Bardo

1508 S Mint St, Charlotte
(980) 585-2433

Recent Reviews

William Swink

I Embarked on a culinary journey that was simply masterful. My wife and I did the 10 plate dinner and it was extraordinary. The vibe was terrific - the food was art, the music was awesome, the waiters were incredibly knowledgeable. Don't debate about going.... just go!It just kept getting better and better. We're going back 100%.

PlanesTrainsBusCar

Made our reservations over a month in advance, had to pay a non-refundable $50 pp toward the 5 course "tasting menu." Got a call the afternoon of our reservation indicating that "due to unforeseen circumstances" no alcohol would be served that evening. I asked if we could bring our own, the answer was no. We decided to go ahead and have dinner anyway. First course: a tiny bowl of cooked radishes smothered in sauce. Second course: a tiny bowl with 3 small slices of some kind of fish, smothered in sauce. Third course: a tiny bowl of mushrooms, smothered in sauce. Fourth course: four bites of salty, overcooked pork, with powdered something or other all over it, and sauce. Fifth course, dessert!: a tablespoon of "Vietnamese coffee" ice cream with a "chocolate string" and 3 bite-sized pieces of torn angel food cake. Since no alcohol was allowed to be served, we each had a "mocktail," which ended up being a $10 pp glorified glass of juice. Our total bill was $190 and, interestingly, after keeping our $100 non-refundable deposit for over a month, they refunded it (it will take 7-10 days to show up on our cc statement), and re-charged us the full amount. The food was sparse and terribly prepared - the sauces didn't mix well together, and the entire meal was way over-priced. The servers were solicitous and very attentive, much like they would be at a fine dining restaurant, which this is definitely not. I don't think Bardo is long for this world - people want a good meal with some ambiance when they spend $100 pp!

Expedition735578

This restaurant has a hip, funky atmosphere (with graffiti on the walls). While the restaurant looks casual, the food is anything but! The chef does an amazing job with unique, tasty, and memorable dishes. Great experience!

Bran Camp

Outstanding dining experience. This is by far the best restaurant in Charlotte. Inventive and amazing food, and unparalleled service. Being able to witness the artistry in the prep kitchen adds to the overall theatre of the entire meal. I most recently went to dinner for Valentine's Day, and was thoroughly impressed from beginning to end. The cocktail pairings also perfectly complemented every dish. Bardo feels like a restaurant that is in NYC or Miami, not Charlotte, NC, and it has easily become my favorite restaurant here. Not only is the food outstanding, but so is every single person that works there. Ambiance, phenomenal staff, amazing food, high-end dining with zero pretention. Outstanding job Bardo!Update for 2023- Bardo continues to be my favorite restaurant in Charlotte. There is pure magic in the delicate nuance of flavors, which highlight and amplify the ingredients in each dish. Service is outstanding, with some of the best staff I have ever experienced. I visited again for this valentine's day, and every dish was perfection. The thought and preparation is very evident with the beautiful menu of flavors and experiences from the beginning to end. I didn't think I could love Bardo any more than I already did, but they have proven me wrong.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Mitchell Sayers

Giving 3 stars as the food was decent, but certainly not worth a $400 tab for date night. I appreciate a tasting menu if well done, but if we pay $400 for dinner we should not leave hungry and have to pick up pizza on the way home (which is exactly what we did). We did the 7 course menu (I believe now it’s a choice of 5 or 10) so keep that in mind.The other critique I have is that it so LOUD. I know they’re going for a industrious look but with bare floors and ceilings all the noise is amplified. Me and my wife were having to almost yell at each other over the table.I think in the Charlotte food scene this restaurant manages to get by, but stand this up against tasting menus from better food cities and I think it’s pretty mediocre

Kaitlyn Setter

Modern, edgy restaurant atmosphere for a tasting menu that was delicious! We did the 5 course with wine and loved it all. Portions are small, as you'd expect, but you'll leave full. There was only one other couple in the restaurant so we had great service and they explained the food and how it paired with the wine. Won't spoil the food by telling you what it is but go soon to try their winter menu as they're changing it in a month or two.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 5

Service: 5

Hazel Schifferle

We did the 5 course experience and the tier 2 wine pairing. Our servers - both named Crystal - were outstanding. The vibe is a bit different than we were expecting. Outkast bumping and graffiti and an overall minimal setup. If you’re coming here expecting a ton of food you should go elsewhere. We were here for interesting food and a unique experience. It delivered.Everything was good, no bombs anywhere. The best part of our meal was the mushroom meringues in the leek dish. They were fantastic and we could’ve eaten those by the handful and been very happy.

