Borromini Ristorante Reviews

We went to Borromini for dinner and chose to sit at the bar. There were three of us. Unfortunately, this turned into one of the worst dining experiences I’ve had. From the beginning, the bartender was extremely rude, aggressive, and unprofessional. His behavior went far beyond poor service. While preparing cocktails, he repeatedly splashed liquids on us as he moved behind the bar. It happened multiple times and felt intentional rather than accidental. Despite this, we tried to remain polite and asked for menu guidance and recommendations. He was completely unhelpful and dismissive. It took over 30 minutes just to take our order, which consisted of two salads and a few additional appetizers. When the salads finally arrived, the bartender proceeded to make cocktails directly in front of our plates and splashed drink ingredients into our food. He did not acknowledge it, did not apologize, and continued as if nothing had happened. I asked to speak with a manager. When the first manager arrived, he refused to listen to me and said he only wanted to hear the story from the bartender, speaking with him while I was trying to explain what occurred. At that point, the situation escalated unnecessarily. Eventually, the main manager came over. He was polite, professional, and apologetic, and I appreciate his attempt to address the issue. However, the damage had already been done. This experience was unacceptable on every level service, attitude, cleanliness, and management response. I would never recommend this restaurant and would strongly advise anyone not to sit at the bar. Based on this visit alone, I will not be returning and cannot recommend Borromini to others.

Excellent food, great service, good vibe. The dorade was well cooked and well seasoned! loved the artichokes! will be back to try the pastas

An extraordinary disappointment. My compari coctaill had to be made three times before they got it right. (In the end, I was not charged for it, a response by Starr restaurants that is typical of their outstanding customrer service and relations.) My pasta carbonara was awful. Gummy. The guanciale was so tough and woody I could not eat it. The fried artichoke appetizer was overdone and pretty tasteless. The coup de resistance was the gelato. Two flavors, neither of which I nor any of my dinner comapnions could have identified had we not know what we ordered. Both the chocolate and pistachio tasted watered down. My companions thought their pastas were mediocre with one exception. The prices on pasta dishes and appetizer were reasonable by today's standards. Many secondi dishes were a bit pricey. The atmosphere was noisy, but no more than most restauransts today. In the end, all of us (we were five) agreed we would not be hurrying back. I, for one, never plan to return.

A new grand restaurant in Philly located on the park (Rittenhouse Square). Very large, on multiple levels with seating for more than 250. Reservations are still hard to come by. Everyone wants to check it out. The theme is Italian and the renovations are beautiful. The food was excellent and the staff very friendly and accommodating. The service had some challenges, long waits, missing food items. They did their very best to make it right. Growing pains. New restaurant, new staff, new routine. I’m sure it will improve with time. Be ready for some hefty prices. I’m used to the prices at PARC their sister restaurant a block away but Borromini will really set you back. Go for the 100 layer lasagna. Pasta dishes seem to be their specialty. I’ll give it a little time to settle in, get a routine, and calm down, then I’ll go back. That lasagna was really good.

The menu and wine list are unparalleled - service was sincere and attentive. hard to decide what to get because everything looks amazing. We enjoyed every dish - high quality, well prepared and delicious. Outstanding items include brussel sprout salad, focaccia di recco (thin, crispy, unleavened, light and airy), ossobucco / risotto (was expecting the risotto to have saffron in it but still was good). Have to come back because so many other dishes to try - really enjoyed the restaurant and the vibe.

Over-Priced Average Italian Food at Best in a Crowded Environment Gave this place a try. Burrata appetizer was good. Linguine with Clams, too salty and too small. Maybe 6 littlenecks? Not much pasta. Chicken Milanese was the biggest disappointment. Very bland and dry. Total bill for two with gratuity and a bottle of wine: $360. There are many better Italian restaurants in Philly for half the price. Lastly, the tables are on top of each other and you are sharing your dining experience with strangers. I won't be back.

As a big fan of Parc, Buddakan, Barclay Prime, El Vez and other Stephen Starr restaurants I expected excellent food, service, and atmosphere. We were disappointed. Service was two stars at best. Our waiter welcomed us warmly and acknowledged we were there to celebrate two birthdays. It was pretty much the last conversation we had with him. The tables adjacent to us turned over twice. Meanwhile... we sat and waited and waited and waited for water, for drinks, for food. Five different people were involved in serving us over the two hours and 20 minutes it took to have dinner and pay the check. There were a lot of managers walking around but most just walked right by. (Big shout out to Clinton who stopped, asked questions, and spoke with us twice. He engaged with us and was delightful.) Food was a solid four stars. Outstanding arancini, chicken marsala, artichokes. The quality of wine by the glass was meh. And OMG, the worst music in any upscale restaurant off Rittenhouse Square. One of us described it as "Olive Garden-ish." Decor is thoughtful and authentic. Noise level deafening. I could not hear the waiter standing three feet away. We'll wait a few months for the startup kinks to work out before coming back.

