Cicala At The Divine Lorraine Reviews

Pasta dishes are appetizer sized with full prices. Wine was a drop in the glass for $18. Eggplant parm was $45! Can’t beat South Philly portions and prices! Beautiful atmosphere, delicious food and wildly overpriced. We’ve had more generous portions, quality food and much better prices in other Philly restaurants.

Took our first Covid outing last Thursday to Cicala at the Divine Lorraine. We were prepared to leave if we felt at all uncomfortable but dining was outside, tables were space more than 6 feet apart, all staff were wearing masks, and it was not overcrowded. The noise on Broad was a bit loud but we could converse comfortably. Dinner was amazing. We had the 5 course dinner with wine pairing. It’s difficult to single out a favorite dish as they were all great but I’ll make an attempt. The bruschetta (anchovy conserva and calabrese chilies) was a flavor experience. I don’t know how else to describe it. So unusual and delicious. The charcoal-grilled lamb was a table favorite. The green tomato jam and Calabrian chili marmalade with toasted almond gelato was the perfect finish and was scrumptious.

My husband and I were staying at the Divine Lorraine and stopped into the Cicala for dessert and coffee. Eventhough it was a very busy Saturday evening and we didn't have a reservation, the hostess went out of her way to accommodate us. The owner and chef waited on us, personally.

A beautiful dining room in an historic one of a kind building. We were so excited to finally see the inside of the divine Lorraine and Cicala did not disappoint in terms of decor. The menu is built on a 3 course model and each area has 4-8 choices. So it’s almost structured like a small plate menu but not priced that way. Thus if you ordered 3 courses your tab would be approximately $70 per person for just food. That’s a lot for this city and though the food is very good it doesn’t deserve that price tag. The funghi pasta was our highlight. The beef tenderloin is unique but heavy and with no sides or compliments at all, it disappoints in the end. The wines by the glass were a bit limited. The cocktails were our favorite part of meal and are a must. Just missing the wow factor needed for that price tag.

Incredible dining experience of the highest order. Elegant warm and cozy ambiance paired with impeccable service and off the charts food. A night to long remember. THANK YOU for a very special evening. Grazie!

My cousin & I met my son & daughter-in-love here for dinner after a wedding event. The antipasta choices were quite appealing & was certainly more than enough for 4 adults. We chose to order different main dishes & share them all. There was not a single disappointing meal!! Having recently returned from Italy, I was hankering for a Hugo Sprtitzer ..... I had an opportunity to meet Chef Cicala & asked about the drink, & Wohlah!!! He proudly delivered the delicious drink! What an enjoyable meal in an elegant environment! & it's not just a restaurant & hotel, the property includes over 100 short & long term modern apartment rentals.

This evening I had the pleasure of attending the soft opening of one of the best restaurants to hit Phila in years. Cicala's represents an era of times long missed. Gorgeous decor, fabulous food all made from scratch, great service and the feeling of being transported to Italy. will be back next week!

We dined at Cicala's on their second night open. We were impressed with the beautiful dining space, service and the food. We had been looking forward to the opening of this restaurant for months and were not disappointed. Our group of 4 started with the antipasti misto that featured Joe's melt in your mouth proscuitto and salamis with mixed olives and roasted peppers. For starters we feasted on tuna carpaccio, soup and eggplant polpette. All the pastas we tried were excellent. Mains of lamb and swordfish were beautiful and delectible. The desserts (we each had a different one) are to die for. This is a great place to just enjoy the bar with an extensive wine list and small plates or for a special occasion with family or friends. It is a bit dark in the dining room for reading the menu so diners were using their cell phone flashlights.

Beautiful restaurant in a beautiful setting but wildly overpriced. Spent note here than we did at other high end fine dining restaurants (e.g. La Croix) and had much better meals at those other places. Girlfriend wanted to order gnocchi, the server told her it was a smaller portion size (for $24 no less) so she asked for a slightly larger portion. They charged us $48! $48 for a plate of gnocchi? (That she really didn’t like too). Have contacted the restaurant to voice my astonishment and complain and have never had a response. First and last time we’ll dine there, too many other restaurants in Philly that are far better for the money. I recommend you go elsewhere.

the restaurant was reviewed in the phila inquirer and phila magazine recently. It has been open a short three months and the reviews were borne out tonight. White tablecloths, excellent service, a beautiful setting and most of all, a great meal. We had appetizer (lentil soup for me, artichoke heart for barbara) , 2 different pasta dishes and then a main dish of ternderloin which we shared.The presentations were supurb , the food was supurb and the desert was as well (rum cake) This is a restaurant where it is appropriate, even in todays world, to put on slacks instead of jeans because the room refllects good taste. I cant say enough about this restaurant except that we will become regulars.

