Il Pittore

I cannot say how grief stricken I am at this news. Il Pittore was my favorite high end restaurant in Philly. Oh, how I regret not getting there for one last meal. Really, I loved this place. EXPENSIVE to be sure, but well worth it for a treat once or twice a year. OH HOW I WILL MISS THIS.

I came in for dinner with my girlfriend for New Year’s Eve and everything was great. Our waiter was very attentive and very polite. The food was incredible and all the pasta is made in house. I had the tortellini and my girlfriend had the ravioli. Both had Truffle on top. Wine was great and desert was great. Great place and would recommend it to anyone. Will be back soon.

We had dinner here last night. The food was very good and the service was great. We had
Braised Octopus it was so tender VG, Corzetti with goat meat VG, Slow-​Cooked
Suckling Pig a bit dry more like pulled pork in the shape of a square G. And the best dish
Venison Loin cooked perfect and so tender VG. The 2 deserts were VG along with the wine. The place is small but the dinning upstairs is open and airy. And it is quite expensive but worth it.

We were a party of 7. We did a family style menu which was pricey but we got to try a lot. The arugula salad and bread were good. The lamb sausage was ok. The pastas, all three were very salty. Service was so slow that by the time the meat and fish came out I was kind of full from all the bread. The short run and veal shoulder were very tasty but also very salty. The wine was overpriced. We were over 1000 for 7 people.

Not that I am likely to forget this evenings dining experience at Il Pittore, I wanted to share my review while the mood is fresh in my mind.
This was our first visit; from beginning to end the service, quality and attention to detail did not waiver.
Lawrence our host, guided us through the three course menu and presented this evenings specials.
We selected Fluke with Grapefruit and Braised Octopus to start; both excellent.
Pasta course, Venison with Shells and Duck filled Pasta. The Venison deliciously rich, the Duck however, was wonderful.
Entrees included Suckling Pig and Venison Loin. Each perfectly prepared and appropriately complimented.
We concluded with Banana Cake and the Apple Crostata. The apple was the clear winner, but the Banana cake was also delicious.
We shared a French press coffee as we contemplated the entire evening. Without a doubt, one of the finest dining experiences I have ever had.
Well done Lawrence; well done Il Pittore.

Amazing Service. Great wine. Atmosphere could not be better and then the food… insane. Just do yourself a favor and treat yourself!

I was curious how it was going to be considering you don’t see much hype about this restaurant. It is very good, I would highly recommend for a special date night. The service is wonderful, food was delicious and I loved the space. I took pics of our food but will not post them since they do not do them justice. BUT I will say — the roasted ricotta is a must and I highly recommend getting the chocolate bambolino for dessert — even if you think you are too full for it! It is light and delicious and a very nice way to end the meal.

Not impressive, not mind blowing. Salty, over seasoned. Over salted octopus, too strong. The waiter was pushy, he was talking and talking. It was too much.
It doesn’t make sense to spend so much time, money and energy if you’re gonna eat that. The painting going up the steps is intriguing.

I didnt know what to expect from Il Pittore before going there. I kept hearing from people that had been there how amazing it was, but you never hear about it being mentioned as one of Philly’s bests, or hearing very much praise from Philly food critics about it. After dining there, I cannot for the life of me wrap my head around why. They have outstanding food and service!
We were treated very well from the moment that we arrived. Service was on it. He was around when we needed him to be, and he disappeared when we didnt need him. He explained the menu perfectly to us, and we wound up ordering the perfect amount of food. Once we were seated, right at the top of the stairs, I noticed a giant black truffle almost the size of an orange on the sill next to my head. The smell was outrageous. I hadnt ever seen a truffle in real life, and this one left me craving something with that fresh truffle grated all over top of it.
As luck would have it, one of the specials for the evening was a freshly made tagliatelle with grated fresh truffle on top, and it was outstanding. The rich mushroom flavor provided by the truffle was like nothing I have ever experienced. It went incredible well the delicately fresh pasta. Pretty much everything that we had that evening was fantastic. From our cocktails, the Monte Fiore and the Secretariat, a delicious concoction of bourbon, blood oranga and mint, to the baked ricotta with apple mostarda, the fresh tuna crudo, the delicious pansotti, and the beautifully cooked cod special of the evening served with mushrooms and mashed polenta, everything was pure perfection. The baked ricotta was phenomenal when spread over toast. The tuna crudo was incredibly fresh, thinly sliced and seasoned with just the right amount of citrus and salt.
The pansotti was incredibly tender as well. The filling was amazing. Cauliflower, with sage and brown butter, not sure if there is a better combination out there. The cod was seared quickly and had just enough of a crust to give it the perfect texture. It was beautifully cooked all the way through, and the sauce and mushrooms went beautifully with the polenta and fish.
I will go back to Il Pittore anytime. It is an unassuming place, that simply executes flawless dishes and gives you great service in the meantime. Its worth a visit.

