Baci & Abbracci

(718) 599-6599

204 Grand St (nr. Bedford Ave.)
Brooklyn, NY 11211 40.7141 -73.9603

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Neighborhood: Williamsburg

BACIABBRACCINY.COM

Hours:

Mon-Thu, 5pm-11pm

Fri, 4pm-midnight

Sat, noon-midnight

Sun, noon-11pm

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.10.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining, Fine Dining, Brunch, Outdoor Dining, Date Spot

Cuisine:

Pizza, Italian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Baci & Abbracci

Featured Review

Liz Zack

Contributor

The Scene – With a big porthole cut out of the front door and mod, pendant light fixtures inside, this eatery stakes its claim among the neighborhood's chic dining spots. Attentive Italian-speaking waiters dressed in de rigeur black take your order, and a tall brick oven rises from the back. Flickering candles ensure that everyone looks their best. – – The Food – Refined Italian fare composes the menu: A mixed, grilled seafood appetizer is perfectly cooked; squash soup takes an interesting turn with the addition of shrimp; and trout comes flakey and generously…

Editor's Tips

Where to Sit:
If you're a party of two, ask for any table other than those next to the brick oven, which make you feel like you're sitting in a hallway.
What to Drink:
Start with a glass of sparkling Prosecco ($9) and make your way though the Italian-heavy wine list.
Outdoor Dining:
In the warmer months, Baci & Abbracci has a large outdoor space.
ambiance
87.5% positive
  1. “Great outdoor space, although decor a little clean/ modern for me.”
  2. “The staff and restaraunt provide a relaxing atmosphere and they have a huge patio which is always a plus.”
  3. “This place has it all: delicious food, great ambience and attentive service.”
  4. “Also, the atmosphere was not pretentious at all.”
  5. “Our waiter was friendly and very attentive which added to the cozy chic atmosphere (they have a cute, spacious garden out back).”
  6. “mean of those italian place where there is no decor and the place is so cold and plastic that you can just eat and leave.”
  7. “We enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service and thought that the prices were very fair.”
  8. “The modern decor is elegant and striking, yet right away the friendly service made us feel at home.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Great appetizers, great pasta, great wine, and great desserts.”
  2. “delightful appetizer, an amazing(give me more) entree, a big glass of Malbec and a Fonsecca 20yr port for dessert (plus complimentary biscotti) for a cool $44!”
  3. “They make Their own Mozzarella, Bread, Fresh pastas and desserts.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “The staff if also attentive and quite knowlegeable about wine - ask the owners Mimmo or Paulo for advice.”
  2. “Great wine list, plenty of good stuff at around the $30 mark.”
  3. “Great appetizers, great pasta, great wine, and great desserts.”
  4. “They have a great brunch & dinner menu, and the outside patio in the back is a wonderful place to enjoy good food & drinks with friends & family!”
  5. “The wine list is extensive with some great bottles that are moderately priced (quite a few in the 25 dollar range).”
  6. “We recently moved from Brooklyn to LA and I've been looking for great Italian places like this place - good food, good wine list, nice looking place, and really nice staff all around.”
food quality
94.0999984741211% positive
  1. “here it was kind of pricey and the food was not that good.”
  2. “don't know why everyone else seemed to like this place - the food is absolutely horrible.”
  3. “have to go with the majority - this place is great, food is delicious.”
  4. “was not disappoined as the pizza was excellent.”
  5. “manage a Manhattan restaurant and this was the best meal I had in months.”
  6. “We loved the lasagna (a fave with my foodie-toddler), the branzino, the pork loin (also a toddler fave) the Lattuga alla Trentina salad, the beet gnocchi, the Margarita and Capricciosa pizzas, (though the latter sometimes got a little soggy in the middle ”
  7. “This place has it all: delicious food, great ambience and attentive service.”
  8. “Great appetizers, great pasta, great wine, and great desserts.”
  9. “She loved the toasted rice cereal on the outside of it.”
  10. “Excellent Italian food!”
  11. “Everyone loved the authentic Italian cuisine.”
  12. “EXCELLENT food!”
