cheese and a good blue cheese as well as garnishes like buttery milk toast, local honey and strawberry jam. The palate cleanser was a cool and refreshing raspberry sorbet topped with honey and a fresh raspberry. The main dessert was a molten cake-esque chocolate polenta cake with good vanilla gelato. It was a simple but still satisfying dessert. In addition, really exceptional to-go biscotti was provided at the end of the meal. Service was great--very, very nice staff and the food came out at a good pace. The dining room had a small and intimate feel (it felt very much like a neighborhood restaurant and not a stuffy and/or luxurious fine dining restaurant). Prices were high. Though a lot of the food is rustic, Vetri is charging fine dining prices. The menu approach is a tasting menu, but they show you a menu of the dishes available that night so that you can urge the inclusion of some dishes while also picking items you would like to avoid. While I enjoyed a lot of the food at Vetri (especially the excellent pasta with escargot and porcini), I left a little disappointed. A lot of it had to do with expectations. I was expecting Vetri to deliver the creative Italian cuisine of Quince or the simple but distinct, delicious and make-you-want-to-keep-digging-into-what-you-are-Âeating flavors of Angelini Osteria, but Vetri was a noticeable notch below both of these restaurants. Vetri is definitely a good Italian restaurant though I am not sure I would say it is one of the country's best Italian restaurants based on this one visit. I am not sure what the parking situation is in this neighborhood.
(4)
Emily C.

AMAZING!!! Went with a group of colleagues, and we all loved it. At the beginning they ask you if there's anything you really want or really don't want. Otherwise they choose for you. We didn't know what to say, but some tips from us: Our favorites: Hawaiian Hamachi Crudo (with the grand wine pairing which was so good), Lobster fusilli (very lobstery), almond tortellini and ricotta ravioi Could be skipped (still were good but not our favorites) : Sween onion crepe, the goat Service was also outstanding. Very impressed by this restaurant
(5)
Jessica P R.

My review will likely include a lot of the same info from other reviews here on yelp. Was the meal fabulous? Absolutely Was it over $700 fabulous? Not really When you go to Vetri, you're prepared to drop a pretty penny. The service is amazing, and so is the food. It is an experience that everyone should try if they're ok with the pricepoint. With that being said, I have had meals of similar quality for much less.
(4)
Eunni C.

Excited to try this place. Heard good things about it. I was very impressed and enjoyed every dishes except one. Sadly that was my main dish. Ambiance wasn't fancy. Reminds small restaurant in Italy. Our waiter was excellent and very knowledgable. Definitely going back.
(4)
Jessica S.

Ooooooh god. OH god, omgomgomgomg. Yeah, it was a special night. And yes, I most certainly waited for the special moment to draft this review. My obnoxiously attractive, smart, and awesome boyfriend (ahem) took me here to celebrate the momentous occasion of my medical school graduation and uh yeah he's a keeper. But enough about him. This meal was everything I hoped/dreamed/planned/anticipated it would be. Let's preface this by saying that I, probably like most people who dine at this restaurant who aren't oblivious and or obnoxious, was anticipating the event for all of the days approaching it. Also, being the self proclaimed Philadelphia/generalized food snob/poor person that I am, have been coveting a meal here for some time. It was worth the wait and anticipation in every way. I honestly didn't want to read too many yelp reviews beforehand because I wanted it to be kind of a special surprise in a way that many of my preplanned and exceedingly researched meals are not. We walk in at reservation time, waited about 15-20 minutes for our table to be ready, and meanwhile offered (a couple glasses) of complementary sparkling wine. I didn't mind the wait, lets put it that way. Our table right next to the front windows was set far apart from the others-there are not too many seats in this restaurant. Crusty bread, appetizers, vegetables with an amazing balsamic cream sauce, house cured olives-this is just the "before the actual courses come out" offering. After that, we were both treated to 5-6 different plates each (aka, I ate maybe 11 different dishes that night). Highlights were most definitely some of Vetri classics. They are classics for a reason. Sweet onion crepe is unreal, as is the spinach gnocchi. I appreciated the sweetbreads dish and all of the pasta courses I ended up getting. What a lucky girl I was that night. The dessert before the dessert as well as the actual dessert were just perfect. And by that point I was way over indulged to even pay attention to what I was eating. Just kidding, that would never happen. If you dine here, you are obviously either treating and or being treated by a very important person/business partner/client/special event etc etc etc. Make the splurge and get the fancy wine pairing. Yes, the fancy one. Whatever they're calling that these days. Or, make it even more exciting for you and your date and do one of each wine pairing. Either way. Drink fancy wine, eat ridiculous food, and make sure you have over 3 hours to do-because you don't want to be rushing this one.
(5)
Mimi W.

My best friend brought me here for my birthday. It was a really nice experience and the customer service was excellent. They were attentive to details and very friendly. The food was also delicious. I have to say though, I was already full after the complimentary snacks so I was probably not the best to bring here (haha). BUT I kept eating and enjoyed the different tastes and presentations. We were here for 3-4 hours. I am not sure if I would pay that much for this experience since I can't eat a lot in one sitting, but my friend said she would do it again.
(4)
Brett F.

I have to chime in and ecco what it seems many a-Yelper has already said below. Inconsistent food, not worthy of the price tag. With a $155/person tasting menu being the sole option here, you expect to be really blown away. Like gale force blown. Unfortunately, I barely encountered a stiff breeze. You pick dishes from categories here (fish, vegetable, earth and so on...) as opposed to a chef's menu that is just preselected for you. While scanning through the menu to see what struck my fancy, however, nothing inspired me. Nary an item, by description alone, made me hungry. I didn't want to order anything but the almond tortellini with white truffle, and, if I'm being honest, was also better in theory than execution. When I don't want to order everything on the menu IMMEDIATELY, I know something is amiss. Wanna see what I mean? Allow me: // mare caldo // gli sciatt with pear salad // celeriac soup with umbrian lentil // bunet with kiwi The last one there especially turns me off. But really, did any of that make you salivate and want to run to Vetri? If the answer is yes, then go! Maybe this is for you. Maybe you love it long time. For me, it was a no. I've eaten at plenty of fancy, schmany, expensive, inventive, creative and beyond restaurants. This just isn't one of them.
(2)
Jennifer C.

My husband and I have had Vetri on our "must try list" for a bit. We made a reservation for this past Saturday to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This could be one of the most memorable meals I've ever had ... to name a few items, the onion tart and almond tortellini. We also chose to do the grand wine pairing. The choices were spot on! Definitely a nice enhancement to the meal. The service was excellent. Everyone who touched our table was very knowledgeable and able to answer any question we had. Lastly, the space itself is amazing. It is an old home and hence, the feeling you receive when you arrive is comfortable and homey. I would highly recommend checking out Vetri.
(5)
Revital Y.

My husband and I were treated to dinner here by dear family that spare no expenses. We received a glass of champagne upon being seated, not sure if this was complimentary or not. However, I am sure that it was a great start. The waiter came over, gave us water, bread, and explained how things work, asked for any food restrictions (which annoyingly we had plenty of; kosher style, pescatarian, no pork or shellfish, and the lucky one among us- my husband- who has none and gets to eat EVERYTHING). Like I said, annoying and slightly complicated but our waiter got it. The food started coming out slowly, steadily, and pretty generously. I have to say, I don't remember the exact combinations of our dishes, but I do remember that the homemade pasta was incredibly tasty and cooked to perfection, every vegetable we had was incredibly fresh, meat was incredibly tender, wine was delicious, and dessert was brought out double, because we got it like that. Not really, because I asked ever so nicely for more macaroons. The service was one of the best parts and the ambiance very nice and homey. Our waiter was hysterical and very personable, the chef came by our table too which is always a nice touch. This is more of a "we're here celebrating something" or "tonight is a special evening" restaurant. A real treat.
(5)
Cynthia X.

My BF took me here for my birthday, and I had such a great (and filling) time! I had been suffering from a lot of arm issues at the time, and the meal made it go away for a few hours! I love how if you go with a group, each person gets a different dish on the item each time. My BF and I shared everything so we got to taste more dishes! and the dishes wouldn't stop coming! I was already so full after the gnocchi / ravioli course. Then, it was followed by more pasta! and meats! (At one point, I was secretly hoping the food was stop because my stomach would literally bust.) I took the petit fours home, and had a delicious snack the next day. 1 star off for the price / plating. Call me a snob, but I just wasn't a fan of the plates / cups they used. Reminds me more of a family style casual Italian restaurant rather than the "fancier" experience that I was here for and paid for.
(4)
Michael U.

Second visit; dishes tasted as below: Proseco Canapes - Balsamic Soaked apples, Herbed vegetable torte, House made chorizo, Black pepper salumi, Foie gras pastrami with coriander and black pepper fennel moustarda over brioche Crudites - Fennel, Zucchini, Carrot, Radish, Balsamic Crema House Bread - Focaccia and Filone Italian yeast bread with Gaeta Olives and Butter Monkfish in Carpione - Dredged in rice flour, Fried in olive oil, served with pickled carrots, fennel, celery Lamb Chorizo with Favas and Mint, chili oil Bandera Quail with Rosemary Potatoes and Grapes under a Sauce of cognac, cipollini onions, chicken liver, sage, and cream Sweet Onion Crepe with Truffle Fondue Almond Tortellini with Truffle Sauce, Toasted Almond, Parmesan Sweet Pea Agnolotti with Prosciutto, Robiola Cheese, Ricotta Salata Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter Fettucine with Morels and Parmesan Duck Confit Ravioli with Pinot Noir, Thyme, and Currants Rabbit Papardelle with Cacio Al Tartufo, Carrots, Pecorino, and Black Truffle Roasted Capretto with Stone Milled Polenta Line Caught Alaskan King Salmon with Strawberries and Asparagus Maialino with Fiddlehead Ferns and Mostarda, crispy skin, sage, pancetta, and Vidalia onions Cheese Board - Honey from Abruzzese, Red Wine Applesauce, Toasted Milk Bread, Bagoss, Verde Capra, Testun al Barolo, Casatica, Pecorino Foglie di Noce Coconut Sorbet with Chocolate and Almonds Pistachio Flan with White Chocolate Gelato Chocolate Polenta SoufflÃ© Oatmeal and Blueberry Trifle - Served in a Mouth-Blown Kosta Boda Glass Petit Fours - Chocolate Apricot Macarons, Strawberry Gelee, Cocoa Fudge Brulee Marshmallow Meringue ...I'd been to Vetri before as a solo and this time I went back with friends who'd been as well but having e-mailed the restaurant to inquire about an extended tasting what we received was more-or-less every single dish on the Vetri menu that evening, each diner receiving a different dish for each course and each dish exquisitely prepared and presented - some identical to our prior visits and some entirely new. Simply stated, when I walked into Vetri on 5/26/12 it was my second visit - the other visit, nearly 21 months prior, my favorite Italian meal of all time by a small margin. When I walked out of Vetri on 5/26/12 the prior meal was my second favorite Italian meal of all time - the Maialino, Monk Fish, and Sweet Pea Agnolotti all amongst the best new dishes I ate during my trip through DC, Baltimore, and Philadelphia in May of 2012...and that isn't even mentioning the repeat dishes such as the gnocchi which rank amongst the best ever.
(5)
Jim R.

After seeing all the 4 and 5 star ratings, this is the first time I feel as though I have to defend myself for writing a slightly negative review. First of all, I don't make a habit of spending $155 per person for dinner (and that's before drinks, tax and tip). In Philly and most other cities, you really don't have to spend that much to have an exquisite and inventive meal. That said, we have been to "High End" restaurants in Philadelphia, as well as in cities from New York to Washington, DC, to Chicago to Napa Valley and San Francisco, etc., and although some of them have been outrageously expensive, we felt the cost, however way over the top they were, had been worth the overall experience. This was not the case at Vetri. The only option now at Vetri is a tasting menu. We had been here some 8 years ago and the experience was exceptional so we had no problem at all putting our choices in the hands of the Chef. When finished dinner, in addition to a substantial Hors d'oeuvre plate, we had tasted some 11 different selections but here was the problem - none were even close to being "mind-blowing" and I'm sorry, at these prices, they should be! In the other not-named high end restaurants we have been to we could not wait to see if the next course could live up to what we had just experienced and in most cases they just kept getting better. Everything we had here was just Good to Very Good. I would venture to say that none reached the "excellent" range that should have been achieved. We have had far more exciting and imaginative dinners in Philly in the past year while spending at least half the cost of tonight's. The setting for dinner is a very warm and pleasant room and the staff could not be friendlier. The food presentation was beautiful but . . . With so many restaurant choices in our city, we will not be in any rush to return and for some reason, I feel bad about that.
(3)
Gia L.

Food was delicious, but very pricey. I had high expectations and the chef met most, but fell short on others. Husband spent a significant amount of money and was not impressed. May try other Vetri family restaurants, but will not return to this one as it felt overpriced for the quality and type of food that was offered on their prix fix menu. The servers were excellent, but one of them smelled of strong body odor.
(4)
Lon M.

Expensive but worth it for a special occasion. The complimentary glass of asti was a wonderful touch. Didnt eat all day in preparation for this and was not dissappointed. The homemade pastas were the star of the show, would go every week if I could afford it :)
(5)
Devendra S.

Expensive. But totally worth the brownie points you score with your Mrs. Our meal ended up in the 700$s for 2 with wine pairing. The food oozes astonishing creativity. The ingredients are top notch especially the meats. I was amazed by one of the vegetarian courses. It looked so unassuming. One bite and it was an explosion of perfectly balanced flavors on your taste buds. The sommelier are scholarly to the point that they seem Unpersonable but he did try to squeeze in a joke here and there. The setting is rustic, absolutely fantastic. The service is impeccable. Make sure you make reservations months in advance. And don't forget to sell that testicle to pay for the meal.
(4)
Monique L.

Beyond the status quo of phenomenal palatal experiences. In a rustic setting where the chef chooses your meal, I was pleasantly surprised that the dishes served fit me to a tee. From Baltic Sea king crab with escargot to Louisiana prawns in a tomato pesto sauce. Further, pared with an Italian full body cabernet, the most wonderful soup that arguably I might sell my soul for. With a plethora of dishes before and after the chef, who was absolutely a delight, personally served me with a dish off the menu; mackerel with white truffles which was fun and fantastic. Just when I thought my experience was winding down, the stars aligned and I was introduced to my favorite dish of the night; antelope with a side of spiced pears. Last, but not least, there were delicious desserts from jelled, macaroons, pecan, lemon, sorbet, gelato and a polenta chocolate soufflÃ© which all catered to my gluten allergy. The ambience, chef and staff made my solo dining experience one to fall in love with. Fino a quando ci incontreremo di nuovo.
(5)
Gordon R.

This is the kind of place you save up for. I'm not kidding either. 3 guests ran up a bill of $700. Worth every penny. Understated elegance. You won't be disappointed. Go with the chef's menu and just let them wine and dine you. It's beyond memorable. You'll want to send a post card! "The coursed wine pairings show what happens when an inspired sommelier mind-melds with a master chef." Best insider tip I ever heard.
(5)
Julia T.

It's been a while since I've been to Vetri, but I always promised myself I'd write a review. I've been all over the world. Italy, England, France, you name it and this place is the best meal I've ever had hands down. My parents took me as my college graduation present and it was everything I'd hoped for and more. The breads to start off the meal were absolutely to die for. I know a lot of people don't care about this part of the meal, but as an Italian, I really really do. My favorite part of the tasting menu was some sort of savory onion tart. I wish I could remember exactly what it was called, but to this day I can still remember how delicious it was. Whenever anyone says they are going to philly, I tell them that they must stop at Vetri. It is certainly pricey, but I felt like it was worth every single cent. I can't wait to return for my next special occasion.
(5)
Thomas S.

I had such high hopes to be blown away after hearing all the hype about this place. We were very disappointed. Quite bland in my opinion and too much pasta. Extremely expensive for what you get. You can get a Superior meal for half as much at the Fountain. It's fixed price and we had two glasses of wine: $250. Be prepared.
(2)
BostonBestEats X.

Happy birthday to me! We enjoyed (see photos): ~Stuzzichini (appetizers) with Prosecco (pastrami-spiced foie gras on toast was killer!) ~Vegetables with basalmic crema ~New Jersey tomato and corn tortino ~Piedmontese carpaccio with figs ~Sweet onion crepe with truffle fondue (Vetri classic) ~Four Story Hill duck stuffed with chorizo ~Spinach gnocchi with brown butter (Vetri classic) ~Almond tortellini with truffle sauce ~Agnolotto with pistachio vellutate ~Lorighittas with Frutti di Mare ~Culirgones with corn and chevrot ~Roasted lamb with Nebrodini and Moliterno ~Capretto with stone-milled polenta (Vetri classic) ~Pre-dessert of blackberry and sorbet ~Pre-dessert macaroons, etc ~Cheese course, including Ã‰poisses de Bourgogne & amazing an sweet green pepper marmalade ~Birthday cake
(5)
Bonnie S.

we went back for the second time and had an excellent experience. Very worthy of the star!!! Yes
(5)
Mike T.

Miriam requested a fine Italian meal for her birthday, so, naturally, I made her a bowl Spaghetti-O's. Upon receiving said bowl, Miriam slapped me with such force that she knocked us clear across the city and we landed at Vetri. From there we did the chef's tasting menu and wine pairing, which was good because I can't be trusted to order anything for myself that isn't on a Wawa touch screen. It was probably a better option than canned food.
(3)
Jenn G.

The best meal in the city. The epitome of class and a place to celebrate in decadence.
(5)
Chris M.

Fantastic food, flawless service, and excellent drinks. The totality of the Vetri restaurant is one of the best you will experience in Philadelphia. So why the 4-star rating? Well, the answer lies within the question (sorry to get all socratic on you) "Was it worth it?" One way to construe this question is to reframe it as "are you happy you went?," in which case the answer is a resounding yes. Here are the details: - food: We had a nearly identical menu to the one PhillyBestByob X. enumerates, and helpfully accompanies by pictures of each dish. In addition, the chef sent out a special course of truffled risotto, which huge truffle shavings. We all (a party of 5) tasted each others' dishes and so we got to try much of the menu. I likened the experience of the tasting menu to reading a very good book that occasionally displays flashes of genius. All of the meal was delicious, but every now and again, you would get a bite that made you question the bounds of what it's possible to do with food. Some of these moments include: - pastrami-spiced foie - I had never had foie and would never order it in a restaurant, but this dish was in the realm of the sublime - house-cured Calabrese salami - A+ for authenticity. It tasted just like the soppressata my family in Calabria makes. I was really impressed with this. - piedmontese carpaccio with figs - I sincerely hope that you get this dish should you go The pastas are generally fantastic here, too. The place where I thought the meal settled into good-but-not-great was in the main courses we had (lamb, goat). I'm sure you already know this from other reviews, but there is one menu option at Vetri: the tasting menu at $155/pp. - drinks: Vetri offers several pairings or a la carte drinks. They have 2 tiers of wine pairings, one at $90 and one at $135. They also have a beer pairing for $70. I'm not cheap about food and drinks (as evidenced by the fast the I came here), but the pairings just don't seem like a good deal to me, especially the beer pairing. My wife ordered a glass of pinot noir ($19) to go with her meal, and the pour lasted her the whole meal (and she wasn't nursing it). The Pinot Noir here is just spectacular, BTW. I would highly recommend it. My friend and I split a big bottle of Baladin Noel ($26), and it lasted us the whole meal, too (with three of four refills of our glasses). My friends who got the beer pairings were not sure it was worth it at the end. The service: nothing to say here except that it was perfect. They struck just the right balance between being there to get us everything we needed and explaining every dish with not being overbearing. Really impressed. So this brings us back to our initial question--"what is worth it?"--and the other way to conceptualize the question, which is "would you do it again?" At an $1100 check for 5 people (pre-tip), or about $265/pp after tip, it's a tough one when you consider opportunity cost. For that amount of money, you could have several meals at several fantastic options around the city. I'm not sure I would go here again at the expense of several other great meals, but I am so glad that I did come here. Hence, the 4 stars. So my advice to you would be to check out Vetri at least once for the experience. I don't think you will be disappointed.
(4)
Matt K.

My wife and I have dined at 3 other Vetri restaurants, including Osteria maybe 4 times. His food and service have been consistently top notch. So when we finally made it to Vetri, I was surprised at our experience here. Although the service was impeccable, the food was not consistent. When we first saw the interior, we were impressed with how intimate and rustic it is. There is a huge coffee maker right in the middle of the dining room, which kind of sets the tone of "this is a casual trattoria" and "you better have a cup of cappucino at the end of your meal!" As soon as we sat down we were given a complimentary glass of Prosecco, a plate of hors d'oeuvres, and a cup of cruditÃ©s with a marvelous dipping sauce. The plate's highlights were a beautifully prepared salmon layered with cream cheese that was gorgeous and a foie gras on toast that was heavenly. The service all throughout the dinner was absolutely exemplary. I think every single person in the front of the house visited us at least once. Other reviewers have noted that the staff is very knowledgeable about the wines. I would say that about some of them, others just have a good speech. We did the grand tasting with the grand wines. All of the wines were beautiful, most were paired well with the courses. Now the courses: Conchiglioni with lobster. Gorgeous sauce, but it overpowered the lobster, whose flavor was already muted by being a mousse. Green coriander seeds added an explosion of flavor, but the whole dish was not well integrated. Sweet onion crepe with truffle fondue. Gorgeous, it reminded me of "eating" French onion soup. Concentrated flavors without the broth, but better by a wide margin. Spinach gnocchi. I have a thing about gnocchi, as maybe most others do. If it is gummy, it is no good. This version was gummy. It was floating in tasty broth and there was actual spinach in it as opposed to spinach juice. Flavors were ok but nothing special. Almond tortelloni. Marvellous. It reminded me of the Sienese almond confection. This dish was heavy, aromatic, sweet, it could have been dessert! Duck stuffed with chorizo. There were cherries, a cherry reduction I think, and a bit of greens. Unfortunately the chorizo overpowered everything else, including the wine, a Nebbiolo. Goat with polenta. The goat skin was crispy and fantastic, but the goat was rather tough and dry. When stewed, goat is so tender it melts in your mouth. Not this version. We had cheese for dessert along with the sweet dessert. The Epoisse (French not Italian!) was fantastic. Although I am being critical of the food, I was enjoying myself and even ordered EXTRA wine from the menu. Yum. I'm not sure why the food was so inconsistent. The chef was there on this night. It was puzzling and we are hesitant to ever return, particularly given the price point of $290 each before tax and tip.
(3)
Pamela S.

This was the most amazing culinary experience I have ever had, hands down. I seriously felt high on food. Every item served had such unique, multi-layered flavors. At each bite, you go through an experience of flavors, one after another. I consider myself a pretty good cook, but I have no idea how they created what we were served. It was unlike anything I have ever experienced. We also did the wine pairing list and that definitely added excellently to the experience. Our server was also outstanding. She was extremely knowledgeable on everything, even down to the name of the designer of the plates the food was served on. I felt like I was on Anthony Bourdain's show. I look forward to going back in the spring to try their next season of culinary artworks!
(5)
Kasey Y.

I had a landmark experience in eating last week. It was one of those infrequent happenings that only come along every now and again, if you're lucky. Like being a Boston Red Sox fan and living in Utah -- you'll probably make it up to Fenway only once or twice in your life, but the experience means everything when you finally do. Walking into Vetri in downtown Philadelphia was like that for me -- like going to Fenway and smelling the freshly cut grass, except for me it was the smell of the best pasta in the country. Marc Vetri received his training in Bergamo, Italy by some of the country's most noted chefs. Since then, he has opened both his 40-seat restaurant Vetri in 1998 and Osteria in 2007. He's won several awards for his culinary aptitude, including the prestigious James Beard Award for "Best Chef Mid-Atlantic" in 2005. Even Chef Mario Batali is quoted, saying, "This is possibly the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast," which is quite the compliment, especially from a man with his own Italian restaurant in New York City. A few months ago, I saw a segment on Vetri Ristorante on Food Network's Best Thing I Ever Ate. Iron Chef Michael Simon said that if he had to choose one last meal, he would go to Marc Vetri's restaurant in Philadelphia. He described how he would order one of everything on the menu and eat it all. After this introduction, I had to go. A few weeks later, I realized I would be in Philadelphia in February, so I made a reservation. As the date approached I became more and more excited. I studied the menu beforehand to make sure that I ordered the perfect meal; I planned my driving route from the hotel; I even left my schedule open that evening so that nothing could stop me from getting there. As I pulled up the tiny street that the restaurant was on, I realized I hadn't thought about parking. I had no cash on me and no knowledge about parking in downtown Philadelphia. Luckily, there was a lot across the street from the restaurant that offered 2-hour parking for $15 -- worth every penny. As I entered the restaurant I was shocked at how small and intimate it was. They sat me and I quickly dove into the menu. After just a few moments of perusing (mostly due to my over-preparedness), this is what I ordered: - Sweetbreads with Piopini mushrooms and crispy romaine leaves - Spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter - Casoncelli with sage and pancetta Each dish was better than the previous: The sweetbreads with tender mushrooms were almost like an incredible Thanksgiving stuffing. The gnocchi was creamy and decadent. And the Casoncelli, oh the Casoncelli! I can actually say this is the best pasta dish I've ever had. It was definitely one of the best meals of my life. I'm so glad that I went. The wait staff was classy and gracious. They were kind, educated, and made you feel like the only person there.
(5)
Jason H.

