7 E. Lancaster Ave.
Ardmore, PA
Phone: (610) 642-8000

Owned by the same people who own Pasta Primavera in Wayne as well as Monte Carlo Living Room on South Street. [EL]

Alright, let's get this straight. To DK there are places to eat, and then there are restaurants, and everything on the Main Line falls in the first category. Which is all very fine, and probably true if one accepts that there are only two categories. But most of us like to think we're doing better or worser, however limited our options in absolute terms. Primavera is a case in point. Yes, the place serves pizza, of the more interesting rather than less interesting kind (sort of like Bertucci's, but upscale one notch). But that's far from ALL it serves. There's actually a fairly extensive, Northern Italian noveau sort of menu. With, among other things, carpaccio (beef or tuna), MY touchstone for a more interesting Italian restaurant. Ample, well displayed, with all the appropriate sundries and sauces on the plate. And Primavera takes not only food, but also service and decor seriously. The waiters are pleasant and reasonably knowledgeable; the inside is dramatic, airy, comfortable, and a nice, European-feeling mix of casual and upscale. One table of a family with kids, another of businessmen, a third a couple enjoying good food and each other. On the Main Line scale? A winner. And not too bad in absolute terms either. Unless you're DK. [PG]

Great mussels! This is probably one of the busiest places in Ardmore. Despite the crowds, one can always get a counter seat at the Pizza Bar (where you can watch Fabio the Pizza chef at his best!), or a secluded table downstairs in the cellar (the old bank vault is being used as the wine cellar with some tables outside).[DK]

Great food and a great atmosphere as well. The service was excellent, even for a couple of college kids in jeans. The food is a bit pricey, but well worth it. Highly recommended. [EP, BMC97]

The one time I went there, the restaurant struck me as pretentious and overpriced. Although their food does tend toward the interesting, it is interesting without much of a sense of taste. I went with a fairly large group of people, and all of us agreed that much of the food featured combinations we wouldn't expect, and for good reason -- the combinations really didn't work well together. On the Main Line, it really seems safest to stick to simple places -- your basic pizzeria or Chinese food joint or diner -- rather than a place that tries too hard to be different. [RS, BMC96, 4/6/96]

I was at Primavera with a friend and neither one of us was disappointed. We sat upstairs. Two very attentive waiters catered to us. We shared a grilled vegetable platter. Both of us had grilled fish, salmon and tuna. Both were delicious! By the time we left a little bit after 7, the place was packed and people were waiting at the door. I will definitely go back. [GK(grkaplan@juno.com), 8/22/96]

We were not impressed. Unless you order pizza and pasta, this place is too expensive. The food was mediocre and cold. For the same money we would have had a better meal at Positano. [JC (orange@netreach.net), 3/3/97]

I would agree with the nays on this one. WAY too expensive for the skimpy, tasteless, boring entrees. I don't know why the place is jammed every weekend. There's GOT to be a better place. [VK (BMC 98), 3/20/98]

My hubby walked out of here one night before eating because the place was so jammed and noisy. But ... he had his company meal there later, and it was unanimous among them that the food was good, and the platters generous. I had the pizza there and it was good and not too expensive; the vegetables on it were fresh and nicely prepared; and it's neat to look below you and see the kitchen activity. [MCS, 8/15/98]