- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Barbuzzo
Category: Restaurants Mediterranean Mediterranean [Edit]
110 S 13th StPhiladelphia, PA 19107
Neighbourhoods: Market East, Avenue of the Arts South
(215) 546-9300
- Hours:
Mon-Fri 12 pm - 3 pm
Mon-Sun 5 pm - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
428 reviews for Barbuzzo
Review Highlights
-
"sheep's milk ricotta (like heaven in your mouth." In 36 reviews -
"Also DO NOT MISS the Uovo pizza - incredible." In 36 reviews -
"I recommend the goat cheese board - it was so delicious." In 13 reviews
Loading...
- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
428 reviews in English
-
Review from Monica T.
Philadelphia, PA
5/18/2012
Reservations are definitely recommended for this place. I came here for lunch and the place was packed!
Everything we ordered was delicious! The sheep's milk ricotta is to die for...warm toasted bread with a smooth blend of ricotta cheese and balsamic vinegar. Mmmmm... the pasta portions are just right, but pricey for the size. The pizza is enough to fill you up. It comes with a nice chili oil on the side as well. Definitely getting the pizza next time. Finally, the salted caramel budino is one you can't get anywhere else. It's layered with a chocolate cake/oreo-like crust, vanilla bean caramel, and sea salt. -
Review from J R.
Philadelphia, PA
5/12/2012
We came to Barbuzzo for an early dinner prior to theater on a Thursday evening. Glad that we had made reservations because the place was packed.
The food was delicious and I would especially recommend the Asparago pizza (delicious cheese/white sauce on top) and the meatballs (they have a little spice to them, and a surprise stuffing of melted cheese inside.
Our food was a little slow in coming so we did not have time to stay for dessert, although I heard that the salted caramel budino is great. Instead, we opted for a gelato at Capogiro right across the street- faster and we could eat it on our walk to the theater.
I would recommend Barbuzzo but due to the slow-ish service it is not the best place to dine pre-theater. -
Review from Lori L.
Philadelphia, PA
It has been several months since my first foray into Barbuzzo during Restaurant Week in February. It took that long for me to rationalize that the two hour dining experience I had at Barbuzzo was not one of the best dining experienced I've had in my (albeit) short-lived life. I came back again a few days ago just to put to rest some of my doubts and it is with some grudging acceptance that I now give Barbuzzo four stars.
Quite honestly, the only reason I docked at star was because this time around, my partner and I were seated in the far back of the restaurant where it was extremely dim and warm. Tables are small and spacing between tables is also tight, which is a pet peeve of mine. If I'm going to be eating and enjoying myself, I need to feel like I'm not encroaching into the space of a stranger next to me (and vice versa). Besides that though, Barbuzzo's food and service is stellar and a go-to for many kinds of occasions.
Sheep's Milk Ricotta. This is a cannot miss and a perfect appetizer for two people. Four thick slices of toasted bread dowsed in a little olive oil. The amount of ricotta given is also very generous. The secret is the vin cotto, however, which gives a slightly sweet aftertaste to the spread and differentiates it from anything else I've eaten. Make sure you have some on every bite you eat to balance out the savory-ness of everything else.
My entrees have been so-so. The first time around, I ordered the pan-seared gnocchi, which was delicious, but quite small. The second time around, I decided to go on a limb and order the vongole pizza. While sizable enough to be shared by two people, I had recently started eating seafood (after a good 10+ years of avoiding it like the plague) and the clam flavor was extremely pervasive throughout the pizza. I have yet to find the perfect entree, but my search will continue...
And the salted caramel budino. A perfect ending to any dinner - and once again, the secret lies in a small finishing touch: the sea salt. This, combined with the cream and caramel and the chocolate crust, enhance the sweetness of the dessert and keeps you wanting more. Honestly, there's not much else I can say about it except that it's a must-order.
Dishes are moderately priced and won't hurt your wallet too badly. Ask for a seat near the windows, or outside if the weather is nice to make sure you get the best of the experience. -
Review from Steven D.
Haddonfield, NJ
5/22/2012
Just love this place. Great pizza and small plates. I mean great and also a great beer selection. Only downside is it is very tough to get a reservation. Not a big place.
-
Review from Katie F.
5/6/2012
I have been pleasantly surprised by the quality of food available in Philly! Totally not what I expected as I was thinking I would be eating cheesesteaks and burgers the whole time!
