Pros: Seated promptly, server & waitstaff friendly, received appetizers in a timely fashion. Cons: ordered cappuccino, received coffee and not provided a spoon or sugar, waited over 20 minutes for our entree and then received a substitute. Option was to wait additional time or eat the presented substitute. Not sure we'll be returning to dine at this restaurant any time soon. read more

Starters were amazing. We had cheees, jams, olives, drinks were priced accordingly, ambiance was classic Rhode Island high-end Italian. My guests had the Pomegranate Pork Chop, Chicken Marsala and a pasta w/ pancetta/brussels pasta was fabulous. I Split a pumpkin Augrautin....Not great (over cooked/hard). My daughter had plain pasta... When the bill came initially they didn't take off the pasta which we couldn't eat and charge $25 for a child's plate. Clarissa took care of it immediately. We need to remember that there's still a pandemic & things that are in short supply, but it was a good night at baccaro read more

Bacaro - a flower in a vase on a table - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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That was a great place to visit. Loved it. The menu, the food, the service and the setting. Good eye for details.

Very good Italian food that had good service during week. The baked penne past is endless. I felt like the bowl was never ending based on the portion. Pork chop was amazing and had a nice portion of potatos on the side. read more

Delicious food Second floor window seating at sunset is the best Good for large group celebrations Very solid Italian food Pizza pasta and the tapas Make sure to get the tapas read more

This place is a 100 over a 100 our waitress was so attentive and helpful. The food was delicious I got the veal Bolognese. It was very flavorful. The sauce was Rich. To go with my meal I got there, Mojito. it was fantastic. Dessert you have to order when you place your main course because they make it fresh for you which I thought was awesome. I've got the chocolate caramel Tart with an espresso martini, the combos out of the planet. The ambience is very dim lighting natural lay. We saw the sunset, very romantic, very intimate. read more

Bacaro - Bacaro espresso martini with Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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I can't believe I've lived in Providence for 10 years and just visited Bacaro. Initially I was hesitant because there are so many Italian eateries with federal hill and all. We were genuinely blown away by our meal. You can tell the food is made with thoughtfulness and quality. The flavors and textures just pop and create a memorable experience. Their menu is absolutely enormous and feature a lot of seasonal and local ingredients. We started off with a couple Italian tapas which were indeed small, but so fun and a great way to start the meal. One of them was a crispy polenta with prosciutto and cheese, it was all well melded together Then we got their corn pizza and a few pastas. All amazing. Packed with flavor and rich without feeling heavy. The pizza was so thin and had a lovely grill flavor. Sitting on top was a delicious red sauce and sweet, local corn. And I can't tell you enough about the dessert. I usually don't order dessert when eating out. I got the bing cherry upside down cake with vanilla cream. One bite and I was transported. So soft, not too sweet, warm with tangy cherries bathing in a fragrant vanilla sauce. I wish I took more photos but the lighting wasn't great for them! read more

Bacaro - Dessert with the cherry upside down cake on the right - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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This was our first time here and there's no doubt we will return. We had been to Otra, their other restaurant just next door several months prior. We enjoyed the tapas style menu offerings and planned to try Bacaro. There were four of us - two couples - and nary a complaint. We were seated upstairs with a great view out of the wall of windows over the river. Having arrived at 6:30pm there was a bit of sun streaming in for those seated facing the windows. But that was temporary and not an issue as there was also cloud cover. With a fairly broad list of drinks, including a few mocktails, and plenty of wine as well (Italians by the glass and plenty of others by the bottle), we began. The menu was surprisingly extensive. With so much to choose from it was a bit difficult to make a decision, but we all managed. We began with charcuterie - as one should! Fresh, delicious ingredients. Both the Caesar and the mixed greens salads were fresh and tasty. For entrees two ordered the same - Saffron-Scented Riso from the Oven with Chicken and Clams - and each enjoyed the dish very much; taking home the remaining portion with pleasure. An order of Wood-Grilled Summer Spareribs "Scottadito" disappeared before our eyes voraciously - without offer of sharing! And the fourth entrée was my own - Crispy Pork Tenderloin "Milanese" - which fully satisfied. Arugula is a favorite of mine and it went very nicely with the buttered noodles and zucchini. Our server had mentioned at the outset that we would be wise to pre-order desserts as some can take several minutes to prepare. We went with the Bing Cherry Upside Down Crème Fraiche Cake and Salted Chocolate Caramel Tart each of which were outstanding. Now, it is, I find, a bit of a shock when any restaurant is able to consistently hit the mark when the menu offers a dozen entrees. But Bacaro seemed to meet that goal head-on. When considering the number of ingredients necessary to create so many dishes (including all of the tapas-style items), it will amaze me if that is, in fact, the case. I'll be looking forward to finding out on the next visit. read more

