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Trattoria Carina is a casual neighborhood Italian restaurant from the same family as Pub & Kitchen, focused on providing delicious food and a welcoming atmosphere at a great value. Located on the corner of 22nd and Spruce, it’s a charming and easygoing 32-seat trattoria, whose name means “Little Darling” in Italian. Our menu changes seasonally, but always features a variety of homemade pastas and classic Italian dishes made up of the freshest ingredients. We also have a small bar program, featuring Italian wines by the glass and a rotating selection of cocktails and beer. Should guests choose to BYO, there is no corkage fee. Trattoria Carina is open seven days a week for dinner.
Easygoing corner spot for Italian fare, with a tight list of wine and cocktails.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 2201 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19103
Phone: (215) 732-5818
Website: http://trattoriacarina.com/
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Trattoria Carina
Trattoria Carina: Your new favorite casual neighborhood Italian Restaurant … 2201 Spruce St, Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 732-5818. Toggle Navigation.
Trattoria Carina (@trattoriacarina) · Philadelphia, PA – Instagram
Casual Neighborhood Italian Restaurant in Philadelphia Known for chicken parm, seasonal plates & BYOB Dinner nightly & weekend brunch. St. Paddy’s the …
Trattoria Carina Restaurant – Philadelphia, PA – OpenTable
Trattoria Carina is a casual neighborhood Italian restaurant from the same family as Pub & Kitchen, focused on providing delicious food and a welcoming …
Reviews
Clara
This was a highly recommended spot all over social media so I decided to hit it up ✨
Food: 3/5. People raved about the caesar salad stating it was arguably the best appetizer in Philly. Maybe I just set my expectations too high but my friend and I didn’t really see the hype. It was too salty for me and for the price ($16) it just seemed not worth it, especially when it didn’t have any meat. It seemed like just a caesar salad to me, just more salty than a normal one. We got two pastas, the gemelli and the ricotta gnocci. I found the gemelli pasta itself a little harder than I would’ve liked and too salty, but the ricotta gnocci to be delicious, flavors complementing, and textures perfect. However, this is just personal preference.
Service: It was wonderful! Attentive and solid.
Atmosphere: I absolutely loved the vibes in here. The dinner, nighttime mood and setting, especially with the decorations and bold interior, made it so aesthetic. Absolutely loved the ambiance and took too many photos !!
Overall, I found it to be a good date night / fancy dinner vibe. Definitely think it’s worth trying and hitting up if you are in the area and wanting Italian.
… moreFood: 3/5. People raved about the caesar salad stating it was arguably the best appetizer in Philly. Maybe I just set my expectations too high but my friend and I didn’t really see the hype. It was too salty for me and for the price ($16) it just seemed not worth it, especially when it didn’t have any meat. It seemed like just a caesar salad to me, just more salty than a normal one. We got two pastas, the gemelli and the ricotta gnocci. I found the gemelli pasta itself a little harder than I would’ve liked and too salty, but the ricotta gnocci to be delicious, flavors complementing, and textures perfect. However, this is just personal preference.
Service: It was wonderful! Attentive and solid.
Atmosphere: I absolutely loved the vibes in here. The dinner, nighttime mood and setting, especially with the decorations and bold interior, made it so aesthetic. Absolutely loved the ambiance and took too many photos !!
Overall, I found it to be a good date night / fancy dinner vibe. Definitely think it’s worth trying and hitting up if you are in the area and wanting Italian.
Portia Melita
All of the staff were extremely attentive. We sat outside (late November) and it was warm-ish but they kept coming out to offer to turn on the heating lamps for us.
I wish I knew our waiters name because he was great. I have celiac disease and they were very knowledgeable, let me know right off the bat they have GF replacements for all the pasta except the gnocchi. All of the sauces are safe and most everything is safe. They do not have a GF replacement for bread so if you get something like the burrata it won’t come with anything to eat it with. I was still very happy to hear I could eat most of the menu.
