Bacareto in Cardiff

Disappointed. Won't be going again. Wine good. Food not so good.

Very disappointed - food was bland, service and general demeanor of staff was poor. I had no idea how the venue operated, do you sit at a free table, what do they serve etc yet noone greeted us or directed us to a table, a menu etc. It was very quiet and sufficiently staffed. My daughter and I felt very uncomfortable for the duration of our visit. To the point that rather than bother a member of staff I asked a very friendly customer where the ladies were. Not what I would class as a member of the service industry.

Gorgeous food, great cocktails, friendly staff and lovely atmosphere! Loads of vegan options too. Can't recommend enough!

This restaurant was recommended to us- what a place. Attentive service, tasty food and drink and a buzzing atmosphere. Loved it and will definitely return.

I’ve been here before and had a really nice time at the height of summer. Super busy on a Friday after work, served nicely food and drinks were great. Was looking forward to an excuse to come back. But I visited here on a Saturday night for a bottle of wine with my sister, and we were sat at the bar waiting for service on the two free stools at the end when we arrived. It’s a Saturday night, they were noticeably short of bar staff so we were happy to wait. Guy behind the bar is cleaning glasses and hands us a wine list as we sat down. We waited for a while, about twenty mins at this point, and as it quietens down the lady serving behind the bar looked at us as if we were something she stepped in on the street; so instead of wasting our time we decided to leave and go elsewhere. As soon as we stood up to leave and walked out the bar, she looked up, gave another dirty look and said sarcastically: thanks for coming guys! Obviously it’s a Saturday, it gets busy. Bars get short staff. Don’t take it out on the customers, we didn’t even complain or say anything about the wait! Will definitely not go back again, despite the previous positive visit.

Excellent as always. The best bar in Cardiff that gives you a real Italian feel when sat at the bar. Gorgeous wines and spritz menu, excellent choice of food.

Best bar in cardiff. Like a little taste of Europe in the heart of Wales. Love it.

Y seidr iawn was consumed and enjoyed. A fab go to place for chichetti (Italian tapas) and great selection of liquids to imbibe.

Good wine bar with Venice-inspired small bar plates. We sat at the bar and ordered a good amount to try and were left feeling impressed and satisfied with the small plates and drinks.

My fave bar in Cardiff! Best spritz I’ve had outside of Italy! Immaculate vibes and lovely staff!

We had a lovely night at Bacareto! Both the drinks and food were really delicious, and the staff were very friendly. Will be coming back!

First time here today after meaning to try for ages,had crostinis and Cynar spritz, absolutely gorgeous, can't wait to return,highly recommended.

A lovely spot for small plates and drinks. There is booth seating downstairs, a dining room upstairs and an outside seating area. Service is friendly and quick. The small plates at the counter were fresh and tasty. A nice vibe for the city centre

Very nice, in the heart of Cardiff, good atmosphere and delicious tapas

I know wine is expensive but £10 for a glass of wine!!! Come on that is just shameful! Didn’t stay to eat as after spending £10 for a glass of wine just left.

One of my favourite Cardiff spots. Excellent small plates and delicious Spritz’s/beers. Very easy to book a bar booth online - you’ll struggle to find a better place for food and/or drinks in the city centre

Love this place, chilled vibes when quiet... but also gets "busy" with the right energy. I've been here for post work drinks, dates and special occasions (and some outside supper clubs run at the venue) The "vibes" are always great... staff friendly.. all I can say is I whish more venues operated with the same ethos... Always feels like a treat... never a chore.

