Bruno — Restaurant in Richmond

No reservations and walked in at approximately 7:15pm. Greeter was friendly and I was properly welcomed at the door and I requested a table for two in a quieter area. One of the servers recognized me, a filipino gentleman and politely welcomed me back as I dine here often for business, at least twice a month during the work week. Buratta salad was ok. The pork belly and the Wagyu Pappardelle, which is a pasta dish, were both served lukewarm. Calvin, our sever basically neglected us after he got busy. I tried to flag him down a few times for fresh plates since my guest and I shared 5 dishes that had different profiles. Annoyed, I finally got up and helped myself to some plates that were available on a shelf. We were not offered a refill on our water or drinks. I needed a knife to spread and cut the Scroll Loaf which is basically 2 round pieces of bread served with brûlée Fois Gras Butter and we only had a spoon. I couldn't find Calvin, our server, so I settled for the big man with the sport coat who looked to be the manager. I asked for a knife, he told me to use the spoon to spread the Fois Gras butter. With no knife, my guest tried to split the bread with a spoon. I finally got up and looked for Calvin who was busy punching in orders. I explained my frustration; not even an acknowledgment left his lips. Feeling that the whole experience was a let down after talking up the restaurant to my guest, I was in a hurry to leave. Again, Calvin no where to be found. So I flag the nearest person I could find and the big man with the sport coat returns with the bill. Didn't ask me how dinner was and still had the same smug, unfriendly annoyed look while waiting for the machine. I still tipped 15% because I know servers work hard and the bill came up to just under $200 including tip. Normally, I would give you 10% to display my dis-satisfaction. I get better service at Cactus Club. I like coming here so please pull up your socks and serve your guests and treat them properly. Smile and give me a knife if I ask you for one and don't stare at me like I'm an idiot. I can't cut a loaf with a spoon. So why didn't I say anything when I was there and give you this feedback in person? It would be in poor taste if I did in front of my guest after talking your restaurant up. So I'm leaving you this review so you do a better job next time when I come back in January for business lunches. Just show that you care. Thanks.

UPDATE: Visited Bruno on January 30th at 1pm for business lunch. Server's name was Daria. Had the dine out lunch since it was convenient. Lunch for 2 people at $150. Food was ok and i enjoyed my main which was a risotto of some sort although the portion was small. I had a salad as a starter and dessert was kinda small. Nothing overwhelming about the meal but service was excellent. Daria was attentive and I had a good business meeting. Here's some constructive feedback: You asked me to send in my contact info and to email your team after my previous experience so you have my contact info. NO ONE responded from Team Bruno. No acknowledgement of my horrific experience in person last time. CONCLUSION: You commented publicly to you can show your patrons that you sort of care. But you really don't since there is...

