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Barzini
Categories: Food Grocery Food Specialty Food Fruits & Veggies Food Convenience Stores Grocery, Fruits & Veggies, Convenience Stores [Edit]
2455 Broadway(between 90th St & 91st St)
New York, NY 10024
Neighborhood: Upper West Side
(212) 874-4992
- Nearest Transit:
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96 St (1, 2, 3)
86 St (1, 2)
86 St (A, B, C)
- Price Range:
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$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- No
37 reviews for Barzini
Review Highlights
"Great prices on FRESH produce."
(in 4 reviews)
"Incredible world cheese selection."
(in 3 reviews)
"Great prices on fruit."
(in 3 reviews)
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37 reviews in English
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Review from Hetty W.
1/30/2012
Not sure why everyone rated this place so poorly, but probably because I limited myself to the fresh produce outside and their tempting chocolate selections right by the entrance, where you pay. They have a great selection of reasonably-priced fruits and veggies. For some reason, my friend and I couldn't figure out why organic fruits were cheaper than the regular... but hey, why not? Lots of cheese to pick from (and you can smell the cheese section as soon as you turn towards it) with lots of samples.
I did notice some expired butters as I was waiting in line, though. So I'd definitely go with other reviewers and recommend checking the expiration dates on all the dry goods and other things. -
Review from Jeff S.
Updated - 12/19/2011
Aside from the fact that they're selling expired food and never clean their floors or cases, they are constantly blocking up the sidewalk between 90th and 91st.
In this area of the UWS, sidewalks are typically 4 squares wide. Occasionally a store will put tables or items for sale outside on one of those squares, leaving 3 squares for pedestrians to pass by. Plenty of space.
But these goons at Barzini put cases and cases of goods on the 2 squares next to their store, and 1 next to the street. This blocks up 75% of the sidewalk and is really a big FU to anyone who happens to live in the area. How freaking in contempt of people are you? Rotten food and no sidewalk access? Despise this place.Listed in: Only Worthwhile During a…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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2/2/2011
There's a lot to like about Barzini's. First they're open 24/7. Need smoked tofu or an obscure brand… Read more »
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Review from eliana r.
New York, NY
8/30/2011
GREAT WILDLIFE!
pros:
1. finding out that the smell in the back of the store was actually NOT a body decomposing.
cons:
1. the cheese was one week overdue.
2. beer was 1.5 YEARS overdue. yes, years.
3. the broccoli rotted in my fridge a day after i bought it.
4. dirty puddles from leaks that haven't been fixed in months.
5. RATS! two of the 5 times i was there, a rat was in the store. they said, "oh, yeah. we've had a problem lately". i said, "well, that's a really bad problem. why not close the front door?". they leave the door open all night, which is REALLY DUMB/unhygienic . "well, we want people to know we're open". well, the wildlife definitely knows lol
please shut this place down. yeah, so it's got every type of cheese and beer blah blah blah..but it really doesn't matter if you end up getting e. coli or the plague. -
Review from Lynn A.
Manhattan, NY
2/5/2012
I used to like this place because they had such a great selection. But one morning last week I saw a rat scurry across the floor and under one of the refrigerated cases. That's all I needed to see--I'll never go back again.
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Review from Janine C.
6/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Go to Barzini's for:
-Fresh produce
-Cheese
-More obscure brands that your typical grocery store doesn't carry
They're open 24/7, which is a huge plus. -
Review from Amy L.
12/5/2010
I'd like to like this place. I really would. I love walking by their displays of fruit in the morning, they seem to get a fair amount of local produce, and they cram a somewhat amazing selection of gourmet foodstuffs into a small space.
Alas, the too-good-to-be-true selection is, in fact, too good to be true. Much of what they carry should be in the garbage bin, not the grocery store shelf.
I've just had too many bad experiences with moldy cheese, stale chips, icy ice cream and other sub-par purchases to keep shopping here. They simply don't seem to get the turnover they need to sustain the selection of foods they carry. -
Review from CB M.
New York, NY
6/23/2010 1 Check-in Here
It makes me really sad to write this, but I too witnessed first-hand a rat scurrying across the aisle one night at Barzini.
I'm saddened by this because I really like Barzini--like many reviewers, I agree that they have a great selection of cheese, the Persian owners are SUPER nice (and even let me practice my Farsi with them), and the produce out front is beautiful and tempting and makes me feel like I'm in Europe. But a rat infestation is foul, offensive, and downright unsanitary. I could never in good conscience serve a dinner guest food that was kept in such conditions.