Avoid full of stag & hen dos. Used to be a cool drop in. But now is too-good for regulars, reservation only place on Saturday nights. Has rainbow progress flags up but don’t be fooled, our experience was rude & dismissive. A really nice place a few months ago that sold out to be a posh-Popworld. Also currently under construction

I really had high hopes for this dinner but service was a real let down from the moment of entering. It led us to leave early and head to another nice wine bar nearby ( which I'm glad we did) Food was good. I can't get over the service quality. Firstly made a reservation for 8.15pm. we ended up arriving at 8pm but no one really greeted us at the entrance. We walked in and saw staff at the bar area milling around- no one bothering to greet us. We waited till 8.15pm and sat down. The server was grumpy and took 10 mins to take our drinks order. We wanted to put a food order at the same time having waited 15 mins for our table to be ready. She refused and wanted to give drinks first. We waited another 10 mins to put in our food order. She also seemed to want to serve other tables first and was always gruff and grumpy when serving us but friendly and cheery for the other tables. It made our experience rather unpleasant. She would dump the dishes on the table and go. No politeness at all. The order of the dishes we received was weird. We got chichetti in a staggered way that didn't make sense though we gave our full order at the top. Read for details. 15 mins for the first pear and pecorino crostini to arrive. It's literally pear with pecorino. No sauce nothing. One thing I found disappointing is crostini here is never toasted unlike all chichetti bars we saw in Venice so it made it feel cold. Secondly, I don't think bringing the first few crostini takes this long. I noticed in other tables, they tended to get crostini together and larger plates after- not us. Another 6 mins for the nduja pizzette. Yummy. next up was fritter and lemon crostini. 5 mins later. Both yummy. Fritter little oily. I thought it was great, we are getting into a rhythm here. I was wrong. The rest of food comes 36 mins later albeit together! Devil egg : yummy Salumi platter : yummy Walnut crostini: good Potatoes with truffle, caraway : nice. All in drips and drops. No order to it. Overall, wine was good. We had Spanish red and house red. Food also good. Service was such a let down that I don't recommend this place at all.

Disappointing experience with poor dishes; examples from our order are stale bread, topped with lemon curd and cold leeks and the pork and fennel sausage which was coarse with gristle. We watched food sat in the pass for ages before being served. In total we ordered 9 dishes and not one was pleasant or delicious. The waiter was awkward and told us to take a photo of the menu on the wall to read amongst us! He said luckily we could get table service tonight because they were quiet. We were then told he knew nothing about wine as the wrong bottle was bought and the meal ended with him dropping a fork on my friend’s lap. The whole experience was disappointing and we left feeling hungry after what we could only describe as a few bad starters.

Service could be faster... I left after waiting too long for final drink...

Great place to grab a well made drink and enjoy some wonderful cicheti. We jumped in late for a few Negroni’s and whatever was left of the fresh cicheti that was available. Scoffed it all and had a few more drinks. Great vibe, great place.

I really love Bacareto. It is the *only* authentically cool place in the city centre. Probably, the only place that isn't crazy expensive too. As a sober person.. To speak so highly of a *bar* is UNHEARD of. I've spent a lot of time in Venice and lived there for a short while and Bacareto perfectly encapsulates those cheeky chicchetti bars on Via Garibaldi. You feel like you're on holiday every time you go in because the decor is contemporary and unfussy and the outdoor terrace and bar seating in the open window emulates those you might find in some cool European cities. There really is no other place like it in Wales. Toilets are funky and it's so refreshing to see local artists supported by a business in the city. They've commissioned artists to do bathroom murals and design Tshirts... And tbh that's just bloody classy in my book. Food. The food is gooood. Devilled eggs? Yes please. Arancini? Yes please. Anything with walnuts, honey and goats cheese? A hell yes, please. It's not necessarily somewhere I would go to have a full on meal. I rarely do go there to have a proper dinner but I know many do. I just love a nice snack or 5 with a nice non alcoholic spritz. It's a safe space for me as someone with 4 years of sobriety under my belt. It's not somewhere that you see people binge drinking because the atmosphere just gives off happy and creative. Their NA offerings make me feel included and are actually delicious. Its honestly the only bar I'd be happy to spend money in these days. God bless Bacareto, may it continue to be the best spot in town. 🙏

I had high hopes for this restaurant, so I booked a table for my friends leaving do. Service was very poor, sadly due to lack of staff. They were pleasant though! I appreciate on a Saturday evening staff are always rushed off their feet and I think they had an event upstairs. The menu was behind the bar which was difficult to see due to all the patrons crowding around the bar. Only bar snacks were available and for what I ordered I felt it was very overpriced. For example, cheese of the day was two wedges of brie, a jelly with what I assumed was bruchetta - which was terrible. And only like 5 tiny pieces of that. Me and my friends ordered multiple dishes but were disappointed. It took a very long time for most of the food to arrive (over an hour) which would have been OK if we had been warned. Left hungry and frustrated.

