We recently celebrated a family member's college graduation at Barbalu in Brooklyn, and we found…read morethis hidden gem. This cozy, family style Italian restaurant offers a warm atmosphere and an impressive bar. We enjoyed refreshing drinks, including peach spritzes, classic old-fashioneds, and Aperol spritzes, all while soaking in the inviting vibe. We ordered burrata and shrimp / calamari to start. Our meal featured a variety of entrées, and everything was delicious. The bronzino was a standout, while the ribeye steak earned rave reviews. The lamb chops and roasted chicken also delighted our taste buds, and we wrapped up with their delightful tiramisu. Barbalu truly made our graduation celebration special. Special thank you to Adriana and the staff for great service.

Salty, bland, and overpriced for small portions with slow service. Ambiance exuded PE-backed…read more"upscale Italian" restaurant that had no soul. I had the short rib ragu; the pasta was al dente but the sauce was lackluster - way too salty yet still bland and 1-note. Meat was tender but wish there was more. Portions were tiny for a $28 pasta. House bread was stale. Overall, not the worst if you have $60 to spare for dinner and eat a bite somewhere else beforehand. Ambiance is strange: hard uncomfortable wooden chairs and tables complemented by a florescent half empty deli counter.

I've been back multiple times since my first visit and always get the Reginette and another pasta…read moredepending on my mood for our entrees. We came for dinner today and got lucky because the Sunday only special (Chicken Parm) was available so we ordered that and I decided to switch up my usual to the Spaghetti. My boyfriend loved the Chicken Parm and it comes on top of Vodka Pappardelle which was also delicious and the Spaghetti wasn't too heavy even though it was cream based. I wish they sold the Vodka pasta separately as an entree because I would order that as an entree on my next visit. Another fabulous dinner at Ammazzacaffe!

- good service - good drinks…read more- small portions - all the dishes were had were good - nice courtyard

So delicious! The sardines, the drinks, the tagliatelle was incredible, and the lobster ravioli was…read morea delight. Service was very sweet and fantastic experience overall.

Piccola Cucina Casa is a charming, modern restaurant, and overall I had a pleasant enough dinner,…read morebut there were enough small issues that the experience landed closer to average than exceptional for me. The first issue is the arrival setup. There is very little room to wait inside, aside from a small area near the entrance, so depending on how busy it is you may end up waiting outside. More awkwardly, there did not seem to be a dedicated host stationed at the front during our visit. The people handling seating were farther into the restaurant, so you have to walk partway through the dining room to figure out whom to speak with, only to then be directed back toward the entrance. It is a relatively minor design and operational issue, but it makes the arrival feel less polished than the room itself. The restaurant is otherwise attractive and has a lively, intimate feel. My cocktail was fine, but not particularly memorable. For dinner, I ordered the paccheri ai tre crostacei with langoustine, lobster and shrimp. The seafood itself was enjoyable, but the pasta struck me as undercooked rather than simply pleasantly al dente. The food also came out extremely quickly, to the point that the meal felt rushed. I cannot say whether the speed directly caused the pasta issue, but taken together, the pacing and the undercooked pasta made the dish feel as though it could have benefited from a little more time. A practical note about the dish: it is very much a shell-on preparation. There was shell with some of the lobster as well, so anyone who dislikes dealing with shells should know that before ordering. Also, although lobster is included in the description, I would not order this expecting a particularly generous amount of lobster. It is better thought of as a mixed shellfish pasta rather than a lobster-forward dish. We did not order appetizers, so I cannot pretend this was a comprehensive survey of the kitchen. That is one reason I would not make sweeping claims about the restaurant based on this meal alone. Nothing about the evening was disastrous. The restaurant is appealing, the meal was perfectly edible, and there were things to like. But between the awkward check-in setup, the rushed pacing, an unremarkable cocktail, and pasta that seemed undercooked, I also did not leave feeling that I had experienced something especially memorable. For me, this was a solid three-star dinner: pleasant and somewhat above average in atmosphere, but with enough execution and pacing issues that I would have difficulty rating the experience higher based on this visit.

Split the the zucchini blossoms with my partner, mozz, capers and cetara anchoivies were delicately…read morefried and delicious. An umami bomb in a very pleasant way. Oxtail pappardelle with a healthy dose of grana hit the spot. Just the right portion size. Black sea bass with corn puree, asparagus, roasted mushrooms, radishes, salsa verde was incredible. It's obvious there's talented people in the kitchen. Just go if you are in the fort greene area.

