I wanted to love Bombetta - I really did. After all, I picked it as my restaurant of choice to celebrate our four-year anniversary, having read tremendous reviews in print and online from well-established food critics.
First of all, the atmosphere is fun, warm, and inviting. It's the ideal place to spend a Thursday, Friday or Saturday with friends, either perched at the bar or at the tables. Staff are welcoming and very hospitable, and the open kitchen makes the environment all the more vibrant and exciting.
For me, the food fell short of spectacular - and I really had expected it to be great. We ordered some sides (Tuna, pearl barley, tomato, celery & lemon), a bombette (of pork, prosciutto San Daniele, scamorza & oregano), and items from the charcoal grill (Lamb Scottadito and fennel sausage) to share but in general, the meats were very, very, very salty. Yes, to the point that it was slightly unpleasant, though I know that meats like prosciutto are naturally salty as they are cured. The tuna, pearl barley salad was fresh but underwhelming and by the end, we were left with a pool of olive oil on the plate. The tiramisu I ordered for dessert was tasty, but so encased with cream, I couldn't quite get down to the layer of cake that was hidden underneath.
We still had a very enjoyable evening, but on reflection, it's not a restaurant I'd return to in a heartbeat. Perhaps we just ordered the wrong items, but I woke up feeling like my mouth was the Sahara desert in the middle of the night! SO. Much. Salt. read more