A Mano

My friends and I selected the 3 course experience, and were pretty satisfied with everything. I would say that everything that I have tried were in between great and excellent, and even if nothing was exceedingly spectacular, I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to have a pleasant Italian food experience!The peach panzanella and the roasted beets were both pretty good, with the beets having enough whipped ricotta and vinaigrette to remove the beets' earthy flavor. I had the rigatoni bolognese for primi, and the pasta was very al dente, which was a plus! The sauce was a bit soupy, and sometimes it was a bit difficult to get the sauce on the rigatoni, but in terms of taste, it definitely had a good amount of flavor. Out of all the primi we have had, mine had the largest portion, and I was a bit surprised at the portion size for the potato gnocchi and the squid ink lumache. The roasted beets also had a very small size, which surprised me as well.In terms of dessert, my friend thought the honey rosemary panna cotta was too sweet, while I thought the tiramisu had a very strong espresso flavor and the ladyfinger at the bottom was a bit too wet. But the mascarpone ratio was good and it still tasted good enough.Service and atmosphere were both great! Our waiter was very attentive to our needs, and made a conscious effort to ensure our orders were correct. The place also had good decor and a good vibe for dates for those that are interested!

I went to A Mano recently and was excited to try it out as it's been highly rated in Philly magazines. We both did the 4 course menu. We both started with the beef tartare (delicious and loved the addition of the chips!)For the primi my mom had the rigatoni and I had the saffron rolato (?). My dish was great, a little small but flavorful. My moms rigatoni was honestly kind of undercooked in a weird way I wasn't a huge fan. For our secondi I got the branzino and I didn't love it. The tomato sauce overpowered the taste and lightness of the fish. And this could've been because of the dishes I ordered but both the pasta and the fish being heavily tomato sauce based wasn't my favorite aspect, I was hoping for more depth with the flavors. My moms swordfish was great though I wish I had gotten that instead. Dessert was lovely, olive oil cake and tiramisu. Service was great, no complaints there. Ambiance was nice, it felt fancy enough. I just wish my primi and secondi dishes were better beef tartare had me excited but then the rest disappointed me.

Mano a Mano means direct competition/conflict and I definitely feel conflicted about this restaurant. Firstly, the interior was quaint and they had some outdoor seating. The kitchen is visible in the dining area and I think was meant to give a "cooking in front of you" feel which sort of missed the mark. The restaurant wasn't super busy when we went, but the tables were close together. I could imagine it would get very loud if it were more full. The service was good and the food came out at a reasonable pace. Secondly, my biggest pain point would be the price vs food quality and amount. I thought the prices were a bit steep, which makes sense since it's a BYO place and most likely are trying to balance out the loss of drink revenue. However, that being said based on the servers description I expected slightly larger portions. The kale salad starter was quite small. The pasta and dessert were ok portions. I did enjoy the homemade focaccia! Overall, I am happy I stopped in but won't be writing home about this one.

Beef Tartare, Romaine Salad, Rigatoni Bolognese, Squid Ink Lumache Frutti di Mare, Lemon Olive Oil Cake, White Corn Panna CottaOh. Mygod. This is unbelievable. Such a cute italian place, very cozy interior. We both opted for the 3 course menu rather than the 4 course since we weren't terribly hungry. Every dish was exquisite. The tartare was so good, the salad perfectly dressed. The bread was amazing (I kept eating it with the tartare). Then the pasta!! Hand made in house, the best al dente pasta with the perfect sauces. The lemon olive oil cake was tasty, but the Panna Cotta definitely was the star, and I'm not a Panna Cotta fan generally. So light and milky and perfect. Servers were so friendly and efficient. Portion sizes not too heavy but definitely filling. We will definitely be back!!!

This was a perfect spot for a mid week celebration. The courses and portions were great, and they were super accommodating to nut allergies. We got the 4 courses, but honestly could have probably went with 3 and have been satisfied. What is absolutely fantastic about this is that one person can get 3 courses, while the other can get 4. The fact that it's a BYO makes it a place you'd keep going back to for a great meal that isn't outrageous In price.

