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Catering Companies, Restaurants
$$, Business Dining, Group Dining, Lunch Spot, Online Reservations, Special Occasion Dining, View Dining, Waterfront Dining
La Veranda - known for its delicious Italian food, its incredible water view, and its superior service - is located at Penn's Landing. This eatery welcomes reservations for small romantic dinners and intimate gatherings. They also offer three banquet rooms for large private parties, where you and your guests can revel in their menu, unique atmosphere and extensive bar and wine list. As their chefs prepare your steaks and chops on a wood-burning grill, you are able to dine outside on the veranda with its beautiful view of the river and Ben Franklin Bridge.
This was one of our favorite restaurants to visit. The service has slipped. The food quality has dropped off over the last couple of times. Some of our food was cold and the food had no flavor.
Posted 12/09/08 | Report Abuse
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I travel all over the world, and have been to Italy more times than I can remember, so I know a bit about Italian food and good restaurants. I don't expect Italian restaurants in America to be as good as in Italy (although some exist), but I also don't expect to be charged three times the price for food that's far worse than in Italy! Just as an example, my caprese salad had tomatoes that had obviously been kept in the refrigerator, giving them a white, mushy texture in the middle. But they still expected me to pay $13 for this! And my veal with asparagus, parmesan cheese in a marsala sauce featured asparagus from a can: there's no way it was fresh, and it cost $27.00! The same high price/lousy quality was true of all the dinners in my party that night. If you want Olive Garden quality, save a lot of money and go to Olive Garden. The only justification for such high prices is an exceptional location and view, and I don't consider the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Campbell's Soup Factory in Camden to qualify under those criteria!
Posted 08/22/08 | Report Abuse
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We'd heard many good things about LaVeranda and had anticipated going there for some time before we actually got around to it.
The atmosphere is nice, of course. We immediately mentioned that it may be a perfect place to have a wedding event. In perusing the menu, we saw prices on par with Mosholu and other fine places that we've enjoyed--Osteria in Annapolis was the weekend before--so perhaps unconsciously our expectations were raised to that level of food and service.
Our experience was only marred by some of the worst service I've ever been subjected to. Food quality and correctness in preparation are the responsibility of the server. A good server makes sure that the order is correct at the start and especially before it is served to the customer. If there had been a problem in the kitchen, which I sincerely doubt, the server fights it out with the cook and the customer should never see the result. An apology for the delay, an extra serving of bruschetta, a smile all ease the process while the mistake is rectified. That's how these things are properly done. I also expect that a good server oversees the bus staff to be sure they interact smoothly--not hovering or taking things away from some diners before everyone is finished--or horror of horrors, while one is still eating! These were our two complaints, but they really had a negative impact on our whole experience.
I believe it may be possible to have good service if you are lucky enough to get another waiter--we met one who was perceptive enough to stop by and ask me if everything was alright. He attempted to make our experience better.
It's never acceptable to have bad service, but when you spend $32 & $30 for entrees, it's more of an affront.
Honestly, we've had better service at a $20 meal at Pagoda. We'll stick to Moshulu for the fine food and fine service on the waterfront in Philadelphia.
Posted 07/25/08 | Report Abuse
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great food,great atmosphere,i will go back.
Pros: best in phila.
Posted 10/06/09
Yesterday I went to LaVeranda's for the first time. I had always heard the food was terrific! Well, what I had heard was so true. From the moment I entered, I was greeted warmly by the staff. Our server was absolutely terrific! My dinner was equally as great! I will be a returning customer!
And, being from South Philly originally, I welcome good Italian food when eating out. Of course nothing beats my mom's cooking -- but this restaurant comes very close.
P.S. I just loved those complimentary long hot peppers!
Pros: Next best thing to my Mom's cooking!
Posted 06/11/09
Classic Italian menu,like in Italy. Grilled fish, homemade pasta, great service. Definately worth this visit
Posted 02/28/09
I have never written a review before but was very motivated to set the record straight when I saw two unfavorable, and in my opinion, UNFAIR reviews posted for La Veranda. We, too, are well traveled (Italy and beyond) and have dined in many fine restaurants abroad and in the States and to be honest, La Veranda remains one of our favorites year after year. On first impression many years ago, we were so impressed, we actually hosted our wedding reception there! Our guests still rave about the food (wood fire grilled Salmon and Chicken Piccata.)
Put simply, the food is wonderful and everything we have had there has been prepared to perfection. The prices are actually quite reasonable for many dishes and of course, more expensive for others - depending on your order. My husband had the most amazing spaghetti bolognese for around $14.00 and I had one of the fish specials - Dover Sole - for $46.00. The fish was de-boned and served at our table by our experienced waiter. Oh, try the grilled calamari for a delicious appetizer.
We are not food snobs or anything, but we expect an excellent meal when we go out to a nice restaurant and that is what we always get at this restaurant. Consistently high quality food and service - worth every penny (and calorie!)
Pros: Lighting, Service, Views
Posted 11/30/08
I would not recommend anyone to eat here.. The food was horrible !! And the service was beyond slow.... save urself and go somewhere else!!