Sta W.

To commemorate our 25th wedding anniversary, we sought an extraordinary and unparalleled dining experience. Bardo exceeded our expectations with their one-of-a-kind ten-course tasting menu and wine pairings. I have a food allergy, and the staff and chefs went above and beyond to accommodate me, even offering me a dessert from their upcoming menu, which was delicious.While Bardo does not offer their diners a choice in served menu options (chef's choice), we found it an exciting way to try unique new flavor combinations. My favorite dish was the foie gras, while my husband enjoyed the scallops. The chefs are in a visible area, and we took the opportunity to thank them for their expertise and such a wonderful opportunity.One of the servers, Shanda, picked up on a tiny detail during our conversation and went above and beyond to ensure ice was always on the table (I love icy drinks). Our dedicated server, Darian, was equally fabulous, engaging, knowledgeable about the food and wine, and truly cared about her customers. She ensured my food allergy was taken into account with every course. Thank you again Darian for keeping me safe! If you have a food allergy, you know that is not always the case; I very much appreciate the care taken. The wine pairings were spot-on, even the dry reds, which I usually do not prefer. The sommelier James is one of the best in Charlotte we have experienced; I would rank him #2 after Anthony at the McNitch House (a local sommelier legend). It's worth noting that the portions were small (compared to American standards), as Bardo is a tasting experience. I only recommend that the chefs become edgier with their food creations. Don't get me wrong, the food was beyond fabulous and flavorful! I can only imagine what continued unique flavor explosions they will continue to create, given their talent. Rarely am I excited about the possibilities of a restaurant that has a changing menu, Bardo has striked that excitement. Overall, I highly recommend Bardo, and we look forward to returning to enjoy more of their esquisite menu in the future.

Christina Moubarak

Was okay - trendy loud music hard to hear my husband talk right next to me -the food was okay - fancy descriptions but mediocre flavor - what really struck me as tacky was the open kitchen the staff greeting the dishes - out a blue tackle box - it looked like Tupperware - and a fishing box that would have lures in it—- tacky tacky tacky - music so loud and food not that great - not recommending !

Jim Beckom (Jim and Tammy)

Chef menu that changes every quarter or so. While the portions are small, they are very well done, and the presentation is outstanding. Go in with an open mind, and trust the chef will deliver you excellent food. Also, do no go if you are in a rush. We did the 10 course with wine pairing (recommend it), and it took almost 4 hours.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Aaron H.

Had high hopes for this place but left severely dissatisfied. The food was average at best, the dishes that were served to us, had a lot of ingredients that ultimately didn't mesh together, and goodness the portions were TINY... I understand the restaurant serves only small plates but small was an understatement. Each dish was honestly about the size of a golf ball Now I will say this restaurant has amazing service, our waitress and the chefs were all very friendly and attentive and that honestly softened the blow on the lack of food. Final verdict: As a foodie, I must say there are better options out there and while the service was excellent, the food, portion sizes and price you'll pay for it simply were not worth it, definitely won't be coming back.