The ambiance: first impressions set the tone, and I have to admit that I'm uncertain what the designer was attempting to achieve with both fixtures and finishes, the colour selection of the wood panels as well as the chairs; it left me with a retro, 60s vibe. Nothing terribly wrong with the choice, given a different setting, but, was not what I would have expected in the type of establishment that Bruno aspires to be. Seating distance has reverted back to pre-Covid days...and it was a bit of an intrusion on our personal space; I could, without even making a concerted effort, hear the entire conversation of our neighbouring table(s), and they were not talking above speaking volume...As well, there was another table that did not seem to recognize that there were other diners and that they should be using their "polite" voices...surprised that Host or server did not politely speak to that party. Service: attentive, timely, knowledgeable...no concerns. Food: A mixed experience! Dining to me has always been a multisensory experience. Should one part be lacking, it detracts from one's overall experience. On our server's recommendation, we ordered the Bruno Tasting Experience, which offered a good selection from the menu boards. The "Experience" contained: (1) Oysters - 2 raw, accompanied by a white balsamic & cucumber mignonette, calabrian chili crunch, and lemon wedges, and 2 torched (flame-broiled), topped with Uni and Ikura cream. The raw oysters were quite enjoyable, with a nice balance of brininess, but not overwhelmingly so, velvety smooth texture, and soft, but not mushy, with a bit of a bite. Similar grade can be found at numerous other dining establishments in our city. (2) Summer Burrata Salad: stone fruit, summer berries, avocado, heirloom tomatoes, topped with a white balsamic dressing; (3) Sous Vide Kurobuta Pork Belly: black garlic balsamic glazed, accompanied with a peppercorn lime aioli -- this was served under a smoke-filled cloche, with a bit of a production, as the cloche was lifted at the table, allowing the smoke to waft and dissipate, filling the air with its fragrant, woody, aroma; Sadly, someone was heavy handed with either the air fryer or the broiler, as parts of the wonderful crust were much darker than my preference, bordering on being burnt. (4) Truffle Lavender Duck, accompanied by foie gras mousse, confit duck croquettes, candied hazelnut crumb, cherry compote, and mustard seed; (5) Grilled CAB sirloin, shishito peppers, baby kale, chimichurri, on a bed of crispy brussel sprouts, toasted almonds, calabrian chili crunch, parmesan; (6) Smash-fried truffle potatoes, garlic truffle butter, parmesan, herbs, green peppercorn aioli; (7) Saffron Shellfish Tagliatelle saffron vin blanc, mussels, clams, pink scallops, shaved fennel; (8) Honey Lavender Gelato: vanilla gelato, pistachio brittle, lavender meringue, crystalized white chocolate; (9) Rustic Tiramisu: vanilla cream, espresso Kahlua infused savoiardi cocoa,...

Absolutely disappointing experience dining here on Christmas Eve for their buffet dinner. Their 7pm seating was full so elected to eat at 9pm, which was their third seating of their evening. The buffet selection was as advertised, but when we started to grab our first plate we noticed that most of the food was the remainders of the previous seating. Hot foods were half empty at the beginning of service and looked more like my leftovers from last night. The clam and mussels were mostly (if not all) empty shells, sable fish had to be asked to refilled EVEN AT THE BEGINNING including condiments. We also noticed that one of the workers, Asian lady with short hair, came out to refill the seafood station but was observed to have handled the food with her bare hands. Ordered a bottle of red wine for the table and it was served by a clearly inexperienced waiter. Though the bottle wasn’t overly expensive, around $100, you would expect there to be a small tasting before saying yes to the bottle. Nope, the waiter comes by, pours out 3 HUGE glasses of wine that are each different sizes, and when asked if the bottle has been decanted, the waiter looked confused as if he doesn’t understand the word and quickly replied yes. After the first tasting, it was clear that the bottle was just opened. Move along to about an hour and a half into dinner, around 10:30pm, they started clearing out the buffet and told us it was last call. I questioned that it’s a 2 hour seating, to which one of the waiters replied it’s a 90 minute seating according to the reservation, but upon closer investigation this proved to not be true. There was nowhere on their menu, nor reservation confirmation that says it was a 90 minute serving and in fact it clearly says 9-11pm. Please see pictures for reference. I went to grab the prime rib at 10:30, the guy cutting the meat was gone so they left pieces for you to grab, but the pieces were all stuck together which made me have to use the tongs to cut the communal prime rib, and the cut was more raw than the sashimi. Again, see pictures for reference. I then proceed to make my way to the dessert table, again around 10:30. They were out of the main 2 desserts, and that’s when another table and I asked for a refill. They told us that they are no longer making it as they are closing. When we arrived at 9, we saw people from the 7pm seating still eating or just leaving at 9:15-20pm yet when we sit for 90 minutes they shuffle us out. Price remains the same for both seatings, it’s not like the 9pm seating is cheaper but they give subpar food. There are some good things though. The service, though inexperienced, was very friendly, and the lack of customers made the environment more comfortable. Did not have to line up. This is my fourth time at this restaurant and it’s honestly been getting worse each time. 10/10 DO NOT RECOMMEND and will most likely...