Why don't they set some bait or traps to take care of the problem???Listed in: One-Star Wasteland
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Review from Lisa Q.
4/14/2009
I wish every family owned grocery shop operated on the Barzini model.
They have about six different types of butter. And a strained yogurt from Iceland that I'm addicted to.
Every beer you could ever wish or imagine to drink (Santa's Butt?) is here.
Once people here get to know you, they make sure you're well taken care of.
"Where's the dog, Lisa?"
"Awww, little Hua is up at the apartment with her mommy."
"Are you sure you can carry that all by yourself? Do you want me to help you out?" (Was he really going to carry my groceries for me? Yep.)
"It's all good, thanks, I'm strong."
Laugh, laugh, laugh.
They have everything you could ever want. I would say they are even more equipt than... gasp... Whole Foods on the Bowery. Their prices are very reasonable and it's actually a pleasant experience to shop there. Nobody pushes or shoves, everything is well stocked and so fresh. Bravo Barzini's! May you live another 100 years. -
Review from Joleen Z.
New York, NY
2/22/2009 1 Check-in Here
It's cheaper than Zabars so that's a plus, but Dean and Deluca's is cheaper than Zabars these days so what does that really say? I have never seen a creature that wasn't dead and in the frozen foods section milling around Barzini's so I'm assuming they fixed their rodent problem.
What I love about Barzinis:
- Great prices on FRESH produce. Cheaper than Fairway, i kid you not
- Incredible world cheese selection
- Yummy cold cuts that are fresh and reasonably priced
- They have the spices I need that I can't find anywhere else
- Ground turkey for 5.99. You can't beat that!
- They deliver!
What I don't love about Barzinis:
- The aisles are literally built for midgets. Who can fit through aisles that are 1-ft wide?! Seriously. You aren't that desperate for space! Get rid of the organic toiletry aisle. We are in a recession--everyone is buying Dove and Duane Reade brands right now, not Fruits of the Mountains formulated by Tibetan Monks hand lotion. Expand some of the aisles puh-lease! I can't bargain hunt for the ingredients for my pasta sauce without knocking over 20 cans of roasted red peppers any longer!
- The cashiers that work at Barzinis are on a 24/7 PMS cycle. They are never in a good mood and if I told them I brought my own eco-friendly grocery tote, they look at me like I just asked them to donate a kidney to my first born. -
Review from Laura B.
5/4/2011
This place is most similar to Garden of Eden for those unfamiliar. The selection overall is apples to apples. Garden of Eden has much better house made baked goods and probably baked goods overall, but Barzini's wins hands down in the cheese department. I've sampled and purchased numerous amazing soft French cheeses that I have never seen elsewhere. Also, the 24 month aged prosciutto is to die for. Pick up a quarter pound, a nice ripe brie, and a baguette and you have lunch to go.
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Review from Shea D.
1/14/2010
Well, I probably wouldn't not come here for actual groceries (especially fresh produce and whatnot), but the beer selection is A-mazing. In fact, it's the reason my girlfriend insisted that we stop here during a long, COLD walk back up to our apartment after catching a movie. The store itself seems kind of dirty and dingy...no thanks.
Seriously, just about any and all atypical beers you can find here. They even have the giant 2-pint bottles of anything from Coney Island's Freaktoberfest to Goose Island's Pere Jacques. Not to mention plenty of 6 packs of both local and import ales and lagers to keep any beer snob happy. And the prices are decent for an upper west side location and the quality that you're getting!
So really, when I feel like a decent 6 pack of something non-Coors Light (as if I'd drink that anyway), Barzini's the place to go.Listed in: The Upper West Side
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Review from Mike F.
Austin, TX
9/3/2010
Pros: Beer selection (caveat: check the expiration date, as with anything else here).
Cons: Swarming flies in the deli. Barzini's "Fresh squeezed OJ" is pasteurized crap (glad I spent $2.50 on a pint of generic Tropicana). Barzini's stickers suspiciously placed over manufacturer's expiration date labels--in the case of the Roquefort (sp?) cheese I bought, someone actually PEELED OFF the part of the manufacturer's sticker with the date, THEN stuck a Barzini's sticker over the whole mess.
Definitely not doing the deli, produce, or meats here--it seems like they are playing fast and loose with expiration dates to afford the UWS rent. However, the beer, milk, canned and boxed foods selection is great and the prices are very reasonable.
Still, 2 stars because of the peeled-off expiration date and the pasteurized OJ being sold as fresh-squeezed. -
Review from Christopher H.
