Bonterra Italian Bistro

If you were raised in an Italian family this place will not compare but average food nothing special

I had first been here about 4 years ago, when I didn’t live in Southington. Decided to meet some friends there for dinner on a Saturday night for my second experience., We made a reservation and I expected a decent experience. It started off well, except for the waitress, she was to the point and would run away quickly after obtaining our order. Our meals came and my friends salmon was raw in the center… of course she didn’t realize this til she was halfway through. It’s wasn’t even a huge deal until the waitress simply said «I’m sorry» and then took the plate and ran away. We asked for more drinks and then waited… waited and waited. By the time she came back my friend told the waitress forget it, to which the waitress replied ill take it off the bill, umm obviously!
We decided to look at the dessert menu and ordered 2 desserts. We finally got those drinks… one was wrong. Again the waitress took it swiftly and returned it to the bar.
Overall it’s not a bad restaurant as far as food but the service needs to be retrained. Finally when our bill was incorrect the «manager» came over and she was the icing on the cake, she simply apologized and said well the owner is «over there» with a rude attitude when she said she had done all she could to assist us and offered us a $ 25 gift card, new declined as we will never go back.
You see mistakes with food happen but you can’t simply train staff to be friendly and professional.

Had an extremely pleasant experience here Saturday night. Very attractive restaurant (very nice bar area)…very friendly employees. and some truly good food. try and ask for Michelle when you go… she is awesomely nice. good with the recommendations… never in your face but right there when you need her. Any place that offers a Godfather as one of their featured drinks. deserves my respect. For $ 6.this was one potent cocktail. wife had a 9 oz. pinot grigio. I had a pasta fagioli for my app. wife had a salad… both were very tasty. I had the lasagna which was delicious. wife had one of the nightly specials… a parmesan risotto. with seared sea scallops. a little too much risotto and not enough scallops (just 4!) but she termed it a «way above average» entrée. for dessert we split the most delicious apple in a donut with ricotta (forgot its official name)…an out of this world way to end the evening. prices are moderate. parking is easy in back… place fills up as the evening progresses… make a reservation on the weekends and enjoy!

I love this place. Been there twice. Both times had Michelle as our server. She is the absolute best. The food is always excellent. And the dessert… the fried apple ricotta… for the love of… amazing.

We went as a party of 4 adults and 1 child. The server was great to all of us. They were very good at adapting a meal for one of our guest to suit their food allergies. The ambience was casual and everyone was friendly.

I had a really great experience when I went in with my wife. The food was great, I order the beef tips and my wife ordered the lasagna. The service was great, we will definitely be back to Bonterra soon.

Valentines dinner.2014
I cannot believe this place has a 4 star rating.
I should have known something was wrong when 7:00 reservations were available a few days before.
Service: our server was a pleasant Trinidadian lady who was clearly new to the industry. She was quick to take our orders and quick to deliver the first rounds of drinks. That’s about where the good ends… We finished our drinks after 10 minutes and waited about 20 more until she came back. Upon return I ordered a 15yr scotch on the rocks and my wife ordered a white wine. My wife’s wine came back as ordered but my scotch came back as a rum and coke. I looked at it and said «yeah that’s not a scotch on the rocks» but she assured me it was. I felt like I was in an episode of the twilight zone. I was advised to Taste it to make sure. Hahaha I could see the black coke!!! I tasted it, immediately validated my initial thought, and was asked «is it good?». I responded no this isn’t a scotch on the rocks! I digress. The point here is– know what a scotch on the rocks is. Jesus Christ!!!
Food: food was par. Not bad for the 20 a plate range. I wont seek this food out ever again though.
Décor: cheesy diner type tables and an awkward silence. No Italian music or any music for that matter on valentines day is just pathetic.
Overall: meal for 2 including 2 drinks each was 85 $. That’s about the only redeeming feature of this place. Otherwise go anywhere else in the center. You’ll have more fun at Quinn’s for Christs sake.

All around surprised.
We read a lot of mixed reviews on this place and decided to check it out anyways. App we ordered Brushetta, to be honest, I wont ever get it again, not a fan of a giant tomato.
Dinner my husband had penne a la vodka and he raved about it. I ordered the Chix Saltibocca, OK dish, ill def get something different next time.
Dessert is where its at. We had the fried apple ricotta fritters. THE BEST DESSERT WE EVER HAD. PERIOD.
Drinks were good, 2 different kinds of sangria offered, always a plus.
Clean and nicely decorated.

