Le Virtù

Name: Le Virtù
Address: 1927 E Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA, 19148, US
Telephone: (215)2715626
Rating: 4.5

Le Virtù is an Italian restaurant located in South Philadelphia that specializes in Cucina Abruzzese. With its rustic and unapologetic atmosphere, the restaurant offers outdoor dining, take-out, and delivery services. The culinary team, led by Chef Damon Menapace, employs traditional Italian food styles to serve dinner and drinks with catering, groups, outdoor seating, reservations, waiters and walk-in options available on site. Their menu includes signature dishes such as Le Virtu soup (minestrone) that celebrates the beginning of spring along with other additions like spinach and ricotta ravioli and porchetta with cannellini beans and broccoli rabe. Join them for their monthly "Aperitivo" event for a chance to taste some of their most interesting bottles from Italy. Enjoy wine pairing while discussing with David Nowacki who has exclusive access to some special cantinas and product.
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Recent social media posts

10/30/2026

Last Gluten-Free Only Night for this year is bookable on Resy!

Thursday Dec 10th 5pm-9pm

We have fully booked out our first 3 Gluten-Free Only Nights in a matter of hours!

We are doing our best to be sure everyone gets a chance to try Chef Andrew's incredible Gluten-Free Menu

So we added one more night!! Hope you can make it!!

10/30/2026

For one night, the people who usually have to cross-examine a menu get to just read it. Le Virtù, the Abruzzo-focused restaurant on East Passyunk Avenue, is turning its entire kitchen gluten-free on Thursday, November 5, and the restaurant describes the evening as celiac safe. The Le Virtù gluten-free night covers every course, from antipasti to dessert.

The Le Virtù gluten-free night runs from 5 to 9 p.m. at 1927 E. Passyunk Avenue. There are no tickets. Dishes are à la carte and pay as you go, and reservations are open on Resy. After Wednesday’s close, the kitchen, bar and prep areas get a deep clean and scrub down, which is what lets the restaurant turn its favorite dishes into gluten-free versions for a single evening.

Learn more at dosage MAGAZINE. Check the comments for the link to the full story.

10/29/2026

Today marks 19 years on East Passyunk Avenue BID, an eventuality as unlikely as Francis winning a prize for charm and poise. In 2007, they said we were daft to open a regional Italian restaurant on the avenue. But we opened it just the same.

Complete neophytes, we brought nothing to the table but our love of Abruzzo and South Philly. It was our destiny: a man appeared on a flaming timballo and said, "From this day, you are Virtù with a 'Le'" (IYKYK). We made every conceivable mistake, but - thanks to your patience and support, and the hard work of colleagues too numerous to name (including our current staff) - here we are. Thank you all, and especially to nonno Alfonso Cretarola for the bloodline and inspiration, and to May Lee Vanden Broeck, our only other investor and savior: both of them immigrants from places that made them "personae non gratae" when they arrived in the US. Some things are evergreen.

We've tried to honor Abruzzo, and (forgive the humblebrag) to give back. We've raised funds for earthquake relief in L'Aquila and Amatrice. We've brought over Abruzzese traditional musicians who played all over the East coast. We've hosted Abruzzese chefs and w**emakers. We've shared Abruzzese traditions - including the Panarda of Villavallelonga - with Philly, along with more dishes than we could list. We've supported organizations helping immigrants and refugees in sanctuary, the unhoused, food banks, local public schools, animal shelters, etc. We've teamed with pro-democracy organizations resisting and pushing back against authoritarian creep. Thank you for making all these things possible.

We've got a lot more to do - we invite you to come along. Chef Andrew Andrew Michael Wood and Sommelier/GM Chris O Chris have a bunch of fun in the hopper. And we keep digging, not only in Abruzzo, but also Molise, Puglia, Basilicata, etc., for more treasures to bring back to Philly.

Grazie di cuore,
Francis & Cathy

10/28/2026

Neighborhood Night returns this November with some fall themed-Italian American Classics!

Don't miss the Chicken Fra Diavola next week!

10/26/2026

We’re excited to announce that on Thursday, November 5 we’re going to be gluten free for one night only! Reserve your table!

10/25/2026

Wondering what to do for the Eagles bye week??