Barbuzzo is another restaurant that jumped out at me when I read about it and it was a great place to have a late dinner after a delayed arrival in the city. Super central location on 17th Street and very busy with tightly packed tables. Service is good. Food is WOW!
My husband and I were stuffed after spending $65-ish for us both. Not a single bad dish! The beet salad with kale, nuts and goat cheese was a very pleasant taste and texture combination. The pizza was fabulous... We went with one of the meat sausage ones and it was a bit meaty for me, but otherwise the taste and crust was perfect and nicely done in the wood fired oven. Beef short ribs were very good (I've had better, but I would still consider these again if I came back) and the gnocchi dish was excellent! Loved the light sauce and vegetables with the pasta.
One of my favorite meals in Philly! -
Review from Jose A.
5/6/2012
FYI: I'd give it 3.5 stars if I could.
Have tried the bone marrow, pig popcorn, mia perra pizza, sauteed greens, bronzino, octopus and calamari, the budino, and the lemoncello sorbet.
Most of the food is very good. The two starters are definitely the lowlights, the bone marrow is way too rich for me, couldn't stomach it. The pig popcorn is nice, but it's not very memorable to me. The sauteed greens are amazing, maybe my favorite of the night, and definitely the date's favorite. The octopus and calamari has decently nice flavors, but it was cooked perfectly. The bronzino was interesting and worth getting again. The mia perra pizza was a lot of food, more than I was expecting, perfect flavors, perfect crust.
Dessert: The budino is really good, really really good, but I think some people here are overrating it a bit. Lemoncello sorbet is nice, but I'm sure you've had something like this before.
Things that bring it down... it's a really tiny space, it is a tad overpriced perhaps, and our waitress was mediocre. I might be a bit harsh giving this the three stars but I'm comparing it's sister restaurants... and it doesn't match up. -
Review from Matthew I.
Havertown, PA
5/24/2012
My favorite restaurant in the city. The ricotta is AMAZING. The only thing I would not order again is the meatball. It was huge and it did not fit with the rest of the items my wife and I ordered. Atmosphere was great...waitress was great. We are going back ASAP.
-
Review from Amy S.
4/26/2012
Y U M.
We got the asparago pizza. AMAZING. SO SO GOOD. I LOVE egg on pizza. I wish more pizzas had eggs on them. It's just like.. so good I don't know what else to say about it.
I got a sangria to go long with it. Ah, it was just a perfect meal.
They sat us at the kitchen bar aka right in front of the stoves and ovens. It's really cool to watch them work, but REALLY hot.... -
Review from Hannah D.
Philadelphia, PA
4/30/2012
I hate to give Barbuzzo three stars, but it really was due to a few aspects that effected the entire experience.
Pros: The food is delicous, very cute atmosphere.
Cons: The waiter continued to come over and pour our water (small glasses that we went through rather quickly) even though we had a bottle of water at our table. Not the biggest deal, but my dining partner and I were clearly in the middle of a very serious discussion, and had to stop every time the waiter came over. It was beyond awkward. (Just let us pour our own water!)
Also, the spacing is very tight and depending on where you get seated, you could be in someone else's lap (or conversation). We were comfortable until another couple was seated next to us.
Our pork was undercooked. Not in a fancy, lightly pink sort of way, but in a scary deep pink sort of way.
We learned after sitting that the portions were served more as Tapas than meals. I guess they can get away with it because they called some portions of the menu a "plate" which I guess is supposed to mean small? Either way, the waiter tried to oversell us on what we would need to feel satisfied. A pizza and two other menu choices were enough for the two of us.
Overall, great food. But given the price and experience, I'd try somewhere else in this area brimming with cool restaurants before heading back again. -
Review from Claire O.
4/7/2012
Barbuzzo blew my mind. Completely. I had tried for restaurant week but, of course, they were packed, so I kept poking around here and there and finally got a table.
Cozy and intimate, maybe a little noisy, but definitely a great place for a date. The menu is outstanding - great selection of seafood/meat/veg done up in different ways, all of them delicious.
I was so happy to see bone marrow as an app - buttery, fatty, unhealthy...all things I like. I also immediately went for the grilled octopus and calamari, which was cooked *perfectly* and overall a fantastic plate, def rivals the pulpo at Amada. Probably my fave of the night.
