I love when I find places that I can truly categorize as a "hidden gem." Bacaro is more like a "hidden diamond," as one of my fellow eaters commented on our way out of the restaurant. i took one star off for location, being on division street in chinatown, but in fact the sketchiness of the surrounding area almost makes it more alluring. this place is like walking into an old, rustic italian wine cellar - complete with chandeliers over the tables, candlesticks burning, and big wooden doors on the wall that assumingly lead nowhere. love the effect. this place looks small upon entering, but it's actually 2 floors, and the downstairs is definitely the primo place to sit. I felt like i was in one of those movies where people are hiding downstairs in an old house, to get away from attacking mutants. except there were no mutants involved, only delicious italian food and a very impressive wine list. oh, and of course, copius amounts of bread and olive oil. the pasta e fasioli - amazing. gnocchi - delish. espresso - did the trick. i'd love to reserve one of the back private rooms for a dinner party at some point (let's get that scheduled, guys). each of the private rooms room has a table that sits about 10, with a chandelier. (you gotta get a chandelier! like this one! or that one! my only SNL reference, that nobody ever gets...waaaa). anyway, it would be the perfect place for an intimate gathering of close friends. i don't like getting dressed up, but for some reason this place makes me want to wear something lacy. hahaha. read more

Had dinner here with friends this past weekend- so delicious! We were able to make reservations 2 weeks prior (which is a feat in this city haha) and were seated right away. We all had a different cocktail from their menu and they were all perfect! Food was amazing - my fiancé LOVED the smoked mozzarella lasagna, and I had the gnocchi which was very good as well. fried rice balls are vegetarian and also delicious. we shared appetizers, and all had two drinks and still price was very reasonable. definitely recommend! read more

So I went to Bacaro, Without any sorrows, To catch an Italian meal. Little did I know, And went with the flow, But saddened that we ordered no veal. We ordered some tapas, Because they had no papas, And the snails were off the chain. To much of my delight This food was out of sight And I would come back again. read more

Cute spot & close to the F train at East Broadway. Still super disconcerted with the transformation of this area... in any case, arrived here for a group dinner & was seated downstairs. it feels a bit dungeon like but you kinda ignore that after awhile bc the food is great. i didn't order the menu as it was already pre-ordered for the group, but was selected was delicious We had the seasonal salad (surprise peas!), meat & cheese platter, crostini platter for the day (the server didn't tell us what was in it - pretty sure one of the spreads was fish which was bizarre). We also had the pastas which were really good and the marinated steak. read more

The service and ambience is good. The food is terrible. I got what I thought was a gnocchi butter and sage dish, what I got was massive chewy chunks submerged in a tasteless sauce ridden with peas that overpowered the whole dish. Never have I had such bad Italian food in the city ever. I thought I had but this one takes the cake. Perhaps other dishes are better.. but a simple butter and sage gnocchi shouldn't be that hard.. The wine was amazing! Perhaps I'll come back for drinks.. read more

I know that sometimes, the candor or brevity of my reviews make me seem like a simpleton. Like a peasant-y luddite, or a faceless bum. Or even worse, one of those bathroom attendants at classy places who look you in the eyes when they're handing you washcloths. But, what ho! You could not be more wrong about me. It's a little known fact that I like nice things, fast cars, fancy restaurants, and the most expensive prescription drugs. Whenever my wallet's feeling a little too tight for my hundos, Bacaro is definitely at the top of my list of places to dine. "Bacaro" is ancient Venetian for "...the opposite of vomit-inducing"--an idiom or metaphor or something, which I'm sure is about the food. (Note: I'm not sure if that's the literal translation, but I thought I'd use some dramatic license there). You can find me here once every fortnight, where I work on my manuscript--a very sophisticated, upperclass-y prose anticipatorily titled "Sluts With Nuts: Zen and the Art of Bukkake", while traipsing the Wall Street Journal for unpaid internships. As other reviewers have noted, the lamb shanks are the hot ticket, and I order 3 or 4 of them every time, just cause. The downstairs basement area is definitely where you want to sit, drink, dine, and eat. I've heard many stories of exciting celebrity sightings, of which have included: my mother and father reenacting the scene from Lady & The Tramp, Iago the talking parrot manning the bar, Suri Cruise dining alone, and the guy who shot the Zapruder film picking up the tab for the 1992 Olympic Dream Team. The crazy the thing is -- once you actually eat here for yourself, these stories, and others, seem rather dull because that's just the kind of ambiance you'd expect from such a top notch ristorante, which may or may not be Venetian for "restaurant". read more

Beautiful, romantic, rustic Italian vibe. Great food, amazing service and a great wine list.

