Came here for happy hour and was quite happy. The whipped ricotta was delicious. The pizza was also very nice. A bit picky but I like more of a slight crisp on the bottom of my pizza slices but it was still quite good. I had a very decent glass of wine too. The bar tenders were quite kind. And there is plenty of bar seating for happy hour which I liked. read more

Barbuzzo - Whipped Ricotta - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Barbuzzo in Avenue of the Arts South is easily one of the best Italian-Mediterranean spots in the city, and it's absolutely worth every bit of its 4.3-star rating. I came here for dinner with friends, and from the moment we walked in, the warm, bustling vibe and incredible aromas set the tone for an unforgettable meal. We started with their signature Margherita pizza, and it was a masterpiece. The Neapolitan-style crust was perfectly charred, light, and crispy on the edges, with a tangy San Marzano tomato sauce, creamy fresh mozzarella, and bright basil that let the quality of each ingredient shine through. Every bite was balanced, flavorful, and exactly what you want from a classic Italian pizza. We also tried a few of their Mediterranean small plates, which were packed with bold, fresh flavors and perfectly complemented the pizza. The dinner menu is far more expansive than the lunch menu, with a huge selection of pastas, meats, and shareable plates, so there's something for every taste. The atmosphere is lively and intimate, making it perfect for date nights, group dinners, or special occasions. The service is attentive and knowledgeable, with staff happy to make recommendations and ensure every detail of your meal is perfect. It's a $$$ price point, so it's not a spot for a casual weeknight dinner, but it's absolutely worth the splurge for a high-quality, memorable Italian-Mediterranean experience. It's closed until 5 PM, so it's ideal for dinner, and it's easily become my new go-to for special occasions in the Avenue of the Arts area. I can't recommend it enough--this is a must-visit for any pizza or Italian food lover in the city! read more

Barbuzzo - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Pros: busy, great staff, excellent food; carrots, pasta, tenderloin, scallops, caramel dessert all excellent! Neg: busy read more

Really fun spot with a warm, cozy atmosphere and just a really cool vibe. I got the vegan pizza with mushrooms and the crust was perfect. My partner liked the octopus salad at first but it felt a bit random halfway through. Cocktails were great. My son loved his margarita pizza (no basil). Pizzas are a good size, we had leftovers we ended up giving away. Service was great, waitress was really nice. Highly recommend! read more

Barbuzzo was easily the highlight of our recent trip to Philly. After a fun night mixing spooky cocktails at The Cauldron, we stopped in for a late dinner and we're so glad we did. When in Philadelphia, Italian food is a must, and Barbuzzo absolutely delivered. The cocktails were expertly crafted. My Old Fashioned was spot-on and the starter salad (can't remember the name) was so good we wiped the plate clean. The real star was the Pan-Seared Gnocchi, unbelievably flavorful there were so many components to this dish. I'm still thinking about that dish! My wife loved her meal just as much. No question, we'll be coming back here the next time we're in town. read more

See all

OK return visit and I'm updating. ALL IS FORGIVEN!! This time we came straight from the train, 45 min before closing. They couldn't have been nicer; sweet, friendly, solicitous, and competent. They work at a great restaurant. I think what explains our last visit was, they were slammed. At Barbuzzo that is literally a crush; the waiters have to push through the crowd. So, chill and don't blame them. So the food. We had 2 pasta dishes: scallops in a rich braised fennel sauce over squid ink square noodles, and a pork ragu with broccoli rabe. Both absolutely fabulous, and new to us. BTW a great kale & beet salad before and an incredible mocha pudding after. Oh by the way-those fab pasta dishes? $20 and $23. Wohh! You really should try Barbuzzo. GREAT food, GREAT atmosphere and street scene but-- S N O O T Y. We were greeted nicely, seated outside. Waiter took the order promptly, nice. App delivered. Umm. No silverware, no waiter. After a couple minutes of waving at him, finally got up and flagged him down. He blamed it on the prep team. App was delicious. Mains came; great food. Asked if we needed anything; we didn't, then. 15 min later, we were out of bevs. Another 5, after again waving my arms at the guy, and I got up and told the maitre d'. Very frosty thereafter. I don Barbuzzo basically thinks you need to apply to at here. As Trump would say - Sad! read more

This is the best Happy Hour I have found on this visit to Philly. Barbuzzo has a great HH menu because of the variety of menu options where not everything in unhealthy and overly fried. The olives are a great deal and so good and the Margherita Pizza is perfect for sharing as well as the Ricotta with grilled bread and the Aranchini. I had made a reservation but upon arrival for HH, I found seats at the bar for my husband and daughter so we gave up our table. The bar area is pretty spacious and the service was excellent. Everything we ordered came up pretty quickly and the open kitchen concept made the restaurant feel cozy. I loved this dining experience because the food was so good and the service was attentive and friendly. read more

