Babbo Ristorante

we scrambled to get a ressie...i wish i never did. We eat out a lot, and expect good service, and good food...especially with all the hype. The staff was really lousy. They act like they do you a favor...place is too small, the food was not very good, apart from 1-2 pasta's. The staff was clueless, and did not seem like they wanted to help. We spent a lot of money on wine, and were treated like we were in the way...tying up a table. One dish was inedible - too salty. the tongue appetizer was bad -- too much vinegar, covering the taste...do not bother going...it is not all that!

We had been trying to get a reservation forever and could never even get through on the phone -- Until we learned the trick (which I will not share for fear of never being able to get a reservation again!). So, we finally went for dinner for my husband's birthday.

The service was excellent. We had dietary restrictions and the servers were not only very diligent in warning us of any problems/switching up ingredients, but I was impressed that they communicated among one another, so that a new server was already aware of our restrictions.

We were interested in a tasting menu (there was so much delicious looking food on the menu, we couldn't choose!) Our waiter recommended - rather than try any of the published tasting menus - that we do an a la carte tasting - in which we can choose any combination of dishes we like. This was an excellent idea. Unlike most tasting menus, the portions were actually very generous (yes, we were absolutely stuffed at the end of the evening).

My only complaint is that I think the pasta dishes were a little bit too salty -- still delicious - but could have done with a little less salt.

Addiional comment on the service -- we noted that we did not feel rushed at all. We were seated around 7:20 and remained in the restaurant until almost 10. For such a busy/in-demand restaurant, I think it's unusual for the staff to not try to push you out -- and I appreciated it.

Favorite dish of the evening -- Beet tartare (and I don't generally even like beets!!)

Added treat - we saw Mario Batalli himself dining at the front of the restaurant when we walked in.

Overall, wonderful, pleasant dining experience. I look forward to going back soon!

Pros: Amazing service, delicious and creative food

Cons: Hard to get a reservation

Babbo is among the best restaurants I've dined at. From the exquisite ambiance, to the attentive service and truly gourmet food, there is not a thing I would change about Babbo.

Upon walking in we were greeted by the maitre d who eagerly checked our coats at the door. Though we were about 20 mins early for our reservation we were escorted to our table as soon as we walked in. Nothing on the menu was ordinary: the meat selection offered rabbit, boar, venison, quail, duck, lamb and sea bass. Several sommeliers walked the floor and offered wine recommendations as we finalized our dinner selections.

We started off with the winter vegetable salad with goat's milk ricotta and pumpkin seed oil. The ricotta spread over the baguette slice was so creamy and delish! When the pumpkin ravioli arrived our waiter grated an amaretti cookie over the entire dish, which was the perfect compliment to the light sauce. The striped sea bass came with a chorizo vinaigrette and grated chorizo topped over the bass. My only regret was not being able tor try more of the mouth watering dishes!

I completely disagree with those that say the service was anything but exceptional. The wait staff was extremely professional and checked in with us enough to be helpful but not annoying.... they even treated us to a complimentary cookie assortment at the end of our meal.

Babbo is a MUST for anyone in Manhattan, I will definitely be back when I'm in the area again!

Pros: Gourmet food

Cons: NONE!

Babbo is one of my favorite special occasion dining destinations. Part of the Mario Batali empire, his Italian specialities do not disappoint. I always order the pasta tasting menu so that I get a taste of everything. I prefer some dishes over the others (i.e. the Garganelli and Tagliatelle are delicious), but it's always good to get out of your comfort zone and try out new flavors. At first you think these little dishes will never fill you up, then as the courses keep coming, you find yourself wondering if you'll even have space for dessert. The answer is barely.

Seating in the main level is a tight squeeze but it's fun to watch the hustle and bustle of the waiters scuffling by. The dining area upstairs is brighter and a little more reserved. Patrons are allowed to make reservations up to one month in advance. I've haven't had any problems getting reservations lately, but be flexible with your schedule and don't expect prime dining times. I went for an early dinner one time and a scored a late reservation another evening.

Pros: delicious food

Cons: trying to get last minute reservations

My girlfriend and I were overly excited to go to Babbo after months of anticipation. The restaurant was a little stuffy and pretentious, but it's safe to assume that's the atmosphere they are looking for.

