The Italian BarrelGreat place to enjoy an amazing meaNot only was the food excellent but the service was too. Although, I wouldn't consider this a family restaurant the wait staff was totally into serving my Down syndrome child. All in all, a wonderful experience and I cannot express how delicious all the food was.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMSmall place. Big time experienceWith a small dining area, the Italian Barrel at first feels cramped but that quickly gives way to an intimate dining experience. The food is delicious and our waiter paired us with a terrific wine. Overall the experience was excellent and I would gladly dine there with friends again.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMThe night ended with a bad tasteThe food was wonderful -- ravolii with mushrooms and truffles, sea bass with tomatoes, leeks, mushrooms. Both wonderful.But when I asked for hot tea to end the delightful dinner, I was told "The chef doesn't offer tea. It's not Italian."' Well, neither are tomatoes; they are Mexican. So while my husband had his American post-dinner coffee (originally Ethiopia to Egypt), I stewed without my tea.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of our favorite restaurants....One of our favorite restaurants....best Italian in the city!5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMIntimate and delicious!Wonderful Italian food! The restaurant is small and there are some tables outside, but reservations would be advised. Some of the best homemade pasta and veal I've had!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Find!Our first time here for a birthday celebration with friends and it was outstanding. We had reservations and were seated promptly. The service and food was excellent. The restaurant is small and quaint. We highly recommend The Italian Barrel for a fine dinning experience.
We will be back!5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat Meal!Had the Italia app, bufala mozzarella was excellent. Husband had the Veal Osso Bocu..wonderful melt in your mouth. I had the Penne Alla Vodka, rose vodka sauce with lots of fresh jumbo crab meat, so good! It is a tiny place. We went around 5pm, early but plenty of elbow room. I imagine it would be very "close and loud " if all the tables were full. Would definitely go back.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMauthentic, amazing, off beaten pathI almost don't want to admit how amazing this place was b/c i feel like it's a secret spot and I don't want everyone to know about it--- but if you appreciate and understand true, authentic italian cuisine and have been searching for it on the gulf coast, then you HAVE to try this place.
Imported meats and cheese, handmade pasta. you walk through the door and feel like you are eating in a hidden neighborhood osteria in northern italy.
keep in mind, really small tables. must have a reservation, very tiny place.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMMy third time there, firstMy third time there, first for dinner. As on the two earlier occasions, the food and service were both excellent. A welcome change from creole & cajun food!5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMgreat place great food greatgreat place great food great service most of the time.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMA NOLA favoriteWe came across The Italian Barrel a year ago on a visit to Nola and had such a wonderful experience that we had to go again this year. And we were not disappointed. We had a great meal. Absolutely love this little gem of a restaurant!!5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMFABULOUS!!!!THE FOOD AND SERVICE ARE EXCELLENT! HIGHLY RECOMMEND IT!!!! BE SURE TO MAKE RESERVATIONS, AS IT IS A POPULAR PLACE.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMA real gem of a small restaurantWhat a gem of a small restaurant ! Very cozy, with well prepared Italian dishes with fresh ingredients and nice presentations. Would definitely recommend to others.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMI can't guess how many timesI can't guess how many times I have walked by and never considered this place. Good reviews on Open Table and Tripadvisor finally got me to try it. My wife and I split the sea bass and the fettucini crema dishes. Both were excellent. We could not find a chardonnay to our taste, but did very well with a sauvignon blanc that was quite reasonably priced. Service was friendly but professional and the information the waiter provided exactly matched the food presented. It is small, it is crowded (even at 11PM on a Saturday) but it is worth the trip.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMFood is fabulous. Very authenticFood is fabulous. Very authentic Italian. Had pasta and gnocchi at our table and both melted in my mouth. Service was friendly and personal without being over the top. Place is teeny so make reservations.4/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstandingThe best Italian in New Orleans, I would recommend this to everyone and I intend to make my way through everything on the menu!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMNot a typical French QuarterNot a typical French Quarter restaurant, The Italian Barrel never fails to please. It's a quiet, charming, cozy, romantic little gem in the upper Quarter. Food is always delicious and portions are ample enough for sharing. Can't go wrong here.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place with an intimateGreat place with an intimate setting. The food was simple and pure.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding Food, Cute Place!Absolutely LOVED this restaurant. I travel a lot and Italian restaurants are always on the find. 4 nights in NOLA and we ate here twice, it was that good! The veal, tomato, goat cheese soup OUTSTANDING! Veal Parmigiana was amazing. This had to be one of the best Italian restaurants we have ever eaten in. This is a very small restaurant, seats about 25 indoors and about the same outdoors. Make sure to make a reservation. Highly recommended!4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThe diningroom is small andThe diningroom is small and a large group was scheduled so... We sat at the bar and met some interesting people, had good service and delicious food.4/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI had the truffle ravioli,I had the truffle ravioli, which was outstanding. Nice wine by the glass.