Our first time trying Bacareto. I'd seen the sign in the window but I feel like it is a hidden gem. I had no idea how large the restaurant was. Plenty of seating on two floor, we had a great view from our front window seats. The staff was friendly, the drinks were good, food looked amazing, we will definitely be back and highly recommend.

If you don't drink alcohol and you're vegan or vegetarian you're usually consigned to a small, dusty, unimaginative corner of the menu. Bacareto bucks that trend by having a predominantly plant based menu giving plenty of choice for those who don't eat meat. The plates are delicious and inventive (because we were close to St David's Day, Bacareto were serving Italian/Welsh fusion dishes) and we sampled 8 in total - every one a winner. The fennel-topped polenta deserves special mention but it was all great. The dishes are small so order plenty - but they're also not very expensive so you can afford to do so. Beers and small plates for two £40 - I reckon that's decent value for a busy and funky city centre bar. A note on the beer. They have Wiper and True Tomorrow on draft. If you're recently sober like we are it's difficult to express how nice it is not to be singled out and instead you can have a draft pint like everyone else. Downstairs is cosy and bustling, upstairs is a bit quieter. I'd recommend the former if there's just a couple of you for drinks and nibbles. Service was great and we would have lingered longer if we didn't have to go off to the theatre. We'll definitely come back.

Staff were brilliant. They made the night extra special

Probably one of my favourite places in the city centre. The food options are great whether you just want a snack or a full meal. Equally great if you're just after a coffee or a drink. Great selections of wines, beers, ciders as well as aperitivo and cocktails. Decent alcohol-free selection as well.

Really bad service. Unfortunately won’t be returning here

This place is such a gem! The best food, ambience, staff and wines. So nice to see a menu with lots of veggie and vegan options. Can’t recommend enough!

Always good food, good service and lovely atmosphere. Can't recommend enough. Love having a Spritz and a tapas style dish - something different in the heart of Cardiff.

Fantastic bar with great drinks and bar snacks. Very relaxed and social atmosphere. Bar snacks are a quite over priced, but nice option to have.

I had a wonderful lunch. Friendly staff and excellent value for money. The cicchetti were very reasonably priced and punched well above their weight on flavour. Bacareto is a little gem, I will be back.

My girlfriend and I had a difficult time here this evening. We were seated upstairs. Despite me putting it on the booking reservation form, the waiter had no idea about what was gluten free on the menu. He then roughly made a guess at what he didn't think contained it before we agreed he should get the allergen menu. He then came back upstairs after checking and told me he didn't bring it because it was "too complicated" and that he would just tell me what is gluten free or not. By this point, you must appreciate I couldn't put my trust 100% in him. I appreciate that you cannot guarantee something being totally gluten free, but I think even a small indication on the menu should be implemented. Accidentally eating gluten can be really dangerous for some people and I think having a greater awareness among FOH staff would go a long way. The menu formatting was difficult too. There were drinks menus on the table but no food menus- just one big one upstairs out of view of most customers. The food itself was lovely and although it took a while, we expected it to because of how busy it can get. I'm sorry to leave this review. I wanted to have a good time, but the lack of awareness around a prominent allergen in the menu is concerning.

Kayla is simply amazing. We had been out for dinner nearby and stopped by for a glass of wine on our way home. Kayla was the perfect host, she is professional, welcoming and a true charmer who made us want to come back. I would have no hesitation to recommend this place for anyone who wants a fun evening.

Great place for nice quiet drink ,good staff and good feel to the venue plus the wine was excellent

Fantastic small plates and the best Negronis I've had. Looks slightly formal from the outside, but it's actually cosy, friendly and gently subversive

Always make time for wine and a bite here

Mouthwatering. Nice atmosphere while still being able to comfortably hear.