The sides and appetizers were delicious, but the main dishes were uninspired. However, I do have to compliment on how well our dishes were cooked...I had the squab, and it was fantastic.

Happy we went, but most likely won't go back. On to the next.

Pros: Food cooked to perfection, good service

Cons: stuffy, repeated attempts to upsell on wine

great food---amazing pasta and wine. staff is helpful when ordering but could be more friendly. the decor is great and nice for a date spot. expensive but def an experience.

Rude when we made rsvp and rude when we got there. Never again. As for the food, it was not all that and def. not worth the trouble. Def. a two thumbs down!

THE WORST NIGHT OF OUR LIVES The bold at the entrance is extremely rude. He ignored us and kept me and my wife waiting for 2 ours standing up, and when we complained he yelled at us!!!. 1)Mr. Batalli:Why low class employees?; 2)Rank:Food is not that good -27 Zagat ranked? Never!; 3)Clients:OPEN YOUR EYES!; 4)Zagat&other Rankers: Be objective!. Dont loose the credibility to pamper Mr. Battali, without that this is only a restaurant directory.

Pros: NOTHING!!!

Cons: Poor Service, Pricy, Completley Overated, Mediocre Food

I read the great book Heat by Bill Bufford and wanted to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in restaurant Babbo, the place where Bill Bufford took an internship So romantic at Wasgington Square Park for us Amsterdam people.
I knew it was a hype so called them 5 months in advance to learn that one can make a reservation one month in advance at maximum. I followed this instruction and we were 'lucky' to get a 10:45 reservation. Mind you, PM! Okay so far, so good.
We arrived in a good mood 5 minutes early. We were asked to wait to be seated, and enjoyed a couple of good drinks at the bar with a constanly apologizing barkeeper. At midnight our table was ready. We ordered fungi and sardines as antipasti. There we learned Babbo's preference for balsamico. We had a salad on the side from grean beans tasting very much like balsamico. The primo was a shared spicy spaghetti, just a little balsamico. By the way it was so late, and the music was so loud (S*x Pistols and that kind of music) that we only wanted to go to sleep, but we still had one course to go. The secundo was an outright disappointment. I had a skirt and huge balsamico beef and my husbands branzino was very plain and was served together with a completely cremated black piece of vegetable tasting of balsamico. He asked what kind of burned vegetable it was and that he is not particularly fond of burned vegetables (health freak he is!). The answer was that it was their style to burn it completely black but they would bring a new one. Same degree of fire wounds ...
We were so disappointed that we asked for the check, without ordering a desert or even coffee. All we wanted was out of this place to bed at 1.30am. This signal was read by the personnel and they sent us a manager who apologized and said that he would adjust the bill accordingly. We paid a mere $160 (no discount on the bill found, but too tired to get into a new discussion), My husband left a $10 tip and wrote on the AMEX slip 'for the service, not the food'.
What had to be a celebration became a little disaster. We definitely ate twice at Babbo at Sunday Sept 6th: our first and last time.
I cannot recommend Babbo, and I strongly believe this place is terribly overhyped. And the arrogance from the reservation till you leave the place is one big joke, at least if you look at it from a simple gastronomic perspective.

Fried air ... below zero.

Pros: hyped

Cons: arrogance reservations loudness balsamico

This place is really cute. We had reservations made about a month in advance and got there pretty early but we still had to wait about 15-20 mins and the lower level is really small and packed, so there isnt much room where to wait. The food was good and so was the wine. I went this past week and did a tasting kind of menu where basically you go through like 8 courses including appetizers, main courses and deserts, and every course comes with a wine pairing. The wines were all pretty good (I liked the reds better) and the desert was really good. I would definitely go again.

Pros: Good food, great wine

Cons: Waiting so long to get a reservation

The food here is great, but I don't go very frequently because it's nearly impossible to get a reservation. Waiting for their stand-by tables is a huge hassle becuase they make you wait inside, crammed up against the bar -- often for more than an hour.

Pros: Great pastas and main dishes

Cons: Crowded and nearly impossible to get a reservation

This restaurant used to shine (See Frank Bruni's review from a few years back). But, while it's a "good" restaurant, I it is not "great". There are much better choices around New York. The contorni (the Babbo Greens and the Rapini) are far too salty, for example, to the point of being inedible. No dish particularly stood out -- although the bread was excellent. The wine list is very good, however. I have been twice, once in 2005 and then yesterday. I would not go again.