Manhattan, NY
10/27/2010
BARZINI'S CHANGES EXPIRATION DATES ON CHEESE, MEAT, FISH, YOGURT, CEREAL, BACON, AND LIKELY OTHER PRODUCTS.
I'd suspected this having bought cheese that should have been good, but turned out to be hideous on more than one occasion (teleggio is supposed to be a little funky, but not smell like a corpse). And yet until today, I'd decided to think that the cheese was an isolated problem because of the convenient hours and large selection of other good products that I regularly buy there (fresh baked breads, Thomas's English Muffins, Bonne Maman jams, Hagen Daaz ice cream, occasionally respectable fruit - the things they sell in high volume). Alas, it's store-wide, and my experience today has lead me to a boycott.
Just now I'd nearly bought a large container of Chobani plain non fat greek yogurt that, according to the expiration sticker on the bottom, was good until 11/11, and on sale "2 for $8". I decided to put it back because there was a little crusty part on the bottom edge that could have been dried yogurt, or just a scrape from having fallen off the truck. So I took the one underneath it and noticed it had the same little crusty thingy. Upon closer examination, it appeared to be white-out. "Maybe they're all like that" I thought. Eh, no. The neighboring Chobani containers, which were not on sale, all had a digitally printed expiration date on the bottom edge of the container, right where the white out was on the tainted ones.
Sorry Barzini's. I've been a loyal customer for the past six years, but you've cheated me for the last time. I've put in a complaint with the Department of Health, and hence forth will either travel the extra distance to Fairway, or pay the higher prices at Food Emporium. -
Review from Chris K.
New York, NY
1/20/2009
Agreed, this place is pretty gross and wouldn't be surprised by a DOH shutdown any time soon. However...
(1) great prices on SOME produce/fruit (the ones that are not rotten anyway). it's either like really fresh local blueberries (woot!)...next to a bushel of rotten soft apples (ug).
(2) they sell fresh ricotta!! polly-o, never again. the fresh version is addictive and magical. serve it at your next party with olive oil, fresh pepper. your guests will be impressed, guaranteed.
(3) chocolate. always a 3 for $5 sale on lindt and they usually have sales on other unknown euro brands.
everything else is overpriced and not worth it. Hit/miss on freshness, and the DOH fear always lingers... -
Review from Scott Y.
South Plainfield, NJ
1/30/2011 4 Check-ins Here
It's not the biggest store in the world, but they stock a good number of high quality items. The highlight is the cheeses. It's not quite the Time Warner Whole Foods, but their cheese selection is pretty fantastic.
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Review from Allyson R.
Alpharetta, GA
11/27/2009
Barzini has everything you need and want. They have a huge selection of cheese that had me at hello. I was shocked by their cheap prices for cheese and definitely took advantage of it. I have been back several times for produce (hit or miss), random groceries, and cheese.
The last time I was there I needed a Gruyer cheese and they only had one type, so I ended up getting it. Well, I got home with it, and it was fine, but my boyfriend noticed the sell by date was 10 days before I bought it. Blah! No mild or anything so we still used it, but I have a feeling that one has to look over the cheese carefully before purchasing. -
Review from Barry L.
New York, NY
11/20/2010
Expired food!!!
My husband was about to buy milk and was a week passed the Must Sell date and let he let the owner know about it.
Then 2 weeks later I almost got sick from salami I bought and opened it only to find a white paste on the meat. Looked at the expiration date and it was 2 months old!!
I have reported them to the board of health.
DO NOT SHOP THERE. -
Review from Colleen C.
Brooklyn, NY
11/2/2009
I feel guilty writing a bad review of my once favorite grocery store, but I can't love them anymore.
I forgave the questionable old pasta sauce and the sometimes not so fresh cheese, but after finding bugs in a bag of pasta and a maggot in the sunflower seeds, I am no longer on board with the Barzini way of life.
The staff is nice and friendly (except for the way over friendly butcher who wants my number) and they have a good selection of beer. I live just around the corner so I have been known to go there often. I'm sad that their food isn't acceptable because it is so convenient -
Review from Yvonne Y.
2/1/2009
Well, I love the cheese samples and I've bought a good portion of it. Interesting fruits like golden raspberries which I haven't seen in any other store in Manhattan.
Why only 3 stars? Huge, fricking grey rat dashing across the aisle.
Why still give them 3 stars? Just like the rats, I like the cheese samples.
Staff's ok. No one seems excited to be working there. Who would be when you're working with rats. -
Review from Alex F.
New York, NY
7/13/2009
Used to shop here a lot. But after a few too many bad experiences - like, cheeses that turned out to be moldy (and not in a good way) upon arrival home, or fruits that delivered on price but not on quality - I stopped.