  13. “I've been a couple of times and I can't wait to go back - the menu is large with lots of amazing looking dishes!”
  14. “the food is so amazing!”
  15. “Awesome pizza, backyard garden”
  16. “and most importantly, served us delicious food.”
  17. “Everything we ordered was delicious.”
  18. “Excellent, reasonably priced food, try the simple pasta and risotto dishes (lamb ragu is amazing).”
  19. “Fresh, authentic Italian *addictive pizzas”
  20. “must agree, the food at Acqua Santos is pretty good.”
  21. “We enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service and thought that the prices were very fair.”
  22. “The individual pizzas are thin crust and some of the best pizzass I've had in New York.”
  23. “If you want good italian food in williamsburg, go to a restaurant that's been here for longer, like Acqua Santa.”
  24. “The salads very nice and the main dish Cavatelli con rapini e salsiccia/Cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage was very nice.”
  25. “I've had just about everything on the menu, and everything's really tasty and creative, but by far, my favorite is the truffle oil pizza.”
  26. “They have a great brunch & dinner menu, and the outside patio in the back is a wonderful place to enjoy good food & drinks with friends & family!”
  27. “Perfectly fried and lightly battered calamari, the asparagus wrapped in pruscuitto was also very good, however, I felt the main entree "lamb ragu" was mediocre.”
  28. “The service was friendly and efficient; the food was tasty and flavorful.”
  29. “Everyone from the pizza chef, to the waiters, to the owners made us feel welcomed and gave us great service or a friendly greeting.”
  30. “Everything is fresh, inventive, delightful, and generous in portion size.”
  31. “The food is excellent and stays true to it Italian roots (to the point that some of the dishes can be challenging to the American palate) and the service is attentive, if a bit disorganized at times.”
  32. “My friend who is a vegetarian ordered the spaghetti, and loved it - she said a sign of a good restaurant is whether or not they can make this simple dish delicious.”
  33. “the problem is that in italy those places are really inexpensive and the food is usually really good.”
  34. “Food is fresh and it looks like someone is putting a lot of dedication to the dishes.”
  35. “bad food, bad service”
  36. “Seriously the best pizzas and a great backyard garden.”
  37. “We recently moved from Brooklyn to LA and I've been looking for great Italian places like this place - good food, good wine list, nice looking place, and really nice staff all around.”
  38. “Excellent food!”
  39. “I'm vegetarian so I can't say much about the meat dishes (although they seem quite innovative), but I can say that the fusilli with fennel sauce and the red beet gnocchi are both delicious, and the pizza rivals - if not surpasses - that of Fornino down th”
  40. “The crust was perfectly charred and the tomato sauce, cheese and salami were all so tasty and fresh - just like the Neapolitan pizzas I had in Italy!”
  41. “amazing food and great service”
  42. “The calamari was tender with a light, flaky breading, the hearty lasagna was velvety and full of flavor, and the wood-fired pizza was incredible!”
  43. “Highly recommend this real Italian cuisine restaurant.”
  44. “LOVE the truffle oil pizza”
  45. “The fresh pasta dishes & mouth-watering pizzas are AMAZING at Baci & Abbracci!”
  46. “This is authentic and innovative Italian food.”
  47. “Delicious, authentic Italian food (with AL DENTE pasta, the way it's supposed to be!)”
  48. “Overall, the food is terrific, reasonably priced, and the service was exceptional.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “This place is casually elegant, with a wonderful menu and excellent service!”
  2. “I've been a couple of times and I can't wait to go back - the menu is large with lots of amazing looking dishes!”
  3. “He had a menu prepared for us with my daughter's name printed on it (we went for her Christening dinner), the place was all set up and the waiter was very attentive.”
  4. “They have a great brunch & dinner menu, and the outside patio in the back is a wonderful place to enjoy good food & drinks with friends & family!”
  5. “I've had just about everything on the menu, and everything's really tasty and creative, but by far, my favorite is the truffle oil pizza.”
  6. “The wine list is extensive with some great bottles that are moderately priced (quite a few in the 25 dollar range).”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “Baci & Abracci is possibly my favorite new restaurant in New York City, and certainly my favorite in Williamsburg.”
