Bar Bambino Cafe and Wine Bar

Been meaning to hit this place up for a while. I keep walking by and hearing about it from friends. By the time I write this review, they will be closed. In announcing their closure Im sure it amped up their patronage. Place was crazy packed but the hostess worked her magic and sat us at the bar.
At first they were slammed and they took a while to get our order. Our server didnt seem to hear us very well nor did he seem to care much. I guess they’re going on lame duck status? However after a while he warmed up to us.
Ordered, the tagliatelle with chicken, tortelli with minced beef/​pork, paparadelle with lamb sugo, and the guinea hen. We also tried to get the Torta de la Serena as a cheese but they were out so we got a different one not on the board as a replacement.
The food here is quite good. I’d say the tagliatelle was my least favorite as it needed some salt but that was easily fixed. I can see why this was a neighborhood favorite. The Tortelli and Paparadelle are worth checking out alone. Maybe they’ll show up in a different incarnation somewhere down the line. RIP

Meat stuffed fried olives! ‘Nuff said. And the pastas are divine this week.

This would be a great place for a big group. They have 3 tables that could easily fit 8 people. There’s also a covered outdoor space in the back which is the best place to sit (also has 1 of the large tables and a heat lamp!).
The food was decent, good enough to go along with the stellar wine service. Definitely wine is the main attraction and food is the accompaniment.
I had the braised lamb pappardelle. I asked if it was gamey and was told the tomatoes and other ingredients distracted the gamey taste… it didn’t.
I was able to get over the gamey-​ness with the wonderful Sangiovese I was drinking.
My husband had the braised beef filet and he said it was prepared well. The dish could have been a tad warmer when it was delivered but besides that, the beef did melt in your mouth.
We also had the beet and horseradish cream with pine nut salad.
They went a bit overboard on the tangy dressing, it would have been better if they toned that down, but the horseradish cream was AMAZING… love love love.
For dessert we had the apple beignets with vanilla cream and carmael. really good… do you need it? no… but why not?
Would I go back? sure.
Would i make an effort to go back? not really

Good food — strange location — a bit pricey. Loved the pastas and the charcuterie. Had a wait a bit for our table but were given a complimentary glass of champagne!
Also love that they had a guy whose sole job was cutting cured pork products.

If you want to eat delicious food, experience pleasant and courteous service and enjoy your evening, run out of this restaurant right now.
I had one of the most disturbing and despicable dinners I’ve ever experienced at Bar Bambino. A few highlights:
— A 50 minute wait (we had a reservation and had called twice to confirm). When we asked about the status of our table after 30 minutes we were met with surly responses from the staff
— Generally the waiters were for the most part some of the more offensive and self-​righteous people I’ve encountered (and that is an extreme statement given that I’ve lived in Oakland and the LES). It is not customary to glare at your patrons, I don’t care how skinny your pants are or how thick your glasses look.
— Mediocre food at best. When the quality of our meals was brought up to the manager, she brushed it off explaining that the restaurant was closing for the next week so she was just trying to get rid of inventory and out of most items. Good excuse, I guess?
Avoid Bar Bambino at all costs.

World’s longest wait!
I don’t know who is running this place, but she clearly didn’t go to CSHM (Cornell School of Hotel Management)
Seriously…table of six… sixty minute wait and counting… no free wine. What gives?
Alas! It doesn’t end there! The proverbial ‘rat in the kitchen’ ran wild over our meal. Two people in our party ordered the cod, which was sold out. The waiter suggested scallops instead. The scallop (notice, no ‘s’ at the end) that was served to us was a single scallop sliced up to look like several scallops propped up on some weird sort of bread /​polenta imitation!!! Unbelievable! We complained and they brought us two free pasta dishes, but they still charged us for two scallop entrees!!! Their excuse was that they were ‘closing for a week’ after that evening, and had managed their inventory so perfectly that they only had two scallops left.
Bar Bambino might be the worst restaurant west of the Mississippi, and it’s staff is arrogant and unapologetic — both for their incompetence and the fact that I can make pasta (from scratch) that is, like, fifty times better than anything that’s ever been served in this restaurant.
Bar Bambino is, as it were, what they throw out in the alley and the cats don’t eat. I’d avoid this place at all cost. Fortunately, however, at its current trajectory avoiding Bar Bambino might not be an issue for long.
One additional tip: if you’re looking to go out on a date with a girl you are certain you want to never see again, then this is a real five-​star place.
Anton Ego
August 28^th, 2012

