Il Buco Ristorante

This restaurant is a classic in Barrie. It has been open for few years now and every time I go, I find some new things on the menu and some of the signature dishes still available. I was there on Saturday before Easter and what is constant with this restaurant is the good quality of food. The ambience is always good and the service is excellent. This place has become a traditional place in Barrie! It has such a nice lake view and it has its own charm. Normally I always order Beef carpaccio as an appetizer and I’m never disappointed!

There's a reason why this place has such a high rating. We drove through Barrie on a snowy night, it wasn't very busy there. But they still brought their A game, the food was as good as anything we've had in Toronto. We had the seabass a special that night, and the pappardelle with mushroom and truffle sauce. The fish was cooked well, tasted juicy and flavourful and the veggies on the side seasoned well. The pasta had a heavy truffle smell, and at most places that's it. But here they created such a delicious taste that we were frankly quite surprised. The server was always smiling and friendly, and while I think the place was understaffed that night I didn't feel I waited long for anything. And the food came in lightning speed. Would come here again for sure.

This Italian restaurant situated in Downtown Barrie was one I have wanted to review for a while. Recently, after many unanswered phone calls, I finally got through and reserved a table for a Friday night. I was told we had to be finished by a certain hour as the table was booked after us. When I arrived I was greeted and offered a table without asking if I had a reservation. The restaurant had many empty tables. The restaurant decor also looked quite dated. Wine bottles lined almost every knee wall in the restaurant. The waiter that served us was polite, knowledgeable and efficient. I opted for the special that night of Lamb Shank. The service began with some bread and a hummus dip. Definitely out of place for an Italian restaurant. The lamb Shank was a good portion and excellent. The Seafood pasta was good, but not a s good as a rival restaurant in the downtown core. When it came time for desert the waiter said the tiramisu was good as, to paraphrase his words, this was an ITALIAN restaurant. Sadly the tiramisu was awful and I could not finish its. It was served in a GLASS like a ice cream sundae which I imagine was the idea of the same person who thought hummus would go well in and Italian restaurant. The other desserts of a raspberry truffle was as good as anything I could get in a supermarket. Worth a try as is other Italian restaurants in the area. If they are sear sing the lamb shank, go for it. In fact it was one of the best I have had and would recommend they make it a staple on the menu as that would be the only reason I would go back.

Hands down the best penne a la vodka ever. Our waitress Leslie was amazing. We asked if they had burchetta because we didn't see it on the menu she said not a problem we can make it for you. Over the top service and food was absolutely worth every bite.Food: 5/5

Great food, ambiance and view of the water. Had the Enrico's famous garlic very rich and creamy and the house special: creamy risotto in a bisque - also delicious. My partner had the Veal Contadina. Veggies were a little undercooked, meat cooked well and the sauce was tasty but not unique. Recommend if you're visiting Barrie.

Beautiful dining venue with a patio overlooking the Bay. Nice menu selection and offerings. My food order was amazingly delicious and prices were reasonable. Ordered beef carpaccio and spicy pasta. Coffee was bold and flavourful. Will return to this restaurant to try other offerings.

Lovely little Italian restaurant in downtown Barrie. Good selection of dishes, vegetarian and gluten free options, entrees reasonably priced in the $20-30 range. Typically three seatings in the evening @ 5, 6:30 & 8. Thankfully, we had an 8:00 reservation, as we had a nice, leisurely meal and didn't leave until well after 10. Vegetarian options: Several vegetarian dishes one the menu Dietary restrictions: Gluten free pasta available

So happy we found this spot in Barrie. One of the best Italian dining experiences I’ve had including Toronto or Vaughan. Love the vibe and the staff was extremely helpful and friendly! The pappardelle funghi is phenomenal- a must try! Enrico’s famous garlic is one of the most unique apps we’ve had and you must get it. Overall, a great experience and can’t wait to come back.

Very good restaurant with an excellent view and good service. Just my friend didnt like recommend pasta of the day.

I arrived early before my friends arrived. Waitress made me 2 drinks while I waited. Very well done. Friends arrive and we are seated for our 7:30 reservation. Great atmosphere, nice ambience and we ordered appetizers and I ordered the Lasagna. It came 5 minutes later after my friends were served which made it lukewarm. Taste was ok but I wasn't blown away. Price was reasonable at $18 and it tasted like an $18 Lasagna. Dessert was a taramasu, nice again, not incredible. When it was time for the bill the Waitress arrived with 1 bill and we were confused especially since I had even asked "can we get our bills please". She was miffed and bewildered that I had questioned "why is it on 1 bill when I asked for a separate bill". Even accused me of being angry about the situation which I wasn't, just confused by why she was giving me grief over something that can easily be fixed. When she stormed off to separate the bills even we looked at each other like "why did that have to be awkward?" It's disappointing because the same lady who served us was a great server up until the very end. She was also the one that made me my cocktails earlier. I left her a 15% tip but didn't feel comfortable about doing that as she single handedly put a damper on my evening. My overall impression is that it's a reasonably priced Italian restaurant with satisfactory food. Even my friend who ordered the steak said the steak didn't taste that good. The server staff need to be aware that it's not customary for the patrons to let the server know before they even order whether it'll be on 1 bill or separate. It's their job to ask when the bill is requested, how everyone would like to pay. We're not breaking out our calculators and saying who owes what and go through the hassle of dividing the bill up. It's her job. Overall this dining experience for me was underwhelming and my rating is more than fair. I wouldn't recommend this place. The drinks were the only good experience.