I will never return back to this restaurant. the hostess and the servers were rude and absolute idiots. The food was really nothing to be excited about. read more

Fav Italian spot in Providence! For tapas, the pan seared duck breas has the perfect balance between sweet and savory, while the roasted pork belly is incredibly tender and flavorful. The pasta con fungi is also to-die-for if you love mushrooms, with fresh eggy noodles drenched in rich creamy sauce! For dessert, the warm moscato grape tart is super decadent and unique - perfect way to end the meal! read more

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This place was much nicer than I expected. The ambiance and interior was very good. Classic but not old fashioned, especially 2nd floor. We ordered several warm Italian tapas, seafood pasta and steak. Everything was delicious especially the steak with secret sauce. The reason why I gave this place 4 not 5 stars, the waiter was nice but talk too fast when he explained about the menu and came too often to ask if we need anything.m, which bothered our conversation sometimes. And I ordered medium for steak but it came out cooked well done. But comprehensively, we really enjoyed the foods and ambiance there and wanted come back. read more

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This place is so good. If you're a foodie this is a must try. None of the food is a miss ever. I wish is was a cooler vibe, but I am not sure how you make that, or I would suggest;) read more

We enjoyed our late dinner there last night. Arrived at 8:30 for a 8:15 reservation and were seated a few minutes later. Restaurant was pretty busy. We started sharing the Autumn root salad which was very good and perfect for sharing. Then we tried the Roasted clams with garlic, white wine & tomato, great flavor and properly cooked, could have used a small piece of grilled bread to take advantage of the great broth. We then had the pumpkin pizza with spicy olive oil, perfect match. The highlight was a roasted fig upside down cake with ice cream. Amazing! Service was a little rushed but very attentive. I would definitely return but being that we are from California not going to happen soon. read more

Brian You weren't even there so your reply really means only that you failed to make customers happy. Did you know there was a pregnant woman and her husband that went in and were asked to leave and wait until 5 ( because your incompetent staff was not ready at 5 to open the restaurant with 5 pm reservations) sorry, but on no planet is that ok . Neither was the service . you should have been there if you're the owner to accommodate us. You failed . Your staff actually made me leave, as they were staring, laughing, and making us uncomfortable. I don't expect, nor tolerate that poor service from anywhere, sorry. read more

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Top notch Italian cuisine from RI restaurateurs Jen Matta and Chef Brian Kingsford. Great dining experience, solid wine list. Dine upstairs; the sunset views are spectacular. read more

I'd been meaning to try this spot for a while and finally got to do so. They have 2 levels of seating along with a bar area. Most people make reservations but there are some open tables if you go there early. Good selection of wines, got the nebbiolo which was very good. For food, got the sweet corn and tomato salad which was pretty good. Also got the Italian southern board which was Aok overall. The presentation was very well done. Didn't have room for dessert but has to be told beforehand as they freshly prepare it. Overall good experience, would come back another time. There's parking in the lot and also along the street. Service was good. read more

Bacaro - Southern Italian Board - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

One could argue this is beyond five stars if you like the cuisine. Pricy but what did you expect?

Had two visits within about a month, spending well over $600, both special occasions. I tried talking to the host desk twice on second visit about seating issues (no concern was expressed, nor did they grab a manager to talk to us), got shoved into the service bar corner while waiting for seating, on both visits was unable to get a window/river seat (the main reason for the second visit), and experienced an average atmosphere, overly expensive bar drinks and food composition/presentation I wouldn't expect in a better dining establishment. I would note the food both times was good (excepting the grilled pizza), but the other problems overshadowed that. If this was an average priced place or had a unique fantastic atmosphere, I wouldn't care as much but it's very expensive and an average space (except the few window seats which twice I couldn't get), and when I wrote the owner about my concerns all I got back was a very long, detailed and defensive letter explaining more or less why I was wrong about my perception of my own experience. (BTW I too can calculate beverage costs) Though food and value is important, a restaurant is really in the customer service business and for me this was, front to back, a pretty poor one. I tried it not once but twice and won't be coming back. read more