Join us for our third annual guided Azienda Agricola Arianna Occhipinti Frappato Tasting with Chris O and David McDuff
of Bowler Imports!

This year we're going big!!

11 w**es
Vertical tastings of
Grotte Alte Cerasuolo di Vittoria DOCG
2019, 2020, 2021
Contradas BB, FL, PT
2021, 2022, 2023
'Il Frappato' 2023 (20th anniversary bottling)

Chef Andrew will be whipping up his famous Arancini along with a mix of tasty stuzzichini!

Don't wait, only 8 seats available!

W**es will be for sale for take away as well!

10/24/2026

Collab Dinner with Heavy Metal Sausage Co - Patrick Alfiero & Melissa Pellegrino !!

Join us Saturday Oct 31 (Halloween) for a fall collaboration dinner with our friends and neighbors Pat and Mel from Heavy Metal Sausage Company!!

Dinner starts at 6:30pm
5 courses $95/pp
W**es by Punk Rock W**e Co.

Menu

Stuzzichini and Bubbles

Antipasti:

Heavy metal salumi

Le Virtù house-cured salumi

Vegetarian antipasti misti - sicilian eggplant caponata, pugliese fava puree with bitter greens, nardello pepper sott' olio cipollini-mushroom conserva

Primi:

Peasant-style gnocchi - brown butter, smoked lamb belly, radicchio, capriano romano cheese

Culurgiones - sardinian-style stuffed pasta, gold potatoes, ricotta, cruschi peppers, garlic, piennolo tomatoes, guanciale, parmigiano-reggiano

-----------

Einkorn flour fusilli gigante, heavy metal meat sugo

Chestnut tagliatelle, porcini ragu, roasted chestnuts, spinach, rosemary, pecorino

Secondi:

Arrosto misto:
roast-stuffed guinea hen agrodolce
roasted lamb leg, salsa campo giove
heavy metal fennel sausage salsa verde

Contorni:

braised greens
roasted pumpkin
local heirloom polenta

Dolci:

Tiramisù
Pumpkin gelato pepita brittle

Reservations go live on Resy today at 5pm!!!

10/23/2026

Weekend additions are here!

Roasted prawns, shaved fennel, blood oranges, dandelion greens

Bucatini, little neck clams, cherry tomatoes, garlic, peperoncini, lemon

Swordfish alla Milanese, rainbow chard, potatoes, brown butter caper sauce

See you soon!

10/20/2026

New Fall/Winter Hours!

We got a new sign thanks to our friends Brian Potash !

Also, our new Fall Hours are posted!

Stay Tuned for our new and improved w**e shop Enoteca Le Virtù opening soon!

10/17/2026

We're getting awfully close to the last exit ramp before the cliff.

What's the proper punishment for an incompetent, senile, thieving, cowardly, traitorous, pedophilic, authoritarian and this clown-car administration? What's the right penalty for murdering schoolgirls, US citizens, and unarmed immigrants, and denying food and medicine to poor children? At the very least, orange jumpsuits seem appropriate, but first they need to be stripped of power. So how much grift, cruelty, betrayal, and murder are we willing to accept? Do we stop it now or wait until nothing decent remains, until we're a White Nationalist police state where lethal food, toxic air/water, deaths from measles and lack of access to healthcare, Gestapo-like arrests, street executions, and government-sponsored s***f films are the norm?

He's openly selling out our allies, principles, and future, rejecting every tenet of common decency to fluff a fellow dictator, accrue power, and line his own pockets. They've shut down polling stations, threatened to intimidate voters, and try to cow our press and representatives. So, are we citizens - with all the responsibility the word embodies - or are we docile consumers content to sit on our sofas watching Prime while waiting on a food-delivery robot and turn our backs on the world and each other?

Today is a national rally day for "NO KINGS: VOTE EARLY." Find your event and do your duty. Let's flush this mess and reclaim decency. VOTE.

10/16/2026

Weekend fall weather additions are here!

House-cured prosciutto, shaved Chris Field & Jessi Okamoto fennel, orange

Tagliatelle, braised Green Meadow Farm (Gap, PA) romanesco, guanciale, peperoncini, piennolo tomatoes, pecorino

Pork saltimbocca, prosciutto laminated pork cutlet, caper jus, rainbow chard, potato puree

Also the nun w**es are in!