The best Italian food that we have enjoyed in the city.
The service was great and the space is very inviting.
Drinks were excellent, the negroni was refreshing. We started off with the grilled octopus appetizer, the octopus was cooked to perfection, so tender and tasty.
The pasta dishes were al dente and delightful. The gramigna was solid, didn’t blow me away. But the sauce on the agnolotti was to die for, I could have licked the plate, it was so savory and delicious.
The secondi were decent sized portions. The baked halibut was moist and satisfying. And the braised beef short ribs were amazing.
We look forward to our next visit!

Il Pittore is the meglio del meglio of italian restaurants in Philadelphia. I was staying here for a long weekend and prior to my arrival I had asked my uncle where my boyfriend and I could have a romantic dinner. The first place he insisted we go to was Il Pittore.
This was my first time in the city, so I took a cab from the Rittenhouse Hotel. We were dropped off at the corner and for one fleeting moment I thought I would get lost until I noticed the very clearly marked street signs. Walking up the street, we noticed a sweet, modern entrance of the restaurant. Inside appeared to be very dimly lit with the soft glow of candles and low lights, with an ebony interior and sprawling bar and staircase. We were greeted by two very polite girls, one of who led us upstairs to a dining area that felt like old Italy. There were cushioned seats against the brick wall with tiny tables draped in white cloths. The glasses set-​up on the tables shined and were temporarily blocked with the well dressed waiters strolling back in forth holding what looked like little plates of heaven.
As we sat down, our waiter — and his accent! — came to give us a «tour of the menu». He explained the all the bread and pasta was handmade in the restaurant, the wines carefully picked and that the very soul of this restaurant was Italy. The food mostly comes inspired from Northern Italy and creates a little mix of old and new. To start, we enjoyed a little bread basket with bread sticks and other breads. They were very warm, soft and crisp. Shortly after, our baked ricotta came and it was divine. Specifically, it was baked ricotta topped with apple mostrada and thyme-​infused grilled focaccia for dipping (it was stacked like a hashtag sign, by the way!). This was so delicious, that we asked for more focaccia to dip — despite the fact that we knew our entrees were on the way!
Shortly after, our entrees came. As the waiters fussed with our utilensils and changing of the glasses (the sign of a good restaurant!), I looked up and noticed the skylights above us. There were plants peaking down on us with an evening sky as their background. Directly in front of me was my primi pappardelle: pasta ribbons with wild boar, rosemary and parmesean cheese. The pappardelle turned out to be a little piece of pasta heaven. My boyfriend enjoyed the tortellini: lobster-​filled pasta with chives, black truffles and burrata. Beforehand, my boyfriend told the waiter his concern that the entrees may not be large enough for him due to his large appetite. The waiter was kind and said he would give him two servings. The tortellini ended up being fantastic however, this dish seemed like it was one small, tiny portion. He was disappointed but in the end very pleased with the dishes. As we ate, we enjoyed crisp water and cocktails — which included their Thatcher’s Organic Blood Orange and Johnny Walker.
Overall, this place was magnifico, splendido, superbo!

It’s a very nice and upscale Italian restaurant. The ambiance is very romantic. Our server is very attentive and knowledgeable.
To me, I liked the appetizer more than then entrée. We ordered baked ricotta and lamb sausage involtini, both were super flavorful and delicious! Then we shared a ravioli, it comes in a very small portion, like appetizer portion, and the ravioli was way too salty. For then entrée, I ordered slow-​cooked suckling pig, and my friend ordered the rabbit. I was not impressed by my entrée, neither did my friend.
Overall, it’s a real nice restaurant, it’s kind of pricy (2 people $ 200+), but I don’t think I will go back there for dinner, maybe stop by the first floor for a drink and grab some appetizer.

From the moment you step foot in the door the whole experience was first class. (Request the upstairs dining area if possible) Our waiter, Lawrence was attentive, knowledgeable about each item on the menu & very helpful when we were torn between a couple of pasta dishes. I even took his recommendation for my dessert which was the «torte» that too was amazing like the rest of the meal. Hopefully next time they will have fresh truffles! Stephen Starr has done it again with this place. Can’t wait to go back.

The highlights are extremely attentive wait Staff and managers as well as great décor. The food is good, but not fantastic. Two of our four entries we very good the other two were fine.

To say we had a wonderful meal at il Pittore last night would be an understatement. The food itself was seasonal and creative with a simplicity that allowed the ingredients and techniques to shine. The Maccheroni alla Chittara with beech mushrooms was delicious beyond words. The entire menu was thoughtfully constructed and the decision making process was a difficult one.
Truly the best part of our experience however was the warmth and hospitality we felt from the entire team. Big shout out to Michael and Jordan, thank you so much for your knowledge and passion, you guys rock!
See you soon!