Pros: Very tasty olive oil

Cons: Reservations; smug service; mediocre food

Making a reservation at this restaurant was almost as hard as trying to score Bruce Springsteen concert tickets. I called exactly one (1) month before the day of my wife's birthday (when their reservation lines opened) and got a busy signal for almost half an hour.
On the night of our dinner we were glad we weren't late. The lower level dining room was packed. I felt bad for those who were seated there because people waiting to be seated were almost standing on top of them. The upper level where we sat was beautiful tthough small.
The food and wine were excellent. The thing that amazed my wife and I the most was the service. I have never in my life seen a more attentive staff. We never had to ask for refills on water or wine, our questions were politely answered and our food was brought on time. To my surprise the bill wasn't as much as I had expected. We made sure the tip reflected the service. This is by far the best restaurant we have ever been to.

Pros: Excellent Service

Cons: Reservations hard to place

So a few weeks ago I went to have a late dinner meeting with a business associate of mine and one of his colleagues. I was coming from another meeting so I told them I would meet them there. I was dressed elegantly in a simple black dress and heels. Definitely in good taste. I am in my twenties, but that should be beside the point. I arrived and asked where my party was and the host was SO RUDE to me it was unbelievable!! He basically stepped out and stood in front of me as to block me from entering and said "We don't want your kind here. Go somewhere else". Now, I model for a living, so I would say confidently I am pretty attractive, and definitely carry myself with class and sophistication. I was not wearing anything provacative, so for this man to react like this and EMBARASS me infront of people was UNACCEPTABLE. I tried to explain to him I was meeting two colleagues of mine for a business dinner, and he said "No. Sorry". I felt helpless, embarassed and turned around and ran out crying. Apparently this ignorant host, had just dismissed a crowd of rowdy young people, and JUST BECAUSE I am young and female, he ASSUMED I was with this group!!! Can he get more ignorant??? Once he realized, I was in fact there for a meeting, he ran outside and apologized to me. How dare he? AS IF I WOULD EVER COME BACK IN THERE! This is New York City sweetheart, there are PLENTY of other good italian restuarants with employees that KNOW HOW TO BE POLITE AND HOW TO HANDLE CUSTOMERS. I live here and dine out at fine food establishments all the time, and have NEVER had a problem like this! I have never in my life been so insulted. My associate was also very put off and embarassed over the situation. NONE OF US WILL EVER GO TO BABBO AGAIN. AND I DEFINITELY DON'T RECCOMEND IT TO ANYONE ELSE. I attempted to call Babbo a few days later to complain to management, and after several times of being told that the managers were "unavailable" and empty promises that my phone calls would be returned, I gave up. Not even worth it. I definitely don't recommend this LOW-CLASS establishment to anyone. And alittle advice to the very rude host: Get a clue! We are over the snobby "too important for you attitude", you are a host after all! Have some respect for people! Work on your people skils buddy.

Pros: I wouldn't know the rude host prevented me from entering

Cons: The host. Rude. Ignorant. Should find a new job.

So I had the lamb tongue as a starter and the goat cheese ravioli as an entre. The tongue was extremely oily and tasted more like bacon swimming in fat. The goat cheese ravioli was OK but very heavy and plenty of butter. Easy on the oil guys, it's good but too much of it turns the food heavy (cooking 101). Now, the service was impeccable!

Pros: Service

Cons: Some dishes aren't worth it

The food really depends on what you order. The portions are light, so you will be hungry after the fact. Most of the time you experience over cooked fish so beware of that.

So far 8 out of 11 reviews in 2009 are 1 star. Maybe it's time for Mario to get his hands of womans butts and back on the laddle. I was treated like s#*& at the bar for only having an (ok) pasta and a glass of wine. It was like I was taking up space. By the way that pasta and wine with tax and 15% tip cost me $52. If all the people eating at the bar were as cheap as me (and they were not) they still made $700 for the sitting. I would imagine a bussy place like Babbo will do at least 3 to 4 turns at the bar, you do the math. Not bad for just the bar.

