Bacarosa — Restaurant in Nutley

I finally made it into Bacarosa- wow. I should've gone earlier. I don't remember the last time I had a meal out where every dish hit. The service was warm and attentive. Everything flowed very smoothly and the food was all paced perfectly.

Cocktails were delicious. The starters were excellent- our favorite were the stuffed long hots. What really stole our attention though was the foccacia. We had to order an extra one to take home because we loved it so much! The tomato butter it was served with was divine.

We got what was likely the last corn agnolotti for the season, and thank goodness because it was so yummy. We're going to have to go back soon to try the Autumn pastas. We topped it with the complimentary calabrian chili oil that they left at the table. Bacarosa team if you're reading this please bottle that oil up and sell it!!! I'd line up to buy it.

I don't understand how their pizzas aren't getting more attention. I'm a bit of a pizza snob and the crust on the Amatriciana pizza with the guanciale was light and crispy with excellent flavor. They're making excellent use of that wood-fired oven.

The mains were delicious, we got the half chicken and the Iberico pork marsala. Both were super flavorful, tender and juicy. Love their fresh takes on traditional Italian American classics.

We barely had room for dessert but couldn't resist. The olive oil cake was our favorite. I often feel like olive oil cake just tastes like... cake but this had the proper amount of olive oil in it.

I can't wait to go back to Bacarosa. I'm already dying to try more...

I normally don’t write reviews like this, but I felt it was necessary to share my honest opinion of our experience.

Bacarosa has decent food — not extraordinary, but decent. The staff was friendly and accommodating, but I wouldn’t recommend this as a family restaurant. I went for my birthday with my wife and three children after finding out our favorite Italian spot was closed for vacation. We arrived around 8 p.m. on a Wednesday and were seated immediately.

The menu was a bit challenging for the kids since it leans toward the fancier side and doesn’t offer much for younger diners. Because we were starving and I knew it would take the kids some time to decide, I asked if we could put in two pizzas right away while figuring out the rest of the order. We were told they couldn’t accommodate that because the kitchen required the entire order at once. This felt odd considering we were seated right away without a reservation and the restaurant didn’t appear overly busy.

The food itself was okay — nothing particularly memorable. What stood out more was that the manager seemed focused on a couple taking professional food photos rather than checking in on guests. For a place charging $95 for a 16oz steak, I would have expected a little more attention to the dining experience.

Overall, I’d say Bacarosa might work well for a date night in Nutley, but I wouldn’t recommend it for families...

BACAROSA is an absolute gem. The menu is so thoughtfully crafted, with every detail feeling intentional. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but still has an exciting, vibrant energy that makes the night feel special.

Right after we ordered, warm bread came out with the most delicious spread. I know it sounds crazy, but this bread was one of my favorite things of the night—we’ve never had better and I could have just eaten that as a meal and have been happy 😂

We started with cocktails—Salad Days and Another Velvet Morning—and both were impeccable, perfectly balanced and unique. For food, the Carne Picante pizza was a standout with bold flavor, the perfect level of spice, and an ideal texture. The Sweet Corn Agnolotti was rich and delicious, but the true star of the night was the Pork - Iberico Secreto Marsala. Holy moly… I’ve been dreaming about it ever since.

Dessert was equally unforgettable. The Italian cookies were out of this world, but the surprise winner was the Budino with hazelnut brittle—an Italian pudding that I’ll be ordering every single time from now on.

On top of it all, the prices are refreshing. You can enjoy a whole pizza and a cocktail for around $30, which feels like such a gift for the quality and experience.

Overall, BACAROSA is a 10/10. The team has really leveled up to create something extraordinary here. Can’t wait...