I did reach out directly prior to posting a review to tell how we were disappointed with our dining experience at Bacaro last night. We had a 6:15 reservation for 4 people and my son-in-law called 30 minutes prior to our arrival to see if it was possible to have a candle placed in dessert for some sort of Birthday acknowledgement as it was the actual birthday of both my husband and daughter and this was our celebration dinner. He was told "yes, and a note would be made to do so". That did not happen and after the desserts were brought it was then too late to do something about that. We had Cam as our waiter who was very busy and not attentive to our table. When I asked him if the Cioppino had pasta in it, he responded "no but we could add some if you would like!" - then when that dish was delivered to me I called him over (prior to taking a bite) because my Cioppino did had pasta added in, yet the ONLY seafood in it was little neck clams. This was not the description on the menu. There was not one other piece of seafood. He looked at it and simply said "oh yeah, that's how it comes if you want any pasta in it". I did not want to argue that he should have told me or I would not have ordered it - as I was most looking forward to the seafood (least of which would have been the clams)! Then he quickly walked away. As we were leaving I walked by a table where a woman's Cioppino had just been delivered and clearly had pasta as well as all of the other seafood on top! We spent a large amount of money for this dinner and maybe it was just server error? This was a celebration for two of us and so I did not want to make a big deal while I was there as it would have ruined the mood - but I left disappointed. UPDATE - I received a very nice email of apology from the restaurant today and they are going to call me - that is a very professional response and nice to see that they care! read more

The appetizers, main course and desert were nothing less than expected. The quality of food is 5 star. The pictures do not do the food justice! read more

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excellent as always Pls keep up the great work the servers we're very attentive and responsive read more

Used to be our favorite restaurant in Providence, but sadly, after last night, we will never return and will no longer recommend to our family and friends . Service was awful and food has gone downhill. Drink service is always super slow, with the bar downstairs, but even slower when the server admittedly forgets to put in your order! We arrived on time for our 5 pm reservation and were brought to a dark, dingy table in the corner. I kindly asked the hostess if we could please move to the open table behind us, at the window, but she informed us that it was "reserved." We then asked our server about it and he made up a lie about certain tables being reserved for regulars, so we couldn't sit there. The table that was seated there 20 minutes later were first-timers, so no idea why our seemingly simple request couldn't be accommodated? With 3 littles under 5 at home, our date nights are rare and special, but this started the evening on a sour note. Anyway, our server was clearly new and had no menu knowledge. The couple of questions I asked him, he had the same response for, "I'm not familiar with that." Unfortunately, I heard him say the same thing to a couple of other tables who asked him questions too. Yes, I know it's difficult to hire in the restaurant industry right now, but there needs to be some standard for a higher-end restaurant. "Know your menu" is a low standard. Looking around, we did not see one familiar server. Lack of proper training for new staff is a clear issue. The food. Hubby's spaghettini was spaghetti, not spaghettini. My cioppino was overpowered by all of the onions, it was almost inedible. I tried to eat around the onions and pick out the seafood, but the dish was very light on the seafood, surprising for a $35 entree. Maybe Brian and Jen are focusing on the opening of their new restaurant, Otra? It's a shame that this once fabulous restaurant is now sub-par. read more

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Used to be a great place with excellent food. It was pretty bland to me, I was expecting to be blown away like last summer. I guess it's a seasonal thing where people don't try to do their best anymore. The bartender last night was very rude uninviting and couldn't care less to be there and was condescending and sarcastic. She was on the phone and looked like she couldn't wait to leave. If she doesn't want to work have someone else who is excited about their craft who appreciates their job opportunity and knows how to make crafts cocktails. Lower your prices if you're going to hire impersonable inexperienced miserable people. If she's there we both agreed we would probably walk out. Not a great experience at all. Do better. Ambiance is great aside from that. Food could have more flavor and actually taste Italian. Cheers! Smile! You get more flies with honey not vinegar hunny. read more

When traveling through Rhode Island, we met the owners of Brewed Awakenings (Dave and Natalie). Being in the restaurant industry, they gave us dining recommendations for our stay over in Providence. Seeing Dave's enthusiasm for the pizza here, we made it our mission to try it out. Phenomenal! We arrived late (8:30 PM) and were told we could not get seated in the restaurant without a reservation (although several tables were empty). That's okay! The bar is where we feel most comfortable anyway and Elena promptly greeted us and got us some cocktails. The Amaretto di Saronno was refreshing! We started with the Caesar Salad. It was plenty to share and loaded with fresh Romaine and house made croutons. We were craving a sausage pizza, but didn't see one on the menu. When we asked Elena if we could add sausage to the Margharita Pizza, she suggested the Salumi Pizza. It's not on the menu, but it's her favorite. It was delicious with very thinly sliced sausage and the right amount of red sauce and cheese on a thin crust. Yummers! Everything was fresh and tasty. The service by Elena was top notch. Thanks, Dave and Natalie, for the recommendation. Five stars! read more

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Good food Good service Nice ambiance Would recommend to someone wanting to have a nice meal Normal dress code read more