Finally got an elusive Saturday evening reservation to Vetri, after about fifteen years of trying off an on, with little success. The service was outstanding; you'd be hard-pressed to find better anywhere. It's a VERY small place; the original location of Le Bec Fin, actually. Very cute room, maybe ten tables or so, and somewhat less formal than I anticipated based on the price. The room has a very romantic atmosphere, and despite the very loose dress code (the male diner next to us was wearing a t-shirt, and had his pants down so you could see his boxers) was very reminiscent of a small family-run italian restaurant you'd find in Italy. The chef welcomes guests with a complimentary flute of dry prosecco as well as a house cured meat amuse consisting of four offerings including house cured salami and foie gras. A very nice beginning. We found that included in the $155 pre fixe was soft drinks and coffee/tea afterwards, which was also a nice change from the traditional a la carte options. The menu is a pre-fixe, however the general theme is that the chef chooses from the options for the guests. My GF and I each received different courses, and we shared. You are able to select your options if you like, and can provide any preferences or allergy information as well. We felt no pressure at all to adhere to the chef's choice, but chose to do so and be surprised with the selections. I didn't take a detailed inventory of each dish, however there were a total of six courses, including dessert, plust two additional courses that were shared, the (rather large) amuse, and a pre-dessert. So, it ends up being more like nine courses if you count the two shared options as one per diner. Every dish was impeccably prepared and served, and we enjoyed everything. That being said, despite a good experience, we both felt the value for what is (unless you take into consideration the Morimoto omakase that can go north of $200 if you so desire) the most expensive restaurant/pre fixe in the city was somewhat a disappointment. Having sampled similar pre fixe menus in Philadelphia, New York, and abroad, I think this one falls down in the area of value, though certainly not in preparation nor execution. While we had a nice evening, the meal just didn't seem to rise to the same "special restaurant" level that you'd find at Le Bec Fin, The Fountain, Lacroix, etc., based on the cost. It's definitely worth the visit, but may not have the same "revisit" appeal for everyone.
(3)
Stephen S.

I have been fortunate to eat Vetri twice in the last year and all I can saw is wow. You will not be disappointed. The first visit I tried the new/eclectic wine paring and the higher end pairing the 2nd time, both were very good. Foodie or not , you will walk away from Vetri satisfied.
(5)
Linda B.

I have been lucky enough to have dined here several times over the years and each time the food was excellent as was service. We learned not to eat in advance as there was so much food presented. Wine glasses were always kept full. Not this time. We noticed significant differences, Several of the dishes were not up to par. The wines, though excellent, were not refilled as before. This time it simply was not worth the high price. We were both disappointed.
(3)
Ann M.

By far one of the best meals/experiences I've ever had in the city. Our server Bill was fabulous; the chef came out frequently and visited our table. If you are looking for great service, food and overall experience- this place will exceed your expectations!
(5)
Jim D.

Maybe the best restaurant in Philadelphia. The meal was amazing. Get the wine pairing. It was so worth it.
(5)
Ruchi M.

Wow this was a fantastic meal. We went on a weekend, so I got the tasting course. I think the mint pappardelle with lamb ragu was my highlight. But the sweet onion crepe with white truffle was really good too. Brought a vegetarian friend here and she loved the food. I tried a beer tasting for the first time, and it was really great! I loved how the flavors of the beer and food complemented each other.
(5)
Sean B.

4/8/11 The food was interesting different and some of the tasting menu items were ok Cavatelli and shorts ribs to die for. Wait staff and host super super nice It's worth one trip expect the bill for 2 to be 400-500 $$$$
(4)
Allie O.

OK, so I just wanna get this out of the way....everyone knows the complimentary glass of prosecco is not offered to guests in addition to an apology for waiting for a reservation, right? It's straight out of Italian dinner culture, sort of like an amuse bouche, except for your stomach. More like an amuse digestif. That said, Vetri is out of control. It's like someone went to Italy, ripped a restaurant out of the ground, took a handful of impeccable servers, a cellar full of wine, and foraged for fiddleheads in March, and then flew it all back to America, and then decided to smush it all into a brownstone in Philly. Like....whaaaaaaaat is going on in this place?! Maybe the foyer is really a teleport. Maybe the chef is actually a wizard, or that talented rat from Ratatouille and isn't French at all. Or maybe it's just the best fucking restaurant on the East Coast. I don't know. Anything is possible. I took my boyfriend here for his birthday, and though we were on time for our reservation, the table ahead of us was not. While waiting in the foyer, which was air conditioned, which was great because it was like five thousand degrees outside, we were offered water, prosecco, or both. The twenty minutes or so it took that table to leave and be bussed just ensured us about two re-pours on our glasses each, and some hushed, excited conversation. And I don't know why people get so pissed off about having to wait to be seated at a restaurant. Like...what's the big deal? Do you hate the company of the people you dine with so much that the presence of food is a necessary distraction? Anyway... When we sat down, we were given a plate of salumi, a bowl of fiddleheads pickled, and with some parmesan cheese, and another plate of baby vegetables with a balsalmic vinaigrette so thick I would rather call it a mousse. We were given the menu to look over, ensured our server that we would eat anything, anything at all, ordered 2 quartinos of lovely wine (particularly the rosata) and relaxed as dish after dish of the best tasting food I've ever had was rolled out in front of us. For our patience in the foyer, the chef prepared us THREE EXTRA entire dishes that weren't even on the tasting menu (well one wasn't) and all were incredible. Like....the food was so good I almost cried. I was closest to crying over the beauty of food than I ever have been before. Ok, I cried. Just...just go ok? Please? It's expensive as hell, but I couldn't purchase the ingredients and make anything on that table as well as it was made for me. It's cheaper than culinary school, anyways. I've never been so relaxed in a dining situation. It was a time warp. I don't even know how long we were there. It doesn't even matter. I felt like I had been welcomed into the home of some gourmet worthy friends and fed intoxicatingly delicious food from their pantry of local and imported eats, and then gently pushed out the door with a prized brownie and a full tummy. I can't wait to go back. I canNOT wait.
(5)
Catherine L.

In the last ten years, the Philadelphia dining scene has truly stepped up its game, so, even though Vetri is (or was) in the upper echelon of dining experiences, it now has serious competitors that provide gourmet tasting menus but at much, much more digestible price. Unless you're flush with mucho dineiro, this place is a once-every-few-years-special-occasion kind of restaurant. Regardless of how perfect a dining experience is, it's always a little painful to fork out over $600 (with tip) for a meal for two. Go with someone you love (or someone else that will pick up the tab, unless that's one and the same) who is not a picky eater (aside: is there anything worse than a picky eater?) and that has a real appreciation for vino. When you go here, you have to go all out. Since you're shelling it out already, you might as well go full steam ahead. Go for the Grand tasting menu with the grand wine pairings that will seriously blow your mind. To be honest, I almost enjoyed the wine more than I did the food (more on that, later). The staff here are so well-versed in their wine selections, it was a pleasure to hear them describe each pairing with detail and authority. Once you are able to marry both that wine and the food, you know you have arrived. The highlights, are, of course as everyone says, the pasta. Rich, but light, earthy, fresh, buttery, and oh so succulent. It takes everything in your body and good upbringing to restrain yourself from scarfing it down in two bites (although the portions are just that, two to three bites worth - or five to six conservative bites). Everything here is well-conceived, perfectly executed and beautifully presented. The staff is a dream. Everything from the amuse-bouche, to the meal procession, wine service, pre-dessert, dessert and send-off is effortless and lovely. And for that price tag, it should be. This meal never had a low point for me, the preparation, taste and execution was consistent, right down to the fudge they send home with you. The truly high point of the meal, are the Grand wine pairings. Simply put: out of this world. Maybe, that is the true test of master chef, a menu where the food and wine dance impeccably together and bring the best out of each other. However, there were times where the wine clearly outshone the food, both in complexity and depth - and I often wanted more of the wine than I did of the food -- and I cannot believe that's the intended reaction a chef would like me to have (putting my obvious love of wine, aside, I do love food more). So including that, the other things which are holding me back from awarding Vetri the full five stars that it definitely deserves in the grand scheme of Philadelphia restaurants are that for starters- at the price point that Vetri charges, I would have appreciated a couple extra courses, and perhaps a palate cleanser half-way through the meal would have been nice as well. I had no problem with the portion sizes or the duration of the dinner, but when pre-dessert came, I was not ready for the meal to be over. I thought I deserved and paid for just a little more. Also, as I noted in the beginning, in a town where gourmet eateries of Vetri's caliber are offering similar fare but at a more affordable cost, shouldn't Vetri strive to offer more or offer what they have to cost a little less? My two cents. Either way, a worthy Philly dining experience. Warm up your credit card (or two).
(4)
Rin Z.

Listen up, ladies and gents, because I've got the answer to curing your ailing love life. The answer is Vetri. Any date at this restaurant is a one way ticket to sextown, population, 2 or more. Vetri's gnocchi is so good that I would eat it out of any receptacle, be it a rusty spoon or the mouth of a mother bird. GIVE IT TO ME!
(5)
Peter S.

The space was nice, the service was impeccable and most every course was acceptable... but it was all rather forgettable. Decent Italian-inspired food is rather ubiquitous these days and, besides the onion crepe, nothing really transcended beyond that. The seafood dishes were particularly uninspired. The pasta, albeit as delicious as homemade pasta generally is, was not very creative in my opinion. Of course, I am holding the food to a high standard because of the price point... the correlation in this regard is not sufficient for me to want to return. One aside- I did not expect Mr Vetri to personally greet each diner as he walked in and through the dining room to the kitchen that day, but would have hoped for more than what seemed like a quick scan of how business was doing.
(3)
Joe C.

Been here 3 times, it actually gets better every time. Wow. The food is 5 stars, the service 6 stars! From the time you are seated until the time you leave, you feel like you are the only person in the place. The pacing is perfect, the explanation of the food and the wine pairings are spot on. Do yourself a favor, just go. Tell Jon, the maitre'd, "I'm in your hands" and let them do the rest. you will not be disappointed.
(5)
Lucien B.

Amazing, the best restaurant in Philly. Had dinner there in December it was great. highlights were the prawns with white beans, almond tortellini with white truffle and spinach gnocchi in brown butter. Tasting menu is the only option and you get as much or little input as you want. Many small plates, all delicious. I'd go there again in a heartbeat.
(5)
John B.

I'm glad I finally made it to Vetri. We waited for 1 month for a reservation (a little ridiculous) but the wait was worthwhile. We did the Saturday grand tasting course. The course comprised of tasty, seasonal dishes. The smoked froie gras amuse bouche, red snapper crudo amuse bouche with sprinkle of sea salt, sweetbread with porcini mushroom, veal ravioli, dry-aged ribeye, chocolate souffle were perfectly seasoned and prepared. Service was by far the best I've had in anywhere in Philadelphia. The staff was attentive, not pretentious, but very knowledgeable about the food, and, most importantly, really enthusiastic about the food at Vetri (but not in an annoying way). With every change of the course, the silverware was switched, the table was cleaned with scraper, and the water was filled. If you haven't been there and is waiting for a place to splurge a little bit in Philadelphia, you should definitely come here.
(5)
Kevin S.

I've been here 4 or 5 times now. Vetri is what I base every resteraunt review against. The food was excellent and I can still imagine every dish I had (and crave just thinking about). The wine pairing was excellent. The service is excellent. Everyone must try it once in their life.
(5)
Ritu K.

My expectations were high for this place. On service and ambiance it certainly did not disappoint. Service was impeccable to say the least. Lots of helpful food and wine pairing suggestions from all. At the end we opted for the tasting menu (truly seemed like the best way to really get a feel for the food). The wine pairings were perfect with the menu offerings but the options brought out to us were hit and miss. For example for one of our appetizers we ended up with a fried tempura dish. Although it was tasty, it seemed fairly boring for a dish at Vetri -the food mecca. For the main course we ended up with the goat which was tasty ,but quite small.. At the end of the day I walked away slightly hungry and $400 poorer. For the price and quantity of food offered there's better dining options in the city...
(4)
Simon S.

Believe the hype...Everything was flawless, from start to finish. From the glass of prosecco to start things off, the service, the ambiance...Just perfect. Highlights were the spinach gnocchi, fusili with lobster (must love saffron for this dish) mushroom and corn ravioli (epic) the lamb sausage thing, the duck...hell, everything was amazing. And my father in law, and his partner of 40 years, can be very picky eaters, and easily put out by adventurous cuisine. Even they loved it...The food is a perfect balance of creativity and home cooked comfort... Had a couple of bottles of a Willamette Pinot Noir that was light and balanced enough (and under $100) to really go well with the entire meal. Add to that a couple of scotches, and dessert wines for the girls, and yeah, the tab was $1,000 for 5 of us, but what the hell, it was worth it. And my FIL is getting up there in years, so I like to spoil him once a year, and he loves it. Vetri was the perfect spot to do just that
(5)
Peter B.

Vetri is often referred to as the greatest Italian-inspired restaurant in the nation, and with good reason. Even Mario Batali's del Posto takes a back seat to Chef Marc Vetri's Center City Philadelphia powerhouse of art culinaire. In order to experience the broad capacity of Vetri's imagination, make sure to visit on Friday or Saturday night to enjoy the grand tasting menu featuring local sustainable ingredients prepared with classic Italian appointments. You'll recognize words like risotto and gnocchi, but be prepared for an entirely remarkable flavor and texture profile in each new dish that comes before you. Dishes like smoked venison loin, spinach gnocchi, whole-roasted baby goat and artichoke-filled ravioli will dazzle the palate and leave you wanting more!
(5)
Bun-alicious K.

We returned to Vetri last night for my birthday... They only offer the tasting menu at $135 per person now and I realize this is not an easy price point for everyone. However, for those of us who like to indulge in a luxurious meal once a year or so, I highly recommend Vetri. Keep in mind that you pay not only for the amazing food here, but service here is impeccable. Every staff member, their service and their attitude exceeds all hospitality standards. We walked in and after were seated, we were offered Prosecco as others have mentioned but opted for San Pellegrino Aranciata because I am 6 months pregnant. The husband joined me in the non-alcoholic option for whatever reason :) Btw, I love these drinks normally so I was thrilled to have them offered. We were given an appetizer plate of house-cured meats, vegetable tarts, fois gras topped canape (delicious, btw), balsamic apple with parmesan and a crudite bowl with a 30 yo balsamic crema. This crema was awesome and I wanted to dip my bread and whatever else I can get my hands on into it... their focaccia is yummy with sea salt on top. 1st course - Sharon fruit salad which was so simple yet tasty - sharon fruit, lemon juice, parmesan, and arugula. We also got the Alaskan prawn with beans which was a tad saltier and desirable. 2nd course - Sweet onion crepe and Nantucket scallop with truffle. Both were to die for amazing...perfect bites of food. 3rd course - Almond tortellini and spinach gnocchi. I did ask for the spinach gnocchi again because it is that amazing. I love the way it melts in your mouth and has that distinct spinach taste. Around here, we got another round of San Pellegrino but tried the Chinotto. Husband liked it but to me, it tasted like JÃ¤germeister. Haha, I am so unrefined... so I swapped out for the safe Limonata. If you didn't know what Chinotto is like us - here it is from wiki - "species of Citrus with foliage similar to that of the common myrtle. It is a compact tree with small leaves and no thorns which grows to a height of three meters and can be found in Malta and in the Liguria, Tuscany, Sicily, and Calabria regions of Italy. The fruit of the tree resemble small oranges. They are sour or bitter and are commonly called by their Italian name, chinotto. They are an essential flavoring agent of most Italian amari, of the popular Campari aperitif, and of several brands of carbonated soft drinks that are generically called "chinotto"." 4th course - Tonnarelli with tripe and tomato and chestnut fettucini with boar and cocoa. The tonnarelli was good but the the fettucini was AWESOME... drool. Our fave pasta of the night and something new! We never had boar before :) 5th course - Dover with artichoke and potatoes and 30 day aged rib eye with a puree and sauce. These were both very good but we were getting pretty full at this point to fully appreciate it. Pre-dessert Petite-fours, macarons, and jelly things with a lovely lime sorbet. Mine with ginger ale in it and hubby got ginger ale AND beefeater in it. I love gin...sigh. Dessert I really wanted to try their butternut squash napoleon or donuts from the menu but forgot to mention it and we got the caramel panna cota with kumquat and chocolate polenta souffle. I don't usually like panna cota and this was the best I had and I really loved its flavors and texture. Their souffle was still awesome too :) I should add here that I got the mint tea with my dessert and all our beverages were complimentary! I am sure this is not the case with alcohol but this is the kind of thing that really sets them apart. It's like they are not blind to the fact that paying $135 per person for a meal is a lot! Our waitress was smart, sweet and spunky. I liked her a lot and we all know how much servers add to our dining experience. We also met the chef de cuisine since Vetri was out sick. My husband had requested to meet him since we are such foodies :) Almost 2.5 hours later, we left happy and feeling like million bucks with a copy of our menu and pistachio biscotti in hand for later.
(5)
Luigi C.

"The Emperor's New Clothes" This restaurant is a perfect money-making American enterprise. So so food. Tiny portions. Mediocre decor. Unreasonable prices. It works as long as the people are poorly educated about food and obsessed with stereotypes. After reading hundreds of critiques by 'satisfied customers' I feel like the child crying out "but the king isn't wearing anything at all!" in the "The Emperor's New Clothes" tale.
(2)
Jessica W.

If you want to spend $200pp for a memorable meal, then take Bolt Bus to NYC and go to Per Se. While Vetri has the undisputed best Italian food in the city, our overall experience was disappointing. They say the tasting menu is 7-9 courses, and we only got 7 which was poor salesmanship, especially since the tables on either side of us got 9 courses. At Per Se, they say you get 9, but then you get at least 12. Its all about expectations. While nearly all of the dishes were rich, flavorful, and exquisitely prepared, I left hungry due to the skimpy portions (something I'm ok with if you get enough courses). The sommelier here was one of the best I've come across. He was relatable and not stuck up. When we told him we wanted an affordable wine that would be versatile enough to pair with several courses, he brought us the least expensive bottle on the menu which was terrific. He was incredibly informative and Vetri is lucky to have him. I'd love to go back if someone else was paying, but in this price range I'm loyal to Thomas Keller.
(3)
Ken E.

Went here for my birthday and dropped serious coin. The food is great. This place is over the top expensive, and hyped beyond belief. Your eyes won't roll to the back of your head, but you'll have a terrific, terrific meal and be able to brag to your friends you ate @ Vetri. Once in a blue moon kind of place to eat.
(4)
Midi F.

Vetri is hands down the top three restaurant in Philadelphia and I made this statement with 100% confidence. Is the food tasty? Yes. Is it overprice? Maybe. Is it the best Italian restaurant on the east coast? Definitely not. When you want fine dinning without being flashy/pretentious or "too see and to be seen", Vetri is your best choice when it comes to the city of brotherly love. I have dined at Vetri numerous of times and some of their dishes are outstanding and some of them are just average, but please also consider the fact that my opinions are subject to personal taste. Vetri is my favorite restaurant in Philadelphia because it provides a very intimate and cozy environment and its selection of wine....BAM!! To. Die. For., they knowledgeable sommeliers that is not snobby and doesn't just trying to sell you expensive wine. Quintarelli Amarone- It's hard to find restaurant and stores that sell this bottle due to its relatively small production and high price, people often will just go for french wine if they are going to pay for the same amount anyways. However, this bottle is like..... Magic, OK..... I'm lying, but it is my favorite Italian wine. It's rich, big, bold, flavorful with tannin at the end, it has all the characteristics I like in wine, guy as well maybe? lol, kidding! Louisiana white prawn with zolfini beans- the shrimp they use is not particular impressive i.e. not super fresh or different from other restaurants, but its the dish as whole that hold this dish up to the restaurant's standards. Marc Vetri utilized the lightness of seafood and heaviness/creaminess of the bean and sauce, created this dish. Squid ink linguine with crab and urchin- I suppose you should order this dish if you want something light from the restaurant, because most of the dishes they offer are pretty heavy. However, I would not order this dish again because I couldn't even taste the uni in the pasta, then what's the point or ordering uni pasta? Sharon fruit salad salad with arugula- don't waste your $ on this dish, trust me on this one. Cauliflower flan with quail egg- I love this dish!! You can actually taste the cauliflower, and the flan with quail yolk MELTS in your month, very light and delicate dish. Sweet onion crepe with white truffle- a MUST ORDER, this is one of their signature dish and it sure hold its title, it's so rich and creamy. Crepe is fulled with 10,000 caramelized onions and drizzle with white truffle sauce, have it with a few sips of wine, a winner recipe. Spinach gnocchi with brown butter- another MUST ORDER, I remember the first time I saw this dish I thought it was brussel sprouts and it was much smoochy and creamy with I bite into, the cheese, the smell of butter....truly a memorable dish. It is however, extremely rich and fatty and I do not want to most how many sticks of butter are in those little tiny spinach balls. Almond tortellini with white truffle- this is suppose to be their signature dish as well, I like it but it did not strike me as.... "oh! I'm gonna order it again next time I come!". Tortellini is very tricky, it's very hard to cook it right, you often find it overcook or undertook, I think it's most likely due to the structure of it since its like a dumpling rather a pasta. Vetri sometimes can overcooked it as well, but no excuse because I eat what I pay for, and its certainly not the same price tag as dumplings. Chestnut fettucini with boar and cocoa- not worth the $$. Keep in mind, you are a customer at Vetri that is about to spend $300 per person, hence you deserve nothing but the best! This is not the worst, but it's not the best, it's a limbo.... Baby goat with freshly stone milled polenta- lack of stickiness/flavor of goat, not worth the $$, combination of baby goat and poplenta didn't make it to the blockbuster of food pron industry. Bistecca alla fiorentina- in my opinion, this is the one of the few proper Italian meat dish Vetri has to offer. I don't normally order red meat when I come to Vetri, but this is what you should order if your PID (Partner in Dine) wants to try some meat. I am never a dessert person, therefore I won't make comments on their dessert. The cheese and cured meat here.... nah.... you should just go to Di Bruno or reading terminal market. It is very important to know how to order at Vetri if you want a dinning experience that worth its value, but it has became harder now since they only offer tasting menu these days. Unless you go back a few times, they chief will eventually has a grasp of what you like and what you don't like. I want to give Vetri a 4.5 star but yelp doesn't have this option, the -0.5 star is due to discontinuance of a la carte. I know what they say about tasting menu, but I know what I want and I am not friends with Mr. Food Coma. It's a great place to go with someone that you can talk to or someone you want to get to know, no rigid dinning rule, just you being you, great conversation and food.
(4)
Marissa C.

Best meal of my life - hands down. (And it wasn't because I happened to get engaged during it either!) Vetri is truly a unique experience and the food that's served up is original, flavorful, and incredibly decadent. As the tasting menu is only offered you are in the hands of the chef and what fine hands they are! It may seem a bit risky that you don't know what you're going to get - but just trust in the process. Our waitress was great - she let us know off the bat that if there was anything we really did or didn't want to have, she could make it happen. Please forgive me for my inability to remember all of the meal highlights I was in a certified food coma after course four. From what I do remember the following items were incredible: spinach gnocchi, sweet onion crepe, casoncelli, and almond tortellini. There wasn't a bite that I didn't like although by the time that dessert came along I was no longer hungry and therefore it wasn't that memorable. Vetri you are wonderful but unfortunately, also ridiculously expensive. I'll see you in 10 years for my anniversary and I'll think of you fondly in the meantime.
(5)
Zoe P.