July 14 Dinner. This place is rather pricey and locates on a very sketchy block.
I started with a glass of German pinot noir that had great velvety finish. My friend had a glass of sauvignon blanc which she said was good. We ended up having two glasses each.
Now the food is good, but Bar Bambino has small portion so I feel like they charge double of what the dishes are supposed to be worth.
Starters: Three beans salad ($ 7) was okay, nothing special, even though that was they special for the night. Squash blossoms, stuffed with ricotta were delicious, although they were very greasy. For three little pieces of squash, $ 9, really?
Pasta: We had the pappardelle because it’s available gluten-​free. It’s very delicious and savory, with slow-​braise of rabbit, porcini, and pancetta. The portion is small and we’re through with it after a few forkfuls. Obscenely priced at $ 18.
Duck breast is even a smaller plate but with beautiful presentation. Five thin slices of duck spread on top of pureed polenta. ($ 25) Honestly I have had better at Café Claude and La Folie.
Affogato to close and the decaf coffee is a bit on the acidic side. Not impressed.
Overall Bambino has good food but it doesn’t blow my mind. For that kind of money, I could have better meals and better value even in Union Square or Belden Lane and not on the block of 16^th full of glass shards and dog poops in the Mission. It’s a disappointment in terms not not being fulfilled. Half portions at full entrée prices.
Dinner for 2 with tips $ 160.
P. S. I was going to give 3 stars but the Unilocal guideline for a 2-​star restaurant is «I’ve experienced better.» So there you go.

What a huge disappointment. In reading the reviews, I chose to ignore complaints about portion size and price. Big mistake.
In entering the restaurant, I was excited — it’s the type of décor that makes you anticipate eating a really good meal. And I honestly can’t deny the food is good. We ordered the cheese and meat plates and rabbit tagliatelle. When the server brought out the cheese plate, I thought it was a joke. Three types of cheese, each portion in the most miniscule slivers I’ve ever seen. Oh, but they made up for that with one fucking walnut, three blueberries, and 4 paper thin crackers. Seriously? Then the rabbit tagliatelle. .. really delicious, but tiny. As in, about four bites and we were done. The wine — we got three glasses, and all I can say is that at $ 15 a glass, the pours were pretty pathetic.
Then there was the service. At first, it was fine. But the guy was. .. I don’t know how else to describe it besides the guy made me uncomfortable. He was really brusque, never smiled, and just made me feel like I wanted to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. When spending over $ 100 on a meal, I really expected to leave the restaurant a little more satisfied. I definitely would never go back here — I had a way better experience at Cotogna the next day and got twice the amount of food, not to mention better service.

I can’t believe I’ve never eaten here before now, I’d always meant to… anyway.
Delicious! My husband and I shared a bunch of smaller appetizers and sides and it was perfect. Fondue, yes please! Selection of dried meats, um, of course! We also had the fiddlehead side, it was great. If you like asparagus then you’ll like this as well.
Our server was awesome and helped pick out a bottle of wine. I like wine but was a little overwhelmed with all the choices. I was not disappointed.
I can’t wait to go back again.

It’s no hassle to make a reservation but it’s most likely not necessary if you’re coming before 6 – 6:30pm. Same goes with parking. Just beware of the usual craziness that is the Mission.
We snagged the communal table and had the restaurant to ourselves before the after work crowd slowly came in to join us. We shared the cheese and salumi plate (large) amongst a group of 6 that settled our appetites just fine for a pre-​dinner get together. I suggest brushing up on your italian wines as it makes up their extensive wine menu. My table ordered a couple bottles of lambrusco which ended up in not just one, but two glasses being knocked over. I’ll try to push blame onto the intimate lighting in the restaurant but it’s probably because the wine was THAT good ;) Our waitress didn’t seem to keen on us the whole night but someone else quickly swooped in and helped us clean up with a genuine smile.

We had a lovely girls dinner on a Monday night at Bar Bambino. Great Italian plus
The restaurant is a bit in the shadows between Mission and Van Ness, literally on the dark south side of the street (would have missed it except for a standing sign outside the door). But inside is warm and nicely designed, with a great outdoor dining space with space heaters
We enjoyed the wine recommendation from our server, who was friendly and approachable. I had the oxtail pasta, which was flavorful and hearty. It looks like their menu changes quite a bit, looking forward to going back!

We recently celebrated my friend’s 30^th birthday here. The atmosphere was absolutely charming and cozy. I loved the rustic yet modern feel and all of the details down to the little leather ties around the napkins were very well planned and executed. Our waitress was knowledgeable as we had many questions and the wine selection seemed extensive. The only one thing I could possibly complain about if I wanted to do such a thing is that they don’t have a full bar and I was in the mood for a martini. I loved the serving sizes, I’m frankly tired of being handed a trough of food every time I eat out. Here all of the serving sizes were reasonable and I didn’t feel like I needed to go home and take a nap after eating.
I would really recommend this place to anyone who is looking for the whole package in a dining experience.