I recently had dinner with friends at Evelina and had a nice experience. We started with the…read morezucchini blossoms, which were okay, and the fritto misto, which was delicious. The calamari and shrimp were perfectly crispy, although I wish the portion included more than two shrimp. For drinks, I ordered the Lavinia, and it was excellent--a refreshing blend of tequila, lime, orange, and a nice touch of honey. For my entrée, I had the grilled pork chops, which were cooked perfectly. The pistachio gremolata added a unique burst of flavor that really elevated the dish. My friends ordered a variety of pasta dishes, which I tried and tasted good, and everyone enjoyed their meals. We ended with dessert and tried both the traditional tiramisu, which was very good, and the budino--a butterscotch pudding with pistachio gelato--which completely stole the show. It was absolutely amazing. Overall, a great dining experience, and I'd definitely return.

Great food and a really pleasant atmosphere. The service was friendly, and the dishes had a lot of…read morecharacter. I'd definitely come back and try more dishes next time.

I have been on a quest for tripe -Italian trippa specifically -and I have been through lots of…read morerestaurants in Manhattan and Brooklyn. And this one -by far -in terms of service, ambience, and especially food-is number one so far on my quest. Tripe was meaty and firm -not mushy wonderfully sauced. I will come here again.

3 stars. Overall, there were some genuinely good parts of the meal, although the experience was a…read morelittle uneven. I started with the fig jam, prosciutto, and gorgonzola appetizer. Overall it was good, but the combination needed better balance. The gorgonzola had a pretty aggressive bite, and paired with the saltiness of the prosciutto it became a little much. There were some greens underneath, and once I incorporated those into each bite, they mellowed everything out considerably. I actually think the greens needed to be treated as part of the dish rather than essentially garnish. For my entrée I had the special, a risotto with clams and octopus. The octopus was easily the best part. The clams were extremely small and pretty average, to the point that I'm not sure they added much to the dish at all. The risotto itself was also surprisingly bland and not particularly enjoyable on its own. Mixed with the octopus, however, it worked much better and became a genuinely enjoyable bite. That's ultimately where the dish felt a little uneven: the strongest component was carrying the rest of the plate rather than everything working together. Service was fine when I arrived, but became noticeably slower once the outdoor seating filled up. The restaurant has both indoor and outdoor sections, but appeared to have only two servers, with the hostess also serving and a barback supporting the operation. Once the patio got busy, most of the staff's attention shifted outside and the indoor dining room received considerably less attention. Nobody seemed lazy or inattentive individually. It simply looked understaffed for the number of tables they were trying to cover. One additional server during the busy period probably would have made a substantial difference. And, admittedly a minor thing, an Italian restaurant having limoncello but no amaretto was disappointing. Nothing here was terrible. The appetizer had good ideas, the octopus was quite good, and the meal had several enjoyable moments. The food and service were just inconsistent enough that I couldn't quite call it a strong three-star experience, but it was close. I'd put it around 2.75 stars, which I'm comfortable rounding to three.

I stopped in to Piccoli to grab a snack. I began with a grilled corn salad. The corn was grilled…read morejust right as were the peppers. My main was Black Spaghetti with Shrimp and Chorizo. This was really delicious. My server Taylor was a sweetheart. I'm not giving five stars for two reasons. The space is anything but beautiful. and my $18 glass of Super Tuscan red wine was pretty bad. I'll be back!

Lilia has been on my Brooklyn bucket list for a long time, and I finally got to try it -- and…read morehonestly, it was incredible. Of course, we did what we always do; showed up without a reservation haha... It was packed, and the hostess told us the was no way they could seat us. Defeated, we went outside ans sat on a bench trying to figure out our next move. Then the unimaginable happened. One of the people running the floor passed us outside, started chatting with us, and said, "let me double-check". A few minutes later, he came back and got us a table! He make sure we understood that we only had it for a short window bc they needed it back at a certain time -- but we got at least hour and a half to enjoy it so we were THRILLED. To us that was more than enough. He really went out of his way to make it happen, and honestly wish I remembered his name so I could give him the credit he deserves. And the service from there was outstanding. Even though we knew we had a time restriction, we never felt rushed or hurried for a second. Everything felt relaxed, attentive, and perfectly paced, which made them whole experience even better. Once we sat down, we started ordering as quickly as possible. The grilled clams were insanely good -- flavorful and with just the right little kick. The Nduja & sungold tomato toast was surprise favorite. The tomatoes were so juicy, and the flavors were perfectly balanced. Simple, but SO good. The little gem salad was fresh, crunchy and exactly what we needed in between all the richer dishes. For pastas, I had the mafaldini with parmigiano, one of their signatures, and it was delicious. BUT... I have to give the win to my husband's pick, rigatoni alla diavola. I know they are completely different dishes, and Im usually a white-sauce kind of girl, but there was something about that bold, spicy flavor that just HIT THE SPOT. And dessert... The vanilla soft serve gelato and the warm rasberry tart together were the perfect combination -- creamy, warm, fruity, and just the right way to finish our lucky dinner. Lilia was absolutely worth the wait and definitely lived up to the hype. Another Brooklyn spot checked off the list -- and one I'd happily go back to.

