Best Authentic Restaurants in University City

I have had the pleasure of dining at Fiorella's several times before, both in the downstairs dining area and with their pasta club dinner series. This was the first time, however, we visited with an 8 month old. Friends of ours were in town from California, and we really wanted to show them an example of a dinner that makes us appreciate Philadelphia so much. The staff was incredibly patient and accommodating with our young pasta lover. The noise level and other diners that evening made our experience feel simply like you were eating in a friend's living room. We're grateful for Fiorella's in many ways, and always suggest this restaurant for smaller, more intimate gatherings for friends and family.

Went here with a couple friends for one guy’s birthday celebration. Everything was fantastic except for one thing. We ended up stuck at the front table, downstairs right as you come in the door near the Host/Hostess stand. This is a table they should get rid of after the weather drops below 50 degrees F (and it was 28 degrees F this night). I asked if there was another table available because it might be too cold there and the staff stated, unfortunately there were no others available because they were so booked but they could keep the door closed. Ha. I knew that would be impossible because they were so busy that the door would be constantly open both with customers coming in and with staff running food to the upstairs part of the restaurant, and the interior door doesn’t really close properly, even when staff attempt to close it as much as possible. And when a large group arrives, both the interior door and the exterior door are open for an extended amount of time because they had to check in at the Host/Hostess stand. Thankfully, we all dressed warm enough to get through it. All I know is, if this was a reservation with my wife we would have walked out!!

We had come into Philly to enjoy some holiday shopping and I thought Dandelion would be a nice, cozy spot for lunch on a cold December day. It was perfect! We were shown to a lovely corner booth upstairs where every table was full, but the noise level was a non-issue. Bella proved to be a knowledgeable and professional server and had good suggestions regarding beverages and menu selections. I enjoyed the salmon pate and my husband's burger was terrific. It was the typical Stephen Starr restaurant experience: creative, authentic decor; well-trained professional staff; and great food.

Always the perfect spot for a reunion with friends! Parc’s food, service and professional staff met all our expectations today: from the seafood appetizers to the the trout amandine, comforting roasted chicken, delicious mussels, and chicken paillard, everyone enjoyed their lunch. Our server, Tiffany, was wonderful.

We were seated immediately upon arrival. Our waitress came over within 2 minutes of us sitting down (hadn’t had a chance to select drinks or food) and brought water. We don’t see her again for another 10 or so minutes. After ordering, we waited another 10 minutes for my drink and had to request my husbands drink again. The lavender martini was delicious but tasted heavy on the orange with little lavender to taste. We ordered wood fired pizzas (sausage/pepperoni and the short rib). They were both tasty but each slide of the short rib pizza had about 1 bite of short rib…was heavy on the mushroom and onion. I suggested the chef spread the love of the short rib more throughout the pizza. We did list that we were celebrating our birthdays but there was no recognition of it (not even a Happy Birthday upon arrival)…not sure what the point was of listing this. Overall, the experience was ok but for $70, wouldn’t say it was entirely worth it.