I had the best meal of my life last night. Since moving to Philadelphia almost 3 years ago, I have wanted to dine at Vetri but could not find an appropriate reason to - it's not an inexpensive place, and I only wanted to have the tasting menu. When this year finally gave me two reasons to celebrate in a big way (engagement and 5 year anniversary!), I decided that now was the time and I made our Vetri reservations the first moment I could. We arrived right in time for our 6:30pm reservation on Friday and were immediately seated by the windows with a view of the small, cozy, rustic interior. It's really beautiful inside, I love how the decor made me feel like I was dining in someone's home. The hostess started us off with complimentary glasses of an amazing Prosecco and soon brought out their amuse bouche plate and fresh vegetables with a balsamic dipping sauce. The amuse bouche contained small tastings of two different cured meats, a vegetable torte, torched foie gras on toast, and apple chunks with tangy grated parmesan - each bite was delightful as we perused the menu to see if anything caught our eye. As our first time there, we went with the traditional tasting and primarily let Chef Vetri (who was there that night!) choose what to send us, with the one request that I get to try the sweet onion crepe with white truffle sauce. Our server was exquisite, truly the best service we have ever received at any restaurant, and recommended a wonderful bottle of Sauvignon Blanc for us to share (you might as well go with a bottle vs a half bottle due to the prices). Our first dish was the same - braised snails with fregola and fried pig ear - and set the tone for the meal as the flavors melded wonderfully together, and the fregola pasta was just a taste of Vetri's mastery. For our second course, I received the infamous onion crepe (8-10 hours caramelizing those onions?! So worth it) and one bite was enough to make me swoon. My fiance had the lamb chorizo with favas and mint, and the smoky paprika in the sausage was bold but not overpowering. Next was a pasta focused course with both the well-known spinach gnocchi with brown butter and the almond tortellini with white truffle. The tortellini was surprisingly delicious and light, and the gnocchi truly melts in your mouth. Dear lord the pasta itself is better than anything that I had while studying abroad in Italy - including my gastronomic tour of Bologna - and our server and I agreed that we would be in trouble if we had the skill to craft that amazing quality gnocchi ourselves. We enjoyed another pasta course with tonnarelli with razor clams and green tomato and the fettuccine with morels, and this may have been our favorite pasta course. The green tomato sauce is incredibly light and yet creamy on it's own (I have to figure out how to make it), and those morels were so perfectly cooked. The bite to each different type of pasta is perfect. Our final course was...exquisite. My fiance was served the baby goat with freshly stone milled polenta, which was delicious, especially due to the creaminess of the polenta, but I personally think I won the entree prize. Every single table around us gaped as I was served the maialino with fiddlehead ferns and mostarda on a large, hot stone platter. When the first bite of pork truly melted in my mouth in an incredible combination of salty, savory, and sweet, I looked at my fiance and told him that I felt like the most special girl in the world since I was given this dish. It's amazingly good. We just couldn't contemplate a cheese course since we had seen all the other tables served quite a bit of dessert, and thank goodness we did. The first dessert 'course' was a palate-cleansing grape sorbet topped with croquant and a piccolo pasticceria plate that contained a hazelnut macaron (delish), strawberry macaron (even better), passion fruit gelee (mmmm), torched marshmallow (pleased my inner child), and fudge (literally melt in your mouth goodness). For the true dessert course we were served the chocolate polenta souffle with vanilla gelato and the 'strudel aperti' with strawberry and yogurt. This is the one time my fiance has loved a chocolate dessert, and ate more of it than I did! The souffle is intensely chocolate in flavor, with a perfect moist, pudding-like center. The strudel's pastry was crispy, buttery and complemented the tangy yogurt and sweet-tart strawberry sauce and fresh berry slices. This is truly the best dining experience in Philadelphia - and has ruined me forever since now I cannot contemplate dining anywhere else. All I want is Marc Vetri's gastronomic inventiveness - on a monthly, if not bi-monthly, basis. At least. You cannot pass up an opportunity to dine here if you love food. IT IS WORTH IT.
(5)
L H.

Extremely average for the price, the hype, and particularly the reputation. This was good but by no means great. Give me Le Bernadin or Spiaggia any day over Vetri. Won't be going back.
(2)
Chris M.

I feel confident saying that I will never have a meal as good as the one I had at Vetri. My fiancee and I had the Chef's Grand Tasting menu and it blew my mind. From the moment we walked through the door, we were treated like royalty. The waitstaff were all knowledgeable and friendly throughout the meal. They answered every question we had and we never felt like we were inconveniencing them by asking what certain foodie terms meant or what certain ingredients were. If you're going to spend as much money as we did that night, that's the kind of service you want. I enjoy good food and good wine, but the wine pairings ($90 per person) showed me a side of gourmet food that I've never tasted. Each wine went perfectly with each dish and enhanced the flavors. Each course tasted like it was prepared by a chef cooking only for us. I can't think of a single bite that I didn't enjoy more than any food I've eaten anywhere else. It sounds ridiculous and over-the-top, I know, but it was just that good. I don't think I'd go here just for "dinner" but if you're looking for an outstanding dining experience for an anniversary or other special occasion then this is a great place to go. It's expensive, but worth it for a once in a lifetime meal.
(5)
Flavia C.

This is one of my favorite spots in the country. The food, wine, and intimate space are just perfect (I love the music). It is a pricey meal to be sure, but unlike spots I go to in LA or NYC it is not about being seen, but having a wonderful foodie experience. Almond TorteBistecca alla fiorentina, squid ink linguini w/ crab, onion crepes with truffle sauce are just a few of the amazing dishes. They have some very special wines and a staff who understands how to explain them. I dined at Vetri 10 years ago and it was good then and is good now. The tasting menu is fun as you get to see what the chef wants to share, though a part of me would like to just have the menu so I can get exactly what I want. My feeling on the price is--rather than go to 3 sub par places a week why not eat at home, save, and then once a month do one grand date! If there is someone who you want to be with & enjoy a special night I think this is a great spot!
(5)
Elizabeth B.

This was a once in a lifetime, INCREDIBLE experience! Food is AMAZING and some of it was really out of my comfort zone, goat, lamb and raw beef but all perfectly prepared and presented...... Service is magical....THANK YOU John and everyone!!
(5)
Ginger S.

Superb meal, excellent beer pairing, fabulous service- all three at the same meal is rare. They offered us 2 different wine pairings at different price points. We asked about beer. Waiter said they had about 15 - sounded grim. Turned out, those few included Italian craft beers we'd never encountered before. We were presented with well-thought out pairings with each course. 5 courses turned out to be 7. actually 14 since the gave my husband different items than I had. brilliant! Why don't more places do this? Made reservations 3 months in advance. Was called/emailed 4 times so they could make sure I understood the price. I could have done without this. Honestly, it made me wonder if they had people walking on their tabs.
(5)
Ryan A.

No doubt this is one of the best restaurants in the city. Food: I had the pleasure of trying the grand tasting menu and it was well worth every penny. I tried Hallibut for the first time here and I was really impressed with the flavor and texture of the fish. Get the foie gras you won't regret it. Seriously the best food in the city. Service: Our waitress looked like Anne Hathaway and she was really nice. They strive to make sure you enjoy their food. At one point she noticed that we didn't like the goat that was served as our 6th course - even though we said it was okay somehow she knew we didn't like it (I think they bugged our table). They actually gave us an extra course of the Hallibut to make up for it - which was awesome. Ambience: The restaurant is in a row home on Spruce street. It's got an old feel to it and is prefect for a dinner date. It's fancy.
(5)
Patrick H.

Vetri has been touted as "possibly" (Batali) the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast. If that means it's a restaurant capable of making some of the most delicious morsels of food then yes Vetri could be deserving of being touted as the best Italian restaurant on the East Coast. But if "best" means the total dining experience that exceeds all other italian restaurants across tens of thousands of square miles then it would not be true; Vetri is not the best. Vetri either isn't the best, or, every other italian restaurant on the East Coast is worse. Of course, more preliminaries aside, none of this would matter much were it not for the price tag. My wife and I chose the grand tasting menu with the grand wine pairing. It was my 40th birthday, we were in Philadelphia, and this was supposed to be THE place. Two hours and fifteen minutes later we were back on the street, $700 poorer, and wondering what in the heck just hit us. When we spoke with the restaurant when making a reservation they were very careful to elicit our specific needs and desires. I made a point to mention that my goal of the evening was to receive a bit of education about Italian wines. I have some expertise on wines from other countries on the continent but admittedly my knowledge is a bit short on the wines of Italy. Nevertheless, I have a well-trained palette for pairings. I know by mouth what goes with what. While there may be some cultural relativity involved with such notions, I was sure to share my preferences: at this time of year (summer) I prefer mineral and earth complexities and the foods to go with those. I made it clear that wine and season were to lead the way. "Of course sir." Now I know Vetri is going to serve very earthy food, probably little to nothing from the sea, but the food of the earth has its mineral complexities. Who was I kidding? I was asking a bit much, I know, but it was worth a try. But they asked. They offered. Three food items were among the best plates of food I've ever tasted. The bolognese was made from ground hanger steak (yes!) and was perfect. The most comforting comfort food I've had. Maybe not the right season for it, it being 90F outside, but it could not have mattered less in this case. Perhaps their rendition of bolognese has no season. The foie gras pastrami with strawberry mustard was chill-down-the-spine deliciousness. The gnocchi was simply the finest gnocchi I've had this side of the planet. The texture of the gnocchi was better than perfection. It was downright dreamy. The problem? Well, never did a single bottle of wine from the grand pairing ever make it to the table. This, for a person who had requested that wine lead the way. Instead prepoured glasses of wine merely appeared. Never saw a single bottle, never saw a label, a vintage, a description of the wine. And it all happened so fast. I was going to relax, not sweat it, and wasn't going to press the help. But in hindsight I should have. But I should never have been in that position. But. Too many buts with the wine. Numerous high alcohol selections, some with too much sweetness for the foods served. Many of the pairings were seemingly erroneous. Yes pairings can simply be wrong, especially when you have a cellar expansive enough to finely tune the glass to the food, and there are far more right selections. They're even harder to appreciate when you're blitzed by your meal. Vetri simply loses a star for the rush--a meal like this should be a three hour experience--and a star for the failed pairings. It gets no extra push for the deliciousness of some of the food as that is offset by the extraordinarily high price. I'd add a star for my wonderful company, my lovely wife, but I'm not reviewing my extraordinary wife here. This is a meal that should make a food and wine obsessive like myself wealthier and wiser. Now that I think on it, it sure has, but not in the way I had hoped.
(3)
Mike H.

Absolutely lived up to expectations (which were high). Had the mandated Prixe fixe with the grand wine pairing. Everything was outstanding, wine pairings spot on. Service impeccable. Highlights: - spinach gnocchi in brown butter sauce lived up o the hype, do not miss it - pappardelle with duck hearts and liver may have been favorite dish of evening - almond tortellini was sublime - squid ink linguini with crab and sea urchin was great (ok, anything with will be better than any pasta you've had previously) - baby goat was shared dish and would order anytime Can't wait to return when the menu changes, I assume seasonally. Was great value when compared to French Laundry or Joel Robuchon.
(5)
D J.

Even better. Wine parings were particularly excellent. Service was perfect.
(5)
Dara C.

I wish i could give zero stars. Awful. This place is resting on its rep. They ran out of everything. It sucked and was way too expensive. Do not bother. We were charged full price though they clearly ran out of all protein and we had all vegetarian meals. the risotto tasted like rice a roni and I refused to eat it. Absolutely sucked. Too bad, we expected so much more.
(1)
Stephen S.

The spinach gnocchi is one of the greatest things I have ever tasted. The sommelier was fantastic, I've never experienced someone able to so vividly describe a wine. Overall, just a stellar restaurant.
(5)
Robert W.

Went on a Saturday evening around 9pm, difficult to get a reservation. It was a Prix fixed menu and they made the selections for you. It was first class from the wait staff to the chef. The food was excellent, service was great, and the atmosphere for couples is exceptional. I would definitely revisit with my wife and highly recommend the spinach gnocchi.
(5)
Lowell J.

We arrived a party of 6 at 9pm on a Friday. After a brief wait in the tiny foyer, spoke with the chef, looked to my right and saw Bobby Flay (and more importantly his lovely wife), Michael Symon and a large party happily enjoying the restaurant...and that was before we got any food... Certainly with a large foodie celeb table in the house you might think my little party of 6 nobodies might get overlooked...we did not...we had stellar service from a lovely (really stunning) young woman, who knew the wine, the food...we let them surprise us with their picks for each course and the grand wine tasting... Every course was excellent but the scallops were the table favorite..we shared everything. At $270 plus tax and gratuity per person this is not an inexpensive evening and in my case once in a lifetime as I don't plan on visiting Philly again any time soon.. Anyway at the end of the night I asked our server if we could get a cab..and to my astonishment she sprinted out the front door and down to the corner and out of sight ...only to return a few moments later completely flustered, not a hair out of place or a drop of sweat..trotting along side a cab...extraordinary.. Once in a lifetime experience everything about the evening was fabulous
(5)
Timothy K.

Great ambiance, very warm, super wait staff and sommelier. The food was absolutely outstanding. This is a must do, once! Now for the negative. The tasting menu set up is just too much food. We actually had to skip courses at the end. We ordered the tasting menu with the Gran Vin wine tasting. Maybe because of what we were spending they were bringing 3 dishes to the two of us for each course. We were totally burnt out by the entrees. Lastly, our bill was $700. I look back and laugh, how the hell did we spend that on an Italian restaurant. I guess it was a lot, they sent us home in a black town car on the house!
(4)
Paul D.

This restaurant is 5 star in every possible way. My wife and I ate here in December for her birthday and we did the grand wine pairing with the tasting menu. The service, the food and wine were all equally outstanding. The cost is shockingly high so know that going into to it. That said you will be hard pressed to find a better meal anywhere. We have been to Italy and i would say this is quite possibly the best meal I have ever had. Because of the cost this would be a hard restaurant to put on a regular rotation, but for that special occasion it will blow you away.
(5)
Isaac T.

Best restaurant in Philly
(5)
B.W B.

The emperor has no clothes. 4 of us on the grand tasting, the only thing grand was that it almost cost a Grand! Beige expensive food, not well prepared in a cute but cramped space. Love Osteria, hated this... Have gladly paid and eaten in the best restaurants in the country, this is not one of them.
(2)
MaryKate M.

The best Italian food in the country?
(5)
Barbara N.

I first heard about Vetri on The Food Network. Something about Michael Symon (my favorite American Iron Chef) saying it has the best Italian food he's eaten in the entire United States. This was an eye-opening statement. I immediately Googled the restaurant, and on their website, there's a quote from Mario Batali - "Possibly the best Italian Restaurant on the East Coast." With TWO Iron Chefs raving about this restaurant, I decided that I HAD to eat there as soon as possible. At the time, I was living in NC. I made a dinner reservation about a month in advance (Jan. 2011), and it was almost fully booked for the requested night already. At the time, they only offered their grand tasting menu with or without wine ($125 without wine;per person) on the weekends, so that's what I reserved for myself and my sister. It ended up being the best meal of my life. I'm jealous of the residents of Philly - that they have such easy access to the best Italian restaurant in America, and all of Marc Vetri's other restaurants. About the food...everything...taste and presentation...was perfect. I felt like a judge on Iron Chef. Even the bread basket was amazing. There was a huge variety of ingredients throughout the night, and it was a lot of food; I was really full by the middle of the fourth course. BTW, the fourth course came out with 3 dishes, even though there were only two of us - how great is that?! They said 5 courses, but it felt like a lot more. For instance, before the first course, there was the amuse-bouche, a platter of 5 bite size selections that we quickly devoured and even after dessert (the 5th course), they came out with a dish of like 20 petit fours for us to split. For some courses, my sister got different dishes than me, so we tried each other's and tasted 99% of the menu that way ;). The sweet onion crepe was our favorite. The service is top notch. Everyone is friendly and attentive. They make all diners feel special, and they clearly want your experience to be special. After all of that food and excellent service...they gave everyone a going away basket with a signed copy of the tasting menu for that night with some made-from-scratch beet brownies. WHAT OTHER RESTAURANTS DO THAT? none that I've been to! For the price, it's a place that I can't afford to eat at often. For the food, I'm going to eat there the next time I'm in Philly.
(5)
Sybil K.

I must have gone on an off night. Though the service was impeccable, professional, and sweet, the food was rather fair. The highlights were the sweet onion omelette with truffle and the pistachio flan. Other dishes were just eh. The fish dishes were greasy and the pasta dishes drowned in cheese missed their mark. The fresh veggies dipping in a coagulated balsamic was odd. I really wanted to fall in love but the last straw was the burnt panettone.
(2)
Alex V.

Vetri is a place I've always wanted to try, but getting a reservation seems to be an impossible task. We finally managed to get a booking on an off night, and we were blown away by the quality of the food and level of service. I have no qualms about saying that Vetri is quite possibly the best restaurant in Philadelphia.
(5)
Michael M.

Stunned, yes stunned I say to see tracey saying this place is overrated. I've never heard anything but good, and my meal was five stars all the way. I too attended the grand tasting on a Saturday evening. My guest and I were the first ones there and the welcoming glass of prosecca was presented to us as we waited for the staff briefing to finish up. Lovely touch and very tasty. We opted for the wine pairing and I agree the somellier was plesant, knowledgable, and great to talk with. Highlights of our meal included a hot asparagus flan with an egg yolk core, stunning to me as the yolk didn't curdle or dry out. The single best piece of fish I have eaten anywhere, ever, was the skate presentation. I'm not a big fish eater unless it's Sushi, but i could eat this every single day. Thank you Mark Vetri for reminding me what well prepared fish should taste like. The other highlight was the pig trotter ravioli. Something I mentioned casually to my waitres sthat i was hoping to try and here it was. So light, so fresh! Is that a hint of orange blossom I tasted? Amazing. Yes, it was pricey. For two of us with wine pairing and tip it was about $600, so don't take your penny pinching Aunt Sally, she'll be heels up in the dessert cart when she sees the bill, but of you can afford it do go, it was one of the best meals of my life, and I was envious of the family next to us who coud afford to bring their seven and eight year old daughters! Lucky kids!!!
(5)
John D.

I don't get what the big fuss about this place is. They may just have a great PR team. First attempt at Vetri was just so so. I wrote that visit off as just not finding anything that struck my fancy. Seeing that they seem to have a seasonal menu thought I would wait out the season. Second try landed flat with same experience as well as subpar service. Have traveled Italy extensively and always search out different regional dishes to try something new. Didn't find that here either time. At the expense of this restaurant, not willing to give it another try.
(2)
Kurt F.

With all the great choices that exist in Philly now, I believe that Vetri is the best fine dining experience in the city. I think the restaurant is moving to a chef's tasting menu-only option, and that is fine because that is the best way to experience the indulgence that is Marc Vetri's cooking. In conjunction with the wine pairing, this is a can't miss option. Been here a number of times now and have always left feeling as if the money paid was well worth it. Everything is delicious. There's no point in telling you which dishes to order, because its a crapshoot what you'll get based on Vetri's mood and available ingredients for the evening. However, the wait staff will ask if you have dietary constraints and will take that information back to the kitchen. My wife will not eat seafood, and they worked around that for her. A couple of things about the service: it is great. Hostesses, wait staff are uber-attentive and the sommelier is awesome! His name escapes me, but he is friendly, knowledgeable, and constantly available for all the dumb questions I wanted to ask about wine. He is a blast to chat with and adds to the total experience you get here. He makes me and my friends feel comfortable. Last thing....the last time we were there, the staff recognized me and my friend and gave the ladies at our table that evening's tasting menu with Marc Vetri's autograph. That was a nice touch to end a special evening. Can't say enough good things about Vetri...it is a place that you should go to at least once to say that you've had the experience. Chances are you'll go there again.
(5)
Sherman K.

I have heard so much about Vetri prior to trying it that I set the bar pretty high. Whenever I do that, most places usually disappoints. But not Vetri. Dining in Vetri is an event by itself, especially when everyone on the table knows that they will be getting something different, though they do not know what it is. It is a reminisce of a few omakase meals I've had in NYC, which are amongst the best meals I've had so far. The place is relaxed and not too stuffy, making it ideal for more than just special occasions. The food in Vetri has got to be one of the best, if not the best Italian food I've tasted so far. The use of the freshest seasonal ingredients and preparing them without causing them to lose their character was the winning formula here. From the crudi all the way to the desserts, everything was pleasing to the senses. The Grand Wine Pairing we did was also exceptionally good with the dishes. A few memorable dishes that night were: 1. Foie Gras Pastrami with Raspberry Jam served on Brioche - This is the first time I've encountered foie prepared this way and, its amazing how the flavors complemented each other without feeling too complex. 2. Pea Flan with Quail Egg - I was really skeptical when this dish was served to me as my first course. But after just one bite, I was converted. The texture and flavor of the pea flan was so good and when you hit the middle where the quail egg is, its akin to reaching foodie orgasm. This one dish alone is a testament to Marc Vetri's genius. 3. Sweet Onion Crepe - Its just caramelized onions on crepes topped with a little Parmesan cheese. But this is the dish where you can actually taste the effort and care that the cook puts into the dish. The 9 hours spent on caramelizing the onions till all the sugar is reduced really takes this dish to another level. Just onions? 4. Sweetbreads with Fennel Cream and Cucumber - This was the dish that I used as a yardstick to match against the likes of the Michelin giants. To execute sweetbreads to perfection is no easy feat but the magic touch of Marc Vetri did it. What made it so much better was the fennel cream, which I thought would conflict with the creamy nature of the sweetbreads itself. But it just made it better. 5. Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter - Hands down my favorite dish of the night. This is a dish that leaves you puzzled. how can something as simple as this taste this good. And before you can figure it out, your plate is empty and it leaves you longing for more as it leaves a faint lingering aftertaste. If I were to nit-pick, I would complain that the desserts were the only things served that lacks the character that the other dishes had because it was just good desserts. But that is just finding fault to an amazing meal. The experience at Vetri made me longing for more and I believe I will be there again pretty soon to try out the dishes I did not have the opportunity to savor.
(5)
Anna Marie C.

if i were on death row, do you think i could ask for the grand tasting menu from vetri as my last meal? the sig-o surprised me for my birthday with dinner here... so already things are off to a great start. the place is a classy-lookin' home, and although it almost feels like you could just sit back like you were in grandma's living room, the constant roving of servers and bussers and sommelier makes you realize that this isn't grandma's. vetri does several things well: pasta and anything ridiculously rich and calorie-full (i'm looking at you, spinach gnocchi and sweet onion crepe!)... so needless to say, this goes on the list of the top 5 meals of my lifetime. i came home, and didn't move for about 2 hours. so yes, i loved it. would i go again next week, next month? probably not. maybe in a few years, to celebrate something again.
(5)
Laura S.

Vetri is very good. You don't get this many awards and become this well-known without doing something right. Everything about the experience, from the food to the service to the ambiance, was very good. I think the only problem I had at Vetri was that I went in with such high expectations. Given the hype surrounding the restaurant, I'm not sure what I thought would happen once I walked through its fabled doors - the heavens would open and choirs of angels would come out singing the praises of chestnut fettuccine? Obviously that didn't happen. Perhaps had I given myself this teeny reality check before dinner began, Vetri would be getting five stars. They are now only offering the fixed price menu, so my thoughts on specific plates are largely irrelevant. We did try many of the dishes Vetri is known for, including the sweet onion crepe, spinach gnocchi, and roasted capretto (baby goat!) - that was actually my goal in squeezing in a meal before they made the menu switch, since I wanted to make sure I was able to try all of these in one go. The food definitely met my expectations, especially the pasta (which is available in half-portions - we shared 3 half-portions among four of us as a first course, which gave everyone a taste of many of the pastas but left us with plenty of room for the larger entrees). My favorite was the sweet onion crepe, the table's favorite was the spinach gnocchi. I was underwhelmed by dessert but I made the mistake of ordering something without the word 'chocolate' in the description so I deserved it. Service was good but not overly impressive, and the restaurant feels a little crowded - the ambiance is not what I'd expect from a restaurant with this kind of price tag. When I go out, I'm there to eat - but I also appreciate the experience of dining out. I didn't feel the atmosphere at Vetri quite lived up to the quality of the food. That being said, I'm looking forward to heading back to try the Degustazione - word on the street is that's how Vetri should be experienced.
(4)
Douglas W.

This was the beginning of a great night, and got my weekend off to a fantastic start. I must admit I was concerned by some of the negative reviews of this restaurant. Wow, were they ALL wrong! Vetri is a must if you live within a 2 hour drive of Philadelphia. Everything was wonderful; the service, the food and the wine recommendation. This place lived up to everything I have heard about it. And, they are VERY accommodating. We had to leave before desert in order to make the Tony Bennett concert, and the staff asked us to return after the concert for desert. So, we did. When we arrived it was as if we were returning home, and they sat us promptly and served us a truly great desert selection. A true must if you find yourself in Philadelphia.
(5)
Alexa R.

Le Bec Fin? Striped Bass? Susanna Foo? Is Vetri next? I am so sad and so disappointed. My husband and I went to Vetri last night to celebrate our one year wedding anniversary. Our table was not ready when we got there and we were offered a glass of prosecco as an apology. Instead of the complimentary glass we were offered, the maitre d opened a bottle of prosecco pre-ordered for us as a surprise in the hallway. The other couples also waiting were treated to complimentary glasses. The waiter was incredibly smug, rude and unengaged. The food was delicious, so yes, I am giving it three stars. Unfortunately, it is not even close to worth the hype. I will never be able to say whether or not this was an "off" night, because for 400+ dollars for two people, we will not take our chances and try again.
(3)
Jeannie K.

Best restaurant in town. Hands down. I had been a long reader of CitySearch reviews but had been too lazy to get an account myself - until I read the unjust reviews and got an account SPECIFICALLY for the purpose of writing about Vetri. This entry is just what I'm copying over from CitySearch because people seem to be reading more about Yelp now (they might as well pay me given how enthusiastic I am about the place, but they don't). I've been to Vetri three times, once in fall 2004, another time in April 2007, and last in April 2008 - over that 3.5 yr time span, they were consistently the best. Service can be a little slow there, but that is not a place you go in a rush. Go there and enjoy the freshly handmade pasta. You can't get that anywhere else in Philly. I've eaten all over Europe and Asia and been to 50 restaurants in Philly including the famed Le Bec Fin, Fountain's and Lacroix, and Vetri's beats them all in my book. Their gnocci, ear pasta with mushroom (forget the exact name) and lavender olive oil ice cream (which unfortunately is no longer served) are some of the most memorable delicacies that have graced my taste buds. In case there are suspicions regarding my post being a potential PR scheme, I will say that I was not at all impressed by Osteria which is supposedly owned or started by the owners of Vetri. If you are curious as to what other restaurants I frequent or love, Overtures (BYO) is one of the best (food, service), Le Castagne is terrible (except for the gorgeous maitre'd they had in 2005), and Striped Bass, Washington Square and Positano Coast are at the top. Pros: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD (appetizer, entree, dessert - cannot stress this enough!), wine Cons: Pricey, but worth every penny; seating may be a little bit cramped but that adds to the homeliness; getting a reservation here requires 2-months' preparation (i.e. you have to call way ahead)
(5)
Amy F.