The cocktails and wine list are fantastic and a good value but the food is mediocre at best. Come for the good service and drinks.

I had a full review that I posted on menupages -- but they did not put it up because it was negative? So this one will not be as comprehensive. To put it shortly and succinctly -- I vomited in the bathroom. The lasagna was SO heavy and full of bechamel sauce it was like eating a brick. The food came so slow that of course I actually ate it because I was so hungry. It consisted of about 7 slices of super thick pasta with a couple of lettuce leaves between some of them - all glued together with said mortar. Our friend ordered the Cod with Polenta - should be titled - Polenta with hint of Cod. I upset my wife by eating all the salad by accident - I had 4 bites!. So $100 for 3 people food & 1 drink each to get sick -- I don't think so. The place is the epitome of downtown cool. Go for drinks - stay away from the food. read more

I was fairly disappointed with this place. It's a nice atmosphere, especially the basement, which had a very "Cask of Amontillado" feel to it. The wine selection was very impressive and my Amarone was tasty. But, really . . .I dunno. It just wasn't hitting it for me. Duck bolognese should be a home run but it tasted like any other meat sauce. Dude, if you're using one of the fattiest fleshes around, let me taste it. Don't drown it in tomatoes. Was it an off night? I see a lot of glowing reviews and I was quite ready for some progressive Eye-Tal but it really fell short in my mind, especially considering the price. read more

I spent my New Years Eve here with a group of friends yesterday for dinner. We were a group of 11 so we decided on a prefix dinner. The prefix was $50 per person. Please keep in mind this price did not include drinks or tax. At the end of our stay, we each ended up paying about $75pp. Not to bad for the city. Exposed brick walls and wooden communal farm tables give this place a rustic tavern feel. I think this place is good for dates or large groups. The food was solid. We tried over ten dishes and out of all of them I would highly recommend the squid ink pasta, fried chicken cutlet, and the braised pork. As for drinks, they have a great wine selection and strong coffee! Service was a little slow but I noticed they were understaffed. Check this place out and if you have room, order the panna cotta. Enjoy! read more

If I were you, I would head over to Bacaro pronto...seems destined to be a new hotspot, if not already. Great food, atmosphere and a good looking, fun crowd. Doubles as a great meal and late-night spot. The place has a cavernous, wine cellar feel to it -- perfect for the italian/tapas/wine theme. Make sure to request seating downstairs as many tables are situated in private nooks. Things to order: - Meatballs -- they're slightly fried which leads to a crispy exterior and moist interior -- yum - Gnocci con Funghi -- light and sauce is insanely good - Pasta w/ Anchovy Sauce -- sounds disgusting and i'm usually not a fan of Anchovy, but this was delicious - Duck w/ Polenta and Cannelini beans read more

Went here last night with my husband and two friends. Had a wonderful time and the food was great too! Setting - The setting is amazing. Even if the food was not that great, which is not the case, this place would be worth it just for the ambiance! It feels like you are in a hidden, underground restaurant in Rome. They light the place up with candle light. Make sure you sit downstairs. Upstairs is just a bar with a few tables. Downstairs feels like a magical transport back to the time of underground hidden gems. Service - The service was great! Forgot our server's name, but she was great! Food - We had rice balls, spicy meatballs, fried oysters and zucchini flower stuffed with ricotta cheese to start. All four items were great and would recommend. The one comment I had on them was that I felt that some of these plates were missing something to dip them in (aioli, red sauce, etc). For dinner we had the pork shank over polenta, the steak (substituted polenta for the greens it comes with), sole fish with greens and the spaghetti with manilla clams. All four were great. The polenta that came with two of the dishes was so creamy and delicious! The pork shank was so juicy and well cooked that the meat just fell off the bone. The steak was on the thinner side, but seasoned really well. The sole fish was tasty, but had to deal with a couple of bones (maybe four or five), and the clams were great. This place is great for a date or for an intimate dinner with friends. The tables are mostly communal, but they set them up so one group is at one end (5 people) and one group at the other end (5 people) with enough space in between (maybe 2 feet) to make it feel more like private tables than the common brunch setup you see throughout the city. The tables could easily fit a group of 12 comfortably. I will definitely be telling my friends about this place. You can't beat the setting. read more

