Upstares and Sotto Varalli is a two-story restaurant — "Sotto" on the first floor and "Upstares" on the second — serving Italian and Mediterranean fare.

Located across the street from the Academy of Music and within walking distance of the Kimmel Center, Varalli's is a perfect pre-performance dining option.

Cuisine

Varalli's menu focuses on seafood, weaving tender cuts of fresh fish, lightly seared scallops and lobster into traditional North Italian dishes.

If seafood is your preference, begin your meal with the tuna tartare or grilled octopus appetizer. For the second course, try the pan roasted lobster or seared scallops with wild mushroom risotto.

Another highlight is the seafood risotto entrée, which comes overflowing with lobster, shrimp, scallops, crab and mussels.

But the extensive menu doesn't stop at seafood. You could also try the duck breast with fig sauce, grilled free range chicken with apple chicken sausage or the pan-seared filet mignon with sautéed spinach.