See you soon!

10/10/2026

Come enjoy a beautiful night on the patio with our weekend additions!

House-cured prosciutto and melon

Maccheroncini alla chitarra with abruzzese lamb ragu, tomatoes, rosemary, pecorino

Scottadito, grilled lamb chops, roasted potatoes, rainbow chard, olio santo, lemon

See you soon!

10/07/2026

Slide 1: Marco Zorzanello
Slide 2: ساهر الغرة Saher Alghorra

We traveled south to Galatina, in Puglia, to see our friend Marco Zorzanello's photos from the 2025 Festa di Sant'Antonio Abate in Villavallonga. Marco's photos are part of the YEAST PHOTO FESTIVAL, which this year focuses on food's role in establishing identity, and forming and sustaining community. We're grateful to have played a role in Marco's work, and are still trying to learn from Villavallelonga, and to honor its traditions.

The entire exhibit was incredibly moving (as only photographs can be), cutting to the heart of the matter to reveal both beauty and uncomfortable truths: from "Villa's" joyous affirmation of solidarity and community to the sadness of life behind the battle lines in Ukraine; from celebration and daily ritual in Veracruz's Afro-Mestizo community to famine and suffering in Gaza as families broke the Ramadan fast amid the rubble. All the tenderness and decency, and the violence and cruelty we're capable of.

We later learned that truckers and farmers in Calabria were blocking roads to protest fuel prices (due to a senseless, illegal war) that threaten their livelihoods and families (they've since been joined by their brethren in Puglia). Everyone here is braced for winter, while businesses teeter on the edge. This is true the world over. For what? Cui bono?

Our food sources are unreliable, our environmental protections rolled back, and known carcinogens legalized while we cut cancer research funding. In the last two years, millions of Americans have lost access to healthcare. There are 900+ cases of measles in PA (and 4 deaths); whooping cough is now surging. Gas and diesel fuel prices continue to rise. Voting rights are under attack, our immigrant communities terrorized, and citizens are being injured and murdered. In international waters, we've killed without warrants or trial, and 170 Iranian schoolgirls died for no reason. We continue to starve Cuba, harming the elderly and innocent. And the decisionmakers continue raking in billions.

This is on us to stop, and we're running out of time - VOTE.

Address

1927 E Passyunk Avenue
Philadelphia, PA
19148

To reach this Italian restaurant on E Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia, you can take the Broad Street Line or Market-Frankford Line to the Snyder Station and then walk towards East Passyunk Avenue. Alternatively, if you prefer to drive, you can park your car in one of the nearby paid lots or find street parking if available.

Opening Hours

Monday	5pm - 10pm
Tuesday	5pm - 10pm
Wednesday	5pm - 10pm
Thursday	5pm - 10pm
Friday	5pm - 10:30pm
Saturday	5pm - 10:30pm
Sunday	5pm - 9pm

Telephone

(215)2715626

Website

https://www.levirtu.com/

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What people say

Italian restaurants are known for their rustic and unapologetic charm, and Le Virtù on E Passyunk Avenue in Philadelphia is no exception. This Italian restaurant offers a unique culinary experience with its Cucina Abruzzese cuisine, which is sure to delight your taste buds. The restaurant's general manager, Frederick Cratil Jr., ensures that the culinary team led by Chef Damon Menapace delivers an exceptional dining experience.

Le Virtù offers outdoor dining, take-out, and delivery services, making it convenient for customers who prefer to dine at home. The restaurant also provides catering services for groups of all sizes. Whether you're looking for a romantic dinner or a night out with friends, Le Virtù has got you covered.

One of the restaurant's specialties is its dinner menu, which features a variety of Italian dishes made from fresh ingredients. The drinks menu is equally impressive, with an extensive selection of wines and cocktails to choose from.

Le Virtù also hosts monthly events such as "Aperitivo," where customers can enjoy snacks and tastes of some of the most interesting bottles from David Nowacki's wine collection while discussing and learning about wine.

If you're looking for an authentic Italian dining experience in Philadelphia, Le Virtù should be at the top of your list. With its delicious food, excellent service, and charming ambiance, this restaurant is sure to leave a lasting impression on you.