If there’s anything better than Italian food, it’s devouring that deliciousness with live opera performances. At least that’s the case at a wildly popular family-owned Philly eatery called Victor Cafe. Tucked into an enclave of South Philadelphia, this eclectic dining space dishes out meals with a side of live opera — several sides, in fact. Roughly every 20 minutes, trained opera singers, who double of waitstaff, break out into live arias while patrons enjoy traditional Italian dishes such as veal saltimbocca, linguine with clams, and ravioli filled with porcini mushrooms.
Opera here isn’t a gimmick, but a mainstay of Victor dining for decades. The tradition started in 1979 when an opera student, working as a waiter, got in extra vocal practice by entertaining guests, and it’s been happening ever since. A bell rings out alerting diners that opera is about to begin, and lively conversation slows to a respectful murmur for the brief performance, which repeats throughout the evening. Eating continues, merging the beloved traditions of dining, art, music, storytelling, and culture that have been core to the Italian national identity for centuries.
Victor Cafe came by this tradition naturally, due to its roots as a gramophone store established by Italian immigrant John DiStefano in 1918. Locals gathered there frequently for espresso, spumoni, and recorded opera music, evidenced by the thousands-strong collection of treasured 78 rpm records and memorabilia from long-gone opera performances. If that weren’t cultural cred enough, the “Rocky” film franchise used Victor Cafe as the setting for the fictional restaurant Adrian’s.
The food, music, and magic of Victor Cafe
John DiStefano wasn’t merely a collector of vinyl records; he maintained strong ties with RCA Victor, the leading phonograph company of the early 1900s. His gramophone shop and Victor dealership helped forge relationships that influenced the century’s music, which flowed easily into the new Victor Cafe established at the end of Prohibition in 1933. The restaurant sign carried a tagline of “Music Lover’s Rendezvous,” which still graces the storefront today. It’s considered one of the best Philadelphia restaurants, living through significant periods of American history, including the COVID-19 pandemic when staff would perform on the restaurant’s balcony, sending soothing operatic arias into the neighborhood.
Opera with dining is reason enough for snagging a seat at Victor Cafe, but the Italian and Italian-American cuisine carries its own charm. The menu features simple fare like spaghetti rusticana, but also an intricate seafood linguine swimming with shrimp, scallops, monk, clams, mussels, and calamari. There’s an eggplant rigatoni dish, and seared salmon served over pistachio farro salad, crowned with crab relish and a drizzle of balsamic glaze.
Victor Café has been family-owned and operated since day one, now run by Greg DiStefano, grandson of the founder. As explained to the Philadelphia Council For Aging (PCA), he inhabited the dining rooms and kitchens of the cafe since his earliest memories, helping with chores as a child, later bussing and waiting tables, and tending bar. DiStefano now considers himself the cafe’s “caretaker as we navigate through time,” telling PCA that “every night is its own memory.”
