I'm going five stars here to support the chef and staff because I love the place and the vibe. But…read moreI had a few issues with the food. First everything seems to be one thing too complicated -- eg, I had the Cacio e Pepe and it had breadcrumbs on it. I don't need crunch on my pasta. The burrata was awesome and didn't have too many ingredients but that harissa orange jam was superb. But back to my "too much" theme, while I have never complained about "too much truffle" in my life, they managed to go there. I got truffle on my pasta and was expecting a few thin slices or fresh truffle, but got what appeared to be a ton of minced truffles -- almost resembling tapenade -- which just overpowered me an the dish. The staff were amazing, the meatballs were superb, the raging pasta very good, and the chocolate mousse outstanding so I will be back. String suggestion: your pasta is SO good you should offer up a simple version (olive oil, garlic, parsley) that will blow people's minds.

My family and I enjoy a nice dinner at Bosa…read more I really enjoyed the fondue--game changer--and my delicious pasta, cachio e pepe. The meatballs were large but that SAUCE is amazing. The pear spritz and honey bear were also delicious. 7/10 because my husband felt rushed.

This restaurant is worth of it's 4.6 stars. The food is excellent…read more I had the special which was a braised lamb shank with mashed potatoes. The meat fell of the bone in a delicious sauce. My wife had the shrimp scampi which also had a delicious sauce and was full of shrimp. My son had the homemade raviolis which he finished in 2 minutes. It was served in a bolognese sauce, which was also scrumptious. Our server Alise was very nice and came multiple times to see how we were doing. She was very helpful. The atmosphere is very elegant and classy. Old World Italian. Very nice. Overall, a great meal.

Regularly go before an event at the Tower Theatre. LOVE butternut ravioli and the Happy Hour…read moredinner specials.

This is hands-down the best restaurant in Bend, Oregon--maybe even the best in the entire state…read more Everything you order here will be incredible. But if you go for the tasting menu, you're in for something special. It's not just dinner--it's an experience you'll remember. Honestly, it might be the best meal you'll ever have. And I don't say that lightly--I grew up in restaurants and worked in the industry for 10 years. We come here for every special occasion. It's absolutely worth it.

Ariana Restaurant was hands down one of the best dining experiences we've had. I took my…read moremother-in-law and she absolutely loved it as well, which made the night even more special. The food was perfectly cooked--thoughtful, refined, and incredibly delicious. Every dish felt intentional and beautifully executed. The staff was friendly, attentive, and struck that perfect balance of being present without being intrusive. Truly one of Bend's finer dining experiences. Elegant, warm, and memorable. We'll absolutely be back.

Pastini Italian Restaurant truly made our day. It was our last lunch before saying goodbye to the…read morebeautiful town of Bend, Oregon, and it was the perfect way to end our visit. We were dining with our kids, who can sometimes be demanding, but the service was incredibly fast, friendly, and accommodating. The food was delicious, and everyone left happy. I also have to mention the wonderful outdoor setting. From our table, we could watch people walking, running, and riding bicycles along the path nearby, enjoying the beautiful Bend lifestyle. It created such a relaxing and vibrant atmosphere. Thank you, Pastini, for a memorable meal and a great ending to our Bend adventure. We would gladly return the next time we're in town.

Really great. The place was spread out so you could move freely, it was clean, smelled…read moreWONDERFULLY. I looked at all the food as I was being seated and had no idea what to enjoy! Smiles, laughter, nice color pallet. The staff are amazingly talented! Fantastic. Everything was amazing except... The tails were left on the shrimp. It's very annoying to have shrimp tails on is a white sauce dish. Shrimp cocktail would be the only reason to leave it on. The basic rule in dining is "never place anything on a plate that's not eatable". Removing tails is part of food prep. It happens in lots of places, even high end plates. Part of prep is "get rid of the tail". But besides that... fantastic. 4 stars if tails were not on the shrimp. People say it's to keep it juicy. They say it's to not deform the shrimp while cooking. No, during prep, remove the tail shell. Never plate an item you can not eat. Love the place though. Definitely go there and enjoy each item; it's all so very good!

