Babbo

Mario Batali is a behemoth in New York City dining, and his Italian restaurant Babbo is a perennial favorite among pasta lovers. Rightly so. It would not be unreasonable to assert that Babbo’s pasta dishes have no peer in New York City—except, possibly, Batali’s other great Italian restaurant, Del Posto.

Unlike Del Posto, however, Babbo is homey, casual and also a little frenetic—there is booming music until late at night. It creates a fun, high-energy atmosphere, which is appropriate in that the food is similarly lacking in understatement. Indeed, it is often described as opting for “go for the gut” excess.

There are two tasting menus, a pasta and a traditional, and we recommend ordering the pasta tasting menu on your first visit, as it is the most persuasive brief for Babbo's merits. Have the sommelier select something from their very fine, predominantly Italian wine list or pair wines with the dishes. For more regular diners, there are trademark dishes that never leave the menu and constantly changing, innovative new ones for the adventurous. Batali uses the best local ingredients and imports where necessary, crafting dishes of striking power and exuberance.  Babbo is an ingenious blend of the past and future, traditional and modern, and one of the gems of New York City dining.