We got the broccolini, the gemelli (basil & pistachio pesto) which was creamy, herby, and lemon-y, and the spicy crab pasta. All of this was delicious and I would happily order it again.
The gluten free pasta was extremely well cooked, I almost wouldn’t have believed it was gluten free unless I knew they took allergies so seriously.
Trattoria Carina has my business for life after this meal. I was very pleased.
… moreI wish I knew our waiters name because he was great. I have celiac disease and they were very knowledgeable, let me know right off the bat they have GF replacements for all the pasta except the gnocchi. All of the sauces are safe and most everything is safe. They do not have a GF replacement for bread so if you get something like the burrata it won’t come with anything to eat it with. I was still very happy to hear I could eat most of the menu.
We got the broccolini, the gemelli (basil & pistachio pesto) which was creamy, herby, and lemon-y, and the spicy crab pasta. All of this was delicious and I would happily order it again.
The gluten free pasta was extremely well cooked, I almost wouldn’t have believed it was gluten free unless I knew they took allergies so seriously.
Trattoria Carina has my business for life after this meal. I was very pleased.
Ozan atsız
We always used to pass by this restaurant and saw people waiting in line like crazy. We also looked at the reviews and decided to give it a try. Yes, the venue is in a nice location, but it’s not the same for the atmosphere and the food.
We ordered two main dishes and a burrata. It wasn’t a complete disappointment, but there was no ‘wow factor’; it wasn’t anything special. Frankly, paying this much for a place like this is not reasonable at all. We paid nearly $100, and that was without any drinks. In my opinion, this price is way too high for this kind of establishment. The tables are also very cramped.
When it comes to the food: I said I wanted to try their signature dish. The waiter was helpful, thankfully. First, the burrata arrived. It was fine, but I’m not sure if it was worth $18. I could have made it at home with more ingredients. They served it with 4 small slices of bread. We asked for extra bread, and they added it to the bill for $2. It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced that.
Then the ricotta ravioli came. It was swimming in oil. It was a very heavy pasta. It was too much for us. Honestly, if this is their best dish, I can’t imagine the rest. I think it needs improvement. There was zero presentation. They just plopped it on the plate, added oil, and served it.
Then we ordered the chicken parmesan. Oh my god, I have never encountered a dish that used parmesan so poorly. There was way too much cheese and sauce. The chicken itself was burnt, and all you could taste was the fried breadcrumbs. Honestly, the chicken was dry and flavorless. Is paying $35 for a piece of chicken covered in cheese logical? I think not at all. You can eat much better food elsewhere.
There’s no view, the atmosphere is dim and exhausting. It’s a very cramped space.
The only good thing about the place was the waitstaff and other employees. They were friendly and pleasant. Other than that, in terms of food, it’s an average and overhyped place. In Turkey, with this amount of money, you could eat the best meal (with drinks included) at a place with the best view. And it would be more delicious.
Honestly, we’ve had much better food near Rittenhouse. But we were just curious about this particular place.
I can say this in short: It’s a very overrated place.
I’ve realized something in America. If there’s a line or a crowd at a restaurant, it’s either overhyped or genuinely very good. But in my experience, whenever I go to a place with a line, it always turns out to be average or mediocre. My rating for this place is slightly below average.
… moreWe ordered two main dishes and a burrata. It wasn’t a complete disappointment, but there was no ‘wow factor’; it wasn’t anything special. Frankly, paying this much for a place like this is not reasonable at all. We paid nearly $100, and that was without any drinks. In my opinion, this price is way too high for this kind of establishment. The tables are also very cramped.
When it comes to the food: I said I wanted to try their signature dish. The waiter was helpful, thankfully. First, the burrata arrived. It was fine, but I’m not sure if it was worth $18. I could have made it at home with more ingredients. They served it with 4 small slices of bread. We asked for extra bread, and they added it to the bill for $2. It’s the first time I’ve ever experienced that.