New favorite cozy restaurant / bar in the hood - I'm afraid I'm going to become a little obsessed to be honest. I wandered in for a drink and fell in love immediately. The music was perfect, the place itself is so cozy, the drinks were perfect and the food was absolutely wonderful. I highly recommend the gnocchi con funghi. Looking forward to many a night here. Not to be overlooked - the staff is great. Everyone was so friendly and attentive without overdoing it. Absolutely no complaints. I love how it could be a nice date spot, dinner / drinks with friends or even dining alone. read more

This is the hardest restaurant in the city to find. I walked around for 15 minutes in what looked like a scene out of New Jack City, but with Asians in the cast. I tried using my Google Maps but it gave up and actually let out a sigh through my phone. After almost giving up I finally found the one bright spot in all of Chinatown on a small, deserted, side-street. The atmosphere was very warm, cozy, and sexy. The hostess was a bit harried in trying to deliver the unpleasant news about the wait times for a table, but we sat at the bar and had some bottles of wine. After waiting almost 1.5 hours, we decided to eat as a party of 5 at the bar. Eats: Shrimp & Polenta Gnocchi Artichoke & Beef Meat & Cheese Platter Artichoke Salad Chocolate Cake Wine: Sangiovese Gavi The food and wines were both excellent, and in perfect portions for sharing. The bartender Allan was very nice and attentive, despite him also waiting on tables. I would recommend this place, just as long as you bring your GPS. read more

This review is mainly for desserts and drinks. we got the Tiramisu and the Panna cotta for dessert and my friends got sparkling wine of some varieties (red wine and an orange flavored sparkling wine). The tiramisu was thick to the core, flavorful throughout and how tiramisu should be made and taste like. The panna cotta was a great dessert. I never had one but I am glad i did. Described as heated cream, it was a flan texture with a flavored glaze and cherries. By itself was great, but when you get the cream, sauce and cherry all in one bite, it was like an explosion of tastiness. Would heavilly suggest getting both but save some room if you're having dinner there too. FLAVOR TOWN! read more

This place is the real deal! We sat downstairs by the wine cellar... Sorry, I felt that that sentence deserved a dramatic pause. It's all you really need to know about the decor. Close your eyes and imagine an old world wine cellar fit for a movie set. Like, with stone walls and candle light. That's what you have here. The food is fantastic and the wine list has some great features. Keeping with the theme of Italy, the beers available are limited, but good. While Peroni was not one of the choices, you won't find this to be a fault once you've tried what they have available. I highly recommend this place especially to those looking for Roman ambiance and New York City ingredient sophistication. read more

Had my birthday celebrations there. we were 12 altogether and I was really impressed by everything. Booking a table was super easy and staff were great. We were given a huge table downstairs at the back. The food was delicious and there was loads. We really liked the fish dishes and the mushroom gnocchi. Staff were very attentive would recommend to anyone. read more

Bacaro - Lots and lots of yummy food! - Italian Near Me - New York, New York

This place is great and as others have said, the veal shank slips off the bone at the slightest touch and is some of the most tender, melt-in-your-mouth delicious that I've ever had. The service is rapid, the menu great, and of course, as others have also noted, the cellar's ambiance is amazing. Highly recommended! read more

