Barbara Pinseria & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in San Francisco

IG: eatgosee A random walk-in turned out to be one of the highlight meals of my stay in San Francisco. To be clear, this is not fine dining and it’s not the best of each dish I’ve ever had but there’s a charm about Barbara Pinseria which made for an enjoyable early dinner.

It’s vibrant bright decor punches from across the street through its vast stretching windows evoking a sophisticated, modernised American diner feel with monochrome, tall wooden bar stools (low seating tables available) and bright reds. It’s a fun place to eat or diligently drink you’re way through its cocktail menu. A clear Italian theme runs through the menu so we opted for Aperol Spritz which arrived with its signature bright colour and light fresh taste that struck that Goldilocks balance of being neither too sweet nor dry.

The burrata dish is restrained and kudos for the simplicity to serve this milky cheesy dish simply with crunchy toast and marinated plum tomatoes and a light pour of olive oil. It’s a strong starter and should be a compulsory order.

The roasted brussel sprouts with balsamic and lemon zest is enjoyable and could also double as a side dish to be shared in a group. The kitchen could be more liberal with the lemon zest here as the bitter green vegetable Brussels sprouts and sweet balsamic run the show.

The gorgonzola, pear, honey and walnut pizza might be divisive among people however from me this is a very classic and perfect dish that celebrates the creamy and subtle blue cheese flavour of the Gorgonzola period nicely with sweeter elements such as the pair and honey. My only issue this stage? I think the base and the pizza could’ve been cooked a little bit longer. This is not because it was raw or soft is just because I think that additional crunch and caramelisation of the pair would have taken this from being a good dish to a great dish. There is really my mind no substitute for a crunchy pizza where is this is feeling a little bit more like a flatbread.

Barbara is a reliable venue for couples, small families and groups of people getting together over drinks to catch up. You could easily bring a group of six here and have a good time.

When I come back here again? Absolutely! The service here is attentive and friendly without being smothering. The food is handpicking some of the more esoteric but signature Italian food items (with some exceptions on the menu) and I will come back here again simply just to make my way through an Aperol spritz or...

Came here with my family for dinner. It was our first time catching up in a while and we were looking for a place that took reservations and had food that was kid-friendly, and Barbara's fit the bill. Pinsa? Absolutely. And as luck would have, it was already on my Want To Go list too.

Food: The food was excellent. Our group shared the marinated warm olives and frittura di calamari & gamberi, then my partner and I shared the pera & gorgonzola pinsa and bucatini amatriciana. Everything we had was excellent; based off the empty plates all around, everyone else enjoyed their meals as well.

Ambiance: Upon arriving, there was loud music playing which made it more challenging for conversation, but they turned it down after a while (not sure if someone gave them feedback on that or if they had just been amping up for the dinner rush). The restaurant and bar areas started to fill throughout the evenings, but there were always spare tables around so it never felt too overwhelmingly full of people. I want to say the experience didn't feel rushed, but hold off for the rest of the review. Overall it was a fun, lively environment.

Service: My review here is divided. The front of house staff was okay, but could have been friendlier to customers in general (I had observed them with other customers as well). The server we had was great; he was friendly and was able to answer any questions we had, though he set the expectation upfront that it was better to order everything all at once than bit by bit. The staff who collected the empty dishes weren't unfriendly, but they certainly took away from the experience to the point of annoyance. Definitely more than once, we had to ask them not to take dishes away that we weren't done with yet, mid-taking away - excuse me, there's still food left on those plates. Even when we were leaving, rather than waiting for us to leave, they already crowded around the already tight table space to whisk away the last dishes and napkins, which made it even more difficult to us to leave. It's worth noting that the reservation calendar event default to 1.5h and we were still within that timeframe.

Overall it was a good experience, especially the food, but the details and final impressions (it seems like other reviewers have had issues with the service too?) are what keep me from giving 5...

This is the second Pinsa I have ever had in my life after being a Pizza Elitist/ Self Diagnosed Pizza Expert for the past 35 years and hailing from San Francisco itself - NOT some outlying area. Listen here, I am an OG San Francisco Native who has been to New York. And Italy. I would like to profess that I know a thing or two about Pizza. Especially San Francisco Pizza as I have now tried 72 Pizza Places in the Greatest City of All Time since May 2022 alone.

Given that my expertise in Pinsa is new - I can tell you that overlooking Pinsa or not taking Pisa seriously is strictly a personal problem and you are committing a crime against your pallet, your taste buds and your understanding of the fine craft of Pizza if you overlook Pinsa. Barbara, Barbara, Barbara. Babs. Fantastic Romanian Style Pinsa. It is hard to explain Pinsa right now but if you know, you know. Superior to Pizzetta, Grandma Style and even Chicago Style to me. Only Neapolitan and Detroit Style do I favor over Pinsa... however... Pinsa actually is basically as good as Neapolitan. Some could argue that it is better and if you use Barbara Pinseria as an example of how that is possible, you are making a sensible decision to support your argument.

You may want to consider lining up on the corner of Barbara Pinseria with signs and stage a Protest against people who refuse to try Pinsa in lieu of positively impacting their life by doing so at Barbara Pinseria. Barbara, Barbara, Barbara. Babs. Great...