  2. “We recently moved from Brooklyn to LA and I've been looking for great Italian places like this place - good food, good wine list, nice looking place, and really nice staff all around.”
  3. “The patio is great and also a great place for kids to enjoy.”
  4. “This is a great place to have brunch on any weekend afternoon.”
  5. “They have a great brunch & dinner menu, and the outside patio in the back is a wonderful place to enjoy good food & drinks with friends & family!”
  6. “This is a great place!”
  7. “But the best thing about this restaurant, in my opinion, is the friendly, gracious attitude of the hosts and wait staff.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “I've been a couple of times and I can't wait to go back - the menu is large with lots of amazing looking dishes!”
service
92.8600025177002% positive
  1. “Everyone from the pizza chef, to the waiters, to the owners made us feel welcomed and gave us great service or a friendly greeting.”
  2. “Tonight however the service was horrible.”
  3. “To top it off, the staff is warm and friendly.”
  4. “This place is casually elegant, with a wonderful menu and excellent service!”
  5. “... all with warm, friendly service.”
  6. “service was very friendly and professional but the rest was not worth the 60 $ i spent.”
  7. “We recently moved from Brooklyn to LA and I've been looking for great Italian places like this place - good food, good wine list, nice looking place, and really nice staff all around.”
  8. “The staff and restaraunt provide a relaxing atmosphere and they have a huge patio which is always a plus.”
  9. “This place has it all: delicious food, great ambience and attentive service.”
  10. “The staff if also attentive and quite knowlegeable about wine - ask the owners Mimmo or Paulo for advice.”
  11. “and charming, courteous service - Baci & Abracci is a very welcome addition to the neighborhood.”
  12. “Our waiter was friendly and very attentive which added to the cozy chic atmosphere (they have a cute, spacious garden out back).”
  13. “Overall, the food is terrific, reasonably priced, and the service was exceptional.”
  14. “The excellent service they provide started since when I made my reservation.”
  15. “Great service.”
  16. “The service was friendly and efficient; the food was tasty and flavorful.”
  17. “Fantastic, friendly new restaurant in Williamsburg”
  18. “Same friendly service as before.”
  19. “From the greeting to the waiter to the chef to the best busboys(yes, they matter too).”
  20. “The modern decor is elegant and striking, yet right away the friendly service made us feel at home.”
  21. “But the best thing about this restaurant, in my opinion, is the friendly, gracious attitude of the hosts and wait staff.”
  22. “Great music, great lighting(ladies will always be pretty here) and service that is super on point.”
  23. “bad food, bad service”
  24. “Friendly, attentive service.”
  25. “He had a menu prepared for us with my daughter's name printed on it (we went for her Christening dinner), the place was all set up and the waiter was very attentive.”
  26. “The food is excellent and stays true to it Italian roots (to the point that some of the dishes can be challenging to the American palate) and the service is attentive, if a bit disorganized at times.”
  27. “We enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service and thought that the prices were very fair.”
  28. “amazing food and great service”
value
87.5% positive
  1. “the problem is that in italy those places are really inexpensive and the food is usually really good.”
  2. “The wine list is extensive with some great bottles that are moderately priced (quite a few in the 25 dollar range).”
  3. “here it was kind of pricey and the food was not that good.”
  4. “We enjoyed the atmosphere, the food and the service and thought that the prices were very fair.”
  5. “The staff and restaraunt provide a relaxing atmosphere and they have a huge patio which is always a plus.”
  6. “It's perfect for all occasions and an extremely good value!”
  7. “Everything is fresh, inventive, delightful, and generous in portion size.”
  8. “service was very friendly and professional but the rest was not worth the 60 $ i spent.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “Truly one of the best meals I've had in a long while.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/31/11