Gerald G

Absolute waste of money. This restaurant is a joke masquerading as "fine dining", a wannabe Michelin star restaurant, and falling so short. Do not even think of spending your money here.The menu was themed "Nostalgia", and it's the most pathetic attempt at being creative you could ever imagine. The chefs thought it would be a good idea to "reimagine" dishes that were common for people to eat during their childhood around here.Let's start with the first:Tuna casserole with black olive, dill and shitake. It was suppose to be an echo to an already very boring dish. Well their take was just a lightly cooked tuna, with some sprinkles of the mentioned accompaniments, none of which added anything to the flavor. I've had better and more creative tuna dishes at mid-grade sushi restaurants.Next we have, no joke, "Vegetable by the foot" - these chefs, who keep in mind charge you 100 dollars for 5 plates, seriously came up with a dish that is inspired by Fruit by the foot. Yeah that's the one I'm talking about, the high fructose corn syrup red number 9 loaded puree. Well their take on this was beets and black garlic chèvre. It sounds fancier than it tastes. Basically just an overcooked beet with slight flavor. Certainly not worthy of being a main plate. Oh, and by the way, the amount is very small. I've eaten at Michelin starred restaurants with similar plate themed ordering and they were more than this.Thirdly, we have another amazingly creative dish - Meatloaf tartare. You heard that correct, this dish was inspired by possibly the most boring dish of all time. Your mom's meatloaf. It said it consisted of meatloaf spices and vichyssoise style sauce, and something was supposed to be fancy ketchup. It barely tasted like anything. Again not worthy of the price for entry.Alright, and for the fourth and final food dish, wait for it, "Chicky nuggies". That is not misspelled either. They call it "chicky" nuggets, and it was supposed to be inspired by chicken nuggets. Well let me tell you, my high school cafeteria had better chicken nuggets. These were described as having boudin blanc tomato and malt vinegar. Very bland, light breading and not in the good way.And finally, the dessert, we have the wonderfully imaginative Dirt "cup", obviously inspired by the usual children's party "Dirt Cake". And inside it was said to have aleppo, mango, watermelon, and tajin, but it basically just tasted like a bunch of mid tier chocolate. The flavors mentioned on the menu, like most of the other dishes appear to just be written on their as fancy fluff, in a weak attempt to sound elegant.My group tried the wine pairings as well, paid for the upgraded option, and it was just meh. Nothing really complimented the dishes or tasted particularly amazing.It seems like they just read a "how to open a tasting menu restaurant for dummies" and are just doing what they need to do to appear believable to the public. A facade of fancy. They would get laughed out of any international foodie community. There was zero nuance. The tasting menu restaurants I have been too all were very interesting and creative. Places where entire flavor combinations come together to provide not only taste, but an experience.I will say the wait staff was pleasant and attentive, but could have been a bit more genuine when explaining the rehearsed lines for plate descriptions.Please Bardo, step up your game. I know they say Charlotte is the Applebee's of cities, but that doesn't you have to be the applebee's of tasting menus.

Joli Gross

We loved, loved, loved Bardo! The food was amazing! We really enjoyed the creative tasting menu. The night we were there, the menu was based on "nostalgia" and the 10 courses were upscale, delicious takes on various childhood favorites. In addition to creative, beautifully presented and delicious food, the service at Bardo was wonderful! The staff were kind and engaging. And the atmosphere at the restaurant was very cool. Our party ranged in age from 52 down to 15 and a great time was had by all. Definitely check Bardo out! It's well worth the money and the trip.

Karla Fischbach

I’m so behind reviewing my birthday dinner at Bardo last month! I came in with my parents for a 7 course dinner and LOVED my experience. My parents aren’t well versed in the food scene so they didn’t understand why it was so expensive but, keep in mind, you’re also paying for the experience that’s outlined on their website!The Good: I mean, the food. It’s incredible. Each course, a tasting menu experience, is only a couple of bites. You don’t get a menu and don’t get to pick what you want but you CAN specify foods to omit when you make reservations. I don’t eat veal so they subbed the veal course for a vegetarian course that was delicious. I wish I could remember what everything was but I do remember the beef tartare, a farro dish with an egg, hearts of pal m with a strawberry mousse…I can’t remember everything but I really loved each dish. The dessert course was fantastic- it was a red bean ice cream with a type of cake and mousse-like cheese - incredible (I’m so sorry for butchering the descriptions of these courses!!). Service was ON POINT. Our server rattled off the details of each dish with amazing recall and always kept our drinks full. Loved the ambience as well - artsy, intimate, cozy.The Meh: if I had to dissect one thing, I was a bit disappointed in the cocktails I had. I ordered the Bartenders Choice because I love when mixologists get creative and go nuts on cocktails. Our server told us Bardo’s mixologists were some of the best in Charlotte. For the first drink, I told our server they could do whatever they wanted but I didn’t care for sweet cocktails. Well, The cocktail was sweet. It was good, but sweet. Similar thing happened with the next round. I still enjoyed both drinks, as much as I can for sweeter ones, but didn’t find them to be particularly inventive. Oh well!The Bad: nothing noted.Again, do keep in mind this is a tasting menu so if you have a huge appetite, you may want to nosh on something beforehand. We were delightfully full after 7 courses but I think we would’ve still been hungry with 5 (I think it’s the smallest course available). Would love to come back some time to try the full tasting menu!

Gabrielle McCarthy

Atmosphere, service and cocktails were absolutely amazing! The food was very yummy, but the portions left a little something to be desired. One course was a single bite. I think it is worth a visit, since the menu changes often, but understand the portions prior to making your reservation!

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