Bacaro

We kind of stumbled onto Bacaro wandering along Division St looking for something to eat. On a cold night we wanted something comforting and Italian sounded good. The sub terrain dining area feels like a cozy wine vault and softly lit candle light but still bright enough to read the menu. We had an early dinner so the choice of tables was our to chose. It filled up a bit late as dinner time came.

Our server was friendly and recited the daily specials. The food came out at a reasonable time not too long and not too quickly. They seem to like their polenta there. I guess nothing says Italian like polenta? We started with the Insalata di Granchio over you guessed it polenta. The crab was delicate and fresh as the salad. The polenta was more of a congealed mush but wasn’t bad. The beet tips sautéed with garlic was a good accompany with the whole wheat pasta in rabbit ragu and the beef shank on top of a creamy polenta! While I don’t remember if the whole wheat pasta was housemade or not but it was cooked al dente. The rabbit ragu was well seasoned. The beef shank was tender and meat fall of the bone. The polenta was nice and creamy. I can’t imagine who many stick of butter went into this but I just won’t think about it.

Bacaro was a good dinner in a quite setting. The service was good and out water always filled when needed. It would be a good date dinner night with food that is solidly good.

Awesome food, great space & service. Had pork shank, fried zucchini blossom stuffed w/ goat cheese, spaghetti Nero - which was all wonderful.

The wine selection is vast and the service is really great.

Recommend for intimate gatherings or date nights!!

I hate writing about this place because I don't want it discovered by a glut of tourists and loud NYU students but it's without a doubt The Tastiest Restaurants In The Whole East Side (by which I mean, East Village AND Lower East Side). Fortunately this place is off the beaten track. It's hard to find and hard to get to which is fine by me. The plates, especially those I mention here, are absolutely spectacular. A thousand times better than the tourist crap they serve in Little Italy. Let's start with the appertizers: most enjoy the fried zucchini blossoms which are great, but my personal favorite is the Insalata Di Granchio. As for the entree'.... I'm a diehard fan of the Tagliata Di Manzo. The steak is marinated four days in a special sauce and literally melts in your mouth. Also, get a side order of the Polenta- it's delicate; made with a parmigiano & butter-base that's truly delicious. All the pasta dishes are to-die-for. (These are very nuanced dishes and are unlike any pasta dishes you've ever eaten, trust me!) My favorite is the Duck Raga. The Spaghetti Nero is a close second. You can't lose with this place, and I've been to almost every restaurant below 14 Street.

Went there with a group of 10. Great place for group dining. Many large tables are available in the cellar. The food is both good and well priced. The fried zucchini blossoms and the stuffed artichoke were delicious. So was the duck ragu pasta. Service was a bit slow.

One of the top ten restaurants I've ever been! The food is fantastic, the decoration is warm and service is precise. I am very glad to be served by a Brazilian waiter! Strongly recommended!!