I managed to get a reservation for 4 at 6:30pm when my friends were visiting. I'm not sure why this…read moreplace is so hyped because I found the experience to be good, but definitely absolutely not worth having to snag a resy not at 9pm via priority notify. For starters: the bread was good (hard to mess up though?) the squash was fine, and I wish the tomatoes had been heirloom or thicker cut. For mains: the sheep's milk agnolotti was not for me, it was oddly sweet, I'm honestly not sure why it's so popular. The rigatoni and gnocchi were very good - the rigatoni was perfectly al dente paired with good flavor and the texture of the gnocchi was perfect. Highly recommend ordering these. Dessert: they definitely don't skimp on the dessert, we each got our own but the gelato options were definitely shareable. They also had amaro options which I always appreciate but didn't get this time. The space was a little cramped indoors though that didn't bother me as much as the temperature. It was a really hot summer day and I don't think they had air conditioning? Or if they did it definitely was not at an ideal temperature as I didn't feel like there was much air circulation.

Overall rating: 4.8…read more Admittedly I was expecting to hate this place. There were so many positive reviews and TikToks, it's hard not to think it's overrated. When I went, it's very small. Seats at max 10 maybe less. Being a single person, it was hard to seat me. But they sat me at a table of 4 and told me if the two seater opens up they'll move me. They were very transparent which I loved. When a couple came, they said they're seating with me and I was fine with it. No complaints. The artichokes were just okay, but the lobster ravioli was delicious. My only point or two off is when they asked for water they didn't give any options. So with the question I said still water. They served it and it was sparkling. I should have said something but I chickened out. And then! I realize everyone around me is drinking tap water! I didn't know that was an option wish that was clear. Will definitely come back when I'm craving lobster ravioli.

This cute little Italian restaurant is pretty awesome in a quiet little neighborhood. The staff was…read moresuper nice and made the vibe feel like a chill place to hangout and enjoy your meal. I got the cacio e pepe which was great. The fresh cracked pepper and the pasta was very fresh and more al dente the way I liked it. This place takes cash only so make sure you have some on you to pay.

my experience at Bamonte's was amazing!! the food, environment and service was 10/10 here. my…read moresister was dairy free and they catered to her preferences and never forgot about it! the bread, chicken parm, eggplant parm and pasta was amazing! the prosciutto and cheese here was of quality too.

Oh the old school thrill of an old school beauty of an establishment like Bamonte's!…read more I just love this place so much! I can't say enough great things about the decor the ambience and imagining all of the past goings on in this restaurant. It's been watching over Brooklyn for well over 100 years now! That in itself is a Herculean feat! From what I was told it was very popular with the mob as they say... And that's why the kitchen which is at the very back of the restaurant has full glass windows so that you can see exactly what's going on in there. I guess some of these mob guys were paranoid and rightly so consider considering their history. I arrived with my friend on a Wednesday evening about 6 PM and there were some scattered tables but by 7 PM it was mobbed (pun intended ) in there!! our waiter was affable and patient and a quite enjoyable fellow. As a sidenote, you will not find any female servers they are all male which l lends to the old school vibe in my opinion. My friend ordered the lamb chops with broccoli Rabe. He enjoyed them but did mention that though they had great flavor one of them was slightly tough... It happens... My meal was pasta with Bolognese sauce with a dollop of fresh ricotta on top. It was delicious actually the sauce was excellent. I would've liked to have a different pasta shape but they did not have it. No biggie. I could really say the food was very good but it was not excellent but for me that was not an issue as I fell in love with the place itself. The service was excellent and the ambience was fantastic! I would definitely return again and I highly recommend it if you have never been you must at least go one time!!

Love it here. Amazing carbonara. Jose was so great to us! This will always be one of my favorite…read morespots

Incredible Food, Gorgeous Vibe, and Unmatched Hospitality Thanks to Emre!…read moreIf you want an authentic Italian dining experience in NYC that hits every single mark, Olio e Più in the West Village is the place to be. Between the charming patio wrapped in greenery, the bustling open kitchen, and the incredible rustic aroma of wood-fired dishes, the entire vibe is 10/10. While the food and ambience were phenomenal, Emre made the whole experience unforgettable! Emre was beyond awesome--super friendly, attentive, and offered incredible recommendations that made our meal next-level. Exceptional hospitality like Emre's is what turns a great dinner into a favorite memory.