Ristorante Bergamo

The best Italian experience you can get in Greenville !!! 5stars

We travel through Greenville several times per year. Once we discovered Ristorante Bergamo, we always try to dine here. Tonight we had another wonderful meal, perhaps the best ever. Visiting Ristorante Bergamo is like visiting Italy. The food is masterfully prepared, the service is always excellent, and the ambience is wonderful. This is one of my favorite restaurants in the whole world. Absolutely perfect

I really wanted to give this restaurant a 5-star review. I nearly did. As I began to post, I recalled a couple of things about the experience which begged a (temporary) dial-back to 4. First of all, the food was DELICIOUS. However, the presentation was wildly varied between the entrees. As an example, one of our party had the sausage and polenta dish ($28), which came out, literally as a few slices of sausage on a bed of polenta. That's it. Not the lentils typical of a cotechina and lentil new year dish -- indeed no vegetables at all. Sausage on a plop of polenta -- a 3 out of 5 dose of averageness. On the other hand, the duck breast was an absolute rock star at $35. Beautiful, perfectly cooked duck breast in a delicious sauce with preserved figs and the plate ornamented with a fabulous array of delicately and perfectly cooked and presented vegetables. That dish was a 6 on a 1-5 scale. The third in our party had the calf liver and it was happily eaten, with the claim that it was perfectly cooked and delicious. Our waiter was hard to describe; when we first arrived, he was most anxious to have us order a starter; we weren't ready to decide yet, so suggested he just bring the (complementary) bread and olives with our drinks while we perused the menu. When he finally returned, we ordered our starter. He didn't return again to take our order for the main course, until we had finished our starter and it was ready to clear. Not impressed. That said, the atmosphere was lovely, and I would be delighted to return again.

Ristorante Bergamo is a local’s dinner-only restaurant in a good location downtown. We want to like it, but whenever we visit, we vow not to go back due to the food. Then a year later we succumb to its charms and give it another chance. But alas, nothing has fundamentally changed. Making a reservation on Open Table was easy, and we were seated promptly. The place filled up quickly and got progressively louder. Service was prompt, knowledgeable, and efficient. The wine list is extensive, specializing in a great regional selection of Italian wines. So far so good, but then came the food letdown. The appetizer Caesar salad was fairly bland and a sodden wilted mess. On 2 previous visits I had ordered the Veal Piccatina, but vowed not to be disappointed with it again. So this time I tried the entrée Pappardelle Bolognese, tasty, but overpriced at $31 for what felt like a half-order. The Trout was absolutely awlful – tasteless, seemed old, and was overcooked (they did take it off the bill). Perhaps the issue with the food is tied to the fact that the Chef / owner seems to spend the majority of his time entertaining in the dining room, when Ristorante Bergamo would be better served with him overseeing the kitchen to elevate the quality of the food.

The owners are very personable. The food is deliciously fresh. Would definitely go back.

Don’t fall for all the hype. This restaurant is not special. The dishes are not authentic and I have tasted far better veal scallopini. Served with limited mushrooms and sauce (sauce was on the bland side). Only enough sauce for one piece of veal. The other two pieces I had to take home because there were not any mushrooms or sauce left to eat with it. Not that I would have eaten them anyway. Other Italian restaurants in the area are much better. Carrabba’s Italian Grill is better. And that’s a chain restaurant! On a sidenote, the chef walks around all night in the restaurant so he’s obviously not cooking, or checking the dishes before they’re served. And his wife is running around on some power trip telling people when she feels it’s time for them to move on because she needs to reseat their table. Whether they’re finished with their dining experience or not. A complete disaster and a waste of time. should’ve stayed home and saved my $260. You expect a lot more when you drop that amount of money. It might’ve been a great place to eat at one time, but now they’re existing off of an old reputation that they definitely do not live up to. So again, I say to you, don’t fall for the hype. Nothing special here to experience.

The food was delicious. The atmosphere was dynamic

Great food and service!

This is the best Italian restaurant in the area, for sure! Actually, I think it's even better than some of the restaurants I've been to in Italy itself. The food and drinks never disappoint, always a struggle to choose what to order because it's such a great menu. It's so hard to find good risotto and you'll find it here. The size of the restaurant is perfect, it feels cozy but not crowded. We've been here several times now and every time I leave I'm looking forward to returning again. Can't say enough good things!!