Varallo Brothers Bakery

I sort of lose consciousness when i go into italian bakeries so this is one of the rare times i didn't really take pics except for the boxes of gift cookies i picked up. There is a handful of top notch italian bakeries in Philly, this is one of them. The way it smells and feels in there just makes you get a good feeling when you walk in. The gelato case and espresso machine near the front door helps at least for me. I love it here and I am not the only one cause it's packed around the holidays it's non stop busy. They have a great selection of cookies, pastry's and gelato. And although it's not maybe the one everyone thinks of first i think maybe it should be cause the prices and selection i think beats most of their competitors. Even their vanilla selection of flavors is far more than most of the " big guys". It's a few blocks more south than most of the touristy spots but that corner and block or 2 is just synonymous for incredible italian food and baked goods. If you have never been you should give them a try cause it is so worth it O may never go back to another spot again. Sometimes going to other places i have slight regrets. but never at Varallo Bros.

I was in the area and decided to give them a second shot. My last review called their cookies good but not great. This time I gave pastries a shot. Tiramisu and sfogiatelle to be exact. The tiramisu, let's just say it's a little too much cake and not enough coffee taste. The sfogiatelle came off slightly on the chewy side. It was less sweet than I expected. Decent but not something I would swoon over. I hate to say it. I want to like them. But they just don't hit me the way I think they should.It's not bad. But it's nothing special to me.

We stopped by when we were in the are. Everything looked amazing. They had tons of Italian cookies and baked goods to choose from. We ended up getting a piece of cheesecake, cannoli, strawberry dessert and something else that was the free sample they were giving out. The carrot cake was really dry and had chocolate chips in the icing. I didn't like it. The cannoli was good. Everything else was just okay and pretty sweet. Looked better than they tasted.

This Bakery has a few spaces in front so you can quickly go in and pick up some pastries. The staff gave us some samples so I picked up a ton of different things. There were so many choices. Hubby enjoyed the pastries. Me not so much. ThEy were tasty but I thought they tasted old :(. I guess they can't fill all the shelves daily but I love fresh goods especially when I'm paying. I could be wrong and it was my tastebuds. As I said hubby liked it and this place has been around for decades I probably won't go back .

My last visit was 2 summers ago and they were closed for vacation (late Aug., 2019 if I remember correctly-time flies!) so this time visited pre-summer on a Thursday afternoon around 3.Pretty quite and I was greeted by a couple of friendly ladies as well some Italian music from the speakers. So many baked items, so little time! Loved the cafe feel and vibe and they also have Gelato made on location!Did I mention they have so many cakes, cookies , pies etc. but I was here for the Cannolis. Specifically, the ones featured on the Best Thing I ever Ate. A few varieties to choose from so I asked which were the best ones? Recommended the ones with Chocolate Italian Cream & Vanilla cream filling. When I asked which one was the best?- the chocolate dipped with ricotta filling was the one (from BTIEA.) I got two of those.For sure some of the best Cannolis I've ever had and lived up to the billing.The ladies that helped me were as friendly and kind as can be. This place is a South Philly gem! I need a Varallo Bros around the corner. A Food Network favorite that lives up to the hype!

The BEST cannolis in South Philly or anywhere for that matter! Highly recommend! The people that own this bakery are so friendly and helpful when choosing desserts. They truly make you feel like home!

LOVE IT. Wonderful carrot cake and delicious cannolis. Staff were friendly and surely I will be back since moving to the area. Grateful to have found a delicious carrot cake so close by since it's my favorite. And THE CANOLLIS!!! each I've tried has been better than the last.

My first visit was on a whim - got a danish, turnover and cannolis. The ricotta cannoli was outstanding -- not too sweet with a superbly crunchy and mildly flaky shell. My son gobbled the pistachio cannoli and uttered, "mmm" ... so I'll call it good. The second visit was within a week of the first, and the ricotta cannoli was just as good as the first. The gelato texture is great, though I would have liked stronger flavor. Tiramisu was my favorite, but hazelnut (nocciola) was a close second. Someone different helped each visit and both were friendly, helpful and kind. As a new South Philly resident they each (a man on visit #1 and woman on visit #2) made me feel right at home. What a great place with delicious baked goods.

My daughter-in-law worked there for several years as a pastry chef. She is an amazing pastry chef!

Everything here is excellent including the top notch service. Order online or walk in and have the best of Italian pastry. Varallo still does the old world Italian that you don't see these days. Best cannoli anywhere hands down.