After spending my teens and twenties fully obsessed with shows like Sex and the City and Gossip Girl, I always dreamed of that glamorous city life — you know, hopping from art gallery openings to the buzziest restaurant of the moment, preferably in heels I couldn’t actually walk in. I feel like I had that dream become a reality when Jake and I were talking about what restaurant to make a reservation at for our one year wedding anniversary. We settled on Parc because it’s one of our favorites, and it’s turned into our go-to for celebrations. The next day, Jake texted me that there was one opening available at the just opened Borromini restaurant in Rittenhouse Square. While Philly is not like New York City, it’s still a city with an amazing food scene. Jake and I are both foodies, and we love trying new places and trying new things. So when a reservation was available at a restaurant with a very known long wait list – I knew we had to jump on it.
I loved the vibe right away. From the moment I stepped through the doors, I could tell a lot of time and money went into transforming this space. The space is massive (it occupies two floors in what used to be a Barnes & Noble) and yet somehow still cozy. With the vaulted ceilings, mosaic tilework, rustic oak beams, exposed brick, and these soft warm lights that make you feel like you’re somewhere you should be dressed up but also comfy. It has that fancy restaurant vibe, but also a place I would be comfortable going to grab dinner after work. The best way to sum it up is that it was built for Philly because we like nice things, but we are also down-to-earth.
I’ve heard complaints that the restaurant was too loud, but I didn’t find it hard to have a conversation. If anything, it added to the positive energy with people being excited to be there. The resturant just opened, but it already had that this is the place to be and gather. The waitstaff is also very friendly; we bonded over the Eagles loss, and they are very knowledgeable about the menu. The waitstaff are attentive but don’t hover and don’t rush you through the meal. Since we were celebrating our wedding anniversary, the restaurant was kind enough to surprise us with glasses of prosecco with our desert that came out with candles. It’s that little extra touch that goes a long way!
It’s a small menu, but you can tell that each item has been perfected and is selected to pair well with other dishes. We started with the Caprese and the focaccia while looking over the menu. It was hard to choose one because everything sounded so GOOD! I went with the spaghetti al pomodoro, and Jake ordered the 100-layer lasagna.
We already decided we need to come back again during the week when we wanted to get a drink after work. The aperol spritz was refreshing, and the Pomodoro Martini was heaven in a glass.
If I had to describe the food, I’d say that it’s fresh – not overly seasoned, just fresh ingredients to highlight the already delicious dishes. You could taste the fresh tomatoes in the spaghetti al pomodoro, and the lasagna was light and fluffy unlike traditional lasagnas.
Borromini is a great addition to the neighborhood, and I’m excited to come back again! We are already planning the next time we can stop by the bar and grab a drink and enjoy the restaurant vibes!
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