Then the ricotta ravioli came. It was swimming in oil. It was a very heavy pasta. It was too much for us. Honestly, if this is their best dish, I can’t imagine the rest. I think it needs improvement. There was zero presentation. They just plopped it on the plate, added oil, and served it.
Then we ordered the chicken parmesan. Oh my god, I have never encountered a dish that used parmesan so poorly. There was way too much cheese and sauce. The chicken itself was burnt, and all you could taste was the fried breadcrumbs. Honestly, the chicken was dry and flavorless. Is paying $35 for a piece of chicken covered in cheese logical? I think not at all. You can eat much better food elsewhere.
There’s no view, the atmosphere is dim and exhausting. It’s a very cramped space.
The only good thing about the place was the waitstaff and other employees. They were friendly and pleasant. Other than that, in terms of food, it’s an average and overhyped place. In Turkey, with this amount of money, you could eat the best meal (with drinks included) at a place with the best view. And it would be more delicious.
Honestly, we’ve had much better food near Rittenhouse. But we were just curious about this particular place.
I can say this in short: It’s a very overrated place.
I’ve realized something in America. If there’s a line or a crowd at a restaurant, it’s either overhyped or genuinely very good. But in my experience, whenever I go to a place with a line, it always turns out to be average or mediocre. My rating for this place is slightly below average.
J W
The ambiance is really cute and service is overall good. I really liked the burrata salad. The jam and pistachio really go well with each other. The spicy crab pasta is good but not outstandingly good for $33. The broccoli rabe side is completely overcooked and bitter.
… moreKaileigh Albany
The Chicken parm and caesar salad were delicious, as well as the tiramisu. They put a candle in it because we were celebrating a birthday:) We had outdoor reservations, the service and food were both good, but I got lots of mosquito bites sitting outside in August (not the restaurants fault!). I would definitely come again, but probably when it’s a little cooler out and no bugs. 10/10 food though!
… moreKaren S. Haynes
Italian food should feel warm, inviting, and satisfying, but unfortunately, this restaurant delivered the exact opposite.
We started the meal with the chopped salad. The presentation was nice but it was so heavily saturated with dressing that it bordered on soggy. Sadly, this ended up being the best part of the meal.
My cacio e pepe arrived with barely warm sauce and cold pasta. There was almost no cracked pepper and a small dusting of Parmesan. My husband ordered the Sunday gravy, took a few bites, and immediately said the meatballs and sausage were cold in the middle and the gravy was greasy. Simple touches that elevate even an average experience like freshly cracked pepper or table grated Parmesan were not offered and nowhere on the table.
Service added to the frustration. We felt rushed, were given a dirty plate for our shareables, and had no confidence in the quality of the waitstaff. We were told the fish or the day was Cod, while the table next to us told Halibut. Inconsistencies like that make it hard to feel confidence in the waitstaff, let alone the kitchen.
To put it bluntly, this was not a good meal and beyond disappointing considering the price point. Until there’s more attention to food temperature, preparation, cleanliness, and providing true hospitality I would never recommend going here.
… moreWe started the meal with the chopped salad. The presentation was nice but it was so heavily saturated with dressing that it bordered on soggy. Sadly, this ended up being the best part of the meal.
My cacio e pepe arrived with barely warm sauce and cold pasta. There was almost no cracked pepper and a small dusting of Parmesan. My husband ordered the Sunday gravy, took a few bites, and immediately said the meatballs and sausage were cold in the middle and the gravy was greasy. Simple touches that elevate even an average experience like freshly cracked pepper or table grated Parmesan were not offered and nowhere on the table.
Service added to the frustration. We felt rushed, were given a dirty plate for our shareables, and had no confidence in the quality of the waitstaff. We were told the fish or the day was Cod, while the table next to us told Halibut. Inconsistencies like that make it hard to feel confidence in the waitstaff, let alone the kitchen.
To put it bluntly, this was not a good meal and beyond disappointing considering the price point. Until there’s more attention to food temperature, preparation, cleanliness, and providing true hospitality I would never recommend going here.