Tried this place for the first time after a recommendation from a family member and it will definitely not be my last time going....the food is delicious, and full of flavor. We started out with the stuffed squash flowers which were very good, I like the fact that they ask you how many you would like, considering there were 3 of us. So my entree I got the Crispy Chicken over Pasta Fagioli which I wasn't sure I should get cause I usually don't get chicken dishes when I go out as I rule, but the person who recommend the restaurant to me told me I definitely like it and they were right!.....my girlfriend got the Veal Bolognese, which was probably the best bolognese I've ever had....you really taste the veal it in, very tasty. For desert, which you need to order when you order your meal because everything is made fresh, we had the Salted Chocolate Caramel tart and the Bing Cherry Upside Down Cre'me Fraiche Cake, both were delicious. Can't wait to go back! read more

Zero hospitality from anyone in this place. Server was fine, not good, just fine. Appetizers took 40 minutes. Entrees another 20 minute wait. Wine glass took 15 minutes to arrive. Place doesn't seem to have any management present. A human touch would have been nice. They comped a pizza, thanks, unnecessary but thanks. They tell you to order desert ahead of time. I told her to cancel it because everything was taking so long. (I was looking forward to it) Pizza was way too salty, bolognese way too salty, spare ribs way too salty. Downstairs almost empty by 9:15. Hostess messing with lighting levels at 8:45. Vibe killer. Lights above bar, wayyyy too bright. Vibe killer. Heard lots of good things about this place, it will be a never return for me. I will most likely tell everyone I know the same. What a shame. Pizza is exact same price at Al Forno. A restaurant I've been going to for more than 20 years and is LEAPS AND BOUNDS better than Bacaro. I think Bacaro should make the menu smaller, get rid of the Italian tapas, paper, multiple choice menu on the table, simplify things and divert the attention to training your staff and creating room full of hospitality. Otherwise there is zero reason to come here. Al Forno is 200 yards away. Why would I ever choose Bacaro over Al Forno? I actually think it's my fault I had such a bad time. I should have just kept my t-shirt and flip flops on instead of getting dressed to come here. 2 stars because the server was just ok and the pizza was good even though a salt bomb. read more

Definitely one of my top favorite Italian restaurants I've ever been to! Love the fresh, flavorful ingredients and unique dishes. If you're visiting in the summer, make sure to choose an entree that features farm fresh corn--unbelievably delicious when incorporated into a pasta dish! read more

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This place was pretty delicious and a nice night for a fancy dinner out. They've got a wonderful selection of appetizers- we started with a pizza, which was super thin and crispy and savoury. The pasta dishes were fresh and flavorful. You do have to order your dessert with your dinner, so take a look at the dessert menu early! Service was a bit slow, though this may have been a pandemic-related challenge. We'll be back! read more

Although the food is delicious the service is terrible. Don't go unless you are up for a 3- 4 hour dinner. we had a party of 7, we ordered 2 bottles of wine and our apps came before the wine. The charcuterie board didn't come with any bread or crackers even though there were jams on the board? Dinner was good....but again, we ordered 2 more bottles of wine and we were finished with dinner before it came. read more

Hands down the best bolognese .. literally wonderful and they make it the right way! I never try things like duck but the bruschetta app was surprisingly good! The food is delightful and authentic! Reminds me of home. read more

I celebrated a post-pandemic birthday here! The food is out of this world! The service is fantastic! The feeling of a place is authentic Italian! Here is hoping to celebrating many more birthdays here read more

Bacaro - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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Great wait staff! Food was amazing. We ordered a bunch of tapas and the duck. Everything was well done, and definitely a great dining experience. The atmosphere is alright, as it's an older building and doesn't have the best ambiance, but the food is well worth it. The pork belly looked amazing , but was underwhelming. The duck was well done, excellent cheese choices available, the beef tenderloin on bruschetta with some horseradish sauce....wooo! read more

Bacaro - Custom platter - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

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This was my first time here. Several people had mentioned Bacaro as being one of their favorite restaurants, so when we had a business dinner here, I was happy to give it a try. I can only speak for my own experience. We started with some appetizer platters of cheese and assorted meats. They were very good. I'm not a great fan of cheese platters but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. I had trouble ordering because I love seafood. But for a restaurant in the Ocean State, the fresh seafood offerings were decidedly underwhelming. No pasta with seafood or even fra diavolo? I wanted to have something delicious. I understood that the restaurant was known for their pastas, so I figured that I would ask the waiter for a recommendation on what to order. I was surprised to hear that he loved the crispy chicken over pasta fagioli. That's a surprise. OK, why not? So I ordered it. The food came out and my plate had two large breaded chicken cutlets on a bed of pasta. The chicken was thin and crispy - basically like an Italian version of Japanese katsu. For me, it was OK and I was far from wowed. The flavor was muted and it was not a feast for the palate. But I think the evening went well enough that I would come back again with the family to give it another try. read more

