Restaurant Bacco — Restaurant in Helsinki sub-region

A Culinary Masterpiece in a Cafeteria Landscape - My Bacco Experience

Ah, Bacco. A name that conjures images of rolling Italian hills, sun-drenched vineyards, and of course, delicious food. My recent visit, however, was a delightful paradox. Imagine, if you will, a scene straight out of a commedia dell'arte: a bustling cafeteria atmosphere, punctuated by the calming efficiency of the waitstaff (who, bless her heart, brought a touch of Italy to the scene with her lilting Italian). It was like stumbling upon a hidden trattoria in the heart of a corporate lunch hall.

Now, the true magic unfolded on my plate. The portions, while not opera-house buffets, were like perfectly sculpted sonnets – concise yet bursting with flavor. The truffle carpaccio was a revelation. The angels, I'm convinced, must've formed a chorus the moment those precious truffles were unearthed by their happy porcine companions. The risotto? Pure Nonna-from-Naples magic. Each bite, a wave of creamy, cheesy comfort that transported me straight to her sun-drenched kitchen. And then, the pizza bread! A revelation, a symphony of doughy goodness! This, my friends, is a recipe I must wrest from their grasp and recreate in my own humble kitchen as dessert bread.

Let me be frank, the bill was a bit of a La Scala high note – three glasses of wine, a limoncello serenade, and a final espresso to round out the three-act performance, all for a cool 120 euros for a solo diner. But for the quality of the food, the attentive (if slightly Finnish-tempoed) service, and the sheer joy of each mouthful, it was a price I (grudgingly) admit was still to high.

So, Bacco, you are a curious beast – a hidden gem in a workaday setting. But the food, oh the food! It was a masterpiece, a song for the taste buds, a testament to Italian culinary artistry. Just remember, for the full effect, dim the fluorescent lights, crank up the Pavarotti, and perhaps throw in a checkered tablecloth for good measure. And...

"If you don't have money, then don't go to a restaurant" is not something you expect to hear from a waiter when visiting a restaurant. This was, however, what our group of 15 people experienced when dining at Bacco yesterday.

It saddens me to have to give this low score to this restaurant because the food was decent, but avoid this place for their attitude, lack of respect, and terrible arrogance.

Due to a simple misunderstanding over limoncello orders, a completely unnecessary and heated argument broke out. The waiter raised his voice at us and said, "if you don’t have money, don’t go to the restaurant", before storming off and leaving a colleague to deal with our group and finalize the payments.

Because of this, some items that had already been paid for were mistakenly kept on the final bill. We had to prove payment by showing receipts before it was resolved - something that could have been avoided with basic professionalism.

Don’t accept group bookings if you are not capable of handling them.

After reading more reviews, I see that attacking customers for providing feedback is a normal practice for Bacco ("if you are too critical, you shouldn't go out to eat at all"), which mirrors our own experience.

There are plenty of great places to eat in Helsinki, and I feel guilty having brought a group here. Choose one that...

The best salad buffet this side of Finland. And the beetroot risotto is very Milanese authentic. You order at the bar, the give you a buzzer, pick up the food at the kitchen when it buzzes, but help yourself to a wonderful salad buffet. Its really really good. They don't skimp on the quality here. But the risotto is to die for! I couldn't help but grin ear to ear on the first bite. Looks can be deceiving because i thought a pinkish risotto looks weird. Its because of the beetroot duh! Highly recommended Bacco. Very authentic and rustic/simple but done very...