Barbican Pasta Bar — Restaurant in Plymouth

I ate at the Barbican Pasta Bar today with my partner; I was quite excited because I love pasta. We walked in and were immediately unsure if we should sit ourselves down or if we should wait for someone, so we awkwardly stood at the door until someone sat us down. We were sat next to the door and I immediately noticed that there were around 10-15 flies flying around the food and customers being a general nuisance. I know this is because the doors were open as it was a hot day but, as I work in a restaurant myself, I know that having so many flies in the restaurant is extremely unhygenic, invest in some better air conditioning in your restaurant rather than risk your customers health. We then ordered our drinks with a male server who was not particularly friendly, but courteous. I ordered some water as I was very thirsty and while my boyfriend got plenty of ice with his coke I got very little, so I had to drink my warm water and then ordered another coke afterwards. When our starters (very promptly) arrived we noticed a very large moth on the wall next to me, which our server very kindly removed for me. But that brought attention to all of the cobwebs all over the restaurant, they were in all the corners and hanging off of the light fittings. This restaurant really needs a good clean, as if front of house looks like this then how clean can the kitchen be? The starters were not spectacular but weren't bad, I ate the grilled halloumi and my partner had the chicken goujons. Then our mains arrived and while my pasta, the pollo e funghi, was fine, my partners burger was extremely overcooked and chewy; he had to smother it in ketchup for it to be edible. Shortly after we had started our main I noted that their ceiling fan and light fittings were also caked with dust, they later turned on the fan after we had finished our meals, thank God, because I didn't want any of that stuff getting on my food! We had also noted throughout our meal that the restaurant was over-staffed, so we were constantly being watched and it was uncomfortable for us, making us feel, frankly, unwelcome. Overall this experience for us was uncomfortable and pretty sub-par in the end, with only the speed of which our food was arriving being particularly positive. We will not be...

After hearing so much of positive recommendations I had my first visit to the Barbican Pasta bar. I was pretty excited for this meal as two of my friends who dined with them very recently also told me it will be great. So five of us went in to have a nice Italian meal. Restaurant has a different vibe to it in comparison to the other restaurants in the Barbican, a lovely atmosphere to have a nice meal. Although can’t say the same about the service. I ordered the Lamb shank originally and the young waitress (Jiselle) came to me and said that they don’t have lamb, and I politely asked her whether I can get the same dish with chicken. She very rudely pointed the menu at me and asked me what you want from this. I wasn’t sure whether it was her way of talking or whether she was racist at first, so I let it pass even though it really ruined my mood. Then we were waiting for food and I accidentally spilled water on the table, The same waitress looked at me and our table , saw this and looked away and didn’t even bother to bring me some tissues.

The other waitress who was attending to another table saw this and she brought me tissues very promptly. It was very kind of her. The food was okay, I wouldn’t say it was extraordinary, but alright. Portion sizes are good and representation was on point. More than the main dishes the desserts were heavenly. Would highly recommend the desserts. After our meal, when we told to bring the bill the young waitress brought the bill and just when we were about to pay I noticed that they’ve charged me for the Lamb shank and not the chicken dish I ended up having. When I pointed this out the waitress very casually said she will get it adjusted, as if it was my fault. Didn’t even bother to say sorry.

Two of our friends visited the location just two days ago and two Asian servers had served them and they had a delightful first experience. Due to this experience we decided to go there again. I don’t think any of us will dine here again. Even if the food is great, it is the service that matters. More than anything, I felt a bit of racism in the air by the looks and the treatment we got. Customer service is key, and all customers despite their colour should be treated and...

My 7 year old had a desire for lasagne at lunch time as we walked around the Barbican and we came across the Pasta Bar. The menu looked reasonable so in the 4 of us ventured. The plates on the tables around us looked appealing so it started promising. The lady who served us was efficient, pleasant and talkative...big tick there. The first dish to arrive was the lasagne in a kids portion which was perfect. Very tasty and the 7 year old was happy...good sign. The cheese burger for the five year old looked big and given that he had never finished more than half a burger before, to see three quarters get eaten was another good sign. I tasted the other quarter and it seema a little dry and charred for my liking but he liked it so...happy days...and that is where the accolades cease.

I had the pork medallions and bruschetta. The bruschetta was tasty but a bit under seasoned and seemed to have been prepared some time before we received it. The pork medallions however...were unpleasant to say the least. Chewy and rubbery as if it had been microwaved...the aroma seemed to match the first conclusion. The creamy sauce was tastless and every thing was under seasoned. Devoid of any real taste...where is the wine and garlic in the sauce? My partner had the charred chicken caeser salad. I think they delivered the charcoal and forgot to bring the chicken. Dry and over cooked. When the server takes back plates of half finished food...does this not ring alarm bells? My main regret was not ordering the pasta as what was being delivered to other tables look very good. All in all not a complete disaster as my kids were satisfied. I would try again, but stick the...