Decor: 5* Pre-Meal Service: 0 During Meal Service: 4* Food: 2.5* Last night, I attended a "Farewell Dinner/Drinks" party for a friend who lost his job and, therefore, lost his visa status in the US - he has to leave the country. This was not my first time at Bacaro, but it was certainly the most memorable (not in a good way). What the restaurant lacked in punctuality, organization, food quality and decency, they tried to make up for in service. A valiant effort but unsuccessful. Highlights: - 2hrs+ to be seated despite having a reservation. The hostess claimed no responsibility for overbooking the reservation. + Informed and friendly service. - Servers neglected to explain the wine pricing, claiming that clearly an "Ombro" is just a tasting for $7 and that the glasses we ordered were actually $15-20!!! + Great meat and cheese platter as well as spicy meatballs. - Salty food and the "Pork Shank over Polenta" was clearly a tribute to the holidays, wrapped in blanket of thick, layered fat! I really wanted to like this place...Alas... read more

Wandering around canal st. at 10pm on a Wednesday night isnt something I'd choose to do, but I'm here with two good friends so its all worth it, and once stepping inside bacaro I knew I was in for a great meal. Hidden among well--chinatown one would never think of a fabulous italian restaurant would be here. Walking inside the exposed brick and candlelit tables don't set it apart too much from other italian places, right? Take a peek downstairs and its as if you've entered italy. The basement here reminds me of a restaurant I went to just steps away from palatine hill--no joke it could have been a clone... Anyway so there are small little alcoves tucked away for people with bigger parties or just want to be tucked away from everything, the exposed brick and raw wood tables just made it more of an experience than just a good meal. My friend has a thing for wine (he works at an italian restaurant and also in a wine store) and he seemed impressed by the wine list--I wish I could tell you more about it, but that's just not my thing :( Complaints: The gnocci was KINDA doughy--barely, and it would be nice w/more mushrooms... And the service was spotty. We waited a while to order, then during the meal it was fine, and afterwards it was as if they wanted to rush us out the door. I understand if you want to go home, and I understand that in order for you to go--I have to go first, just don't make it so obvious! Plus, there were like 5 other tables. No need to rush. Oh, and the location kinda sucks, not a great place to "stop by" on the way home from somewhere... awesome food, great wine list, off the charts as far as ambiance, and ALL without the cheesy "italian" music. overall, great place, cant wait to go back! read more

It was a friend's birthday, and we celebrated at Barcaro. I have never heard of this place before so i wasn't sure what to expect. This place is sooo cozy and romantic, definitely a good spot to take someone on a date (Downstairs). Upstairs is where the bars are, just in case if you want to grab a quick bite/drink. Anywho, i ordered a glass of prosecco with strawberry puree, fried oysters, and the pasta nero that everyone raved about and for dessert, panna cotta. The fried oysters were yummy, but i definitely had better. The pasta nero is freaken amazing!! It was al dente, and everything was perfect. If no one was around i would have licked the plate!! LOL...:shamed: As for the dessert, panna cotta, it was really rich and yummy. There were also other highlights of the dishes that we ordered. The cheese plate that one of my friends ordered were really yummy, and the fried meatballs were amazing as well. In terms of the portions, it was a bit on the smaller side; surprisingly the desserts were very generous. A few of my friends ordered the tiramisu and the slices that were served were huge. As for service, it was soso...Wasn't the best but it wasn't the worst either. It didnt bother us too much since we were having a great time. I would love to come back and ordered the pasta nero again!! read more

I would give Bacaro a little more than 4 stars but not 5 yet. It's exceeded my expectations as far as food, value, ambiance. Service was good but it wasn't phenomenal. Came here with a girlfriend and ordered the asparagus appetizer. That was good and loved it with the egg. Shared the gnocchi which in my opinion was perfectly cooked, al dente. I love gnocchi and I really liked the one they had at Bacaro. Shared the pork shank. That dish was huge! Good thing our waitress warned us on the portion size else. The pork shank was a little bland and needed some more salt maybe, but I was ok with it. Better it have it under salt than over. The drink prices were fantastic, $10 for each drink and it had a good mixed list with enough alcohol in the drinks. I would definitely love to come back with my husband. Nice romantic place with good food and drinks. read more

