Barbican Pasta Bar in Plymouth

Our two families visited on a rainy day during the Easter break. They fitted us in and catered to our fussy family choices. Our food was delivered to the table promptly and we were all very happy. The service was also very good so we would happily recommend the Barbican pasta bar to anybody looking for some hearty Italian food in Plymouth.

Visited without booking and luckily they had room for our group of 8, and there was plenty of variety on the menu to suit us all. I opted for the vegetarian stilton pasta, as I absolutely adore blue cheese. My husband chose the seafood pizza and we shared a side of nachos. We enjoyed our meals and the service was swift and friendly. Good options for vegetarians.

The whole experience is really nice, the staff are lovely and everything was really clean. I had garlic mushrooms, cannelloni, and chocolate fudge cake. Everything was great, but the cake was a bit dry. Overall I would recommend it and it is pretty good prices!

Really nice Pasta restaurant. Very friendly staff and delicious food. They cater well for Gluten Free as well. Great value for money!

We visited this cozy restaurant for pasta and steak and had a wonderful time. Even though we walked in without a reservation and were a group of around 10 people, the wait was surprisingly short. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, perfect for gathering with friends or family. The pasta and steak dishes were enjoyable comforting and satisfying, though not overly fancy. A lovely place to relax, share good food, and soak in the pleasant vibes!

Gorgeous food hot & plenty of it. Staff very friendly& welcoming Plenty of choices Good value for money Good wine choices Lovely decor

Extremely cramped for room , no privacy from the outside public when seated next to the window or door everyone just stares walking past. Lots of staff but very slow service. Food was bland and for the price very small portions. Italian next door much better for portions vs price. Very noisy environment no wheelchair access/ disabled toilets - toilets are upstairs not accessible or acceptable in 2025.

The food was ok, but not very authentic too much cream in every dish, service ok but not very friendly.

Had a lovely meal at the Barbican Pasta Bar. Delicious, great value for money and lovely atmosphere. Highly recommended.

Food and service was great! It was somewhat impacted by the next table being quite rude to the server, but they handled it with class 🫶 Great busy atmosphere and a wonderful tiramisu! Would absolutely recommend!

I'm honestly not too sure as to why this place is so popular I've heard people speak highly of it so thought I'd try it out but unfortunately, I was disappointed I actually tried it a second time as well just to see if maybe my first visit was a one-off with the food being bland... but was left feeling disappointed a second time 😭 The food is mediocre at best & not much to write home about Very basic, bland Italian food that has been anglicised unfortunately, & the portion sizes aren't great The location is really good but the quality of the food really lets this place down; there are several far better options for more flavourful Italian cuisine nearby

Super nice meal, low prices, high quality. Shared a dinner and wine with my girlfriend, loved it, highly recommend to any couples

Turned up as a solo without a booking on a moderately busy weeknight. Was seated almost immediately at a small table in the window. Worked for me and may have worked for them in that solo diners are ok. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Just wanted cheesy garlic bread for starter, then had mixed seafood with spaghetti for main. Both were great, but I couldn’t finish the spaghetti part of the main. I got the bill and apologised for not finishing but stressed there was nothing wrong. Immediate reaction was “that’s fine sir. If you’d like less pasta next time, just let us know - it saves wasting food.” I’ve eaten there a few times before and it’s always been top notch.

Visited here as heard great things and my son is colieac so we had the choice of gluten free pasta! We were welcomed with a rude young girl who just said your upstairs , so we took ourselves up there . No menus given or asked about dietary requirements, all very strange. The atmosphere was awful, felt awkward and unwelcoming with very weird and obnoxious music which my son said made him feel like he's in a 2014 YouTube fails montage . Great that they have gluten free pasta and pizza bases which is very rare to find . Food overall was mediocre, filled a gap but definitely nothing to rave about,Lacked flavour . !!

Excellent food and service at a very reasonable price. Was super busy, even on a week night so make sure you pre book if you can

Great lunch, as always. Staff very attentive.

I visit the restaurant fairly regularly. It’s can be busy and noisy at times, but the food is great and the staff are friendly and helpful. It’s ideal for larger groups as well as a table for two!

