According to a Food Republic report, Italian immigrant John DiStefano opened the business in 1918 in South Philadelphia as a store selling Victor gramophones and records. The store did not survive the Great Depression. After Prohibition ended in 1933, DiStefano opened the restaurant with a beer and wine license, calling it The Victor Café and using the tagline: “Music Lover’s Rendezvous.” His grandsons, brothers Greg and Rick DiStefano, now run the restaurant.
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In 1979, an opera student who worked as a waiter began singing for customers. The singing eventually became a tradition. Now all the servers are singers who perform opera. Every 20 minutes, they ring a bell, and one of them performs an aria. Customers can also request a song.
The menu features Italian classics and opera-themed dishes like Tosca (chicken with Fontina and prosciutto over polenta), Prince Igor (pasta with vodka sauce, salmon, and asparagus), and Caruso (chicken livers with mushrooms in Marsala over linguine).
The Victor Café has served as a stand-in for Adrian’s restaurant in the Rocky film series, with scenes filmed there for Rocky Balboa, Creed, and Creed II.
Dining and Cooking