Delicious small plates and lovely wine

Great coffee at reasonable prices served by helpful and friendly staff. Welcoming atmosphere with relaxed music. Plenty of gender neutral toilets available too which helped me feel at ease

Delicious food and good variety of drinks, lovely ambience, chilled yet friendly

I have no idea why I have never tried this place before. This is such a nice place with such a nice staff If you are Vegan like us, there are so many choices. The food is delicious... Thank you to the Chef I had the celeriac steak with mushrooms sauce, pickled mushrooms and winter greens and truffle ... Amazing. Please come and visit.

Loved this new find for me ! Great spritz Great service Wonderful vibe Will be back

The best food in Cardiff, I recommend this place to everyone. The food looks and tastes like you should pay premium prices but it’s very affordable. The menu changes often with the best seasonal produce. The wine and drink offers are incredible, with a huge variety of spritz, wine and non alcoholic options. Staff are warm, welcoming and very knowledgeable about everything the other side of the bar and kitchen.

I cannot express how poor the service is in the establishment. The organisation (or there lack of), was quite difficult to comprehend. Whoever owns the establishment needs to strongly consider re-training and/or change of management. Truly shambolic.

Love this place! Amazing wine and service in the centre of Cardiff ☺️

It is a nice place for cicheti! Recommend to try the burrata and bread basket!

Bello gustare un vero spritz fatto con il Select!

Really loved this place. We sat up at the bar to enjoy some wine and snacks - a great selection for both.

Coming from Veneto region and living in Cardiff I found my heaven. Spritz aperol Campari, select, cynar and all the authentic combos you can find in Italy. Served with good cicheti at a fair price! Definitely recommended! ghe sboro

Always good, food, drinks and atmosphere

Fantastic service, lovely atmosphere. My favourite in Cardiff! Diolch!

My favourite place in Cardiff. I come here at least once per week. Best Spritz one can get in Cardiff.

Best bar in Cardiff.hands down.

One of my favourite spots for a drink and nibble in Cardiff! Lovely roof terrace, always busy and a nice atmosphere, and the best aperol spritzes!

Sit at the bar, have a drink some lovely tapas, and chill.

Great place Lovely selection of cicchetti . My fave was the golden beetroot on chickpea fritter. V reasonable prices Good drinks selection Fantastic staff . Special mention to Kelly who was excellent. She went above and beyond. A real asset to the place.

beautiful decor, delicious food, lovely staff. very good for vegans, couldn't recommend more

Cicheti like Venice! Can’t recommend enough.

Fantastic food and fabulous spritzes 😍

Only stopped for a drink whilst waiting for some friends but it was great. Great vibes overall, friendly bar staff, great music playing and the frozen aperol spritz is dangerously addictive in this weather! The menu looked very appealing and the cicheti on display looked equally delicious. Will definitely be back for the full experience!

Don't get me wrong, the place is nice but they manage a small bites concept, so if you go there expecting otherwise...well, disappointment

I love it, I was here at lunch time and I only wanted a coffee and lite bites. The cicchetti (small sandwich) were lush. Great coffee and I had a cheeky Menabrea which was refreshing.

Lovely spot for cocktails pre dinner snacks. Window tables are great for people watching. They make a great Aperol Spritz

A lovely little taste of Venice in the centre of Cardiff! If you know Venice, then you know! 👌 A nice little reminder. Will be returning with the hubby. I recommend..food, staff and drinks lovely 👍

Came for their happy hour spritz! It was such a nice relaxing vibe. Their menu seemed a bit $$$ for what it was, so I didn’t order any food. But loved the spritz!

Fantastic! Unique take on food, had decent vegan & GF options, and I loved the "drop-in" ease of it. Felt Mediterranean but with a hip vibe. Highly recommend 👌

Servers refused to see us at the door for 15-20 minutes even though we waved and they made several eye contacts we us.

Always pleasant vibe here, drinks reasonably priced and accommodating staff!

Perfect place to sit and watch the world pass by Love the choice of small bites and simply the beSt Approll in town

First visit‬⁩ yesterday (8th April) & we’ll definitely be back! We pretty much had one of everything on the menu, the arancini & pizzetta were particular highlights - we ordered them twice! Super service & the perfect Saturday nibble before a gig in the city centre! The only comment was inconsistency on the arancini, we ordered in the beginning and were given two balls as a portion, when we reordered we were only given one - we queried this with our server and was told it was only one per portion so I guess we were lucky with the first portion but that’s the only reason for dropping one star. Definitely recommended, the food was super fresh and the servers very friendly and accommodating.

