2. Buddakan
8.9
325 Chestnut St, Philadelphia, PA
Asian Restaurant · Center City East · 117 tips and reviews
JJ: Trendy atmosphere, great service and awesome food!! My favs are the calamari salad, shrimp and lobster spring rolls, chilean sea bass and dim sum donuts for dessert!!!
James Russell: The Zen-gria is refreshing. Try the Asian Caesar Salad, Crispy Calamari Salad, or Chicken & Ginger dumplings for apps. The Sweet & Crispy Jump Shrimp are delicious w/a side of wasabi mashed potatoes.
Es K.: Calamari salad and BBQ pork tenderloin are to die for!
3. The Continental Mid-Town
8.2
1801 Chestnut St (at 18th St.), Philadelphia, PA
New American Restaurant · Center City West · 200 tips and reviews
Peter M: The Crispy Calamari Salad is generous and delicious!
Follow Foodie: Still a fan of the classics: Rad na thai chicken and the calamari salad. But add extra calamari to your salad, it's WAY better that way.
Ian Hardouin: Calamari salad, shrimp tacos, lettuce wraps are all great
4. Radicchio Cafe
8.6
314 York Ave (4th Street), Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Northern Liberties - Fishtown · 27 tips and reviews
Bobby G.: Radicchio is RadiccYES in my book! Grilled calamari and octopus are fantastic! Lobster ravioli, Filet mignon, seafood salad are out of this world. Cannoli and tiramisu are better than any bakery!
Natalia Montilla: Grilled Calamari and Lamb ragu pappardelle 👌🏽
Erin Mulrooney: If they have lobster ravioli as a special, get it. Topped with shrimp and scallops-top notch.
5. Branzino
7.7
261 S 17th St, Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Rittenhouse Square · 13 tips and reviews
Frank Slack: Branzino has the most incredible menu!!! 5 stars, try the calamari! Unreal!!
Nic Nack: The calamari is amazing as well as the branzino, the sauce is to die for. However, you must save room for dessert! The tiramisu is the best I've ever had
Kandis Kovalsky: Philly's best BYOB. Even better than La Viola! Get the grilled calamari appetizer and the gnocchi! Beautiful and spacious inside compared to many of the other BYOBs in the city.
6. Spasso Italian Grill
8.2
34 S Front St (at Chestnut St), Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Center City East · 34 tips and reviews
jennaphr frederick: GET THE GRILLED CALAMARI !!
Dennis DiMarino Jr.: Fried calamari very good, strip steak could've been better
Nicole Ponzio: I enjoy food very much. I was very excited about the grilled calamari that I had ordered, but extremely disappointed when my waitress dropped off fried calamari then disappeared
8. Bistro Romano
9.0
120 Lombard St (btwn Front & S 2nd Sts), Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Center City East · 68 tips and reviews
C B: Hanger steak and calamari are delicious
Alyssandra Docherty: Food was delicious... Spicy calamari, gnocchi was incredible, swordfish was wonderful too!
Lindsey Racine: This restaurant is the perfect mix of a romantic atmosphere, amazing service, and unbelievable food!
10. LaScala's
7.9
615 Chestnut St (at 7th St), Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Center City East · 47 tips and reviews
James G.: Fried Calamari with a side of seasoned mushrooms. Yum yum.
Jolie Wallace: Seasonal Sangria, calamari, and risotto are PHENOMENAL!
Julia Kwan: Friendly service, good food, good portions! Mushroom risotto, bolognese & fried calamari👍
12. The Victor Cafe
9.0
1303 Dickinson St, Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Bella Vista - Southwark · 25 tips and reviews
mary bunce: The drinks are very good here!! The wait staff is amazing at singing and serving! I even got serenaded the happy birthday song! Great calamari! I will return to this place! Bravo!
John Gaus: Delicious Italian food with the added treat of opera singing. Great restaurant for a special and memorable evening.
Visit Philly: When Stallone was in town, this is where you'd find him—enjoying veal and Chianti. He would even call his wife in California so she could hear the singing wait staff.
14. Twenty Manning Grill
7.8
261 S 20th St (at Spruce St), Philadelphia, PA
American Restaurant · Center City · 43 tips and reviews
Lawrence O'Toole: Pork chop with grilled peaches and crispy Brussels sprouts is amazing. Also, try the calamari, dusted and lightly fried with long hots. So good!
Alex Sippin: The calamari is fantastic
Raj Sarma: I highly recommend the calamari appetiser. The bison burger was really good, but the some of the onions actually had skin on them, not a big deal, but felt a little sloppy.
15. Ristorante La Veranda
8.1
30 N Christopher Columbus Blvd, Philadelphia, PA
Italian Restaurant · Penn's Landing · 12 tips and reviews
Gerry Boyle: Excellent. Great tilapia and calamari.
Philly.com: With a peaceful pier-side view of the Delaware River, La Veranda offers deftly prepared Italian fare, specializing in whole fish and wood-grilled steaks. Read more.
Thrillist: Order Off-Menu Awesome: Tempura-battered asparagus w/ a bed of crispy-bacon-topped arugula, dressed in a lemon-vinegar-oregano pesto, and topped with a breadcrumb-battered Trout that's triple-fried! Read more.