A homeless man going number two in my plate would have made me more content than eating the horrendous fecal matter I was served at this establishment. Obviously after hearing so much hype you can expect two things: This place is going to be great or This place is going to be severely overrated and is only popularized by publicity and a big name. Guess what? The latter was the case. These are truly hateful people in my opion. The bus boys and the coat check girl were nice, but the rest appeared to be the spawn of the devil. Never have I met a more offensive waiter than the one we suffered through. He only checked on us once throughout the meal and offered nothing near an apology or sympathy when we told him of our discontent with the meal ONLY after he had asked. The food tasted as though a flavor burgalar came by and robbed this place dry. The attitude in my opinion can only be compared to that you receive from guards in a state prison. Wait and hour for your reservation which was supposed to be ready 15 minutes ago and don't stand in people's way as they walk through this extremely narrow space. Wasn't this guy on Iron Chef? Who produced this show? I'm angry at them now for putting me through this. If I had to choose eating here again or enduring a second circumcision, I would choose the latter.

Pros: they didn't make me stay longer

Cons: absolutely everything. Terrible food. Staff of the devil

Spare your wallets. I SLAVED over these reviews not sure if I should go here for my b-day. I didn't want my boyfriend to spend a fortune on my dinner because I wanted to go somewhere that was trendy... etc. So I was trying to figure out beforehand if Babo was all hype ..... It was!! We did have high expectations- thinking we were going to walk away from a great meal at the end of the night....

There were several things that really bothered me. Glasses of wine are all about $20 or so a glass. I mean come on- I love wine- but that's just silly... To preface- I called a few days after "a month before" and could only get a 10pm reservation on a tuesday night. So I was pretty tired by the time I got there- we even left our apr a few min early just to see if we could get a table sooner. 10pm on a weekday is possibly the worst time ever to eat.
I will admit that they do have a nice ambiance- and our waiter couldn't have been nicer.
I got a salad which was really good- with roasted seasonal veggies. The chicken was all dark meat and fat. I didn't complain because it was so late I didn't really have the gall. Pumpkin desert was good- but then again I like anything that is sweet- not hard to please in that department... My boyfriend got the think noodles with a meat ragu- he has had better many times...

Find a fun italian restaurant- it will be just as good.

Pros: ambiance, service

Cons: price, wine, reservations

My girlfriend decided to have a Valentine's dinner by picking this restaurant as we heard they have nice food there. We even picked Thursday and 2 days before Valentine's. She called to make reservation first and they said it's only available after 11pm. Therefore, my gf went there early to wait for a table. The usher who is an arrogant old aged guy told her to wait 45mins which is fine. She is waiting outside the restaurant and waited for me to get there which was already 40min past. I went to check with him on the status of waiting. He told me that he couldn't count the waiting until both of us show-up. So told me just stand on side and wait. There was so space for even standing and we have to be pushed around when waiters serving food and we have to stand in front of people having dinner. Many other people waited there long and they need to buy drinks in a way to keep waiting. For a while, he came back and told us we have to wait another hour at least. He sounds like that he did not want to try to seat us there at all. My gf asked him how possible we can get a seat after all those arrangement. And he told her we have to make a month long reservation preferably and told us come back next time. OMG ! How can a 3-star restaurant with fine dining but have bad attitude and seating arrangement. Not friendly, waste of time, arrogant, highly not recommended.

Pros: Good food as recommended

Cons: Bad attitude and arrogant service

My wife and I along with her sister went to Babbo for my wife's birthday. I have heard nothing but rave reviews about Babbo from reviews, online, and family members whom I respect their opinion. We opted for the 8 course tasting menu. Even though we had the courses on menu and maybe I was not so enthused to have 3 out of 8 courses being dessert I figured a restaurant of this stature knows what they are doing and the meal would be properly balanced. It was far from...i do admit the first 4 courses were wonderful and had my mouth watering (I wanted more of all). The 5th course was a small piece of cheese, I am a cheese lover and it was an excellent piece of cheese, but the dinner was over then the three desserts came out. After the second dessert I was done didnt want another, the third dessert came and we each were given something different contrary to the menu (fine if we didnt already have 2 desserts). I took one bite of mine and put down my fork. A bit of a disappointment for a New York Times rates 3 star rest. I may go back but I will stay away from the tasting menu. The first four courses were excellent but the remainder of the meal was unimpressive. No complaints about service at all, just a poorly thought out tasting menu in my opinion.

