Ambrosia Byob - Philadelphia

Overall, I’d say it was a pretty good experience. I ordered the ravioli along with an Italian beer. The beer was fantastic, and the ravioli had a lot of flavor, although I found the portion size to be a bit on the pricey side. It also came out just slightly crisp, but that didn’t detract from the dish at all.

The Caesar salad and duck were outstanding; however, the octopus, crispy gnocchi, and rigatoni were just average. I’m unsure how to rate this place, but I definitely want to return. The service was excellent, but the food was a bit hit or miss. We tried three different desserts, and they were all just okay—I wouldn’t order them again. Overall, I’m eager to give this restaurant another shot.

As expected, the wine selection by the glass was quite limited, with a much broader selection available by the bottle. I noticed that a good number of tables brought their own wine, which seems to help this smaller restaurant operate at its best. For the most part, the service was great, although I did notice some staff in training, which led to a few obvious missteps. It seemed like they were a bit concerned when they thought I would be a quick solo diner, but they relaxed when they realized my bill would likely exceed that of the nearby table of four. The air conditioning was working hard due to the kitchen and the warm, humid weather, but it started dripping on me in several places throughout dinner. I’m not sure they could have done much to prevent that, and it’s probably an issue that only arises in these specific weather conditions. Overall, I would definitely go back and recommend adding this restaurant to your regular dining spots!

Really enjoyed our dinner here. It's Italian with a middle eastern twist which was fun. We got two apps and two pastas. The octopus and Brussels sprouts were amazing. I enjoyed the pastas also. I'm interested in trying the mains next time. It's BYOB which is a major plus. Friendly service also.

Everything was so good! Super cute Italian BYOB. If you love seafood, definitely get the oysters, calamari, and branzino!