Food was very good ! We had appetizers, main course and even dessert all delicious! However , we were not fans of the service. Everything started off great..Friendly waitress and servers .. we were a group of 6 and we disclosed up front that we would probably be there a little long because we were dining for our bookclub meeting. The place was practically empty; we were engrossed in out book discussion then the weird staring and whispering amongst staff started, then a random server who was not our original servers basically explained that they needed the table..not cool! We spend over $600 and we felt as though we were kicked out! Not going back even though the food was good! We are big on service from start to finish when we dine out as a group ! read more

My partner and I were spending the day in red hook with no real plan when we spotted bar Mario. The owner welcomed us and got us seated up the bar. Whoever decorated the interior did an incredible job- it's cozy, trendy and intimate. We ordered cocktails and they were fantastic. If we hadn't already eaten dinner elsewhere, we would've loved to have stayed for a meal. We both agreed we will be back for a date night soon. read more

I've been here two times. Food was delicious. I was surprised this restaurant wasn't packed both times. The ambiance is fun. Just wish their music is quieter so that I didn't have to yell so loud at my friends so they could hear me. read more

We enjoyed a fabulous evening at the bar where we enjoyed dinner and drinks. Despite the truly awful young woman who served us at the bar we highly recommend Bar Mario. She is clearly miserable in her job and that is fine. Square peg. Round hole. We've all been there. Hopefully, for Bar Mario, she js fired soon, Just be forewarned by our experience eating at the bar. read more

My girlfriend and i were strolling around red hook and stumbled upon this place.. they have a very nice menu and interesting dishes... the staff and atmosphere was perfect, but unfortunately we had a very unsatisfying and disappointing experience.. We were both very hungry and left hungry... i dont really understand how i could spend close to $70 with no drinks and leave just as hungry as we came it... honestly i felt ripped off, it really goes to show how looks can be deceiving. To start we got the bruschetta, and well it was very mediocre, im not sure but the tomato's were not flavorful and they obviously did not salt it... the mozzarella was ok kinda dry and i mean just no flavor... worst of all it was $17 for 4 piece's and they were very small... to be fair this was not end all be all as we were looking forward to the pasta... Next we both got pasta and o boy was it disappointing as well. She got the hangover pasta and i got the picio cacio e pepe. The portions size here are not entrees lol they are appetizers and expensive... Her pasta was very salty and not much flavor... honestly we could not figure out what the flavor was, but its not like we even had that many bites to even figure that out.. The picio seemed like it was their specialty and it was pretty good. but again it almost felt like we were eating off the kids menu.. the dish was nice and cheesy but it was a little watery not sure if they put enough starches in the sauce. I understand that some places have small portions and i get that i live in nyc but i know plenty of better places that have dramatically better quality of food and bigger portions for cheaper. At the very least if you are going to have small portions the staff should let the patrons know.. If i were to give a suggestion for this place to strive for it would be saggios nyc.. Well to close it off we left hungry and ended up going and spending more money somewhere else...i don't think a restruant does its job well when customers leave hungry and unsatisfied... i think this place is only a year old so im sure they have time to grow, but as of now i would not recommend or go here again... as i said looks can be deceiving wait till they serve real portions for good prices. read more

