Bardō Guelph — Restaurant in Guelph

One of the few restaurants in Guelph not to have a preset New Year’s menu - THANK YOU FOR THAT we were very happy for this as were many others; it was packed. We booked our table on Open Table a few days ahead to make sure we could go at our desired time.

Not the first time we come here and it has yet to disappoint! The ambiance and the food are always spot on.

Three of the four people in our party had pizzas, which is never a bad decision here. Today we had the Bee Sting, Apple and Bacon, and Classic Pepperoni pizzas. All three were awesome, made fresh with the best of ingredients.

The Classic Pepperoni pizza is our usual go-to… the rustic crust is thick and cooked to perfection with the right amount of “overcooked” crusty pieces!

The last dish was our second go-to when we come here… The Taco Bowl. I’ve had this dish a few times and each time, it was served slightly differently but each and every time equally as succulent. This time, I added the short rib which was well cooked and very well seasoned.

We finished the meal with two B52 coffees and a slice of Cappuccino Cheesecake. The perfect ending to a perfect meal amongst loved ones.

Our table was right next to the bar and kitchen so we were entertained by the bustling of the staff coming and going. Surprisingly, from what we could see, some if not most of the kitchen staff did not appear to be wearing hair nets. It is entirely possible that we couldn’t see them from our table but there were at least a few of the young guys whose longer hair definitely did not appear to be under a net as they wore baseball caps with hair wings escaping below the cap.

Aside from this last observation, this and any other restaurant managed by the Pearle Hospitality Group is undeniably well worth it - the creativity of their culinary and management teams is sure to make most people feel like they’re in...

We´ve been visiting Bardo on Gordon Street since it was Earth To Table. While the location and ambience are delightful, two of our recent experiences left us disappointed. In these occasions, we ordered the apple pizza and ended up with stomachaches afterward. The first time, we didn’t say anything, but when the issue recurred, we called to alert the restaurant. Rather than acknowledge our discomfort, the client representative simply offered a free pizza—seemingly dismissing our health concerns. It felt like a surface-level solution rather than taking the time to investigate a potential kitchen issue or ensuring no other guests would be affected.

During our last dine-in visit, the service felt rushed: halfway through our second pizza, the server abruptly offered to bring a box to go—even though we were visibly still eating and there was no line of waiting customers. To top it off, when my credit card failed due to a forgotten passkey, the server laughed rather than offering assistance or empathy. These moments made us feel unwelcome and undervalued.

On the positive side, Bardo location is convenient, with a warm, inviting atmosphere. The truffle dip stands out as the best item on their menu—rich, flavorful, and well worth ordering. However, the inconsistent service and the serious food-safety concerns around the apple pizza overshadow these strengths. With better training on food handling, more attentive customer service, and genuine follow-through when guests report issues, Bardo could truly live up to its potential. Until then, we recommend caution when ordering certain items and encourage the management to address these lapses so that other patrons don’t share...

My partner and I ate here when they first opened and found it disappointing - service was very slow and our pizzas were soggy by the time they arrived. We decided to come back a number of years later to try their brunch buffet, and it was about the worst brunch buffet I've had yet. Took ten minutes after we were seated before anyone acknowledge we were there, and then another ten before we had coffee and water. Trying to flag down someone to order more items or get more coffee would be a hassle throughout the visit, even though the restaurant seemed well staffed for the number of people there. The buffet-style cold food was great - the dilly deviled eggs, cedar plank trout, croissants, and the scone trifle cups were all fantastic, and this area was a highlight. The a la carte dishes all arrived cold, and while the pancakes and bread pudding were excellent, the biscuits and gravy ruined the entire experience. I've had this dish countless times and was excited to see somewhere in Guelph finally serving it too - until it arrived. The gravy was somehow both lumpy and runny, and the bits of sausage floating in it were completely flavorless. Not at all rich and creamy as it should be. The biscuit was not a biscuit at all - it was a scone. Biscuits are either light and fluffy or flaky and buttery - this was rock-hard, dense, cakey and sweet. We gave Bardo a second chance after their rebrand, but the experience was just as poor as the first time. If this was a $20-30 brunch I would have been more forgiving, but the price point of $49 per person you're better off eating at the Friendly Society in Elora or the Cambridge Mill...