Great food, amazing choice of drinks, service is friendly and accommodating, and lots of vegan choices! Price was very reasonable especially considering we had a bottle of wine and other drinks. This place is a new firm favourite.

Really beautifully designed and laid out place. Have been about 6 times and it's a good place. Great drinks, service is always a bit straight faced, not unfriendly just on the cool side. Food is fine for snacking. What they make is tasty. Go for the drinks and interiors 👍👍

Great Italian tapas style food and wine! Good place to work as well!

Nice, relaxed atmosphere and friendly staff. The drinks selection was large- wines, spritzers and a large selection of beers and ciders. Prices were average for city centre. The Aperetivo offer (4-6 weekdays) was a good deal.

Venetian vibes in central Cardiff. Excellent wines by the glass, amaro spritzes and a great menu of crostini and small bites.

Been meaning to come here for a while and was not disappointed by my visit. Food was delicious and would definitely return. 👍

Amazing food, lovely staff - best dining experience in Cardiff for a long time. Can’t wait to go back

Great food and drinks and service was impeccable. Definitely recommended if going for food in Cardiff

Beautiful simple food, delicious wine, great service.

Terrible customer service. One member of staffed asked another to serve me, he just ignored me and carried on cleaning the coffee machine. Very odd and awkward. Shame, because other staff were great and bar has a good vibe.

Love you Bacareto - everything you do is perfect. Tasty food with great ingredients, quick service, friendly staff, very reasonable prices - an all round lush place!

Once and no more. We were waiting for 45 min and when we decide to ask them what was going on with the food, they’ve said they forgot to order it. Rissoto we ordered was full of oil. Surely we won’t come back

Perfect spot with amazing drinks

Spent a fantastic afternoon here with friends and family. Highly recommended.

Great place in town for wine lovers with lovely Italian food and nibbles. Great service from the staff too.

What an amazing place. Fantastic selection of great wines by the glass, lovely atmosphere and super friendly staff Food was delicious, fantastic selection of Chicchetti. Loved the panelle (a bargain for £1) as well as the devilled eggs and ariancini. Fried mozzarella was delicious too. Can't wait to come back to work my way through the rest of the menu Also, music was great and it was the perfect place to people watch on Church Street

Fantastic place to grab a quick coffee (very good prices; excellent coffee machine!) or Apérol spritz. Great, friendly service!

Up there in my top 5! Food is fit, decor is fit, wine is fit, staff... All fit!

The majority of the food and drinks I had were decent. However we were waiting over 45 mins for a dish we had ordered. Unfortunately after our meal myself and my father were extremely ill, which I have no doubt was from the food we ate at Bacareto. This experience has put me off from returning or eating at this establishment ever again.

This place made me want to move to Cardiff. Genuinely wish I had a similar place near me. Great wine and food and so very much in the spirit of Venice. Pop by, have a snack (or more), lovely wine (sure there are other drinks), stay for a bit or for the whole evening. LOVE.x

Food was bland, could not recommend

Popped in on way somewhere else but will be booking and returning 👍

Wonderful bar! So friendly and affordable!

Fantastic bar staff, atmosphere - feels like you have arrived in a Venice backstreet. Food OK- but nothing to write home about - having to ask for Parmesane in an Italian is unheard of in my book.

Really great service here and very helpful as our group had various dietary requirements. (Gluten free, lactose and vegan in the group) The waitress was very understanding and recommended amazing dishes and was very knowledgeable about the menu. The food was great too

Something a bit different, we had one of each of the canape type breads - tasty but a little pricey as they were individually priced from £1 to £3 each

Stunning food, friendly staff and great experience …really cheap also somehow

A really nice bar enjoyed a few drinks outside. Nice calm place not crowded. Plenty of unique drinks and snacks. Not overpriced but not cheap. Food looked great but we didn't have time to stay for it