Barbaro

“Four of us went here a couple of weeks ago and were impressed. The hostess gave us a warm welcome as soon as we came in the door. Our server was also very friendly and chatty. And everyone's food was delicious! Only downside is that the tables are a bit close together but the dining room is relatively small so there's only so much you can do. We will definitely be back!”

“My friend and I have been coming to Barbaro every time we’re nearby visiting the historic homes in Hyde Park. Service is excellent and they were able to accommodate all of my friend’s dietary preferences. It is one of the only restaurants that we feel comfortable eating inside since there is a table in the back that is quite distanced from all of the other diners. I was fortunate enough to visit on Chicken Parmigian night. Chicken was cooked perfectly and was tender and juicy. Portion was generous and I was able to make two meals out of it. On the other occasions that I visited here I got a fish special and the burrata ravioli. The skin of the ravioli was super fresh. The filling was smooth and flavorful. The oil carried the basil flavors well. The cocktails here were above average. The coffee blvd was the most unique one. It is a twist on a traditional Negroni cocktail. The addition of some coffee infused Campari combined with the herbal notes of the vermouth made a unique bitter flavor that I found to be more appetizing than that of a traditional Negroni. Mr. Brightside was an excellent choice for a summer night. The elderflower and citrus combination was quite refreshing and went well with the fish special. Witchmaker was a light version of a whiskey sour with some ginger. It’s good for someone who wants to start on whiskey cocktails since the whiskey was lighter compared to others I’ve had. The dessert I gravitate towards is the coconut sorbet. It was packed with coconut flavor and had a smooth texture with a few bits of shaved coconut folded in. Looking forward to my next meal here when I’m in the area!”

“Was not as good as usual, ordered the ribeye but texture and taste was of a sirloin. Great service.”

“When we arrived at our reservation time, we were greeted by a snobby, condescending foreign women with short blonde hair. Any question I asked, she spoke to me like she somehow was elevated with her condescending snicker. The grilled octopus was a giant tentacle on a bed of beans which was tender and tasty as long as you can get past the look of it. My oysters Rockefeller were amazing. The pasta dishes were decent….the gnocchi’s were tender and light but resembled a glorified macaroni and cheese. Can’t say I would return mainly because of the staff first impression made us uncomfortable and annoyed. No one wants to enjoy a meal out and have it start on a bad note. I would not give them a good review if asked and we live there. Try the Millbrook Cafe, Charlotte’s, or the Millbrook Inn. All are excellent.”

“We arrived about 75 minutes before closing. There were about half the tables full. We were asked if we had a reservation, which we did not. The hosted then did not say anything and proceeded to take menus to a table, which she tossed the menus onto and then walked away. It was an unpleasant start, but we were not deterred; however, we should've left there. The menu is hard to read. Each item is 1-2 lines of ingredients and price. It is not extensive, which was not a problem for us; but, the layout of the menu was unpleasant. The music in the restaurant was very loud, and it was hard to hear the person seated next to us, nonetheless across the table. The servers avoided eye contact when we were looking for someone to order from. The bread and butter was $6 for 4 small pieces of bread and very yellow-colored (not fresh) olive pil. Our meals were fine. Nothing special nor poor to report on. Dessert, however, terrible. The $7 sorbet was one (small) scoop. The server appeared irritated when we asked about the serving size compared to the price. The tiramisu was a soggy mess. It was as if someone plated the tiramisu and then added water to the bowl/plate/blate it was served on. The servers were not phased by our disappointment. We had about 4 or 5 different servers throughout our 60-ish minute meal. They were all below average in quality of service, friendliness, attention to detail. Additionally, there were not doors marked as restrooms or signage anywhere. The staff again was not approachable to ask. I trust Millbrook has many other dining options to explore and experience better quality.”