Ti Penso

Great food and atmosphere. The meal was well put together and definitely upscale as far as preparation. Reservations are important but you definitely wont be disappointed by the staff. The owner is fantastic and is completely engaged with each customer and their needs.

Fabulous food! A wonderful addition to the BYOB scene, and a real cut above the great majority. The food is interesting and inventive, really delicious, but not precious. That is my main problem with the culinary progress in Philadelphia: that preciousness sometimes trumps deliciousness. This is quite the opposite. In addition, despite the care thoughtfulness and creativity that obviouly went into its preparation, the food was hearty and portions were appropriately sized. Finally, the service was attentive but not obnoxious, and was straightforward with none of the overanalyzed exquisiteness of description that characterizes too many restaurants of this caliber. Its good enough to be a «special occasion» restaurant, but also reasonably priced and great value that it doesn’t have to be only special occasionsl Definitely will be one of my top spots!

The menu looked wonderful so we made a reservation on open table and were excited to try. Sadly, though we showed up on time, they said there would be a 30 minute wait.
Now, I get that diners stay longer than expected, but when we arrived there were four tables with no one seated at them. Okay, maybe they had reservations for those tables, but we also had a reservation so why not seat us and make the people who were not yet there wait?
They took a cell phone number so we decided to walk around. After half an hour she called us and told us it would be another 30 minutes at least because the people who were currently seated at our table did not look like they were moving. At this point, there was no way were waiting around so I asked her to cancel our reservation. She apologized profusely and said that if we came back that minute they would figure out a way to seat us. In other words, they had a table but not until we threatened to cancel were they willing to move things around?
Anyway, they did not cancel our reservation on open table until midnight which meant we could not make another reservation at another restaurant. Luckily Honey’s had space and we had a delightful meal there.
Hope they get their management together because the menu does look good!

An excellent addition to the neighborhood. Went there with a large group on a Thursday night and received excellent service and the food was fantastic. Highly recommend the pierogi of the day – filet mignon in a pierogi, mind blown – and gnocchi in an edible parmesan basket for starters. The lamb lollipops were highly recommended by our server and did not disappoint.
So great food and a new BYO to add to my list of favorites.

Ti Penso is the best new BYOB in Philly! We have eaten here many times and have always had a great meal! The gnocchi is to die for as well as the pirogies. The lamb lollipops are delicious. Their cheese plate is always a masterpiece. And of course the gelato is something out of Italy! But outside of the food the service is great! Everyone here is so nice and accommodating (especially with food allergies or food aversions)! We recently had a large dinner party (11 people) here, and the owner was so accommodating for the large group and made sure everything came out on time and perfectly made. I highly recommend Ti Penso to anyone who enjoys food and a great atmosphere!

I had dinner this past Saturday for my friends birthday and it was absolutely great. Even though we were a large party they were very accommodating to us. The gnocchi and the pirogies we re a pleasant (delicious) addition to the cheese plate presented when we sat down. The Entrée was excellent and the dessert (best part) was a variety of gelatos. That evening she had 5 or so flavors… all of them delicious! My favorite was the «holiday flavor» which was a chocolate and bacon flavor combined, the eggnog flavor was pretty good too. T the chef/​owner came out and mingled with us after dinner.
Bottom line, I highly recommend this BYOB. It’s perfect for date night as well as night out with friends or family. I plan on going back very soon!

New BYOB in the neighborhood. The staff is fantastic and so friendly. However, the service isn’t as attentive (e.g. no one came around to refill our waters throughout the entire meal. wine makes me thirsty too). The food is satisfactory. The lamb is very well made. I tried a bit of the scallops with latkes and I felt the scallops were on the saltier side. Pierogis and gnocchi in cheese basket were very good. Overall a decent byob. Food could be less salty in general unless you like heavy flavors. I think if the price were a bit lower I’d be inclined to return more often.

