Baraonda Cafe Italiano

We took a group of 10 to Baronda, expecting a nice meal, as one of our group, a native Italian, considers it his favorite Italian restaurant in Atlanta. That may well in itself, speak sadly to the state of Italian restaurants in my hometown (4th generation). The service was OK, especially as they chose to sit our group in the bar, not the restaurant. The food was also, no more than OK. My wife's 'steamed' mussels were served cold. My NY strip steak was quite possibly as bad a piece of meat as I have ever been served, and was inedible. This restaurant will do fine due to its proximity to the Fox Theater, but rest assured I will resist any future efforts to put this on our list of places worth our time or money. more

I absolutely love Italian food, and Baraonda never lets me down. The seasonal menu keeps things exciting and makes me try new dishes (I tend to order the same thing at my favorite restaurants). Their brick oven pizza is superb - very light and flavorful! I also love their pastas...I highly recommend the bolognese. The atmosphere is very warm and the service is impeccable. I have gotten an Italian server several times, and he is quite charming and very knowledgeable about the food and wine. It tends to get really loud when the dining room is at full capacity, so I prefer to go Monday-Wednesday, or sit outside if the weather allows. This is a great spot to grab dinner before going to a show at the Fox. You need to try it out!! more

I love their brick oven pizza. I went there before a show at the fox last week, and it was incredible. Great service, the pizza was on our table before we knew it, and it was delicious. Try the proscuitto and aruluga pizza, it's the bomb!! more

We ate here last night with before we went to a show at the fox, and my husband and I were VERY happy with the pizza. We haven't had pizza like this in a while, we got the proscuitto pizza with parm, and arugula, we both cleaned our plates before we left. It was very busy though and we had to wait a little before getting seated, but we both loved it and will be back again. more

As like most nights my husband and I were meeting some friends for a night on the town. Occassion, to celebrate a friends birthday. We decided the main event would be Jazz @ Churchill Grounds and elected to eat here because it was in walking distance to the venue. I've driven past this place on numerous occassions and thought it appeared somewhat quaint so I was jazzed to have finally gotten an opportunity to eat here. My husband elected to order the featured dish (some pork dish w/roasted potatoes) and I ordered Veal Scallopini. For starters we were disenchanted with the fact that for such a restaurant we would have expected hot fresh baked Italian bread. What we actually received was an old precut Italian loaf that no one dared to eat. When the food did arrive the veal on my plate was cold but the mushrooms (not portabella, which was what the menu suggested) in marsala sauce were hot. Back to the kitchen it goes. In an attempt to keep from ruining the dining experience for the rest of the group I sat in silence waiting on a dish to return that at this point I had completely lost interest in. My husband then leans over and says he has chipped his tooth on something in his featured pork dish. ....making a long story short. This was absolutely the worse dining experience of my life. The service was lousy, the food was mediocre and what should have been maybe a $80.00 dining experience will more than likely cost us close to $1000 as a result of the trip to the dentist. Man it's getting more and more expensive to eat in this town!!! more

Try the Pizza Prosciutto di Parma! Best Pizza in town. This is a regular restaurant for me and I always enjoyed the food. more

I LOVE going to this place before going to a show at the fox. My husband and I go everytime we see a show at the fox and they always make sure we're out in time. You got to try the Pruscuitto Pizza, it's the best one on the menu. more

went here before the ron white show at the fox. i do not live in town and i am not familiar with the restaurants in the city. this place was next to the fox; so i figured it would be good as any other place. we ( my husband and another couple) walked into a very crowded restaurant. there was so much energy and everyone was bustling around so i thought maybe they will be able to get us in. we were told it would be about a 30 minute wait and to get drinks at teh bar, which is exactly what we did. the bar too was packed but i guess this is to be expected when you are so close to the fox. we got our drinks and then waited about 20 minutes before our name was called. we were taken to another room that looked like a wine cellar. the pace was a little slower in this room which made it easier for the 4 of us to chat. we informed our server that we were in a pinch for time. she was very kind in guiding us what to order so that we could get to the show on time. to save on time, we all ordered pizza. WOW! it was so yummy, just like what i had in naples. i will make a special trip back into the city when i have time to really enjoy the evening and not be in a rush. i really want to try the carpaccio and their seafood linguini. do not let the crowd scare you off (i almost did). the staff is very nice and professional. i could tell they had done this before and knew how to handle the crowd. great job baraonda! this country girl looks forward to seeing you soon! more

Being Italian I am pretty picky about my Italian food, but Baraonda never lets me down. La pizza e' buonissima!! you have to try it, people there are friendly and accomodating too, but this pizza is not a ""wannabe"" it's Pros: Pizza more

This place has a great staff, actually quite a few of them and they are all nice. Pros: great food Cons: a little pricey more

Baraonda is a chic hot spot for Italian cuisine located next to the Fox Theater. The food is excellent, and the service is even better. Our waiter Clint did a wonderful job. He has a very dynamic and engaging personality and is a fantastic waiter. I frequently dine out in the Atlanta area and consider myself to be a foodie. I've been going to Baraonda for years and will continue to do so for the delicious food and stellar service. Pros: Great, quick service Cons: Crowded at show times at the Fox (to be expected) more

Randomly tried this spot on a date night, we now go back every few weeks. Love it! Pros: excellent food, comfortable atmosphere, excellent service! Cons: Parking can be an issue more

