Barbalu Restaurant

Great New Year’s Eve experience. Amazing food. Cozy atmosphere. Seaport location. Staff is very attentive and friendly. The Scallop appetizer is a great start with a sauce that offers just the right amount of heat. Flavorful, flaky, and lightly crunchy on the top side and tender the rest of the way through, the Sea Bass dish was delicious. The Steak and Shrimp dishes were all cooked to perfection. Hats off to both, the chef and the bartender. Drinks were consistently good. Tiramisu was very creamy and tasty. Keeping this one as a favorite.

1.16.18 - Very nicely made pasta with friendly staff. The space is tastefully rustic/masculine. There doesn't seem to be a wait for lunch time, but it might be different for dinner. Overall, when visiting the South Street Seaport, it's a great restaurant to recharge and their wine selection seems good according to my colleague, but we didn't try any. Pictures are from 1.16.18 because my phone died right before we sat.

Alvaro is your gem! He’s the most gracious host along wit everyone else. The chef de cuisine was also accommodating and nice. I liked my baked eggs but can’t wait to try the homemade pastas. Best value for unlimited cocktails at $25 for two hours. A neighborhood fave for sure. Come to Barbalu!

Nice ambience, great location, and friendly staff. The food was good, but it’s not absolutely authentic Italian food. I enjoyed the quality of the ingredients, the portions and the way they prepared the food. The taste was acceptable, enjoyable, but sometimes a little overly salty. The portions were filling, something that you don’t always get from Italian restaurants in the city. I surprisingly got full, although I have to say that is because I ate from my friends’ plates too - the portions are not even for every dish. If they made everything slightly more authentic and brought better quality bread, I’d totally pay more to eat here. Recommended if you want to try an alternative Italian option!

Pretty Good! REALLY Like my seafood risotto, Italian sausage pasta! Two Thumbs Up! Definitely a repeat for me if in South Seaport!

Nice and cozy restaurant with friendly service 👍 I came for dinner with a friend on a Saturday evening and one of the reasons we decided for this place is because it wasn't packed but at the same time it wasn't empty. My friend ordered lasagna and I order some pasta with pear 🍐 and cheese as filling. All the food was tasty 😋

Came here for a quick dinner and it was great. Ambiance is very laid back and service was very attentive! The tiramisu was so creamy, the homemade spinach fettuccine was very good and so was the rigatoni but the best dish was by far the pear and ricotta fagottini! Highly recommend.

Great ambience, amazing service and delicious food. We order a pear & ricotta fagottini on a white truffle sauce that was out of this world, accompanied by a good Montepulciano wine. Also, a chicken milanese with Arugula that had the perfect mix of flavors. The location is on what looks like an old New York street with many restaurants and a great environment, highly recommended. Photos by: @live_travel_eat_repeat

I had a really nice experience at Barbalu!! We walked in for dinner on a Sunday night and were seated right away with no issues. The restaurant is super cute and it was quiet. I think some food is likely better than others. I had the Pear and Ricotta dish, and it was AMAZING. The filling was perfectly sweet and creamy, and the sauce was just incredible. The lasagna was lacking some flavor, but I was too blown away by the other pasta. The kale caesar was just alright. Overall, this is a super cute spot in a quiet neighborhood. Perfect for a date night or catching up with a group, and I would love to see it get busier!

Restaurant week menu** Was able to get a reservation for 4 the day prior for a friend group. 7pm The menu for restaurant week is appealing and seems worth it. We split 2 bottles of wines amongst the 4 of us. Burrata - Urgh amazing. Fresh and delicious. Rigatoni was savory. Tiramisu was so good! We had the mussels for the table and they were delicious and fresh! (Forgot to take a picture) My friend had the cesar salad instead and enjoyed it. It was not kale. The only thing noted was that service was a bit slow but when the servers were around they were attentive. Overall good experience and I would return to try the lobster ravioli special.

Overall experience was nice, I made a reservation for brunch at 11am for a Saturday....and upon arrival, no one was in the restaurant except a couple employees. The gentlemen who helped me said they typically don't start serving until 11:30....so Open Table has the wrong hours for reservations. Nothing to worry about as I got to have the experience of renting out a restaurant for myself without actually paying for it! Hahahaha Got coffee and the egg benedict with pancetta. Coffee was delicious and the egg benedict was good too. Pancetta was too salty for me, and there was quite a bit. Service was great once I got seated and I'd go back to see the vibe with other patrons.