Pros: it looked like a nice place
Cons: everything else..
Posted 09/24/08
I travel all over the world, and have been to Italy more times than I can remember, so I know a bit about Italian food and good restaurants. I don't expect Italian restaurants in America to be as good as in Italy (although some exist), but I also don't expect to be charged three times the price for food that's far worse than in Italy! Just as an example, my caprese salad had tomatoes that had obviously been kept in the refrigerator, giving them a white, mushy texture in the middle. But they still expected me to pay $13 for this! And my veal with asparagus, parmesan cheese in a marsala sauce featured asparagus from a can: there's no way it was fresh, and it cost $27.00! The same high price/lousy quality was true of all the dinners in my party that night. If you want Olive Garden quality, save a lot of money and go to Olive Garden. The only justification for such high prices is an exceptional location and view, and I don't consider the Ben Franklin Bridge and the Campbell's Soup Factory in Camden to qualify under those criteria!
Pros: Nice waterfront location, although that doesn't justify the prices.
Cons: Mediocre food charged at exorbitant rates
Posted 08/23/08
The food here is pretty much what I'd expect to get at a local diner. The sauces are from a can (if not, they sure taste like it) and the food is very bland and not cooked to perfection. On the upside, at least the atmosphere is nice (especially if you eat outside on a nice night). If they can improve their food, this could be a terrific place. For now, it might be worth coming just for drinks/dessert.
Pros: atmosphere
Cons: food
Posted 07/27/08
We had a most unpleasant and discourteous experience from a man who represented himself as a manager who we later found out was one of the owners of La Veranda. My uncle had asked him a simple question of why we were being charged for onions and tomatoes when they were always served to us prior without being charged. His curt and obnoxious answer was that may have been in the past but you are being charged now. He left the table muttering, "That f"ing guy" after my uncle paid about $300.00 for the food bill which was quite exorbanant to begin with. This man should be reprimanded by the restaurant association. With an attitude like this, he will drive his business into the ground. Our waiter on the other hand was very engaging and a true professional. Of course, there was nothing he could do to correct the poor customer service from the owner. I believe this should be addressed to the owner who apparently believes the customer is not right. He lost a customer who has been a weekly patron of this restaurant for many years due to his rudeness and lack of customer service.
Posted 05/16/08
Worst experience ever. Reservations at 7:30Pm. At 8:15 they pour water and bring us 5 pieces of bruschetta for 7 people. 8:50 they take our order. 9:20 they bring the salad. 10:15 they bring the entree. Pasta was barely luke warm. Filet mignon ordered "medium" but came out well done. So 1 person got to watch the rest of us eat. I've had better meals at a pizza parlor. Finished dinner at 10:35. Waiter asked if we wanted dessert. I told him no. I probably would of needed a vacation day to wait for that. Service is TERRIBLE. Food is MEDIOCORE. Wouldn't go back again if it was free. The sad part is that we were celebrating my daughter's graduation from college that same day. La veranda definitely made it memorable.........
Pros: Nice Location
Cons: Service absolutely stinks
Posted 05/12/08
I highly reccomend this place. I've enjoyed it everytime i've been there. The service is great. The food is great,atmosphere was great and the view was great. I can't understand why someone wouldn't like this place.
Pros: friendly people
Cons: none
Posted 04/13/08
I thought that the food was excellent, good portions and great service. The wine list is pricey but the Zinfandel at $28 per bottle was excellent. Atmosphere wonderful and all around wonderful evening. Hi Omar!
Pros: valet parking a bargain and convenient
Cons: can't think of any
Posted 12/10/07
la veranda and the lounge they have upstairs is phenominal. everything from the sevice, to the food, and the atmosphere has been outstanding everytime my girlfriend and I have been there. this is a great place especially for young couples to go and enjoy their time together. the lounge upstairs is a great experience because you don't have to deal with the college crowds and the party crowd that is in old city. this past weekend was about the 6th time my girlfriend and I have been there in the past year and everything was excellent again. i don't understand how these people can say this place is not great, i ordered a porter house from the grill they have displayed up front of the restuarant and i think it was better than any steak i've gotten from the capital grille. saturday night i didn't have a reservation so i had to wait a little for a table but the owner bought my girlfriend and i a drink while we waited at the bar and gave us some fruit at the end of our meal. he also arranged a table for us upstairs which was a great time, don't let these other people fool you, la veranada is a great place for young couples to go and have a romantic dinner on the water
Pros: food, service, decor
Cons: i forgot to make a resveration and you need one on weekend nights
Posted 11/05/07
The absolute worst food in Philadelphia. This place should not be allowed to operate. I have had better food in pizza shops. The host Tony is rude and not accommodating. My seafood dish was foul smelling, when I brought it to there attention the response was unprofessional. I would recommend not eating at this place, don?t be fooled be the appearance. Also the night club upstairs is frequented by thugs and undesirable people I wouldn?t be caught dead in this place.
