Bar Birba
Wine bar · Bedford-Stuyvesant ·
Italian aperitivo bar with pizza, amaro, and natural wine
Italian aperitivo bar with pizza, amaro, and natural wine
"An Italian aperitivo spot that launched last year at 340 Franklin Avenue; part of the same Matt Diaz cluster on Franklin Avenue that prioritizes "affordable, casual spots — all walk-in-friendly — with tasty food." - Emma Orlow
"A bar in Bed Stuy owned by Matt Diaz, who is also dealing with the economic impact of tariffs on imported goods." - Erika Adams
"A dreamy, dimly-lit, casual café in Bed-Stuy with fairly priced food, known for its caponata, meatballs, and a novella of a wine list."
"Is it possible to write objectively about something you’ve fallen head over heels in love with? In writing about Bar Birba, I will try. Located just around the corner from my apartment on the far-west frontier of Bed-Stuy—Franklin Avenue, just below Greene—this place is the dreamy, dimly-lit, casual café of my dreams. Everyone deserves one in their neighborhood—not least of all because the food is fairly priced. Over the course of several visits, I’ve enjoyed the pitch-perfect caponata ($8) atop plush fornarina (pizza crust, no toppings, $4) as my starter, twice making annoying “mm” sounds while eating to express my pleasure. Also not to be missed are the Polpette dell’Alessandra, meatballs of beef and pork in bright red sauce ($8), and an 8-inch quarter pan portion of pizza—dealer’s choice, ranging from $8 to $10. There’s a novella of a wine list, with by-the-glass options obscurely scrawled on a mirror above the bar. That’s intentional—the owner would rather you chat with your server to land on an option." - Charlie Hobbs
"Bar Birba opened across the street from the original location of For All Things Good, a Mexican all-day cafe from the same team. Here, it’s a departure from masa: Bar Birba instead operates as an aperitivo bar with arancini, various pizza al taglio (rectangular slices served in eight-inch sheet pans), and a mortadella and pistachio sandwich. There’s plenty of amaro to choose from as well as a very stocked wine list." - Eater Staff