This review is much overdue - my parents brought me here several years ago to celebrate my graduate school graduation. Because of the momentous occasion, my dad decided to go all out and order the grand tasting menu with wine pairings. With such a high price tag, this option is only for infrequent celebrations. That being said, the quality more than matched the price. Everyone at the table agreed it was the best dining experience we've ever had. Amazing food (particular kudos to the goat course and homemade pastas), attentive service, and wonderful wine. One of the highlights was the asparagus flan that oozed egg yolk when you cut into it. Overall, this was a meal none of us will ever forget.
(5)
Kristin H.

This should have been a special-occasion dinner, rather than a normal night out because of the unforgettable meal we had (with an unforgettable price tag). From beginning to end, it was a perfect experience, from the staff to the courses to the goody bag (and menu) they sent us home with at the end of the night. You have no choice but to do the tasting menu, and we added the wine with it, too, which only made the night better. We had the table for the night and were told we could ask for more of anything we loved. Vetri made me love things I always thought I hated (foie gras, ramps). The almond ravioli were memorable, and the spinach gnocchi was amazing. THe beet sorbet was suprisingly good. I loved that they served each of us different dishes for each course so we could try each other's meals. My only complaint was that there was so much food and so many courses, that after a while I didn't really want to eat any more.
(5)
Jeff M.

I do not know how I overlooked Vetri for four years while going to school in Philadelphia. On a recent trip back (this past Thursday) to Philly I decided to check out Vetri after reading reviews in GQ and the New York Times. I was not disappointed. My meal blew me away. The local farmer vegetable soup was good. The foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard was excellent. This dish is served cold along with artisan bread on the plate and the fruit mustard was basically a black raspberry preserve that perfectly complemented the pastrami of foie gras and herbs. Having the option of ordering a half portion of pasta allowed me to sample the fettuccine with octopus bolognese. This dish was very good and very light. For my own personal taste the dish was slightly over seasoned. I still enjoyed the dish and would order it again. The baby goat with polenta was very simple, yet very elegant. The dish consisted of only the goat and its crispy skin and two ribs served over polenta. This dish was extremely good. It may seem boring but the simplicity is what makes the dish top notch. Spinach gnocchi was very rich and very good. I could see how someone would not be able to finish this dish alone because of the richness. I've never had gnocchi so light in texture before, they were great. The Tuscan white and focaccia bread with olive oil and olives was available throughout the meal. For desert the blueberry doughnuts with blueberry gelato and stone fruit tart with almond gelato did not disappoint. The only complaint I can make is very minor; the blueberry gelato was a little too cold. Vetri also has a very affordable wine list with bottles as low as $35. Vetri turned out to be one of the best, maybe the best, food experiences I've had in Philadelphia. It will be the first place I go to on my next trip back to Philly.
(5)
pracheta t.

Small, intimate, delicious and warm. Vetri serves the perfect portion, with great service and even though you are in close sitting proximity with other parties you don't know, it doesn't really matter. I came here for a friend's birthday dinner and have been wanting to go back since. You should def give this place a shot.
(4)
Brad P.

The food is great but the portions are silly small. Everything is very high quality and the service is perfect(my drink was refilled within seconds of completing it). The atmosphere is small, quiet, and rife with people celebrating various milestones and intimate special occasions. I'd recommend the spinach Gnocchi and any of their pasta dishes. I tried the goat dish and it delivered a unique texture that I'd say is somewhere in between high quality lamb and duck. Sadly, I left a little hungry after an appetizer, entree, and dessert(but that's to be expected at gourmet establishments).
(4)
Heta P.

I was really excited for my dining experience at Vetri but left feeling unsatisfied. The food did not blow me away though the service is definitely worth the visit. I had the almond tortellini, spinach gnocchi, sweet onion crepe and the aged creekstone farm ribeye. The food was okay, I was expecting to be amazed considering the price for one person to dine. The desserts were sort of eh - they let me go home with a coffee/orange muffin that i had for breakfast the next day. It was dry and nearly inedible.
(3)
Steve K.

Went for the grand tasting menu and couldn't have been happier with the decision. A handful of dishes stood out: The foie gras pastrami was a great amuse to warm the palette. Silky smooth and flavorful and sitting on brioche, it was a wonderful way to start the tasting experience. The spinach gnocchi was incredible--soft and light while finished with a brown butter, it came highly anticipated and was even better than I had hoped. This absolutely must be included in any visit to Vetri. The onion crepe cannot be missed, made by caramelizing onions over the course of 8 hours in a pot, rolling with parmesan cheese, and finished with truffle. Phenomenal. The almond tortellini nearly matched the gnocchi as the best pasta of the evening. Again, usage of the white truffle topping made it that much better. The best traditional italian meal I have ever had. Can't wait to get back.
(5)
Christina H.

Vetris is one of my favorite restaurants. Heck, it may be my favorite restaurant, period. The restaurant looks like it was placed in someone's living room. It's tight and cramped, but you go for the food and experience. It is expensive, especially if you do the chef tasting with wine pairings, which is the best way to go. So it's not a place we visit all the time, but only for special occasions. We leave happy, drunk, and full. I love sitting with my glass of wine, knowing I don't have to worry about what to order - and just enjoying the experience of eating delicious food with my husband. I've been to other restaurants where they also offer chef tastings, but there is something about Vetris that seems special. Maybe it's friendliness of the servers, or the wine knowledge from the sommelier, or just down right good food every single bite. Now I wish it was my birthday soon, so I can go again...
(5)
Jim H.

Great meal, great service - but it's been three months since I ate here and I can't remember what I ate...you'd like a place like this to rank in your Top 10 list of best places of all time and while all the dishes were great none left me going "wow I can't believe squid brain tasted that good". I wanted a curveball, I wanted something memorable but I'm not disappointed with "settling" for a great meal.
(5)
j w.

The food was good but a little disappointing for the price. With wine flights, the meal was $285 per person! The brussel sprouts, onion tart, and spinach gnocchi were awesome. My main dish was broth with a few slivers of meat and four different chutney type dips. It was farm dining and done very well but not not not worth that price for this food. I was a bit shocked at the type of food. It was like my grandmother made it on a farm, I get it as being very authentic but for that money I would expect the best meats, fish and condiments. The service was excellent. I checked this one off my bucket list. I would recommend someone try it once, not get the flights, and be ready for excellent home style food.
(3)
Justin K.

Since moving to Philly last year, I have had one "four-bell" restaurant at the top of my list to try, and that is VETRI. We decided to finally check Vetri off our list on a recent, otherwise idle Wednesday night. The Vetri experience exceeded any expectation I could have imagined... far and away the best restaurant I've ever been to in Philly. It's an unassuming restaurant on a quiet part of Spruce Street, just off Broad. Inside is a wonderfully simple and intimate space. The calming pastel walls and soft, wooden beams and panels make you feel comfortable, as if you were welcomed into the home of a dear uncle living in Tuscany. Peering into the kitchen, you see how small that space is as well... it really does feel like home here. The service was truly outstanding the entire night. Bill, our sommelier, was so kind and patient. My girlfriend, friend and I are far from wine snobs, and he seemed to understand this and found us the perfect wines without pompousness so often found at high-end restaurants. My favorite wine of the night was a Scarbolo "Campo del Viotto" Friuli 2006 Merlot... it was the best of 4 different glasses I tried that night. Co-owner Jeff Benjamin stopped by at one point to check on us, which was also comforting. Our main waitress and other waiters were incredibly attentive the entire evening (I believe we were there for 4 hours!)... one person on staff even ran up to Broad St. to buy my friend a pack of cigarettes. Outstanding, outstanding service! I haven't even talked about the food yet. We decided to forget about costs and make it a night to remember, so we created our own tasting menu-- that is, we essentially ordered and shared (almost) the majority of the menu. Here's some of what we had: -Antipasti: foie gras pastrami, golden sweet onion crepe (highly recommend), spinach gnocchi (must have), persimmon salad, and cauliflower flan (recommend... very unique) -Main dishes: chestnut fettucini w/wild boar ragu (amazing dish... very Northern Italian!!), roasted turbot (very tasty fish), and my favorite dish of the night, veal served on a warm stone. The veal was so juicy, tender, and flavorful... and how awesome to eat it off a stone. I had the option to cook it further by simply turning it over after 5 minutes or so. We wound down our evening by sharing desserts (honestly, I forget what exactly I had other than it had tons of chocolate and, surprise surprise, was exceptionally good). I had a glass of madeira wine, which was fabulous. If we weren't among the last guests in the restaurant, we might have stayed all night and helped the staff shut the place down. We clearly turned our dinner there into an all-night, pricey experience, but I think it's very possible to go there and have a relatively short and simple meal as well. Regardless, Vetri is a very special place that I hope to return to again and again and again during my time here in Philly.
(5)
Steve P.

Best restaurant in Philadelphia, period. Very expensive, but worth it in spades. You have never had Italian food of this excellence. Fabulous wine list as well. Book well in advance
(5)
Janet C.

Came here with relatively high expectations - brought a childhood friend with me - we were just happy to be out for a great evening. We were told our table was not quite ready and offered a drink, which didn't come until we were seated - which was odd, since it seemed to be offered to placate us...our waiter was charming, although I did have to ask his name, since it wasn't offered. To the menu. It was odd - I had to peruse it multiple times to determine what sounded good. P.S. cauliflower flan does NOT sound good, in case you wondered. I had sweetbreads and the guinea hen, my friend had the artichoke salad w/lemon dressing. We loved our appetizers - the sweetbreads were divine. The sommelier advised me to get the pinot noir with my guinea hen - it was a lovely choice. On to the guinea hen - a bit salty, I have to say. I was a little disappointed. It was juicy and flavorful, but a bit too salty. On to dessert. I love dessert. And I have to say, I just didn't see anything that screamed "eat me". A sad moment, truly. I thought it was a beautiful place with terrific service - but it seemed like the chef was trying so hard to be interesting that he (or she) forgot that at the end of the day, it just has to taste good. And there they came up a bit short.
(3)
LAIKA K.

My husband and I went to Vetri last night for our 2 year wedding anniversary! This place is amazing! Like some of the comments, initially the menu seems a little weird, you're really not sure what's going to be good, bad, whatever. Because my husband and I simply did not know what certain things were on the menu, we just asked! Our server gave us great descriptions of what to expect out our selections. We ordered the foie gras pastrami which was a piece of heaven! The foie gras melted, literally melted in your mouth. It was paired some sort of jam which went so well! I recommend everyone to try this dish! For pastas, we had the spinach gnocchi....that's also a must try! You can do half portions if you want to try different things so we had a half order of this dish, AMAZING! We also had the stuffed pappardelle with shaved foie gras...again, half order so we were able to taste it. It wasn't my favorite dish on the menu but it was absolutely delicious! For our main course, we had the risotto with duck.....delicious and the baby goat. We cook goat at home all the time so it was interesting to taste braised goat. We probably won't order it again since it wasn't absolutely great.....it was good, but not great. For the desserts we had the chocolate pollenta souffle and the pistachio flan.....both are out of this world....I recommend getting both. We will definitely be back to Vetri. It was a great experience. It's great for a date, anniversary, birthday, or just because.
(5)
Steve C.

Took my wife here for her birthday last night. The meal was wonderful and it needed some serious reflection. You are paying a lot of $ here and you really want each bite to challenge and excite your palate in ways unimaginable. That's a hard task. I can say everything I ate was very good with some dishes amazing. We did the wine pairings which I thought were "spot on." But definitely what truly sets this place apart is the experience. The service is impeccable. Very conversational and interested in your likes/dislikes, etc. They really want the kitchen to impress you. For me, I was genuinely excited for each dish, wondering what are they going to bring me next, what kind of wine? Will I get the baby goat? (I didn't, didn't see it among the offerings last night :( I'm not going to break down each dish, but my favorite definitely was the rabbit with pappardelle pasta. Upon tasting this, it took me back to flavors I last had when I was a young boy in my grandmother's kitchen. It just hit the spot and it's that taste that I'm craving right now. The wine was perfect with it too. I also really enjoyed the lamb chorizo which I felt was spicy, yet percectly cooked and paired with a nice Rioja red. I tasted my wife's sweet onion crepe (a Vetri signature dish) which was so sweet, so delicate and rich. I thought the spinach gnocchi which most rave about was good, but not as good as the above 3 dishes. So overall, for me it was the experience that made it so special. The anticipation of the dishes, the service, the little bag of our menus with treats and the ability to eat things I've never had before on any menu in this city. Will I go back? Not anytime soon, I'll wait a few years to see what it can evolve too next and give it another run for my money.
(5)
Robert B.

One of the best meals I have ever had in Philadelphia. It was memorable. I still crave that gnocchi, so tender and flavorful. We had a tasting menu. And for the first time ever with a tasting menu, they asked if anyone was allergic to something. I am allergic to seafood, so my wife got the seafood and I got other items. And even to make the evening more wonderful, we saw Chef Vetri. And the woman sitting alone next to us, decided to share some of her dessert with us, saying she could not eat all of it.
(5)
G C.

Convinced several others to do the Grand Tasting Menu. This was a big event! We enjoyed it although the food tended toward the salty side. I would next time only pick certain items. Try the spinach gnocchi! It is as good as everyone says. Also, they had a dish that was a twist on french onion soup. It was more of ravioli format. It totally melted in the mouth. All of the pasta dishes seemed to fair well. If I were to go again, I would recommend the pasta dishes. Try pasta here! It is unlike any other pasta. It really melts in your mouth like butter. I believe its because of the yolk and semolina content. After eating here for the first time, the first thing I did was order a cookbook from Amazon by Marc Vetri. The recipes are complex, but the pasta dishes taste beautiful! Again, stick with the pasta!
(5)
Adrienne F.

My husband and I went here to celebrate our wedding anniversary. It was our second visit and I hate to admit it (especially after paying over $350) we were quite disappointed. My husband was not informed at the time of reservation that the only option for dinner was the chef's tasting menu. Our previous visit a couple years ago allowed for a la carte options. Our server was lovely and asked if we had any particular dietary restrictions. I avoid dairy, so she informed the chef and then I continued to receive fish after fish after fish. I like fish, but these were potent fish! One's pallet can only handle so much. I would have expected such a grand chef to have the foresight for this and be able to offer more variety. They were somewhat accomodating and when I said "no more fish" they brought me another option (free of charge, thank the lord). In short, if you don't make at least $250,000 per year (I believe that's the necessary salary required for loosing $350 for dinner) and you consider yourself somewhat 'hip' this isn't the best place for you. Philadelphia is full of awesome restaurants now. We patrons have many options. Vetri was not worth it.
(3)
Stephany B.

Exquisite cuisine. Expected price. Unexpected meal. Went there with a table of six so we did the tasting menu. The waiter informed us that instead of each of us choosing we would be brought out a sampling of each course. While this is nice to try everything, I was served a few dishes that were good, but i was jealous of what the person next to me ended up with (eg. the foie gras pastrami, while unique, is not how i like my liver. I like it seared to perfection not cold) A few that stood out from the pack. foie gras pastrami: interesting but like i said, i like mine seared and dripping with fat. not cold. Braised Rabbit: excellent Almond tortellini: unexpected flavor combination but out of this world roasted goat: very very tender. again very unexpected flavor combonations there were several fresh made pasta dishes that I lost track of but all were unreal in terms of the quality of ingredients and the freshness of the pasta my dessert was the donuts which were good but im a chocolate gal so was super jealous of my friend who DID get the chocolate dessert. I would definitely go back but perhaps order from the dinner menu rather than the tasting.
(5)
Kristine G.

Marc Vetri is the Brown Butter God. His food is absolutely amazing. We went back over the weekend and it was a fantastic time. This time, I wanted to point out how nice their staff is. Every one of them treats you like you're a regular. They want to make sure you like everything you're eating. If you're not, they send it back and get you something new. Steve, the sommelier, is still as nice as ever. I wish I could afford to be a regular here!
(5)
Melissa R.

I went to Vetri on a Saturday night, so we had the tasting menu. We let the waitress know our dietary limitations or uninhibited requirements and they set the 7-course meal for us. On weekends, it is tasting menu only, on week nights, a la carte. Very expensive; I would recommend this as a special occasion place. It is known as one of the best restaurants in Philly, and I agree it is, but the decor is not nearly as fancy as it's comparable counterparts, if that is what you expect. It feels like you are in the dining room of someone's house, very warm and cozy. One of the best meals I have EVER had! Nuff said.
(5)
Karol S.

Marc Vetri taught me something last night...the most exquisite food just dissipates into your taste buds. There truly is no need for chewing. The anti-pastis (from the winter squash selection to the tartar); The pastas (from the almond tortellini to the spinach gnocchi); the secondis; the desserts....It is all in the act of savoring---letting your taste buds, palate, and brain do the tasting and processing, with very little need for use of your most handy resource during a meal (your teeth). It just melts in your mouth. That was my experience at Vetri last night. We did the grand tasting menu: plenty of delicious food. Couldn't have been happier with the choice. My favorite were his signature pasta dishes, as well as the sweet onion crepe...my goodness, every bite is like a magical onion soup jelly bean. delicious. The wait staff is extremely friendly and attentive. We felt very well taken care of.
(5)
Mark D.

Okay, it's expensive enough that, unless your last name is Buffett, you're going to get a little queasy. All I can say is that it is categorically the greatest dining experience I have ever had. From the indescribably perfect food, to the impeccable service, to the perfectly paired wines, at the end of the day it's worth it. It was the kind of meal that made me wish I was rich enough to eat there more often. If I was, I'd be hard pressed to eat anywhere else.
(5)
Mar C.

We had my husband's birthday dinner here last week -- and it was truly a special dining experience. We chose the grand tasting menu. The presentation was lovely, the service high-end, and each course was delicious and extremely impressive! If I were to go back and just order from the menu, I would probably select the spinach gnocchi and the turbo fillet. Even so, there were a number of menu items that were equally fantastic. We also agree that the sommelier was very knowledgeable and helpful. He helped us select a wonderful wine that was perfect for the tasting menu. Dessert was delightful, too. Overall, it was a great dining experience and we would definitely return! (We splurged a bit, since it was a special birthday dinner, so we were not too surprised with the bill at the end of the meal....but prepare yourself).
(4)
David A.

Great for a la carte but be weary of weekend fixed price menu. Fixed price is a rip off. Cost me $500 for me and my wife for tasting menu and wine pairings. During the week the a la carte is excellent (pastas, fish) and reasonable for the quality. Wine list also has some nice reds for decent prices.
(4)
Philly P.

I know there is A LOT of hype about this restaurant. It was very quaint inside and you almost feel like you are in Europe! I had taken my boyfriend for his birthday and he got the baby goat while I had gotten the chicken. We split two half portions of pasta and ordered a special appetizer (which I forget exactly what it was called). Overall, I thought the food was very delicious, but wow... portions are smaller than what I had expected to be for the price! I know that this place was pricey, but the half portion of pasta was literally if you had taken a larger fork, twirled some pasta on it and plated it. Very, very good restaurant, but not what I had expected it to be.
(3)
Eric F.

Over-hyped and underwhelming translates to significant disappointment. Based on Ruth Reichl's recent review which considered Vetri to be one of the best Italian restaurants on the East coast, we visited last night and tried the tasting menu. While items sound interesting: sweet onion crepe, duck terrine with quince mostarda, chestnut fettucine with wild boar ragu, etc., it was the spinach gnocchi that wins the prize. The gnocchi was excellent, though the many of the other 8 dishes seemed overdone and incongruous. Many small plates were technically well executed, though together lacked coherence. The restaurant itself is a bit too homey, with commercial radio playing in the background and sound reverberating off the walls. The entrance to the restaurant is too small and a 30 minute delay spent standing in confined quarters adds little to the experience. If this is the best of Philadelphia, I would recommend saving at least $200 and trying ANY other neighborhood restaurant. -The ambiance will be similar and while the spinach gnocchis will not be the same, you will have a much more pleasant dining experience and you might be pleasantly surprised.
(2)
Meghan D.

My husband took me to Vetri for my birthday, and we had a wonderful time. The service, the intimate ambience of the restaurant, and the food were all to die for. The dishes were very well thought out, and had so much flavor in every bite. The food definately lived up to it's reputation as being the best of the best in the Philly. The only reason I gave it four stars was because the restaurant double booked our reservations, and asked us to come in for an earlier reservation. This is difficult to do on a Monday evening when you're coming from work, and you just find this out the afternoon of your reservation. We ended up rushing to the restaurant, and arriving late. Although they were very gracious about our late arrival, it was still slightly irritating to see the many empty tables in the restaurant all night up until we left. I would have thought if they "double booked" our reservation and forced us to come in earlier, the place would have been packed. This definately affected our dining experience as we came into my birthday evening very stressed out and frazzled.
(4)
mary ellen m.

Okay, this restaurant has been on my list for over a year. Getting a table has been difficult to say the least. I was so excited to finally get a reservation and anticipated the dining experience with baited breath. I had several visits to Osteria which I find to be a wonderful dining experience. Well, the website description of the "Degustazione" was not clear. For 135 dollars a person I was expecting wine as well as food. Now, I do have to say the food was masterful but I did not feel that we were given the dining experience that more than 200 dollars a person warrants. We chose not to take part in the wine pairing option (who spends 90.00 on wine per person?). That did not mean we were not going to have a glass of wine or two. Not once did anyone come over to ask if we wanted any wine suggestions. Actually no one hardly spoke to us. We did not feel "Pampered". I will visit Osteria again, and would like to try Amis (as I said, the food was very good at Vetri, and Osteria so it is not the food quality that is a problem). I can now say I have had the Vetri experience and in some ways I am glad I did, but I can tell you that I now know I was not really missing out on much!!!
(3)
Logan G.

if you want tasteless food then you got the Spot. Dined last night left mid tasting due to the lack of flavor and dullness of the dishes. However the foie GRAS pastrami with pineapple mostarda was a great idea and very fun and yummy. The spinach gnocchi perfect texture an well made by someone who knows what they are doing but absolutely no flavor that did it after the previous nanny crudo dull as a number 2 pencil after the sat's exam. Then they tried to send us another dish of rabbit, prune and fried sage pasta and it was also bland although a ravioli is all about the filling I couldn't taste it even though the pasta was paper thin which it should be just couldn't taste it.. We then left after that.
(1)
Anthony A.

The staff made us feel at home from the second we walked in the front door of this cozy restaurant. All the dishes were simple yet highly creative. The pasta was truly amazing. Go with an open mind, be daring and have fun.
(4)
Richard L.

A gastronomic delight. The staff were personable attentive and wine knowledge. With the exception of the spinach pasta the selections were exquisite and the wine pairings perfect. While quite expensive our meal was perfect for our special occasion
(5)
Charles W.

I was treated to dinner here for my birthday this past december. This review is a bit overdue. Simply put, a meal of a lifetime! I even saved the hand calligraphy menu so I can look back fondly on the meal. The menu changes constantly, and only tasting menus are available, no a la carte, so I won't go into a play by play of my meal. The surprise of not knowing what you'll get on any given night is a great part of the fun. But, let me just say that the service and atmosphere are 4 star all the way. The space is intimate, and charming. However, the icing on the whole enchilada, for me, was the MUSIC! The soundtrack playing int the background was a mix of django Reinhardt, swing, blues, acoustic stuff, basically everything I like. It's like listening to my own personal playlist, combined with the most kickass meal ever. This place is not cheap (200 pp with wine, tax, tip), but for a special occasion, or if you just have that kind of bank to regularly spend on this kind of restaurant, then it is definitely worth it.
(5)
Edward B.

Wow. This is definitely the type of place you save the 5 star review for, and it completely lived up to our expectations. Each course (between the two of us, we tried 12+) was delectable, the wines were all delicious, and the service gracious and personable. It was so cozy and pleasant we kept requesting after dinner drinks so we wouldn't have to leave. Okay, so that really means that we just asked for a cup of tea after our coffee, but you get the point. Onion/cheese crepe, almond tortellini, duck ravioli, sweetbreads et cetera. Each bite tasty. We were relieved when we were done with dessert, because we wouldn't have been able to eat more, but we wouldn't have been able to resist, either. Definitely THE place to go to celebrate a really special occasion.
(5)
dan r.

