07/17/08

OUT OF THIS WORLD

by cukoococoa

Dont be fooled by the few negative reviews. The food coming out of the kitchen at Biba is absolutely the finest you will get anywhere. From the soups, to the pasta, to the perfectly cooked veal and fish, everything we ordered was perfection. The servings are actually decent size for a "fancy restaurant". If youre not a large eater, you would have more than enough to eat with a pasta dish and a soup or salad. This place is more than worth every penny.

• Pros: Ambience, Outstanding Food, 1st Class Service
• Cons: A bit pricey- but worth it

11/26/07

An experience to savor

by netter1

Biba Caggiano has been one of my culinary heroines for many many years. Living in Davis for years, I always wanted to visit her premier restaurant in Sacramento. I highly recommend you visit Biba's if you're in Sacramento for any length of time. Yes, it can be a tad pricey...but you DEFINITELY get what you pay for. From the calamari appetizer to the wonderful osso bucco...(I'm drooling just thinking about it)...it's definitely a dining experience to savor. Yes...you'll need to make reservations. Yes...you might consider getting dressed up. Paying attention to the details of the evening can only make it better. Give it a try.

10/10/07

Perfect service, great food

by angelshark

My husband and I went to Biba to celebrate our anniversary. Granted, it was a Tuesday, but we were seated immediately even though we arrived about 20 minutes before our reservation time. I had requested a quiet table off in a corner and away from the bustle and that is exactly what we got. There was a live pianist in the lounge area, although I was a bit disappointed that we couldn't really hear her in the dining room. Nevertheless, our dinner was delightful. The by-the-glass wine selections are much better than most restaurants'. I started with a brut and had the waiter-recommended temprenillo with my entree. Both were lovely. My husband had two glasses of a very nice sauvingnon blanc. For appetizers, we ordered the sweetbreads and the calamari. Both were delicious and perfectly cooked, but I'd probably just order the sweetbreads next time. We ended up bringing most of the calamari home. For our first course we split an order of the gnocchi of the day, which was a ricotta gnocchi in tomato cream sauce. It was absolutely heavenly and there was no split charge, which was nice. For entrees my husband had the sea bass and I had the jumbo prawns. We both loved our dishes. The prawns were served with seasonal red peppers and butternut squash and the combination was amazing. The bass was cooked perfectly and came with a delicious mushroom sauce. For dessert we split the chocolate mousse, which was also delicious. The service was impeccable--friendly, knowledgable, well-timed and incredibly attentive. It was a little expensive--we ended up spending around $180 with tip--but I don't think that's bad for a special occasion. The ONLY negative thing I can think of is that the ambiance is somewhat lacking due to too-bright lighting and outdated decor. If they gave the interior a makeover, this restaurant would be worth five stars.

08/11/07

Beautiful Botox

by ucdpacman

The botox in the faces of the patronage made a fitting metaphor for the restaurant, it may look good, but in the end it?s just a shot of pois0n. The outstanding service and beautiful surroundings could not make up for the poorly cut mango, the fishy shrimp, or the potroast-tasting lamb. My second anniversary would have been equally served by sitting in the lounge of the Ritz with a bag of potato chips.

07/17/07

The Worst Food in Sacramento

by tina2765

Biba Restaurant in Sacramento was terrible. It was the first time in my life that I had to send back unedible food. The Duck was awful, neither my boyfriend or I could get down a single bite. So the I tried the chicken, which was not terrible, but very greasy and not tasty. The portions are a joke... not that you'd even want that much of this food. Plus the atmosphere was too loud to be a romantic restaurant... and without the promised pianist. The service and the wine was pretty good. But the food was the worst I have ever had... and the most I have ever paid. We had to get dinner someplace else AFTER Biba because we were unsatisfied and still hungry... but were out over eighty dollars.