I switched to Mani Market: Columbus Avenue @ 94th Street. -
Review from Frankie S.
Manhattan, NY
11/4/2011
It's irrational, I know but something about Barzini's makes me love it. Could it be that it has that "je ne sais quoi" of abuse? Before I get to the downside, let me be positive and talk about what I like about Barzini's. The fresh fruit outside is great and some of the produce inside is good too...not the herbs and the greens. Great variety of coffee beans and they grind it for you. Huge selection of cheese (eat at your own risk) and I'm told that the muffins are fine. BUT...and where do I begin??? The downside: Do you like the aroma of dirty feet with a hint of putrification and top notes of vomit? The cheese display is for you! Want to sample some of the cheeses? No problem. Use your fingers. More often than not, they don't offer crackers and when they do, the pieces are tiny, thumbnail size. I once took three pieces of cracker to avoid cheesing up my fingers and I was chastized by the owner. "You are allowed only one piece." I laughed...thought he was joking but no...the one piece rule prevailed. That experience was the turning point. My choice: either be offended by the smell, the dirt, the rats, the owner and never return or accept Barzini's for what it is...a dirty, stinky, piggy store that sells great produce. I made peace with Barzini's and myself and go there almost daily. You can't make a purse out of a sow's ear.
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Review from Marion C.
New York, NY
9/16/2010
My best beloved local market. Wonderful local fruits and veggies, awesome variety of cheeses, lovely homemade soups and salads. Owner is a charming Persian-Jewish gentleman, a good neighbor of over 25 years, just as much fun to flirt with today as he was in 1980-something.
Ladies, if you enjoy shopping for great fresh food while sharing a moment or two with a tall, dark, deep-voiced, sexy Iranian, by all means shop at Barzini's, and say hello to the owner/manager! You'll be glad you did, and you'll love the special soups and salads, too. -
Review from Eddie S.
Brooklyn, NY
2/16/2010
I particularly love the cheese selection (and sales!) here--plus, they generally have a sizable number of samples to try. You'll find bargains here you won't see at Fairway or Whole Foods. Never had a problem with quality, either--everything I've tried has been excellent.
Note that they're open 24 hours, which is great if it's early or late and you need a decent grocery selection. -
Review from Margot G.
Boston, MA
1/14/2010
They get 4 stars for their beer selection alone. They've got so many hard to find beers for decent prices that it's worth a walk in the freezing cold January weather to go. To be honest, I don't think I've even looked at the rest of the grocery store...I just head right to the beer aisle. If you live in or around the Upper West Side you NEED to try this place out. Definitely worth the trek!
Listed in: Manhattan Valley, Hanging Around The City
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Review from Lakshmi G.
New York, NY
10/7/2009
Its absolutely gorgeous - a little pricey - but its worth just going to see --- its such a beautiful shop and they sell the most interesting mix of products!! I love grocery stores in general -- and this is one of my favourites!!
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Review from Jenny B.
New York, NY
3/30/2010
I must say I was drawn in my wide variety of inexpensive produce displayed outside. Little did I know that would be the only fresh and safe food available. I've learned my lesson after buying salad dressing that was stamped over the original expiration date saying it was fresh for 1 1/2 years later. That's right...within the past month I bought salad dressing (i think Anne's Goddess) that the company stamped the best buy date as Feb. 2009, but Barzini placed a sticker over the original date saying it was good until Oct. 2010. GROSS GROSS GROSS Luckily I smelled it before using it and knew immediately it was no good. Also, all the cheeses that they have for sale...well at least the goat chese, it's on sale because it's expired. I'm never giving this store another penny of mine even though it's the closest supermarket to my apt.
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Review from Nicole N.
NY
6/28/2008
I adore Barzini. There is a beautiful mountain of cheese when you walk in. It is open 24 hours. They have nutella and marzipan and prepared foods. Ooh, and I buy all of my produce here!
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Review from Andrew W.
New York, NY
11/4/2008
This place is disgusting. I walked in last night on a pecorino run to find a large selection of cheeses at reasonable prices, but the place wreaked from samples being left out all day (and who knows how much longer). I was questioning my purchase when a rat the size of an armadillo walked by 3 feet away from me. I had to leave. ***shivers***
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Review from LOPEZ L.
New York, NY
5/15/2010
Ok. Like many others on here, I have had good experiences at Barzini's, and bad ones. I've seen rats, I've bought expired cheese, I've been rudely dismissed by the two stocky Israeli owners. Here's the breakdown.