For reasons unrelated to restaurant quality or reputation, we'd avoided Zydeco. Recently, however,…read morealong with a couple friends, we decided to give it a shot. Verdict: Zydeco is an outstanding restaurant in virtually every way. No negatives to report. The place is popular - arriving just before opening on a weekday, there was a line to get in. Reservations are definitely a good idea here. Our early arrival in line allowed us to choose a good table in the back, where it wouldn't be too hectic. That too was a good idea as the place gets loud with conversation when it fills up. Music wasn't loud, just the people. The menu isn't huge but there are quite a few, varied choices. Given the meal was a bit of a splurge for us, I essentially ignored the prices, which are not trivial by any means. Fine dining entails spending money. Zydeco has a ton of reviews and as the menu apparently doesn't change, I'll just say everything we ordered was great. Cocktails too. The Bramble Down is exquisite. Service was top tier as well. Timely, attentive, professional without being stiff. The capstone to our experience involved the bill. We actually had a gift card from 2017 - nine years ago. While it certainly didn't cover the whole bill, or even half, it was a nice way to defray costs. Unfortunately, when the server ran the gift card, it showed no balance. Not sure why but perhaps over the years, the card had been erased by stray EMF. Despite that and given we provided the card receipt, the restaurant honored the card for the full amount anyway. Well done. Highly recommended.

WOW‼ Our fourth visit, whenever we stop in Bend…read more Service is outstanding. ALL WINNERS: Beet Salad BBQ Shrimp - gotta get the bread Blacked Red Fish Carrot Cake Key Lime Pie Pass on the Fried Green Tomatoes.

Easily one of the best food trucks in Bend. COTTO does Italian food right -- comforting, flavorful,…read moreand always consistent. We stopped by after school and tried the 12-layer lasagna (incredible), the chopped beef sando (my favorite), and the zeppole donuts (the kids destroyed them -- sugar everywhere, totally worth it). Every dish was spot-on. You can tell everything is made with care, from the sauces to the fresh pasta. The specials are always creative and worth checking out. Service is quick, and the team is friendly even when it's busy. COTTO is a standout at The Podski -- great food, local vibe, and a perfect spot to grab a drink and a bite outdoors. Definitely one of my go-tos in Bend.

- cannolis were good! - my fried gnocchis were borderline…read moreburnt though so it wasn't the greatest :/ - seems like food is all made to order!

Bad news. Good news…read more Bad news first is this: The Drake has been sold to new owners and TONIGHT, APRIL 12, WILL BE THE LAST DAY OF SERVICE at The Drake with the original owner and the current menu. So if you're hankering for the mac n cheese or shrimp n grits or veg burger or any of the menu items, after today they are history. I started eating at The Drake in their first week of business and had many, many, many meals there over the years but things change and so, it seems, has the popularity of The Drake. Now the good news. The new owners are a trio and one of them is also one of the owners of the inestimable Ken's Artisan Pizza in Portland that opened its' Bend location last year. (Go! Even if you have to stand in line for 45 minutes like I did.) The first news of this ownership change was that they would keep the name and current focus of The Drake. But local television news reports that after The Drake closes today it will be reimagined with a new name and design and menu. The opening for the new place is currently said to be Memorial Day weekend. I don't live in Bend anymore but there is still a family home there and so I visit on occasion and knowing a "Ken's" owner is involved in the new enterprise may make me brave the wicked-bad downtown parking to try this new place. In the meantime, I remember how fun and delicious it could be to eat at The Drake.

Very nice place we were trying to do something out of the norm because this was our first year…read morevisiting Ben without kids. They had a nice happy hour and very good drinks on it. They were simple and well-made and relatively strong. Very cute little location seating wasn't an issue, even though we didn't make reservation reservations ahead of time Just overall a very solid little spot, we got some sliders and some other little sides and everything was put together well and price right. Definitely acquired a place so probably good. We didn't bring the kids.

I went to trivia night and this is only a note to my future self, but it was too hard and I felt…read morelike dead weight on my team. I am not a pop culture expert. It seemed like most people really enjoyed it though. I got the elk burger and really enjoyed that! It tasted like a normal burger patty. The bacon jam was awesome. The gluten free bun had the most amazing texture. And the fries were good too!

Food was meh, service was half friendly but lackluster and half, well... rude. Had pulled pork…read moresandwich with Mac salad. Pork was a bit salty, but ok. Mac was unseasoned and dry. When the busser came to clear the plates, she asked how everything was. I said good except the Mac was not great (and was basically untouched). Her disdainful reply, looking at it, was "well, that's a lot of pepper." The pepper wasn't the problem, and being snide to a customer who hadn't complained or asked for anything despite my disappointment in the dish was unnecessary and rude. On the plus side, the beer was good and what I expect from Deschutes. Given that there are a bunch of brewery restaurants within a few blocks, I would have expected more flavorful food and absolutely a better experience with the staff.