Other plates we annihilated were the house smoked shrimp, served with these incredibly tasty polenta cakes, a ravioli special, and the braised shortrib atop this awesome farrotto. All the plates were beautiful and seemed very well thought out. And of course, I ended everything with that famous salted caramel budino...totally all that it's cracked up to be. The whole experience completely surpassed my already lofty expectations, and everything was so reasonably priced...it was just all so good ahhh.
So many items that I still need to try! I can't wait to go back. -
Review from Steven L.
Philadelphia, PA
Updated - 4/30/2012
The margherita is NOT what you would find in Napoli, something changed. It's still good, I would recommend trying something else from the menu however. The gnocchi are very good.
This place is so affordable too, incredible!1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
12/15/2010
The margherita pizza is exactly what you would find in Napoli. Ive been looking for over a year for… Read more »
-
-
Review from Shannon M.
Philadelphia, PA
3/31/2012 1 photo
I was pretty blown away by Barbuzzo. I can't remember all of the plates that we ordered but I know every one was amazing. They included some gnocchi with short rib, pizza, calamari, a cheese plate, bruschetta and definitely some that I'm missing.
The dessert was amazing. We went with the famed caramel budino and it exceeded it's reputation.
We had quite a few fancy drinks as well that were definitely on the expensive side. I just wish Barbuzzo had a HH. -
Review from Matthew N.
Enfield, NH
4/30/2012
Hit up Barbuzzo on a trip down to North Carolina.
I was immediately taken by the interior of the restaurant, which was dark and inviting. The dining room was tight at the rear with there being a bar along the kitchen. It wasn't uncomfortable, but it was tough when waiters tried to get by.
We started with the pig popcorn and olives. Unfortunately, the popcorn was cold, which made the dish a little less pleasant, but who can argue with fresh pork rinds? The olives were delicious and numerous considering the price.
I got the farrotto and the meatballs for dinner. The farrotto was delicious with a wonderful texture and flavor. It was not nearly as heavy as risotto, but still carried a lot of its richness and creaminess that is so wonderful. The sharpness of the cheese helped cut through, as well.
The meatballs were simply the best meatballs I've ever had. The inclusion of spice with the homemade mozzarella was simply wonderful. Again, for the price, I was impressed by the size of the plate.
My girlfriend started with the burrata, which was probably the best thing we ate that evening simply because of the mozzarella. It was some of the best mozzarella I've ever had and really stole the show for both of us. She also ordered the casarecce, which she seemed to enjoy, but I was not a fan of.
We ended the meal with an order of their chocolates, which were fantastic. I work alongside a chocolatier, but have not tried anything like Barbuzzo's smoked white chocolate. Delicious!
I'm eager to try their pizzas in the future. They looked and smelled wonderful. -
Review from Meg B.
3/30/2012
By far a top 5 dining experience for me in Philly. We went with some of the big players and couldn't have been happier with our choices:
Sheeps Milk Ricotta- I loooooove cheese, and homemade ricotta is no exception- this was phenoms- so rich and creamy, you would have thought you were eating sour cream- I contimpated licking the plate clean...
Roasted Bone Marrow- Meh- I can say I tried it but wasn't really that impressed- Not sure if it was the bone marrow itself or the way it was preparerd- one bone was better than the other ( more roasted )
Uovo pizza - Ahhhh! You've seen the hype in the other reviews- pizza perfection right here- from the truffled egg down to the perfect wood oven crust. Believe it.
Fideua my way- What a great spin on Paella- Better than what I've had in Spain actually- I love the use of shrimp noodles vs rice in the traditional paella- The flavors were outstanding.
And last but certainly not least:
SALTED CARAMEL BUDINO: Pure decadence in itself. there were no words exchanged during the savoring consumption of this dessert- it is that good. I've been dreaming about it ever since.
Other notes- I thought the service was excellent- prompt, friendly and made the birthday dinner very special.
Good stuff all around- I could certainly die happy consuming this line up as my last meal on earth. -
Review from Vince G.
Conshohocken, PA
5/13/2012
Excellent restaurant with an eclectic, diverse menu that is difficult to reproduce. The waitress, Ingrid, walked us through the menu and the specials. We are big eaters and decided on a vegetable plate (seasonal, excellent asparagus and radishes), beat salad, burrata (excellent toasted French bread and the cheese...amazing), Casarecci pasta dish (mushrooms with a perfect mix of lemon-walnut pesto), braised shortrib (my girlfriend's favorite dish to order, loved it), and the paella (excellent, unique. The accompanying noodles were incredible and balanced the seafood perfectly. Oh, and do not leave without eating the Budino dessert.