The restaurant is tucked away down a cute residential street with restaurants and stores on the street level and apartments on top. The feel of this neighborhood is just right for me as a first timer in New York. The restaurant is cute and had outdoor seating which is what we did. The service was good and the overall experience wad nice. I just didn't enjoy the meal I ordered. Rigatoni alla Norma. The dish just didn't have much flavor to me. The sauce was a fried eggplant based sauce with Ricotta Salata. I love eggplant but it just wasn't what I enjoyed. Now on the extreme opposite my husband got the Fettuccine with Meat Ragu. It was what I dream of making for my own pasta. Amazing flavor. So deep and hearty. I would go back and try other offerings. It's definitely a nice place to go.

Great neighborhood restaurant good ambience attentive staff. Good wines by the glass. The Burrata Wood Fired Shuto is always a good starter my halibut was simple and tasty with lots of potatoes and the filet mignon was cooked to perfection and the prices are fairly reasonable.

Pretty Good! REALLY Like my seafood risotto, Italian sausage pasta! Two Thumbs Up! Definitely a repeat for me if in South Seaport!

Food = five stars Service = 3 stars We thoroughly enjoyed our dinner - pasta, seafood, and drinks. Service was good... just slow. It felt like we had to flag down our server for drinks, to order and to get our bill. Other than that, it was a great date night spot.

I love Barbalu! I've been here a couple times and have never been disappointed. The ambiance is really nice and food is great. We dined when new york just started opening up again. Sitting outside is nice if the weather is nice and they're still doing outdoor seating. They make their own fresh pasta and if you have a gluten allergy they have gluten free pasta as well. We ordered the mussels for our appetizer and I'd highly recommend those. It's cooked in a spicy tomato sauce and is so good especially if you dip the bread in. I had the streak which was great. The portion sizes are pretty large. Prior to the pandemic I hadn't visited in a couple years so I'm glad that they look like they're doing ok!

Nice place, good food, unfortunately the place was closing the day after our dinner and only have a place in Brooklyn

My colleagues and I came here for an early lunch a few days ago. The restaurant was still empty when we arrived (~11:45am) and I made reservations just in case too. Majority of us got the "black linguine with tomato, shrimp, and arugula." I requested the non-spicy version. The entree was pretty delicious and filling. My boss also ordered Brussels sprouts side to share. I rarely eat Brussels sprouts but these were good as well. Our waiter was friendly and attentive - so no complaints about the service. By the time we finished our meal, there were more people coming in for lunch. I would recommend making a reservation on OpenTable if you plan to come with a group of people for lunch at around 12:30pm.

Excellent. Had the black pasta with shrimp. The shrimp actually tasted like shrimp! So eve was just the right amount of heat. Glass of Cabernet was full pour. Highly recommend

Meh. Food was good, atmosphere was good, service was good... everything was pretty good. Only complaint is that the spinach fettuccini we got was way salty.

A local favorite and my all time fave to fix my Italian cravings! The pasta are cooked just right and al dente, everything tastes fresh and service is great! Everyone working here are so friendly and the vibe is just so relaxing. There is a cute green house at the back that's beautiful for both brunch and dinner. Highly recommend checking this place out, but have to say, prices are on the higher end.

I came here for Italian Restaurant Week for dinner. The restaurant is mom and pops family owned restaurant. The service was on point as the server and staff were really nice and accommodating definitely better than Felidia. The food in this place was also good, but I had my favorites. For the appetizer I had the special which was the bresaola with arugula. The appetizer was a lot of food for something that is cold cut but no complaints. The Pear and Ricotta Fagottini with Cream and Truffle Oil was my favorite dish. The fagottini was freshly made in house and it was to die for. The Tartufo Gelato was also delicious but was not memorable. The overall experience was great, cozy and low key. I would definitely return and even hold a birthday or girls night dinner.

