Melograno — Restaurant in Philadelphia

After the initial shock of how incredibly loud the restaurant was, we sat down and got situated our at our table. There was not one acoustic tile or piece of fabric (other than the cloth napkin) in the entire restaurant. It was hard to hear the waiter and at our small table of four I felt like we were talking very loudly just to hear each other. I can't see this being a great spot for a large group.

We had two appetizers. One was the vegetariano (grilled vegetables with buffalo mozzarella). Though I did not personally try it, it looked delicious and our dining partners enjoyed it very much. My date and I shared the Tonno e Fagioli (Ahi tuna) which was not good. Not good at all. It had a weird consistency and tasted very fishy. Would not recommend it. May have been a bad batch because the server recommended it.

For dinner two of us had the fish of the day special which was something in a ginger soy sauce. They both enjoyed that very much and it looked like a nice platter. (There are only 2 fish entrees on the menu: a salmon and a fish of the day). The other two of us had the Pappardelle Tartufate (pappardelle with mushrooms). I thought that was absolutely delicious. It was a large portion and by the time you got to the end it was a little dry but the taste was wonderful. The pappardelle was cooked perfectly. We got a side of sauteed spinach which I felt was needed in this dish because it was so much of one flavor that I needed a break from the rich, heavy truffle flavor.

We did not stay for dessert as there was really nothing that inspired us. Our server kept mentioning how good the tiramisu was but it wasn't even on the menu! I'm not sure if they had cappuccino or coffee because that was not listed on the dessert menu either.

If you are expecting a traditional Italian dinner this may not be the place for you. Be sure to read the menu. No pasta. No red sauce. (Only putting this out there because if you're bringing a picky eater there's not a lot of basics)

Service was very good. Can't really complain about anything there. BYOB made it reasonably priced.

I didn't realize they also own the restaurant fraschetta in Bryn Mawr. We absolutely love that restaurant and probably would prefer to go there next time. Every time we've been to fraschetta we've had an amazing,...

Melograno was a very pleasant and enjoyable Italian BYOB that I can best summarize as "nothing wrong with it but not impressive enough to return". While I liked the rustic Roman-inspired interior and the friendly staff, most of the food was simply fine and not especially remarkable.

For a starter we ordered the gnocchi croquettes that embodied my feelings mentioned above; they were fluffy and pleasant but didn't leave too much of an impression, and they did feel a bit pricey for how small they were. The highlight of all the food was my pasta dish the "granchio", with crab, cherry tomatoes, bread crumbs, and a lemon cream sauce. It's probably the one thing we had that I would go out of my way to recommend as the flavors and textures were great, even if the cream sauce was a little thick bordering on coagulated. My wife's duck ragu on the other hand was much less compelling. The pasta was too soft leading to a mushy feeling dish, and the flavors were fine but didn't impress.

Finally, desserts were par for the course. I ordered the daily special which was a caramel panna cotta (I think?) with whipped cream and blueberries which was ok, but tasted quite eggy which was unexpected. My wife had the tiramisu which was a generous portion and enjoyable enough, but also nothing special.

I would certainly not dissuade anyone from trying Melograno, as it provided a very acceptably nice evening and it's a BYO which you can't complain about. Maybe some of the other dishes are more impressive that will have people coming back. For me however, it didn't do enough to justify a return when there are many similar restaurants...

We came to Melograno on a whim for dinner and will definitely be going back, this time hungrier so we can experience more of their authentic Italian food.

Atmosphere - we were seated near the window a bit far from the action, which gave us the perfect balance of getting a cozy, personal feeling while also being able to listen to the rest of the crowd (which included some older couples speaking Italian, always a good sign). It never got too loud, just a comfortable noise. The decor is simple, and you can see into the kitchen as you eat. No need to overdress here either, nice but casual should fit right in.

Service - our server was great, food came pretty fast a fresh and we were never left wanting. Manager came around to each table to check on everything as well, which is always appreciated.

Food - the menu is classic Italian with your apps, pasta entree, main course, and dessert. We only did an app and pastas, which were delicious. Can’t remember if the pasta is homemade, but it was high quality regardless and we both had rich sauces to go along with it.

They also had 4 off menu specials, so while the menu might seem small there are further options.

Drinks - BYOB

Price - on par with what you’d expect in Rittenhouse, think around $10-$12 per app and around $25 per entree. Price felt fair and the quality of the food certainly met expectations.

Italian and pasta fans should definitely check it out. Great place to go if you want a low-key night out and don’t feel like getting up charged for your drinks. Good for a date night or a...