I'll start by explaining my star rating. The food here is worthy of 5 stars and the service about 3. I do think the latter may have been an isolated incident. The food is so good that we are willing to go back and give it another try. On to the specifics of the evening... We (the hub and I) had four out-of-town house guests -- here to celebrate a birthday -- and we wanted to treat them to dinner. Our neighbor had been raving earlier in the week about this new Italian place, Bar Mario, saying it was so good he'd been twice in two weeks. So our decision to go there was a no-brainer. Thankfully, they take reservations for parties of 6 or more (there were 6 of us). Unfortunately, they aren't on any online booking platforms, so you have to call...yep, old school, but we're fine with that. No website either...not a huge deal...though we do like to know what kind of things are on the menu, our neighbor had given us an idea based on his recent visits. The hostess was lovely. I had heard there were only 8 tables inside (there are additional tables outdoors), so I was expecting it to be a relatively quiet dining experience. Since there is a bar within the dining room -- and it was a Friday night -- the place was hopping and very noisy. Not ideal for the type of night we had envisioned, but we decided to focus on the food. If you are looking for a regular "red sauce joint," this isn't the place. If you want reasonably priced (for NYC at least) cross-regional Italian food with a focus on pasta entrees, you'll love it. Beyond the regular menu, which surprisingly includes a burger, there were a few specials, though we didn't select any of those. We started with a mix of wine and cocktails at our table and this is when the first "strike" happened -- the wine pour was the smallest I've seen anywhere. Both the whites and the reds poured at our table were in rather small slim glasses and looked like half pours at best. The three of us who had ordered wine quietly questioned amongst ourselves how that could possibly be $16-18 worth of liquid in our glasses. We mentioned it to the waiter and he seemed annoyed. BAR MARIO: YOU MIGHT WANT TO FIX THIS. When we began to order food, the server informed us that for larger parties, the kitchen was too busy to accommodate separate entrees, that we would be served family-style. It was unclear why he didn't tell us that at the start so we could plan accordingly. We asked for clarification, as we didn't know how much we should order, etc. and he suggested we get a 3 or 4 apps and 4 or 5 entrees. To us, "family style" means larger (than single entree size) portions are brought out for the table to share. So, we pivoted and figured out how to compromise/consolidate the preferences of the six of us and ordered 3 apps (meatballs, artichokes and calamari) and 4 pastas (cacio e pepe, raviolo, rigatoni with bacon & spaghetti hangover). When the bowls came out, they all looked like single-serve portions, but the waiter gave us tongs like you'd expect with family-style. We proceeded to sample and enjoy the dishes -- all were delicious, but our group's favorites were the rigatoni, the ravioli & the spaghetti hangover -- but finally decided that we had to ask where the disconnect was. Why such a small quantity of food -- were these either the sparsest "family-sized" servings ever or were they single-serving sizes like the regular entrees? Since the hostess was so nice (and our waiter didn't seem as warm/accessible; he was also quite busy), we grabbed her when she passed by and posed the question. She didn't seem to know what we were talking about and proceeded to "huddle" by the bar with our waiter and they seemed to be arguing. Wanting to avoid any undue drama, I walked over to them and started out by saying that all of the food was delicious, that we were just super confused about the portion sizes and just wanted to know if the bowls served to us were indeed family-sized or were they the regular entree size. The final answer was that they were the latter which left us baffled -- why had the server told us that it was family-style? We were ready to order 6 entrees (one for each of us) and at least 3 apps, which would have been a bigger check. Bottom line: the food was great, but we needed more of it and we weren't about to order a "second round" at that point, as it felt kind of awkward as it seemed like the server was annoyed with us and, quite honestly, we were annoyed with him too, as our dining experience would have been more enjoyable if we proceeded in a normal fashion, each of us ordering what we wanted and leaving the place with happy, full bellies. read more

Some of the best pasta I've had in New York City in a very long time. Small, dark and moody, the vibes were amazing.

As someone who believes in the golden rule and the value of personal time, let me cut to the chase: don't go here! Looking for great Italian food in Brooklyn? No problem. The borough has it in spades, capeesh? Planning an evening out in BoCoCa and looking for some buona cucina? Awesome! Let me recommend Cafe Spaghetti, Popina, Gersi, Frankies 457, Rucola, Felice, Sociale, River Deli ... I could go on. So many great spots. In Red Hook and hungry? I got you covered. Check out Red Hook Tavern, Fort Defiance, Hometown BBQ, The Good Fork, Red Hook Lobster Pound, Keg & Lantern, or Grindhaus. Incredible neighborhood to eat well in. Want to be insulted, gaslighted, and have your family's evening ruined by a truculent maitre d? Try Bar Mario! Hot on the heels of one good Grub Street review, we booked a table two weeks in advance for a family dinner to celebrate our young son's birthday. When we arrived for a 6:45pm reservation at 6:49pm, we were informed our table had been given away because the restaurant "didn't think we were coming." When I inquired as to what had happened to our reservation, the maitre d' gestured towards a booth filled with diners well into their apps and second cocktails. "We don't really take reservations," he said. "We can't guarantee anything, but maybe you can sit at a high top if you want to wait outside." It was 30 degrees. We didn't wait and neither should you. Brooklyn has an abundance of great Italian restaurants. This isn't one of them. read more

Didn't eat only had drinks so can only comment on the drinks and bartender service--- the espresso martini was excellent ( they use fresh espresso) and bartenders were friendly and accommodating! Look forward to returning! read more

Extremely friendly restaurant. Service oriented and everyone is on their a game as far as hospitality goes. We enjoyed our dinners and felt very well looked after. This new addition to red hook dining is excellent and we are looking forward to returning. read more

This is an amazing authentic Italian restaurant in a quiet location in Red Hook. The owner was most helpful in making the reservation for a special family meal. The table was all set up when we arrived and the owner welcomed us immediately. After we had all arrived, he explained the wine list and all of the dishes on the menu. Everything that we ordered was exceptionally delicious and cooked perfectly. The appetizers, salad, pasta, wine, and desserts were all 10/10. We will definitely return and would highly recommend this restaurant for a special night out for wonderful Italian cuisine in a beautiful setting, with friendly and professional staff. Thank you! read more

First off, let me say this...I had a really enjoyable evening at Bar Mario. I was visiting NYC from SoCal solo ‍stepping out of my comfort zone. I stayed at an AirBnb down the street and saw Bar Mario on Google Maps when I was checking out places to eat local. It did not disappoint! The food was amazing! The staff was amazing (10), the atmosphere (10). It made my visit memorable. It has a great vibe. Music was old school NY (Sinatra etc.) As i was having dinner, many locals came in for dinner. I can't wait to come back to NYC and go there again. Highly recommended! read more