One of the better meals I’ve eaten. The whole experience was great, from the food to the service to the ambience of the location.
I started with the Kale Lollipop Sprouts. I’m a big fan of sprouts, and this hybrid was cooked perfectly. I’m also a sucker for sous vide eggs, and the centerpiece of this dish had a fantastic texture. My second dish was the papardelle. This was actually the least interesting of my dishes, but it was still pretty darn good. The pasta alone was excellent. My main entrée was the roasted rack of rabbit. Oh my goodness, this was cooked to perfection! So tender and tasty. The polenta accompanying the rabbit was a nice textural addition. I ended my meal with a dessert called boudin/​i (sp?). It was a little square of salted caramel on top of a light, fluffy cookie like a meringue with some thin chocolate slices. I took tiny bites of this thing to make it last as long as possible, because it was amazing!
The service was excellent. We were seated immediately (we had reservations). The server and other staff were very knowledgeable about the menu and were very attentive, to boot.
Excellent!

I am a sucker for Starr restos every time I visit Philly so this was no exception. We loved EVERYTHING about it from the wine to the cheese plate to the exceptionally fresh pastas to dessert to the amazing on-​point (as I say) service. Beautiful space, dimply lit kinda romantic. Downstairs is a small bar but the main seating is upstairs. Ask for a window table to extra ambiance! Perfection.
Warning: not cheap — our bill was $ 600 for 4 people but we did go all out and splurge.

Came here for valentine’s day 2015. It was very busy and the service was okay. The food was good, but not impressive. For the price, it wasn’t anything memorable that’s says «wow» we need to come back

Our experience here was quite awkward. We came with reservations on a Saturday night. When we arrived the hostess said, «Your table isn’t quite ready. You’re welcome to get a drink at the bar.» No problem.
We walked over to the bar area. To me, it looked more like a server station for picking up drinks. We were very confused if we were supposed to stand at the bar which had no stools or sit at the relatively deserted looking bar area which faced the wall and had stools. We decided to sit in the stools and I immediately had that feeling of, «I don’t think we’re supposed to be here».
A server came up and I asked him if we were to order here or if it was seating for dinner guests. He said, «Not really. I can get you a drink.» Not… really…want? He took our drink order and after about 10 minutes the hostess came and said our table was ready. We still didn’t have our drinks. The hostess said she would send them up. I felt guilty for not finishing our transaction with the previous server. I felt awkward not tipping him since I was pretty sure he rang it up under his sales. We threw $ 3 on the bar and followed the hostess upstairs.
We were sat on a banquette between an incredibly awkward 20 something couple and an elderly couple. I felt awkward even talking to my date because I could hear the people sitting next to me better than my date. We kind of sat there in silence or leaned over the table to say a few things. We are not quiet or generally awkward people so this was all very strange. I really felt like I was intruding on the dinner experience of the people sitting next to us by talking over their conversations to speak to my date. I have never had an experience like this.
Our drinks never came and our server had to ask us what we ordered. The service was good but I had to have my date repeat all the specials because I couldn’t ever hear a word our server said. It was also weird to hear our server use the same «pitch» and polite conversation almost verbatim to the table next to us.
The food was good. The prices were expected. We always order dessert and after dinner drinks but the experience was so awkward we just paid the bill, tipped well, and left. I don’t think I’ll come back. Just writing this review makes me feel awkward and cramped all over again.

My partner and I have gone here twice, once sitting downstairs along the chef’s counter and once upstairs with his parents. Both times the service was outstanding, our waitstaff was knowledgeable and had fantastic suggestions, without being too pushy. GM Michael was a stand-​out, he spent SO much time coming over and talking us through the courses and matching wines– he went above and beyond, and was super friendly.
Food-​wise, we’ve tried a lot of things, and enjoyed them all. The one dish that I can’t stop dreaming about is the kale/​brussel sprout lollipops– the sweet red pepper and fennel sauce along with the perfectly poached egg make this one of my favorite dishes ever. This appetizer is a can’t miss, get it if it’s on the menu! I’m not a pork eater myself, but my partner got the suckling pig entrée and loved it. He’s still talking about it. The pasta dishes are small, but good. This is a nice place and a romantic atmosphere. You will feel taken care of.
Alcohol is pretty pricey– I got a small glass of a wine I know to be much cheaper in the bottle. But if you go in knowing this, grab a cocktail instead– they’re pretty market price, and artfully made. The bartender downstairs was friendly and chatty as well.
All in all, excellent experiences both times, and great food. If we could afford it more often, we’d be there! But for now, it’s a great spot for a very special occasion.