BarBara is described as a cozy, stylish spot with a warm vibe and a popular terrace, where the focaccia, burrata, arancini, and fresh pastas earn frequent praise along with a strong wine list and attentive, friendly staff. The food is often noted as delicious and well balanced, with sharing plates that suit groups, and several reviews highlight standout items like cacio e pepe and the daily focaccia. The atmosphere is a consistent draw, described as lively and charming, sometimes a bit loud, especially on weekends or on the terrace. Service and value receive mixed notes, with many experiences praising quick, cordial service and good value, while others report slow pacing, crowded spaces, higher prices for smaller portions, and occasional miscommunications or delays during peak hours. Overall BarBara is seen as a neighborhood favorite to visit for a meal, drinks, and good vibes, with many looking forward to return, even as a few visits suggest timing and crowd control can influence the experience.
I go regularly, & the service is always friendly.. The food is fresh, delicious 🤤, & consistent with great quality. The morning pastries are made by their pasty chef. Absolutely 💯 awesome. Love the matcha lattes.
Food was good (high quality, small portions) but service was not the best. We spent most of the night trying to get our waiters attention any time we wanted to order food/drinks. It's weird bc our plates were changed quickly after eating but our waiter was really no where to be found most of the night. Once our food arrived it looked like it had been sitting under a heating lamp for a long time - lukewarm in the middle. My latte arrived kinda cold. Wanted to order more but the kitchen was closed (which we werent informed before). Like everyone was polite but I think they are understaffed with servers. We loved the burrata & the tomato foccacia. They clearly use high quality ingredients bc the olive oil & tomatoes were delicious. Our beef onglet was perfectly cooked. Enjoyed the vermouth selection. We'd come back for sure but only if we have a lot of time to wait.
The food was really good I enjoyed everything I ate I just didn't enjoy the service as much as I would want to since our waiter messed up all of our receipts & ignored our table for 20 minutes
Over nice place but I wouldn't go when it's too busy
Little update from the next day: my friend actually got incredibly sick from the food, I don't like throwing the words food poisoning around but she had to call out of work today. So I lowered the review. I felt very icky after eating so I think there was something in the food that made us both feel ill.
Very cute spot. A few problems we encountered & why it's rated lower.
Our drinks were super foamy? I had an espresso martini with an inch of foam on it in a long cup too so when I sipped it, all I got was foam. The martini itself was okay too.
Second issue, the food was incredibly oily, my stomach started to hurt so I stopped eating & my friend has now informed me that her stomach is not doing well either a couple of hours after dinner. For the price, the food & drinks being that bad are a real problem, I will say the focaccia was delicious & would probably take an order to go.
The ambiance is gorgeous & very aesthetic, I saw a review talking about the music but I found it a good level to have a lively conversation. The staff were incredibly lovely, helpful, & knew when to come & speak to my friend & I. I would probably not come back as there are a lot of other spots to get the same food & drinks, done better.
I go every time I'm in Montreal, often just for a glass of wine. It's the perfect terrasse to sit & people watch. The staff are always so lovely & I've never had something there that I didn't love! 🫶
