Baci Ristorante — Restaurant in Burnaby

This is a tough one to start. We went there for a large party dinner, the menu was preset and we had a choice from Veg or Chicken option. My wife has the Veg option and I had the Chicken option. It came with a small appetizer, entree. Lets start with the food, it was extremely bland, no flavor at all. Everyone at the table felt the same, we all added as much salt and pepper to it to have some remnants of flavor in the dish. The drinks look amazing but did not live up to the flavor of it at all. It is listed on the menu that all drinks are 2oz, but you can not taste the alcohol at all. One person in our group sent back the margarita because it was all juice and no liquor. The server took it back to the bar and a few min later came back with the same drink, and all they did was add an oz of liquor to. Normally, you would think they would make a new drink, or even take the old drink and remix it into a new glass with new garnish but NO -- that did not happen. I was amazed that they just added an oz to the same drinks and sent it back out. That drink did not taste good at all. The only saving grass the reason they have 2 stars is because of our server, she was doing the best she can and was on top of everything. I would not recommend this place to anyone. Our bill was $280+ for the 2 of with 2 drinks each. For that price you can get a much better experience and food. My wife also asked for a kids menu and they did not have one.

Response to Restaurant: Its your opinion that most restaurants don't offer kids menu. Not actual fact! - Yes we arrived there and my wife asked for a kids menu or dish. She asked for a small portion of any past you have with chicken. We were given a full adult dinner plate charging us full adult dinner cost. My toddler just had a few bites and the rest was wasted. Common rule -- anything that is returned to the kitchen or bar should be replated and represented to the customer not bring the same used glass back to the table. Any bartender knows that adding a shot on top of a already papered drink will not mix property and will not tase good, that is why no one does that. We did not have the calamari it was never served to us. I did not mention the penne because it was not a worth mentioning as it was not good at all no one at our table was able to finish the penne without adding flavour to it (salt/pepper/hot sauce). I could have had a better penne with rose sauce out of a can then what you served. My review was modest and giving a general over all expression of our food. Non the less i wish you the best in your food service business, but we will not be returning to your restaurant again. updated the stars to reflect the...

This is a long overdue review here so let me start by apologizing for not posting this sooner. However until recently I had only ever ordered Take-Out from Baci so I wanted to make sure I had the chance to check it out in person before I posted my review, especially with that great looking exterior to the restaurant.

Well let me tell you I am glad I waited because it allowed me to have a wonderfully pleasant experience, one that I now have the joy of sharing with whoever happens to be reading this review during their search for a fantastic Italian restaurant.

First, the food here is fantastic. I am partial to Pizza myself and the Pizza they do here is nothing short of sublime. The crust has this unique taste to it that I would honestly describe as almost addicting, you just want to keep eating it no matter how full you are. I used to order it all the time when I previously lived in this area and once I found them I wouldn't order from anywhere else. Their selection of toppings/ingredients are always very fresh and of extremely high quality which is reflected in how delicious their Pizza tastes. If you are in the mood for a great Pizza then look no further because you've found the next place you should try.

Secondly, the atmosphere on the outside is reflective of the inside in the best way. Rustic Italian vibes with those light touches that only something truly authentic can recreate in a relaxing environment that is both spacious and welcoming. I happened to go in very close to opening and was one of the only people that came in I believe and it was very pleasant to sit and enjoy my meal by a window seat on a sunny day.

Thirdly, the service here was truly exceptional. My waiter was a lovely gentleman who greeted me with a warm smile and was very attentive throughout the whole experience without overdoing it. When I informed him that my food was excellent you could see the 100% genuine enjoyment in his face knowing that I was enjoying the meal. We had a small friendly exchange at the end(which was not forced on his part at all) which further cemented my gladness that I chose to come here in person. Overall just a wonderful experience.

I am leaving Canada soon to head back to my home country of Australia but before I am leaving I have been visiting various different restaurants and locations as a final "To-Do" list and this was one I had on there. Honestly it was such a good experience I think I'll be back at least one more time before I head back home to Aus!

Thank you Baci for the lovely time! Time is precious and you made sure mine...

Baci seems to be having a bit of an identity crisis. Sporting an Italian sign, the decor and cuisine are reminiscent of Whitespot with a dancefloor, it is a confusing mishmash that will have your head reeling and your palate saying meh. On the plus side, the live music and ballroom style dancing was an interesting bonus. The staff are very kind and the service was prompt, the extra star is for them.

UPDATE: To the owners: thank you for editing your response and removing the comments saying amongst other things... 'we think you are having an identity crisis...you are in a multicultural country.... sorry if our decor is not up to your high standards'.

Comments are meant to guide future clients in their choices and nothing more than a recap of a personal experience.

As mentioned, the staff were kind and attentive and received full marks.

The issue is twofold:

The food was bland and presentation was severely lacking (veal was dry, sauce tasted like it was made from a package, spaghetti was overcooked, antipasto was slices of mortedalla, stringy, dry prosciutto, olives that came from a can and smelled of metal, tasteless mozzarella cut in triangles, gnocchi was mushy, prawns rubbery, no garlic or fresh herbs to be found in anything).

You advertise as Italian but the whole experience, from the food to the decor, music and atmosphere, while not without appeal, in my opinion, is unfocused and so broadly aimed that it fails to capture any...