Went and had the 3 course tasting menu, if you get the 3- you get the appetizer, pasta and dessert- the peach salad was very good, the gazpacho was listed on line with crab meat but was plain when we got there, the squid ink pasta was ok, and the swordfish was very good- panda cotta was the best dessert. The service was good, ambience was a little too loud. I may go again, but will call and confirm menu before making a reservation...

ReviewA Mano wins purely by the fact they are BYOB, so it makes the meal incredibly affordable. Also, the 3-course and 4-course tasting menus are $48 and $68 respectively which is so incredibly reasonable, especially for how large the portions in each course. Major downfall - in the winter, their entrance is a killer. We were sat in front of the door, and every time someone came in, all the freezing cold air came in which led to our food being cold half the time. Also, the service was absolutely terrible. There was only one waiter with three bus staff, which was not enough to support all the tables. Our appetizers took forever to come out, and then we had to wait 45 minutes before our main course...Not ideal. But for the food, like I said, the portions were incredibly generous and the dishes themselves absolutely delicious. Antipasti - burrata (fantastic with all the extras on the plate); butternut squash soup (totally get this here); pork belly (this is massive for an app. Not crispy which I would have preferred but still good)Primi - rigatoni bolognese (this is the best we've had in the city. Totally worth coming here just for the dish); *special* tagliatelle lamb ragu (honestly, I ate it and was so confused by the taste because it was THAT gamey. Would NOT recommend)Dolci - Pear compote with sponge (amazing); Chocolate mousse jar (with cherry, not great for the chocolate purest)Contorni - DO NOT BOTHER. #1- you'll have enough food. #2- they were not good. Brussel sprouts were way under cooked and not crispy at all. The "broccolini" was in fact just regular broccoli, which was annoying and not spicy. Will I go back? Probably, the food was amazing. I hope next time the service is better.

We wanted fresh made pasta and delicious sauce. Italian restaurants aren't typically my first choice, but the "summer feeling" evening in June called for pasta. A Mano had mixed reviews so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I wanted to drive from West Philly and I knew parking would be much more available in Fairmount than Center City. In addition, it's good to eat in other neighborhoods in this great city and Fairmount is beautiful. I scored a parking place just steps from the restaurant. I love intimate places with open kitchens and that is A Mano. Bustling kitchen, mood lighting and a spirited dining room. As mentioned in other reviews, their menu is pre fixe and I rather enjoy that. Appetizer, entree and desert all figured out with one price tag. Perfect. We opted for the three course and were stuffed so a hearty appetite would be needed if one were to opt for the four course. Our food was beautiful. The steak tartar was delicious and definitely had a spice level to it. I love this sort of thing, but if heat isn't what you are looking for in this dish, be warned. I ordered the rigatoni bolognese. Delicious! The pork note was throughout the dish and sauce tasted so complex and flavorful. The rosemary honey pane cotta that I chose for my desert was filled with berries a touch of rosemary and was creamy and delicious. I'm not a huge tiramisu fan but the bite that I had from daughter's dish could possibly change my mind. The service was great as our wine was opened, the menu explained and our water glasses were filled. I must add that the warm focaccia bread with butter that was served for our table was a gift! This is a good place. I'm glad we made the trip to Fairmount. (Don't forget your bottle!)

I ordered the 4-course option. My choices were:Liver Mousse, Malafaldine Bolognese, Pork Shank, and Tiramisu.I found the level of execution to range from excellent (Liver Mousse) to disappointing (Pork Shank and Tiramisu). The mousse was smooth, and nicely balanced with sweet, chewy accoutrements. Quite high level of attention to this plate's composition.The mafaldine was a good plate of pasta. And was generous in portion. The pasta was of nice chewiness, thickness, and body. The Bolognese tasted like any other Bolognese. It "did what it does well."The final two courses were no-go's. The pork shank is just a big piece of overcooked pork. It's not clear what the chef's intention was for the dish. Not only was it unwieldy on the plate, it was not evenly cooked. And many parts were tough and dry.The tiramisu has some sort of maple flavoring that I believe made it too sweet for this dessert. The cocoa dusting was too heavy-handed. Overall this spot is fine. There's a cool vibe. And the portions are generous. But the execution and compositional design left a lot to desire.

A great price fixe menu! The pasta is always perfectly Al dente. This is one of the most authentic Italian restaurants I have been to in the city! Highly recommend to everyone!