05/18/07

Amazing...Outstanding

by shellybelly299

Our dinner was simply amazing. My friend and I could not decide on appetizers, so our server suggested half portions of the two we were debating...buffalo mozzarella with roasted cherry tomatoes, and a crab cake. Simply amazing flavors. Next we split an order of the gnocci with gorganzola cream sauce. Paired with a glass of pinot noir, this was simply one of the best dishes I have ever tasted in my life. We lingered over this course for quite a while. Next, the main course - I had chicken stuffed with prosciutto, parmigiano and fresh sage, served with parmigiano mashed potatoes and fresh asparagus. Wow! My friend had filet mignon wrapped with panceta with mushrooms and a brandy cream sauce with the same parmigiano mashed potatoes. After laboring over the dessert menu - everything sounded so good - we finally decided on tiramisu (how can you NOT have the tiramisu?), and a chocolate coated, dome shaped, rum scented pound cake stuffed with whipped cream, chocolate, roasted almonds and hazelnuts. We were also interested in the house-made gelato, so our server suggested a scoop each of chocolate and vanilla, and she brought us some fresh raspberry sauce and chocolate sauce to go with. Everything we tasted was simply amazing, perfectly seasoned, quality ingredients, great flavors. The service was excellent - attentive, but not overbearing - our server offered suggestions, and even asked the kitchen for a little special preparation based on our preferences. The server was very relaxed, let us take time over the menu and between courses to decide what to select next. For a busy Friday evening, I was extremely impressed with the service. We were allowed to take our time and enjoy every aspect of our meal...we were there for about 3 hours.

Overall, one of the best dining experiences I have ever had. Best restaurant in Sacramento, no doubt.

• Pros: Excellent food, outstanding service
• Cons: Parking - pay for valet or fight for a spot on the street

04/03/07

the gnocchi are to DIE for

by shrinkingviolet

For a long time, I used to only order gnocchi at other Italian restaurants to see if they would compare with those of Biba's. I have long given up trying. The gnocchi are truly divine and I always order it when we go there. Of course, my husband complains because he can never find anything to eat on the menu. I have always found that we got great service (but we always order a bottle of wine...several reviews seemed to hint that otherwise, the service was lacking).

• Pros: the gnocchi
• Cons: according to my husband, nothing to eat if you don't like the gnocchi

03/30/07

Over rated

by somertime

Since moving to Sacramento I have heard nothing but awe about Biba. Sadly, I was disappointed by the lack luster of attention to both my party and our food. We dined on a Wednesday night; yet, we did not receive much attention from our server and had to wait nearly 10 minutes to be greeted. Our entrees came out cold and our server did not check back to make sure we were happy with our dinners. To add salt to a wound, we were anticipating a great dinning experience and left with a much lighter wallet and no satisfaction.

• Pros: You feel like someone special when you walk in the door
• Cons: Unfortunately, the feeling ends as soon as you are seated

11/16/06

Not Snooty - Not Rushed

by s_drack

I've been to Biba's on several occasions for a variety of reasons: with close friends to celebrate Christmas, with my husband on our anniversary...in every case I felt well taken care of, never rushed, always accommodated. It is not a place to go if you are in a hurry...you should devote the evening to the culinary delights offered. I can never decide what to order (offerings are by course and there are many!) so, in several instances, I have asked to split dishes with my fellow diners and have always been accommodated. That way, we can try several different things without over-indulging or wasting portions. Recommendations and descriptions of dishes from the waiters are always accurate. Wine list offers many compliments to the varied menu. While pricey, I've never been disappointed in any way and would not hesitate to recommend Biba's to family and friends. Contrary to some of the other reviews I read on Biba's, I find it comparable to some of the best New York restaurants...I just returned from a trip there...and, again, would heartily recommend a leisurely evening at this fine restaurant.

11/13/06

Overpriced AND Overrated

by dj_mc_entertainment

Biba is one of those "Celebrity Chefs" who's featured on the "Cooking Channel" and numerous TV cooking programs.

Although I think her cookbooks are da bomb, my family gives "Biba's" (the restaurant) a BIG THUMBS DOWN......

the "overly attentive staff" is condescending and swarmy.......

the portions are rather chintzy.....I was still hungry after my meal was completed.

the prices are really expensive, considering what you get!

My supposedly "1/2 chicken" was puny and dried out.....it tasted like overcooked game hen......My daughter did not like her pasta dish.......Only my wife (who eats like a bird......she's 5' 2" and weighs 105 pounds) really likes Biba's food (although she also agrees that its not worth the money).

• Pros: Great if you like overpriced food in small portions
• Cons: parking is difficult and the service is snooty.