See all

Barbuzzo wildly exceeded my expectations upon first visit. The group got a last minute reservation during CCD restaurant week and had a blast. The 3 course meal was quite filling. I selected meatballs, bronzino, and tiramisu for dessert. The meatball blend was bursting with flavor, bronzino was grilled to perfection and the tiramisu was divine. This is coming from someone who doesn't drink coffee. Drinks were equally as great. I've was trying out dry January so it was nice to see multiple Mocktail options. Tasted like there was thought put into the flavor profiles which I really appreciated. Our server gets an A+ for hospitality. She was well versed in the menu, friendly , and just all around a pleasant conversationalist. read more

See all

Best restaurant one could find with fresh ingredients, strong flavors and good service. Everything was above our expectations and we would certainly do it again in the near future. read more

My experience was nothing like I expected. From the moment you walk in, the staff seems annoyed. The hostess was the only person who greeted us with a smile and a friendly attitude. The food had good flavor, but it was served cold. The pasta was practically ice cold. It was my first time at this restaurant (and definitely my last), so I wasn't familiar with the menu. I asked our server for a recommendation, and with an arrogant, dismissive attitude, he simply said, "Everything is good." He was rude while taking our order and made no effort to provide good service. Throughout the meal, he never came back to check on us or ask if we needed anything else. I had to get his attention from halfway across the restaurant just to order a margarita, and he didn't even come over to the table to take the order. On top of that, he chose the most expensive tequila without asking which one I preferred. To make matters worse, while I was still eating and had about half of my meal left, he dropped the check on the table without asking if we wanted to order anything else or have dessert. I found that incredibly rude, especially since the restaurant wasn't busy and there was no waiting list. Without a doubt, this was the worst restaurant experience I've had in Philadelphia. A huge disappointment. read more

Really delicious food, affordable prices but small portions. Had the pizza and branzino which were both delicious. Very small and cozy inside, basically befriended the couple sitting next to us since the tables were do close together. Would definitely come back! read more

Popped in for a bite to eat and drink with my son before a show at the Academy of Music. It was during happy hour time but was bummed you could only get the happy hour specials by sitting outside (it was like 90 degrees) or at the bar. We opted to sit at the kitchen bar but my son wasn't super into the menu choices (totally my bad for not scoping out menu first). Despite already giving us waters, the server was so kind and patient when we left. He seemed empathetic to having a kid in tow. Even though we didn't eat anything, I had to leave a positive review from that server interaction alone! But please consider offering happy hour specials regardless of where you sit :-) read more

Overall a great choice to eat in the heart of downtown Philadelphia. The grilled heirloom carrots were creamy, savory, and just fantastic. We also tried the wood fired pizza. The rossa was basic but excellent, and the pistachio mortadella pizza was actually perfect and so doughy. Service was great too. Everyone was served quickly. Everyone got what they ordered and it was all piping hot and delicious. Bravo! My only real recommendation would be avoiding busy hours so there is more room to move around in there. Definitely a five star experience. read more

Barbuzzo is a true standout in Philly! We sat at the bar, which turned out to be the best decision, the atmosphere was so warm and welcoming, and we ended up having some great conversations with the people around us. It felt like one of those perfect city nights where everything just clicks. Now for the food... absolutely phenomenal!!! We ordered the house-ground meatballs, the creste rigate, and the tonnarelli nero, and every single bite was divine. The meatballs were tender, flavorful, and comforting. The creste rigate had the most delicious sauce that clung to every curve of the pasta, and the tonnarelli nero was rich, savory, and just a little indulgent in the best way. You can tell everything is handmade and thoughtfully prepared. The staff were kind, attentive and friendly! Barbuzzo nails that cozy-meets-chic vibe, and it's clear why it's such a favorite. If you're in Philly and love pasta (or just great food in general), Barbuzzo is a must!! read more

I feel like I always end up at restaurants that have whipped ricotta on the menu. Following my tradition, I started with whipped ricotta as my appetizer. I found myself finishing it before I even ordered my entree (oops). I decided to go lighter on fare and got the tufoli pasta with a glass of Sauvignon blanc. The pasta was light as it wasn't covered in red sauce, but still had a good flavor. read more

See all

Food 8/10 Atmosphere 7/10 Service 7/10 Tips: happy hour is only at the bar. Gnocchi - 10/10 best dish, flavor bomb slightly sweet from the squash Meatballs - HUGE meatballs, but tasted pretty meh Hanger steak - medium was basically RARE, not pictured unfortunately. read more

