Barbalu serves Italian fare and favorites stone's throw away from where we live. So it was just…read morebefitting to give our neighborhood restaurant a try. We came here after a World Cup match between England and Norway. Of course, England won, and we were festive. We were slightly late to our reservation without any problem. We were promptly seated, and to our surprise, the restaurant was actually bigger than how it looks from outside. We started with fried calamari and shrimp with marinara sauce and a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc. For the main entree, I selected traditional lasagna verde with three meat Ragù and Bechamel, while my partner chose homemade fettuccine al Ragù with pork and beef. We had a wonderful dinner here. The food was all delicious and came in timely fashion. We will definitely come back here to try the other dishes on their menu.

Grazie! Grazie! Grazie! Special thanks to Adriana for her…read morehospitality and ensuring that our experience was worth the visit. Another special thank you to our amazing waiter, Alejandro. He did not miss a beat and if anything slipped past him, it was swiftly corrected. And lastly, to the chef! Thank you for your culinary creativity shown in each specially crafted dish. Starters: Fried calamari and shrimp- this was a good start although missing a little flavor to the batter but it was good nonetheless. Whipped burrata-this was delicious but it could have been even better with some more of the delicious house bread that we were offered upon arrival. Drinks: Balsamic peach spritz (not pictured) the graduate's favorite drink of the day! She raved about it the entire time. Aperol spritz- very refreshing with a beautiful citrus twist! I loved it. Old fashioned- my boyfriend throughly enjoyed this classic drink. Entrees: Oven roasted branzino- AMAZING! The cook on the branzino was perfect and the broccolini and mini carrots added a beautiful crunch to my experience. I could have taken another order to go. My boyfriend had the house ravioli which was salmon and after taking one bite, I can attest that it was INCREDIBLY delicious! Everyone else thoroughly enjoyed their meals: Ribeye steak Lamb chops with spinach mashed potatoes Lamb chops with roasted potatoes Roasted Chicken Rustichella We ended the celebration with dessert: Olive oil cake- not too sweet and fluffy. Tiramisu- sinfully good! Overall, we had an incredible dining experience and would highly recommend it.

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!

I thought we were just going out for dinner…read more Then we walked through Ammazzacaffè and discovered the back patio, and I realized Mom had apparently made us reservations in a secret Brooklyn garden. There are three rows of long wooden picnic-style tables, big umbrellas, greenery everywhere and an ivy-covered wall surrounding the space. It feels relaxed and communal but still has a lovely casual elegance. I could absolutely see a group taking over one of these tables for a birthday or special occasion. More importantly, dogs are invited. I was immediately offered a water bowl and settled comfortably under the table to begin my duties as the evening's culinary supervisor. Mom and Dad started with the Pork Belly Spiedini. I watched it arrive. I moved closer. I made eye contact. I placed one paw gently on Mom's leg. I feel I communicated my intentions quite clearly. Apparently, we have very different communication styles. Mom then ordered the Agnolotti, which arrived covered in enough cheese to get my attention from floor level, along with an Amaro Soda. Dad had the Tagliata steak and fries with an Old Fashioned. Yes. Steak. At one point I was literally sitting underneath a table containing pork belly, pasta AND steak. Please refer to the photographic evidence of my working conditions. The humans declared everything delicious. I can personally confirm that everything smelled delicious, which is apparently the extent of my participation in restaurant reviewing now. And then came dessert. Tiramisu. Did I receive tiramisu? No. Did I stare at it professionally? Yes. Despite the deeply concerning food-sharing policies within my own family, I loved Ammazzacaffè. The beautiful garden patio, relaxed atmosphere and genuinely dog-friendly welcome make this exactly the kind of Brooklyn restaurant where the humans can have a great dinner while I happily hang out with them. Dogba's verdict: 5 paws out of 5. Secret garden patio: exceptional Personal water service: appreciated Mom's pasta: apparently excellent Dad ordering steak within sniffing distance: unnecessarily cruel Pork belly allocation to Dogba: under investigation Tiramisu allocation: I don't want to talk about it Would return. Preferably with humans who understand the concept of sharing.

Amazing atmosphere. Small and delightful. Very cozy and authentic. Service is A+ and the food is…read morefantastic! I had the wild bore pasta. Outstanding!