Pros: Service and quality of food minus dessert

Cons: tasting menu and the underdressed people in the dining room

The food is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrreat!! The pig feet and the black pasta are fantastic. Cheese cake is sooo creamy and soft, but not too sweet at all. The service is good as well. It's worth 15mins waiting on the phone reservation line listening to the music :P

Pros: food, service

Cons: need reservation one month ahead of a time

My Christmas present was reservations and dinner at Babbo. A long awaited experience that was top of my wish list. I knew from what I've heard from others, was that it would be delicious and a comforting experience. The room upstairs was a serene cocoon that even with the plethora of staff buzzing around ensuring that diners wanted for nothing, it remained a comforting, welcoming dining zone. The service, impeccable, our waiter warm and friendly and most importantly knowledgeable. We chose the Traditional Tasting Menu with wines. Each course was delivered after he poured and explained the origins of the wine to accompany it, invited our comments and questions during each course. To say he made the experience so much more enjoyable would be an understatement. Everyone was professional, quick and efficient from the bread guy to the dining room managers. They all know their jobs and jump in to help each other without needing to be prompted. Fresh flatware is delivered for each course, Water poured without need for requesting more. Flawless service comes from the well oiled machine. The food, well let's just say it's a pinnacle in my NY dining experiences. We loved every dish, had expected to be able to say one or two missed my marks, but I was overwhelmed that there wasn't one miss! I often say that after a great experience like this I'd not be too fast to return as I'd prefer to continue the quest and experience other fine dining establishments, but I'm already trying to figure out another occassion to make a reservation for dinner at Babbo! Go, enjoy!

Pros: Food,Service, Ambience

Cons: None

It seems as though G-d was playing a cruel joke on me. It took me weeks to get a good reservation, and finally when I show up what did I get? Pure dissappointment. Everyone at our party agreed that the food was plain and tasteless at best. This couldn't have been by chance as we ordered a large variety of dishes. The service was beyond terrible. Our waiter only filled our water glasses once and checked on us upon ordering and after our meal. This would be a great restaurant to take someone you dislike to.

Pros: Not the worse location

Cons: hateful staff, tasteless food, expensive, ugly presentation and so on...

I'm not sure where to begin with our dissapointment. I think I'll go chronologically. First we had to wait quite a while until our small, crowded table was ready. Then we were served a bruschetta which was bland and served on stale, hard bread. Then we were given bread with no olive oil, vinegar or butter. Now the real dissappointment began to set in as our dishes arrived. The oxtail gnocchi was akin to a kraft mac and cheese dinner with absolutely no flavor and horrible presentation, which strangely turned out to be the best thing we ordered. The goose liver ravioli somehow exceeded the blandness of the gnocchi, but wasn't to be surpassed by the terrible flavor of the poisonous-appearing scallops. these were a menu special, but could only be defined as a special olympics type special in my opinion, resembling what a ceviche would taste like if it were made by a five year old on his first try. Mind you, during all this, we were expecting things to improve as all of us are huge mario B fans. Lamb chops which were largely overcooked, sauceless and poorly cut with no presentation. Venison was offensive. Quail you'd have in a high shcool cafeteria. then the most dissappointing - the most bland short rib I have ever had! Adding insult to injury, when the waiter finally decided to visit our table after we had finished, he asked how our meal was. Politely, we replied it was just okay and the guy flipped like his father had made the meal! To quote this memorable encounter he said, "oh, it was just okay? just okay? (with tourrette's-like head gestures). well you got the short rib. What did you expect? were you expecting it to blw your mind?" We were all shocked by this and told him "yes. we did expect it to blw our minds." All we can advise is to never dine at this over-rated, bland, crowded, torture restaurant. Last night we went to Matsuri and ordered the braised short rib, and guess what? It blew our minds! thanks for a great night Mario and friends.

Pros: Big name chef

Cons: Bland food! Horrible service. Rude staff. Small space. Terrrible food

As a huge fan of iron chef, I was so excited to go to Mario Batalli's restaurant during my visit in New York! We arrive promptly to our 11pm reservation and still had to wait for our table. The wait was first of many dissappointments to come. Minute after minute we became further discouraged and suprized at not only the bland and unimpressive food, but also the terrible service we recieved. Our waiter only came by to see us to take our orders and after our plates were cleaned off the table. I'm not sure if I'm more upset with mario batali for feeding me such a sad meal, or at myself for actually sitting through it all. Needless to say, paying for this meal at its conclusion was extremely painful for the entire group. This was two days ago, and ever since we have been joking around about what a terrible experience we had and quoting our rude waiter. This will be the last time we dine at babbo or any restaurant remotely related to mario. At least we'll have some good laughs watching him on TV now.

