Barbalu Restaurant

Loved this place. Very rustic yet modern décor that almost transports you into someone’s home where you’re about to have a meal. It’s dimly lit with a romantic ambiance; it’s fairly quiet and intimate. The bar had quite a few creative drinks on the menu. The old fashioned «with a twist» was bold, with hints of orange and vanilla. The service was superb; didn’t have to wait long at all to be seated after arriving and the waiter was very friendly. There was a pre-​fix menu that evening so the menu was not hard to navigate. I opted for the filet mignon as my entrée which came with a decent portion of fingerling potatoes.
I didn’t try the pasta here but I was told from other diners it’s really good. It’s made in house, fresh daily. Barbalu is owned and operated by a husband and wife that I did have the pleasure of meeting. Their friendly, engaging conversation is one of the reasons I’ll come back for a second visit… Oh and to try the pasta of course.

Favorite spot in the seaport area. A must go for a good and tasty Italian dinner. The pastas and the filet mignon are very tasty and have a special blend of flavors that your mouth will enjoy. They always have specials and different plates outside the menu which are very appetitive.

A lovely restaurant at South Street Seaport that offers the cozy décor of any rustic Italian restaurant without making you passive aggressively fight for elbow space with a stranger seated flush next to you.
I’ve been here twice (once on a Friday evening, once on a Monday) and there was no wait for seating each time. This is the beauty of eating in FiDi – they have the room to accommodate and not many are willing to go down to FiDi to eat. If you’re in the area, work this to your advantage.
I’ve tried three different entrees here. The Spaghetti alla Chitarra was on point — creamy without being overwhelmingly heavy, not too bland and not too salty even with the heaping spoonfuls of Parmesan the waiters will offer you, and really satisfies a craving for cream pasta. It’s a nice sized portion that will leave you full, but not disgustingly stuffed at the end of the meal. If you plan it right, at the end of the entrée you can even have some sauce and meat left over to soak up with the bread. Only wish they had freshly grated Parmesan.
The Sirloin Steak with Red Wine Reduction, on the other hand, gives you the biggest piece of steak I’ve ever seen a restaurant serve for $ 25. The steak isn’t cooked to perfection, but the red wine reduction, asparagus, and potatoes more than make up for the somewhat lacking texture of the meat. I just make sure to double dip my piece of steak in the reduction on my plate so it would soak up all the flavor. The sides are more the star of this entrée than the steak, but I still ordered it the second time I went: P
The Beef Stew with Potatoes and Carrots was a bit bland, but makes for a nice and hearty meal.
The service was pretty solid, which rounded out both my experiences here.

Came here for NYE dinner. .made reservations online, then called to let them know we were running late. .they very very accommodating, even though they were clearly busy. .
There was limited menu, 4 apps, 4 pasta dishes, 4 mains, and 4 desserts. .
We ordered the beets app and the burata caprese prussuito salad. .the beets were amazing! The burata was great.
We were 4 people and ordered 4 different dishes. .the filet mignon was the beat I’ve ever had! Absolutely perfect! They only order you need. .and I’m not usually a big meat lover. .it truly was outstanding. .it was also huge, which is surprising. did I mention perfectly cooked? I really can’t talk it up enough. .perfectly seasoned. .worth every penny. .go get it! You won’t regret it. You’ll love it. .the potato wedges if comes with are also perfect… believe it or not, unfortunately, it wasn’t my dish. .
I had the beef medallions (brasato al barola).they were good. with polenta, it was good. .
My hubby has the risotto, it w was a tad too al dente for my taste. .but great flavor
My friend had the seafood ravioli. .she liked it. .all pastas are homemade. .
We also had the nougat semifreddo. .um, um, um delicious. …yum! So good. .
Also perfect expresso to round out the meal. .
Ie, authentic Italian, excellent apps, amazing filet mignon, lovely desserts, very accommodating, oh, and really nice atmosphere. .
I need to go back, and so should you..