The food was adequate, and the dessert was good but nothing could overcome the horrific service. The incompetence was only exceeded by the rudeness from every staff member we encountered. From the moment we arrived to 3.5 hours later when we finally got the correct check it was an abysmal experience- from trying to force our party of 3 to sit at a 2 top to excessive wait between courses with dirty dishes and empty glasses to presenting us with the wrong check (twice). Its clear that this restaurant has no management, the staff is completely untrained, they are paying a "sommelier" who is too incompetent/rude to do his job (sell wine) and the food isn't extraordinary enough to overcome the poor experience. They are also driving themselves out of business- not just by discouraging repeat business but on our table alone they missed the sale of 3 additional cocktails, another bottle of water, and at a minimum another glass if not a bottle of wine for the table. There are many restaurants in Philadelphia where you can be well served and well fed at all price ranges- this is not one of them.

great service, delicious food, and really interesting setting; we loved what they did with the renovation and elegance of the dining room and bar - while still incorporating the distressed brick of the building. Service was friendly and helpful; but the food was the highlight - the Eggplant “polpette” was a delicious appetizer; we tried 2 of the pasta dishes - both were great but we especially liked the uniqueness of the “Burnt grain” orecchette; we shared the filet - which was plenty for us after individual pasta dishes. The presentation of the filet was as special as the taste - on a bed of rosemary with a burning twig of herbs made for interesting aromas as they presented it - cooked to perfection within a tasty crust. This was a special occasion dinner for us, but can definitely see us returning into Philly to enjoy again!

Peter greeted us immediately upon entering the restaurant. It's white table but cozy and relaxing. Peter was extremely friendly and concerned about our comfort. Service was excellent , everyone who came to our table was friendly and professional. The food was excellent. Seafood misto , pumpkin ravioli, and oxtail over polenta were all perfectly cooked and delicious. I we will definitely revisit.

We had an unbelievable experience at this restaurant the food was absolutely delicious the staff was very attentive the dining room is stunning the China was gorgeous our pasta dishes and the meats were just fantastic. I don’t believe I’ve had a meal this good in the past 20 years. We were fortunate enough to meet the chef or I should say the chefs as it is a husband and wife team who pour love into everything that they do at this restaurant. Many of the dishes I haven’t had so good since my last trip to Italy. The antipasto charcuterie tray cover the table there were so much and our desserts and assortment of pastries was so delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant and can’t wait to return

What an embarrassing excuse for a restaurant. I booked my reservation through Resy Global Access through Amex. Familiar with the history of the building and the supposed fame of the proprietors, I expected a warm and welcoming environment along with delicious food. Unfortunately, we never found out. First of all, the fact that reservations were freely available, at every interval on a Saturday night, should have let us know this would be a poor choice. Upon arrival at the front door, several staff members walked by as they traversed between the twin restaurants spanning the lobby. Only the 4th employee to pass offered to open the locked door which is to be accessed via buzzer. Once we entered the dining room the hostess graciously greeted us, checked our costs, and sat our table at 8:55 in advance of our 9:30 reservation. The dining room was about 1/3 full, so they had plenty of room. Everyone has different standards regarding service, and slow service happens on occasion. However it is usually easy to tell whether an establishment is hospitable or not. After sitting for a while, we began to feel uneasy and unwelcome. Servers traversed back and forth never a hello, a look, nor a nod in our direction. No water glasses filled, no energy pointed in our direction. Watched the owners stand at one table providing them with personalized service, while they and the staff ignored our table for sure. After waiting an appropriate amount of time, without being acknowledged, we decided to exit scene, and spend our time and resource with proprietors who value other humans and their business. The hostess was extremely apologetic. My partner asked to speak with the owners who were standing within earshot. They could not be bothered to speak with us. After leaving we read the many, many reviews cataloging how these folks operate. Not sure if there are particular groups of people this establishment chooses to disenfranchise or if the proprietors are bad hosts to any and all. What I do know is that they are not worth your time or money. They do not know much about hospitality.

Usually don't do reviews, but hope management reads this. Missed the mark on many fronts. Beautiful interior, inviting, romantic. Misses included: Food very bland, requested gluten free and was delivered couscous (wheat salad!), cauliflower starter undercooked and tasteless, lamb shank MAYBE 5 oz, wines underwhelming. This place has potential to be a sought-after destination, but management needs to up the game: I hope someone reads this...

Ambiance exquisite food exceptional service superb 100% Fabulous dining experience. Traditional Italian cooking from scratch. A lovely couple who owns this lovely dining spot travels to Italy often givess Italian pastry lessons.

The pandemic has limited our US and European restaurant visits so Cicala was a great place to return to fine dining. The decor is elegant but comfortable. Service was superb. The 3 of us went with 2 appetizers, 3 premier platti, one seconda platti and still had room for yummy desserts. I especially loved the pasta with octopus and the eggplant appetizer. The eggplant texture was amazing. I don't usually rave over restaurant bread, but ours was out of the oven fresh and flavorful. The dessert variations on tiramisu and canolli were generous, fresh and uniquely tasty. The entire experience was a much needed treat. Can't wait to go back and we are already telling our friends about Cicala.

On Thursday, April 4th, I went to Cicala for dinner with my grandson and my daughter. We were very excited because my grandson is a senior at Temple University and he knew about the history and architecture of the building. We arrived at 6:15 and were promptly seated and given menus. Eventually, a runner came and filled our water glasses and we waited and waited. Fifteen minutes later we were able to get the attention of the runner and wanted to know where the server was. She said that the restaurant was understaffed and she brought us bread. There were eight tables in the area where we sat and one table had wine and one had an appetizer. The server never came to our table or the other tables and we were there for 55 minutes. We waited until 7:10 and told the hostess that we were leaving and explained our reasons. I would love to comment on the food and drinks, but no one took our order. Never in my 78 years have I walked out of a restaurant for any reason. This was a horrible experience. I was looking forward to a wonderful dinner in a historic building with my daughters and grandson and we were all very disappointed. So, if you are thinking about making a reservation at cicala, think again and don’t go.