Pros: can't think of any. good water?

Cons: worse service imagineable. No flavor to be found. McDonald's is better

I was so looking forward to this because I'm a Mario B. fan. However....the space is your typical cramped, elbow to elbow, NY eatery, ok no big deal. I ordered the "Black Spaghetti" with shrimp which was a plate filled with a mountain of black worm looking pasta that had no flavor what-so-ever - BLAH! I said to myself this is not worth the calories and why should I eat something that doesn't taste remotely delicious? I asked our stone faced waiter if I could order something else instead and he obliged. I ordered the "Pappardelle Bolognese" (a basic pasta with red sauce - how do you ruin that?) and what I got was another bland pasta with a no flavor sauce. The kind of "Italian food" you got in your elementary school cafeteria!!! Added to that was the fact the bread was served without any accompanying butter or oil, the complimentary bruschetta was served on bread that was hard enough to break a tooth, and our waiter had the attitude that being friendly and warm is just not in his DNA. Not once did he check on us or ask how is everything. Who would be impressed by any of this!!! I don't get it!!!

Pros: None

Cons: EVERYTHING

The food here is great and very reasonably priced, the service is very prompt but down-to-earth and it's quite laid-back. No snobbery here at all. Great place.

The room is sleek and stylish, but still warm and comfortable. The food is creative without going over the top, the service is always good. I've been here three times now, and I can now attest to it's consistency as well.

First time was on date (third or fourth?) with a girl I fell in love with and have been with for over a year (awww). The next, a friend?s birthday , that was incredible. Third trip was a business dinner.

Love the menu. Great kitchen. Cooks food. Serves beer. There are waiters who help you out. They will even get you water with ice cubes without you begging for it. Can you tell I'm just writing this review to test Facebook Connect?

Pros: atmosphere

Cons: bill clinton hang out

I love food and atomosphere there. I always want to go there for any special occasions. Only thing I don't like is the guy at the front desk. He is not nice at all. (Every time I see him there, I am like " Oh he is still here..) But once we paas the front, we always have fun time.

Pros: Great food with good value.

Cons: The nasty guy at the front.

I have been to Babbo twice. The food is simply amazing and I can't wait to go back and try the tasting menu which I hear is highly recommended. I recommend an early reservation or requesting a table in the back. Last time I was there, I saw a a few people seated in the front - by the door and it was a bit crowded and looked uncomfortable.

highly recommend everyone try babbo!

Last night I had dinner at Babbo for the first time. I want to go back next week because the menu is so extensive and there are so many things to try. I was entertaining my attorney. WE share the ribeye which was delicion, the arugula salad and artichoke special.... The cherry belinnis were also declicious. The atmosphere and servcie were just perfect. As I said I will be back soon....I want to try the pastas and more wine!!! Babbo is a CLASS ACT!!

I am 100% Italian and I finally went to Babbo, after 6 years in NY. I honestly always wondered why only Americans talk about it and I finally found out why.

The atmosphere is great, the service is very good, the wine selection is very good, BUT the food is just TRAGIC. Really, this is not Italian food. Italian food is at St. Ambroeus, at Cipriani maybe, perhaps even at il Buco, but absolutely not here. Way too much garlic, and horrible supermarket sauces. Pastas are "al dente", that's true, but that is probably the only authentic Italian touch.

Sorry, but I was very disappointed and I am especially worried when I see that Americans do believe that this is real Italian food. Then please also go to Grimaldi because quite frankly that's the same type of "Italian" food.

i had a really great time here. i brought my wife here for a promotion she got at work. food was amazing. service was great. atmosphere was perfect. i recommend: grilled octopus, "mint love letters", the bass and the ribeye.

on another note, i used tablexchange to get a reservation on such short notice. told my wife at the end of dinner and she got a huge kick out of it!

we were chatting with a couple on the way out and they mentioned the pasta tasting menu is to die for too. until next time...