Barbuzzo - Pan Seared Gnocchi - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Barbuzzo was wonderful from start to finish! The whipped ricotta with fig was delicious, and I loved the warm bread that was served with it. The pizza was all phenomenal (the pera was my favorite - gorgonzola and pear is such a great combo, but the lamb and olive pizza was also wonderful). A friend and I split the porcini estrella, and it was one of my favorite pasta dishes I've had. The horseradish in it was so unique by worked so well with the porcini. Another friend ordered the gnocchi and it just melted in your mouth. Service was a little spotty - we weren't checked on and the water wasn't refilled - but for food like that I didn't care. The budino was an excellent end to the meal. It was on the sweeter side, but I thought the salty caramel helped cut through. The only thing I didn't like was the amount of chocolate cookie crumbs at the bottom; it didn't really work for me, but the rest was excellent. The whole restaurant is very cozy and warm. It's a small space, so I'd recommend a reservation. I love that you can see the kitchen from the tables. I would love to eat here again! read more

See all

Tried the upstairs space for an event space and was perfect for the 60-80 people that joined. The set up was great with an open bar and private space from crowds downstairs, as well as great servers behind the bar! read more

Stopped in with some friends and had a lovely dinner. It had the feel of a small Italian mafia style restaurant. Very quaint but all of the food and kitchen is cooked in eye's view. I had the porcini Campanella that had fun flavors of thyme and a braise beef with pasta. Every bite was full of fun and cooked perfectly. For apps we had the whipped ricotta , meatballs and scallops. The scallops were okay where the whipped ricotta really took home the trophy. The desert bondino with salted caramel and layers of delightful sweet goodness was very delightful. The thing I loved is the portions were what should be a normal sized portion. Too many restaurants make oversized portions. This was just the right amount with not too much and not too little. read more

Barbuzzo - Porcini Campanella - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

See all

Happy hour is great. You have to sit by the bar. Got the sangria, whipped ricotta which was amazing. Very creamy. The burger and papas Fritos were okay. Customer service was okay. Ambiance and the vibe was great. read more

Wow! This was my first time at Barbuzzo. I have always passed it while walking on the infamous Sansom Street. I always thought it was only a pizza place since the outside sidewalk is packed with diners ordering a whole pizza pie. Apparently this place has more than pizza. The place offers a range of Mediterranean food. I went for a work dinner and I didn't realize they have a separate building for their events. The place had a big bar and a ton of seating. The area had a little house feel to it. I started with a lemonade which was really good (I highly recommend trying out the lemonade). Then we started with our appetizers. There was the sweet corn Arancini which was delicious. It was crispy rice croquette that was full of whole corn kernels. I also had a Greek salad which was delicious and so fresh. It came out in a big bowl for us all to share. The meatballs were very big and tasty. The meatballs tasted very traditional. The last appetizer was sheared shrimp. I really liked the whole shrimp that was incorporated with basil-walnut pesto, tomatoes, feta, and polenta. Seared bronzino was what I got as my entree. I really liked how crispy the skin was. I did like the use of fingerlings in the dish. The fingerlings were very crunchy. I also really liked the amount of capers on this dish. For dessert, I had the tiramisu. It was so well done. I really liked how creamy the dessert was. The waitress graciously packed up my dessert to take home since I was full by the end of the meal. read more

Absolutely loved the food, ambience and the service here! Made the evening with my family so special. For apps we got the artichoke and mushroom arancini, and that was really good. For mains, we got the calabrese pizza - and this was one of the most interesting dishes, with the olives and hot honey which made it so much nicer - would definitely recommend! We also got the porcini estrella pasta and this was my favorite. It's very different from your traditional pasta but if you like mushrooms, this is definitely your pick. Finally for dessert, we got the tiramisu- it was nice and not as sweet as what we've had in the past. read more

See all

Went here for Restaurant Week with three friends, all vegetarian. There were a decent number of vegetarian options to choose from actually - for apps some of us ordered the whipped ricotta, some ordered the arancini, and some ordered the beet salad, and all three were delicious. Service was a little slow / felt slightly rushed, but understandable for RW. For mains, the option was casarecce with veggies, which was actually pretty good. I took home the salted caramel budino for dessert - it was a bit too cloyingly sweet for my taste but one of those desserts you can't help but keep eating. Overall a solid experience at Barbuzzo! I would say like 7/10. read more