Pros:
1. Great prices on fruit! I can almost always find a 3 for $7 deal on things like raspberries, cherry tomatoes, blueberries, etc.
2. Yummy prepared foods like guacamole and couscous
Cons:
1. Dirty. Rats are known to make special guest appearances. The shelves are dusty and it seems like product sits around for a looong time. Which is somewhat understandable as Barzini's has a vast selection of obscure international foods that don't exactly fly off the shelves.
2. Expired goods, particular in the cheese case. Make sure you inspect the expiration dates on all cheese and dairy products. Barzini's is known for "extending" the expirations on several products. I have been victim to this first-hand.
3. Prices can be astronomical on certain goods. An almond butter that's $7 elsewhere can run as much as $15 at Barzini's. Spaghetti sauce that's $4 at Mani Market can run as much as $7 or $8 at Barzini's.
The moral of the story: be smart, check out expiration dates, and shop around! Barzini's has great prices on some things (fruit, produce) and ridiculously high prices on others. Also watch out for our rodent friends in the cheese department! -
Review from Norman S.
New York, NY
3/22/2009
this place is really great. it has a wide selection on almost every category and especially the beers.
don't be put off by the smell when you walk in. i've been trying to figure out what that smell is for years -i think it is kitty litter. just go in and you'll find a yourself in a gourmet pantry. -
Review from Kathleen B.
New York, NY
2/13/2011
I am sorry, this place is just really bad. I live right behind their kitchen window (that only has a fan to evacuate all the awful food odors from this place) and this place is really dirty. The odors coming out of there are the worst I ever experienced. The owner is very sneaky and dishonest! This is my worst experience in Manhattan in over 7 yrs!
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Review from Maximilien R.
New York, NY
3/16/2009
At first I was glad to discover this place so near to my new home. My enthusiasm faded soon, unfortunately.
Yes, mice and all the problems that other reviewers have mentioned.
I have also found the staff a bit on the rude side.
If you buy enough products to fill a truck, they will still try to fit them in one plastic bag. You can't just go home with 40 pounds on one hand and nothing on the other. When I have asked politely for another bag they have treated me as if I was stealing from them.
Once, one of them (who seems to be the golden boy of the managers) refused by saying that I seem strong enough to keep them in one hand. Maybe I can, but this is not the point. I offered to pay for the second bag and told that whatever you are saving by not giving out bags, you are losing many times by upsetting customers.
Some of their prices are high, but I have seen much worse.
They should find a way to make a fast line or add a register as sometimes it gets a bit annoying. To make things worse during the winter, the line is made between two open freezers which is quite uncomfortable at times.
They deserve 2.5 points, but that rate is not possible here so I am rounding it down to 2.00, which may not be very fair, but I'd rather err on the side of the caution.
I still buy things there but not in the way I used too. (Problems with staff are not related just to plastic bags, but that's one illustration).
cc accepted if you spend more than $5. -
Review from Laurel E.
New York, NY
8/26/2010
Great market, but overpriced. Open 24 hours, which is excellent. Very friendly cashier who works at night who has taken a liking to my roommate and myself and will give us free chocolate! Wonderful beer selection and some really good prepared foods. They have pretty much everything here, but again, it's pricey. Very fresh produce.
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Review from Shari C.
Brooklyn, NY
6/9/2009
excellent cheeses and meats. some basics are there too! some of the prices are pretty good, some a little pricey!
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Review from Agnes F.
New York, NY
3/16/2010
Too bad there is no zero star rating in this system. This is the most obnoxious, filthy, rude establishment on the Upper West Side. The cheeses are over the hill and stink in more ways than one. Anyone who has a good word about them is either ignorant of what cheese should be like or a plant from the owners. When there is Zabar's and Fairways with a huge selection of delectable cheeses, anyone who buys cheese here must be masochistic. The owners, two burly man, from central casting for bullies, treat customers like garbage. I hope this establishment goes belly up ASAP.
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Review from Alok M.
New York, NY
3/2/2010
They do have a lot of variety in cheese and a bunch of exotic stuff - good beer selection too. However, stay away from this place since the food is likely to be bad. Most things that I have bought from here have been questionable (except for canned items). Seems like they never throw anything away.
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Review from marylou c.
New York, NY
11/25/2009
Great staff but food is often spoiled, Got rotten Barzini sausages the other night. I started cooking them and they stunk up the entire apartment. It was gross. I threw them out but keep the receipt and the package as I was mad that this was not the first time something had been bad or moldy. Anyway, "manager" said I should have brought in the sausages. Yeah, like I'm going to keep them in the apartment overnight.
