Il Buco
“The wine cellar downstairs is an incredible place to dine in if you're looking for something different and romantic.”
“Their two greatest strengths are the olive oil and wine, but all of the ingredients are very high quality and fresh.”
“We had a great Bordeaux to accompany all the appetizers that was recommended by the sommelier.”
Il Buco
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Super well decorated charming place with wonderful food!
Went for a dinner on Friday night and sat in a big table shared with others.
They place a big vase of flowers on the table, so you keep your privacy even having strangers sat next to you so it was a nive touch of decoration.
The waitress introduced us few specialties from the day, which from we ordered the truffle tagliattelle; and from the main menu we ordered small salami to share and lassagnette.
Salami was a plate of different meats with what you expect, OK (we are from Barcelona so our salamis/meats standards are very high, and italian salami will never beat Spanish one… )
Truffle pasta was smooth and super tasty!!! It had plenty of truffle so the more you eat, the more hungry you are!
Lasagnete was a good surprise, from the name we thought that it was a kind of lasagna, but it was pasta with beef and peas. Super tasty and you really feel the beef sauce gently mixed with the pasta.
Super pro: they know how to cook the pasta. Al dente!
Cons: too noisy (which was a pity because the place seems so romantic!) and service could be better (too messy)
We had an Aperol spritz that cost 14$, pricey for me.
Indeeed, very nice place to come back!
I had a quick dinner for one at a bar. A nice bartender served me the drink and food. I started with a non alcoholic cocktail that I asked her to which she fixed a ginger lime drink, which was very good and creative at the same time.
I had some assorted bread which was very fresh and soft. Olive oil was very fresh and tasty with a touch of sea salt. I ordered the burrata with greens. I thought it was creamy and well seasoned, but it would have been a little more interesting if it had a little bit of sweetness (like orange flavor).
I then had torchio with hen. I thought the pasta was cooked picture perfect al dente (one of the best I have tasted). It was seasoned well and balanced well with the shaved cheese. I asked for a teaspoon of parmasan (usually I don't ask for it, but I was wondering if a sprinkle can enhance the flavor, which it did not). There were two bartenders behind the bar, both of which were very nice.
I think this is a very good italian place with vibrant restaurant scene. I will definitely stop by again in the future.
Went here on a double date with my girlfriend and my sister and BIL.
It is a very romantic setting. Rustic. I made the reservation through opentable and they said it would be tight, it was quite comfortable!
Appetizer:
Olives: We were going to get two, but decided on one (for 4 people), we had a few olives left over. One small dish for every 4-5 people. They were a bit above par.
Bread with olive oil: They charge about a dollar/person for the bread. Will refill for free. It was tasty. Above par.
Pulpo: The octopus was really good. It was soft. Cooked right. The flavoring was great too. I'd give this a good rating and would get it again.The celery was a unique combination with the seasoning. My favorite of the two we got.
Migas: The chorizo was different in texture. The dish was delicious overall, but the combination tasted different to me, it wasn't bad, but just not something I am used to. I'd say this was a delicious dish, but I probably wouldn't get it again.
Main dishes:
Risotto: This was probably my favorite dish. It tasted creamy and flavorful, but wasn't overly buttery. I'd definitely get this dish again.
Lasagnette: I was expecting a red sauce, but it's more like a non-colored sauce. It's also more like a pasta salad. It was delicious, but I probably wouldn't get this again.
The third entree we got is not on the online menu and I can't recollect the name. It was a pasta dish with crab meat. The pasta is made with the ink of the Octopus? It was creamy and tasty. It was par.
Overall Impression:
The ambiance is a plus. The decor is excellent. I'd go back for that alone. The food was a fraction above par. Overall, I'd recommend this place to try once, but unsure if I'd go back again.
My dinner at Il Buco was very memorable. The rustic decor and elegant atmosphere really added to my experience. My mom and I loved the restaurant as soon as we walked in. The dark wood interior and low lighting made Il Buco look like an antique store or cottage.
We were taken down the stairs to a table in the wine cellar. The dining room was breathtaking. The walls and ceiling were completely covered in racks of beautiful wine. The large, wooden tables had flowers and a candle in the center.
We started with wine recommended by our server, Dominiqu. We both loved our selections. We ordered the three-olive oil sampler and fresh salami & prosciutto board as our appetizers. The oils were all very different from each other, which I appreciated. However, I would have enjoyed it more if they included a balsamic with the bread and oil, just my personal preference. The prosciutto and salami board was very good.
As my entree, I ordered the goat cheese & fennel risotto. Oh. My. Goodness. It was divine, truly one of the best entrees I've ever had. The goat cheese and spices mixed together so well. My mom ordered the butcher's cut of steak, with a side of potatoes. The steak was flavorful and cooked to perfection.
As our dessert, we split the Panna Cotta, drizzled with balsamic. It was a very interesting combination! The Panna Cotta was so delicious. The consistency and subtle flavor were phenomenal.
