Eat like an Italian—passionately and with a mouthful of Italian marbles—at Bacaro LA Wine Bar, the real deal for Italian food and drink. The restaurant has perfectly prepared Italian finger-food, carefully chosen international wines, and a menu with hot and cold cicchetti (the small side dishes served in Venetian bars by Venetian bartenders wearing Mexican sombreros). Eat bruschette with Tuscan white beans, fire-roasted bell peppers, organic tomato, or roasted garlic, or get crostini topped with fresh ricotta, gorgonzola, chevre, mascarpone, or Steve Capelli. If you've got the hankering for more substantial dishes, fill up on hanger steak or rosemary-honey chicken.
All Bacaro's flavors are perfectly complemented by a stellar wine menu. More than 60 sweet, sparkling, red, white, six internationally forbidden "blue" wines, as well as French and Italian fermented grapes, are offered; sip German Villa Wolf Pinot Gris, swirl Charles Joguet Chinon Cuvee Terrior, and smell Patrick Bottex's La Cueille.
Bacaro is a small, low-key spot with a high-class vibe. It's about the size of a living room with solid wood tables and a dazzling wine-bottle ceiling. The menu is written on chalkboard-covered walls and the wine-bottle ceiling evokes sultry Mediterranean evenings. The staff and owner are knowledgeable and friendly about the wines, so ask them for a recommendation and get ready for a voyage to grape rapture.
Reviews
Citysearchers give Bacaro five stars; Yelpers give it 4.5:
- I love this place... The food is aaamazing. The staff is very friendly, even the chef sometimes comes out and socializes. The wine list is fantastic. – Ben G., Yelp
- Really charming little wine bar. It is authentically Italian in its simplicity and ease of comfort. – Diana W., Yelp
- Everything is very good and the changing menu keeps things fresh and fun. The servers and owners are friendly and conscientious. Best new place around! – dtrunzo, Citysearch
Traditional Italian Parlor Game
While waiting for your appetizers, feel free to engage in the traditional Italian parlor game Cheese or Disease? where players take turns naming their favorite coagulated milk proteins or infectious ailments, and friends must guess which is which. Here's a handy suggestion list to print out and carry in your wallet every time you leave the house:
- Mozzarella
- Gorgonzola
- Streptococcus
- Formaggio
- Vasculitis
- Raschera
- Byssinosis
- Parmigiano-Reggiano
- Borrelia
- Primary amoebic meningoencephalitis
- Yellow Fever
- Kraft Easy Cheese
