La Fontana Della Citta | Our Story
A family table, built from the ground up
La Fontana Della Citta is the story of one family's journey — from Albania to the kitchens of Philadelphia, and eventually to a dining room near Rittenhouse Square where old-world Italian tradition has been served with personal pride since 2006.
A new beginning
In 1990, Chef Bujar Daku and his family came to the United States from Albania in search of freedom. He found his footing in Philadelphia's restaurant kitchens, working his way through the city's most demanding dining rooms and building the craft that would define his career.
Philadelphia kitchens to the shore
After honing his skills at La Veranda and La Buca, Chef Bujar opened La Fontana Del Mare in Strathmere, New Jersey in 1998 — bringing fine Italian dining to the shore. That success gave the family the confidence to set their sights on Philadelphia.
La Fontana Della Citta
In 2006, Bujar and his brothers brought that vision to Philadelphia, opening La Fontana Della Citta steps from Rittenhouse Square. The city gave them a home, and they gave the city a dining room that has felt like a family table ever since.
The standard at every table
Chef Bujar selects the restaurant's fresh ingredients by hand, every day — a practice rooted in the belief that if something is not good enough for his own table, it will not reach yours.