-
Review from Amanda C.
4/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Everything I had here was delicious. Barbuzzo is better for smaller groups, personally I would not plan on going here with more than a party of four.
Food is delicious and portions are fairly large. I especially enjoyed the Mia Pero pizza with prosciutto and pears, the Uvo pizza with truffles and egg, and the Mushroom Risotto.
Do yourself a favor and try the budino, my dining partner referred to the dessert as a "mouth orgasm."
I would say 2 plates per person is plenty especially if you are ordering pizza.
Service was on point. Dinner for 2 including a pitcher of sangria and 2 desserts came to a little under $100 with tip which makes this place a bit of a splurge for me, but definitely worth the trip. -
Review from Joyce L.
4/14/2012 1 photo
Woohoo! That's right! 5 stars for ambiance, food, and service!
On a Thursday night, Barbuzzo was pretty lively. The restaurant is small and the tables are definitely crammed in, but I didn't mind, because I was there for the food. Everything is served family style or tapas style--which is ideal for foodies/Yelpers.
First up, sheep milk ricotta--highly recommended. I am not even going to describe it because you must experience it yourself.
Also shared the Farroto, the Patata pizza, and the Fava Bean Arancini. Everything was delicious, perfect texture and flavor! The only thing that confused me was why this restaurant is considered Mediterranean....
Anyways, will definitely bring out of towners here--a local gem :) AND would come for the late night happy hour Sun-Thurs.
Go Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran! -
Review from Avneet S.
Philadelphia, PA
4/20/2012
BUDINO.
They have this amazing sheep's milk ricotta, which really shouldn't be passed up.
DUDE, THE BUDINO.
I wish they would give you more than a single bite of each cheese on the cheese plate (hard to share with more than one person and have everyone get a real taste of each cheese), even if they charged more for it. I was impressed with the selection though.
YOU GUYS, BUDINO. OM NOM NOM.
Pizza is above average, the veggie board is inventive, and that hen of the woods mushroom dish is re-order worthy.
BUT, HAVE I MENTIONED THE BUDINO? I've certainly gone in for JUST that. Worth a wait for a table or seat at the bar any day. -
Review from Matt A.
Philadelphia, PA
4/15/2012
Barbuzzo is about all you could ask for in a center city restaurant. The full bar has interesting cocktails, reasonable beer selection, and ample seating around the open kitchen for walk-ins. The ambiance is nice. Nothing totally amazing, but nice.
Barbuzzo shines on the food. They mix it up with some staples: beet salad, pork loin, etc., and other slightly less common Mediterranean fair: marrow, casarecce, and a noodle paella. I didn't get a chance to try a pizza, but they have a nice wood fire oven. It has to be at least decent. If you want to spend around thirty-forty bucks a person, and eat well, I can't think of a better spot in the area. -
Review from Scott M.
4/8/2012
Salted caramel budino - it gets a lot of mention here but it completely lived up to the hype. You absolutely MUST order it if you like salted caramel. Crazy amazing!
Grilled Spanish octopus and calamari - an octopus lover's dream. Massive pieces of perfectly cooked seafood, honestly the best octopus I've ever eaten outside of Italy and Puerto Rico. I would order this every ... single ... time.
Also delicious were the grilled bronzino (4 stars), smoked shrimp and polenta (5 stars), and casarecce mushroom pasta (5 stars). -
Review from Sopheara S.
Phoenixville, PA
4/13/2012 4 photos
Can you imagine a fresh cherry tomato juice just spread in your mouth- the sweetness ? BURRATA FROM PUGLIA is one of these dish. Barbuzzo is a great place to experience a good health food the atmosphere of the place is low- relaxing however the a bit tight with small table close to each other it remind me of most of restaurant in Europe. There are two bars area one for mix bar the other one you can see all the cooking action.
The food was good , our waiter was pleasant. Although , he told us we should order at least 2 orders per person because of the portions are small, so between me and my husband we ordered 4 orders we end up packed some food home.
- CINGHIALE pizza is fresh and delicious but it not blow me away because I have had this similar kind of pizza before at some other place with the price is a bit more reasonable than this one.
