Barbatella — Restaurant in Naples

I recently visited Barbatella with my family and unfortunately, our dining experience turned out to be extremely disappointing and discriminatory. Upon our arrival, we were shocked and saddened to learn that the staff at the restaurant seemed to discriminate against us based on the assumption that our children would be loud and disruptive.

The host told me that I could be seated, but we have to stay quiet because they will have a show.

As a parent, I understand the need for restaurants to maintain a peaceful ambiance for all guests. However, it is unacceptable to discriminate against families with children based purely on preconceived notions. A restaurant should find ways to accommodate families rather than ostracize and exclude them.

What disappointed us even more was the lack of empathy and understanding from the staff. This kind of treatment left us feeling humiliated and disrespected.

Restaurants should strive to treat all customers equally, regardless of their age or background. Discrimination in any form has no place in the hospitality industry, and it is disheartening to encounter such behavior.

I hope that by sharing my experience, Barbatella can reflect upon their discriminatory practices and take steps to create a more inclusive and welcoming environment for all patrons. It is crucial for establishments to understand that families with children deserve the same level of respect and consideration as any other guest.

In conclusion, I strongly advise against visiting Barbatella if you are a family with children. The discriminatory treatment we experienced tarnished what could have been an otherwise enjoyable...

Ordered calamari, eggplant parm, and a diavola pizza for apps. The calamari had mostly breaded artichokes, maybe ten pieces of calamari. They were good but ridiculously small portion. The eggplant parm was the smallest portion I have ever been served anywhere. Trying to compare it to something.. it would be like a small apricot cut in half. Tasted great but there was nothing there. The diavola comes out and it’s a pepperoni pizza. I question the server, “I thought it was a diavola?” He replies that it is. I ask him where the spicy salami is, he says, “The pepperoni is spicy.” 🤨

My husband and I figured they can’t mess up a salad so we ordered Caesar salads with chicken breast. They were inedible. Limp, soggy lettuce, overdressed and so stale, our forks wouldn’t even go through it. The chicken was dry and had herbs on it that no Italian would ever put on chicken. Really gross. We are both first generation Italian. When the server came back, he saw our full plates, didn’t bother asking if there was anything wrong with it, so I told him they were not edible. He says, “Oh, okay”, and walks away with our dishes. Our kids ordered dessert. You’d think he’d comp one or both. Nope. $316 for a terrible meal and two glasses on mediocre wine, priced over $20/glass

Lastly, the patio was packed and they had no music playing for us. Weird vibe for a restaurant. I looked for speakers and I’m not sure they even have any out there.

I never took pictures because I only take photos of delicious or well-presented dishes, and these were neither. I also never leave negative reviews but here I am.

We will never go back. Very...

My sister and I decided to book a reservation after 8 on a Wednesday to have some wine and dessert. We are born and raised in Naples and decided to try Barbatella for the first time since one of my work clients gave me a gift card as thanks. We were seated and waited at least 10 minutes until a server came over. When he came with our drinks, I informed him that we were going to have drinks and dessert. He made a face and never came back. Instead, a woman came to take our order and to inform us that they did not appreciate us making a reservation for just dessert and that they would honor it this time, but they were very busy and next time they would not accommodate us.

Here's the thing that blows my mind, the dessert is pretty much the same price as an entrée and the wine we were drinking was $18 a glass. I believe our bill would have been very similar in price if we had ordered just an entrée with no dessert. They were also not busy at all since it was late on a week night.

It completely ruined the mood for us and made us feel unwelcomed. We frequently order drinks and dessert at the French, Hob Knob, etc and have never been met with hostility. It really sunk in for us when two young girls in swim suits were sat next to us, ordered a pizza and waters and were treated properly. We are taking Barbatella off our list and will spread the word about the poor management...