I've had Barbalu bookmarked forever and was ecstatic to give it a try when a couple of friends were in town. Overall, I was a bit underwhelmed by it unfortunately. Barbalu has a really pretty space and the wait staff were very nice and attentive. There's complimentary bread with olive oil. We started with the burrata with prosciutto which was simple and delicious. Can't go wrong with the dish as long as prosciutto and burrata are fresh. There was also plenty of prosciutto to go around. We also shared the beet salad. The whole thing was essentially cut up beats with some goat cheese on top. Good for what it was as well. I think the disappointment was their pastas. I got the gnocchi of the day: black squid ink with salmon in red sauce. The salmon threw me off with squid ink pasta. The salmon was overpowering and imbalanced the dish. It was a first time in a while where I didn't clean off a dinner plate. My boyfriend got the squid ink linguine with shrimp and I tried some. Found it to be too fishy. Pasta was fresh. The seasoning or pairing of flavors threw me off.

I really enjoyed my meal last night. I had the steak and it was done perfectly and the price was reasonably. We had the burrata and the arugula salad which were also very good. The staff was great and the restaurant design was very pretty in a modern way.

We didn't want seafood and we were lucky ti find this place. I had chicken with fries and everything was served fresh and hot. Good food, good service and nice quiet atmosphere. Will come back if in the area again.

I don't recommend this restaurant. The service was not good, the waiter canceled 2 order of the special our table had ordered like 10min after saying that they had run out of lamb... I would imagine he would know that as soon as he put the order to the kitchen. My steak was well done but I had asked medium rare and the cut was too thin... the drink was not good also.

What a gorgeous restaurant! I got the chicken milanese with arugula salad. The chicken was delicious and well executed and the salad was fresh and perfectly dressed. Had the saffron arancini with parmigiano and it was really good

Good pasta decently priced and conveniently located. Would recommend if you're in the Bay Area and I'll likely come here again. Service was great and we were quickly seated. They have enough tables that the wait should be minimal. Highlights: meat lasagna and Pear and Ricotta Fagottini with truffle oil.

As someone who grew up in the area, I'm glad to see that there's a decent place to go to. I'll admit I'm the first to critique on the tourist traps in this neighborhood but this place isn't half bad. Not everything is on point but many things were. The squid ink pasta, the fettuccini, and mussels were all amazing. Overall the place accommodated large parties, had delicious food, and were very respectful. The problem with restaurants in this area is that there's not enough foot traffic. I mean sure, you have the locals and the weekend tourists, but that's not even to sustain New York rent prices. I hope this place sticks around. It's an asset to the neighborhood.

The pear and ricotta fagottini was the best pasta dish i've ever had! Definitely recommend.

Come here if you're on a casual date or just by the Seaport. I love the outdoor set up with the lights and red tent. Their wines are good and pasta is solid. Get the burrata as appetizer and I recommend the squid ink pasta although the sage gnocchi is yummy too. Overall, been here a few times and the service was good and so was the ambiance.

Super tasty Italian spot with a very cozy atmosphere- I did indoor dining here with a friend and it felt like a very good place for a romantic date. The food was tasty and the service was quick. I'd definitely come back!

Hands down, fastest kitchen ever. Honestly, I placed my order, went to the restroom, and then the food arrived. Barbalu is such a wonderful and cozy restaurant with excellent service and phenomenal food. My Homemade Fettuccine with Beef Ragù alla Bolognese was perfectly tart and savory. We also ordered 2 vegetable sides- both of which I highly recommend. The Roasted Cauliflowers with Parmigiano was nice and soft without being mushy. And the Braised Kale and Toasted Pine nuts was genius. The pine nuts gave the kale such a beautiful nutty fragrance. I couldn't get enough of it. Thank you to Barbalu for such an excellent meal and wonderful service!

This is a very cool italian restaurant in the Seaport area. They have a nice wine list and gluten free pasta options. It's cool for dinner with friends or for a business lunch/dinner. I love the spinach fettuccine with mushrooms and of course the meat and cheese platters with a side of honey. It is a quiet place where on most occasions seating is easy to obtain. A favorite.

Lovely restaurant ambiance wise with great food and service. We ordered a variety of appetizers and pasta dishes to share. There were many options of delicious pasta for vegetarians. We especially liked the homemade spinach fettuccine with mushrooms. The servers were attentive as well.