See all

After two days in Philly, this was our favorite spot in the City of Brotherly Love. The location was charmingly perfect. Right next to the bustling cute corner of Sansom and 13th Street, the energy here is fantastic. The interior is hip, cozy, and warm. While we had table seating, I'd love to try the bar seating on our next visit. The energy of the kitchen was palpable. Favorite dishes were: 1. Olives 2. Watermelon Salad 3. Meatballs 4. Tufoli 5. Cavatelli 6. Margarita Pizza read more

See all

The restaurant is pretty dark and moody, and has a very cozy vibe to it. The scallops, the croquettes and branzino all were incredible! The size of the food portions is not large, it is served in tapa style. I would say the server was very attentive and very cute ;) I would recommend to anyone in downtown Philly. read more

Great dinner place in downtown Philly close to a lot of hotels that are popular for conferences. I'd recommend a reservation for dinner and they seem to fill up quickly, but the service is fast and we didn't have to wait at all for our reservation. For our group of 3 people we split the ricotta toast, roasted beet salad, calibrate pizza, Mediterranean branzino, and gnocchi. Everything was at the recommendation of our waiter and he did not steer us wrong. We were so full, and we had some pizza left over! Everything was great, so flavorful and rich in the best way. Despite it being a packed restaurant, it wasn't too loud and I could easily hear and carry on a conversation with my table and hear our waiter. Highly recommend! read more

Beautiful and amazing food. It's not cheap, but also not expensive for the quality you're getting.

Late entry from my travels to Philly but I've got to share this! Late night adventure led us here after reading the wonderful Yelp reviews. We arrived just before closing and they were kind enough to seat us and allow us to place an order. The ambiance and vibes were so nice. The place is kind of tucked away a few doors down from the street corner. (Directly across from the ice cream parlor) The hostess recommended some light bites for us to share and we went with the whipped ricotta for starters and the Tonnarelli pasta for an entree to share. Y'all both dishes were so full of flavor and I wanted more but it was late and I didn't need to be so greedy either. Lol. I'm telling you to get here quick! You're welcome. read more

See all

Atmosphere: Great atmosphere. Nice upscale, semi trendy feel. I wish they had a TV at the bar but that's my only complaint Food: All the food is delicious. One of my fav restaurants in Philly Price: Not the cheapest but for a nicer dinner you can do worse Service: Excellent service Parking: Street parking read more

Wonderful service and amazing dishes. Superb! We had gnocchi, pizza, meatballs & the whipped ricotta. All were excellent! read more

See all

I am a client i come to Philadelphia every year to work and was my favorite pizza here but this time the pizza was burn they don't pay attention to cooking because is to many people and the pizza was all the border totally burn and one part was burned over and down the pizza i eat only one part of the pizza i going to find other place for pizza read more

Barbuzzo - Is the burn pizza on Barbuzzo - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We had a wonderful dinner at Barbuzzo last night, my first night ever in Philadelphia. Make a reservation if you can! The place fills up. We did not have one, but were able to get 5 seats at the counter. I enjoyed watching the chefs work. One was very pleasant when we briefly asked her a few questions about our dish. Our waitress was lovely. We had the meatballs, octopus, and mussels for apps. Meatballs and mussels were my favorites of the 3. We had the crispy gnocchi-DELICIOUS!, the squid ink and shrimp pasta with crab ragout- also DELICIOUS!, the chicken was flavorful, I was told (I didn't try it), and the Margarita pizza, which, according to my son, was "nice and hot and has a really good tasting sauce". The restaurant has a dark moody vibe. All the staff we interacted with were very friendly, service was great. Oh, save room for dessert...the BUDINO...phenomenal. We also enjoyed the tiramisu and our waitress brought us a complimentary blood orange sorbet which was refreshing and delightful. Overall, we all left very full and very satisfied. read more

Nice spot in center city with good food options. Tried the arancini which was crispy, creamy and delicious. The mushroom pizza wasn't too my liking because of the smoked flavor. Good place to at least try out. read more

My friend and I dined outside for dinner. They had happy hour specials until 7pm which was great to partake in. We tried both their Aperol Spritzes and Red Sangria's which were so refreshing. For my main dish, I got the Tonnarelli which was a tomato based sauce with some snow crab while my friend got the Fazzoletti with lamb. The portions aren't huge so you probably won't have leftovers but it was still quite filling. We tried each other's dishes and both were really good. I only had one good crab piece and the rest were shredded pieces but it was still very delicious. We also ended up getting desserts too because why not?! I got the Espresso Tiramisu (can't go wrong with tiramisu!) and my friend got the Salted Caramel Budino, a pudding like dessert that was really good. Our server was great, the drinks and food we got were also great. I really enjoyed dining here and recommend it! read more

