Pasta is excellent, if pricey. Service is very good. Wine selection is excellent. THE MUSIC IS DEAFENING. Otherwise, this would be a 4-Star rating. Read the reviews, Mario. Your customers are trying to tell you something. Get a different, more appropriate soundtrack and turn the volume down.
Had the most incredible lunch. The pork belly pyramid was phenomenal. The hanger steak was good, but not the greatest. The coconut crusted cheesecake was the most decadent desert I have had in years. And the service was impeccable.
Amazing food, and we were actually lucky enough to be there when Mario was there. We didn't bother him, but several others did and he was very warm and welcoming, didn't seem bothered by the photos/conversations at all. But go for the pasta! We had several appetizers, pastas, and entrees. The Buffalo mozzarella and prosciutto was amazing, and all of the pasta dishes were phenomenal.
Expansive menu and wine list. All the waiters are very attentive and overall service is top notch. We had Susan when we dined and she was fantastic. Decor is good. The place is good for special occasions/dates/birthdays. One of the better restaurants I've been to in Manhattan. Every meal was fresh and delicious. Considering this is NY, it's not very expensive.
Whoa! Delicious menu options, attentive staff and waiters. Amazing meal (Quail). Homemade limoncello to finish it all off.
Excellent Italian Cuisine in a beautiful spot. Service is professional, helpful and friendly. Getting a dinner reservation is not easy, but it is well worth while for an upscale meal.
Babbo's is a culinary experience not to be missed on any visit to NYC!
We had an amazing dinner last week, starting with bar tender Diego's wonderful choices. Wine pairings were well chosen and the dishes were out of this world! We will definitely be returning!
Thank you all for making it a special night for us!
Karen & Vin
I've been going to this restaurant for special occasions or as just a treat or just for cravings for 4 years now. It's been so consistently amazing. The service is great. The waiters are patient. If you order pastas for two people, they'll either offer or you could ask them to split the dish and serve them one at a time which is what we usually do! Dinner for two there is the best! I also think the prices are fair for the pastas.
This is just an all around great place! Love love love.
Also hint :: the gnocchi my least favorite of all the pastas.
The octopus is very nice as a starter.
The waiter was friendly and knowledgeable.
Worth spending a visit for a special occasion. This is a pricey restaurant, but overall a good experience.
One of the best (If not the best) Italian restaurant in the city (together w il Mulino and Marea) great food, great service, nice ambience on the pricey side but hey, you gotta pay for "the best"
One of my favorite Italian restaurants in the world. It serves REAL Italian food that has blown the mind of everyone I have ever taken there. The atmosphere inside is cozy but lively--they play rock and r n' b classics--and they have the best Italian wine program in North America. I always have a great time here.
We were so looking forward to having lunch at Babbo. I had watched its celebrity chef cooking on TV and liked what I saw.
We were seated on the first floor. It was dark and small, like an old small townhouse. I was expecting a packed house due to its reputation. But on a weekday lunch, it was not busy.
The food was only average. I have had much better Italian food. Not impressed with the service either. Perhaps the chef had moved on to the newer part of his culinary empire and neglected this older one.
Death row food. As in, if you had to pick the last thing you ever eat, this would definitely be a candidate. At the time they had duck on the menu and it was one of the best meals I've ever eaten. Went in May 2011 with my then-girlfriend and her mother who was visiting New York. Enjoyed it.
The gnocchi was light & airy, but the short rib burger was the clear star of the table. Rich & juicy. We asked for medium rare & we actually got medium rare. This burger was so tender & full of flavor; it had that "fall off the bone" characteristic, right in our hands. I'd say it was a perfect burger, except for one thing. The soggy bun. This pitfall is not easy to avoid when you're using such crazy juicy meat. But, just like when you eat pizza w a soggy crust, it takes away from the whole experience. Flavor wise, it was just fantastic though, unlike that famous (soggy) burger I had at Lark Creek Steak. Props for that.