- CURED MEAT BOARD is highly recommended- there are so many ingredients in this meat balls than I could ever remember after reading the description ;however it sever the purpose - it was soooooo good.
- TUFOLI CALABRESE with 6 house smoky pork ragu incredibly rich flavor, the cheeses just melted in your month.
Over all I rate this place as 3.5 stars , a bit pricey. -
Review from Dan C.
Maple Shade, NJ
4/20/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pera pizza comes out hot from the oven and it will continue to melt right in your mouth. The combination of balsamic vinegar and gorgonzola cheese will keep your mouth drenched in saliva.
The caciocavallo stuffed meatballs were very tasty and filling. The meatballs were well seasoned. The best meatball I may have ever had. Hands down.
Small restaurant. Tight squeeze but enough to only eat. It has a very chilled atmosphere for a casual gathering. Check my quick tip about service.
Food: 9/10
Service: 4/10 -
Review from Sean R.
Manhattan, NY
5/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great food, great ambiance... the staff definitely has a chip on their shoulder maybe,because of the quality of the restaurant, but if you can look past that it's a GREAT experience.
-
Review from Jessica T.
Philadelphia, PA
3/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
This is a tough review because Barbuzzo is fantastic in some respects and then quite a disappointment in others. I've been to Barbuzzo twice now, the first time was great and the second time fell pretty flat.
The thing that initially drew me into Barbuzzo was the bone marrow. Obviously a rare thing to find and absolutely delicious. I really really really appreciate the way they split the bone down the middle, compared to other places where I've had it that cut it the other way causing you to basically have to fish it out with a tiny spoon.
The bone marrow is fantastic, and taste great with its accompaniments. I'm not a big fan of the crostini's it's served with because they are too hard and crunchy for me, but they are happy to substitute fresh baguette slices.
Both times I've went we ordered the olives. I'm pretty sure we really enjoyed them the first time, but the second time all we could taste was vinegar. They were bathed in it to an unpleasant degree.
The brussel sprouts are super super tasty. The first time we went they were crispy and delicious, with just the right amount of topping. The second time we went they were a little overcooked and mushy, and had waaaaay too much toppings on top. For me they were too salty (I'm a salt lover) but my boyfriend enjoyed them anyway.
The mushroom arancini is quite yummy, you get 3 and they are about the size of an extra large meatball. I would prefer a little more of the red sauce that they are sitting on top of since the combination is stellar.
All in all a mostly delicious meal, and definitely not your typical philadelphia foodie fare. The menu actually struck a resemblance to the menu of the Purple Pig in Chicago for me, which is what brought me in the first time (bone marrow).
The part of the meal that sucked was Suzanne, our server. I find it really strange that in such a bad economy people who obviously don't take their jobs seriously at all can remain employed. We got everything from dirty looks to condescending grins, and the good old disappearing act, when we wanted to order a bottle of wine but she didn't return for 15 minutes (not a busy night). If it had been our first time there, even with better tasting food, I probably wouldn't have ever went back just simply because of how bad the service was. I also ordered a sazerac at one point that came out in a glass covered in fingerprints as if it had been passed around between 20 people, I couldn't drink it.
That said. I'll be adding Barbuzzo to my personal list of places that seem to be hit or miss depending on who's in the kitchen and who's serving tables that night. I'm sure I'll go back hoping for another hit eventually, but Suzanne has scared me off for awhile. -
Review from Beth E.
Philadelphia, PA
4/17/2012
In a word, Barbuzzo is: Delicious.
The atmosphere is cozy and intimate and the food is so so so good.
The pizza, the cheese plates, the wine. Every bit of it was delicious.
I especially recommend the salted caramel dessert. It's heavenly. : ) -
Review from Kunal P.
3/29/2012
This place probably deserves a 4 star. But, I'll stick with the 3 star cause, for me, this place falls in to the category of: you get what you pay for.
We walked into this place randomly recently while walking around without a reservation. Surprisingly, for a weekend night, we were seated immediately at the kitchen counter. There were few empty tables, but I guess they were reserved already. But, we weren't disappointed at all with the birds eye view of watching the cooks in action. We wished the cook staff interacted with those sitting at the counter when they weren't making food (just standing there staring at the floor, waiting for next order to come in) - seemed quite arrogant on their part - especially when they could clearly hear us talking about the dishes they were making and the different ingredients they were using.