Pros: the most delicious food to ever melt in your mouth

Cons: hardest place in nyc to get a table

I went to Babbo with my girlfriend last night and it was a great experience! The food was phenomenal, the wine was excellent, the service was fast and good but they could try to be a little more personable. Very tough to make a reservation, even a month in advance. But they do hold 6 tables without reservations (plus the bar) so if you get there between 4:15 and 4:30 to stand outside (they open up at 5) you will definitely get in. We both had the pasta tasting menu and it did not disappoint, we were both so full by the end of it. I would not recommend getting the accompanying wines with all the dishes, only because it can be A LOT and you will definitely be feeling it by the 4th or 5th dish. But if you're not driving and looking to have that good a time, go for it because the wines really do compliment each dish.

I definitely will be going back sometime in the near future and highly recommend it to anyone who is a pasta/italian food lover!

Pros: Delicious food, fast service, great atmosphere

Cons: Staff needs more personality and the space is very tight

I visited Babbo with a few friends and now I know what the fuss was about. The food was incredible, and the service was decent. The place is a tight squeeze and can get loud, but my friends and I had a wonderful time. The black spaghetti was amazing and the beef cheek ravioli was good also. We will definately be going back soon.

Pros: Incredible food.

Cons: Sometimes loud, and a tight squeeze.

I took my boyfriend to Babbo for his birthday last night - the food was wonderful but the service was awful. First, they moved us from one table to another after we had ordered the wine, and admittedly tried hard to make it up to us by sending over a free appetizer and ensuring us that it was a better table (next to the bathroom!). But the worst part was that the server in the new section practically ignored us and when she did come over was cold as ice. One of the other service people was like a tazmanian devil, swooping in to drop bread and silverwear like bricks. We are not hard to please, so her behavior made me decide to frequent other places instead. Too bad, since the food was so good...but at Felidia and Robertos in the Bronx, and lots of other places, they are more humane.

First off, the host (little bald guy) was not friendly or nice at all. I didn't like the way he just ignored you. Anyway, back to the food. We started w/ the special soft shell crab appetizer. It was good but I've had better. Shared the Black Spighetti, which was very tasty but laden w/ too many salty pancetta bits. My friend enjoyed it thoroughly though. I had the Skate, the sauce was aromatic & delish. My friend had the Braised Beef which was decent too. But the Maple & Marscapone Cheesecake made the night. That was delish. The Panecotta dessert was delish but the rhubarb was a little too sour for my taste. Overall, an enjoyable evening minus the rude host & the slow service. Btw, they didn't clean the crumbs off our table until the end of the night. I wished they'd have done that after we ate the bread at the beginning of the meal.

Pros: good food

Cons: rude host, slow service

What an amazing meal - I've eaten at Otto and Del Posto, but Babbo is my favorite. Their appetizers and pastas are so delicious and filling that I can't get around to an actual entree - just too full!

We enjoyed the pig foot (crispy and flat) and a special pea flan appetizer.

Pastas were the special cheese ravioli (Umbrian cheese) with ramps (leeks) & garlic and the black tagliatelle with a pea puree and Parmesian. The tagliatelle was better but I would reorder both dishes in a heart beat.

Amazing service; this is a beautiful space.

When can we return???

Pros: Beautiful location - upstairs is a bit more quiet

Cons: Reservations are a MUST - just plan a month ahead of time and go with it!

HAD THE TASTING PASTA MENU, 5 PASTA WERE DELICOIUS, BUT THE THREE DESERTS COURSES WERE TERRIBLE!!!!! IUNREAL! FOR THE MONEY, EVERYTHING SHOULD BE AMAZING. BABBO....WORK ON THE DESERTS AND ...HIRE BARTENDERS WHO HAVE A PERSONALITY!

Pros: STRIVES FOR QUALTIY

Cons: BARTENDERS - TOO SNOBBY - NO PRESONALTIY

I was there a week ago and it was everything I had hoped it was and more. It's always a pleasure to have a restuarant, especially one that has been so hyped and has a celebrity chef, live up to expectations. As expected, the food was phenominal. My favorite was the beef cheek ravioli, but the Lamb's Tongue appetizer was a close second. The service was as expected from a top tier NYC restaurant. Our server, Dawn, was remarkably knowledgable of the menu and was very helpful with suggestions (which given the level of sophistication of the menu, is probably necessary for many). All in all, a very pleasant experience. The only drawback of this place is it's popularity - good luck getting a reservation. And though you can get a seat at the bar as a walk-in, the queue starts forming around 4-4:30 and, once you're there, expect significant josling from the other patrons behind you. I would not recommend that path. Then again, if it's the only way you get to try the food, then why not?!

