Barbarella Bar

I was excited for this new Italian flare added to Stephen Avenue, this is close enough from my work so I visited a few times already. The ambiance is contemporary, lots of sitting options and I like the bar situated right in the middle, I ordered the linguine which is my favourite, and it didn’t disappoint me, portioned just right for single serving and I love the hint of citrusy yuzu. I like their truffle fries as well and the pizza which is half off during happy hour. I feel like I’m having the taste of Italian coast of Capri, but I didn’t like the calamari, I thought it’s a little salty and too small portion for $16, and the calamari were thicker although it’s tender.

First off service was amazing! Very attentive and knowledgeable and everything came very fast despite how busy it was. Food and drinks were also very good but I thought the calamari plate was a little small. The place also had a very nice vibe/atmosphere but the music was a little loud. It was a little expensive but it was worth it. Expect to spend at least 100$ for 2 people if you buy drinks. I plan to come back and try some other interesting looking dishes.

Great experience overall—but food could be improved! 1 The good: we had several servers and they were all really great, so thank you for that. The ricotta dishes were bomb: the ricotta toast and ricotta ravioli... we could have had way more of those! The place was beautiful and a nice place to spend a Friday night. 2 Not-so-good: A lot of the dishes tasted really one note. Especially the tomato hazelnut dip; kinda tasted like canned tomato sauce. Hazelnuts seemed like an afterthought to make it look fancy. The shrimp was recommended by the server, but it was disappointing. The shrimp were not crunchy and fresh. The dish said it included sausage, but we definitely didn't get any—only tons of beans as filler. The banana fritters were not good; they were doughy and the dish was extremely sweet, we barely ate this. The cocktails could also be improved, especially at that price point $16-18. They recommended the Tomato Tomahto, but it also fell flat; tasted like one flavour—apple cider vinegar.

We liked this restaurant very much! Ambiance is amazing, service was spot on, great recommendations and the food was really good, portions were good too. I’m rating this restaurant with 4 stars because the cocktails are a bit pricey, the calamari portion was too small for the price, the Tomato Hazelnut dip needed a bit of flavour and more bread on the side, also as an Italian restaurant please offer a generous bread portion with the meals. I will return to this restaurant again because my family of 5 love their pasta dishes very much!

Great Italian food at this new restaurant inspired by the Amalfi Coast. Very loud but energetic vibe. Service was great. I loved the pasta and the prawns best but everything was pretty good.Food: 4/5

Came here for new years to grab a snack. The atmosphere has nice ambiance and classy music. We got marinated olives $6, focaccia bread $4, and prosciutto $14. The prosciutto has 30 years aged cheese — so fragrance . The olives were so so seems like the purple olives were more tender and cooked than the green olives which were tougher and perhaps undercook since they stuck to the leaves.

Giving the star for the interior design. Music was way too loud, food was by far the worst food I’ve ever had in Calgary. Every dish was bland with no flavour. If you want flavour, this isn’t the restaurant. Instead of a ball of burrata cheese, it was a slice, not even enough to spread on the bread. The most flavour we had all evening was the butter on the bread. Service was also almost non existent by the waiter. Honestly for a Concorde group restaurant, this was so disappointing and waste of money when it was $100 without alcohol.

Finally made it here came here for lunch and the service was good, food was delicious. The atmosphere is really nice and we got our food in a timely matter. Would highly recommend the Campanelle, was super tasty! Fries weren't as good as Major Tom. The Cavetelli reminded me of the Rigatoni at Major Tom as well. The steak tartare was delicious, enjoyed the crunchy bits on top.

This review is based on 4 visits during lunch, happy hour and dinner time. 1 A first great experience at BB. Very energetic vibe with some great cocktails including the "ground control". We enjoyed very much all the dishes we ordered - the crispy artichokes, prosciutto, beet salad, warm cauliflower - at the exception of the ordinary Bolognese cavatelli. Looking forward to our next visit! 2 The happy hour rocks! Fav pizzas: the Calabrese and the Tomato + cheese to spread 3 The main issue of this restaurant is none of the main dishes is within the standards of a top restaurant in the city. The linguine, trout and chicken puttanesca same polenta with olives were just not good. When the best main dish is the burger, it definitely doesn't qualify as a high-end restaurant.

Great ambience, upscale and welcoming vibe. I was out of luck scoring a same week reservation in the dining room, however we were able to be seated in the bustling and stylish lounge within 30 min on a Friday evening. The cocktails are creative and cater to many tastes, from the boozy to the fruity, we had a great time with the server’s recommendations . The small plates, and crudo dishes were a great start, and I was surprised by the generous portions. I would recommend the hamachi crudo, and steak tartare to start. This place also offers shaved truffle, and it was an absolutely perfect add on to our pasta dish. I will return just for this.

Directions to Barbarella Bar with public transportation

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