The service was prompt. Could have been more friendly, and less pushy. The wait staff kept urging us to order two items per person. Yes, we got it when you mentioned that the serving portion tends to be smaller than other places. She did the same thing to a couple sitting next to us at the counter, even though they weren't that interested in ordering 4 items between the two of them.
The food was quite amazing - delicious indeed. But, I'd say for the level at which this place esteems itself, quite expected.
Between the three of us, we got: margherita pizza (mehh), mia pera pizza (definitely recommended), casarece pasta (delicious, but not above average), heirloom squash and gorgonzola agnolotti pasta (mouth watering), wild mushroom arancini (interesting), and caciocavallo stuffed meatballs (not too bad indeed).
So, I'd say this place is worth a try WITH A RESERVATION atleast once. -
Review from Zachary D.
Philadelphia, PA
3/28/2012 2 photos
Fun dinner and relatively tasty food.
My girlfriend and I had a good time at Barbuzzo. The pasta dishes were tasty though both were overly salted. I would strongly suggest sitting at the counter near the open kitchen. We enjoyed watching our food being prepared. -
Review from Janice C.
Philadelphia, PA
5/6/2012
The food was ehh. It didn't help that our table outside was on an uneven surface and there wasn't enough room on the table for two meals, water, and an appetizer. I probably wouldn't return... wasn't anything too special.
-
Review from David R.
Coto De Caza, CA
5/18/2012
Wow what a phenomenal discovery walking distance from Marriott. Superb food and busy atmosphere. Don't miss the kale salad...unforgettable.
-
Review from Nick H.
Phoenix, AZ
3/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
So, just a quick review of this place since I didn't end up eating there... Went to the bar to get dinner and some wine as I was eating alone... The menu looked good. The food coming out looked good... but with the bartender's terrible attitude and tone, I just went next door and ate there. If she didn't want to work... Go Home!
So many places... Not enough time to be treated like they don't have time to help you... -
Review from patricia c.
Philadelphia, PA
3/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
I really like this place and if I could I would rate it 4.5. Why not 5? Well, I arrived half an hour early and I decided to order a drink while I waited on my friend. I ordered the Barbuzzo Old Fashioned. I'm not sure if maybe I'm just a very light drinker but I seemed to only taste the bourbon. The drink was ehh, not good, and very strong.
However the food was delicious! I ordered the Sheeps Milk Ricotta and I was left wanting more. It was too damn good. For an entre, I ordered I ordered the Grilled Bronzino and if I wasn't at a nice establishment I would have licked my plate.
Overall, I would recommend coming to this place. I'm sure I'll hit it up again. -
Review from Trang N.
3/13/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Ohhh Barbuzzo, I'm am so glad we stopped in to see what all the hype is about!! Everything from the food to the service was delightful!
We walked into a dark rustic farm style space, the length of the restaurant was broken up by different types of wood, which added great dimension in this limited space. The tables were (let's physcially move the table, so I can squeeze in tight) close, but once I was settled I didn't feel as clusterphobia!
We plopped down at the bar for some pre-dinner cocktails! The bar was nice abeit in close proximity to the diners behind us, so we were constantly getting bummed into by the patrons trying to squeeze past us. The sangria is delicious and I was memorized by the chefs in the open kitchen creating their gastromagic!
The roasted bone marrow was a generous portion of gelatinous spread on toast points. delicious!
The cured meat board had an array of meats with accoutrements. The grilled spanish octopus and calamari, was wonderfully tender, which is surprising as it was grilled (which translates to tough and sometimes chewy)
The Caciocallo stuffed meatball- these two heaping mounts of meat, flavored nicely but just too much food.
Do yourself a favor and get the salted caramel budino. I was at pumpkin when another guest raved about this and HAD to try it! I did not make it more then a quare of the way through the dessert that I was in a food coma, definitely really rich and the portion was more than I would have been able to handle if I wasn't overly stuffed.
unfortunately had to cancel the order as it was just way too much food. As our server mentioned before, 4 plates should feel two people nicely.
All in all, a wonderful night out and I will certainly be back to try some of the other eyes I missed. (sheep's milk ricotta!) Be sure to make a reservation or else you will most likely get stuck at the bar, which is not bad but again, you not doubt have people brushing against you on their way to the bathroom, which is can be annoying...unless you like that kind of thing. -
Review from Sarah F.
3/14/2012
The food was good, but the service was shotty.