Despite the mediocre reviews on Unilocal,my man and I still wanted to give this place a try. We were in the area last night for errands and had a
coupon.
The star of the meal was the polenta croutons in the Tuscan salad we shared. The salad was huge and the balsamic dressing was delish.
For the entrees, we shared a small white calms casino pizza and the chicken alfredo gnocchi that Zack, our waiter, recommended. The pizza was okay until a lemon was squeezed on it; enhancing the taste of clams. Though the gnocchi was very rich and spicy; the gnocchi still wasn’t as good as Treva in West Hartford, but those restaurants are in different leagues.
The portions were plentiful and the service was quick and pleasant. We cannot wait until we have our leftovers for lunch or dinner today.
My only criticism was their menu. Before I went, I studied the menu online and it was different than the one at the restaurant. I wished they updated their menu online. The online menu had the house made paparadelle for an extra fee and the menu at the restaurant. I would have ordered it if they had it! Also, there was no indication on the menu that a salad came with the pasta dish, but our waiter was nice enough to pack a salad to go for us.

We’ve returned here a number of times since my last review, and every time we leave thinking «that wasn’t that good.» There’s always something off… the service is super slow, or there’s about a handful of cheese on a large pizza, or they tried to pass off lasagna noodles as pappardelle, or the wine glass is dirty. Not total deal breakers, but it’s never just a nice meal where we leave satisfied. The menu has also gotten smaller and they’ve removed any reference to offering house-​made pasta, which is kind of sad.

A very good restaurant. Is it one we’re going to rush back to as soon as possible? I wouldn’t say so. But they’re a nice part of the Main Street Southington restaurant landscape.
I guess the main criticism is the lack of «Wow!» factor. The menu has predictable favorites — pizza, pasta dishes, salads, chicken Marsala and chicken Francaise, stuff like that. The prices are moderate to high, and the digs make for decent ambiance.
Indeed, we shared a salad, pizza, and pasta dish for dinner. All were executed well, highly enjoyable. Once nice touch was the hot «polenta croutons» on the salad. But other than that, everything we had could be easily replicated most anywhere.
Zack was an excellent waiter. He suggested our gnocchi dish when we were indecisive about our pasta, and kept plenty of plates coming for all the food we were sharing.
And of course, it’s a
restaurant! Minimum purchase $ 37.50, and no other restrictions! But you should tip 18% of the full amount, of course.

Bonterra is in my neighborhood and the hubs and I started going when we first moved here in the summer. They have a great deal during the week for two. $ 29.99 for two salads, choice of two entrees, and a bottle of wine. Can’t beat that!
Despite my name and my heritage, Italian food is not my favorite, but I have liked every dish I have had here. The ravioli on the special menu comes in a vodka sauce and has four or five giant shrimp on top, the pizza is thin and crispy, the chicken parmesan is huge and a bit indulgent with the cheese, but so yummy. I also love the ceaser salad here. With the special the wine offered is not tip notch, but it is pretty decent and for the price who’s complaining. Also, awesome patio in the summer that I cannot wait for again!
The only things about this place is that the lighting is too bright until a certain hour and the service has been slow or unattentive from time to time. Otherwise, it is a great spot with delicious food!

Wonderful little italian restaurant in the heart of Southington. I have been here several times. The pizza and pasta are amazing. They hit the mark right when it comes to italian food. Service in the past was hit or miss, but recently it has gotten better by leaps and bounds. The food is consistently good. Great portions and even better prices. I recommend it for a date night.

I would probably need to return to Bonterra under different circumstances in order to really provide a fair review. I would really like to give this restaurant 3.5 stars. My first visit to Bonterra was for a holiday lunch/​meeting for an organization that I belong to. We were seated in a private room and paid $ 20 for a prix fixe menu. I had a Cesar salad and the Chicken Marsala. The chicken was excellent and the portion was quite generous.
I think that the downfall of this place is that they try to be fancier than they are so you hold them to a higher standard than they are capable of meeting. This is honestly the downfall of most dining establishments in this part of Southington.
Overall a good experience. The staff is friendly, the décor is tasteful and everything is reasonably priced. Bonterra will certainly be added to my date night rotation.

This place is more than capable of having a 4 star rating but there are still a few rough spots that need attention.
I’ve been to the bistro twice. The first time I had their reasonably priced lunch special on the patio. I had the Chicken Milanese Panini which was very good. I took home half a sandwich and fries as leftovers.
The second time I was there for an event in the private wine room. My lunch consisted of Caesar Salad, Cod Piccatta, and the Chocolate Walnut Tartufo for dessert. I felt the cod was lacking, but the rest of my meal was fine. My grandmother had the Pork Chop & Peppers and felt it was a bit too spicy. My girlfriend enjoyed the Chicken Marsala.
The waitstaff was friendly but a bit absent minded when it came to drinks and other requests (missing silverware). The food also seemed to take too long to be served (it took about 3 hours for lunch) but they may have been pacing the event.
My girlfriend and I look forward to going back again soon.
Oh, and don’t be startled by the elevator in the men’s room. It’s a vestige from when it was a medical building.