Place is excellent. This was my 2nd time here. First time was when it first opened years ago. Atmosphere - Fantastic The decor and the view of the city/water through their huge glass windows is fantastic Food - A +. We had a group of five of us. None of us were shy about what to order. They give you a white sheet to check off all cheeses, hot apps, salami, and sausages...Started off with a plethora of food items from this menu. It was all excellent. Fried burrata, a mortadella stuffed with cheese, breaded olives, a cheese board and brassioila. As for my main course, i got the veal bolognese. There was not one rigatoni left when i was done. It was unreal. Everyone at my table got the fried chicken over pasta fagioli which was splendid too Service- excellent. Very attentive and we had Many food runners bring our food out which i love. Dont give many A + but this is one place you have to go to in providence read more

Bacaro - Breaded Crispy Chicken Over Pasta Fagioli - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

I have experienced this restaurant's slow decline from the heady days when Neathe Pal owned the space. Ok yes, things change - I know and in the beginning Bacaros was great and worth the money. But my most recent experience is the reason for the rating - which I rarely give. I've been in restaurant business and I know a bit about how hard it is to do this well and to keep up the pace with the consistency and quality. I think Bacaro has lost it's way. Start with the hostesses which come across as faking it to be glad to see you. They're was a little screw up with our reservations for a group of 6, honestly not sure who's fault, but boy were they unhelpful, certain it was our mistake and a tad arrogant rather than humble and kind. I think how a restaurant handles a problem is the best test of their customer care. Food is good but sometimes not really much better than I could do myself. Particularly the swordfish and the ceasare salad. Service is completely adrift. They need better training and more oversight. The team approach is not working. There in great numbers when you don't need them and scattered when you do need them. Example- don't clear cutlery from the first course without replacing it before the second course and by all means don't then drop the second course off without noticing it and then just disappear leaving guests to look at - but not touch - their entrees until you return to the vicinity of your station. I would never give a rating this low for one bad night - which everyone has occasionally. This review is one that's been building up for me over years and now I feel I just needed to write it. Still the "good news" is that it doesn't matter. Because Bacaro doesn't need to be good. The place draws people in big numbers. I'm not sure why or who's really coming or what they know about food and service but - it's working for them. So good for them. I am definitely done. read more

Very disappointed with this place. Visiting from out of town. It came highly recommended. First they didn't have our reservation. Then we ordered a bottle of wine. After 15 minutes we inquired about it and the waitress said oh yea we are out of that one. Food was mediocre at best. Pasta wasn't cooked all the way through. Swordfish had a fishy taste. Service was horrible. Be prepared for a very long meal. We were there for almost 3 hours. Dessert was good. However, they tell you to order with entree and still took 20 minutes to get them. read more

The best restaurant in the state! I have come here for very important dinners and it always delivers. We do tend to splurge here and there's no other place I would have a dinner in the 4 digits. The burrata and soprasatta are so good, the drinks are well measured, the food is portioned nicely and cook beautifully. There's nothing to complain about here. read more

Bacaro - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

Jenn, the owner, is so amazing. The food is amazing. I would highly recommend. The bolognese is a must. Of course you have to have the pizza. However, if you want the baller experience, you NEED the CECCHETTI mene is a must. Just do it. You won't be sorry! read more

Bacaro - World famous grilled pizza!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Providence, Rhode Island

This was our first time to Bacaro. Our party of 4 had 5:30 reservations but we arrived a little early --at 5:10. Even though the restaurant opened at 5:00, the host told us our table wasn't ready and that we can wait at the bar until our 5:30 reservation?!?!?! When asked why they couldn't seat us early, the host reiterated they would come and get us when our table was ready and that we can wait in the bar area. Bacaro opened 10 minutes prior, so I know there wasn't another party at our table that we were waiting for them to clear out. At 5:28, they grabbed us and brought us to our table on the second floor. Aside from two other parties, the second floor had ~10 empty tables, set and ready to go. It's a mind-boggler that they wouldn't seat us a few minutes earlier. This is the only reason I'm giving Bacaro three stars. If this review was on the food alone, the rating would have been higher. For the most part, all of the food was excellent except for the halibut special which was a bit fishy. Our server (Mikaela) was great. When we mentioned the issue, she apologized and got us a replacement dish which was great! Even though they have great food, there are so many other fantastic restaurants in Providence that I would probably go somewhere else next time. read more