Restaurants in Ardmore

El Tapatio Mexican Restaurant's neon-green and bright-red sign is merely an appetizer for the feast of colors within. Red- and orange-striped booths, sky-blue chairs, textured sunflower walls, and tabletops painted with smiling suns, blossoming tulips, and fruit dominate the space. This festive atmosphere sets an ideal scene for enjoying carne asada, chicken enchiladas, tacos filled with pork and beans, and churros. El Tapatio—whose name refers to a Guadalajara native—also mixes up delicious margaritas, which were dubbed the Best Margaritas by Delaware Today in 2008.

Recipes from northern, southern, Mughlai, and other Indian culinary traditions are incorporated in the menu at Nirvana Fine Indian Cuisine. That results in a wide array of flavorful cuisine such as chicken simmered in creamy kormas, spicy vindaloos, vegetables and lamb chops skewered on kebabs, and roast-shrimp-tandoori masala. Scoop up every last morsel with any of 10 varieties of flatbread, including onion kulcha, traditional naan, and baby naan, which wakes the chef up every three hours after it is baked.

Less than seven years after stepping off the boat at Ellis Island, Francesco and Catherine Dispigno achieved their American dream of opening an Italian restaurant that their neighbors could enjoy. Over the course of the next 111 years, four generations of the Dispigno family would make Ralph’s Italian Restaurant their second home, entertaining such notables as Sammy Davis Jr., Frank Sinatra, and Theodore Roosevelt. A runner-up for Best Italian on the Philly Hot List, today Ralph's maintains its connection to history by serving up classics such as linguine pescatore and veal capricciosa amid walls lined with vintage photographs and murals of Italian landmarks. With a nod to the eatery's family focus, the extensive selection of international wines includes Grandmom and Grandpop’s Private Stash, a selection of reserve vintages accessible only by top-secret cheek pinch.

In a video for the blog Philly in Focus, Leziz Turkish Cuisine owner Sal Kucuk greets his son at the appetizer-prep station. He stops by the grill line to thank the head chef, who brings his own experience from owning a restaurant in Istanbul for 14 years. In the dining room, Sal stops for a moment to pay respect to his mother's framed image––a beloved photograph blown up by his fiancée as a gift. Formerly S & H Kebab House, Leziz Turkish Cuisine is still the same family-owned restaurant that was bestowed with Talk of the Town's Excellence in Customer Satisfaction award for 2010 and 2011.

Specializing in authentic Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Mediterranean cuisine, the eatery employs organic lamb, top Choice Black Angus steaks, and fresh seafood for kebabs and sautés. Amid hanging lights and butter-yellow walls, warm pita sops up creamy hummus and whipped caviar to pair with patrons’ BYOB beverages. Live bands on Fridays and monthly belly-dancing events fill the air with music, unlike the falafel-juggling mimes hired by most restaurants.

At Valley Forge Ristorante & Pizzeria, the scents of traditional Italian cooking drift from a theater-style kitchen into the dining room, where guests can witness the chefs whip up a menu of pasta, pizza, and calzones. Of the many offerings, the pizza takes top honors, especially after being named number one of Philadelphia's best pizzerias by Citysearch. Each red- or white-sauce pizza is crafted with more than 20 topping options and optional whole-wheat crust. Pasta dishes rival the heartiness of the pizza pies, with options ranging from the portabello-stuffed ravioli with rosa cream sauce to spaghetti with veal parmigiana.

During off hours, when the restaurant isn’t bustling with lunch and dinner diners, the space transforms into a coffee bar with gourmet blends. Sip a cup inside, or take to the fresh air on the onsite all-season patio, replete with fireplaces and overhead space heaters.

Los Taquitos de Puebla Restaurant was praised by the Philadelphia Weekly as a destination for great pork, specifically the "succulent cilantro-flecked tacos al pastor." These traditional pork tacos are decorated simply with succulent pineapple and crisp onions. Inside the restaurant’s small and colorful dining room you can order quite a variety of tacos from the menu including some that feature cactus and chihuahua cheese, beef short rib, and smoked pork chop.