The first time I realized Bar Bambino existed was when I had too much to drink in the Mission and was stumbling back to the BART. I realized I had to pee and had a 45 minute ride home. So I slipped into Bar Bambino and asked if I could use the restroom and the waiter was kind enough to let me only if I promised to come back and eat. I held to my promise and have been several times.
The ambiance at Bar Bambino is a little fancier than you would assume for the area that its in. I love getting the Affettati e formaggi cheese and meat selections with a bottle of wine. They have no problem with you sitting and chatting for hours, no matter how crowded the restaurant gets. And that bathroom? Super fancy!

Really cute/​trendy space. Only room for 49 peeps.
Nice menu — though pork heavy (was dining with devout Jews).
Prices high/​portions small.
Food was not mind-​blowing, but was good.
We had apps (garbanzo, and zucchini blossoms), fish and chips, and different desserts — as well as riesling. All was fine but nothing stood out. Walk over to Locanda for superior everything. Sorry.

Does anyone know about this place? I found an amazing cheese and meat selection — I felt like I was at whole foods which such a wonderful variety! and Chris, the owner is on premise making sure you get the wine the you enjoy.
He turned me on to a Kerner that had beauftiful acidity with lush fruit — really delicous. I feel like I can go there and get something different w/​the knowledge to back it up from the staff. It’s on par with Incanto which I think is excellent. Go w/​an open mind — it’s not huge a portion, however, the portions are more than adequate and the tastes are incredible. Highly recommended!

Last night at Bar Bambino, I let my imagination run wild. I allowed myself to imagine that the 8 middle-​aged men dressed in black suit sitting at the long table behind us were the Italian Mafia from Brooklyn. Over dinner they were trying to make peace with their San Francisco mafia cousins. It was hard to not entertain the thought while listening to them speak in that beautiful Italian with the passionate accent. AMORE!
Before I went totally delusional I focused on my friend Russ whose birthday we celebrated last night.
Bar Bambino could have been easily the setting for the new «Godfather” – with the debonair and sophisticated modern-​day gangsters as casts. Small but its classy chic ambiance made up for its lack of space. The lamps were strategically placed for mood lighting along with tealight candles. Furniture comprised of heavy dark wood tables and chairs.

However, my friends and I were seated on the patio with the plastic roof covering and metal tables/​chairs. It was perfect for a beautiful summer day in the City – well, until it got chilly which luckily for us we already finished dinner.
After my dining experience last night, I will best describe Bar Bambino as an expensive small plate restaurant. Even their main dishes were small. Luckily, the celebrant is picky and does not have a big appetite. So we paced our orders based on what the birthday boy wanted. A good thing because we would have ended up with a hefty bill if it had been based on my voracious appetite alone. However, the food was PACKED with flavors. Simple. Italian. Californian. Seasonal. We loved almost everything we had.
4 of us shared:
GRILLED PROSCUITTO-​WRAPPED PEACHES W/​DANDELION
Greens $ 11: This was the BIGGEST HIT amongst us. The crispy salty proscuitto was wrapped around the tangy-​sweet peach slices over the bitter dandelion. So simple yet so delicious!
FLATBREAD W/​SALMON: Thin-​crust pizza with salmon. It’s okay. I’ve had better. Not worth the $ 14 price tag.
BIGOLI W/​SARDINES, SAFFRON, and SULTANAS $ 15
(Whole wheat pasta tossed with crispy Monterey
Bay sardines, cherry tomatoes, and raisins in a saffron sauce) This was sweeter than we expected. We were looking more for the «anchovies on pizza» experience plus the sardines were not crispy as described. This dish was okay.
BUCKWHEAT CRESPELLE W/​PORCINI & SPINACH $ 18
(Buckwheat crepes filled with mushrooms, spinach,
and a dollop of mascarpone.) Another simple dish but another big hit! Earthy, bursting with flavors and delicious!
SCHARZWALDER CHERRY TORTA $ 9
(Bar Bambino’s version of a Black Forest Cake. Boozy cherries,
on top of a knock-​your-​socks-​off chocolate cake, alongside
whipped brandy cream) Cake for the birthday boy and was brought to him with a lighted candle. Yes, it was a boozy cake but not «knock your socks off» enough for us. I found it too sweet and not complex. Just too sugary with pasty consistency.
TAB: $ 118 including 2 wines, a cappucino and 18% tip.
Overall, we had a very fun, peaceful and enjoyable dinner. We were not stuffed but satisfied with our meal, even the picky birthday boy. The wines were very nice and refreshing even for being the cheapest ones on the menu ($ 9 per glass.) The service was very professional but not stuffy.
To my disappointment, no war erupted between two warring Mafia families. So, if they were not from the «Godfather», maybe they were directors from a funeral parlor in the Mission. Okay, just blame it on my twisted mind.
ARRIVEDERCI!

