Babbo
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Located on a picturesque tree-lined street in the West Village, Babbo is a warm and welcoming beacon, especially on the cold and rainy night that we went. Outside, it appears quiet and quaint, like a small European tavern, but inside it is a vibrant and bustling restaurant. Jazz music plays at a surprisingly-loud, yet not unpleasant, volume. Servers and busboys pass by with serious intent, though it never feels out of control. A small bar in the front is filled with both bar patrons and dining tables. Further back, the main dining room is centered around a circular table with a huge flower centerpiece and several well-spaced but cozy dining tables line the walls on either side. Upstairs is a larger, more traditional dining room with even more tables though, personally, I preferred the downstairs. Overall, the décor is simple, yet elegant, beautiful, but not fussy. Think lots of dark wood and crisp white linens. Lighting is atmospheric but still light enough to read the menu. It reminded me of being at a very wealthy relative's house for the Holidays.
Atmosphere
Located on a picturesque tree-lined street in the West Village, Babbo is a warm and welcoming beacon, especially on the cold and rainy night that we went. Outside, it appears quiet and quaint, like a small European tavern, but inside it is a vibrant and bustling restaurant. Jazz music plays at a surprisingly-loud, yet not unpleasant, volume. Servers and busboys pass by with serious intent, though it never feels out of control. A small bar in the front is filled with both bar patrons and dining tables. Further back, the main dining room is centered around a circular table with a huge flower centerpiece and several well-spaced but cozy dining tables line the walls on either side. Upstairs is a larger, more traditional dining room with even more tables though, personally, I preferred the downstairs. Overall, the décor is simple, yet elegant, beautiful, but not fussy. Think lots of dark wood and crisp white linens. Lighting is atmospheric but still light enough to read the menu. It reminded me of being at a very wealthy relative's house for the Holidays.
Service
Because we stopped by without reservations we were seated in the bar where, FYI, two tables are always kept for walk-ins.* Our server was extremely busy so we had several people taking care of us, from the manager to the hostess but, that said, we were never left unattended. Sure, it would have been better to have a server who could be a little more personable but, all said and done, the service was excellent. Questions were answered knowledgeably, olive oil was brought promptly, water was refilled often, food came out at perfect intervals, and the table was 'crumbed' with a spoon, a technique that I had never seen before. All good.
Because Babbo is so popular, reservations are taken a month in advance and go very quickly. You can get on the phone immediately at 10:30am and keep dialing until you get through, or you can do what we did and just pop in and ask for a table, you may get lucky. If you do that, our advice is to go early. Babbo does not take reservations online.
Because Babbo is so popular, reservations are taken a month in advance and go very quickly. You can get on the phone immediately at 10:30am and keep dialing until you get through, or you can do what we did and just pop in and ask for a table, you may get lucky. If you do that, our advice is to go early. Babbo does not take reservations online.
Food
Babbo offers several different tasting menus, a pasta tasting, a 7-course tasting and, on this night, a porcini tasting. However, since we were there on a whim, we decided to go a la carte. Before ordering, canapes of chickpea crostinis were brought to the table, which were very nice. Also, spongy white bread with a thick, slightly burnt crust. Besides the tiny bit of burnt, the bread was excellent. It's served without butter or oil, but the busboy did not seemed surprised when we asked for olive oil. Several tables around us had done the same.
The menu is seasonal and offers several exciting and unique options. To start, we had a salad of raw Nantucket Bay Scallops ($19) with fennel, orange, and olive oil that was both refreshing and interesting. The scallops were amazingly fresh and the fennel and orange added a nice bite of sweetness and sharpness. Also as a starter, we had an amazing lamb's tongue ($13) sauteed with chanterelle mushrooms and cream, and placed over a small arugula salad, with a perfect four-minute egg. The tongue was succulent and rich with cream and mushrooms, and the arugula had a slight tang of vinaigrette. The egg oozed out perfectly over the top. Delicious!
Next was a beef cheek and squab liver ravioli ($23) that was wonderfully house-made and perfectly al dente. The sauce, again, rich and decadent with cream and truffles. Fresh cheese was grated at the table. With that, we also had lamb chops ($29), perfectly charred on the outside, with sunchokes and onions, and a lemon-yogurt sauce. The onions were soft and caramelized, giving the dish a nice sweet contrast to the meat, and the yogurt offered a bit of creamy tartness. The only criticism I can give is that the chops were not cooked consistently, one would be well done, the other medium rare. But, overall, it was a really wonderful dish.
For dessert, we chose a petite dark chocolate hazelnut cake ($12) that was very dense and moist. Inside, bits of orange rind gave it a nice fruity and slightly bitter bite. The cake came with a scoop of hazelnut gelato and a little chocolate and orange sauce on the plate. The dessert may have been a tiny bit too sweet for us, but that didn't stop us from eating all of it. Coffee was earthy and strong and served with a very creative sugar box complete with rock-sugar stirrers. After the meal, a small dish of biscotti, baci, and meringue petit fours was brought to the table.
Babbo also has an excellent wine list with options ranging from the very-reasonable to the unimaginatively-expensive. I had a Maker's Mark on the rocks ($11).
The menu is seasonal and offers several exciting and unique options. To start, we had a salad of raw Nantucket Bay Scallops ($19) with fennel, orange, and olive oil that was both refreshing and interesting. The scallops were amazingly fresh and the fennel and orange added a nice bite of sweetness and sharpness. Also as a starter, we had an amazing lamb's tongue ($13) sauteed with chanterelle mushrooms and cream, and placed over a small arugula salad, with a perfect four-minute egg. The tongue was succulent and rich with cream and mushrooms, and the arugula had a slight tang of vinaigrette. The egg oozed out perfectly over the top. Delicious!
Next was a beef cheek and squab liver ravioli ($23) that was wonderfully house-made and perfectly al dente. The sauce, again, rich and decadent with cream and truffles. Fresh cheese was grated at the table. With that, we also had lamb chops ($29), perfectly charred on the outside, with sunchokes and onions, and a lemon-yogurt sauce. The onions were soft and caramelized, giving the dish a nice sweet contrast to the meat, and the yogurt offered a bit of creamy tartness. The only criticism I can give is that the chops were not cooked consistently, one would be well done, the other medium rare. But, overall, it was a really wonderful dish.
For dessert, we chose a petite dark chocolate hazelnut cake ($12) that was very dense and moist. Inside, bits of orange rind gave it a nice fruity and slightly bitter bite. The cake came with a scoop of hazelnut gelato and a little chocolate and orange sauce on the plate. The dessert may have been a tiny bit too sweet for us, but that didn't stop us from eating all of it. Coffee was earthy and strong and served with a very creative sugar box complete with rock-sugar stirrers. After the meal, a small dish of biscotti, baci, and meringue petit fours was brought to the table.
Babbo also has an excellent wine list with options ranging from the very-reasonable to the unimaginatively-expensive. I had a Maker's Mark on the rocks ($11).
Cleanliness
Immaculate. The bathrooms were nice too, done in Tuscan-style and very well-attended.
Pros
Beautiful setting, fantastic food, efficient service.
Cons
Service could have been more personable. Bread a tiny bit burnt.