Really, really liked this place. We wandered in after checking into our hotel across the street, tired and somewhat jet lagged. It was New Year’s Day. We found a very nice homey atmosphere with an interesting menu and wine list.
The menu was not huge, but there was a generous number of daily specials. We ordered three house specials, a caprese salad with excellent buffalo mozzarella, halibut and a wonderful berry cake. Everything was excellent! The desert was very creative and quite wonderful. The halibut was first rate. Portion sizes are very generous. I wish this place was closer to home in So Cal!

I’ve historically had decent experiences here. The last was abysmal. In appreciation of the past, I’m rating Barbalu a 3. We were asked to move from the 4-​person table we were seated at (instead of the waiter simply moving the two neighboring tables together IF a party of four entered the empty restaurant. We promptly received the only other couple’s order. Our actual food was generally good, with the exception of ice cold mozzarella on the penne dish. When inquired about, the waiter informed us that mozzarella is «always cold». Having had dishes with fresh mozzarella in the motherland, I disagreed but politely asked the dish be heated as the pasta and sauce were ending arctic regions as we debated. The rest of the meal was accompanied by eye rolls and horse breathing from the staff. I MAY give this spot another chance, but owner/​manager take note.

Barbalu was adorable. The décor when you first enter draws you in and sets the stage for a cozy Italian meal. The menu is relatively small, with some salads, pastas and a few meat/​fish entrees, and while they have a full bar, the drink menu is mainly wine and beer with a few speciality cocktails.
My choice for dinner and everyone at my table was pasta, and I went with the ravioli which was a spinach and ricotta stuffed pasta with butter sage and tomato, and it was done really well. The pastas are homemade and mine was very nicely al dente.
Our service was decent, the waiters and bartenders were very nice, and overall I would recommend coming here for a quiet date night or with a small group.

I have had this dish at Barbalu 3 times and it always is perfect! What a treat for less than $ 20 bucks. I recommend the dish and Barbalu to anyone who likes to eat Italian food cooked to perfection

Food was just ok. Service was awful.
I really wanted to give this place a good review. I had been coming to this place since before Hurricane Sandy closed it down. However after last night, I will no longer be coming back.
I booked a reservation last night with several friends. We ordered a bottle of wine for the 8 of us. Rather than evenly distributing the wine among the group (which would have been reasonable), our waiter poured out the entire bottle among 7 of us leaving the 8^th person’s glass empty. To make up for his terrible pouring skills, he then offered to sell us a second bottle.
The food was ok. We had the meat and cheese plates which were fine. The steak was cooked fine, the fettuccini was definitely too salty.
Once we were served, the waiter never came over to check on us. When the bill came and we wanted to split among our cards, the waiter split the cards incorrectly forcing us to correct his math amongst ourselves. When we had informed him, he didn’t even apologize. Overall his attitude was poor and really took away from the experience of the evening.

Came here for dinner for a bachelorette party before going on a boat cruise. The food was out of this world. I ordered the meat lasagna and it was the best lasagna I have ever had. Not to mention it was brought out super quickly. We had a table of 6 and got our food SO quick. We were in an out in a little over an hour.
Great ambiance as well. Not the mention the bathroom door didn’t even look like a door!
Would definitely come back.

I recommend this place to anyone wanting to have dinner in the seaport. Décor is on point. Service is great and hospitable. Food is really really good. I’ve gotten the fettuccine and sirloin, both were perfect. Definitely always get the dessert of the day, you will not be disappointed!

Had a lovely working lunch here today. The place, atmosphere, and service were just perfect, and the food was delicious. I had a prosciutto di parma sandwich with cheese and artichoke dip, with salad on the side. The bread was crunchy and toasted like in Italy.

Went here during for our annual department dinner.
Interesting Italian place in lower Manhattan place, the service is exceptional by far. This place is great for groups, and has a good selection in terms of ordering for groups. For meat lovers there is an exceptional meat and cheese platter.
For Dinner, I got the Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli as well as the Spaghetti al Pomodoro. Being a huge pasta fan, I enjoyed both dishes. Would definitely be back for more!

Very very hip little spot in the seaport with a really amazing solarium-​like deck which is perfect for afternoon cocktails any day of the week. The cuisine is Italian and has a very impressive beer selection. We ordered the meat and cheese plate and sipped some wine in the Spring sun on a Sunday a few weeks ago. Good service and a very hip décor make for a pleasant place to grab a bite and a drink any time of the week.