Very good!!! The pork shoulder was tender and perfectly seasoned. The drinks are delicious and they have seasonal drinks. The staff are friendly and courteous. The ambiance is a mix of locals. read more

This place has an excellent decor - it has a dungeon / castle-like feeling, and their private rooms are fun. The candles in the chandelier and on the tables are also a great addition. They have good choice of wines. Beware of "small" vs. "regular" glasses / prices. Apparently, if you ask for a glass of wine, the waiters automatically bring you the middle-size (and read price) glass. They also have good appetizers - their meats and cheese plates are fun to share However, the food - eww. And this where the 2-star rating comes in. For a pretty nice restaurant, their food! The pork shank was disgusting - it was all fat! Their rabbit was served also in a very heavy sauce, which also killed it. Besides food, one HUGE negative - we made a reservation for a group of 8 people for 8pm. We were asked to wait, and wait, and wait - we were seated at 9:40 - not great service. There were several moments that I really thought of how outrageous it is to wait so long for a "reserved" table. Bottom line - go here for a glass of wine + appetizer, but NO dinner! read more

This is a hole-in-the-wall literally! See the holes in the tacked up drywall everywhere. If you get a decent table it could be nice for a small group of friends. The meatballs were small and dry, so skip them. The gnochetti con funghi: mushroom, peas, and ramps was best combination of ingredients flavor and presentation. I had the rabbit lasagna to follow which drowned out the good appetizer. The flourless chocolate cake made for a decent end to a ok Italian meal, my company was the best part of the evening. read more

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No reservations and a 2 hours wait at 10:00 on Friday night. Who else was waiting for 2 hours? Not me. A couple of stars for the pleasant and harried hostess who helped us figure out where to try next. read more

Food was just ok, nice wine selection and knowledgeable staff. But omg, this beautiful sexy romantic underground lair in an out-of-the-way location on a small random street--definitely the place to woo and impress a date. Might be too overly suggestive on a first date. Plus, where are you gonna go from here after you bust out the big guns? I would say third date and on. read more

Here it is: Good: Wonderful Atmosphere. Beautiful Seating. Great service. Bad: Do not do the prix fix menu, it would be much better to order straight off the menu. read more

Really yummy food, very romantic ambiance, (although not a very romantic noise-level) and great service. I would definitely come back, especially with a larger party so we could sit in one of their cute little rooms. Beware: They seem to LOVE garlic here, so maybe not the greatest first or second date option. read more

This place was so borderline. Its like just on the cusp of being really good or just okay. Overall it was somewhere to go for a casual outing if you don't want to over think it or just don't care very much. "Yeah I don't know lets just go to Bacaro." Best things I liked was the decent wine selection (very good too) and the menu was very straight forward. It wasn't divided up in unrecognizable Italian into various appetizers and 1st, 2nd, 3rd courses "How do I read this?" nonsense. Everything they had was listed right there with descriptions and CHEAP for a decent Italian spot. No frills, no hassle. Location is something to note. An Italian restaurant in Chinatown? Tucked away in some cross street lined with Chinese shops. Ambiance and atmosphere were very nice. Intimate, casual, soothing. Wait staff was eh. First our waiter kept coming by too much it was a bit annoying. Then at the end it took too long to get our food and check. The food was borderline, basically pass or fail. The bread was stale, tasted like it had been sitting out. For appetizer stuffed artichoke I did not care for at all. Felt like I was eating steamed bamboo, and it wasn't even stuffed just breaded a little. The main course was a lot better but maybe too much grease. read more

