35 years ago, I was taken to Barbetta for the first time by none other than Hector Boiardi, the Chef Boy-ar-dee, the face that you see on the labels. Mr. Boiardi considered Barbetta to be the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy. After 35 years of visiting Barbetta on a regular basis, I confidently write that it still is the best Italian restaurant outside of Italy.
Traditional Piemontese dishes, many of which have been served in the restaurant since it opened nearly a century ago, rub shoulders with newer creations, all of them authentically Italian in philosophy and flavor.
Barbetta also has an incredible wine cellar, arguably unsurpassed in New York City, if not the entire USA.
The decor is elegant, and the service equally so. The garden in the back is a romantic bit of heaven, the one place that one can eat outdoors in Manhattan and forget that one is in the middle of New York City.
Barbetta is not inexpensive, but one gets full value for every dollar invested. The pre-theatre Prix Fixe menu is a bargain at the price.
One of my personal top 5!