Cindy Huynh
been dying to check this place out and it did not disappoint!! I went for Sunday brunch. The Caesar salad is so good! I’m obsessed with the whipped ricotta. Also got their french toast, and two pastas (spicy crab and gemeli) everything was delicious. I will definitely return for dinner to try more items on the menu! Oh one thing tho, the espresso martini is on the smaller side. I could’ve finished it in one big gulp
… moreAriana Lucidonio
Trattoria Carina is now a new favorite Philly restaurant! Sat outside on a beautiful Friday night and had a great experience.
They started us off with free focaccia, which we were told they bake once a day. They unfortunately over baked it so it was burnt. We weren’t too upset by this because it was free and we had great bread with our other appetizers.
For our appetizers, we got the caesar salad, whipped ricotta, and burrata. All were outstanding. The whipped ricotta had honey on top which added a nice sweetness. Burrata had a sweet jam which paired perfectly with the saltiness of the cheese and bread.
For our entrees, we got the gemelli and spicy rigatoni alla vodka plus a chicken cutlet. That was easily the best chicken cutlet I’ve had in my LIFE! Fried to perfection, salted well and not dry. I will dream about it. Both pastas cooked al dente and full of flavor. The prices on the pasta initially shocked me, but the serving size is definitely meant for two.
I had 2 espresso martinis as they were too delicious. Not too sweet or bitter. Nice foam on top. Our server, Ariel, was amazing. The outside sitting area was lovely on such a nice night. I cannot wait to come back!
… moreThey started us off with free focaccia, which we were told they bake once a day. They unfortunately over baked it so it was burnt. We weren’t too upset by this because it was free and we had great bread with our other appetizers.
For our appetizers, we got the caesar salad, whipped ricotta, and burrata. All were outstanding. The whipped ricotta had honey on top which added a nice sweetness. Burrata had a sweet jam which paired perfectly with the saltiness of the cheese and bread.
For our entrees, we got the gemelli and spicy rigatoni alla vodka plus a chicken cutlet. That was easily the best chicken cutlet I’ve had in my LIFE! Fried to perfection, salted well and not dry. I will dream about it. Both pastas cooked al dente and full of flavor. The prices on the pasta initially shocked me, but the serving size is definitely meant for two.
I had 2 espresso martinis as they were too delicious. Not too sweet or bitter. Nice foam on top. Our server, Ariel, was amazing. The outside sitting area was lovely on such a nice night. I cannot wait to come back!
Pea Bee
As a Texan, I’m lucky that the company I work for is HQ’d out of Philly.
You see, we don’t quite have easy access to legitimate Italian or even worthwhile Italian-American food for that matter.
Given that, I value the hell out of this gem and look forward to traveling for business because of the fringe benefit of dining here. The food is nuts, the atmosphere is cozy, and the waitstaff is top notch.
Oh, plus they are BYOB (ahem, take note, Texas).
Shout out to Nora—thank you for making our experience that much more epic!
… moreYou see, we don’t quite have easy access to legitimate Italian or even worthwhile Italian-American food for that matter.
Given that, I value the hell out of this gem and look forward to traveling for business because of the fringe benefit of dining here. The food is nuts, the atmosphere is cozy, and the waitstaff is top notch.
Oh, plus they are BYOB (ahem, take note, Texas).
Shout out to Nora—thank you for making our experience that much more epic!
Jen Garone
Delighted by the service, excited by the food, would hate to sit at a 2 top in the middle. It’s crowded. Should almost just have a communal table.
Caesar salad was excellent. Been looking for chicken parm & it was delicious but a little pricey at $35. Side pasta was rigatoni & comes with the cheese already on it. Meatballs are huge & delicious.
Decent wine list. The tiramisu was to my liking and the portion was generous.
… moreCaesar salad was excellent. Been looking for chicken parm & it was delicious but a little pricey at $35. Side pasta was rigatoni & comes with the cheese already on it. Meatballs are huge & delicious.
Decent wine list. The tiramisu was to my liking and the portion was generous.