If you want average and overpriced Italian food this is the place for you. if you want to be seen this is the place for you but if you want good Italian food this is not the place for you. we had three different pastas- Bolognese carbonara and oxtail and only the oxtail was good their signature appetizer focaccia di Ecco which is 26 bucks was pretty tasteless

Food is average at best, server was non responsive. Absolutely way overpriced for the value. Better off going to Bellini or Gran Cafe if you want decent Italian meal in Rittenhouse area. D+

Landed a coveted reservation at this new restaurant by frequently checking Open Table. Hostess 10/10 - The most welcome I’ve ever felt at a restaurant. Hostess was the best! Vibe 10/10 - Nice decor, great music (they played my playlist- Amy Winehouse, Johnny Cash, The Doors, cool music. I did not think it was too loud, as I read in some other reviews. It was just right for us. Food 10/10 - Fried artichokes were great, so were the clams and linguine (perfectly cooked) and veal osso buco (falling apart and great flavor). Tiramisu was just good, I’ve had better. Drink 7/10 - I’m sure they’re still working out the kinks. Cocktails on arrival were a bit slow. Ordered wine before dinner and it didn’t come until after I was completely done the meal. Ordered limoncello and they were out of the kind we ordered, so got the alternative. If you really want to be like an Italian restaurant offer homemade limoncello for free for those that ask, it’s not difficult to make (I can dream). Once bar service is optimized it will be a fantastic experience! I would definitely recommend checking this place out.

We had the lasagna and it was ok but the sauce was terrible. We had carbonara where the main spice was salt. The salt was overwhelming and overpowering any other flavor. Also had the osso buco where the meat was delicious but the sauce was all salt. No flavor just salt.

This was a new restaurant on Rittenhouse Square. Elegant, service was good, food was better. We started with Pane Focacia, a nice thin toasted bread with sea salt. We enjoyed the gnocchi sardi, a pasta with crab, the ossa buco, and the dorade with the green salsa were particularly good, subtle, and delicious, with the sauce complementing the dishes. We'll be back since we keep thinking about what we had and what we want to order next

First, it was great being there opening night! I am a huge Stephen Starr fan for 30 years and truly appreciate all he has done for the Philadelphia restaurant scene. Mr. Starr is legendary. Honest review with context of just coming back from a 9 day trip to Italy. Positives: The Polpetta large meatbeall with polenta was the star dish for us! Light and a great combination. The Tiramisu was a little too big for one person but very good. The chocolate olive oil cake was delicious! Light and not too sweet. Our server Clarissa was nice, professional and doing her best navigating an opening night. Drinks were a little slow in the beginning but speed picked up as the night progressed. Service in general was very good and attentive, something you always get from a Starr restaurant. Things for improvement: The Focaccia Pane was too oily and took away from enjoying the lightness of the bread. The calamari was too salty and there must have been a theme because they asked us without saying anything and gave us a complimentary 2nd calamari dish with persistence. It was still a little salty but better. The mayonnaise aioli is not a good match. A tomato based sauce would be better. The Oxtail Mafaldine was tasty but also a little salty. My wife finished it but as of right now, would not return to this dish. I had the much anticipated 100 layer lasagna. All I would say is it is different from the traditional lasagnas I ate in Italy as it is very light and had little meat. It has to grow on you I think. Lastly, the Cacio e Pepe my daughter had was a little too peppery and dry. We know this is a very simple dish with only a few ingredients, but more cheese would balance off the peppery flavor. Final thoughts: This was the first night and the staff was eager to get honest feedback. We shared most of these comments above with them. Mr. Starr and his new masterpiece will make improvements because he aims for excellence and we look forward to coming back in a few months to enjoy this restaurant again. Thank you for a wonderful evening and Mr. Starr was great taking pictures with my family.

had the most I incredibly delicious dinner at this gorgeous new authentic Italian restaurant in Philly last evening. I was impresssed with the beauty of the decor. But the food is the real star. Everything we ordered from appetizers to pastas to entrees to desserts was perfectly prepared and presented. Our server, Albert, was friendly and very attentive and enhanced the memorable dining experience. I am from Ohio, but I hope to return and enjoy another unforgettable meal here.

After waiting a long time for it to open, and a while to get a reservation, we just had our first meal at Borromini: good food, stylish interior, LOUSEY service. Cocktails arrived AFTER starters, the side was forgotten, and the check was wrong. We expected more from a Stephen Starr restaurant

Hosts put us at the least desirable table. They said there were no other options. We complained. They brought us upstairs where they were clearly several other open tables. Food was basic at best, and plainly over salted and under quality. Service was poor and didn’t seem to care. Pass on this one.

We had our company holiday party at Borromini this year, and it was a mixed experience. This is a huge restaurant on Rittenhouse Square in the space where Barnes & Noble used to be. The decor is delightful; you really feel like you've been transported to Europe. We visited on a Friday night and the place was very crowded and noisy, even on the second floor where we were seated. The food ranged from delicious to meh. For example, the Salsiccia was absolutely fabulous, while the Arancini did not impress. My "Sicilian Lifeguard" was decent but nothing to write home about, though my wife loved her Lamb Scottadito. This was pretty much the pattern for our party: we all had some things we liked and others . . . not so much. I will say that our waiter was absolutely fantastic and we did have a good time. We just expected more consistency from the food in such a pricey, Center City location. I doubt we would return for that reason, but I wouldn't want to scare away those who like the look of the menu and want to draw their own conclusion. YMMV.

Lovely, very large and loud space that doesn’t seem to know what it wants to be —ristorante or trattoria. In any event it doesn’t feel like Italy. The food is good, but not great and at that price point, I expect great. Similarly overpriced wine list, but that would be okay if the food were better. I trust Starr to get it right, but there are many better places to get your pasta fix in Philly at the moment.