La Buca Ristorante

(215) 928-0556

711 Locust St
Philadelphia, PA 19106 39.9469 -75.1536

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Neighborhoods: Washington Square West, Center City

Years in business

Established in 1980

Hours:

Sunday Closed ,Monday 10:00AM - 10:00PM ,Tuesday 10:00AM - 10:00PM ,Wednesday 10:00AM - 10:00PM ,Thursday 10:00AM - 10:00PM ,Friday 10:00AM - 10:00PM ,Saturday 11:00AM - 10:00PM

Price:

$$$

Last updated 2.02.12

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Gift Certificate, American Express, Visa, Discover, MasterCard, Debit Card

Cuisine:

Italian

Smoking Permitted:

Section Available

What People Are Saying About La Buca Ristorante

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

The Scene – Chef/proprietor Giuseppi Giulini hails from the beautiful Italian province of Tuscany, where any restaurant called "buca" (which means cave in Italian) is underground. This La Buca, like its Tuscan cousins, is true to form. Though it's down a long flight of steps, the space doesn't feel like a basement. Walls in the main dining room are startlingly frescoed with scenes of ancient Italy, looking every bit like the work of an ancient Florentine master painter. – – The Food – The food, too, is true to Giulini's Tuscan origins. Waiters in tuxes stand at…

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
Before or after your meal, take a quick stroll in nearby Washington Square.
Know Before You Go:
When ordering your meal, you choose your selection from the seafood cart they update fresh daily. Call in to find out what the day's specials are.
What to Drink:
Sample some of Tuscany's finest vintages at the bar.
The Extras:
How cute: On each table stands a miniature glass replica of Pisa's famous tower, each holding imported olive oil.
1 Star Rating: Poor

01/01/11

Don't Go There!!!!

by DebraGene at Citysearch

I made reservations a week before. When I arrived, they would not let me in the restaurant -- said it was reserved for a private party. They never called to cancel my reservation. The one person on staff there when I arrived was quite rude and told me to go some place else to eat. She refused to make a phone call to inquire as to what had happened to our reservation. I called the next day and talked to the manager. He said he would get back to me. He never called back. Are these people so independent that they don't care about their reputation?

1 Star Rating: Poor

11/12/10

worst dinner ever

by azurrri at Citysearch

anyone that has eaten this food and thinks its good are crazy! i am italian from italy and have eaten at many italian restuarants but this is by far the worst! I, unfortunatly invited a group of 8 of us, and we all where disgusted with the food !

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/06/10

Exsquisite Northern Italian for less than you think!

by Lizzard22 at Citysearch

For sure, my favorite northern Italian restaurant in the city. The fresh seafood cart holds delicious gems from the sea - steamers, branzino done PERFECTLY, there's a pasta mista course that is not on the menu, but ask for it by name and you'll taste spinach gnocchi that rivals vetri. veal is also a specialty of the house. they keep beautiful bottles of italian red win in their cellar. and the price is so sweet for the quality of food. AND, you can actually hear the conversation going on at your table without yelling. This place can be romantic, can be the site for your parents' visit, can be the place to have exsquisite gourmet food with a group of 10. Leave room for cheescake or tiramisu or chocolate mousse or italian rum cake or just some beautiful fresh strawberries and cream. ENJOY!

1 Star Rating: Poor

05/09/10

la buca bad food

by tony z at Citysearch

the smell when you go into this basement should tell you to hike back up the steps! the waiters remind me of clowns that are there to just get under your skin. the food is worse then the olive garden or old tv dinners.and to top it off, you have to pay too much for such a horrible experince.

  • Pros: nothing good
  • Cons: the waiter,food and basement feel
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/09/10

Not Worth the Trip

by MissNat2419 at Citysearch

Decided to give 'La Buca' a try since so many locals rave about it. First off, the decor IS really depressing. It smelled like and old basement from the moment we entered and walked down the stairs. Next the prices were different than on the Internet (higher of course) and the waiter had a dopey look on his face when he said that "No one was really computer literate and the La Buca web site has not been updated in years". Now, does that make any sense? That is just downright looney to say to customers to their faces. After the long, drawn out, presentation just to order our meal(s) the food finally arrived. The seafood was rubbery, and the Bolognese I had was soooo salty I could not eat it. The soup I had tasted like Campbell's (no, I've had better canned soup now that I think of it) and the fact that everything is a-la-cart is just down right looney considering what you pay. The bread tasted like bread you could pick up at your local supermarket and to top it off our server was rude. They had an answer for everything (but not the answer you want to hear as a patron paying top dollar) and with 18% already being added no matter what the service or quality that explains everything. No drinks, dessert, or coffee for us! We could not wait to get out of there and get some air. Only locals can love this place because anyone who knows good Italian food and great service would/should avoid this place. Take your business elsewhere because 'La Buca' is past it's culinary prime....

  • Pros: None
  • Cons: Rude staff, lousy food and high prices
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