Babbo Ristorante

I have been to Babbo 4 times. Each time was of the same top quality that everyone knows they can expect from Mario Batali. I am totally baffled by the people who are leaving bad review for this place. The wait staff are attentive & unbelievably knowledgable about the food & wine. And then, there is the food...incredible! True, getting a reservation is not as fun, but worth it! Just takes a little planning in advance.

You may pay for it, but it was worth it. Table at the appointed time; excellent service and wine stewards; incredible food that makes one want to come back.

I took my parents to Babbo this weekend. Considering the difficulty of obtaining a reservation, I expected a little bit better.

We each had the pasta tasting menu. There were certainly highlights: the second course, a ravioli filled with beets and smoked ricotta, was outstanding. In addition, a price of $69 for an 8-course tasting (5 pasta courses, 3 desserts) is hard to beat.

However, while all the pastas were very good, the menu was hardly inventive: a short-rib-stuffed pasta w/ tomato sauce? pasta bologenese?

The desserts were also very good, but not outstanding and not terribly inventive: a goat cheese fritter, a chocolate panna cotta...

As many people have remarked, service was sub-par. The waiters were not rude so much as rushed, and the timing of the dishes across the tasting menu was increasingly hurried.