Nestled in the fashionable River Oaks District, Bari offers an enchanting Italian dining experience with a diverse menu and vibrant atmosphere, perfect for romantic nights or lively gatherings.
"Dish: Truffle Pasta You don’t need this. Yeah, it’s fun when Bari’s big parmesan wheel gets carted over. And, wow, yes, the hot pasta melts the cheese. But the bottom line is that this pasta doesn’t taste that good. It exists primarily as social media fodder and not as a great dish worth the money or time. Especially after waiting as the server somewhat unskillfully rotates pasta around a giant cheese wheel. Nothing about this being tableside makes it better. We say pass." - chelsea thomas
"Bari Ristorante will be having a masquerade-themed New Year’s Eve celebration. Come to the River Oaks Italian restaurant on December 31st for a limited a la carte menu at 7pm or 9:30pm. Dishes like baked lamb chops with potato flan, chilean sea bass with jumbo lump crab, and braised veal shank will all be available, as well as some optional add-ons. Price: Varies" - gianni greene
"River Oaks District’s sceney Italian restaurant draws in the crowds day and night, making it a popular lunch destination on weekdays and weekends alike. Find hard-to-resist salads like the poached lobster with citrus dressing, and heaping pasta plates like the pappardelle bolognese with a three-meat ragu or gnocchi with pesto and melted fior di latte cheese." - Brittany Britto Garley, Megha McSwain
"Bari Ristorante offers a distinctly Houston view: a long Astroturf lawn outside a luxury retail store. Though still pricey, the Italian restaurant in River Oaks District might be one of the least expensive options at the high-end open-air mall, apart from a bucket of popcorn at the nearby movie theater. Along with refreshing cocktails and a dining room that transforms into an al fresco patio, Bari serves relatively good food. The creamy risotto puttanesca tastes like the vegetables were plucked from a nearby garden, and the delicately-fried fritto misto seafood (once dunked in calabrian chili oil) may as well be fancy, delicious spicy popcorn shrimp. Bari also makes a showy truffle pasta that’s whipped up tableside inside a giant wheel of parmesan. But the dish feels like it’s mostly for social media, because even after all that flashy parmesan cheese wheel-flair, the approximately five pounds of shaved truffle grated on top makes the pasta taste overwhelmingly earthy. Bari works as a relaxing shopping spree pit stop with a few light bites and a couple of fruit-juice-spiked mezcal or vodka cocktails. The ability to walk right out of the dining room and touch something resembling grass feels exhilarating after navigating the district’s parking towers. " - Chelsea Thomas
"Bari brings style and substance to River Oaks District with its alluring space at the center of the plaza and bountiful menu of quintessential Italian dishes. Indulge in the Torre Bari, a head-turning seafood tower built with oysters, mussels, clams, prawns, Maine lobster, jumbo lump crabmeat, and a crudo of the day, before moving on to pasta made in-house, like the tagliatelle carbonara or a hand-tossed pizza with mozzarella from the Amalfi region." - Megha McSwain, Brittany Britto Garley
