Il Baretto
“11th Avenue can get a little loud but overall it was worth it for the breeze from the Hudson and pink sunset.”
“Outdoor seating, friendly service, great food and sunshine is the perfect combination for an afternoon lunch or weekend brunch.”
“Among all the car dealerships lies a nondescript sign indicating the location of this gem.”
Il Baretto
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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Small, cozy, little nook that's good for a lite brunch. I came here with my fiance and ordered their Agnello slider, which consists of grilled lamb, sautéed mushrooms and provolone, and their Baguette Parma made with prosciutto, tomato, mozzarella, arugula & extra virgin olive oil. Their baguette was nicely toasted and had great crunch and texture when biting into it. The Agnello slider's lamb was cooked to the dry point, but the provolone helped the rest of the slider from being just dry.
Food overall was a 3.5 to maybe 4. Deductions come from the fact it did take a while for the food to arrive; that was very odd to me especially since there was only two other people in the restaurant and we were only ordering panini and slider, I don't dare image how long it'll take for their larger dishes. For a good period of time the server just disappeared and never came back to check on the tables. It's not like this was a big place with about a dozen two-person tables, so I don't know where the server went.
It's hard not to love an Italian café in a quiet part of Manhattan. Outdoor seating, friendly service, great food and sunshine is the perfect combination for an afternoon lunch or weekend brunch.
Be sure to get a table outside…then order the Ham, Egg and Spinach Omelette with coffee or one of their Panini with a Limonata.
You'll be hard pressed to find a better place for lunch/brunch within several blocks.
A dear friend took me here for a very belated birthday dinner (that was on me, he had been offering for months) and we had a fun, if uneven, experience.
The place is tiny and you will be on top of the people eating at the table next to you. But you may get some entertainment if you have a slovenly drunken woman and her unfortunate husband at the next table like we did! For drinks, they offer wine and beer only.
The menu is pretty varied for a small place with a tiny kitchen. We started with bruschetta and a caprese salad. The bruschetta was fine, nothing extraordinary. The caprese salad was pretty good, although parts of the mozzarella were a little dry.
For mains, we ordered the grilled octopus, special goat cheese ravioli in a sage butter sauce and a side of sauteed spinach. It was with some surprise we watched that exact order to go to a table that was seated after us. As we watched in wonder as someone else got our meal, another server came out (after the entrees had had cheese and pepper added) and said "oh no, that's supposed to go here." A key indicator of a place is how they handle a situation like that.
We watched as they took the plates back to the kitchen and waited to see if they'd serve them to us, which would have been unappealing at best. However, they immediately came an apologized and said they'd made a mistake and they'd get our food very quickly. My friend got an extra glass of wine out of the deal. They ended up offering the other table the original dishes, which they accepted and enjoyed and our food came out shortly after. Good service recovery!
The food was awesome. I've never had such delicious grilled octopus, except maybe in Barcelona. It was almost like slicing into thick cut bacon. So good. My ravioli was also terrific. It could have been a dense, heavy gloop but it was surprisingly light and delicious.
Since it was a b-day celebration, we opted for dessert. Tiramisu for my pal and the zabaglione stuffed tartufo for me. The tiramisu was good but my tartufo was exceptional. I loved everything about it.
For a quirky good time with tasty food, this is a good option.
Fantastic little coffee/brunch/lunch spot in the middle of no man's land!
Had a bowl of their artichoke and potatoe puree soup…rich, smooth and seasoned perfectly to be a great comfort food go to here. Also had half a ciabatta sandwich that was imported truffle spread with argula, fresh mozz and marinated tomatoes on it. Just a beautiful combo and that truffle spread made the sandwich come alive. Ended my meal with a small affogato: hot espresso poured over a genours scoop of vanilla ice cream. A perfect balanced vegetarian meal when I wasn't even trying for one.
The interior space was small but open with a ton of natural light and nice spacing among the tables. They also had outside seating as well on the sidewalk, reminding me of the cafe's with outdoor seating all over Italy and France. Can't wait to go back.
Grab a seat outside and enjoy the breeze at this little local eatery. I recommend their cuvee rose, 3 cheese plate, rucola salad, scallops and lamb sliders. Don't forget the affogato either. 11th Avenue can get a little loud but overall it was worth it for the breeze from the Hudson and pink sunset.
We had an amazing meal here when we took my boyfriends family for lunch last Saturday. I'd scoped the menu as well as the place – super cute but SO small, on 11th and so so quaint. I'd been secretly dying to try it but needed the right occasion and here it was! We were a party of 7 which was a little big for the place but they were more than happy to accommodate us on short notice. They have small tables throughout the place as well as a long bar table down the length of the restaurant, great for lunch!
We started with the meatballs and two cheeses – grana padano and piave vecchio, all so great and a perfect starter. The bread and olive oil they start you with is very good too! We all ordered some version of salad and paninis, and every single one of us was beyond pleased with the outcome! I personally ordered the half rucola salad and half baguette parma – their ingredients are so fresh and their meats and cheeses so delicious! And the fresh crispy bread/evoo combo is perfection too.
If you're Italian and looking for a killer, classic Italian lunch spot then this is absolutely your place! They serve beer and wine only, just FYI, but lunch special is buy one get one mimosas and bellinis! They have take out & delivery as well, which I plan on taking advantage of!
During a rare warm fall night, came here for a nice dinner for two in the outside seating area. Once the crying baby left, an excellent atmosphere and friendly service.
After getting the complimentary bread and vinegar/oil, ordered the half salad-half panini combo ($11) along with a glass of Merlot ($10). Salad ordered was Mela – heavy on the green apples & raisins, moderately drenched in dressing, light with okay flavor. Panini was the Ciabatta Baretto – felt the taleggio cheese overpowered the truffle paste, but it went well with the wine overall. The person with me got the Focaccia Vegetariana – which was hardy yet the grilled vegetables inside seemed raw.
I do like the setting and it's nearby my home which is a plus. Not enamored with the paninis; though I want to check out the sliders.
Overall, okay. Good spot to grab brunch (especially outdoor seating is great in summer) or dinner. Nothing to be amazed about.
Pizza was a bit disappointing. Really mediocre – the dough was dry, and mozzarella on top of that was not delish. Would recommend to go to La Vela (42nd and 11th ave) if you'd like to taste really good, chewy and yammy dough.
Also tried meat lasagna – which was not a great portion for $14 but decent quality.
Might not try again, unfortunately, unless I'm stopping by for late night drinks with some desserts.