I visit the restaurant fairly regularly. It’s can be busy and noisy at times, but the food is great and the staff are friendly and helpful. It’s ideal for larger groups as well as a table for two!

Great meal deal offers and friendly attentive staff. Food to a very pleasant quality for the value for money. Offered Gluten free pasta on all dishes.

We couldn’t go to a better restaurant. The Barbican pasta bar in our opinion is the best in Plymouth. The food is outstanding and the staff are a delight. We live in Penzance and come to Plymouth quite regularly and we know exactly where we are going to eat. We highly recommend The Barbican pasta bar

We travel up regularly from Newquay to Plymouth, especially to dine here. Have been for over 15 years. Yesterday we came with friends. Enjoyed a wonderful late late lunch with a couple of bottles of wine. The pork is to die for, but just can't beat the blue cheese pasta. Fantastic service and great value. We will keep coming back. Highly recommend

I've been to this restaurant many many times over the years and I have always had a great time there. The food and service were brilliant. This week was just as good until we came to pay. My friends and I wanted to split the bill, the gentleman behind the bar sighed. That I'm afraid was enough for me, no customer service from him at all.

The food was amazing and the staff very friendly. Highly recommended 👍

Just discovered this place today. Cannot recommend highly enough. We will be returning to sample more of the wonderfully varied menu. Busy even at teatime but excellent service. You'd probably need to reserve for popular lunch/evening times and weekends

Barbican Pasta Bar was fantastic! The service was friendly and attentive, making the whole experience delightful. Their wings were perfectly crispy and juicy, with a fantastic flavor. The carbonara was rich, creamy, and simply delicious – one of the best I've ever had. Highly recommend!

Really good food , best thing to do is to book so you can find a table , prices are accessible , this app forces me to write at least 100 letters , so most of this will be jibberish hahdnahxjahckdkdjdj

I have eaten here many times and consider it one of my favourite restaurants. The food is always outstanding and is usually severed quickly. On this occasion I had to eat upstairs and the staff were a little unwelcoming. The lady behind the bar was abrupt and stared at customers over the top of her glasses. The waiting staff and possible manager didn't know what they were doing and was rude to my daughter. Hopefully on my next visit I will get the lovely welcoming staff downstairs

Simple but tasty, exactly what we wanted. Friendly and accommodating, would definitely recommend. 👍

Typical British restaurant, took the steak was realy good 🇲🇹

Great place for all sorts of food all cooked perfectly. Been here a few times of late and always been blown away by the great dishes.

Outstanding food! Huge portions, freshly cooked and incredibly tasty. Can see why it’s so popular - surprisingly busy on a Wednesday early evening. Would recommend booking although they did manage to squeeze us in.

A thoroughly enjoyable Saturday lunch. Had the two course set option. Great size portions Great price Great service Would definitely recommend.

Extremely rude woman with dyed blonde hair rudly informed us that she didn't do protien for vegetarians & then walked off before we had a chance to ask her about gluten-free. As I looked around, there were a few hygiene issues that caused concern. Avoid...Yuk! Very poor attitude towards special needs &/or dietary requirements.

Food was amazing! Service was quick. Will definitely be coming here again

Food was incredible we came as a groups of 6 and everything was lovely and quick service too, the chefs obviously know their stuff. Our service lady was a little cold and abrupt but all the other staff was lovely from the interactions we had. No music and was quite loud but still enjoyable. Would come here again definitely.

Slightly strange service, the order seemed to be quite rushed. Having been sat down for 3 minutes, we then were asked if we wanted to order 3-4 times within the next ten and we were not ready each time. Then, a waitress took our Parmesan off of our table and gave it to another table when we were using it, slightly strange. Didn’t have much of the chicken sides available today which was a little unfortunate but not their fault! Felt as though they were watching us a lot as the second we finished our starter the main was bought out, which I guess is a good thing, just felt quite pressured to finish. Food was average, nothing to write home about to be honest… Staff were friendly though, probably wouldn’t visit again based on these factors

Another fantastic meal. Thank you.

Friendly knowledgeable staff with great food. Gluten Free pasta available.

Weve been to the Barbican Pasta Bar many times over the years at various times of day, and i can honestly say, hand on my heart, we have never once had the slightest complaint. The food is always perfect, the staff are always knowledgeable and very helpful and the prices are very good, what more could you want. i really cant recommend this place highly enough.