One of our severs, Bernal, certainly added to our dinner. He was very polite and attentive. I will certainly be returning to Il Buco for dinner in the future. It was such a unique and gorgeous restaurant!
Had a disappointing experience recently at ll Buco. Let me preface by saying that the night was (perhaps unfairly) significantly built up. I had high expectations and thus saved the restaurant for a special occasion. This was a mistake. The service was excellent and the wine list was quite good, with a reasonable number of reasonable options. But my meal was pretty disappointing. We ordered four appetizers to split: the gambos, anchovies, bread and olive oil and tomato and ricotta salad. I didn't try the anchovies, but found the gambos unwieldy and difficult to eat, the olive oil fine but nothing special, and the ricotta salad incredibly skimpy on the ricotta (there was enough for maybe one person; we were 4). I ordered the torchio for my main course, with guanciale, cauliflower and broccoli and pasta, and honestly, I feel like I could have made it myself. The pasta itself was delicious but the rest of the dish was very skimpy on the important ingredients and was pretty bland/dry. I was actually tempted to pour the olive oil on the table over the dish to add some flavor, sauce and pizzazz. We ordered 4 desserts and only one (the seasonal tart, which was fig with marscapone (?)) was actually worth having more than one bite of.
Il Buco is – in my mind – the definition of farm to table. Everything about the decor and the menu has this rustic Italian feel to it – authentic rather than gimmicky. Their menu items change constantly for the season which means you can always count on Il Buco for good,clean eats that really embrace the fresh ingredients.
Now let's talk about those croquettes. Because I died when I caught a whiff of them. And that crunch on the asparagus salad – or the lightness of the mushroom on the mushroom pasta. From everything I had at Il Buco so far, it is very clear that the chef knows how to let the main ingredients shine. And it certainly helps when the staff are as friendly and helpful as they are.
Love this place.
Raise your hand if you love Italian food!!
If you don't then you can't be trusted. Sorry.
Because I can totally be trusted, I love this genre of dining. So good! So carby! Cheese!
I went to Il Buco for dinner with my bestie since we heard good things. We are dumb and went without a reservation on a Thursday night at 6PM. HAHA. No tables. Jokes.
We decided we were there already and were wiling to sit at the bar. Sat we did and ordered drinks. I had something with bourbon but we quickly switched to wine because Italia! The wine was excellent and I fancy myself somewhat of a wine snob these days. Don't ask me to talk about what I like best and why, I just know crummy wine when I drink it lately. I know that makes me sound super douchey, but I think it's important to note the red wine was delish.
Anyway.
We decided to split a bunch of things because we have zero self control. We started with the Fiori di Zucca (semolina fried squash blossoms, sal cod brandade, salsa rosa) which was very good and fresh. I wasn't blown away by the plate but I certainly enjoyed it. We also ordered the Cavolonero (Tuscan black kale, garlic anchovy lemon vinaigrette, filone croutons, parmigiano Reggiano). Also good! I was pleased with it, but wouldn't rave about it to my friends. For an entree we split a pasta dish (which isn't online, which is annoying) which was orecchiette with some sort of cream sauce and peas. I liked it! Pretty tasty. We also split a pork dish that was pretty good, but unmemorable.
I guess the point of this whole review is it's not bad here! My biggest issue is the pricing. Dinner was a bloody fortune. If you want me to take out a loan to pay for dinner, please make it excellent and worth racking up some debt. If I lived in the area, I could see maybe stopping by for a glass of wine and maybe an appetizer, but be aware, the bar area gets super full, super fast. I felt lucky to have snagged two snug seats at the bar.
So! Italian food is excellent, but maybe don't splurge on your whole meal here.
Il buco has the most lovely wine cellar–past the bustling tables and rustic decor, you'll find an even more adorable setting downstairs. I highly recommend having a private party down here if you have the chance–but I digress, let me rave about the food.
Everything here is delicious and extremely promising. The black kale salad was easily the favorite of the table. I will admit when someone passed me the shared plate of salad, I took a leaf or two because, you know…salad. But once I took a bite, I realized how foolish I was, and went back for more.
The lamb ribs were so tender and moist with such a lovely blend of spices, while the egg polenta with black truffle was a lovely texture. I would be remiss if I did not mention the steak, which in my opinion blew both the tagliatelle with oxtail and the branzino out of the water. The steak was perfectly cooked with the most delicious, crispy potatoes I wish I could replicate myself.
If you hated everything that Il Buco had to offer up until this point, I beg you to try their balsamic Panna cotta. The tartness of the balsamic vinaigrette mixed with the creaminess of the Panna cotta was so well paired–why hasn't anyone ever thought of it before? I was expected to share this with 4 people? Uh, there was no way. It's so good, it'll make you forget who your friends are and you'll devour that bad boy with no consideration for the rest of your party. For people who hate everything, their Cremeux de Bourgogne cheese was awesome–very mild, soft, and the best cheese on their menu by far. All in all, if this doesn't make you try Il Buco, you are dead inside.