Superiorly mediocre food. Don’t think they cleaned the chard that came with the meal as it was complete gritty. The Holiday Stuffing was totally dry and flavorless. The only thing that made it palatable was some extra Amaretto cherry sauce that I had to ask for as there was barely any on the plate to begin with. And it was a fight to get it as I was told they would have to make some. Which was interesting when seconds later it suddenly appeared. The lamb chops were cooked well enough, but the rest of the plate was a huge disappointment, especially for $ 27.

On the smaller side. It was nice that it was BYO. The food was good but not great. I don’t think I would go back. Reasonably priced.

We loved our food and will be back! Have to give them a second chance on the service and owner’s attitude. Had reservations for 4 at 7pm and arrived on time to find they had our reservations but gave our table to another party of four who falsely claimed our reservation. Sloppy service. After 12 minutes of standing by the door we were finally seated at a table for 6 that was open since we arrived. Not sure why it took so long. I told the owner we wanted to be seated in the next few minutes and she exploded and verbally thrashed me for being rude. We should have walked out! I believe she was upset with her staff for not confirming reservations. Table service was very good from the support staff but actual waiter looked out of his element. Also know they use the new tablets to take orders and waiter was not comfortable with it. Also, hated the waiter watching me decide on tip. No receipts. Party of four that stoled our table was extremely load and maybe had to do with the four bottles of wine they drank.
Everyone else in the place had to increase volume to hear themselves. The owner will get things buttoned up I am sure. The food will bring us back for a second try.

Lovely ambiance, delicious food, excellent service. Great for gluten free. Try the Nutella gelato!

Our meal was OK in some respects and poor in others, but the overall experience did not leave a particularly good impression. Our salads were fine but undistinguished. One of us ordered fish and it was delicious.
Two among us ordered the pasta and though the sauce was OK the pasta was terribly cooked. It was literally gummy and in some cases several stuck together. It was unforgivably bad. Our dessert, a gelato, took fifteen minutes to be delivered includingat least one false start (wrong order). The service was edgy by our principal server. I will NOT be thinking of this place the next time we make dinner plans.

Great food, great atmosphere and even better service. Owner and staff are the best. Very helpful and super friendly. Ti really does mean it when she says «Thinking of you.» Ti Penso will now become one of our favorite spots.

This restaurant was absolutely delicious! I came here with a small group and enjoyed the intimate atmosphere of this restaurant. The wait staff was superb and attentive! I also love that this restaurant is a BYOB!
The best part was definitely the food. We ordered the cheese platter and several small plates to share, including the pierogis and satay chicken. All were wonderful! In addition, I ordered the scallops for dinner and sampled off of other plates — all of which were delicious. When I return I will have to order the fish and black rice, because I couldn’t get enough of that dish!

A great addition to the neighborhood. The food is great and the restaurant is very cozy inside. We didn’t order any entrees but shared the Ti Penso salad, the cheese platter and the fra diavlo mussels. The homemade burrata was full of flavor and the best I’ve had. The dessert menu looked amazing but we didn’t order anything. I do wish the entrée side of the menu was more approachable as it makes it more of a special night out type of meal than someplace I would add to my regular stops.

We had a lovely dinner in the garden last night. Favorite appetizers were gnocchi in basket and the mussels. We were a large group so we got to try a lot of the entrees: favorites included the butterfish aka «Forbidden Escobar», and the pasta which you can add scallops or chicken to. Desserts must haves «T-​Bomb» dessert and the homemade gelato. The chef «T» also came by to chat with us – really lovely entrepreneur. Wishing her lots of success on this new venture.