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The food is so good we've been here many times over the past year. Excellent service, authentic too as most of them are Italian. The interior is cozy and the bar is the kind of place you just want to hang out in all evening. The cocktails are superb. Bar Mario is a favorite that we go back to again and again. read more

So, I saw them on Instagram and thought I would go for my birthday, it was a Thursday night, and just a small reservation of 4 people. This was great! I made the reservation for 8:15, then had to call back to change to 8:30pm, no problem. Again it was a Thursday night. The host whose name I forget a female, was like an old friend welcoming me into the house. Daniela our adorable Italian waiter was like a happy puppy. So cheerful!Great. But the food and the drinks were so amazing! Simple, not super complex, but undeniably good. Thank you all for making 54 a night to remember. I hope guys enjoyed the cake, I wanted to make you all feel as good as I did. Mangia! read more

What a great discovery! Took a chance on this Red Hook newcomer and had wonderful time. The space is cozy and the restaurant has a warm and welcoming neighborhood vibe. The food was wonderful! We LOVED the fried artichokes and the cacio e pepe was among some of the best I've had. We tried the panna cotta and tiramisu for dessert and both were heavenly. Our server was a lovely woman from Italy named Jessica, who couldn't have been more friendly and attentive. In fact, most of the staff went out of their way to engage and everyone was friendly. This was one of my first times dining inside a restaurant post Covid and Bar Mario served up a warm and inviting welcome. read more

Absolutely delicious food with the warmest and most welcoming staff. One of the best meals I've had in a long time. We sat outside and it was just lovely! read more

My husband and I recently went to Bar Mario and had a great time! There were many highlights! Of course the food was super yummy but what made Bar Mario especially memorable was the Bartender we met. Matt was knowledgeable about spirits and a great conversationalist! I always have a hard time picking something I like to drink, but Matt to the rescue! He has a special touch to delivering a great experience as well as tasty libation! I will be back to visit my new favorite Bartender soon - a plus for a local spot for me as well. Good food, great drinks & great staff! Thank you Matt & team! read more

Amazing, warm service and delicious food and cocktails! Can't ask for much more than that!

A lovely new Red Hook addition! It was a beautiful evening so we opted for the outdoor seating which was very pleasant and very Brooklyn. We had a lovely waitress who recommended we get a couple dishes to share, so we did just that. To start we got the "Polpettine al sugo", delicious meatballs in a fantastic sauce. We then followed with three pasta dishes, "Pici Cacio e Pepe", "Gnocci", and "Agnolotti." The "Agnolotti" was definitely our favorite although all the dishes were really yummy. Will definitely be back to Bar Mario! read more

Bar Mario - Italian Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Food was excellent; lots of options on the main menu and ample appealing specials. Rigatoni and agnolotti were stars of the night. Average service but great ambiance. Authentic experience and fare! read more

First time Here with my Niece& Her wife, they eat here quite often because they live down the street. Had a superior Caesar salad& the perfect Rigatoni the way pasta should be cooked! Nice& Friendly staff please support this great neighborhood restaurant, you will be glad that you came! read more

This was truly the best restaurant of our week in Manhattan. Our Cacio y Pepe was the best food we had all week. The servers were so nice. The restaurant is cozy and perfect. We wanted to come back again and again. One of my favorite restaurants and experiences I've had in a long long time. read more

Came here for dinner with my husband on our anniversary and ate at the bar. This restaurant is a great addition to the neighborhood. Food was wonderful and delicious. Drinks were great, well balanced and not too sweet. The service, in particular the bartender Matt, was by far the best part. So knowledgeable about the food and drinks, very attentive went above and beyond when he learned it was our anniversary, and overall all made for a very memorable dinner. read more

The don't take reservations so arrive early and try to snag the cozy corner booth. Lovely staff who are actually Italian. Really delicious and authentic dishes and the drinks were really good. Highly recommend. read more

I went to Bar Mario this past week + we had a four course meal for our anniversary dinner + everything was absolutely delicious!!!! The vibe was cool, music was great + wait stuff was so sweet and attentive. As authentic Italian as it gets in Brooklyn! read more

This place is a gem! Excellent dishes and wine-felt like we were in Italy! I highly recommend the Spaghetti Hangover and Ricotta cheesecake. Although the place is small, EVERYONE there has BIG warm hearts to make you feel welcome, food came out quickly but not rushed and fantastic music, lovely experience! read more

I don't know what happened to this place. Atmosphere used to be amazing, food on point, great service...2-3 time a week stop...last few weeks everything changed. New owners? read more

My wife and I love Bar Mario!! Must visit! If italian is what you crave, do not deny yourself the pleasure of visiting this establishment

This place is amazing. I would recommend it to all my friends. The ownership is warm and caring and definitely made us feel appreciated and welcome. The food was amazing and the drinks were out of this world. I wish I could give a 10 but it limits the stars to 5 read more