Bravo Bistro

Outstanding, enough said. Dinner for 6 and all 6 meals were great. Service was outstanding to boot.

We are from ST LOUIS MO and visit Bravo every time we go to Scottsdale (15 years). We first visited back in 1997 when Steve owned it. BAR NONE… you won’t find better Italian cuisine then this. Get the lasagna. There will be leftovers. And the atmosphere is very cool. If they ever want to re-​locate to ST LOUIS, let us know.

Second visit just as good as the first. This is a great restaurant!

What a find, went with friends the other night for the first time. I’ve walked pass the place a hundred times and never went in, it is a well kept secret in Scottsdale. The food was delicious. We started with the fried calamarie and a cold antiposto perfect. I had the Pasta Primavara in oil and garlic which was cooked just perfect and my wife had an eggpalnt dish that was great. Price wise I thought it was very reasonable and we’ll definitley be going back.

This is a great, if pricey, Italian restaurant. An old friend and I went there for dinner. I wanted to carb-​load, as I had a triathlon the next day, but I had their special — salmon, steamed mussels, and a bed of risotto. The salmon was perfectly cooked. My friend ordered a bottle of Cabernet from Sonoma County, which was excellent. Jeff, the owner, stopped by our table to say hi, and that’s always a nice touch.
Our waiter told us that some of the servers and the chef had been at the restaurant for many years, which says a lot about how the management treats the employees.
The ambiance is great — low lighting and a very cozy vibe.
It’s not cheap, though — $ 143 (before tip) for two entrees and a bottle of wine. But, for a special occasion, you can’t go wrong.

Best lasagna I’ve ever had and that cudes Italy

This restaurant is the reason that I created a Unilocal account. If I can prevent just one person from making the mistake that I made (going to Bravo Bistro) then I will be happy.
I first heard of this restaurant on a local television program «Check Please Arizona,» where it received good reviews. Needless to say, I went into this expecting a positive experience.
When we sat down our first thought was that the menu seemed greatly inferior to the menu they had presented on the show. Undaunted, my girlfriend and I went against our initial impulse to seek greener pastures and ordered off the «new» menu. I ordered chicken, and she ordered pasta primavera. Shortly after placing the order we were informed that there was no chicken. This was an hour into their dinner service, and we were the third table of the night. As an alternative the waiter was inconsiderate enough to suggest I try the cioppino, which I was willing to give a shot. In retrospect this was the second time we missed a queue to leave.
When our food arrived the first sign that something was amiss was that the pasta primavera, which was described as containing a wide variety of vegetables, was angel hair pasta in red sauce. As a remedy the restaurant was happy to give us vegetables to mix in, which made their way onto the check in the form of an $ 8 charge.
If the pasta was bad, the cioppino was a disgrace to Italian Americans. It was bland, rubbery, uninspired, and $ 36! I felt like I had been conned by the waiter, who was rude and condescending throughout the entire ordeal.
When we finally got the check a tip was out of the question for a many reasons as you can imagine, and while we were unhappy at the cost we were relieved to be able to head home and commiserate over a glass of wine. You can imagine our surprise when we received a call from the waiter, who used the number we had provided for reservations to reach out and express his displeasure. He yelled and screamed his opinions about us for several minutes, refusing to take any responsibility for our experience and heaping ridicule on customers that had just spent over $ 100 in his place of business.
In conclusion, this business deserves to fail. They are inept, disrespectful, and downright invasive. Their food is of poor quality and high cost. Go there at your own risk.

Cozy and charming, decorated tastefully but not pretentious in spite of the Scottsdale Rd address. Wish we had brought jackets to take advantage of outdoor seating & really nifty heating system.
Interesting soup — fresh spinach, cheese, chicken broth, very nice. Fresh Bruschetta — the tomatos were red & ripe but not mushy!
Trout was fresh tasting and not over seasoned or overcooked — Just Right! Son had eggplant dish and the red sauce was garlicky and nicely complex, totally stood up to the penne! He said the caesar dressing tasted homemade and «interesting» too!
Overall Good experience, Great service, friendly but not pushy. Valet service $ 5 which is worth it in that crowded area of town.
Would like to see more selections of wine by the glass since i am the only wine drinker in my group. Next time I will ask what «market price» actually is — although the meal was tasty it is better to know before the check is presented! (lesson learned)

Our dinner at Bravo Bistro was fair. Nothing special, nothing to go out of your way for. The appetizer portions were small. Calamari was very tasty but only provided a few bites. I ordered the linguini in clam sauce. Adequate portion but sauce was tasteless. No garlic flavor, watery and bland. The stuffed eggplant was also bland. We ordered garlic bread for some flavor. What came out for $ 4.00 a serving were small melba toast-​like round crusty pieces of dried out bread.
The service was great and attentive, but if you want flavorful, interesting food you’ll have to go somewhere else.