As visitors to Plymouth from Oxford, picking a restaurant is often not so easy . We had great service and really good food at a reasonable price. The atmosphere in the restaurant was brilliant and our visit was very enjoyable. I would highly recommend a visit to this Pasta Bar.

We love visiting here...it must be monthly if not more 😂 always friendly staff and great food.

Went on a Saturday night and had to book a week in advance. We were a couple of minutes late but there was a table ready and waiting for us. For 5 people all having 2 or 3 courses, we were served and had paid in about 2 hours, which for a Saturday evening I think is quite good. Food was hot and delicious. For a first time visit, we will definitely be returning to this pasta restaurant in Plymouth in the future.

Pizza was poor, base was thin but seriously lacking lightness, more like crispy supermarket version. Hoped for something approaching Italian pizza. Other pasta meal was fine but nothing special, and the waitress was friendly and helpful. Else resteraunt a bit of a dull experience.

Not easy to park. Long wait for service despite booking. Food was very good.

My favourite restaurant ever! Booked a table for 18 people for my birthday meal and nothing was too much trouble. Easy to phone up and book and paid deposit over the phone, emailed over our food orders one week before no problem. All food came out together and was piping hot, all orders correct and cooked fresh! Amazing food, lovely attentive friendly staff who couldn’t do enough for us! Brought over the cake along with a knife, plates and napkins without a fuss, really such a lovely place to have a delicious family meal! Would recommend to everyone, such a lovely restaurant, definitely one of the best in Plymouth, 10/10! Thank you all so much x

My favourite restaurant ever! Booked a table for 18 people for my birthday meal and nothing was too much trouble. Easy to phone up and book and paid deposit over the phone, emailed over our food orders one week before no problem. All food came out together and was piping hot, all orders correct and cooked fresh! Amazing food, lovely attentive friendly staff who couldn’t do enough for us! Brought over the cake along with a knife, plates and napkins without a fuss, really such a lovely place to have a delicious family meal! Would recommend to everyone, such a lovely restaurant, definitely one of the best in Plymouth, 10/10! Thank you all so much x

Went in as the restaurant looked good from the outside, only to be disappointed with the food and the service. Wine glass had lipstick marks on it, when ordered a bottle of wine they just put in the middle of the table rather than serving it. Ordered the steak which was mostly not edible as I was chewing some bite for more than 30 seconds so left half of it. And didn't ask if we wanted any sauce with steak which is standard so had to wait extra time after we ordered it. Definitely not worth the price

Whoever is behind the phone attending to customers should stop sounding like they’ve got enough customers

Excellent restaurant. Extensive menu. Large portions. Great prices. Lovely atmosphere. Staff really friendly. Definitely recommend. Won’t go hungry!

Excellent. Extensive menu. Really good prices. Large portions. Real atmosphere. Staff really friendly. Really lovely meal.

Great service, great atmosphere, fantastic food

Super service, super pasta, super price. Will definitely visit the, Barbican Pasta Bar again.

We hadn’t been here for quite some time but had a voucher to use and decided to try it for lunch. There was a special lunch menu with plenty of choices, both really enjoyed our meals , the service was lovely welcoming and pleasant both from the waitress and possibly the owner. Good value would recommend.

Nice reliable restaurant. Good selections and value lunch menu.

Whilst the hype was intriguing, it definitely didn't live up to expectations. We did not book and as such were seated next to the busy bar, this I did not mind. The food was okay. Considering they specialise in pasta, I expected the pasta to be heavenly but it was average at best. I have made a similar dish myself but at a much better quality. Long wait on food. Underwhelming. Now, I ordered a vegan dish and at the time I hadn't eaten dairy for 4 years. I was sick for almost a week upon eating here, having developed a bad stomach shortly after leaving and again upon tucking into my doggy bag of leftovers - I am certain this food is what caused it. No other food has ever made me feel as poorly as the meal I had from Barbican Pasta Bar. If my dish did contain any dairy, this is highly dangerous.

Thanks to the Barbican Pasta Bar team for looking after us so well. Food, Service and Atmosphere were all excellent.