I was in Philadelphia this week on business, and had the pleasure of dining at VETRI. Wow! We opted for the Chef's Grand Tasting Menu, which ran the gambit of complex flavors and textures, with course after course of incredible dishes. Our table of 4 was greeted by four wonderful amuse bouche dishes, which set the evening off to a blazing start! Then the well-paced evening continued with item after item of the most amazing dishes, from house-made pastas, to salt-crusted whole branzino, roasted capretto (baby goat) and on and on... Chef/Owner Marc Vetri visited our table throughout the evening, as well as GM Jeff Benjamin and Sommelier Steve Wildy. The service was impeccable and attentive, and the evening was an absolute delight! This is one of the best dinners that I have had in years! I will most certainly be back.
(5)
Laur T.

Awesome wait staff. Service here is very professional and commendable, surprisingly a notch above even Le Bec Fin's. Numerous times in the past, I've never had a chance to dine here simply because I mostly used to do day trips to Philly and Vetri only opens for dinner. So this time when I was here in Philly over a long weekend, I made sure to stop by Vetri before I headed out of Philly. I went with the signature dishes and ordered the foie gras with pastrami (wow I was a lil surprised by the combination when I first read it on the menu) but it was an interesting one indeed! This was the first time I've tasted foie gras terrine in a smoky and really delicious manner. Thumbs up for this even though the thought of the combi may have put me off a lil initially. Thereafter, I had the spinach gnocchi for my main. I must say though I was a little upset that my waitstaff failed to mention that they do half servings for the pasta dishes, for I would have just done that. Back to the gnocchi. While I have had spinach gnocchi at other places before, the one here is out of the ordinary. Their gnocchis are sized like brusselsprouts and have a deep olive green color - literally rolled up spinach and flour with more spinach than flour content perhaps? The taste was ok, nothing mindblowing, just good old fashioned Italian. All in all, I enjoyed my dinner and then scurried out of Philly, glad I was able to make the stop.
(4)
Patrick C.

Honestly, I was somewhat nervous about going to Vetri. "Best Italian Restaurant in America" is pretty hefty praise, and most of the time I hear something of that nature I end up leaving the experience thinking it was overhyped, for lack of a better term. But believe the Vetri hype. The food is phenomenal, the prix fix dining experience is excellent - a glass of prosecco to start your meal, a couple cookies and a menu in a souvenier bag when you leave - and the selection of Italian craft beers is excellent. That's all I have to say. It's certainly expensive, but if you think there's any dinner for two out there that's worth $400, Vetri is it.
(5)
David L.

I called Vetri a few days in advance and was able to make a reservation for that Friday (although not until 9:15 PM). We were seated immediately and served a glass of prosecco while we got settled. Given that it was a Friday, we had the grand tasting menu. Other reviewers have commented on the tasting menu not being worth the price given the portion size and their preference to order la carte but I felt like it took the pressure off ordering and let me enjoy a variety of what the restaurant had to offer. The menu changes periodically so I don't know how much utility there will be in describing each dish. Things that I felt stood out though were the spinach gnocchi, softshell crab, and chocolate souffle. They also offer a wine pairing with each of the 7 courses (half a glass of wine) for $90 a person. Me and my date were a little hesitant to do that and the waiter graciously offered to bring us glasses of wine that they felt would pair well with the food as we wanted them. Prices are high - spent close to $400 for 2 people. The service is excellent - polite, accommodating, without a sense of arrogance. The ambience is dark and quiet - great for a date and good conversation. Vetri isn't a place I'm going to be going to every weekend but definitely a top choice for a special occasion.
(5)
Poker B.

Dinner cost ~$500 plus tip, so I'm reviewing in light of that fact. Food was good, but I've been to many fine dining restaurants and this just isn't quite there. I didn't find the pastas nearly as amazing as everyone says. That said, the wine pairing was **outrageous**!! Had we not done the wine pairing, I would have been extremely disappointed. Food was just a notch above average.
(3)
Jeff L.

Party of 4 dined on Saturday 9/17, total tab between the tasting menu and 3 people with the wine pairing - over $900. Wanted it to be a special dinner for my son and his new wife celebrating both their wedding and their birthdays. However, we were stuffed into a cramped space next to the coffee/water station in the middle of the dining room, repeatedly bumped by waitstaff as they tried to squeeze behind me - what way is this to treat a diner unless it's just about how much $$$ you can get from diners stuffed into a small room seeking a great meal? I was expecting something memorable based on rave reviews by Vetri's colleagues and other diners but the food was just not anything exceptional. All four of us felt the same way. I wanted to love this place because I love Philly and this was supposed to be our flagship. Maybe it was just a bad night but when you're charging these type prices - $130 for tasting plus $130 or $90 for wine pairing (50% of which are so obscure (highest altitude vineyard, macerated oranges stored in clay pots for three months., blah, blah, blah) they didn't seem to have anything to do with the food and were just plain bad) you can't serve average food. Nothing was exceptional. A real setback for 'fine dining'. I'm not a restaurant hater. I wanted to love this restaurant and give my son and his new wife an experience to remember, unfortunately we'll remember it for all the wrong reasons.
(3)
Andrew C.

Best Dishes we ate: -sweet onion crepe w/ white truffle sauce Dishes that were surprisingly good: -escarole ravioli with pine nuts & honey -spinach gnocchi -peaches and porcini Good: -Menu looks to change monthly. - The Tasting Menu was different for both of us (except 2 courses). Since we share everything, this worked out great because we had a chance to try so many different dishes. -They offered to pack the petite fours as we were completely stuffed and also gave us a copy of the menu and blueberry muffins for the next day's breakfast . -romantic place, very small and intimate Bad: -tough to get a reservation if not booking far in advance. Even though opentable may not have any availability, try calling for a late seating -forced tasting menu on weekends (although it was excellent and would have probably chosen it anyway, as it was my first time, would be nice to have the option not to).
(5)
Dkrejser S.

Went for desert after a concert so it is difficult to judge the quality. We really liked the service and they were very and helpful. It was late at niht and I really liked how subtle the place was. I wouldn't have thought that a really good italian restaurant would be hiding like this, looking as though it was just another apartment. We all had a good glass of wine, and the deserts were good but not mind blowing like I read in other reviews. Perhaps the kitchen was just tired.
(4)
Chris B.

While the tasting menu is expensive, it is worth it. The food served with the tasting menu is a surprise. You have no idea what you will get, but whatever it is, it will be top notch. My fiance is extremely picky, so the concierge came over and asked her what she did and did not like. After spending twenty minutes talking with her he took list to the kitchen. Fifteen minutes later the eight course dinner began, and she was given foods she loves. There was not one bite left on either of our plates at the end of the night. The service is impeccable, and the food is out of this world. This is a must try for anyone looking for perfection. Make sure to bring your wallet with you, but it is worth it. The only complaint would be the limited bar. However, you are left so intoxicated by the wonderful food that the limited bar is the least of your concerns by the end of the evening.
(5)
Shannon C.

What hasn't been said about Vetri? I can't add much, but I must say it is the perfect meal; from the food, to the ambiance, to the service. A must try for every Philadelphian. The stand out dishes for our table seemed to be the snails, onion crepe, gnocchi, and lamb.
(5)
John S.

I have wanted to dine hear for quite a while and finally got a chance last week. In one word: Incredible. The menu is only used to eliminate a choice or possibly include an item as a must. Then it is up to the chef what you eat. Everyone at the table is served something different for each course. There were four of us so there was occasionally some double ups. There are two different wine pairing options available. The price is steep and because of that it won't be a restaurant that I will be going to regularly but it won't stop me from going again. I would rather have one meal here than 10 meals at lesser restaurants. Since there were four of us and we were happy to share, we were able to taste about 20 different dishes. Everything was wonderful. The wine pairings were excellent; in some cases perfect. The service was very good and the sommelier was exceptional with her wine descriptions. If you go, understand that it will set you back 300 dollars per person, but it is truly an incredible experience
(5)
Kim C.

Overview: Beautifully prepared food, rich flavors, and exquisite service for a pretty penny. My boyfriend and I went to Vetri planning to have a small celebratory meal... but we couldn't resist the tasting menu. The fate of your meal is left to a chef who takes note of allergies, dislikes, and (most importantly) LIKES, to customize a meal that you will not forget. Oh, AND we each got different dishes at each course according to our likes. The tasting menu started with an assortment of amuse bouche, which included pancetta wrapped beignets and foie gras pastrami with fruit mustard. Both of these were decadent--really great flavors. Over the next five courses, we tried the following dishes: *golden sweet onion crepe, white truffle fondue (white truffle fondue was amazing...) * spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter (the gnocchi just melts...) * almond tortellini with white truffle sauce (Clear winner for this meal--original, delicious, and pasta texture and sauce were perfectly executed.) * squid and artichoke galette with lemon dressing (tasty and unexpected) * asparagus flan with egg yolk and parmesan * roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta Dessert: * Torte Della nonna: Strawberries, cream cake. Pretty big portion, and tasty. * Can't remember the name of the cake, but it was an olive oil pound cake with pistachio gelato. Overall, this meal had some stratospheric highs (pasta, excellent and impeccable service), and a few unexpected curve balls. This isn't your traditional Italian grandmother's kitchen. Along with Fountain, this may be the best restaurant I've tried in the city. I'll go back next time I'm feeling really fancy, or someone else is covering the bill. Sidenote: Vetri takes reservations up to two months in advance, so book early. P.S. BUY THE COOKBOOK... will provide years of cooking fun. Promise.
(5)
Brian G.

Fantastic! By far the best restaurant I've eaten at in Philly. As far as atmosphere, the restaurant is small (maybe 15 tables) in a small row house. The staff is as friendly as it gets. Our servers kept checking in on us, but did not get to the point were it became annoying. We dined on a Friday night, so we got the grand tasting menu with the wine pairing (a $90 supplement). They presented us with the options that were being made that night and asked if there was anything that we would or would not eat on the menu. The amuse were a great start: -Beet Salad: Ok, although I'm not sure how it was an amuse. -Tomato and Red Pepper Cold Soup: Fantastic. I only wish I could get a large bowl with lump crab on top. I could eat this everday. -Corn Pudding: Very Good. -Squab Fritter: Very good. It was my wife's favorite amuse. -Foie Pastrami on toast. Simply amazing. I love foie and I love pastrami. They two combined could have not been any better. We then had a variety of smaller dishes that were different for me and my wife (which is great, so we can try more of the options): Highlights: -Foie Pastrami -Sweet Onion Crepe. Best thing we ate that night. -Spinach Gnocci. A Vetri classic. It is unfair to compare any other gnocchi to these. Simply amazing. -Wine. All the wine was perfectly paired with each dish. All from Italy. A great bargain. Definitely worth it. -Desserts. Chocolate Polenta cake and peach and blackberry upside down cake were amazing. Lowlights: -Sardine. Probably my mistake for not taking this off the table. I'm not a huge sardine fan. -Porchetta stuffed with Cherries: I just wasn't a fan. Overall: Definitely a great experience and a must eat in Philly. Hands down the best Italian I've ever had (including Italy). In response to another post below: Contrary to what another poster said, I think the amount of food was perfect. We walked out full, but not feeling gross. The portion sizes here are much more realistic than Per Se. Walking out of Per Se, I wanted to vomit due to the large quantity of rich, buttery food and large number of courses. Also, I'm not sure how you can compare the two on price, since my bill at Per Se for two was over twice what I paid at Vetri. I'm not saying this is better than Per Se, but I don't think you can compare the two. They are two different styles of food, atmosphere (I had to wear a tie at Per Se), price, etc.
(5)
Kristin C.

So, I am deeply saddened by my trip to Vetri, because although it was one of the most fantastic culinary experience of my life, there is no way I can afford to go there again any time soon, which just leaves me like a sad puppy dog. I guess there has to be a level of accessibility when you are creating a masterpiece with every bite. It was definitely worth the money on one level, but on another, $360 for two people (that was with one of their more inexpensive bottles of wine...) is definitely just far too extravagant. However we did the tasting menu and it was a sensory overload and often I had forgotten what the server told me I was eating before I had even eaten it, so it's regretful that I can't pinpoint my favorite part of the meal, but it all melted in your mouth almost instantly. I will also say that the server, rather, the gentleman in the Armani suit that was serving us noticed that i was listlessly paging through the wine list (i am not a complete amateur but was definitely over my head on this one) he tactfully came over and asked just the right questions and brought us a taste of a few things until we found one that we loved! So kudos to the staff for catering to awkward late twenty's girl who likely appears that she may or may not end up washing dishes in their kitchen b/c her credit card may just get declined!!! (it worked! hooray!) So, i would say this, you may end up spending more, but definitely do the tasting menu, it's worth it, and you're already spending a ton of money anyway, you might as well do it the right way! and if you're credit card is definitely not going to get declined, do the wine pairing too I'm sure that it makes the experience just that much better! yay vetri! also, he's opening a third restaurant just around the corner from Vetri next week! Be sure to check it out!
(5)
Tara B.

My husband just took me here for our anniversary! Most amazing food and so romantic! :) babymommablog.com/3876/aâ€¦
(5)
Ashley H.

After reading about it and being told by my friends how wonderful this restaurant it was, I made my reservation. My boyfriend and I came here for dinner on a Thursday night, and we absolutely loved it! The dishes were very well proportioned, although I finished the food, I was not overly stuffed. The dishes were very authentic italian, none of that overly creamy stuff. We both felt that it was definitely worth the price. Though I have yet to try their grand tasting menu.
(5)
Jennifer L.

Dear God, Thank you for bringing Marc Vetri to life so that he can do the same for his amazing dishes. Also, for providing him with the most helpful sommelier and attentive staff I've ever had the pleasure of meeting. Please help me find a job so that I can enjoy more meals there. You're da bombs. Amen. While we Americans have come to expect huge 2 lb. portions of pasta for ~$10, I would forego any such meal for the amazingness that is Vetri. You will probably never hear anyone rave about being seated nearer to the kitchen, but I think I spent more time craning my neck to see inside the seemingly soundproofed "Cucina" that produced these culinary marvels than talking to my date that first time around. I've ventured through their doors twice so far, and left with the same level of awe after both visits. You will find those star items that scream "fine dining," but Vetri's true artistry is in his ability to feature those underplayed ingredients, which results in those more unique dishes that get your pleasure receptors working on overdrive. Neither quality nor creativity suffers whether you order from the menu or opt for the tasting menu. Food AND service have been seasoned to perfection. Honestly, I will never part with that hand-crafted menu for as long as I live. **Note to self: Write in will that I want to be buried with my menu(s). Items that blew me away: - spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter (nom nom nom.) - golden sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue (sounds simple, right? yes, it is. simply DERICIOUS!! - intentional typo.) - rosemary ice cream w/ dark chocolate lid (warm olive oil is poured on top, melting the dark chocolate cap, which oozes over the rosemary ice cream. am not a dessert or rosemary person at all so was more than skeptical. but. i've literally dreamt about it since.) Seriously is a Philly must-go.
(5)
Joy C.

My husband and I have been going to Vetri every year for his birthday since 2005. It continues to prove itself with exceptional food, service, and experiments in fine Italian cuisine that are just out of this world. If you can go for the tasting menu, do it. It gives you an incredible sampling of what Marc Vetri and his kitchen staff have to offer. The service is polite, professional, and always accommodating with special requests. The wine paring is also great, but will leave you heavily intoxicated as well as leaving your wallet in an even more empty state. Vetri is not cheap. So if you're on a budget, save it for a special occasion. It's well worth it. Reservations can be hard to get, so call ahead at least a few weeks for a weekend. They start taking reservations 2 months in advance. For a more budget-friendly option, Vetri's 2nd location, Osteria, is also amazing. And, yes, I am happily hopping on the Marc Vetri bandwagon. Not only is he incredibly talented, but really nice too. Final thoughts... the spinach gnocchi = absolute heaven
(5)
Arielle W.

Ah, so good. We did the Chef's Grand Tasting Menu the day after Christmas, and I was completely in love with the service and the food. One tip: no need to do a wine tasting/pairing with it - just ask the sommelier to recommend some delcious wines that go with your food and you won't leave too drunk to drive home. But please go. For your sake.
(5)
Grace G.

My husband and I went to Vetri for our anniversary back in April, and decided to do it up right with the chef's tasting menu and the wine pairing. It was worth every penny. It is by far the most we have ever paid for a meal, but I wouldn't hesitate to do it again. The only downside is that would require another big celebration to justify the price tag. I liked how small it was; it felt both quaint and exclusive. The tables seemed a bit close together, but not prohibitively so. The waiters are very aware of their space here, and I saw no problems navigating to the tighter spots for them... unlike other restaurants (brassiere perrier?) where you are blantantly cramped, and the waiters are always bumping into you when serving the surrounding tables. It was good enough for lower personal conversations, but close enough that we struck up a friendly conversation with our neighbor as we were finishing up our meals to compare/rave about the different items we had. Our meal was very relaxed, I didn't find the waiters intrusive at all. I enjoyed hearing about the different wines included in the pairing, and I especially liked that a list of the wines served were included with our tasting menu to take home. I found myself at a few points trying to pace myself with all the food and wine, that I created a small backlog of glasses. The waiters weren't rude at all, or trying to rush me to finish them, which was very comforting, since I felt silly with 3 wine glasses in front of me. On to the food: Excellant, Superb, Best I've ever had, Ruined me for other restaurants as there is no way they could top it. Etc... With our tasting menu we were able to try a lot of their items. Some were not as good as the others, but the others were so good, it more than made up for it. Also, my husband and I debated if the things we didn't like as much were because they weren't a dish we particularly liked, or just because they werent as over-the-top phenomenal as the other things. Our favorite items were the spinach gnocchi and the short rib ravioli. 10 stars. It is unreal how the gnocchi melts in your mouth. We also enjoyed the sweet onion crepe, duck terrine (tasted like Bologna, but in a good way), crispy sweetbreads with rhubarb & crudo with local radish. Our entrees were still good, but not great. We had the Baby goat and Bass fillet. These came right after the gnocchi & ravioli though, so that might've had something to do with it. We also were not impressed with dessert. My husband had a chocole polenta souffle, which was decent and I had the Zucotto "tuscan parfait" which I barely ate. I'm very interested to try out Osteria, which is Mark Vetri's other restaurant. I know it's not supposed to be as good (how could it!), even though it ranked higher in the Philly magazine top 50 (#1 for Osteria to Vetri's #7). But if it has the same flair, its bound to be great.
(5)
Elizabeth A.

Vetri will do well no matter what the reviews here but I just want to add two things. 1) I went here last week with two friends and we created our own version of the tasting menu, ate and drank to our hearts' content, and with a generous tip spent $300 total. Expensive yes but worth it and not as crazy as if we had ordered the full tasting menu which in my opinion was not necessary. 2) Bill the sommelier deserves a special shout out. He was delightful from start to finish, helpful and humorous and at times a bit self-deprecating, nothing like the stuffy, snobby sommelier we might have expected. He even spooned one of our dishes out for us and obliged me when I asked him to dump the leftover sauce on my bread - a low brow request to which he replied 'of course, why waste it??' He was so, so great and made our experience that much better by making three young diners feel like we belonged there just as much as the 50th birthday party next to us.
(5)
Philthy D.

Celebrate a special occasion here and you will not be disappointed with the experience. The food is created with such skill and sophistication that it outshines any other restaurant in Philadelphia. If money is not an issue, then this is the place.
(5)
Joy C.

My friends and I decided to splurge and go and finally try vetri. It was quite an experience. We had the grand tasting menu. They made an attempt to give each of us something different. It wasn't a HUGE amount of food but it was satiating because of the small courses. I have to admit that I think most places undercook risotto and this place I think got it right, at least for my taste buds. My husband had the wine pairing with it which I thought every wine was very tasty. I am over 9 months pregnant and the sommelier gave me an extra two small glasses to try. The service was impeccable as well as the food. It is pricey which was expected but I think it was worth at least trying once. The food was fresh and appetizing, even though some of the stuff was exotic it was all good. I have nothing to complain about, each course was great!
(4)
Diana M.

I would give this 5 stars if I felt like it was worth what I paid. Excellent service, and delicious food.
(4)
Lauren C.

I cannot say anything else that hasn't been said in these reviews. We went here in June for our anniversary, and it was simply perfect. We have eaten at The Fountain (at the Four Seasons) several times, and I would happily choose Vetri over Fountain any day of the week. It was simply the best dining experience I have ever had- bar none. I cannot wait for another special occasion to go back!
(5)
Erin G.

I had great time at Vetri. My boyfriend had just moved to the city, and loves food, and it was his birthday, so I wanted some place special. Generally, I lean more towards a great BYOB that anything quiet this fancy, but after hearing great things, and reading the press, I decided to splurge. We had a lovely, quiet, classy time, and the food was delicious. The asparagus flan was surprising, with that beautiful egg yolk leaking out - and I don't even like asparagus. The truffle gnocchi with almonds literally made me cry. The BF had a lamb he found delightful and the wine pairings were great. I just can't quite give it 5 stars. Maybe its the huge hype, or because I've actually eaten at more memorable places for a lot less $$, or maybe my expectations were a little too high. It's still a fantastic restaurant, and worth a visit.
(4)
Katie R.

worth every bit of hype.
(5)
Tina T.

Went here in Aug 2010 after taking my ABIM exam. We had the tasting menu. We barely finished the meal. The gnocchi was the best I have ever had (and I eat a lot)
(5)
Marie D.

A special occasion calls for a ridiculously expensive meal. And I'd gladly fork over another $230 a person for the chef's tasting and wine pairings whether it was a special occasion or not. As soon as I get another $230, that is. Staff members were so gracious I wished I could hug them. I actually said out loud (after a few pre-dinner drinks and downing two glasses of the wine flight) that they knew us so well yet didn't know us at all - in reference to how they selected the courses for each of us. I really like whites over reds and my partner vice versa and every dish I secretly wished to eat was placed in front of me. Dreamy. The sommelier then poured us a glass of Agricola Punica "Barrua" 2005 which he said is reserved for "friends." Love you, too, buddy. For someone like me, who lives to eat, it's nice to be served by people who know their shit and love it their shit. The menu changes frequently so I'll just say that you should pray to whatever god you serve that you'll get to taste Vetri's foie gras pastrami, their fregola with octopus and the baby goat. Once all is (sadly) said and done you're waived "Arrivederci" with a fancy tote, biscotti and menu copies. Ciao, I'll miss you.
(5)
Carl C.

Ok...ok. The food is good, really really good. But $457 and some odd dollars for everything after it is said and done is a bit much, especially since my fiance doesn't drink. I feel the majority of the reviews for this place are great because people feel they have to justify the money they spent so they don't feel like a jerk afterwards....SO HERE IT IS I FEEL LIKE A JERK. The ambience....eh, I felt like I was in my home where I grew up which was nice but instead of mom bringing out mac and cheese from the box with hot dogs, some chubby little waitress kept bringing out dish after dish of delicate pasta's, truffle ravioli's, crab something or an other. At one point I didn't finish something and I told the waitress it was only "ok", she brought out something different for me to try. Ma, sure didn't do that growing up. "Eat it go hungry was moms motto" So all in all the food again is great but for about 1/3 of the price you can so somewhere else and get JUST as good food without dropping a STUPID amount of money. I'll leave it on this note, when we left my fiance said "Ah man, I could have bought a pair of shoes with that money". ,not "Oh babe, that truffle oil was amazing with crab ravioli" Marc, you're great and all but it is your place...no salary of a chef, overhead can't be that much. I didn't have some exotic monkey brains that were flown in from Madagascar right? I had some ravioli's.... I know truffles are expensive but everywhere else makes it affordable.
(3)
Lala H.

The emperor has no clothes. The tasting menu was good but tiny and frankly not worth the price tag. I'm actually embarrassed that I fell for the hype. Too long between dishes. If I ever go back (which I won't unless made to) I would only order an entree. It opened my eyes to the ridiculous food trend some restaurants have adopted of pricing that doesn't match up with the food.
(2)
Brenton W.

Grand tasting menu. Wine flight. Poached egg and shaved white truffle supplement. Absolute perfection.
(5)
Nancy M.

This is the best meal I have ever eaten. Also the best service, especially the sommelier. It is also the most expensive. For a special occasion, Vetri will make it truly memorable.
(5)
Ariela M.

This was an amazing experience! Vetri has the reputation for being one of the best restaurants in Philly, and it definitely lived up to this. What I liked most was that I got the service and amazing food of any "five star" restaurant but without the snootiness that is sometimes associated. We got there and were seated promptly at the time of our reservation - and I'm glad we made the reservation because our table was the only empty one in the whole restaurant even though we were there on the early side. The hostess was polite and attentive. I was impressed by the knowledge of our server - though there was not a somellier our server was fluent with the wine menu and even got me a glass of riesling from the kitchen because none of the wines-by-the-glass were sweet enough for my taste - she definitely went the extra mile to do so! The bread and olives were delicious as well, and the bread-person (don't know what else to call him) kept coming back attentively as soon as we cleaned our plates! The food itself was fantastic. I got the spinach gnocchi, and they were probably the best gnocchi I've ever had - which is saying a lot, because I usually order gnocchi at every Italian restaurant I eat at. The sauce was buttery and flavorful without being overpowering or too rich, and I could distinctly taste each of the flavors in the gnocchi - both the spinach, the dough, and the cheese. Amazing! Throughout the meal our server was attentive, polite, and never too intrusive. Sadly, we were too full for dessert - but I will definitely be back another time to try, and probably will try to save up for the chef's tasting menu, because from my experience this time, it would definitely be worth it!
(5)
Philip K.