Tried this Italian restaurant as it was close to Fox theater and we had an 8 PM show. Service was good and food was delivered hot. This is not a fast food place, but it was not too slow either. One of us had the pasta and it was not done enough even for him; usually it is overdone to him in other restaurants. I had the fried seafood sampler of fish, shrimp, calamari, and scallops. It was pretty tasty. The appetizers of minestrone soup and brushetta were good as well as an order of marinated olives. We also had a beet salad with goat cheese and pecans (menu said walnuts) that was great! Pros: Great location if attending the Fox or visiting the midtown area. Validate parking across street in deck on side street. more

I go to Baraonda more than probably any other restaurant. It is far and away the best food for the money in Atlanta, the atmosphere is great, and late seating is a huge plus. I do, however, always find the service to be subpar at night (although it's great at lunch). My girlfriend and I have come to accept it and actually laugh about it. Granted, we do go in around 9:30 for dinner, a time when the staff is probably concentrating more on starting to close the place down than on customer service; but we have literally never had a server stop by voluntarily after taking our entree order until it's time for the check (not that it really matters- the food is always perfect). All in all, Baraonda is 5 star food and 2 star service at a 3 star price, and I'll take that any day. Pros: Incredible value Cons: Poor late night service more

I've been dining at Baraonda for years - even had my rehearsal dinner there in 2002. They cooked dishes for my rehearsal dinner that I requested - off the menu. Love them :) Pros: Authentic pizza Cons: Music is a bit loud more

Well, we went there with an after work group of ladies (about 10 of us) before going to the Fox. We all ordered appetizers and entrees and drinks and things at different times and quantities and sharing and special requests, etc. Our table was chaos, but the waitress was great, we sure kept her hoppin! The food was excellent, a real Italian treat! Then we all mixed up how we wanted to pay, and left in phases, but the waitress kept up with us still! We will be there again soon! Pros: Great Food; Great Service Cons: Loud, loud, loud and crowded (but fun) more

What more could you ask for? I have had the pizza and pasta here and loved both. The wine selection is extensive and tasty. My boyfriend and I continuously go back and the friends we have brought with us loved it also. Valet parking is available as well. The location is also in a very trendy spot on Peachtree St. which makes it convenient if you are coming from the Fox or other venues or clubs in Midtown. The atmosphere captures the essence of a true Italian restaurant and provides a very cozy and laidback ambience. Also, the service was very friendly and consistent. I highly recommend giving this place a shot and you will surely love it. Pros: Food, wine, service, atmosphere. Cons: Not really much parking if you don't want valet. more

This is a cool low key chilled spot. We sat out on the patio and had dinner while watching the NBA Playoffs on TV. I really enjoyed the Halibut speical they offered on Saturday night. The service was great and I Iook forward to my next visit. Pros: Ambience, Food, Service Cons: Parking more

I recently went to a comedy show at the fox with a small group of people on Sunday and ate here. I was eager to taste some of their food after I checked their menu online. When we arrived there was a few people waiting in the lobby so I worried if they would be able to accommodate our party. Luckily one of the managers called our name and told us that he had a table waiting in the private dining room. I was glad that he put us in the private dining room because I wanted to sit somewhere calmer because there were so many people drinking and waiting on the other side... and I felt like VIP. The room set the mood with dim lighting, nice music, and candles all around. I had a few questions about some of the words that were on the menu and about some of the plates which my waiter quickly answered by detailing their creations. I wish I could have tried them all! Our appetizers came out lightning fast and I felt that as soon as I made a decision for another drink one of the waiters was always reading my mind. I decided to go with the special lobster ravioli for my entree. The portion was great considering we had appetizers and the ravioli was delicious with of course some fresh parmesan cheese! We also shared a tiramisu as our dessert because it was the waiters favorite and he informed us it was home made! The food was exquisite and punctual, the service was exclusive and attentive, and the atmosphere was excellent! A great recommend if you plan on attending the fox or just want some delicious Italian cooking catered for the VIP in you ;-). Pros: Food, Service, Atmosphere Cons: Slight wait when there is an event at the fox more

Once again I had a great dinner at Baraonda. I discovered its authentic Italian recipes two years ago. My friend Gina, a real Italian, told me about the outstanding pizzas and I went and try pizza Margherita. It was love at first bite. l encourage anyone passionate about Italian food to give this place a try. The entire staff seems to want you to have a great time enjoying their food. They take pride in the menu and will advise if you're unsure, suggest wines if you ask. My last visit was last week right before a show at the fox theatre. Two managers were always discreetly checking tables and moving around like in a dance. The all stuff was dancing. It was beautiful to watch them. The food is out of this world. The menu is simple. The soups was delicious. (Zucchini, potato and cream...O.M.God!). Beside the soup, that changes everyday, I recommend the penne salsicia and salad gorgonzola. What I really love about Baraonda is the combination of excellent food and perfect environment. This is a casual Italian yet very comfortable restaurant right in the hearth of Midtown with validated parking right across the street. (We all know the pains of parking in Midtown :) . I'd gladly bring my parents, business partners, a first date, or good old friends. JUST TRY IT Pros: Validated parking available, Cuisine, Price Cons: Peachtree street is crazy, No catering available, No Brunch available more