Serving up the highest standard of food I've ever eaten in Glasgow, Barbarossa is quite a bit out of the way for many but well worth a visit. The menu in the main restaurant changes regularlty but usually has quite a strong seafood theme. On our recent visit the food was quite simply from the very top drawer. Huge tasty scallops, a delicious salmon steak, but best of all was the halibut, which I'd never tried before but can be best described as a really meaty fish, and superlatives can't really describe how good it tasted. It was topped with these caramelised shredded onions that had it not been for my low embarrasment / awkwardness threshold, I'd have asked the chef how to make at home. From the rest of my review you can probably tell what I'll say about the iced coconut and bitter chocolate dessert, and even though the restaurant is undoubtedly quite expensive at about £18 a main course, I'd still say it's definite value for money, and a lot cheaper if you go earlier for the pre-theatre. As well as the main restaurant there's also a new wine bar which offers a slightly less fancy menu, and does lunch and breakfast as well. Although it's nice to sit in (I've only had drinks but have little doubt the food will be excellent), I'm slightly worried they've over-extended themselves by opening up this area. It's in a huge, brand new extension, and has effecxtively tripled the size of the place. For a restaurant that was doing well as it was, I'm not really sure why this was needed, especially as it's location in a quiet suburban part of the city means you have to really be making a conscious effort to come here rather than simply be "passing trade". Anyway, it's one of the best places I've ever eaten anywhere never mind Glasgow, and is a couple of doors down from Cathcart Station. There's no excuse not to try it. read more

Barbarossa Restaurant - from official website - Wine Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

Oh dear. I feel like a nagging granny filled with complaints compared to the other two reviews. But...here goes. I have dined in here a few times: once in the main restaurant section and two or three times in the wine bar section which has a more basic (e.g. bog standard) menu. My first experience of Barbarossa in the main restaurant was fantastic, if a bit pricey. Admittedly, the I am not used to forking out quite so much for a nice meal out. But, it really was worth it! I had an amazing prawn starter (and trust me, I've eaten prawns in many a restaurant). The prawns were cooked just right - not rubbery at all - and in a lively subtle but tasty sauce which didn't over power them nor leave them bland. For a meal, I had steak with perfectly cooked vegetables on the side. Absolutely delicious. Meanwhile, my companion had a lamb chop with veg which I was lucky even to taste. Hence, why if I was going back I'd be very tempted to opt for the lamb. However, the other occasions I have eaten here have not been so great. The wine bar section offers a decent selection on the menu (though it is mostly pasta, risotto and the basic run-of-the-mill Italian stuff) for a much more reasonable price. This should make it ideal for a relaxed and decent budget lunch towards the end of the month or when you're saving up for that holiday. Instead, you end up paying around £8-10 for a dish of poorly cooked pasta (soggy, anyone?), in a rather bland sauce. This gives the strong impression that the ingredients are not the freshest or the highest in quality. Meanwhile, for the bistro type experience, you are paying around £14 for a bottle of wine. Hence, it's still a bit too pricey but in this section the food is definitely not worth it. Furthermore, the staff seem to make a very clear distinction between diners in the restaurant and bar sections. Having dined in both, I was shocked and rather annoyed by the customer service the staff executed in the bar and, indeed, the manner in which they did. So, to conclude, if you are after a pricey but amazing meal then the restaurant area in this venue is probably the best around locally. However, if you are looking to spend a little less and still receive a good quality of cooking then give the wine bar/bistro section a miss. Instead, a preferable less pricey and good quality alternative would be The Battlefield Rest about a ten minute walk away. read more

Barbarossa Restaurant - Wine Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

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Came here tonight for a quick dinner with my friend, we ate off the set menu which was £12.95 for 2 courses. None of the starters jumped out at me so opted for a main and a pudding. The veal Milanese pasta was good but quite a small portion, the veal was nice and tender but the pasta sauce was lacking. It was good but nothing special. The bread and butter pudding was great, really good consistency and lovely ice cream too. The service was fab, knowledgable, confident waiters and the wine selection was good. It's modern restaurant with a nice vibe and sections suitable for big groups and couples alike. I'd come back and try the ala carte menu in order to judge the food properly as the food alone would get a 3/5 but the service and decor etc won another point from me. Worth checking out if you're on the southside :) read more