I like the patio area so much !! I had the special lobster ravioli it was delicious !!! Good selection of wines and cool music. Staff is very nice.

Surprising not very busy on Saturday night. We were seated immediately. A lot of vegetarian options on the menu and they can make a few more things off the menu as well. Their Pear and Ricotta pasta was very good and different. Rest of the pastas were also flavorful. Their wine list is a little weak. Service is prompt. Overall great experience.

Delicious freshly made pasta. The vodka sauce smoked pancetta dish was so unique and Smokey

Flies. Flies everywhere at the bar. There was even a fly in my drink when I got it. Ordered the calamari and friend chicken as snacks from the happy hour menu - the calamari was tough and the "fried" chicken was basically just chicken tenders. Would not recommend.

A Nice Spot to Brunch if you are in the mood for some peace, calm, Pasta and mimosas. Brunch is on Saturday n Sunday's from 12-4 . Bottomless ! Can't forget that part. We went on a Saturday. I forgot the name of my dish but for now, We are gonna call it the Breakfast Pasta. It was Spaghetti with pancetta tossed in a creamy sauce ... it was So good. I left nothing on the plate . Small and tucked away from the outside but inside is super nice chic mixed with a little rustic. The wall of wine is Dope. I want to go back for the wine list and to try the lasagna. I was walking pass another table and it looked really good. The Service is really good too. Everyone was more than helpful. Would I go back ? Yup Should you ? For Brunch, Yes ..

Such a nice elegant Italian spot on a cute strip with a bunch of string lights near FiDi. The restaurant is very clean and beautiful along with the staff being very professional and sweet. Everything we ordered was amazing down to the cocktails. Will definitely be back and asking for Alex again! He was beyond and even brought us a free espresso martini, we loved him .

For two years in a row we've had my firm's holiday party here. The atmosphere is nice. They always have pretty interesting art pieces on display that you can actually purchase. Rustic tables, dim but detailed lighting, a suave bar area, a confusing hidden passageway like bathroom that just molds into the wall. We've both times gotten a back room. Incidentally this time around I think other people were going to be sat next to our group of 14 and our firm had them kicked out. Go team. Each year I am however more impressed by the appetizer courses than the entree meals. Appetizers - There was a huge freaking array and I'm probably forgetting some. But the best hands down that you have to order are the stuffed mushrooms and arancini cheese rice balls. The meat and cheese platters are pretty insane and assumed worth their value when regularly ordering. You get a ton of meats and cheese of a large variety. Roasted eggplant, zucchini, and squash platter, a couple of plates of buffalo mozzarella that oozed, meatballs, etc. Appetizers are a big wow factor here. It's hard for me to hate on meat and cheese though. Secondi - A fairly generous but small enough to not kill you portion of penne with marinara sauce and a few dollops of cheese. It was cooked al dente and perfectly but sauce was kind of bland. It wasn't anything to write home about. Main course - We had the option of salmon, chicken, and eggplant parm. The eggplant looked tiny but was reportedly good. Only one person ordered it. The chicken was like half a hen or capon - insanely generous portion - but heard it was dry as hell. Glad I went with the salmon for the second year in a row, being the best option. It wasn't as bland as last year and was flakey and kind of flavorful with some nice fresh lemon and served with a few potatoes and broccoli. Dessert was an array of treats - I tried both a piece of a brownie, tiramisu, and cannoli - all were outstanding and the brownie was warm. The wine was pretty great, at least the red Bordeaux, wasn't too keen on the Chardonnay I earlier had and switched. Service was a bit tricky for drinks. At points I wasn't sure if I should go up to the bar area for another cocktail or if a waiter would refill my glass (they didn't) so we all had to flag someone down for a new beverage, which was kind of a nuisance but not the end of the world. I imagine some of their other pasta dishes are worthy trying here but overall have had a pleasant experience both times.

This place is amazing a delicious taste of Italy. They have an amazing menu. The staff are amazing you will have the time of your life trying to empty your glass of water or wine if you order a bottle. They have a large selection of wines at affordable prices. You won't be disappointed with this visit. The place is good for all settings and has outdoor dinning as well. Social distance is in full effect, they have sanitizer all over the place. We will be returning to this location.

