Via Locusta

Can't say anything bad about this place at all; maybe except for the chair. The indoor chair was a tad bit uncomfortable for me .All the food was so good! My friend and I did the tasting menu and finished stuffed up. The focaccia was so soft and warm and the honey butter was amazing! The ceasar salad and the potatoes were had were good too - crispy and yet soft.We had 2 pastas: cacio de pepe and agnolloti -- they both were so good. Pasta was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Cacio de pepe was my favorite but there was nothing bad with the agnolloti, it was delicious with the truffle! We also had the steak which was perfectly cooked and juicy. We chose the chocolate mousse for dessert and it was also delicious.Their drinks valencia and espresso martini were also really good. Sweet and also strong.The whole experience was great. Thanks to Caitlyn for making it such an amazing experience!

So fun!! One of the best happy hours in the city.I took my partner here for his birthday, and it happened to also be happy hour during the time our reservation was scheduled - boy, that saved me a lot! The happy hour had one of the best selections of food and drinks, and you don't need a spot at the bar to take advantage. The service was fantastic too - all the staff were sweet, energetic and engaging. They were quick with great recommendations. We thought the focaccia bread was a little overrated, especially because we preferred to fill up on their pasta (the non-happy hour crab pasta entree was to die for). But we tried so many (not watered down!) happy hour cocktails and plates. The ambiance is also beautiful and laid back. A place you'd want to spend hours in. Definitely worth it and a great value. We will definitely be back :)

Really good Italian spot!Service was good. Inside was cute. We sat on the patio which was great on a breezy summer night.Everyone in my party got cocktails and enjoyed them.For the table, we split the focaccia which was amazing. Best part of the meal. We also split the carrots which had great flavor.For an entree, I got the agnolotti. It was very heavy on the cheese and cream, would have liked more mushroom.Husband got the mafaldine bolognese Bianca which I thought was amazing. Everyone else in our party also enjoyed their food. Portion sizes were perfect.

I've admittedly never come to Via Locusta for their regular menu, but this is my favorite happy hour spot in center city. Their small bites are all really well priced, and while they are quite small, I like it that way because it gives you the opportunity to try a lot of different things. My personal favorites on the happy hour menu are the agnolotti, focaccia, and meatballs, but honestly everything is I recently went with friends and we ordered practically everything on the menu (doubles of our favorites), some of them ordered drinks, and we left stuffed with a bill that was ~$30 each including tax and tip. A total steal for a nice early dinner in the city if you ask me!

This has been one of my favorite restaurants for dinner and HH in the city for years. Their HH menu has a plethora of food options (I recommend the focaccia and fig toast) and very affordable and delicious drinks. Their dinner menu changes with the season and showcases many specials. My go to currently is the tomato toast, corn ravioli and cacio e Pepe with a glass of their super Tuscan red wine. Beyond delicious food, their service is top notch. Their servers are kind, knowledgeable and funny. The ambiance is lively, busy but very warm and cozy too. I recommend this spot for a solo meal, date night, bite with friends and a nice family dinner. You can never go wrong with Via Locusta! Signed, - a weekly Via Locusta guest :)

An unexpected turn of events led to us grabbing an impromptu dinner at Via Locusta. Fortunately, my husband and I arrived early enough that evening to secure a table without a reservation. When you go to a Schulson restaurant, you pretty much have to go with the tasting menu if they offer one. It's the best bang for your buck. Our server let us know we could substitute one of the appetizers for a pasta dish, so we did. From the tasting menu, my husband and I ordered the tuna crudo, the duck cannelloni, the squid ink chitarra, the NY Strip (for an additional $5/person), and a side of roasted cauliflower. - Tuna crudo was fresh, but the other ingredients served with it were very random and did not complement the tuna. From our experience at Via Locusta and Bar Lesieur, the two crudos we had been very mediocre.- The presentation of the duck cannelloni was different and served differently from what we expected, but in a good way. It was creative and delicious. I highly recommend it. - The squid ink chitarra was more predictable. It was still good, though, and the calamari it came with was cooked perfectly. - The NY Strip could have been prepared rarer, but the flavors were good. It was simple, served with a chimichurri sauce. For the price, this was a great deal for steak. - Roasted cauliflower was prepared well. After having the roasted cauliflower side at Harp & Crown, I was worried this would not taste good, but I'm glad I was wrong. Overall, I give Via Locusta a solid 4 stars. You can always count on Michael Schulson for great service and good food.

Cute outdoor seating area, great service and good variety of food.Their fresh focaccia bread is the most popular and it definitely didn't disappoint- crusty, fluffy, amazing aroma from the herbs, paired with creamy honey butter~ simple but delicious.We tried an app, sweet and savory brunch items and the pasta, all had great flavors and nice portion. Also with good drink selections.The potato side was very crispy and flavored generous amount of Parmesan cheese. The spaghetti was a bit too salty, but I love the thicker noodles and good amount of sauce - light but hearty. The pancakes were mediocre, could have been thicker and fluffier, but the hazelnut pairing with banana and caramel was clever.Will definitely be back again!

Seating was prompt for our party of 6 at 6.30 on a recent Thursday. Our first time. Most tables were already occupied with lots of chatter. Server was gracious and helpful, despite the noise level. Wine and 3 appetizers came promptly. Then our dining experience went downhill. Entrees took 40 minutes to arrive after the apples were cleared. Went to the back to check out the kitchen. It was severely undersized for the number of guests in the resto. No wonder they could not cook our orders in a timely manner. Further disappointment. When our entrees finally arrived (hooray), the center of the pork chops and chicken were cold - and over cooked. Which lead us to conclude that the proteins were pre-cooked then reheated until they were dried and pronounced DOA. Admittedly, we are a very experienced and demanding NYC diners. But reheated food is simply unacceptable.

It took us a while to get to Via Locusta but we're glad we finally made it! Here's the highlights:Great outdoor seating area with air flow / fans that made even 95 degree temps tolerable. Inside the ambiance is awesome too. Service was top notch. Manny was lovely and made fantastic recommendations. He was very conscious of the fact that the kitchen was a bit backed up and was super attentive throughout the evening. And he was great trying to get us out of there before a big storm hit, packing our dessert to go and turning the check around super quick. He definitely made our experience even better. Food was phenomenal. Star of the evening was definitely the branzino....top five branzino dishes I've ever had, I'd say. The lamb pasta and summer ravioli were also fantastic. We went with the tasting menu and it was a great move...tons of food (plenty of leftovers to take home) and the bill with 3 cocktails and wine was $170, less than many other places of the same or less caliber. Cocktails are solid and the wines by the glass were great accompaniments to the menu. All in all, I'd most definitely recommend a visit. We'll definitely be back and hopefully can hit up happy hour next time too.

Unique Italian spot in Rittenhouse! To start off our waiter was extremely friendly and gave some great recs for the meal. For a group of 3, we split apps (focaccia, potatoes, and Caesar) and 2 pastas before a show. Their tasting menu looks to be a great deal and would love to try when we had more time! Really cute vibe, loved their cocktails, and my new go to for contemporary Italian in the city!