Bacaro — Restaurant in Southampton

What a treat! We were lucky enough to have booked a table on the launch day of the new Winter/Christmas menu, after having already tried, tested and loved the Summer menu. The whole dining experience with Bacaro is stunning. We love the small plates concept, and especially in this restaurant, as the choices on offer are too good to be modest when ordering. The food is both visually and gustatorily exquisite. It is definitely worth visiting during this festive period if you can, as the place is decorated beautifully and the atmosphere is warm and magical.

A special mention of our wonderful waiter Levente! He was so very welcoming, friendly and accommodating. No request was too much; he was great at explaining the dishes when asked, and also arranged for drinks that weren't on the current menu. There was absolutely no pressure from staff to finish up and return the table, even when it started to get increasingly busy throughout the evening. Yet, when needed, Levente seemed to always be visible and available, watching for cues that we requested his assistance.

Highly...

I don’t say this lightly - but this is probably the best place to eat in Southampton. It’s cicchetti, which is sort of Venetian small plates, which means you get to try a range of foods and you’ll find something for anyone.

I eat meat but veggies or vegans are VERY well catered for, you can have many dishes dairy free or vegan. I have not been to any restaurant that has done this so well, so politely, so accommodating.

Talking of which, try the pulled beef croquettes and horseradish cream - outstanding. Crayfish and shrimp linguine.. oh, the menu is full of delight.

Service was also the best I’ve come across in a long while. Laura knows the menu, knows how to make you feel at ease, order the right amount.

The wine list is well curated and you don’t have to spend a lot to get a lovely glass to accompany the food. By the glass, or carafe or bottle, the reds white and roses look excellent. We chose the primativo and the voigner.. I’d easily recommend these to anyone.

I’d go here again in a heartbeat. Great place for a...

It's beyond me how this place gets such great reviews for their Sunday sharing roast. Unfriendly faces on staff, overpriced drinks, stone cold plates, potatoes and parsnips tasted like they were cooked from frozen or reheated. Carrots undercooked, suede like water and the cauliflower cheese was simply awful. There was plenty of sugary sweet red cabbage and undercooked boiled carrots but nowhere near enough of anything else. I get that this is a small portion restaurant but the food quality and portion sizes were shockingly bad. We paid a little over £245 for 6 people which included a surprise service charge of £22.12. The service was grossly underpar, made worse by the confusing ordering process which was not helped by our waitress. Not one of our party said they would ever return. Save your money and go elsewhere. There are much better places to eat. However, if you like being ripped off and eating overpriced, substandard tasteless food, then this is definitely the...