See all

Food is so so so good! I've enjoyed CACIOCAVALLO STUFFED MEATBALLS (house ground shortrib & pork meatballs, sicilian oregano, pickled pepper relish, grilled bread), the Asparago Pizza (secret white sauce, mozzarella, truffled egg, shaved asparagus, pork guanciale, Parmesan), and whipped ricotta (extra virgin olive oil, fig vin cotto, sicilian oregano, sea salt, grilled metropolitan country bread). Vibe is casual/laidback and has enough seating (including some facing the kitchen). The quality of the food is great, I would come back in a heartbeat. Overall I'd give it 4.5/5, because nothing took me out of the world, also service was on the slower side. But because quality of food is the most important, I'd def come back to try something new! read more

Barbuzzo - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

We stopped in after checking Yelp for a great place to have a great dinner before our show at the Wells Fargo Area. So right away, we loved the ambiance, super cozy, warm, you can even smell the wood burning oven and the cooks are cooking at like bar like style were one part is a high counter and the other is an open view of food preparation. I loved that. Our server of the evening was John, he was quick and efficient, bringing us all of the items as soon as they came out. We did tell him that we had a show to get too and he was awesome about how he took care of us. We ordered the meatballs, the muscles, the octopus, a pizza, a dirty martini and an espresso martini. The pizza was a little salty because of its pork toppings, clams and the sauce, but had a nice kick to it. The meatballs were bursting with flavors, you could taste the difference in theirs because their herbs were so fresh. Octopus was great, served on a bead of fresh vegetables, and their hummus. The clams had a nice flavor profile too, paired with the bread. We enjoyed the dishes we ordered and recommend this place to any couple who is okay with a cozier, small table vibe. Bathroom was clean and neat. read more

See all

Came by the recommendation with local friends and we walked from our hotel as it's located right in City Center. If you are coming by car, it looks like the best way to park is street parking by the hour. We went as a group of five for dinner at 6pm on a Sunday and it was pretty busy, only seated folks with reservations so definitely recommend to make a reservation if you choose to come during peak dinner hour. The restaurant itself was very dark and lively so good for date nights (not such much a first date). As someone who doesn't drink, l love it when restaurants have mocktail options to select from. We got the Tufoli, Asparago Pizza, House Ground Meatballs, and Tonarelli. The pizza was quite good but a bit salty for our palettes. The pasta dishes we got didn't exactly meet the expeditions in terms of the texture of the noodles. Our server was very attentive and checked on us throughout the course of the meal. Overall a good experience and would come back again but feels a bit overrated as one of the top places in Philly. read more

Barbuzzo - Tonnarelli Pasta - Mediterranean Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

After reading the reviews for Barbuzzo, my wife and I made a reservation for dinner. Walking into the restaurant, it feels like a bar that's been converted to a restaurant. On the left side is a long bar where you can also enjoy your meal. And the place is certainly well stocked with a wide variety wine and harder drinks. It's been hard to organize my thoughts in reviewing Barbuzzo because I don't drink alcohol. Many of the excellent reviewers refer to how much they enjoyed their cocktails. I didn't participate. We came here for the food and ambience, and on that metric I would likely give it 3 1/2 *. For me, the tables are too close to one another, I felt stuffed in like a sardine. We did enjoy a wonderful conversation with the couple next to us-they were sitting less than a table width away. The noise level was loud. I don't mind the vibe related to energy of conversation and a good time. But when it's hard to hear the person sitting on the other side of the table, that for me is too loud. That was the noise level in Barbuzzo. But I accept that this is also a generational issue, with boomers wanting a quieter place than younger patrons. Our food was very good, but frankly, nothing amazing. We ordered the Grilled Heirloom Carrots and Artichoke and Mushroom Arancini as appetizers. They were good, but as another disappointed reviewer noted, a bit salty. Our entrees were the Procini Estrella-really great mushrooms in a good sauce and the Medit Bronzino. The fish was also very good and the presentation was very nice. This is a very nice restaurant but you have to know what to expect. It's a really good bar restaurant for celebrating and partying. But the ambience doesn't let you really focus on the food. read more

I got a vodka drink, the house greyhound, which was on the weak side. Lunch menu is not as extensive as dinner. We got the goat cheese kale and beet salad and it was the best dish. The margherita pizza was a tad salty, but good. Our pasta plate, the creste rigati was super salty. Good flavor maybe they need to cut back on salt to counter the salt in the chicken sausage. read more

Exceptional experience from start to finish, featuring bold flavors, warm hospitality, and smooth service. The atmosphere was inviting, making it a place we would happily recommend to anyone seeking quality. read more