We hosted my boyfriend's birthday dinner here and it did not dissapoint in any way. Our group of twelve had reserved a private space on the basement level almost a month in advance. Kama, who we worked with to plan the pre fixe menu and reserve the space ahead of time, was very helpful and attentive. We felt confident that we would get what we expected. We were right about getting what we expected, and then some. The space is fun, it's very rustic with an elegant twist. Our area had stone walls with a chandellier and was very dark with only a few small lights. It could have been a little bit lighter as it was hard to see the food but better too dark then too bright. The service was on point. We got there right on time and our places were set and the first course was brought out within minutes. Our server Nicole was sweet and very attentive as well, the group loved her. And the food...everything was great and even the foodies in our group were impressed. If you do the pre fix option for a group dinner you get three appetizers (cichetti), two first course options, and two second course options and a mixture of desserts which you decide on from a list of options ahead of time. Some of the things we chose which I highly recommend are for appetizers the Mixed Seasonal Vegetable Salad (lima beans, beets, blue cheese, etc.) and the Assorted Crostini. For first course our Gnocchi con Fungghi was to die for; the mushroom sauce was delicious and those at the table were just short of licking the plates. For the second course the favorite overall was the Sauteed Filet of Sole with Arugula which was delightful. However the Marinated Sliced Steak with Greens was also amazing and was done just right. Our desserts were delicious especially the Chocolate Cake and the Tiramisu. They even put a candle in the dessert per my request. Drinks were also delicious. I had an awesome blood orange lemonade cocktail which I would come back for, and my bellini was solid. They did not skimp on the alcohol in the drinks and all were well made. Our group left tipsy, full, and happy which is all we could have asked for. There were a lot of group dinners here at the same time and all had their own section. I highly recommend this place for a group dinner of any kind. read more

This was one of the most memorable dinners to date. I have only praise for this amazing restaurant. The ambiance, food, drink, and service are all spot on. My party of six sat downstairs in the cellar, which was fantastically intimate, cozy, and elegant. Our server (I wish I could remember her name...Kristin? Christina?) was beyond excellent. She was friendly, attentive, and professional. At one point she even overheard one of my friends lamenting the fact that her iphone battery was about to die, and suggested that she check with the bartenders for compatible chargers. We ordered many of the items on the menu as well as all of the specials for the day, and I can't think of a single dish that I wouldn't declare excellent. My favorites from the evening? Seafood and potato salad. Garlic shrimp over polenta. Creamed cod. Spaghetti nero. From the desserts: panna cotta, their gelati trio. Their selection of Italian wines was vast and complementary to the food. Lesser places might have the same exceptional quality of food but be lacking in service. This is what sets Bacaro above the rest. Just fantastic. This place is a true find. read more

I went there solely after reading Lexy M's review and man is she right. I have become a bigger fan of lexy than of this place. I took my date out to Bacaro, and the biggest challenge was finding the place as the road starts from nowhere, near canal. After having found parking about two blocks away, which wasn't bad, we walked to Bacaro. They have two seating arrangements, Upstairs which i thought was not very interesting, and then downstairs which was like walking into the basement of a castle. The basement was dark, with candle lights lighting up the place. The whole area had a medieval flavor to it. There are like many different sections with larger and smaller tables spread out. On larger tables, you share the table with other customers which was unique. The service was very good and it was mostly Tapas that you order. We went there on a Wednesday night, so it wasn't that crowded, but by 9pm, it started filling up, with Birthday parties and other loud folks :-) Over all a very unique experience, romantic, enchanting, and definitely impressed my GF. Thanks Lexi M for the recommendation read more

I was here for a birthday event for a friend, and was shocked at the very subtle entrance. Definitely walked past this place twice while looking for it in the dark - and the darkness continues inside, but so appropriately! The candle lit stairs to more seating below is a sweet touch. The service is also great, so attentive to details and preference. Perhaps this was because we had a group of about 18, but regardless, we appreciated the consideration. The food was served family style, steak, chicken, DESSERTS, wine - all of it was divine. You almost feel like medieval royalty feasting in a dark dungeon (haha was that over the top?) - it was a dark, delicious feast. Even while we the place mostly consisted of intimate tables of 2 or 4, we didn't feel out of place, or unwelcomed by Bacaro. Definitely a fan! read more