Piccola Cucina Casa Brooklyn delivers the rare kind of meal that makes you rethink what a…read moreneighborhood Italian spot can be. The room is small and romantic, homemade pasta hangs in the front window, and the whole evening felt less like dining out and more like being invited into someone's family table in Florence. We started with the fritto misto, a well executed mix of fried fish and vegetables, alongside an insalata caprese that let fresh tomatoes, burrata and basil speak for themselves. From there we went family style, which is really the only way to do it here. The bucatini cacio e pepe was as much performance as dish, mixed tableside directly in the cheese wheel. The fusilloni di Gragnano from Puglia paired scampi with burrata, cherry tomatoes and arugula for a bright, briny plate, while the tagliatelle verdi brought a rich wild boar ragu finished with fresh black truffle. The two standouts, though, were the agnolotti ossobuco with veal sauce and pecorino fondue rounded out with thyme and lemon, and the lasagna Bolognese. That lasagna, layered with meat ragu, tomato and bechamel, may be the best I have ever had. We paired the meal with a bottle of Salvioni 2022 Rosso di Montalcino, aromatic and beautifully matched to the food. The space is cozy and intimate rather than sprawling, so a reservation is a smart call. Everything else, from the food to the atmosphere to the sense that someone's nonna was cooking just for us, made this one of the most memorable meals in NYC. We would return without hesitation.

So a friend and I decided to dine out on a Tuesday, thinking that most places would be empty, well…read morenot EVELINA. We were able to snag an early seating at 6:30. Note: reservations are not required but definitely suggested!! This place was packed. Every table sat, but a few chairs at the bar. I give this place 5 stars, EVERYTHING was lovely! The dim lights, (I love a dark and moody restaurant) noise level, talk-able but good music in the background, food, drinks, service.... all of it TOP NOTCH. Let's get into the deets.... I ordered the Portia cocktail... if you like Mezcal, you should definitely try this one. Smoky and a little sweet, it was a delicious drink We order Pinsa Bianca for appetizers, the bread, roasted peppers and whipped ricotta all made for a light but delish start. We then dove into the rib-eye (for 2) DELICIOUS ! One of the best steaks outside of a steakhouse I have had. The marbling gave it great flavor, salted well and the perfect char on the outside, it was accompanied by French fries and broccolini. All a great addition; The broccolini was surprisingly not too bitter which was nice. To round it off we ordered their version of a Lemon tart! It was the perfect level of sweet and tart! Yummmo Overall a great place for dinner, run don't walk, you won't be disappointed! You'll thank me later

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.

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.

You can tell this is a staple Italian restaurant in Marine Park, Brooklyn. Lots of regulars and…read morefamilies. I always pass by and finally decided to try it out. The interior looks like a classic Italian restaurant and service is very formal. It was quite busy for a weekday night. There's valet parking so you don't have to stress about finding street parking nearby. We ordered fried calamari, baked clams, baked vodka penne, and the Fisherman's Platter. We were served bread and some antipasto to start. The calamari was a classic and I loved the sauce -- it had a good spicy kick to it. The baked clams were okay. The Fisherman's Platter is a must and good value with its generous portion of seafood. It can definitely be shared amongst two people. The baked vodka penne was also good but portion was on the smaller side. I would say Michael's is a must try at least once.

Cute and heartwarming authentic Italian restaurant on the 6th Ave! They offer some outside tables!…read moreWe were two people around 7pm, that spot is a hidden jam! It was lively :) They have some today's special menu you should definitely check out. Their wine list is awesome! & The beer came ice cold! We started the beet salad and grilled calamari- both are excellent!! The salad was so refreshing! Also grilled calamari was marinated with basil- flavorful with hint of lemon juice. I want to have them againnn! And we got the gnocchi with oil. It was rich and creamy, flavorful and peppery. We were so filled with happiness ･:*+.\(( °° ))/.:+ was already planning to come back xxxx there were only two servers who were working hard, friendly! Thank you so much!!

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.

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.

This is a place where everything is done well. Service was very good - our waitress was attentive…read moreand welcoming. Started with the Prosciutto- it had a good pairing of balsamic and parmigian butter. The sheep's milk agnolotti was definitely the highlight - the filling was slightly tangy since it is sheep's milk but that was a great balance to the creaminess. The mafaldini was topped with red peppercorn and the pasta had a good texture and chew. Finished off with the Vanilla gelato which was the perfect ending. Overall I would definitely come back here.

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!!