Following an unfortunate experience the management were extremely understanding and offered us back for a complimentary meal.Their attitude was nothing but professional and the meal and service was excellent. Highly recommend this restaurant.

We’ve been here several times as a family and it never disappoints. We all had different meals and all were excellent. No complaints from three courses.

We visited twice in October 2024 with family, both times for lunch. Seemingly always busy, the Pasta Bar came highly recommended, and lived up to its reputation. We booked a table both times, and we were expected. The menu is broad and we had the option of a smaller lunch menu, and a dedicated vegan menu, which was all to the good. Our server helpful, patient and efficient with just the right amount of attention paid. The food, all of us had variations on pasta, was really quite excellent. Brought to our table with little delay, it was hot and delicious. Indeed, all the members of our party said the same. Menu prices were very reasonable, and with wine and a good tip, our bill averaged around £25 per head, which is really very good for Plymouth's Barbican. We had a five star experience for both of our visits, and I can't recommend the Barbican Pasta Bar highly enough.

We visited twice in October 2024 with family, both times for lunch. Seemingly always busy, the Pasta Bar came highly recommended, and lived up to its reputation. We booked a table both times, and we were expected. The menu is broad and we had the option of a smaller lunch menu, and a dedicated vegan menu, which was all to the good. Our server helpful, patient and efficient with just the right amount of attention paid. The food, all of us had variations on pasta, was really quite excellent. Brought to our table with little delay, it was hot and delicious. Indeed, all the members of our party said the same. Menu prices were very reasonable, and with wine and a good tip, our bill averaged around £25 per head, which is really very good for Plymouth's Barbican. We had a five star experience for both of our visits, and I can't recommend the Barbican Pasta Bar highly enough.

Excellent food, wine & service ! Garlic Mushrooms & Korma Pasta 😋😋😋👍

Wonderful food in a lovely location with great service. Thank you.

Amazing food and service. Portions are massive and the staff very friendly and accommodating.

Came as a group of 8. Had booked, sat at the higher level on a friendly round table. Very busy and loud. They had the main and extensive menu and two lunch menus offering two course deals at £15.55 and £14.55 or thereabouts. Puddings were extra, all at £7. I had bruschetta, followed by barbecued chicken salad etc. The stater was routine and the chicken distinctly chewy. I didn’t feel up to a pud. Not a relaxing setting or easy to hold group conversation. Can’t blame them for packing in the punters but the feel is a bit oppressive and there are better places to eat round here.

We went in here for a late lunch and had a lovely experience. The food was so tasty and fresh we loved it. The service was brilliant even though it was busy. The pork medallions were great. Thanks

Very busy (early Saturday night). Excellent, very quick, service. Food was good without being brilliant. Seemed clean.

My wife and I enjoyed our visit at 8:30pm. It seemed chaotic, but was seated quickly, and the staff were very friendly and attentive. The food was excellent and served in good time. We will book a lot sooner for an earlier sitting and will definitely be returning. K

Booked a table for 7 of us. We all work together in customer service. My starters of potato skins were disappointing. Cheap plastic cheese. Burnt on one side. My pasta dish was nice though. Cordon bleu. Out of the 7 of us only 2 of our mains were acceptable. The pizza was prepared wrong then sent back twice. The chicken pesto was bland and the pasta was undercooked. The korma dish was also inedible. The carbonara was stodgy and bland too. Bought this the the attention of the owner only to be met with a rude aggressive response. Argued with our table about the food and this went on for the remainder of our time there. I WOULD NOT recommend this establishment at all. Disgusting behaviour. Over hyped.

Lovely food great service and reasonable prices ;what more could you ask for?

Impeccable service, thank you for accommodating my niece's mis-order, we'll definitely visit again.

Lovely place. Not much has changed in twenty years. Still great value and friendly local business.

Always great food and a lovely atmosphere 👌

Ready meals, just heated up.. 🤮🤢

This was a beautiful meal as usual the staff are very professional and an extremely comfortable atmosphere.