We were told a 5-10 minute wait, and waited probably 40 min. The server was nice enough, but seemed like he was trying to upsell in order to get a higher tip.
I will say that the Basil Lemonade (Spiked) was great. -
Review from Elizabeth P.
Philadelphia, PA
3/11/2012 1 photo
I wish Yelp would do .5's. I go back and forth between four and five stars but scaled back one (perhaps unfairly) because of the fact that it seems like they exceed their maximum capacity. The restaurant is too small. The whole intimate, cozy thing would work if the right number of people were there... but when the servers are bumping into customers and people are squeezing to get thru... the whole intimate/cozy def. does not work.
To be fair, though, they merit their popularity, and the very reason why they pack a full house is because their food is great and they have good service. Out of the four things I tried -- sheeps milk ricotta, braised shortrib, uovo pizza, foie gras -- I liked the uovo pizza the best. I think I want some right now! yum.
go go go! -
Review from Kelly C.
3/10/2012 2 photos
I've been here several times... and you will never find this place to be quiet with a small crowd, it's always bustling! The docor is beautiful and very down-to-earth and during those sunny and warm days, they will have the front open with additional outside seatings.
things i've tried so far:
STROZZAPRETI (pasta)- delicious! The potion is generous and with a hint of lemon juice in the mix, it makes the plate very appetizing and can easily down the whole thing no problem. This was completelly different than what i had imagined by reading the descriptions. I saw the word "Pesto" and thought it would be covered in pesto sauce or something... NOPE, in a way the texture of each bite resembled that of a pesto pasta because of the bits of nuts. But taste wise.. it's completely different! this has a greater focus on the mushrooms which i just loooove! and it really does have its own distinctive barbuzzo flavor to it.
Uovo (PIzza) - Another fabulous choice at the restaurant! I usually never order pizza but I thought to try something new and the waiter said this is one of the most popular choices. From the looks of it, it looks so simple and it really doesn't look like anything special... but wait till you bite into it! SoooOOoo full of flavor where certain ingredient stands out but at the same time, they also blend together in harmony. The bacon bits and truffle oil are fabulous! and the runny egg in the middle makes each bite not too dry. this is a must try!
Valentine's day menu - expensive and small! I was disappointed with the outcome... yes they did specifically say that they were serving the chef's tasting menu but i didn't think the portions would come out kid sized but with normal course pricing... We tried the love lettter riviloi and the pan seared sea bass, the love letter was good but not superb, after i tried the Strozzapreti, this one didn't stand out to me...
the sea bass was delicious. they left the fish pretty blank and surrounded with various garnishes that carried the flavor along with the freshness of the fish. They had this orangey minced.. something pasta on top.. we couldn't figure out what it was other than we can tell there's a slight hint of garlic... but that accompanied the fish quite well. this was uber expensive! for the small filet we got.. but the taste was awesome. at least this one was justifiable. :P
rest assure, i will be back and more pictures will be up. :) -
Review from Liat L.
Hallandale, FL
5/5/2012
TERRIBLE customer service!! Valerie, the owner, is extremely rude and unpleasant to deal with. She has no customer service skills and I recommend staying far away from Barbuzzo!
-
Review from Vince T.
Portland, OR
5/5/2012
The food was fresh but it tastes like most other restaurants in Philadelphia. I didn't see or taste anything special about this place. Prices are reasonable.
-
Review from Aaron C.
Philadelphia, PA
3/21/2012 1 Check-in Here
Marvelous place. Very good for dating. Food was great too.
I went with my friend and we ordered a lot. Roasted beet salad, meat board, grilled octopus & calamari, and the trout which is on the special list. Plate is relatively small so we finished all. -
Review from Ivy W.
Irvine, CA
4/13/2012
Have only had the salted caramel budino, which my friend and I grabbed to go. It was incredibly rich, and very well balanced in terms of salty and sweet. Intense caramel flavor too. I don't have much to compare it to, but thought it blew the butterscotch budino at Mario Batali's Pizzeria Mozza out of the water.
-
Review from Seph G.
Marietta, GA
2/29/2012
Just go... seriously... just go! AMAZING. I was in Philadelphia on business for two weeks straight. I ate here about five times. Suggestion... sit at the bar... not the alcohol bar, but the cook-line bar. You get to interact with the chefs as they prepare meals!
If you want a table, make reservations in advance... especially on the weekends.