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMA pleasant diversion in NOLA.It's a lovely restaurant with a variety of dishes. The ingredients are very fresh and that is quite noticeable. The wine list seems to be perfectly matched with the food selections.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was very good. IThe food was very good. I enjoyed the simplistic approach to the Northern Italian menu. My only problem was that the food was extremely overpriced for the quality and cuisine. I got a special entree, a filet of sea bass with sauteed spinach and cherry tomatoes with a white wine and garlic reduction, and it was $42. I had no idea it would that expensive until I received the check; I did not inquire about the cost. While it was cooked perfectly and tasted wonderful, I found it hard to happily pay $42. I eat at fine-dining establishments frequently enough to understand pricing, but did not understand the need for such an expensively priced dish. I will go back, though, because the food was definitely good.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMLove, Love LOVE!!!We discovered The Italian Barrel on a previous trip to New Orleans in December and were delighted to find it! Dined there twice then, and only had time for one dinner this trip. The service is always excellent, but the food is the reason to be there. Simply outstanding in every way!4/2/2013 12:00:00 AMLike being in Italia - AuthenticLoved the Braseola and the Mushroom Truffle Ravioli. Real authentic Italian. I will come back!3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was good, but notThe food was good, but not what we had expected. For the price and the acclaim we were hoping for more. The gnocchi and pasta were pre-bought, we wanted home-made, which is not hard to do. Other than that the flavor of the food was spot on, the atmosphere was great, and the service wasn't bad.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMMy family and I had a deliciousMy family and I had a delicious meal. The food was carefully prepared and served. The clams and linguini were wonderful and the seabass was out of this world.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMWell, although the food andWell, although the food and service were both very good, my husband and I were a bit underwhelmed with this restaurant. We are NOLA regulars and had been anxious for quite some time to try this place. The biggest mistake we made coming with a party of 6. The restaurant, though authentic and nice, was way too small to comfortably accommodate our tight table. The sea bass was fresh and lovely, the pasta dishes were divine, and the cheese plate was outstanding. However, the veal that my husband ordered was average. And the polenta appetizer was not good at all. If we return, my husband and I will go by ourselves and sit at the bar, where food appeared to be routinely served, and order chammpagne coctails and the cheese plate. Yum!3/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food but seating isGreat food but seating is tight. Reservations are a must.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMYum, again.Our second trip, delicious again. Adam, our server was perfectly attentive again.
The food took a bit longer to come out this time, but not annoyingly long.
The cheese tray had a better selection this time. Gnocchi and veal chop were delish.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for a late (9PM) dinnerWe went for a late (9PM) dinner and the place was packed. The tables next to ours were a little too close, so it was hard not to overhear the conversations around us. The food was delicious! They served hot bread with a dipping olive oil/balsamic vinegar, and brought us more when we asked for it. We had a tomato basil soup and mozzarella caprese salad, and they were both excellent. The entrees: filet mignon with lump crab meat medium rare (slightly overcooked but still tender and good) and an arrabiata spaghetti dish (very good). I requested for them to replace the sauteed potatoes with spinach and they still brought the potatoes. When they realized the mistake, they brought a spinach side for free. Dessert impeccable. Wine perfect.3/21/2013 12:00:00 AMThe barrel in ever fails to impressThe barrel never fails. Great meal. One of the Mrs's and I go to spots.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMHad a great dinner -- theHad a great dinner -- the appetizer of Bufala Black Truffle was superb, both the filet (Tagliata manzo) and Mushroom Truffle Ravioli were outstanding, and the Tiramisu was simply delicious. Had a bottle of Il Ducale (blend of Sangiovese, Cab, Syrah) which was fabulous as well. Would go there again in a heart beat.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMI took my friend here forI took my friend here for her birthday, and had made a reservation online prior and explained that I was on crutches, unfortunately. I was greeted instantly upon walking in the door, wherein it was explained that the table closet to the door had been reserved for us, along with the wall so that I could place my crutches against it. Yay! The food was phenomenal, my friend did not expect quite the fanciness that I had already planned out. You made her special day a memorable one!3/13/2013 12:00:00 AMOur 2nd trip to the ItalianOur 2nd trip to the Italian Barrel. Fantastic meal once again. This is now on our "required" dining list when in New Orleans.3/7/2013 12:00:00 AMWe normally eat at Irene'sWe normally eat at Irene's Cuisine but weren't able to get a table. We decided to try The Italian Barrel. We stayed at the Le Richieleu hotel just up the street so it was very convenient. The restaurant is very small - there are maybe 5 seats at the bar and perhaps seats inside for 30. They put a few tables out front which almost doubles the capacity. Tables are tight but we love the ambiance. We split a pasta entree for an appetizer (Fettuccine Crema). We then had a veal scallopini special and the Veal Osso buco. Everything was excellent including the service. Can't say enough good about this restaurant!1/1/0001 4:00:00 PM