Pros: Food, Wine List, Service

Cons: Getting a reservation during prime dining hours

one of the greatest in town , great pasta and 5 star cheesecake
orechiette of the Gods, a little crouded but it;s all worth!!!
10+ for Mario

Pros: if you dont have reservations, the manager will make it happen

Cons: have patience!!!

This venue is to be cherished and the food is truely amazing. It's always a pleasure to dine at an italian restaurant where the entrees are not the standard mass marketed italian american dishes like penne a la vodka, shells with ricotta, veal marsala, lasagna, etc. This restaurant offers a great variety of italian influenced dishes. I was amazed it offered tripe. The stewed boar was so tender. The papardelle...amazing.

The list of barolo wines is absoluting one of the best in the city. I can't wait for the next visit.

Pros: Italian Wine List, Complex Flavors, Bar Area, Service

Cons: Limited seating and wait

The espresso ice cream on the almond tarte was my best memory of Babbo. Four of us went for dinner last night. The service was attentive and one of the runners had charm. The food was very good over all, but my bucatini all'amatriciana was too salty and there was no hint of pancetta. The wine list is great, our bottle was excellent. The desserts were wonderful expecially the espresso gelato.
The place lacks charm, the staff lacks warmth.
I expect a lot for $800.

My wife and I went for our anniversary again this year after we first dined here 2 years ago for our anniversary. In a word it's fantastic, food, service, ambience, everything. We tried the Pasta Tasting menu with flight of wine to accompany, Pappardelle Bolognese paired with a Barbera d?Alba is to die for the boar meat used is succulent, Baccala Mezzaluna was heavenly and Braised Beef Pyramids were hearty and bursting with flavor. It's 5 very tasty and plentiful portions of pasta plus 3 desserts and if you choose the wine pairings 8 varied and equally pleasing selections, each of which either the Sommelier or your server will explain to you and how it pairs with the dish. The service staff is attentive, inobtrusive, very knowledgeable about the menu and all the wines on their list and extremely friendly and entertaining. If there are any drawbacks at all, it can take months to get a reservation, which in itself tells you how good it is, and it's a bit tight, not terribly intimate. But you don't go there for a romantic evening with your partner you go to be romanced by the amazing cuisine and service.

Pros: Everything

Cons: None

I've eaten at Babbo maybe six or seven times over the past several years. Its been at best pretty good, but tonight it was just downright terrible. While the food is what it is, tasty and ridiculously over-the-top fat driven, the decor and service were just plain embarassing. The place smelled like a fraternity basement (clorox and cheap wine/beer anyone?) and the decor has gotten tired. Particularly unimpressive was the "arrangement" of sticks in the center of the room. But perhaps worst yet, was the short, ugly, rude, humunculous, bald host and his quasimotesque female sidekick. It was like something out of the adams' family. Not only were they strikingly unattractive, but they were terribly rude. The service, as it were, from the wait staff was no better. It took them over 30 minutes to take our order alone! I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea. The place is tired, its time has passed, if you are from kansas or new jersey, enjoy! If you like good food, good service and an attractive decor and know better, go elsewhere.

Pros: none

Cons: it was just terrible all around

Me and my wife ate here on the first night of our honeymoon. It was romantic without being overly stuffy (like Le Bernardin on our final night). Ask for a table upstairs, or else you will be eating with a dozen people standing around you waiting to be seated. The service is perfect. I drink A LOT of water at every meal, and every time someone from the waitstaff walked by they filled my glass. They make sure you have everything you need, but it doesn't feel intrusive at all. We had the beef cheek ravioli, lamb's tounge, duck, grilled octopus, braised oxtail with gnochi, and sweetbreads. The grilled octopus is the greatest dish I have ever had. It was perfect. Everything else was fantastic. I love sweetbreads, but these weren't quite what I was hoping for. All in all a great experience with great food and a pretty good price. $200 dinner for two with tip (no wine). Please order the octopus, you will love it.

Pros: Food, service, food, ambience, food

Cons: Waiting for a table even with reservations, small waiting area