Barbetta
“The weather was on our side this day, so we got to dine in the garden courtyard before our evening at the theater.”
“The rabbit was succulent and the portion was ample.”
“I think it must be that too many reviews are written by tourists without an appreciation for old-fashioned service and quality restaurants.”
Barbetta
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Excellent for a summer dinner outdoors because they have a lovely garden to go along with the great dining decor inside the restaurant. Located on restaurant row and between townhouse stairs, lies Barbette neatly tucked inside. An old school and rustic feeling exude from their wooden walls to the high hanging chandeliers. The setting of a bygone vintage era where gents wore suits and fedoras and ladies in their A line shaped dresses, opera evening gloves and ruby red lipstick. Sadly, the vintage era has been long past, and as much as I would like to get a taste of that life, Barbette will just have substitute for the real thing.
Don't let my imagination make you think this place is old or anything, but their menu does have dishes dating back to the early 1900s. Some sense of nostalgia will exist when you have dishes that was prepared and served exactly as they did back in the time when there were no world wars.
My blast from the past fiancé joined me on a romantic dinner out. We both started with pasta, their linguine pesto and tajarin. Made simple, with strong flavors of olive oils and basil. Steaming hot and excellent texture. The tajarin (tagliarini) is cooked in a tomato sauce with oven-roasted tomatoes. They said it's made exactly the same as they did back in 1906. There's no way I would ever be able to say first hand of it was made the same, but I can say it was made deliciously well. Sweet and slightly subtle tangy tomato flavor cooked into every strand of thin ribbon tagliarini.
For the main course we had the lamb and braised beef. The lamb and braised beef were both yummy. The lamb wasn't fatty or too lean. It was a good size piece and not a small lamb chop. The braised beef was tender and full of flavor. The purée that came along with it was creamy and actually filling.
Go for the food, go for memories, or go for picturesque moments you can have with a lovely date.
Brought a group of 12 to Barbetta for a family dinner after seeing a show at the Hirschfeld theatre. It was lovely to see the owner there and to experience dining in the beautiful and historic dining area. The meal was lovely and the wine list EXTENSIVE. You have a lot of options here and the staff was very accommodating to our large, somewhat loud group…and yes, there was picture taking at this dinner, and the staff was very helpful.
*Garden & Dessert Review ONLY Disclaimer*
Arrived @ Barbetta, 3 deep, courtesy of AMEX Concierge for dessert, post a Rosa Mexicano (1st ave/Midtown East location) dinner 1 hour prior. (FYI – feel free to read my 3 star review on Rosa Mexicano).
The place is gor-geousssssssssssssssss. You have absolutely NO CLUE how nice and classy this place is until you walk in, walk to the bar area and then get whisked in to the dining room, turn left, and walk out in to their ENORMOUS garden outside which is tree and vine lined, completely open and very romantic.
The desserts are on a cart that they wheel around…they assemble pieces of the dessert in front of you based on what you order.
We had the:
1. Dark Chocolate Orange Mousse
2. Chocolate Molten Cake
3. Exotic Fresh Fruit plate
4. 3 glasses of iced water
5. nonfat cappucino
^all of their dishes are served with Barbetta's whip cream and raspberry sauce…hmm – it's good BUTTTT does every dish need to have the same EXACT raspberry sauce and whip cream? eh? ? ?
go here if you want to impress a lady, go here if you want some decent desserts and you definitely want to go here if the weather is gorgeous. Otherwise,
save your money and go somewhere else
We went here pre-theater and there was a pre-theater option of three courses but you can also order ala carte. We ate upstairs by a window and enjoyed the ambiance of the place which is in a brownstone and the oldest restaurant still in the city so a lot of history. They also have seating downstairs but there was a private party going on there the night we were there. Each of the three of us ordered ala carte including a salad and entree, mine was crab which was cooked nicely and tender. It came with rice. Would have liked to have vegetables included but still a nice meal. Service was good and we were able to get to the theater easily in time for the show which started at 8. I would recommend reservations though.
Barbetta, located only a few blocks away from the hustle and bustle of Times Square, allows you to escape to an old world elegance. I read some spotty reviews about this restaurant but my experience was nothing but wonderful. I loved the feeling of walking into a town home as if I was entering one of my rich friend's homes. Refreshing to see waiters dressed in suits with the towel over their arm and a menu written in Italian without subtitles. Not knowing Italian allows you an opportunity to engage with the waiter about the various choices which for me was a pleasant experience. The rabbit was succulent and the portion was ample. I also thought for New York that the food was priced very fairly. This restaurant caters to a large pre- post theatre crowd – – but I really think that Barbetta would be good anytime.
We went here last month shortly after they had reopened due to a kitchen fire last year. This place is such a throwback in term of service and decor. (The decor is a little Theresa Guidice from Real Housewives of NJ) You must give the coat check your coats and large bags upon entering the restaurant and you are taken to a small room with a harpsichord (?). There is a bar which was largely empty.
The dining room is large and can accommodate a wide range of parties (there were two of us). We each had a pasta special, both of which tasted homemade. He had venison and I had pomegranate chicken. The venison was perfectly cooked and the chicken was tender and delicious. We also had several desserts, one of which was complimentary because we had waited a while. Although it was slightly pricey for a pre-dinner theatre meal (we had to order a la carte due to numerous food allergies), it was a very nice evening. It is unusually quiet for the area which was refreshing.. Service was very good and attentive.
Theater district Italian by the textbook here. Pasta dishes are great and if you have room, the steak coming out of the kitchen doesn't disappoint. The selling point is the outdoor garden. No better way to spend a spring or summer dining experience.
At the heart of Restaurant Row is a hidden Italian garden restaurant, which makes you feel out of NYC the moment you step in. The waiters were really nice and were suited up in tuxedos, which kind of makes you feel underdressed. The atmosphere feels very upscale – white table cloths, chandeliers hanging down from the high ceiling; and the fine upholstered chairs. Even though it's an Italian restaurant, I ordered a roasted codfish with ratatouille and it was ok. It's definitely pricey but if you feel like spending the $ for the experience, I would recommend it. But if you're looking for something delicious, this is probably not the most ideal place to be.