I had been wanting to wine and dine at Bar Bambino ever since this guy I dated said he had gone on a date there, the night before! Well, that was a low blow, and his description of the food was a pretty good last supper/​conversation piece.
Never one to be bitter (ha!), I became a little enraged every time I thought of it, but sometimes the stomach trumps the heart.
So a foodie friend of mine and I finally came, about two years past the incident. I heard tell about their Monday special dinner, that features a regional Italian cuisine (4 courses for $ 35.) Even better than that, when we went just before Christmas the menu was pan-​Italian, with a holiday dish from different regions. Citrus marinated trout, veal tortelli, a grilled quail with pomegranate glaze, and a Milanese panforte that was richer than all the savory dishes combined!
Michael is the oenophile, so I charged him with the task of choosing wines. He chose such good wines that I don’t remember what they are, but just know that the wine list is extensive, and the staff know their wines well. Our waitress was a gracious host, and let us sample quite a few, gave some generous pours, and even once left a bottle when we ordered by the glass, ‘just in case we wanted more.“
So if you’re going to romance some two bit hussy, Bar Bambino is a winner, and on Mondays the price will allow you to save up for romancing a lot of broads at once.

This place is a hidden treasure. I stumbled upon this quite serendipitously. I was visiting a friend in the Haight area. I decided to get off the BART at 16^th and Mission and walk. I was initially looking for a wifi hotspot so I set the GPS to café, and wasn’t finding anything promising, so I decided to settle for Starbucks. On my way there, I found Barbambino and promptly wandered in. They don’t have wifi, but it was worth it regardless.
I was met with what I consider to be a perfect marriage of rustic and chic. The atmosphere is a soothing oasis from the bustle and grime of the surrounding area. They have bar seating, a front family table that is crafted from salvaged wood and lit by a wine bottle chandelier. There are small tables along the wall facing the bar, with a nice long frameless mirror floating from the wood covered wall, gently glowing from behind. There is also additional courtyard seating at the back. Everything was classy yet old world. The cloth napkins had leather ties, and the menus were bound with old leather hides and metal rings, the restaurant logo burnt into the front.
The service was prompt, attentive, courteous and knowledgeable in the classic methods of beverage preparation. I received a large carafe of water and ordered a cappuccino. They provided unprocessed cane sugar, but it hardly needed any flavor adjustment. The coffee was quite good. I also went for the vanilla gelato with aged balsamica. That was truly a delight. It was perfectly soft and silky, had just enough real vanilla, and the slight tang of the balsamica was a perfect companion to the sweet cream of the gelato.
I then decided to order a Belgian ale. The Witkap Pater Singel was recommended. It was a nice, light, refreshing beer for the warm, sunny day. The beer has an overall B+ rating from Beer Advocate. It was presented in a wine glass.
I noticed they had an interesting menu, a great selection of cheeses, lardo and many other treats as well. The person in charge of this was more than willing to spend time with the patrons describing and suggesting selections from the menu.
I had a very positive experience and would gladly return for coffee, dessert, a light snack with a beer, wine and appetizers with friends, or a full meal.

Seating in the heated patio outside was great. So was all the food, although I thought I had ordered a «roasted beets with arugula, hazelnuts, and goat cheese» to start, not an «arugula salad with beets, hazelnuts, and goat cheese». The bruschetta «crimini, comté, and walnuts» was absolutely and delicately delicious.
The cheeses were good as well, and the wild boar with radicchio salad was very satisfying. Even more delicious is the acorn-​fed prosciutto! You definitely want the prosciutto plate here. Mm. prosciutto!
«Slow-​roasted duck with escarole and green olives (for two)» was excellent and included duck liver on slices of bread with savory, stewed vegetables. Normally I hate duck liver, but the stewed vegetables under the duck help to offset the heavy liver flavor and make it a surprisingly tasty liver. Maybe the wine also helped with this: P

Nice little wine bar a few blocks from the BART. It’s quiet and intimate (though there’s a communal table which you may have to sit at since there’s limited seating).
The waiter was attentive and knowledgable about wine. The selection by the glass isn’t as extensive as I would have liked but it was all good stuff and very European-​heavy.