Really looked forward to this meal for our anniversary but it didn't live up to the hype. The food was solid but not great, and for the money, that isn't good enough. 2 of the 8 courses between the two of us were disappointing, including the scallops dish which almost tasted spoiled. The homemade pasta was very good, the desserts were good, the salads were good. The atmosphere was great, the wine was great, the service was great. But for a really expensive meal, all of the food has to be great. And it wasn't unfortunately. We really like Osteria and Amis, and have been back to both multiple times, but we didn't think Vetri was worth the $400 check.
(3)
Joe D.

Elegant setting, flawless service, and nicely executed, creative food. I had extremely high expectations, most of which were lived up to. There were four of us at my table, and we asked the sommelier to do wine pairings with every dish we ordered - this involved us all drinking five glasses of wine and was probably the highlight of the meal. Good thing we were walking home! Thoughts on the dishes my table ordered: *Spinach gnocci - I can see why this is one of the restaurant's signature dishes - probably the best thing I ate all night *Sweet onion crepe - this is another dish they're famous for. I thought it was tasty, but it didn't blow me away. *Cauliflower flan - just ok, but I'm not much of a cauliflower person, or a flan person for that matter *Squid ink rissoto - didn't really have much taste to it. Seems like this is a delicacy that's on the menu for novelty's sake because it literally didn't have any taste *Salt crusted branzino - delicious! and the brussels sprouts that come with it are cooked to perfection. *Roasted baby goat - quite yummy, tender and flavorful, crispy on the outside *Chestnut fettuccine with wild boar ragu - yummy homemade pasta, wild boar ragu had nice flavor *Stuffed pappardelle with shaved foie gras - this was also a nice choice *Desserts - all were very good, especially the apple fritter and chocolate souffle My overall sense is that you have to come here willing to spend a good sum of money to get the full experience. For example, you would probably need to get an antipasti, full order of pasta or secondi, and a dessert to walk away satisfied. It's not cheap, but this is truly a case of getting what you pay for - everything is homemade, the service is impeccable, and you are treated to a rare experience of what food can be when it's done at the highest level.
(5)
Ellena S.

I had the pleasure of eating at Vetri when a parent treated me to a meal there a few weeks ago. Perhaps it was because I'm a vegetarian, but we didn't get to partake in any amuses (although I noticed the table next to us had several). I was also surprised at how small the space was - cozy, perhaps a little too cozy, but very homey nonetheless. The cauliflower flan attracted my attention for the rich egg yolk that spilled over the plate as soon as I cut into it, but it lacked seasoning and seemed slightly one-note. I also had the sweet onion crepe, which was, as another review mentioned, reminiscent of french onion soup, except elevated by the taste of truffles - and the fact that it was delicious! Don't skip over this if you visit Vetri. Continuing on the truffle theme, I loved the almond tortellini with truffles. More so, even, than the gnocchi. After reading so many Yelp reviews about how ethereal the spinach gnocchi was, I felt it fell short in comparison to the tortellini, although it was delicious and incredibly light. The almond tortellini just offered another dimension of being more umami-rich, with the heavier application of truffle oil and cheeses. I had the cheese plate for dessert. Going with the truffle theme, I enjoyed the truffle cheese the most. I would have appreciated more bread with the board. Overall, I don't think this justified the price point. Vetri was a great experience, but after reading so many glowing review on Yelp, it fell a little short of my expectations. That said, the food was incredibly good - but not good enough to justify being an experience on my own budget and price points.
(4)
Adelle R.

Vetri has been on my must try list for a few years now, but has always gotten skipped over....mostly due to the cost. But, when my husband's 40th bday came around, I thought it was time to give Vetri a try. And boy was I happy that I did. The space itself it very warm and cozy...you really do feel like you are eating in someone's living room. The staff is attentive and friendly. But, they are certainly not pretentious. With the kind of cash that gets thrown around there, that was certainly a concern. Dinner started with a glass of prosecco that paired perfectly with the salumi that included foie gras pastrami, which was amazing. Some of the other highlights were the onion crepe, the escargot with pig ears, the braised baby goat, and of course, the pasta. Oh, the pasta! There were two pasta courses and each one was so different and so delectable. Just melt in your mouth amazing pasta. One of the things that I really enjoyed about this tasting menu is that they give each diner a different dish. So, you get to try quite a few things. By the end of the meal, we were completely stuffed and so content with our amazing meal which was accompanied by some great wine. It is certainly an over-the-top expensive meal (our bill was over $500 for 2 with wine), but definitely a once in a lifetime must try for that special occasion for you foodies out there. I do hope I get to go back before my husband's 50th birthday!
(5)
Jason K.

The food is beautifully prepared. The atmosphereis cozy and the service is impeccable. I really enjoyed this meal. This is one of the best restaurants in the city, and I can see why. I guess I just wanted to feel that the food was also some of the best that I have ever eaten. It just wasn't. I wanted to give the restaurant 3 stars because of the massive amount of disappointment that I experienced from this highly anticipated meal. That would have been inaccurate though. It was, for all intent and purpose, a wonderful meal. The food didn't live up though. Sorry, if you think my opinion is somehow in question because I did not fall in love, but I can't help it. My tongue knows what it likes. It's a pretty close relationship so I do trust it. I would like to go back, but the cost was quite high for the return. I love spending money on a good meal, but the food has to be first for me.
(4)
David Z.

Been meaning to go here for quite a while and finally made it. After being greeted with champagne and a vegetable crudo we were explained the menu. While it is prix fixed and the chef makes all the selections, you can tell the waitress anything you do not want or anything you really want. I just indicated it was our first time so would like some classics. They made sure we each got different dished for each course. We received several pasta dishes. All were amazing. The onion tarte was amazing. The baby goat wasn't on the menu but we received it anyway and were so glad we did. Just amazing. I even really enjoyed the duck heart pasta which I was apprehensive about. Service was quick but not rushed and unobtrusive just the way it should be. The amount of food was just right. I wasn't stuffed afterwards but I also wasn't hungry. I'll definitely be back. Oh yeah the wine pairing was great too.
(5)
Toni V.

It was my birthday wish to come here and celebrate, and thanks to my bf he made it happen on July 14th. Wow what an indulgence and celebration. We both looove and appreciate food so much every dish was like a party in your mouth :) While we didn't partake in the tasting menu, we ordered more than enough dishes (7) and were stuffed. Highlights were the Sweet onion crepe in white truffle fondue, and the veal rib chop that glistened under the light. mmm mmm good! We will defnitely try the tasting menu next time and make sure we starve ourselves prior to going.
(5)
Justin M.

Let me start off by saying that the house staff was wonderful. They were friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Having said that, the food was a real disappointment at times. SOME of the pasta dishes were the only truly delicious items to grace the table. Between my dining companions, we had the following dishes which were tasted by all, so this is not solely my opinion: foie gras pastrami with blueberry jam: tasty wild fowl sausage with salt cured egg yolk, basil, and potatoes: tasty spinach gnocchi with shaved ricotta and brown butter: shockingly lacking in any flavor, although the gnocchi itself was light and wonderful almond tortellini with white truffle sauce: AMAZINGLY DELICIOUS pappardelle with pork ragu: not bad, but too much acid, and the pappardelle was a tad mushy fettuccine with octopus bolognese: would have been just ok, but too much salt made it un-enjoyable chicken liver ravioli with trumpet royale mushrooms: good, although the liver flavor was a half-step too much and should have been balanced better garganelli with sweet corn and scallions: very sweet corn flavor throughout, very nice summer dish roasted capretto (baby goat) with soft polenta: this dish summarized the experience. It was just ok. There was nothing amazing about it, but nothing terribly wrong. Again, too much salt. One expects more from Vetri, though. shaved Berkshire pork with melon: this dish was downright awful. a total miss by the kitchen. literally sliced pork (seemingly unseasoned) in a POOL of olive oil and not-yet-ripe melon cubes. It went half-uneaten, which at this price point, should say something to the kitchen. chocolate polenta souffle: this was a molten chocolate cake, not a soufflÃ© !!! nor was it special in any way. stone fruit tart with almond sorbet: bizarre. The too-tough pastry was worked too much, and had an odd hint of meat flavor. The plums were unflavorful (how does this happen in a restaurant like this?! Did they not taste the plums?) At least the almond gelato was good. Overall: we spent $120 pp inc tax and tip and won't go back.
(3)
Emilee J.

From start to finish our meal at Vetri last night was absolutely outstanding. The service was stellar and we were greeted like we were regulars at this spruce street hot spot. I knew that it was a fixed price but was unaware that they just sent out whatever the chef decided. They were great about asking if we had any allergies or dietary restrictions and were more then willing to make changes to suit our needs. There were too many courses to list all that we had for dinner but the highlights for me were of course the spinach gnocchi that has become synonomous with the restaurant, the almond tortelone were delicious and the rabbit was to die for. Also had the best wine of my life. For Philadelphians that aren't in the 1% next time a special occasion arises and you want to have much more then just a great meal you will be hard pressed to find a better menu then at Vetri. It isn't just a meal but a dining experience that I will remember fondly until my next time back. I am currently searching my calendar for an excuse to go again this year. Thank you to all the staff for making Ryan's birthday so special.
(5)
Sam K.

I've been to a lot of Italian restuarants, but Vetri is by far the best. Each dish was better than the last. I started with half-sized spinach gnocchi in brown butter sauce and chicken ravioli in sage brown butter. Delicious. The ravioli came with crispy sage leaves which was perhaps my favorite part. For a main pasta, I had the burrata and heirloom tomato lasagne. The burrata was creamy and sweet which went excellently with the tomatoes, and the dish was not at all too rich. The dessert and espresso were also top-notch. I had the vacharin with chocolate mousse and cherries. The cherries were a bit too sour for my taste but the smooth mousse textured by the crunchy vacharin (merengue) made up for it.
(5)
Alvin L.

Vetri is as good as it gets when it comes to Italian cuisine. The fioe gras prastrami was an excellent way to start off the meal. The almond ravioli were the best surprise we've had during the meal and it was spectacular. The ambiance is a bit above average but the service is unrivaled. The wait staff was always a step ahead of me in filling my glass so there was never a need to ask for anything. Overall, the quality of food as well as the excellence in service was well worth the cost. Of course, my roommate paid for the meal =).
(5)
Natalie B.

Hands down - the BEST Italian restaurant in the country. If and when you go, its almost offensive to not order the tasting menu - you won't regret it. Also, don't go if on a budget, you won't be able to get the full and necessary experience - and it comes with a hefty price tag.
(5)
Mark L.

Quite possibly THE BEST restaurant in philly. It's a very personal, small place which requires reservations well in advance for popular dining days/times. Northern Italian fine cuisine of the highest quality by James Beard Award winning chef Marc Vetri. A visit to Vetri Ristorante is a special occasion in itself. $$$$
(5)
David C.

I would say, 4.5 stars. This is a very good restaurant, much better than its Philadelphia brethren, but in my opinion some concerns kept it from being perfect. I dined in a party of three. We chose the grand tasting menu, which started with the fois gras pastrami. The texture and flavor of the fois gras itself was exceptionally good, and the condiment on top (shallot mustarda) went very well with it, but the strong texture of the toasted brioche underneath was a good but imperfect counterpoint. The smoothness of the fois gras was lost in the graininess of the bread, and so I felt (along with my fellow diners) that a more subtle or delicate substrate would have worked better. Next all three of us had different dishes. Mine was a trio of seafood items, which included a very good sea urchin custard (very mild on the sea urchin, possibly for folks that might find it strong) and a mussel wrapped in eggplant which was also enjoyable. Another of my companions had tuna wrapped around cheese, though, which was a mistake; the cheese and herb flavors completely overpowered the tuna, but without adding enough character to make it interesting. The third had tripe which was of very high quality. The next course again featured different items for each, and I received an caramelized onion crepe. It was nice, but not sublime: sort of a boiled-down french onion soup in a roll, I felt, and the crepe was nearly tough. My companion had a beautiful and delicious cauliflower flan, however, which felt original and attractive, and whose texture was outstanding. The next dishes were pasta. For me, the almond tortellini was very good, with a lot of flavors that developed late in the eating, quite reminiscent of almond paste and herbs. Another diner had the spinach gnocchi, which were light and flavorful, and the last had a ravioli dish. All of the pasta dishes were intricate and well-executed, expressive but also subtle, and I think they were the strongest dishes. The next dish for all of us was the capretto, baby goat, whose skin was perfectly crisped and flavored correctly. The polenta underneath was pleasant. Desserts, however, were largely disappointingly average after such strong main courses, bringing back memories of the weaker first courses. A pear tarte tatin, a chocolate souffle and a chestnut napolean arrived, and despite the obvious differences in flavor and texture, none of them really succeeded. The tart ran to the sicky sweet and cloying; the pastry of the napolean outweighed and obliterated the chestnut unless one took care to separate them first; and the chocolate souffle was average. Perhaps it was an homage to the typical Philadelphia restaurant, a sort of denouement to remind you where you'll be when you leave the place.
(4)
Tricia B.

Attention foodies! If you find yourself in Philly, cab over to this gem. Their chefs are Gods and their waitstaff are angels that ensure everything is done right. They are supposedly the best italian restaurant in the country, and though I am not sure if this is true since I haven't had the top italian food in every relevant city, but they might be right. Go for the prix fix and don't dare overlook the fine Italian beer selection, you will not be let down.
(5)
Ari P.

Great service, understated ambiance, impeccable and somewhat creative Italian food. Not the best value for your dollar, but undoubtedly a quality dining experience.
(4)
Judith C.

I have annoyingly high standards, and can be very (sometimes overly) critical. Vetri was fantastic. I wanted to try it because of it's reputation, but I was prepared to be disappointed. I was not. The service was impeccable. Terrible service is something I have come to expect in restaurants in Philadelphia, but the waitstaff at Vetri was extremely knowledgeable and professional, while still being warm and friendly. The space was very cute and had a lively feel. The food though - ohmygod the food. The asparagus flan with the runny yolk! When will people get over the bacon craze and realize that eggs are where it's at? EGGS!! The onion crepe could have been a bit more truffley, but the flavors that were there were great. The pastas were fantastic too. We had the almond tortellini and a fettucini with morels (left off the sweatbreads, we are vegetarian-ish). The almond tortellini transported me to another place - pasta heaven. And seriously - pasta with morels can't go wrong, but it was even better than I expected. No skimping on the morels at all. Piles and piles of delicious morels. Amazing! Rich and delicious! I forward to experiencing the tasting menu. Portion sizes were perfect. The food was quite rich, so you really don't want a platter of it anyway (except that it is so delicious you feel like you never want to stop eating it). Also, we arrived on time for our reservation, but our table wasn't ready, so they kept pouring us prosecco on the house. Maybe I am a sucker for bubbles, but that is how you treat a customer.
(5)
Dilbert D.

The food at Vetri is really good and the prices are really high. Don't bother going here unless you are willing to spend $100.00 per person. I went on a date here. Our meal total with tip came to approximately $125.00. I did not get enough to eat. I felt like I had just paid a lot of money for some appetizers. The gnocchi and the artichokes were great, as were the two desserts we tried. If I can afford it, I'll return here one day and try the tasting menu (over $100 per person). As for this meal, we went back to my place and made snacks because we were both still hungry. Very delicious food if a little too expensive
(4)
Mick H.

Take your time, expect to be here all night and spend a small fortune, but everyone should have an experience like this once their life. Course after course of incredible food.
(5)
Lawrence K.

I was here a few years ago so I'm not going to go into alot of detail. We were a party of 6 and all had the grand tasting with wine. I'm happy to hear that is all they offer now because when you go to Vetri this is what it is all about. I can say with utter certainly that my dinner there was probably the best meal I've ever had: impeccable service, delicious food with top notch ingredients (just for reference I've eaten all over the world, from street food in Japan to michellen starred restaurants in France). Virtually every dish exploded with flavor and was artfully presented and each course seemed to arrive at the perfect time. We had a late reservation and toward the end of the meal we were the only table left and there was an entire brigade of cooks working the kitchen just for us! Also, the wine tasting was well well well worth it - not necessarily constant pours of expensive trophy wines like Gaja or Sassiccia but rare and interesting wines you won't find anywhere else. Most important they were perfectly matched, a different wine, with each dish (12 courses? 12 wines!) by the friendly sommelier. ...oh and the pours were quite generous (my wife had to drive home). The entire experience was just superb. Everytime I go out to eat, Vetri crosses my mind and I look forward to returning someday. Yes, it's expensive but worth every penny. trust me. Philadelphia is lucky to have it.
(5)
Matthew I.

Amazing dinner. My family went to Vetri for my dad's 60th birthday. I would have gone back the next day if I could. The restaurant is small but in no means cramped. I believe there are only 13 tables in the restaurant. The meal was everything I thought it would be and more. All four of us ordered an app, a pasta course, and an entreÃ©. That was by no means too much food. It was just the right amount. The pasta courses can be ordered in half portions as well. The rabbit pasta dish was excellent, as was the papadelle(spelling) pasta dish. For my entreÃ©, I ordered the baby goat with polenta. My entire family said it was the best of the entree's we ordered. The flavoring of the crispy skin was amazing! My dad ordered the venison. For him, I wish there was more to it. The portion of venison seemed small. My mom and brother spit the branzino. It was very good. My brother loved the sprouts. For dessert we ordered the cheese platter and the doughnuts. My dad loved the cheese. There were six different hunks of chess on the platter with bread and jellies. My doughnuts were amazing. I wanted to order a second plate of them. I even took a picture of them and sent it to my girlfriend. The only issue with the night was my dad said his coffee was not hot enough for him. I'd go back any night of the week!!!!
(5)
Jake W.

Visiting from out of town and too late for a bowl of pasta at 10 pm. Thanks a lot!
(1)
Vicki Z.

This restaurant is a solid 4 star. Had a very meaty hearty pasta. foie gras was very tasty and cooked right. Lamb chops top notch almost heavenly. Service very professional. Very dark and small narrow place. Tthe restaurant's door is about same as the others on the street, not so easy to tell in the night. Overall a very nice dining experience.
(4)
E A.

Pros: Creative menu, well prepared, menu with items you just can't find anywhere else (goat, almond pasta), extensive wine list with reasonable price range, excellent service Cons: EXTREMELY LOUD, prices about 20-30% higher than actual value of foo
(4)
Chris C.

I have traveled extensively worldwide, and in general, I am willing to go to great lengths to eat great food. My wife and I traveled to Philly for a weekend away from NYC, and we got into Vetri at the last minute off their waiting list. It was the weekend, and we had the grand tasting menu. It was spectacular, and easily one of the finest meals I have had anywhere at any time. It wasn't cheap, but the price was worth the experience, and it was an experience. Between the amuse-bouches and all the tasting items, I am hard pressed to remember everything that we ate. It also bears mention that I have a virulent allergy to nuts, and my wife is not much a red meat eater, so we were thankful how attentive the staff was to our needs. I don't think we were ever eating the same food at any point in the meal, which was just fine with us because it allowed an even more diverse sampling of the succulent morsels the kitchen produced. Here are a few of the items that I recall: Sweet Onion Crepes, House Made Speck with Pickled Vegetables and Gorgonzola, Baby Goat with Braised Artichokes, Stuffed Pappardelle with Shaved Foie Gras, and Spinach Gnocchi. The latter item was nothing short of revelatory. It was in a brown butter sauce, and literally, I ate the first bite and, as I chewed it, had to place my forehead in my hand. The flavor of the sauce, the vibrancy of the spinach, and the sumptuous, impossible lightness of the gnocchi itself made it difficult for me to hold up my head. I enjoyed every atom of that course, and I don't think I will ever eat a better gnocchi again. I also thoroughly enjoyed the Chocolate Polenta SoufflÃ© that was part of dessert. Its texture was so arresting due to the corn meal, but somehow the warmth of the chocolate and the fattiness of the egg pulled it together and made it amazing. I'm not even that big of a chocolate fan, and it was still crazy good. Every aspect of this meal was exactingly designed to be special. The food, the service, the environment, all conspired to make the meal ultra memorable. As we lay in bed at our hotel the next morning, enjoying the cranberry scones that the restaurant provided us on our way out, we agreed that, despite the expense, every penny was spent to good effect because our three hours at Vetri were nothing short of magical.
(5)
Alan S.

I've been to Vetri on my wife's birthday this week, and I have to say, this place is absolutely fantastic. To start, there are no big frills about the place, the decoration is simple, the place is well lit. I like that, because it puts the highlight on the food itself. We were greeted with a glass of prosecco and did not wait for more than 10 minutes for our table. As we sat, our prosecco glasses were empty, and they were promptly refilled. Talk about a good reception! Currently, the only option is the tasting menu, which is pretty expensive, but you definitely get what you pay for. Our server was very thorough in asking our likes and dislikes, and the chef followed it to the letter. The meal started with an amuse-bouche (a pretty large assortment of amuse-bouches, actually), with vegetables crudites in a balsamic vinegar emulsion, 2 kinds of salumi, a vegetable "hash" in a polenta crust and some foie gras pastrami that instantly melted in your mouth. A great start! The meal consists of 5 savory courses and 1 sweet course, chosen by the chef from a pretty extensive menu. They made sure that my wife and I received different dishes, so we could taste pretty much everything. We started with an artichoke salad and a white prawn with beans and pancetta. These dishes were good, but nothing extraordinary. The fun began for real with our second course. We were served bay scallops in truffled crema with black truffle shavings which was amazing, but the star here was the unbelievable sweet onion crepe with white truffle. All the flavors meshed perfectly together, and it was like a feast in my mouth. Our third course consisted of the very much talked-about spinach gnocchi in brown butter, and I have to say it really deserves its fame. They are airy, fluffy pieces of spinach dough that absorb the brown butter and deliver a real punch of flavor. I would never be able to eat regular gnocchi again... We also tasted the almond tortellini, which is filled with rice and comes in a truffle sauce, which was also absurdly fantastic! Our fourth course was a combo of different pastas. A chestnut fettuccine with wild boar ragu and cocoa, which was our favorite of the pastas, and tasted really earthy and delicious. We also had a tonarelli with tripe and tomato. I have to say I'm not a big fan of tripe, but I really loved this dish. Salty, kinda anchovy like, a great contrast to the earthy taste of the boar pasta. We mentioned to our server we loved bone marrow, and they threw in an extra dish for our fourth course (great service!) which was a maloreddus with bone marrow and fennel, and it was a complete taste contrast in comparison to the other pasta dishes, deliciously fatty, very umami-delivering. The fifth course were the meat dishes, again, not out of this world extraordinary, but very very good. We had a trio of veal (bolitto misto) which was kinda of a fried sausage, veal tongue, breast and brisket. Very good. We also had baby goat with polenta. I never had goat before, but we were adventurous and went for it, and we loved it, it was very crispy and tender, tasted like a mix of piglet and lamb. Then to the multiple dessert course. It started with a pre-dessert pistachio sorbet, which on its own would have been an awesome dessert. We also received an assortment of macaroons which were delicious. Then we had the Pistachio flan with white chocolate gelato, which was really extraordinary, and the butternut squash pudding with crispy bacon, which tasted like dessert and breakfast combined, very interesting. They then send you off with a couple of pistachio biscottis to take home. I ate one the day after, and it was awesomely good as well. We didn't have the wine pairing, but we picked a great bottle from their extensive list, and it went really well with the food. We definitely left the place extremely satisfied, we did eat a LOT, the food was amazing, as was the service. Highly recommend it!
(5)
Kathy L.

Disclaimer: I haven't actually eaten here yet...but we have a reservation! Feb. 6th for an early valentines day dinner. I promise I will update my review with thoughts on our actual meal. All I have to say right now is that when we met Thomas Keller at French Laundry and told him we just moved to Philadelphia, he recommended Vetri "if you like pasta". Done.
(4)
Trey W.

Best. Meal. Ever. Insanely expensive... and worth every penny.
(5)
Mel I.

I am not even sure how you write a review of a place that is so perfect. The ambiance, the food, the service, wow.....I can't even explain. You have to go for the grand tasting menu. My only complaint is that even though everything was so perfect, I feel like it was maybe 20% or so overpriced.....but when a place books up months in advance, I guess they can do that.
(5)
Becca M.

It honestly baffles me when reviewers take stars off of Vetri because of: a) the price; and b) the fact that the only thing that you can order is the seasonal tasting menu. In response to people groaning about the price: Vetri is the best meal I have ever had anywhere, period. I saved up to take my boyfriend there for his birthday and it was worth every penny. You should expect to spend money because you decided to make a reservation at Vetri. It has been repeatedly called one of the best restaurants in American and the best italian restaurant in America. These accolades are not an overstatement, the food at Vetri was phenomenal and left me satisfied for the entire next day (more about this when I address the anti-tasting menu people). Also, we got the wine pairing in addition to the tasting menu. I recommend doing this; seriously do not skimp. You are already at Vetri so experience it in its entirety! In response to those who apparently feel the need for more variety than a seasonal tasting menu: Again, you made reservations at Vetri - knowing in advance (because the maitre'd informed you on the phone) - that the restaurant only serves guests the seasonal tasting menu. That being said, who cares? Marc Vetri is a freakin' genius and makes delicious food. Every course of our meal (which was 12 courses) elicited a "This is the best thing I have ever eaten response." I am not going to go over the highlights because the menu changes seasonally, and it would be absolutely cruel to tease anyone with descriptions of the dishes. Having said this, go to Vetri - but do not think that you are spending under $500 if you are getting the wine pairing, so follow Scar's advice and be prepared.
(5)
Esse Z.