First off… I usually reserve using Unilocal for restaurants I really like and try to keep things positive. This is the exception. I feel so… violated.
I am also a person who went on a Groupon. It was given to me from my dad. We went to Bravo Bistro excited based on the few things we had read. Thats what groupons are great for right??? to try new things.
The waitress was very nice, in fact, the service was just fine.
It was the food. We looked over the menu, listened to the specials… and everything sounded great. We decided to get the «Chefs Cheese Plate» as a light appetizer before the Heavy main course was due.
I am not sure who «chef» Tony is… but the cheese plate was described simply as «Selection cheeses, fruits, nuts, crackers»
— Fine, sounds simple and tasty. Now I am thinking or envisioning in my head was a few artisan cheeses… some almonds, simple fruits and nice crafted crackers… What we got, and this pretty much set the stage for continuing disappointment, was what looked like a cheese plate one would get from Safeway. Seriously… Long sliced wedges of PepperJack and American Cheddar… with two strawberries cut in half and not a single nut to be found. The crackers were one variety of the most generic kind. Terrible.
I didn’t even really know what to think. I don’t normally send things back or cause a fuss, so I endured through it. This should have served as a warning… a very obvious warning.
I boldly ordered the Cioppino. When it came it looked great… when it entered my mouth it… didn’t taste like anything. Totally bland. edible, but bland… I don’t normally ask how much the special is when The waitress is done describing them… I think it is tacky… but this time it might have been a good idea. I paid $ 36 for the worst Cioppino I have ever had.
Needless to say, we skipped desert. I guess we learned our lesson.
Total bill for total sh*t and 3 glasses of Chianti… $ 98. Yep, that is 2 entrées, a totally crappy cheese plate and 3 house Chiantis… $ 98. I was absolutely floored and furious.
This place sucks, do NOT go there.
I don’t even feel better after writing this.

I came to Bravo Bistro with a couple friends using a Groupon. The restaurant is a small quaint place, which is the right ambiance for a date. The restaurant had a homey vibe, which was nice. Our server looked like he was Italian and provided great Hosp-​Italiano (Great Italian Hospitality).
The only thing that does not give this place a 5-​star is a limited menu. I wish there was more variety, as it took me a solid 10 minutes to see what I really wanted. I was looking for something light, but flavorful. I got the chicken marsala, which had good amount of flavor. The sauteed mushrooms on top of the course was amazing and well-​caramelized. While we were waiting, we got hummus and pita bread. I was quite surprised and very pleased to have something delicious to satisfy the temporary hunger. My friends enjoyed their meals as well (ravioli and vegan penne primavera).

I bought a Groupon for Bravo Bistro after reading other positive reviews on Unilocal and elsewhere. The groupon was $ 44 which included a dinner for 2 (seemingly an amazing deal). It was supposed to include any appetizer, any 2 glasses of wine, and any 2 entrees. The groupon explicitly stated that the value of the deal was $ 124 (up to $ 16 appetizer, 2x$ 16 wine, 2x $ 38 entrée).
When I sat down to the table and explained that I was using a groupon, I was surprised when the house menu was taken from my grip and replaced with a small green piece of paper detailing the «Groupon Menu». On this menu, the most expensive entrée was $ 22 and none of the large 2 person appetizers were included. My $ 124 valued groupon now felt like it was worth MUCH less.
Needless to say, we were furious. I asked to speak to the manager. The manager came over an acted very smug while he explained to me that this was the groupon menu that I had to order from.
The manger listened but seamed to care little that the restaurant was completely misleading customers with the groupon deal. After a 10 minute argument, he agreed to to «accommodate us» and gave us the normal menu back. I then ordered the Veal Ossobucco (my favorite dish and the reason for us coming to Bravo Bistro in the first place).
I’m then told that they are all out of Ossobucco! Of course, how convenient. And they also wouldn’t allow us to order any of the specials either.
We paid for our two glasses of wine, left, and refunded our Groupon by emailing
.
We’ll never go back.
There are plenty of great restaurants in the Old Town area. I’d recommend staying far away from this place — Don’t be temped by misleading groupon deals!

Went to Bravo Bistro for the first time and was blown away! My roommate found Bravo Bistro because of the Unilocal deal which went a really long way. We ended up getting the traditional bruschetta which was fabulous and they also brought us pita and hummus while we were there. I had the ravioli which was good and my roommate’s Jenne’s Penne order was even better.
More than anything, the service was amazing. The food was good, but what really set the place apart was the service. The owner, Tony was there and he was extremely nice to us. At the end of our meal after we had paid, he brought us out free Tira Misu which was delicious (my roommate even added a picture of it!). Also, our waiter Ian was really nice and while we were eating my roommate and I even commented on how rare it was to go to a restaurant where you don’t have to flag the waiter down — they were always there when we needed them.
All in all, Bravo Bistro was very good and definitely worth it. I’m definitely planning on going in again especially for happy hour!