For years I've heard good things about Bacaro, and last night I finally got to experience the food and atmosphere first hand. My girlfriend and I were the first RSVP table to arrive, and after having our choice of seating we quickly got to talking as most girlfriends do (especially after not seeing each other for 4 months!!). Our waitress was super sweet and understanding as she came back the 2nd and 3rd time to check if we were ready to order. We were not. But she didn't mind, she was funny and entertained our silliness and answered all our questions about the menu intelligently. #Winning. Finally getting through the menu, we settled on the scallop appetizer and our mains of cuttlefish ink spaghetti pasta and mushroom gnocchi with ramps & peas. To hold you over for your food, fresh 1/2 baguettes are served with the best damn EVOO I've ever tasted. Scallops were incredibly delicious, ink spaghetti was great, and the mushroom gnocchi OUTSTANDING (definitely my favorite and a must order!!) Portion sizes are perfect and nothing feels rushed or slow to come. Truly enjoyed EATING at Bacaro. We were done with our food, nearly done with our 2nd glass of wine, but decidedly passing on dessert when our sweet waitress informed us the table had another reservation coming (you know how girlfriends dine... forever!). To make amends, she would happily refill our glasses on the house, if we could just move over to the bar now that our plates were cleared. Brilliant service I say! This is Manhattan, of course you don't pass on free wine!! And being Manhattan, of course the bar seating is just as charming as anywhere else in the establishment. So we moved to the bar, moved onto another glass, kept passing time chattin' it up.... it was lovely. The atmosphere is quite romantic at Bacaro, so it's an ideal date spot or place to catch up with a friend (obviously). I think, however, because of the cavernous style of the lower level it can get a little loud. Not overpoweringly so, and I'm not so noise sensitive, but if you are sensitive to noise, or don't like small dim spaces, maybe stay upstairs and just have a drink! (Yes, two levels... the basement for dining, the upstairs for drinking). I personally love the intimate feeling and old world charm of the brick walls and wood seating. A true charmer if you ask me! read more

I came here for their happy hour. Service was attentive and very nice. Decor was warm and cozy. Food: spaghetti with clams were tasty, but a very skimpy portion (probably 2 bites of pasta), Fritto misto was extremely disappointing...not crispy and all batter. Little crostini were nice to have pairing my drink. Salumi e Formaggi was very small, a little plate with more grapes than cheese. read more

I experienced Bacaro for my first time tonight. The atmosphere is beautiful, cozy and comfortable. Great place for a date or intimate dinner with friends. They have large tables tucked away in corners of the downstairs. The service was spot on, not snobby, full of information and loving. The hostess asked with excitement if we have seen the downstairs when we were trying to decide where to sit. We started with the asparagus and baked egg, lovely, and light. He ordered the steak and I had the whole wheat pasta with duck ragu. The steak was cooked perfectly and my pasta was amazing and not as rich as it sounds. Needless to say I cleaned my place and sopped up whatever was left with the crusty bread. We ended the meal with the gelato of the day which was fig, espresso and olive oil. The espresso was unlike any other coffee gelato or ice cream I've ever had...you can taste the bitter nib you get when eating an espresso bean, the olive oil was my favorite taste is creamy and sweet. The meat & cheese plate looked inviting. I can't wait to go back and try a new menu! read more

Great ambiance, a bit loud. I could barely hear the people in my group. We ordered: Razor clams - best dish of the night. My table kept using the sauce to dip their bread Fried meatballs - nothing special Cod - probably the best entree of what we ordered Chicken milanese - this was okay, I'd pass on this Pork shank - this was a lot of meat. Wasn't crazy about this dish steak - could've been marinated better chocolate cake - nothing special Panna cotta - this was good Definitely make reservations to this place as it does crowded here. read more

I've been here a few times and each time I've been here with friends, we've always been impressed with the food. The crab and polenta dish is to die for. The pork shank was served with a spoon because it practically melts off-- sooo good. The lamb ragu was also really good. Gnocchi was really good and so were the salads. The cheese and meat plate is also really good. Some of the cocktail drinks (according to my boyfriend) were too strong but I've always enjoyed everything on their menu to the point that I dream about having the food there again. I can't say that about too many places in Manhattan so I'm giving it 5 stars. The decor is also beautiful and I love how quaint the place is. I'm sorry other people have had negative experiences there because I've only had great hostesses and waiters. read more