Literally one of the best meals I have ever had. The plates were on point, perfected and well portioned. The space is especially warm as is the service. The pasta-based plates were memorable in that they were filling yet never heavy which is a very fine line to be able to balance.
(5)
Jocy C.

"Possibly the BEST Italian Restaurant on the East Coast" Great food... but was it worth the $? Eh... I'd rate it 3.5 stars. Tasting menu of $155 each. Both bf and I thought it should cost about $90 to $100 each instead of $155. I expected to be wow'ed.... but it was just pretty good. Maybe my expectations were too high. On the tasting menu, some memorable dishes: - Chestnut Fettuccine with Wild Boar Ragu - Almond Tortellini with Truffle Sauce - Spinach Gnocchi with Brown Butter (tasty but way too heavy on the butter) I think the tasting menu had too many dishes (I think we had like 8 dishes per person)... but it felt like quantity over quality. For $155, I expect some high end ingredients like fish eggs or something. An example, for dessert, one of them was a Panettone. It was basically whole Panettone cut in half with a sweet sauce on the side. It was the equivalent of 4 portions of desserts on 1 plate. When the dessert was served, the bf said "this is so wrong".... and our waiter couldn't help but break a smile.
(3)
Aaron S.

First, there was woman having an orgasm behind us. Second, we had orgasms shortly thereafter. ------- My lady friend and I went to celebrate her birth, but instead we celebrated the blessings of Vetri's chefs delivering a peerless meal. I wish I could remember all of the courses we enjoyed, but the meal was spectacular all around. The service was impeccable and the staff's attentiveness to every anticipated need was impressive. Specifically, the onion crepe was the best morsel of food I've ever eaten. The hand crafted charcuterie and the masterful execution of so many complex dishes continues to astound me. Though the price is fixed at a premium rate, I assure you that the experience is worth far more than that.
(5)
Jim R.

2nd time & it's really nothing special. Yes quality products, decent wine list, GREAT staff who make it worth a try, but really nothing special culinarily for steep price & if you eat here twice it's plain disappointing. . . Ate here about a year ago and menu items are same or similiar so not much innovation. Especially when they know you had same dish prior they should check resv books. Def need to expand from core dishes. Expected wow, got bust. Good, but buyers remourse here after the second visit. First was just anticipation & good. Menu & food is average.. true rustic Italian restaurants at 50Euro a head kill this place. If ever in Rome, eat at Cul de Sac and you'll get it.. Vetri just misses the mark & every other dish was schwag. We're done here at $600 for two. C'est La Vie. Dueces.
(2)
Ed S.

There has been much written already so what I have to say seems not so original or important, but here goes. There is much to say about this dining experience, largely I think because of the price. The question that keeps repeating in my mind is: was the meal worth the price? Despite the exceptional service and wonderful wine pairings, a $600 meal for two needs to be something that is nearly perfect and truly exceptional, and I do not think Vetri can be described that way. It was a great experience, but there were too many dishes that did not hit the mark to give this restaurant a 5 star rating. We asked and were provided with a copy of the menu and wine pairings and when I reviewed the menu following the meal I came to the conclusion that 4 of the offerings were exceptional. There was a clear miss-- the pasta with cockles- and at least four other dishes were nothing great. Both my husband and I overate and felt almost sick from the excessive richness, but I'm sure that a little more self control could have been exercised. Still, since the chef took complete control of the menu -- you are in his hands entirely- more balance may have helped. We are fortunate to have the option of Vetri in our town, but I also feel that it still needs to be tweaked a bit, or maybe the price is only for the 1%.or 1/2 of 1%. Still a four star rating is good and I believe fair given all the factors that I have mentioned.
(4)
Cat P.

I've had 4 months to write a review about Vetri and I'm still at a loss for words for how I should describe my meal. Is there a level above perfect? Because there should be, and it should be called Vetri (Merriam-Webster, update your dictionary now). My grand plan was to surprise my boyfriend for his birthday with a meal at Vetri. Easy, right? But one does not simply walk into Vetri. No, this took some serious plotting. I contacted the restaurant over a month out to see if they would be able to accommodate me, since yours truly has a plethora of food allergies. "No problem," they said. I then proceeded to stalk them on Open Table for a solid week so I could snag a reservation (I swear I'm sane) and then I anxiously waited for the date to arrive. Vetriland was everything I imagined it would be: impeccable service, exquisite food that I will never forget, amazing drinks...it was a beautiful dining experience. I recommend pacing yourself as you go throughout the courses because this is a marathon, not a sprint. Savor each bite and sip slowly or you won't be able to enjoy dessert. As if the whole meal wasn't enough, we were given an autographed, hand-painted menu and a brief tour of the kitchen. All in all, it was the perf...er...Vetri evening. Thank you for making me an unforgettable meal and helping me win the girlfriend of the year award.
(5)
Robert A.

Vitri was a great experience for me. I went there for my bday and the chef's selection is a solid choice. I was expecting a more balanced meal, meaning more vegetable and salad plates. I would say that the entire experience was a bit heavy on the pasta and just a bit salty on some dishes. In terms of staff, ambience and service - that was all great.
(3)
Jon H.

What a meal! Possibly the best Italian meal I have ever had ,.. and I have had many inside and outside Italy. Just superb and I remember feeling really quite sad when it was time to leave (even though the restaurant had arranged a courtesy car to take us home I was a reluctant last customer through the door). They were so many standouts on the menu but the one I will always remember was the polenta with poached egg. So simple but such an exquisite set of tastes and textures. Oh my god... and oh anyone else's god for that matter. Go.
(5)
Lauren I.

I'll just add to the long list of positive reviews here - but wow, what an amazing experience. Vetri did not let us down! My husband surprised me with a dinner at Vetri for my birthday. Everything was superb, including the glass of prosecco greeting right down to the pre-dessert (!!) and dessert flan. Decadent, mouth-wateringly delicious. Both the meal and the service were out of this world!! Would definitely recommend for a special occasion.
(5)
CHRIS X.

Great Food. I moved down one bar stool is a group could fit in and the sent me a complimentary dessert. Classy move Mark Vetri...
(5)
Vinny P.

"Meet me at Broad and Spruce and dress nicely" was all she said to me. Apparently, my birthday dinner was supposed to be some sort of special occasion. I put on my fitted shirt, pants, tie and laced up my shoes. I could tell this was going to an evening to remember. As we walked east on Spruce, she asked if I knew where we were going. I shook my head unknowingly and then she stopped me and said "we're here." It took me a minute to comprehend where I was and then my hands started shaking. When the door swung open we were greeted by well dressed staff members and sat in the corner table. A glass of prosecco was handed to us to begin our meal. She looked at me from across the table and said "Happy Birthday" I had to pinch myself to make sure this wasn't a dream. The appetizers presented were a selection of cured meats, foie gras and vegetables with a balsamic reduction. Each item was exquisite, highly precise and delicate. We perused the menu and instructed our server to "surprise us." With the recent opening of Alla Spina, we chose the beer pairing. We chose wisely. My toro wrapped around burrata was the opening part to the symphony of this meal. Thinly sliced and dissolved on my tongue leaving only the creamy burrata. This dish was executed flawlessly. "Are you crying?" she said. Of course I wasn't. There's no crying in Vetri. I have no doubt that the staff at Vetri has sold their soul to make their spinach gnocchi. This was the origami of pasta. Perfect and precise in every way. I knew they weren't playing fair when I tasted this dish. The brown butter and ricotta salata just changed the game entirely. Crumbled lamb over house made pappardelle, sure why not? How about poussin roasted with pig belly? I was beginning to think that the Vetri staff was playing some sort of joke on me. It turns out they weren't, the place is just that damn fantastic. When all was said and done, a polenta chocolate cake with a candle came out just for me. I'm not used to this kind of attention. When I ventured out that evening, I wasn't prepared for the best meal of my life. I now know what great food is supposed to taste like.
(5)
Nooshin P.

Not really a fan of this type of restaurants to begin with, as it's never what you think. Went there a couple of weeks ago on a Friday night (late review). The chef doesn't know me and will not know me any better by me simply telling the waiter that I don't care for clams or any other little facts that I share- so a meal is not created or prepared for me specifically! The chef has made a few dishes, which you receive, based on what you do and don't like on the general menu that they present to you. The point of such a restaurant is too eagerly await the next course. I did not find this to be the case- and in fact, each course was overly emphasized with heavy butters or sauces, that not only do you not get the true taste of what you are eating, but by the end of dinner, you need an alka seltzer to counter all the rich food- I did not find any of the courses to be more than just ok. On top of this, the inside of the restaurant is very small and you are sitting very close to your neighbor and it lacks ambiance of any sort. To top it off, there was a bug roaming around our table to I finally trapped it under my water glass. When I told the waiter, he removed my glass and used his finger to squash and remove it- again-he used his fingers to kill and remove the bug off our white table cloth- not cool. There was 4 of us and after dinner, a couple of drinks, and tip, our bill was over $1,000! Philadelphia has some tremendous restaurants and this was definitely not one of them. And need I say, way over-priced. The only reason that I gave this restaurant any stars at all was that the wait staff was very attentive.
(2)
Jenny L.

Now that I've eaten there, here's a review of my experience at the restaurant. Although I'm updating the review instead of re-writing it, because I believe in first impressions, I'm not going to hold it against the food/ service! We arrived on time but had to wait for our seats for about fifteen minutes. I kind of like seeing that because it means that diners are enjoying their time at the restaurant and want to hang out for a bit. The hostess offered prosecco to those of us waiting, which was a nice gesture. The tasting menu was definitely much more than the expected five courses. We weren't exactly counting (until we looked back upon the meal) and were just focused on the food, but we stepped out very full! For the amount of food and the quality of ingredients, the meal was very much worth the money. There was also a candle for us at the end of the dinner for our anniversary. But although the experience was lovely, nothing really stood out, except for this one pasta...but even now I cannot recall what it was (just that it tasted delicious). The food was simple and straightforward as I'd hoped, but it was so uncreative. What I mean by this is that 1/3 of all the dishes had brown butter as its sauce. So it wasn't really sauce but just pasta dredged in brown butter. Also I'm very fond of the milk solids, but it was mostly the clarified butter that was in the plate :(. I'm still excited to try other Marc Vetri restaurants, but I'm not sure about going back to Vetri.
(3)
Nicole K.

BEST MEAL EVER! BEST SERVICE EVER! Traveled from nyc to go to vetri. I had been waiting to taste Marc Vetri's food for years. He has been one of my favorite chefs and one that I always tried to model myself after. I was not disappointed at all. The highlights of the meal. softshell crab snails sweet onion crepe with white truffle spinach gnocchi with brown butter veal I am really not a dessert person and that was the most forgettable part. Lets face it, Italians are not known for their desserts. I would highly recommend Vetri. Also, another plus was when the chef came out to our table. He was just making his rounds and when he found out I was a Chef invited me back to see the kitchen. DREAM COME TRUE!
(5)
Shannon G.

On our brisk ascent up the stairs of Vetri's tiny row home, I caught a glance of the potted plants, neatly kept shutters, and modestly proportioned sign. A quiet confidence that does very little to give away the quality of food within. A small dining room with an even smaller capacity for parties of 6, it took a while to coordinate our visit. Decor is well coordinated and actually quite demure given the price tag. A relaxing, welcoming atmosphere that helps detach you from the center city bustle. Service is excellent, no surprise there. Some things I remember from the meal. A platter of bite sized cured meats, foie gras, and salad was first. Served family style, it was a good way to try a lot of small items and get things started. Little monkfish, fried whole, arrived in the table center. No need to coax us in with the deftly intact lore hovering over its grouchy under bite, the presentation was all the enticing we needed. Delicious, creative, and a perfect fish to serve whole since the edible area is free of bones. Asparagus flan tagged along with the monkfish, and really got overshadowed in spite of being smooth and flavorful. Sweet onion crepe with truffle fondue was delicious and among the consensus favorites. Lamb Chorizo with fava and mint. Subtle kick, excellent when there was a mint-heavy bite. Spinach gnocchi with brown butter was a table favorite with its deep green color. Almond Tortellini with truffle sauce. Like an almond cookie in delicate pasta, it was interesting despite being a little less complex than some other courses. Braised veal breat with endive salad was good on its own, but the Barolo pairing really helped take it to the next level. Speaking of wine, we opted for the grand pairing and for the most part it was outstanding. An nice mix of wines focusing mainly on Italy and its immediate neighbors, they were an excellent complement to the food. Passito with dessert was exactly what I was hoping for. Vetri really stuck to a strong Italian inspiration in their dishes, which may seem kind of obvious, but at the same time the drive for creativity and presentation at this level of restaurant can at times strip out all traditional cultural references from the food. I liked that they retained some of that feeling, even though it sometimes left the dishes suffering from a shallower flavor. Pacing was perfect, translating to just over 3 hours. Some dishes weren't as big of a hit, but that happens even at the best places. It can be hard to tell where a great restaurant leaves off and great company kicks in sometimes. I'll say that we undoubtedly had a fantastic time, and I feel confident saying Vetri is among the best dining experiences in the Philadelphia region.
(5)
John M.

The tasting menu at Vetri was an experience I will never forget. Every plate that was put in front of me was executed perfectly and was delicious. The fresh tortellini with a generous shaving of white truffles was borderline sexual. Spinach gnocchi with brown butter, Russian salad, smoked Canada goose stuffed endive, sweet onion crepe w/ truffle fondue, boar ragu, apple fed lamb, and pistachio flan were all memorably awesome. Overall, it was a four and a half hour dining experience that was worth every penny. Be sure to get a reservation, go hungry, and buckle up for the meal of your life.
(5)
Jill L.

Decided to take another visit to Vetri to celebrate a number of things, including getting through wedding planning alive (those of you married folk KNOW that is cause for celebration). At our last visit, we did ala carte, so we were excited to do the tasting menu this time (since now that is all they offer). This was sort of an impromptu visit- we made our 645 reservation the night before for the Fourth of July, which was pretty awesome because everyone else in Philadelphia were either at the beach or standing on the Parkway. For anyone who is unfamilar, Vetri offers a 6 course tasting menu for $135, with optional wine and beer pairings. ** Note- I just learned from the website, they are increasing their price to $155 in September 2012 ** They give you the menu at the start of the meal and ask if there are any particular dishes you do/do not want to taste. We didn't get the wine/beer pairings and we told the waitress to surprise us with the dishes. And so our journey began.... First, they brought out complimentary glasses of prosecco along with a bowl of crudite and this amazing balsamic vinegar jam. They also brought out a plate with some salumi, foie gras on crackers, and a vegetable tart. The next course was our fish dishes. I had a piece of fatty tuna wrapped around burrata cheese and my husband had a dungess crab salad with peaches. Both were excellent. Then came two pasta/vegetable dishes each. Between us we had: the spinach gnochhi, the sweet onion crepe, the corn and mushroom ravioli, and the almond tortellini. By far, my favorite was the sweet onion crepe. We had it the first time we visited as well. MAKE SURE TO GET THIS DISH! The next course was another pasta dish (I can't really remember what exactly was in there) and a piece of grilled beef with some grilled vegetables. Good but not as memorable as the other dishes before them. Next, we had our meat entrees. I'm going to be committing blasphemy here, but I have to say the meat dishes were not my favorites :( only because I mostly tend to eat vegetarian when I can. My husband, however, was in full-on carnivore mode and devoured it. But I digress... So the two dishes they brought were the pouisson (basically a little chicken, for unclassy peeps like me) and a goat dish with creamy polenta. Don't get me wrong, they were very very very good, but I would have rather had extra servings of the pasta-- I know that for next time. Finally, we moved on to the dessert portion of our meal. They brought us this black cherry sorbet and some petit fours, following by two desserts-- a pistachio flan and a strawberry strudel with greek yogurt. The pistachio flan was by far our favorite. I was really tempted to ask the waiter to wrap up the plate so I could lick it clean at home. I'd promise to bring it back the next day! OK, so the food is beyond amazing. To comment on the ambiance-- I love how this place feels-- super cozy and totally not pretentious, despite the ultra gourmet food and hefty price tag. Same feeling about the service-- all the waiters were friendly, warm, and knowledgable. Such a great combination! Overall, this is a place where you will drop a few Benjamins. However, you will have a truly memorable and delicious experience. I, like most who have visited, highly recommend it!
(5)
CC C.

It was my husband's birthday so I made reservations months in advance and saved for this really special occasion. We committed to the "surprise us" approach that the server boasted and we both were very excited. My husband did the wine pairing to get the full experience. We waited 20 minutes for the 1st course which was not a great first impression considering it was antipasto and we were hungry. While we were waiting, a couple sat right next to us about 20 min after we'd arrived. Throughout our meal we noticed that our courses were being served on their schedule, meaning we finished a course, but we're not served our next one until they were ready as well. Between the 2nd & 3rd course we waited 30 minutes for our meal. We were on a much faster pace considering we had an hour and a half drive and it was a thursday night. We didnt get out of there for nearly 3.5 hours. Additionally we heard the table behind us tell their server they had to be out in 45 minutes and I think that made us take a back seat to their needs in addition to that fact that there was a culinary VIP at that table. Overall my take on the food was heavy and a bit clumsy and the wine tasting was uncoordinated. It was never brought out with the paired meal that it was supposed to go with (if any?). My husband kept asking "should I drink it now or wait?" The worst dish--chittara with octopus. We both could not even force it down. We looked at the table next to us & they had the same reaction. VERY fishy pasta is not what we were expecting. One of the managers noticed my face & insisted he bring out something else: tagliolini with corn and chanterelles, which was very tasty and very accommodating. We appreciated it. While service was friendly, we literally held our breath when a particular server came to our table. He had the worst BO we have ever smelt. It was overpowering and truly offensive. At the end of the day we were both very disappointed. We felt that we were placed on our neighboring table's schedule and not given the individual attention that we would have expected from such a highly reviewed and lauded restaurant. After spending more than half a grand with tip, I have unshakable regret after going here. Money would have been much better spent at Laurel or Mica.
(2)
Michael E.

Vetri is a very special place. I wanted to love it. There were four of us dining and we certainly enjoyed it. Most of what we tasted was exceptional especially the pastas. The goat was unique but not easy to eat. The lamb was extremely gamey and none of us finished it. The service was exceptional and they attended to our every need. One of the shortcomings of the small and cramped space is if you have a very noisy table next to you, which we unfortunately did it makes for a less pleasurable experience. I would relish the opportunity to try the restaurant again and possibly guide the staff to alter our tastings. People seem to complain about the price but I don't think it is outrageous for what you receive. If you don't mind spending the money I think it is certainly worth a try!
(4)
Izak M.

The food at Vetri is excellent. The service is impeccable. It is not cheap. Our group of four spent nearly a thousand dollars on food and wine. My most expensive meal ever. Recognized as one of the nations top restaurants this is understandable. However, my meal was not the best ever - that was a place called Django near South Street a decade ago and far less expensive. Don't get me wrong - we had a great meal. Terrfic chef. I simply expected "the best ever". I'll have to return a second time to be fair.
(4)
Andrew W.

My dinner at Vetri was, in a word, outstanding. Each course throughout the meal was superb. I'm glad they give you the menu to take home, our selected items spanned so many types of proteins and delicious pastas that I began to lose track. Our server was excellent as well... she selected three glasses of wine though the meal that were perfectly paired with the given course. I don't care that the expense account idiots next to us were obnoxiously loud (thankfully they left before our second course) or that the decor seemed to have very little thought put into it... the food was unbelievable. End of story. Go here if you have the chance. Its also a nice change from some other fine dining establishments - you will be stuffed walking out of here. I will have dreams about the spinach gnocchi in brown butter sauce.
(5)
Stephen B.

Ok, so clearly I am out of the main stream in terms of my adoration of this fine establishment. In truth, I would give it 3.5 stars, but that is mostly due to my preference for dining styles. I have always been a fan of - the more flavors in life the better, and when you dine w/ friends at Vetri, you certainly get your share of variety in sharing tastes. So where's the beef as they used to say? And I don't mean in the hoofs and horns kind of way. I think my issue is with the Gatling gun approach to rolling through the courses. Although I wouldn't say we were 'rushed' per se it didn't feel at all leisurely or particularly elegant, although we were there for a good 2.5 hrs. The flavors were indeed very good. Some were excellent, but most were just so so considering the level they should be in this league. The wait staff was extremely knowledgeable about the food and especially about the wines. But they seemed really rushed to drop the plates, explain the offerings and run away. So after a $155 tasting fee, and $135 for the premium wines, I'm not feeling the sense of $360 per person value (after tip). And might I add the pours for the wines could not have been much more than 2 ounces, although some may have been 3 oz, but not a drop more. I have NOT looked up the prices for the bottles, but this seems awfully steep. If you are pouring 2.5 oz from a 750 ml bottle you are getting 10 pours per bottle. With 7 pours for 7 courses you are paying about $20.00 per glass at $135. Are each of these bottles valued at $200 or more? So at the end of the day - glad we went to check this place off. But wouldn't pick it a second time around. I would however rush back to Osteria, another of Mark Vetri's establishments. Felt the service and food there were above par compared to Vetri.
(3)
Jung K.

So it was delicious. Heavy and sometimes imbalanced on some of the plates, but really really a great meal. They greet you with a glass of prosecco (great start), and we chose a bottle for the whole meal vs. going for the tasting. I went for my boyfriend's birthday dinner, and I know that he fully enjoyed the meal! Some of the dishes in the middle were a bit heavy for me, but that's just a stylistic/taste preference. For every course, we both were given two different plates, which I thought was AWESOME. In addition, they also give a third plate to share per course, so it was actually like a 12 course meal vs. 7. best part: dessert. besides the petit-fours that are given, I had this pistachio 'flan' cake. THIS CHANGED MY LIFE FOR THE BETTER. It was like a pistacio macaron (the french kind, not 'macaroon') lava cake with pistachio cream inside. The service was impeccable, and it was truly a great birthday dinner. I might need a little more time to wait before I go back there again, due to the heaviness of the dishes, but it was still a great meal and experience. note: if you make a reservation, the hostesses will literally call you 3 times leading up to your reservation.
(4)
Kate S.

My husband and I went to Vetri last night to celebrate my birthday. The atmosphere was cozy and refreshingly low-key for such a refined meal. We were greeted with glasses of Prosecco and asked our food allergies and aversions. We informed the servers (I say servers because we were asked for this information multiple times which seemed like a good sign) no shellfish and no beef so we can share everything. I was served TWO shellfish courses that ignored this request. I am mildly allergic, but it could have poisoned my husband if he tried to snag a bite. And a dead spouse makes for a terrible birthday present...unless you hate them. Then maybe it's just what you always wanted. But, I am digressing. The first time it happened I just let it go and shuffled the food around. The second time a server was happy to replace it. But really, when a meal costs upwards of $400 dollars including tax and tip, this shouldn't happen. You should be able to trust what you are served. I think this can be a consequence of a serving style where everyone pitches in. Things get lost in whisper down the lane. This seems to have happened to other reviewers as well, so I'm not alone. That said, everything we could eat was absolutely delicious. So to be fair, I'll split the difference in my rating between the very good and the very bad.
(3)
Abhijit G.

To be honest and to put the review in context - I would have given this place 4 stars. Having said that, it's "Vetri" - supposedly one of the best Italian restaurants in the country. With that reputation and the fact that it does burn a decent sized hole in ur pocket - Vetri was a disappointment. The service was very good and attentive but the food not as "customized" as one would have hoped. When the host asked us for our preferences at the beginning, he seemed to be passively listening. Not sure how much was sinking in. Case in point: one of my desserts was something that we specifically discussed shouldn't be one of my choices given my dislike for bananas. Having said that, they never hesitated to replace any course if you said you didn't care for it. I absolutely didn't care for my first course and it was promptly changed. There were many things that were very very good. But nothing that would make my top 5 all time favorite things eaten at a restaurant. Therein lies my disappointment.
(3)
Alli M.

I have been wanting to try Vetri for years. Maybe my hopes were too high, but I was a bit disappointed - especially given the $155 price tag. The service was excellent, particularly the wine service. The food, on the other hand, was uneven. The scallop and the gnocchi dishes were incredible, but the other dishes - wild boar pasta, roast, some awful bone marrow dish my friend received, and the desserts were not good enough to warrant the price tag. Moreover, I felt like each dish was heavier than the next. I wish the menu was better balanced with a few more dishes that had a lighter touch. After the scallops, it was all meat, pasta and heavy sauces. Finally, I was with two friends and I hated that we each received something different at each course and we had no input on who received what. I understand respectingt eh vision of the chef, but what about serving the tastes of the customers? I go to a lot of high end restaurants and a lot of multi course dinners. I'm not uncomfortable spending well over $150 for a meal, BUT, I also expect a meal in this price range to be amazing and I was far from amazed at Vetri. And I'm actually a little surprised it has done this well for so long. There are so many other great choices in Philly. I expect to pick one of me the next time I am looking for a good upscale meal in the area.
(2)
Christine D.