Booked this last minute and we sat under the skylight for diner. Had a bottle of Sauvignon blanc Trentino and meat place for appetizer and we finished it with seafood linguine. Our server he's very polite and nice. It's a cute place to have nice and the food is okay

LOVE this FIDI gem of a restaurant! This place has some of my favorite Italian in the city. The employees are all very attentive, polite, professional and following covid guidelines! The food is always outstanding, the flavors never disappoint and their wine selection is perfect for pairing with any meal! Major bonus for having great gluten free alternatives. I have been here so many times and never had a bad meal or unpleasant experience! Have to stop by if you are in the area!

Very nice place. Good service and they don't skimp on the food! Had brunch on Sunday and couldn't nearly finish the Frittata and I am a big eater!

Came to Barbalu for an outdoor Brunch in the seaport and we were not disappointed! We had Patrick for our waiter and he was very attentive and provided outstanding recommendations. For drinks we got the Bloody Mary and the special drink of the day which was a perfectly balanced apple martini. For brunch we got the green eggs with pesto and Parmesan, the Italian sausage and the pear and ricotta fagiottini. Everything was amazing!

These guys have been yummy and delicious since before Sandy hit the area and that consistency remains in these new-COVID restaurant realities. Our early Friday night dinner with the little guy was a hit with him as we savored tortellini and other items. Glad to see them powering through another disaster.

Went for my anniversary with my love, really enjoyed it. I'm 4/5 for service 4/5 for food 3.5/5 for price 4/5 for environment

Had the Mango Avocado Shrimp salad and it was amazing. Topped it off with chocolate cannolis they had a little lemon taste to them that put them over the top. Since we are unable to have outdoor seating there were bar stools people were using as tables so got to sit right there and eat. Staff was so sweet and accommodating!

Overall: Came in on a Saturday afternoon after a walk. The restaurant is very spacious with rustic meets modern vibes. Great for groups ( total 8 with no wait to be seated). I would recommend going to the back as it has a beautifully lit sunroof creating a peaceful dining experience midday. Food: Really delicious black pasta with spicy shrimp, pictured. Definitely a must try item if you like some spice in your Italian. Seasoning was nice and not too overpowering. Service: Nice , professional. I would recommend checking on the water a little more frequently especially if it's not busy. Will come back !!!

It's been so long since we dined at Barbula due to Covid. Happy to see they are still going strong with friendly attentive staff and of course their consistent delicious food. The mussels were outstanding. Perfectly executed. Arctic Char was prepared just right to my liking. Looking forward to a return visit.

Fantastic restaurant! Very cozy inside with a few tables outside, as well. Service was friendly, attentive, and prompt. The meal started with bread and fresh olive oil. I had the penne with gorgonzola and walnuts. Every bite was delicious! I didn't want it to end. The pasta was cooked to perfection and the Gorgonzola sauce was creamy and savory. I also had the rosemary potatoes. They were good, but not amazing. Maybe slightly overcooked, but nice flavor. They have a nice selection of wine, a few beers, and a full bar. With more than a couple vegetarian options, I'm looking forward to a return visit to try something else.

We have been to so many restaurants in New York. But this restaurant was unexpectedly so good. It was unpretentious (but beautiful), the food came quickly, the drinks came even quicker, and everything was absolutely fantastic. I genuinely cannot recommend this place enough. so grateful for this neighborhood spot

Nice place but food is just ok. There are so many amazing Italian places downtown. I wouldn't come again.

The chef here deserves an award for the pasta dish they sauced up for me the other night. It was simple yet tasty and very filling. The service was pretty efficient but they could have given some more bread. Also maybe would recommend warming the yeast up before serving. Will return and would recommend.

The drinks were fine, food was good, but service was interesting...nothing horrible, but things of note. The restaurant was pretty empty so we got seated right away. Our server disappeared after checking on us to see if we liked our food or not after the long wait for it. Another one cleared our table and then another one after that brought us our check and picked it up later. Earlier, we did overhear specials being read to a couple that was seated near us. The host himself was attending them and it was mentioned that they were regular customers, however that shouldn't matter. It was peculiar.