I was visiting Phoenix for my 5^th wedding anniversary, and decided to check Groupon to see what deals we could get while out there… and we totally scored! A $ 50 groupon for $ 25! We made the reservation without any problems, and the gentleman on the phone was actually very friendly and welcoming, even after I mentioned I had a groupon, which gave me positive vibe.
We arrived on time; 8:15, walking quickly past the cotton candy, cowboy tourist attraction next door and opened the door to the large, yet intimate feeling room of a warm mediteranean bistro. We were quickly greeted simultiously at the door by both the server and owner or manager. Upon enterring, it seemed odd that they seated us toward the back when the whole front was empty, but we didn’t dwell on it.
Our server was very friendly and had no problems taking substitutions; as my husband wanted a vodka sauce: not on the menu… no problem! I ordered the chicken marsala over pene; no problem! And as an appetizer we order the special: PEI mussles casino, and ultimately a cannoli to go.
I have to admit, i was a little sad that they didn’t serve fresh, warm bread and butter, but realized i was better off not filling up on that. The mussels arrived fairly quickly, to take my mind off the bread, and while they were good, it didn’t thrill me, though the sauce it was served on was fresh and bright. My marsala, however, was very rustic and full of the wild, earthy flavors of an abundance of various mushrooms, while the chicken was lightly dusted in flour and pan fried to juicy perfection. My husbands dish: unbelievable! The smoked tea chicken breast served in vodka sauce. It has inspired me to try to duplicate that smoking affect… cross ur fingers! The smoked chicken added a whole new layer of flavor that I never thought to add to italian dishes.
We ended up getting the cannoli to go… we were so full, but I just had to get them. Our server brought them to our table to show us how pretty they are before they start rolling around inside (which I discovered when i got home and dug into them.) They were good, however, being from new york… difficult to compare to a n.y. Cannoli. It needed a little more sweetness, and maybe a little lemon zest to liven it up. Regardless: our entrees and service were so good, it didn’t matter.
Awesome meal, great prices

I like to write good reviews with positive feedback, but this isn’t one of them. The food here was only subpar. After dinner, I was hoping for a knock your socks off cannoli to make up for the food, but they were bland and fairly tasteless.
However, what made it a forgetful evening was the lousy service. Our waiter was extremely rushed. When we asked to see the wine list he said «you just tell me what you’d like and I’ll tell you what the brand is». Really? We can’t even see the menu? He didn’t even give us a chance to view the prices. The same for desert, he was so rushed he couldn’t get the flippin menu, he could only tell us what they had. We had to ask 3 – 4 times for water. Here’s a hint to the staff: When it’s 100+ in Phoenix, people will want more water.
REALLY an unsatisfying time. For a much better experience, hit Tutti Santi (I prefer the one on 16^th street). The food is superior and service outstanding.

Having spent a great deal of time in both Italy and the Mediterranean throughout my life, I have found the best places to eat in the cities and country villages in those regions.
Recently transpanted to Phoenix I didn’t hold any high expectations; especially after my decades of disappointment in Los Angeles (NOT a gastromic capital of ANY kind)!!!
Word of mouth brought me to Bravo! Bistro and it is as good, if not better, as any place in my hometown of New York CIty! From the owner, Tony, to his wonderfully knowledgeable and gracious staff I was immediately impressed. A nice, intimate and relaxing setting with meals that I have enjoyed around the world — only here they are even BETTER than any I can recall! The Oso Bucco is to die for, as is every other item on the menu.
I try to get there at least once every week or so to try smething new; and Tony is always ready to please and tease hs guests with something new and spectacular!
I could spend decades here as I did in L.A. and doubt that I could find a better restaurant in the Valley with a more pleasing and relaxing atmosphere than Bravo! Bistro.
Mike Cleveland

I went to Bravo Bistro last night to attend a Unilocal Recruiting Mixer and it was a great experience! I was only there for a few hours and had a couple pita chips with humus and a few beers (which were on the house!) and the service was amazing. Any time my drink was gone a server was right there to get me another one, and on two occasions the owner Tony came up to take my drinks.
Tony and I actually had a long conversation on the patio about his restaurant and the spot he does on 3TV. He is an extremely down to earth and intelligent guy who really is passionate about his business! I look forward to coming here again and again!

This place was recommended to me by one of the Bell boys at the W scottsdale. A short walk from Camelback Rd and amazing food. Being a vegetarian I was easily accomodated and they were able to mix any pasta with any sauce i wanted and add mushrooms etc. They had a decent wine list and a great variety of food mostly Mediterranian, Italian and Greek. The food was great, and they have smaller portion sizes for a good price (and believe me the «lighter fare» was just the perfect size.
Service is pretty good.
Don’t be fooled by the size, its on the smaller end but I can see how this place would be a cute date place.

I liked this place., no wait, I loved this place! And I have Unilocal to thank for it! It does seem small like someone else had said but its not too small. It felt like we were the only people there and yet we were not. The dinner felt intimate and the abience was just perfect. I have never enjoyed my dining experience as much as I did at BB.
The server was wonderful and charming. They were knowledgeable on their wine selections and very attentive to our requests. They serving were generous portions and maybe it is because I eat like a bird but I left very satiated.
The valet service is an added convinience and my only recommendation would be to make reservations as the place filled up fast.

my annual visits to scottsdale would be incomplete without a meal at the Bravo Bistro. Steve and Tony run a wonderful establishment… it’s beautifully decorated, the food is always spectacular, the service is top notch, and well — it’s a family favorite.
the lounge upstairs is super-​cool — very inviting and makes you want to stay all night long. i probably would if my cousin didn’t practically carry me out that last time (those drinks pack a powerful punch)…