Ristorante San Barnaba - Parma

I seldom give mediocre reviews, but the food was in fact mediocre. We started with the gnocchi with mushrooms; the dumplings were better than average, but the p... read more I seldom give mediocre reviews, but the food was in fact mediocre. We started with the gnocchi with mushrooms; the dumplings were better than average, but the porcini mushrooms looked and tasted like they were canned. There was also a fair bit of ground beef in the sauce (actually more than mushrooms), which was not mentioned in the menu. Second dish was fettuccine with octopus, pasta was not flavorful, and had virtually no sauce but the octopus pieces were very well cooked and tender. On to the service, which deserves one star (which is what my companion would have left had she been writing this review). After we ordered, it was difficult to get the waiter 's attention. He would walk around the restaurant looking down, avoiding all eye contact. We also ordered the branzino scallopini, but the waiter forgot to put the order in, so after finishing the pastas and waiting for half an hour we were finally able to flag him down and were told it wasn 't coming. Other diners had come in after us, eaten and left by this point. To cut our losses we decided to order tiramisu to split, which was a mistake. First the waiter couldn 't understand we wanted one desert and two plates, he kept saying due tiramisu . When it finally came (he spent 10 minutes making coffees for other customers first) it was one plate, we had to raise our voices to get his attention again for a second plate. The lady fingers were very small, in a single layer on the plate (though with a good coffee flavor) and smothered in a a thick layer of loose yellowish custard. It was sweet, but like everything else, only average. The meal came to €54 with a $17 bottle of Chardonnay. On a side note the table next to us ordered lamb chops on the bone, it came so over cooked that there was zero pink left. The diner complained to her companion but ate the dish in resignation anyway. I would have sent it back. I chose this restaurant because it had five stars, which is rare, but in truth it doesn 't deserve them if they 're going to put out average food and poor service. It may have been an off night for the restaurant, but it was still a poor experience. I sent this text to my companion for approval and she agreed it was fair and to the point.

Perfect dinner. Between 5 of us, we had 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 3 desserts, 2 botttles of wine, and limoncello all for €157. Excellent price for 5 of us. Servi... read more Perfect dinner. Between 5 of us, we had 2 appetizers, 3 entrees, 3 desserts, 2 botttles of wine, and limoncello all for €157. Excellent price for 5 of us. Service was above and beyond. The server knew exactly what we wanted and pretty much ordered for us. He also brought out the desserts for us. (Best tiramisu ever). Location is walking distance from the railway so very easy access.

Now here is a place we could eat every night! The service had to be the best we had in our 2 week stay in Italy. We hit 10 cities and a ton of restaurants and t... read more Now here is a place we could eat every night! The service had to be the best we had in our 2 week stay in Italy. We hit 10 cities and a ton of restaurants and this one stands out as one of the best. Not only was the service outstanding but the food was top notch! We had a wonderful meal and the staff made us feel like family. Once we were almost done, the owner came up with this large ceramic cooking dish full of risotto, which we had not ordered. He offered us some and of course we accepted. With one bite I was sold! Then I looked at my family and realized that they had the same reaction. Simply put, I was full and still ate all of it, it was amazing. I wanted more and had no place to fit it. When we got the bill it was not on it and they just wanted us to have a great experience with them. This is exactly the Italian experience we were looking for. We made reservations through their web site and suggest it to anyone visiting (PS never chose the first reservation, in Italy they treat dinner like a family affair/dining experience and are not in a rush). We loved it!

Great Food, great service, great wine in a relaxed atmosphere. Price was very reasonable as well. read more Great Food, great service, great wine in a relaxed atmosphere. Price was very reasonable as well.

We came across this restaurant on our travels from Florence to Como. What a find. Fabulous neighborhood restaurant. Pasquale the owner will take good care of yo... read more We came across this restaurant on our travels from Florence to Como. What a find. Fabulous neighborhood restaurant. Pasquale the owner will take good care of you. Parma ham and Parmesan cheese was excellent! All entrees were great. Highly recommend.