Pros: bad food
Cons: nice decor
Posted 11/02/07
Our dinner at La Veranda was terrible. What a disappointment. This is supposed to be a 5 star restaurant. I've had better meals at pizza parlors. The service was very slow and the waiter was very unfriendly. The food was awful. I had a veal dish that was just ok - for $40. My husband ordered surf and turf which was smothered in some kind of sauce. He sent it back and asked for it plain. When it came back it was overcooked and ice cold. In fact all the food was served cold. Our friends were equally unhappy with the food. I have never written a review before, but think people should know beforehand when they are spending this much money for a meal and the food is terrible. I would never recommend this restaurant to anyone.
Pros: NONE
Cons: EVERYTHING
Posted 09/30/07
I usually do not take the time to review places, but I just had to in this case. Our dinner at La Veranda was the absolute worst. I am not a picky person at all but there was not one good thing about this place. This is supposed to be a nice restaurant but the service is zero. The waiter came to our table first time 35 min after we had sat down. He did not introduce himself and only asked if we were going to get a bunch of drinks. He was cold and unfriendly. We ordered 2 bottles of wine. When we did not see the waiter for another 20 min, my husband went to ask for another waiter. The new waiter came over, didn?t introduce himself and stood there waiting for our order. We asked if he was our new waiter and he said yes. We asked what happened to the other waiter and he said: "He's busy." Strange. It would have been nice if anyone would have told us from the beginning that they are understaffed or whatever the problem was and be nice about it. The 2nd waiter barely said 5 words during the entire dinner. The food was nothing to talk about. Bread was stale. Lobster ravioli was fishy and my husband didn't even eat it and ate half of my gnocchis that were just ok. I am amazed by the attitude and not caring of this restaurant. What a disappointment. Would not recommend to anyone.
Pros: nice view
Cons: horrible service, food just ok
Posted 07/30/07
La Veranda is amazing. The service is top notch, the food is top notch. It is also very romantic and the club upstairs is great for young couples like myself who like a lounge with a touch of class. It definitely warrants a five star rating. If anyone has made a negative comment. THEY DON'T GET OUT MUCH!!!!!
Robyn B T!!
Posted 07/12/07
The Service was prompt and courteous however the food was disappointing from the martini my wife and I started out with down to the dessert. The main course was a total waste... My wife had lamb which was bland and void of any taste what so ever. I had a lobster raviolli that sat in a red sauce that was very hard to eat because of the aroma of bacon or ham mixed into it. It later made me sick. The cake we ordered for dessert looked exactly like the dessert tray they presented to us to choose from. The items were old and stale we couldn't eat any of it....I would never visit this restaurant again.
Pros: Service, Ambience, Parking, Price
Cons: Food, Drinks,
Posted 07/10/07
First time to La Veranda and we were not impressed. The service was TERRIBLE, I don't think our server said more than ten words to us the entire night. The bread and dessert were stale.
The entrees were delicious and there was a lot to choose from on the menu. However, it was very overpriced compared to other Italian restaurants we have dined at in Philly. NOT RECOMMENDED!
Pros: Extensive menu
Cons: Terrible service, overpriced, no ambiance, wine list only by bottle not by glass
Posted 05/13/07
This was a great cozy spot to go! It is very romantic and the food and service is great! Highly recommend it to anyone! A great spot for the waterfront.
Posted 11/24/06
MY WIFE AND I HAVE BEEN AT THIS RESTAURANT MANY TIMES OVER THE YEARS--THE FOOD IS EXCELLENT AND THE SERVICE IS GREAT--PARTICULARLY, THE WAITERS PINO AND ALEX. THEY MAKE YOU FEEL AS IF YOU ARE A MEMBER OF THEIR FAMILY. I HAVE SENT MANY RELATIVES AND FRIENDS TO THIS RESTAURANT AND ALL WERE VERY HAPPY. I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THEM AGAIN ON 12/13/05.--DANIEL R. DEL BAGNO--KENDALL PARK,NJ.
Pros: EXCELLNT SERVICE, EXCELLENT FOOD, EXCELLENT SURROUNDING
Cons: NONE
Posted 12/12/05
besides the great food & service this place just has great atmosphere. Sitting outside in the summer time is a treat
Posted 01/19/03
Great place to eat vintage italian in the city w/ excellent service too! Try their fish specials.
Posted 11/21/02
I had the Tuna steak. It was prepared to order and it was delicious! I really enjoyed the roasted peppers and zuccini they served prior to our ordering the meal.
Pros: great view!, good food., good service.
Posted 10/15/02
This place has seriously gone downhill. There was about a 2 year period between my dining here, and I was extremely disappointed. I used to recommend this place, but would not anymore. There are too many other places to eat in town.
Pros: good view
Cons: service was poor, food went downhill, over priced
Posted 09/19/02
The atmosphere and the food is a cut above here and dining al fresco along the water is a must. Great setting for casual business meetings, yet intimate enough for that special someone in your life. The seafood dishes of the day are usually the way to go.
Pros: Food, Atmosphere, Will prep to order
Cons: A bit pricy
Posted 09/14/02
"These guys and Geno's across the street both are rude, over priced, ..."
