Bar 'Cino Westwood — Restaurant in Westwood

We went for dinner with a group of six, and unfortunately, this was a very frustrating experience largely ruined by the service and atmosphere. The food was pretty good, but the service left a sour taste in our mouths.

As for the service, it’s hard to tell whether the issues stemmed from understaffing or our server’s demeanor. Either way, when we placed our drink order, the server appeared visibly frustrated—likely because it took a little longer due to a few elderly guests in our party who had difficulty hearing. This was made worse by the incredibly loud environment. After we received our drinks, the server tried to take our order, but we needed a bit more time. This clearly annoyed them, and they disappeared for almost half an hour before returning to take our food order.

When the server finally came back, their attitude was again unpleasant, including eye-rolling—completely uncalled for, especially considering that everyone ordered directly from the menu with no substitutions. At that point, we were already considering leaving. The behavior was off-putting and disrespectful, particularly given that most of our group was over 80 years old. If the server was overwhelmed due to too many tables, that’s a management issue and should be addressed accordingly.

The atmosphere also left much to be desired. The tables are crammed together, and we were repeatedly bumped by other patrons and staff walking by while we were trying to eat. The restaurant is poorly laid out, resulting in a space that is incredibly loud, tight, and chaotic.

Between the atmosphere and the service, I would save myself the frustration and skip this place in the future. I'd rather dine at another local spot that values its customers. It’s a real shame, especially considering how good the previous restaurant in this location was and how well they treated their guests.

The only real positives were that the pizza and chips were pretty good, and they were able to accommodate...

I had been to the Brookline location years ago and remembered the food was excellent, so I was really excited to see that Bar 'Cino had opened a Westwood spot!

My experience in Westwood did not disappoint! My husband and I decided to go here last week to celebrate our anniversary and it was absolutely delightful. We were promptly greeted upon entering and seated at our table (we had made a reservation -- which was good, because they were busy!).

When our server came to the table, he immediately wished us a happy anniversary and handed us two glasses of sparkling wine. I loved this! I later learned that my husband had called to request this (he knows that I love sparkling wine, so this was his little treat to me). So nice that they were able to accommodate this request (and the wine was delicious). The service throughout our whole dinner was great - my water glass was never empty, empty dishes were promptly cleared, and the staff were super nice.

Instead of ordering entrees, we split a few shareables: tomato bruschetta, roasted heirloom carrots, and bolognese arancini. I typically don't love whole cherry tomatoes, but I'd eat an entire bowl of the ones that they put on the bruschetta - absolutely divine. The heirloom carrots were perfectly cooked and spicy, but the whipped spread on the bottom helped make it more mild. The arancini were perfectly fried to a crisp you could hear when you cut it, while the center was stuffed with pillowy and well-seasoned rice.

I thought it couldn't get better until we ordered the pistachio ricotta cake for dessert. This was an absolutely indulgent dessert: three layers of divine indulgence. Creamy and sweet (but not too sweet) with some pistachios for...

My husband and I dined at Bar 'Cino for the first time on Saturday night. The appetizers and entrees were delicious, and our waitress, Jackie was so personable and attentive. It was a little noisy, but we were seated in an area that was more conducive to conversation. We enjoyed the vibe and the ambience. The one complaint my husband and I had was the size and pour of our martinis. Most patrons, considering the demographics, would probably order one cocktail and possibly a glass of wine with dinner, as we would normally do. We had recently eaten at a lower priced restaurant in Canton. The food was delicious with ample servings, and the martinis were served in a large (proper) martini glass up to the rim. When we dine out at a nice, upscale restaurant, we expect to have a decent cocktail for the cost. We had heard the same complaint from friends who dined at Bar 'Cino. We feel this would only enhance the dining experience. Hopefully, management will consider this. That being said, we did enjoy...