Nice summer night. College friends. South Street Seaport. I was excited! We ordered two bottles of red wine and I ordered the fettuccine with shrimp and tomatoes. But…
I left here feeling hungry and so did everyone in my party. Don’t get me wrong my food was good but don’t expect big portions. Some in my group complained that they could have made their pasta at home (they ordered the Penne).
Service was great and the interior of the restaurant.gorgeous. However I left desiring more. More food!

Delicious pasta!
Cute little place a secret bathroom that blends into the wall. Wouldn’t be able to find it if the waiter didn’t walked me there and pointed.
Everything was good here & loved their fine selections of Italian meats:) I wished they had more places like this in Cali.

The waiters here are very nice and a big plus on Handsome waiters too… Our waiter explained the special of the day which everything sound delicious, placed a bread bowl at our table (there were 4 small bread stick, for 3 hungry Spanish ladies that’s not enough bread) and asked if we would like tap water or sparkling water… Once he gave us a few minutes in looking over the menu he came back asked us what would we like to drink and eat… I asked for a up of ginger ale which I love but when I received it the soda is a little warm even with ice in it… then 6−10minutes later our food has arrive in great timing… Especially for me cause I have a 45min lunch break… Overall I enjoyed the quite atmosphere and beautiful New York/​Italian décor… I would love to go again!

Gorgeous restaurant, yet another great find in my new neighborhood. I never expected all these cute restaurants right across from where I live…
Barbalu was quite large — the design of the restaurant gave it a feel that there were several sections with different types of seating. The entrance was very spacious with a high communal table and smaller tables to the side, and we passed the gorgeously lit bar to our seats at the high tables in the corner. The roof above us was glass and I bet it would look fantastic during the daytime or even when it’s a snowy night out. We also noticed the restrooms were camouflaged into the wood wall at the entrance, and it was entertaining watching everyone try to find their way to the washroom during our dinner haha ;)
Service was unfortunately slow and not consistent the night we went, so I’m giving 4 stars for now, and will definitely update my review next time I go. The restaurant was so big that I guess all the tables were spaced too far and the two? Servers that were on the floor were quite busy and were rushing everywhere. This is understandable so i won’t go any further, I’m sure on a less busy and normal day they would be fantastic.
Food was pretty good and filling. Sirloin steak looked huge when they presented it to us, which was awesome. My spaghetti with sausage was not bad, I love how the spaghetti was not as thick as most pastas I have. I really wanted to try the dessert but will have to wait until next time!

THE BEST Italian restaurant in South Street Seaport. Classy ambiance, AMAZING food, and the best part — very, very reasonably priced!
Before Hurricane Sandy, this place was actually called «Barbarini» and was already great, but had a different vibe. It was almost a little more rustic, and the storefront included a selection of Italian groceries. After Sandy, Barbarini reinvented itself and into the sleeker, edgier but equally awesome Barbalu that it is today.
For our appetizer, my boyfriend and I shared the Roasted Shrimp with cannellini beans, red onion and celery. This was so nice and refreshing!
I had the Fettuccine Bolognese as my main course and I enjoyed EVERY bite of it till the very end. The blend of meat sauce with tomatoes and cheese was just perfect; the pasta, perfect amount of chewiness vs. lightness. I strongly recommend this to any pasta lover!
We finished with their tiramisu which was delicious as well. Please come here if you’re ever in the Seaport area!

I love the environment here. It’s so bright and homey.. and rustic. I love places with sunroofs. The bathroom is camouflaged. So once you’re in, it feels like you’re hidden in a secret compartment. Maybe it’s just me.
The food was also delicious! I got the penne with mozzarella, basil, and tomato. As basic as it sounds, it was actually really refreshing. If the waiter didn’t talk so fast and ran around like a typical New Yorker, I’d think I was at [what I imagine] a farm in Portland [would be like].
The dark chocolate Profiteroles and Torte de Pinole were both delightful! I would have gotten all the desserts if society allowed me to.