Left all SMILES

by LeggyK

Great time with old friends gives this place 2 thumbs up. Food was delish & service superb.

1 Star Rating: Poor

08/08/11

ALMOST ASSAULTED BY STAFF.

by shawnsprockett

Finished our meal and were about to leave when a dishwasher came from the kitchen and began verbally assaulting a female friend at our table. They had never met before. It really scared us. We assumed he was on drugs or had a mental disability and were worried he would become violent. He shouted in Spanish for about 20 seconds and then darted back to the door, staring at her from across the room and failing to respond to our questions at him. He didn't respond to our calls when we asked what was wrong, including questions from those in our party who were fluent in Spanish. He finally went back in the kitchen and THE MANAGER JUST SHRUGGED.

Despite everything, we could have forgiven the incident, but we were infuriated by the gall of the waitress who came out and tried to justify his behavior, saying this had happened before between the dishwasher and the rest of the staff — that "it freaked her out the first time too." We suggested they let him go considering he wasn't stable, but the waitress continued to defend him. They didn't offer to comp our meal or offer any discount. They didn't even offer a solid apology for the episode, but rather she copped an attitude with us because we weren't ok with what had happened by the end of her explanation. She said they were planning to keep him on staff to "give him a chance." We were shocked.

Again, we could have forgiven the bizarre and scary incident, but the behavior of the staff in their response was intolerable. We will never return to this place.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/13/10

Best Italian Food in Williamsburg!

by HoniDijon

Thought we would never find the same amazing flavors and fresh pasta outside of Italy, but this place is quite possibly one of the best Italian spots we've found in the city! Aside from the homemade crusty bread and pizza, the fresh homemade pasta is worth the trip out to Williamsburg. We ate the grilled octopus salad special, quattro stagioni pizza, farafelle eggplant special, and linguine with seafood (specially made to be prego safe). Everything tasted like it came from our grandmother's kitchen (if we had an Italian grandmother)...and although we walked out completely stuffed, the food did not sit heavy in our stomachs since everything was cooked without too much salt or heavy oil. We'll definitely be back - and next time, we'll have to save room for their amazing homemade desserts!

We recommend the garden seating area, but the restaurant area is also very nice - the ambiance is perfect.

1 Star Rating: Poor

02/07/09

Worst place to eat

by warlock0263

The restaurant for lack of a better term was dimly lit to the point you could not see the menus. The service staff is poorly trained and not professional; the restaurant for being diverse did not offer a wide variety of foods and the potions are among the smallest I've seen in along time. A kid's menu portion is larger the food is plain jane nothing stands out in terms of flavor or presentation. I would not recommend it or return to ever it was that poor. If you have an appetite go somewhere else where both the food and service are far superior, this was a great disappointment and even a larger mistake.

  • Pros: None
  • Cons: Everything
4 Star Rating: Recommended

09/27/08

Excellent Italian food!

by TimGourmand

Excellent food! The Malbec was exquisite! I could judge the restaurant on its bread alone. The bread was a true artisinal country style Italian bread with a slightly burnt crust. The salads very nice and the main dish Cavatelli con rapini e salsiccia/Cavatelli with broccoli rabe and sausage was very nice. Portions are very European, and overall it's not your typical American-Italian bastardization of Italian cuisine. Highly recommend it if you're in Williamsburg.

The Details on Baci & Abbracci

Place Categories:

  • excellent italian food
  • great courteous service
  • great place
  • creative everything
  • quite knowlegeable staff
  • incredible woodfired pizza
  • great italian restaurant
  • of pricey food
  • great calamari appetizer
  • not pretentious chic atmosphere
  • outstanding pastas
  • recommend highly
  • beautiful outside patio
  • very attentive waiter
  • striking modern decor
  • favorite friendly new restaurant
  • amazing fresh pasta dishes
  • enjoy drinks
  • very nice cavatelli con rapini
  • great dinner menu
  • cold place
  • amazing mouthwatering pizzas
  • best meal
  • all so tasty tomato sauce
  • favorite truffle oil pizza