Barbarossa Restaurant - Veal Milanese - Wine Bars Near Me - Glasgow, GLG

We visited here for a Saturday night dinner with friends and got a table for 4 without any troubles. When we arrived we were shown to our table in a small area with a couple of other tables - it was a little awkward sitting in this area as it was pretty small, the other tables were quiet and I felt like we were bothering them with our conversation. I like the menu at Barbarossa - small, with enough variety to be interesting but not too many options to be daunting. I went for the antipasto misto followed by pollo farcito. When the starters arrived the waiter asked who ordered the vegetarian dish - to which I didn't respond, seeing as mine was pretty much a plate of meat. When he realised it was mine he seemed frustrated, even though he described the dish wrong and didn't use the name from the menu, so how was I meant to know he was talking about my dish? For a dish coming in at £8.50 I expected a bit more wow, but to be honest everything on the plate was pretty average. Ok meats and fresh rocket but nothing with a huge amount of flavour. I'm sad to say that my main was also a bit disappointing because the risotto that came with it was pretty gluggy. I should learn to avoid risotto when I eat out as it seems like it's constantly disappointing. The chicken was fine, and I liked the basil and mozzarella filling. I decided not to have dessert but asked for water as it was so warm, which I never got. Service was a little patchy and it took a while to get the bill, and then to pay the bill (£65 for two people for 2 courses/3 courses and beer/wine). All up, I expected more from Barbarossa and left feeling disappointed after our meal as the food didn't really impress and the service was a bit frustrating. I'd head back for another visit as I'd like to think this was a one off, after reading the other rave reviews. read more

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I am a huge fan of Barbarossa and I would go as far to say it's one of the best restaurants I've ever eaten at. The staff are fantastic, the decor is tasteful, the toilets are spotless and the food is outstanding! I really can't praise this place enough. I discovered Barbarossa about three years ago after a recommendation from a friend. I booked up not long after and have been hooked ever since. The first time I went I ordered fish cakes to start which were cooked to perfection with a chive dressing on top. My scrumptious starter was followed by a main of mouth-watering sea bass served with herb mash potato which was to die for! Now, I'm not usually a dessert kind of girl but the menu was so tempting I just couldn't resist and I wasn't disappointed! My gingerbread dessert came with lashings of toffee sauce and vanilla ice-cream on the side it was so delicious I had to stop myself from licking the plate. Since then Barbarossa has expanded and changed from a small intimate restaurant to a huge restaurant with a wine and cocktail bar attached. When I first saw this development I was worried that it would lose some of its charm - I was wrong. They've still kept the original restaurant exactly as it was and now after your meal you have the option of going to the wine bar for a cheeky cocktail or two. I recommend the pre-theatre menu, two courses are £12.95 and three courses £14.95, it's an absolute bargain! I would also advise booking a table as it is very popular. Absolutely fantastic and if I could give six stars I would! read more

Barbarossa is oh, 5 minutes' walk at most from my parents' house, so as you can imagine we've visited many, many times since it opened over 15 years ago. We did get to the stage where us kids would moan "Oh, not Barbarossa again!", but then it had a bit of a revamp/extension and as we all moved away to university we stopped going quite as frequently. So when it came to a birthday meal for my mum, a decidedly unfussy affair, Barbarossa made sense as our destination. And you know what? It's okay. It's not great, but there's few and far between decent restaurants in the area (certainly none as close to our house), at least ones that are actual restaurants and not bars that serve food. It's standard Italian fare, and the service is fine. The food is fine too, but I wouldn't say it's anything more than that. I ordered Polpette al Forno to start - alright. Meatballs were a bit gristly, but the sauce was tasty. Then Butternut Risotto for my main. This was a bit bland, no chunks of squash, just a very samey yellow risotto. I couldn't finish it. You know how it's been scientifically proved that you get bored and 'full' if your food is just one type, so adding a sauce etc. will make you inclined to eat more, well that was exactly the problem with the risotto. To be fair, the pizzas and steak looked pretty good, and my dad and sister certainly seemed to enjoy their lobster ravioli (I wish I'd gone for that now). Affogatos all round, turned out to be 3 rather sizable scoops of crunchy ice cream (erm..) with a tiny shot of espresso. Rather more ice cream that I had bargained for! Don't all rush over to Clarkston Road expecting a brilliant meal, but it's really okay despite my complaints. As a local restaurant it does its job, and we'll probably return in the future. I just might go for a pizza next time. read more