My family and I went to this restaurant to celebrate my daughter GCSC results. Didn't book a table so probably that's why not have nice table and privacy at all as we was given the table right next to the bar where everyone was walking next to us. The weirdest thing in there was a man (the manager) standing in the middle of the room and looking on the staff and the door all the time with a not very nice face. He looked like he is angry and stressing the staff and guests or at least we felt that way. Food was OK but just ok, my daughter ordered a cannelloni but there was no flavour at all and the cannelloni tubes had barely any meat in it. In general very disappointing. Will not recommend

the food lacked seasoning but the overall service was very enjoyable and the the atmosphere was great

The atmosphere and staff are both pleasant but the food was average, albeit with great, large portion sizes. It’s not a bad place by any means but not particularly great either.

Since leaving uni, I haven't eaten here for 12 years. On a return trip to Plymouth with my family, I had to book. Quality food, quality service and a lovely place. Couldn't fault it at all! Just like I remembered. Thank you!

I visited the resturant with my team, Battel Bonfire Boyes (BBB Firework crew) the night before we set up for our display for the British Championships. The staff were excelent and as able to cope with nearly everyone (we had a table of 16) all having different meals. The staff kept checking we all had drinks and was happy with our meal. Food was delicious and had no complaints (which is very unusal for the boyes I was with, they usually find something to moan about). I would 100% reccomend this resturant.

Forgot to book but was lucky enought to get a table for 3 early Friday evening. Lovely welcoming atmosphere. Seated promptly. Waiting staff were really lovely. Tasty hearty portions with freshly cooked produce served on warm plates. Would definitely recommend.

I've been coming here for years and never had a bad meal. The portions are good and flavourful. I love their spaghetti matriciana.

Nous avons mangé des pizzas et elles étaient bonnes. Le rosé italien que nous avons bu était également bon. Le personnel est sympathique et souriant.

Beautiful food and great service

Amazing food and great choice. We're not local but we'll definitely be going back. Friendly staff, great service and delicious food. Thank you.

Great value, great staff and great food. A busy week in Plymouth as the firework championships are on. They took it in their stride. I would highly recommend

Lively place, friendly staff and separate vegan menu.

This is our favourite place to eat in Plymouth- we’ve been coming here for years. Friendly staff, feels like a family business, relaxed - and super food. Wide ranging menu, their pasta is superb. Never had a bad meal here. Great value for money too.

Service and price are spot on, food was superb and generous, highly recommended, the Pizza was the best I've ever had.

Had a bad experience with service in the past (being rushed) tried it again, food has gone downhill fast, very bland definitely microwaved my lasagne, I recommend Positanos if you want great Italian food!

Enjoyed the food, cannot say there was an atmosphere though. BUT staff very accommodating and friendly.

Very tasty food with good selection. Most meals can be made into child size portions and quite a few were able to be made gluten free. Very helpful staff

Been visiting the Pasta Bar for years. Never been let down, however, today's experience was a little disappointing. Usually good food and great service. Today's food wasn't its usual good quality. Considering that this was the only small dip in enjoyment over many years, I would still highly recommend the Barbican Pasta Bar.

Great restaurant on the Barbican, been coming here for years and always good. Definitely worth booking especially at busy times like the weekend. Mainly Italian food cooked perfectly and good portions. Good wine selection too. Would definitely recommend 👍🍷

Cozy place with good service. The food is top notch and at reasonable prices. We will come again.

Although we waited an hour for our food. It was worth the wait. Fantastic food, great service and what a great atmosphere

Great restaurant and wonderful staff. Last time I visited was very busy but staff were amazing and quick. The food was delicious and great portion sizes. Amazing place!!

Lovely place in a quaint part of the town. Food was top quality, ordered multiple starters and shared like tapas. Service was very helpful, efficient and friendly. Excellent prices for the quality and quantity of the food.

Very friendly staff, very welcoming. Make you feel at home. The food was great, like in Italy. We sat upstairs, because downstairs was packed, luckily more people came and it added to the atmosphere. Mediterranean pasta was really good, the sirloin with veggies as well! Best food I’ve had in England in the last two weeks of holiday!

Great service, staff so friendly and helpful. Massive selection of starters, mains and deserts and the food was amazing. If you’re looking for a proper Italian then this is definitely one to visit. Will definitely be visiting more often 😊

Lovely little restaurant, lively atmosphere but a bit loud for me. Very busy when we visited so a little slow