Excellent new BYOB! The name itself means «thinking of you.» Our group of 3 had several dietary restrictions and the staff and chef were incredibly accommodating. In fact, the owner and chef named «T» even came to our table to clearly understand our restrictions and explain how they could easily adjust dishes to meet our needs. It was exceptional service and the food came out in a timely manner and was well presented. I personally enjoyed the tomato and feta salad (feta on the side) along with the scallops as my main. Chef T even made a special dairy free fruit cordial for dessert so I could enjoy something sweet to finish off my meal. Everything tasted fresh and had well thought out flavor. We sat in the courtyard in the back which is very relaxing and intimate. A perfect location for a romantic evening or dinner out with friends or family. Make reservations in advance just to make sure you get the table in the location you want. I highly recommend the restaurant and will certainly be going back.
Food: 4.5 stars
Service: 5 stars
Atmosphere: 4
Recommendation: 5

Actually, I give Ti Penso 4.25 stars. I normally don’t review places after one visit, however, I felt that this is an exception. Ti Penso is a new byob on the 2100 block of South Street where Roberto’s Café once occupied. The chef/​owner is Teresa, aka «T», a former co-​owner of Hinge Café in Port Richmond. She is also an interesting person and musician.
The food here is American but with Italian influences, both subtle and very obvious. My wife and our friends dined there recently and had a wonderful meal and night. We started with 2 apps: the pierogi du jour, pierogies with ground beef, sour cream on the side. The dough was perfect for a pierogi and the filling was delicious. We also tasted pan fried gnocchi which came in a parmesan cheese basket, with a basil alfredo sauce. Simple but very good.
Our entrees: My wife Karin had the dark ale fillet with roasted fingerlings and asparagus. It was tasty and the fillet was cooked well. The lamb lollipops with pineapple mint sauce was a hit. Our Friend Ellen raved about it. Eric had the home made pappardelle in a puttanesca sauce. He loved it, as did Karin who tasted it. I had the butterfish/​escolar fish in a black rice, with pine nuts and a canteloupe, fennel gelle. Delicious.
We finished with 2 desserts, a cannoli with orange essence and a chocolate dipped shell and the T-​bomb, a chocolate cake, brittle pieces, caramel and ganache. Great way to end a meal.
The desserts, sauces and pastas are all home made and taste like it.
The place is small, 28 – 30 seats on the inside and a patio for al fresco dining.
Ti Penso has a lot of potential and we hope it continues to grow.

My friend and I dined at Ti Penso for the first time last night. We shared the Rhubarb Cobbler Salad, Farmer’s Cheese Pierogies, Whiskey Sage Chicken, Dark Ale Filet, T-​Bomb, and Gelato sampler. Every dish was simply amazing, but I have to say the salad, chicken, and salted caramel gelato were my favorite. I will definitely be going back and as soon as possible! Oh, the service was great also!

We decided to try out Ti Penso, which replaced our beloved local BYO restaurant, Roberto’s Café. From the interior viewpoint not that much has changed from Roberto’s: the floor looks like it has been sanded and evened out and maybe a little lighter than before, the walls have been painted a neutral color, and the brick has been sealed. The tables appear to be the same, but the chairs have been upgraded to now have padding.
The biggest improvement is the kitchen. A half-​moon window with a rectangular windows underneath it are now at the far end of the kitchen. It appears that there are all new appliances, and the folks in the kitchen actually can move around.
And the food. WOW! My husband and I had both had large lunches, or we would have tried an appetizer. Instead we each had an entrée. There are no daily specials to report except the soup of the day and the Chef’s mussel special of the day, so we asked the waiter and the water pourer – both of whom we had to educate that tap water in this neck of the city is nicknamed Schuylkill punch – what they liked. One recommended the lollipop lamb and the other the dark ale filet mignon. The filet for my husband came out about 2.5−3″ thick and was served with some fingerling potatoes and asparagus. My 4 lollipops had a mint demi-​glacé which was superb; they were served with a nice what they called a hash and I would have called a slaw. As much as we liked Roberto’s, we both admitted Ti Penso is a step up. We will be back.
A couple of other things to note: (1) yes, they accept credit cards (2) all orders are taken electronically (3) it is a BYOB, and if you look at the online menu they will give you some suggested wine pairings and (4) each table is given a small plate of accoutrements when the bread plate is served; our’s had a splash of tapenade, a tablespoon or so of roasted peppers, a dollop of what I think was a goat cheese, and a ramekin that was filled with herbs into which EVOO was poured.
Will we be back? YES, and very soon. We need to try out the mussels.