I’m probably not an authoritative source on this place yet, having only been there twice — and once for drinks — but the food I’ve had there has been excellent and I’d absolutely go back! The ambiance is really nice, it’s quiet but not solemn, and the décor is beautiful. Parking can be touchy since it’s in the center of Southington where there are a lot of other restaurants, and from what I gather it’s absolutely a good idea to make a reservation, but I’d recommend it for a try if you’re in the mood for Italian one evening, or on a weekend afternoon for lunch!
They also have a really cute outdoor patio, below street level but al fresco so that you can get a breeze but not have to have people sitting and staring at you while they wait for a light to turn.

They had a sign for $ 1 cheese slices during the Apple Harvest Festival. Gave them a shot and was pleasantly surprised. The pizza was really good, especially the sauce. It reminds me of a thicker version of Jerry’s Pizza in middletown. Well done!

I wanted to give Bonterra a higher review but it needs to step it up a little bit.
We had a group of 8, and we all had great food, nothing mind-​blowing but good none the less.
So the meal started with everyone ordering drinks, except me and my great grandmother weren’t at the table and the two who joined us last ordered their drinks and the waitress didn’t ask us if we wanted to order anything. Come to find out the special drink they had on the menu they were out of… really your out of a drink special? So anyways I ordered a margarita which was perfect, the bar here is praised by my family and my mother is very picky about how her cocktails are made. They are supposed to have a fantastic happy hour which I may try later this week.
They put out a small portion of bread to start, not even enough for one slice for everybody and it took the waitress two reminders to get more out. The bread was good but I wish it was warm when we got it. We had our salads, I wasn’t very impressed with their vinaigrette dressing. My grandmother asked that hers was wrapped up to another waiter and her salad disappeared. At the end of the meal the waitress brought it up and made her a brand new salad which was nice.
Throughout our meal the waitress seemed very annoyed. Later when we were leaving we saw her waiting on tables outside in the front as well as our large table in the back, I didn’t quite understand why they would do that which is my guess as to why she was annoyed.
I cannot comment for everyone else’s meals, which they enjoyed but I had the gnocchi with pesto sauce and substituted shrimp for the scallops, as I only like scallops when they are perfectly cooked and the idea of them in pesto sauce didn’t excite me (but I love gnocchi with pesto). It was great minus the fact my mushrooms were a bit undercooked.
We all went home with leftovers because the portions here are enormous. However when I looked inside my portion looked a lot smaller than what I had left, and the same went for my brothers meal. Its like she didn’t bother to actually get everything off the plate and she still took awhile to get our leftovers to us in the first place. Makes me seriously question what was going on in that kitchen.
However, I would love to try the happy hour here as I heard about $ 2 small plates and the pizza is supposed to be amazing.

Southington has a lot of restaurants, and more seem to be opening all the time. Bonterra opened a while back, and we finally made it there for my birthday with a large group of people. The food was all pretty good — I had a red and white pizza (half four cheese and half margherita) that was better than the average local pie (not too thin, not too well done, too much basil, low quality sliced tomatoes with very slimey skin — but still enjoyable.) A friend had a pannini with garlic parmesan fries that were absolutely swimming in oil — like a cup of olive oil on his plate when he was done — even with the excessive oil the fries were very good.
The atmosphere is sort of generic, doesn’t feel like an italian restaurant to me, almost more like a diner with a bar. The outside has a lot more character — an old brick building with gas lights and a patio and outdoor seating.
Service was a little slow, but I guess it wasn’t horrible waiting a few extra minutes.
Would we go back? Maybe if it was a nice day and we wanted to eat somewhere that had outdoor seating.

I really cannot recommend this restaurant. It is just average. Our table ordered three appetizers on a slow Sunday afternoon:
1. Meatball Sliders: The meatballs tasted like they were bought from the supermarket frozen food section. They were cold in the middle. Out of the three sliders our party of six only at one full sandwich.
2. Cold Antipasto: Contained some olives, cocktail onions, two small pieces of Provolone, a small piece of roasted pepper, and one slice of Prosciutto, one slice of cappocola, and three slices of deli meat turkey. No one was really sure whey there was sliced turkey included. The meats were not the best quality nor a fair portion.
3. Fried Calamari: Typical flavor, not greasy at all and served with a decent marinara.
The meals were alright. The pasta dishes looked excellent and were very reasonable. The feedback was positive.
The «Italian Steak» was nothing more than 2 ounces of perfectly cooked steak with a teaspoon of caramelized onion. The bread was bland. The sandwich came with a «Gorgonzola dip» which was okay.
The «Italian Tuna Melt» had excellent presentation with Rocket piled high. After it was removed to expose the substance, the cheese was not fully melted; but the tuna was tasty.
The «Italian Cobb» also had a nice presentation. It was a good portion with fresh greens and veggies. The meat was, what looked to be deli meat cubed and topped.
We decided to pass up dessert and left feeling almost satisfied. Bonterra has it close to good (no where near close to great), it needs to step up the quality of its food and add some flavor.