Well it has been a while since I was last out, so tonight my friend and myself chose the Barbarossa for our "catch up gossip" and my belated birthday treat. It was our first time eating here, and on arrival were taken to the top of the restaurant (maybe so we didn't do a runner, we must have looked shifty) anyhooooo, I had the crab cakes to start, then followed by a medium steak. Now steaks I reserve for "special occasions" and felt this was one, and I wasn't disappointed. The staff were very attentive (but not in yer face about it) which I like. I would certainly head back there again, considering it's about 60 paces from my flat (which is a good thing) I would also recommend this beautiful & tastefully decorated Restaurant to anyone that is looking for a place to dine out, without the hassle of heading into town. read more

Was taken to Barbarossa for my 30th and it was a bit of a mixed bag. My starter was great Scallops with Tattie Scone Croutons. Although you could give me scallops on a flip flop and I'll be your best friend forever. I had a main of Veal with a Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Truffled Potato Mash and while the quality of the veal was very good I was disappointed in both the sauce and the potato both of which I thought lacked some pizazz. I also tried some of the Barbarossa special King Prawns and Haggis. The prawns with the accompanying Glayva sauce was surprisingly tasty and the haggis complemented it all well. The staff were friendly and were great with my gran who's palate isn't quite as adventurous as my own rustling up a special dish just for her from various parts of the menu. If there were half marks here I'd be giving it 3.5/5 as I felt for the price paid but I'm feeling generous so it can get a 4 for the service. read more

Just popped in here out of the blue.. No reservation and it was a spur of the movement visit. Was pleasantly surprised the decor Inside was very nice and the staff were as friendly as they could have been. Food was great and there was a lady playing the violin ... Nice wee romantic restaurant , friendliest wee guy there too. read more

Visited Barbarossa with my partner late last year and we couldn't have asked for a better evening. Set near Cathcart train station, Barbarossa is tastefully decorated and offers a warm welcome as soon as you walk through the door. All the staff we dealt with were very friendly especially the lovely manager and were able to advise on dishes, wines etc. Now on to the food. It was delicious! It was presented beautifully although you get more than some of the pretentious portions you find in the city centre and the blends of flavours were gorgeous. Polished off with some chilled white wine, we can't wait til our next visit to Barbarossa. A little more expensive than what we'd normally pay for dining out, however it was worth every penny and is definitely the place to go if you're looking for that something extra special. read more

Clumsy service and hard to tell this is an Italian restaurant. The quality of the ingredients and general flavours were no too bad but they somehow managed to mess things up when constructing the overall dishes. Again, the cocktails were ok from an ingredient stand point but failed badly on balance. The wait staff were awkward and the ambiance stifled. Frankly the wee owner guy was off putting. As for Italian theme, hard to find with so much haggis featuring on the menu. I like haggis but not when I go to an Italian restaurant. Perhaps as it is so popular they said ok give them haggis and not worry about Italian stuff. Won't be back. read more

Clean, airy, comfortable and welcoming, with plenty of parking at the back. Food is excellent. Even better when they have the pianist in - lovely atmosphere. read more

A five minute walk from our house should mean that if the food is great we'd never be out the place and there certainly was a time when me getting off cooking for the family on a Sunday meant at visit to Barbarossa. Originally with Italian fine dining ambitions the restaurant has fought to be competitive by reinventing itself as a pizzeria, though what it still does best is be a local neighbourhood meal provider for tired mothers and the like. Our last couple of visits had been less than inspiring but a recent Sunday found my husband and I with no other mouths to fill so we thought we'd give it another go. The Sunday fixed price menu ( 2 courses £13.95, 3 £16.95) is a good deal. My chilli squid was fresh, crispy and not remotely bouncy or chewy and the antipasto misto was tasty and generous. We both had the duo of lamb, roast leg and slow cooked shoulder with herby saute potatoes and veg. The meat was tender and full of flavour with a delicious jus that elicited little 'mmms' of appreciation. Our dessert was a revelation, billed as an almond rice cake it turned out to be a square of essentially solid rice pudding, but light, fluffy, almond tasting and topped with coconut ice cream - gorgeous. Three stars might seem mean, but I'd want to check the consistency of quality after previous disappointments. Five minutes later we were home. read more

Would like to thank Elizabeth and all staff for their first rate service and amazing food to boot. Mother's Day was amazing thanks again..Shelley muldoon and family xx read more

Yvonne B We had an office celebration in the private function area for 38 people and the unanimous opinion was that everything about the evening was Fantastic. The food was delicious and the staff were all attentive and friendly. Great value for money also. Nothng was too much trouble and we were able to have all our requests met, like speeches and photographs and even a sing song at the end of the night. We will definately be back and we highly recommend Barbarossa to others. No others competes with Elizabeth, Enzo, Francesco, Graeme and their wonderful staff. read more