Bardo - Charlotte

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!

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!

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.

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

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.