Most amazing Italian food I've ever had! Luckily this was on the company dollar since the tasting menu is the only option. My favorite was the almond tortellini....so much that I googled it after and actually found the restaurant's recipe for it! I have yet to try and make it myself but I'm sure my efforts would pale in comparison. All the pasta is freshly handmade and is absolutely amazing. If you can splurge it is worth the experience at least once! Kisses Ahhhhmazing pasta Disses Pricey!!
(5)
Anthony Y.

awesome. we try to make it to vetri once a year. typically a special occassion, i always enjoy the level of thought, execution and great service. since i have been back to the philly area, we have enjoyed vetri several times - spinach gnocchi, almond tortelini, squid ink pasta, foi and pate amuses.. special place.
(5)
Laura T.

Absolutely spectacular meal. Warm service and nice ambiance in the townhouse setting. Spinach gnocchi is what dreams are made of.
(5)
Amber M.

You think you've had gnocchi? You haven't had gnocchi. Splurge for the tasting menu with pairings (reserve) and bring the foodie in your life with you. Don't fill up on bread! Early seating to avoid being rushed through a very good Italian meal. Adorable dining room.
(4)
Amie P.

Best meal of my life. The only complaint - which isn't even a complaint, is I was definately drunk by the end of the meal. Each course, we had two different plates to taste and with each plate we had a glass of wine...adding up to over 7 glasses of wine. I would go back in a heart beat.
(5)
Cynthia S.

I came here a few days ago with my boyfriend's family for his graduation dinner. It was an amazing dining experience - I believe we ended up with a total of 7 courses with a second dessert to go. Upon arrival, you are presented with a menu with 4 categories. You then tell your server if any of the items look particularly intriguing or disgusting, as well as inform him/her of any food allergies. Other than your few thoughts, the chef will be the one deciding the course for you. My recommendation is to chill and let the chef pick. I'm somewhat of a picky eater so this concept was a scary one to me, but it turned out to be great. Since we all tasted one another's courses, I got to sample a wide variety of the offerings. I had originally requested the sweet onion crepe and pistachio dessert and told the chef that "I like meat." While the sweet onion crepe was very good, I actually thought the squid and artichoke galette, which was served at the same time, was out of this world. AMAZING. Another favorite of mine was the stuffed guinea hen breast for the main course, which was served while I had the bronizini. The stuffed hen was soooooo good, writing about it makes me upset that I can't have more right now. I am personally not a huge fan of white fishes, so I feel that I didn't enjoy the bronzini as much as someone else would have. Given that I had mentioned that I love meat, this is the one small aspect of things that I was slightly disappointed in. Overall it was an amazing and very filling dinner. Keep in mind it's not just 4 course the way the menu makes it out to be, so don't fill up on bread too early!
(5)
Chad B.

Ahhhh what a meal. Celebrated the anniversary there last night. Loved everything about it (except the price ). From beginning to end it really was a fantastic experience. Immediately seated and served a glass of prosecco - that set the tone for the night. We left everything in the chef's hands and made no requests. We did order the most expensive wine pairing to go with the meal ($130 per person). I have to say the food was great but I think we enjoyed the service even more. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable about both the food and the wine. My favorite dishes of the night were the vegetable tart that came on the first course, the onion crepe and pistachio pasta but almost everything was a standout. I loved that at the end of the night we were given a bag that contained the menu, the wine list and a few biscotti. Our outstanding waitress even "starred" each wine that we found particularly fantastic so we could purchase in the future. What a nice touch. Bill came to over $700 for 2, with tip and the wine pairing. Expensive yes but truly a must do for a special occasion.
(5)
Jamie S.

AH-MAZING! If you are fortunate to make it, you will not regret it. It is a 2.5 hour progressive meal filled with great service and impeccably delicious and beautiful food. Expensive, yes. Unforgettable, yes! The almond tortellini, balsamic creama, sweet onion tart and gnocchi were the best.
(5)
David C.

STOP! Think twice and don't believe the hype... If you say you are great you better be, if you screw up - own it. SAVE YOUR $$$ The crux of the issue with Vetri was that they ran out of the good stuff and because we were the late seating, got the vegetarian selection. FAIL! It was a weird experience, and it is hard not to give them the benefit of the doubt when the reviews are so solid, but I need to speak the truth. First the reservation was for the wrong day and this might have been a simple mistake. We were told it would be 45 minutes and of course it became 85. They did compensate a bit and put out an excellent cured meat selection and vegetables with reduced balsamic. This was a nice beginning and the high point. Here is my 6 course chef tasting (FYI I said don't hold back, I eat anything) 1... Tomato salad - it was tasty, lightly dressed with a nice mix of vegetables (I don't think this was even on the menu) 2... Sweet Onion Crepe with White Truffle - this was excellent and the truffle around it was a great mix 3... Almond Tortellini with Truffle Sauce - fresh pasta, amazingly unique 4.... Heirloom Tomato Risotto - another vegetable dish that was just not that interesting and certainly not worth the calories. Most of the plates went back. I think they saw this as a sign. AT THIS POINT I WAS NERVOUS 4 out 6 tastings done and not a single protein. And the final dish was... 5... Dry Aged Ribeye - it was fine, but definitely the least exotic and boring entree. And in a city with some of the best steakhouses in the world, I would have considered this for an entree. At this point we saw some serious scurrying going on in the kitchen and they brought out 2 dishes to share. I'm assuming this was what they had left. ... Baby Goat with freshly stone milled polenta - This was excellent. I never thought I'd like Goat, now I love those cute little animals. ... Bass - it was OK (not sure where this was on the menu) DINNER DONE - FAIL On the menu was lobster, whole fish, octopus, sweetbreads, quail, duck... Talk about the ultimate bait and switch, we were served none of it. 6... Desserts was another sorry story of "We ran out of chocolate." What? On a price fixe? Am I allowed to say I ran out of money? They were nice enough to give us a tasting, but there were no stand outs. Another disappointment was that the entire table did the Grand Wine Tasting, so we hoped this would push the food over the top. The wines were excellent- tons of refills, the problem was they were selected for a bad boring tasting. Service was the high point and our waitress was as good as we have had. My suggestion for them is if you see a dinner going south, stop it. Be intuitive enough to intervene and flexible enough to make your customers happy, this is what the best restaurants do. They should have explained the problem, not charged us a premium for a boring and lazy menu. At a top Italian restaurant our same meal would have cost a quarter of the check without wine. And there would have been more food to eat and we would have chosen better. I feel bad saying, but this was the worst chef tasting I have ever had and the cost for a mainly vegetarian meal was crazy. They ran out of food... I ran out of stars, suck it up, don't rest on your reviews and own it. TIP: Consider not going on a Saturday night, as Chef Vetri is not working. TIP 2: Pick exactly what you want from the menu I welcome anyone from Vetri to respond to this review and explain what happened and why I had the world's most expensive almost vegetarian meal.
(1)
Enid C.

Everyone should come here at least once. Even if it means eating kimchi and rice (or whatever it is non-Asian people eat when they're trying to save money) for 30 days straight, it will be worth it. Yes, it is true that Vetri now only offers the full tasting menu at $135 a head. Add in the wine tasting menu, and you're over $200 a person, not factoring in tax and tip. I thought I was being clever, so I decided to forgo the wine and pregame with a few pints at Monk's a few blocks away. Not the classiest of things to do, but dealing with my lack of class is something I have to do every day. Be aware that the menu changes seasonally. They offer you a menu with several options for each course, so expect to get any one of those items. You can inform your server if you have any particular preferences or diet restrictions, and they are very accommodating. My dining companion and I received different items for nearly the entire meal, so I was able to sample about 11 different dishes. If you see the spinach gnocchi, order it. Marc Vetri is a master of pasta, but even this is out of the ordinary for him. The gnocchi melts in your mouth, releasing the fresh spinach that is somehow still slightly crisp. The golden onion sweet crepe with white truffle fondue is also completely mind-blasting. Everything from the seasonal vegetable plate to the post-meal macaroons was delicious and perfectly executed, with excellent service and ambiance to match. The only sour taste I got was the one left in my mouth when presented with the bill (incidentally, they also miscalculated *slightly* and almost charged us $200 extra!). But quality isn't always easy to come by, so start collecting your loose change (or loose Benjamins) and, please, direct yourself to Vetri.
(5)
Vivian H.

It's a tiny unassuming place that we couldn't find at first. I love restaurants in houses so I was really excited when we finally found it. We stepped in and they actually were able to seat us early (8pm instead of our 8:45 reservation). The service really is impeccable. I almost wish I got wine so we could experience the sommelier who seemed amazing. We ordered a la carte because we are not yet filthy rich. For our antipasti, we got the TEMPURA SOFT SHELL CRAB which was ugh sooo goooood. Then our bread came, which was weird, and I thought the focaccia was to-die-for, the white tuscan not so much. For pastas we tried the SHRIMP & RICOTTA RAVIOLI, which just melted in your mouth but I think it reminded me too much of shrimp shu mai. We also had the DUNGENESS CRAB SPAGHETTI which was really disappointing - really salty, no crab to be seen, and the pasta was really hard and I know that's not what al dente is. Our secondi was the special, a SUCKLING PIG dish that was pretty much perfect, really decadent and crispy and salty and sweet. So it was a mixed experience. I really expected better pasta (and bigger portions of it), but the antipasti and secondi were amazing. The tables next to us got the tasting menus and wine and would not stop raving about it so that is probably the way to go if you can afford to splurge (more than usual).
(4)
Chris X M.

Truly stunning flavors erupt at this quaint old-world venue. Service and wine pairings are nearly perfect and while the restaurant is small, it's got a lot of old-world warmth. A fast-moving pack of great servers keep everything moving briskly despite a 7 or 9 course prixe fixe menu. Prices are big city platinum card, but the flavors all pay their debts with fantastic flavors. Near Perfection. Great for small groups or romantic dinner.
(5)
Kerry B.

Well, as shocking as it may be, I do not see the hype. Overall I think there were two pasta dishes I liked moderately... And everything else was boarder line icky to indelible. The almond pasta, I do not get, I will never get, and I allowed my dining partner to polish those off. The fish dishes... Honest to god, rancid. Fish should not taste LIKE FISH this was like he used fish bought the week before, horrible. The lobster stuffed shell, literally... Cat food. The goat was cooked nicely but was very fatty I think there was about two spoonfuls of meat, and the polenta was unbalanced. No brightness there just heavy marrow and olive oil flavors. Skip this, go to Amis and save $200.
(2)
Lucas B.

Some restaurants set themselves apart from the rest on all levels. At Vetri it was in a way that I did not expect. My wife and I went for the tasting menu last week. First, they brought us different dishes so that we could essentially try everything, which was nice enough. But they weren't just doing that. My wife had a glass of red wine, while I started with white, and the kitchen and sommelier were matching our wines. She got the more rich, dark dishes, and I had crisp creamy dishes. The menu was exceptional (and given to us), but I won't disclose any of it, because: (1) it changes regularly and (2) why would you want to know it? Just go and enjoy the experience.
(5)
Bill q.

World Class save up and go.
(5)
Mark H.

After 5 years and countless dinners, my visit to Vetri still stands out as the most sublime dining experience i have had in Philly. There is no way that service or setting can trump food itself when it comes to fine dining, and Vetri takes that concept to the highest level. If you want to really indulge and you don't "love" French cuisine, Vetri is for you. If available try the foie gras pastrami, it's as delectable as food gets.
(5)
Ira S.

Went here with my wife for my 60th birthday. Had a wonderful meal with great wine. Staff was very attentive and the food was excellent.
(5)
Aria S.

This place is FANCY. I had the pleasure of being taken here (cause I'm not loaded) and it was a wonderful dining experience after I spent the first 10 minutes overwhelmed at the fanciness. They start you off with complimentary champagne (after I finished it is when I felt less overwhelmed lol) and then it begins! There are like 6 courses. A tasting plate, an entree, two pastas and two desserts I want to say. You will be stuffed after. What makes this an experience is that there is no set menu. They ask you your dietary restrictions and get an idea for your preferences and bring you whatever. It's really cool! I found all of the flavors in all of the dishes unique (always a plus) and rich. My favorite was the mint linguine. The main server walks you through all the steps and is so familiar with the food coming out as well as the wine list. Thoroughly impressed with how they described everything. Considered one of the best in the country, I highly recommend if you got some money to blow!
(5)
Matthew H.

This is for the pop-up dinner with Georges Perrier on Friday July 24th So for those of you that aren't aware, Marc Vetri does pop-up dinners on the 2nd floor of the restaurant when the room isn't rented out. He doesn't announce that he is doing this until the day of the pop-up and he uses social media to let everyone know. You need to call the restaurant, leave a message, and hope that you get a call back. This was the first time I had been in town when this happened. I happened to be on social media (Instagram) when he posted about it and I called. I got a call back within minutes and was able to score 2 seats for the 8:30 pm seating (there is a 6:00 pm and 8:30 pm seating). We arrived on time and the staff was still setting up the table. Once ready we were all led upstairs into the upstairs kitchen, here Marc Vetri, Georges Perrier, Brad Spence, Vetri's sommelier, and other members of the staff greeted us with chilled asparagus soup, kuchi oysters topped with lemon gelato, and glasses of prosecco. During this time we chatted amongst each other and with the chefs. Everyone was extremely friendly and we were all able to get a sense of what we were in for dinner. After about 10-15 minutes, we were asked to move to the dining room to take our seats. They assign seats so that you don't have to worry about jockeying over them, the table is very large and there were 18 of us seated, while it was cosy it wasn't cramped. Chef Vetri came out and talked us through some of the things they would be serving and just commented generally that he loves doing these dinners and that everything would be served family style, which is pretty amazing. I ordered some red wine to go with the dinner and they also had white wine and the selection was quite nice I have to say. Then the food started to arrive, crabcakes from La Bec Fin, mashed potatoes, polenta, seafood salad, rigatoni with bolognese, beef bourguignon, bread, and probably a few other things that I am forgetting. Basically this was like a dream, it happened way too fast, I kept eating and eating and eating because the food was just spectacular, there is no other word, maybe flawless. After the carnage, Vetri came back out and just chatted with everyone for about 15 minutes which was awesome. The meal ended with a fruit soup accompanied with gelato. The perfect ending really, light and refreshing. I also had a digestif which was great and I think I might be hooked on those now. So basically this was one of the best dining experiences that I have had so far and I can't wait to go back for another one of these pop-ups, this is the way to dine.
(5)
Jason F.

Hands down, the best meal I've ever had. Went for my birthday in Dec '14 on a weeknight and my girlfriend and I left completely impressed. The food was simple, but extremely well prepared. The menu is basically pre-selected for you, your only real option comes if you have something you really want to have - or really do not want to have. My girlfriend and I are not picky, so we trusted the chef, and were well rewarded. Both of our meals were different, as was the associated wine pairings, but both were excellent. Expensive, but well worth a quiet night out for a special occasion.
(5)
Jacki G.

Oh my gosh what an experience!!!! I had the privilege of coming here for my 30th birthday in April and it was everything I expected and more. I felt like I was in an old world Italian kitchen as the ambiance was perfect as well. I can finally check this place off my bucket list!! Our waiter, Bill, was incredible. Attentive, knowledgeable and interesting, he made the night that much better. I truly never experienced service as incredible as the service here, which took the night from a meal to an experience. We let Bill decide what to bring us., letting him know what we preferred and let him select. The foie was incredible ( it was my first time eating it) and I wanted more!! I can't remember specifics as to what we had, but every dish was simply amazing. Everything in the evening was A++++. I also opted for the wine tasting (hey go big or go home!) which was completely worth the money, as every glass was perfectly complimentary to the plate. I've never been so pleased, satisfied and happy with a meal as I was when I left here. Although the plates were small, there were so many plates that I was incredibly stuffed at the end of the meal. Vetri was everything I had hoped for and more, and although I will likely never get to go back (think two car payments for three people), I'm so honored and pleased that I got to eat here. I will never forget the meal or experience I had here. Absolutely incredible job, Marc Vetri!!!!
(5)
Alyssa R.

I have been meaning to come here for awhile and last night finally got to try the famous pizza. Looking for a late dinner spot, I saw the sign they were opened until 11 pm. We tried the crudo and the specialty pizza which u believe was called the neopalitano. OMG the crudo was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The prosciutto add a bit of a salty taste to the amazing mozzarella. It was delicious. I can't wait to go back and eat it again!! The special pizza had sopprasata mozz and red sauce. It was really good also. But nothing compares to the crudo pizza. Only complaint is I wish the pizzas were a bit cheaper! But oh well you get what you pay for at this place. And that is absolutely amazing pizza!!
(5)
Sari A.

Enjoying an exquisite meal in an undeniably "THE" top restaurant in Philadelphia, is a dream come true. Just a way to celebrate! I had put down Vetri on my must-try list, ever since I moved to this city. I was waiting for the perfect occasion to mark my first visit. I thought celebrating my 35th birthday would be the right time for a well-deserved indulgence at a well-deserved decadence. Vetri, definitely delivered an unforgettable meal and a life-changing experience. The tasting menu was like a box of chocolates, I never knew what I was going to get, and that by alone made the pricey and sophisticated dinner totally worthwhile. Robert Riely, my awesome, knowledgeable and personable server, noted my taste and preferences. I was so ready for my food adventure. It seemed like a bazillion dishes showed up without me even having to think about it. I was spoiled by the phenomenal service, surprised by my refined palette, and more impressed by Chef Adam's determination to excite and challenge my taste with his flavorful dishes. I was greeted warmly by the GM/sommelier, Bobby Domenick, and seated immediately at a lovely corner table. The ambiance was very warm and so inviting. As I always say, service can take any meal from delicious to divine. Vetri's experience was DIVINE! I started with some wonderful snack bites, some of which were s tasty foie gras pastrami, and a yummy herb vegetable tart. A great way to start my meal and be introduced to the kitchen. The delicious balsamic cream was mind-blowing. This perfection of sour and sweet dip was served alongside the fine cruditÃ©s. Then, an endless flow of absolutely flawless culinary delights kept coming out of the kitchen, in a very steady pace. Some of those delightful plates were brought out to me by Chef Adam Leonti personally. I was honored. Trying a Baltic Sea king crab with an escargot for the first time was exciting, that was followed by the classic sweet onion crepe with white truffle fondue, and brought out by Chef Adam. Don't be deceived by the humble presentation, because this was a masterpiece! This is one dish I can still remember its flavor. The chef is a genius, I don't usually eat lamb, but I totally enjoyed the mild flavor of the rare lamb. The bed of sweet orange relish preserve with that hint of mint made the whole dish more alluring. Another Vetri's signature and classic dish was the spinach gnocchi with brown butter, was part of the tasty proof. Taleggio ravioli with vincotto, simply made me overjoyed. However, I wasn't too crazy about the squid ink chittara with octopus. To me, it was totally intimidating, eventhough I made a victory by giving it a try. My mysterious entree was brought out, again by Chef Adam, and it was the ossobuco. This mouthwatering tender veal was too dramatic that it fell apart without the need of using a knife. Finally, I was presented with the pre-dessert dessert. A sorbet and a plate filled with tiny sweet delights, including my favorite, an out of this world bruleed marshmallow. "Pre-dessert dessert" I said, "Are you trying to make me diabetic, or just fat?" The blood orange sorbet was a perfect palate cleanser before I get to the main dessert. I totally loved the addition of pistachios and honey as an instant mood-booster. Just like great couples, they are wonderful on their own but somehow even better together! My last plate of the night was the peanut butter flan with milk chocolate gelato. They saved the best for last, each bite of it was like piece of heaven in my mouth! Dining at Vetri is a real treat for those who enjoys the finer things in life and appreciates the art of culinary. Honestly, this was one unforgettable meal at one of the priciest tables in Philadelphia. Waking out, I felt over the moon! Happy birthday to me! Can I say Ten Yelps!
(5)
Monica L.

PROS: High-quality, sophisticated dishes, great service CONS: Expensive!!!!! The main dishes and pasta were really good --- probably as good as it's gonna get anywhere. The desserts were a bit weird. I took a huge bite of the sheep/goat milk gelato... and it was just... salty, with no ounce of sweetness. I guess I should've mixed in the fig 'stuff' beforehand to add some sweetness, but I was not warned... haha. The staff was very accommodating with dietary restrictions and nice overall. Now, was it worth the $200 per person hefty price tag (after tax and tip) ? Sort of. I would happily and willingly pay $100 per person for the food, but I guess now I can say I've been to Vetri and scratch it off my list of things to do in life.
(4)
Shefali V.

So we spent $600.. No big deal. We just moved to Philly from Manhattan... We were expecting the best of the best... Oh boy were we surprised.... If you love salt this is your jam... 4 out of the 12 dishes served were so salty we had a problem swallowing them. If you love bones and love the excuse from the waiter when telling them we found a bone that "well it's a very boney dish" if you can let that fly then great for you... The service was great though and the wine was flowing ... But the food not so much.. Wish it was a better experience and maybe we will try it again when we leave Philly..
(2)
Jeanny C.

Gluten-free friendly This place will blow your socks off! Obviously it's one of Marc Vetri's restaurant, but it's a little different where only the tasting menu is offered and changes on a monthly basis. Needless to say, food and service was beyond this world. I went in Feb 2014 as a treat from my SO for my birthday and anniversary. It was recommended to make the reservation a couple months in advance. Reason being they only serve 2 tables at a time, allowing you all the time, attention and privacy desired to truly enjoy the meal. It was indeed one of the upmost intimate and romantic dinner ever. I loved every single moment of it!
(5)
Michelle C.

We finally made it to Vetri, a first for both my fiancÃ© and me (with the exception of a preview night for their fabulous upstairs renovations). Of course, the entire evening was absolutely wonderful. I'm the kind of person who checks out a menu before I go to a restaurant, and I typically know exactly what I'm going to order. At Vetri, you are presented with a menu of possibilities and asked simply to mention anything that you definitely do not want, or even that you definitely do want. Despite my Type A tendencies, I absolutely loved sitting back and letting the kitchen run the show. We opted for the lesser of the two wine pairings, which was still very pricey. The pairings were spot on and every wine was terrific. I was impressed. I'm sure the higher-end pairing is mind blowing. Course after course arrived during the evening, and everything was perfectly paced. I can't recall every single thing that I ate but every course was exciting. My favorites were the pastas, and there were lots of them. Another big standout for me was the antelope. I had no idea what to expect but I was really pumped to try something new. The meat was absolutely delicious - tender and lean and super flavorful. I was pretty full by the dessert course, and I'm not a huge sweets person anyway, so I mostly focused on my dessert wine, which was great. As for a return visit, of course, I'd absolutely love one. However, with the cost for two topping out around the neighborhood of $600, it's going to be a while (or an unexpected financial windfall!) before it will happen again. Until then, I've got my memories!
(5)
Christine J.

Okay, the food is fantastic, but Mr. Vetri needs a lesson on good or even basic manners. My husband made a reservation to celebrate our anniversary nearly 3 months in advance. Two weeks prior to the date, we received a call from the restaurant informing us that they could no longer honor our reservation because one of their "regular" customers wanted a Saturday night reservation. They did offer to reschedule our dinner 6 weeks later. Needless to say, we went somewhere else.
(1)
Alex G.

Having been here twice, we can honestly award Vetri a full five stars. The service, creativity, and execution were worthy of a Michelin star. Without repeating every dish like some other Yelp reviews, the highlights included a dreamy, pillow-like spinach gnocchi, a crisp soft-shelled crab, a perfectly spiced goat medallion, and a savory fiddlehead/pork ragu tagliatelle. Wow! The wine pairings were well-conceived and matched the dishes, and everything was explained by knowledgeable, friendly servers. My advice, if you love food: get here FAST!
(5)
A. N.

Hands-down the best dinner we've ever had in Philadelphia. Food is so thoughtful. Amazing wine pairings. Fantastic and genuine service. Can't wait to bring our friends!
(5)
Samuel M.

Fine Fine. The art of the culinary. An Italian tasting menu. The location is beautiful, the neighborhood is a star. A very old charming house. We were seated at an alluring corner. Vetri is a special place, flawless, a dream. The most sophisticated Italian restaurant. Haute cuisine. Ten plates. A culinary immersive experience. It was a performance, we never lived that before.
(5)

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Address : 1312 Spruce St
Philadelphia, PA, 19107
Phone (215) 732-3478
Website https://www.vetriristorante.com
Click To Get Directions

Opening Hours

Mon :6:00 pm - 9:3

Specialities

Takes Reservations : Yes
Delivery : No
Take-out : No
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dinner
Parking : Street
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : No
Good for Kids : No
Good for Groups : No
Attire : Dressy
Ambience : Romantic
Noise Level : Quiet
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : No
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : No

Claim Restaurant

Italian Cuisine

The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.

Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.

If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.

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Vetri

1312 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA, 19107

Vetri Menu

Fish

Vegetable

From The Earth

Dessert

Healthy Meal suggestions for Vetri

Fish

Vegetable

From The Earth

Dessert

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