Scaddabush Italian Kitchen & Bar Barrie — Restaurant in Barrie

The eclectic decor. A scratch kitchen. Enthusiastic and knowledgeable staff and servers. All things that tip the scale in favour of choosing this restaurant as your next dining spot.

A few details: we came prepared to sample and share a number of dishes, knowing we’d be bagging up the leftovers to take home.

We started with the calamari, at suggestion of our exceptional server Jessica (see photo). It was a great recommendation! Note: platter would easily feed 3-4 as an appetizer. The rosemary French fries sounded too good to pass up, so we ordered them too. They were tasty, but lacked enough rosemary to deliver that taste punch we expected. Maybe drizzling an infused oil might help? For our mains, it was ravioli for hubby, and chicken parm for me. See photos! Taste explosion in EVERY. SINGLE. BITE! Would highly recommend these hearty and delicious choices. We asked, before leaving, to taste the house mozzarella. It was very good and extra creamy. It went into the takeout bag, too, as we wanted to leave room for dessert. We finished with the pistachio gelato and mascarpone cheesecake. Generous helpings for both…two could share either dish.

In closing: our server made all the difference. Thank you, Jessica! This kitchen literally makes everything from scratch, in house, and fresh as you please. And you can taste it!

Browse the photos. Ask staff for recommendations…they’ve sampled the dishes and know their stuff. There are 3-4 distinct seating areas: the bar, the main dining room, a covered verandah, and also the outdoor patio. On our sunny luncheon visit, of the 4 spaces the patio was busy, and the dining room too!

Last things: delicious food. Shareable, if you’re a light eater, because all dishes served us were generous in portion. Music gets louder as the day turns into evening, so if you want to linger, chat and extend your visit, don’t sit under the larger speakers! There are happy hour specials on offer too.

Highly, highly recommend this...

Staff were very friendly. Food was fantastic. Our server was Trinity and she was great, very friendly and knowledgeable. A+ service from her as our server. Jocelyn was the cheese maker and she was fun and friendly and explained to us exactly how she makes the fresh mozzarella and why its made that way. Its a nice "extra" and the kids enjoyed it. Two things I feel could be improved on: food sits in what I believe is the cold food window far too long. No one seems to be watching times on the food at the front right corner of the kitchen closest to the washrooms (not the main line, but to the right of the cheese station). Our server was busy with other tables but plenty of other servers walked past multiple dishes ready to be served without as second glance. First with our appetizer and again with our kids desserts. The desserts sat in the window almost 10 minutes. I don't feel they have a good handle on food running, nor is there an expediter responsible for those ticket times. Overall the food took too long to come out (even the mains), which was the same experience I had on my last visit. Secondly, there are too many tables too close together. You're literally sitting on top of each other. I understand the restaurant is new and busy but when youre packed in like a sardine it takes away from the overall experience. The servers couldn't even get through certain areas with food or dishes. Thanks for great service Trinity and Jocelyn, we...

We came to Scaddabush to celebrate our friends’ wedding—just the four of us—and I was absolutely blown away by the experience. From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere was warm and welcoming, but what truly set the tone was our incredible server, Kate.

Kate is the definition of service excellence. She didn’t just serve us—she connected with us. Her genuine love for what she does truly shines through. It felt like we had a good friend at our table, not just a server. Her attention to detail, her extensive knowledge of the menu, and the way she navigated our experience was absolutely spot-on.

She even took the time to have us visit the kitchen, where we were shown how their famous mozzarella is prepared—an absolute must-try! The gentleman preparing it was so kind and passionate, walking us through each step of the process with such pride and care.

Now, the food… perfection doesn’t even begin to cover it—and I can be a tough critic. Everything was fresh, flavorful, and piping hot. Not a single thing was out of place. The presentation was beautiful, and every bite was like tasting something crafted with true care and expertise.

This was, without a doubt, one of the most memorable dining experiences my wife and I have ever had. Huge thanks again to Kate for making our celebration with friends such a special one. We’ll absolutely be back—and I highly recommend Scaddabush to anyone who values top-tier food...