2023 Update: Bardo is now closed and the space will soon be transformed into Blue Door, a cocktail lounge from the owners of Trio Nightclub.
Bardo is a restaurant that has been on my radar since we first moved to Charlotte at the end of 2019; we quite literally stumbled across it thanks to our daily walks to explore our new home. Although having fine dining establishments within walking distance isn’t necessarily new to us, having restaurants that feature modern, innovative cuisine close by is. And so, we added it to our list for a future date, first wanting to save a little money after spending so much on the move.
Of course, you know what happened next – the pandemic hit, and dining out was no longer a thing one did.
Fast-forward to today, when we often choose a budget meal from a mom-and-pop place because the food is so comforting and affordable. These types of restaurants are nearly always my first choice because they are typically family-run and so much care goes into the food. But every once in a while, it’s nice to find an excuse to enjoy a meal that feels a little more creative and artful.
This is why we decided to visit Bardo to commemorate our moving anniversary. Not a typically celebrated milestone, but it’s one that brought positive change to our daily lives. And where else would you mark such an occasion but at a neighborhood spot?
Bardo gets its name from the Tibetan bár-do (from bar ‘interval’ and do ‘two’), and according to their website, this symbolizes the state of existence between death and rebirth in Tibetan Buddhism. Interestingly enough, Bardo has recently experienced a rebirth of their own through a remodel (peep a before pic here). The restaurant was never a stuffy white tablecloth kind of place, but now the atmosphere better reflects their more vibrant and youthful approach. This leads me of course to the real reason we visited: the food and drink.
When making our reservations online we chose the five-course tasting menu and paid the deposit of $20 per person. Once seated at the restaurant, you can make a change if needed (though I would assume the staff appreciate knowing how much to prepare each day). We were warmly greeted and seated, and presented with menus for cocktails, wine, and beer – but not the food menu for the evening. I’d heard wonderful things about their cocktails and opted for two of those throughout the meal rather than the beverage pairing option (which looked to be a good value, at $25 per person for the five-course menu). Both were excellent, though I preferred the tequila and passionfruit concoction (above, left) much more than the heavily Instagrammed You’re Turning Violette (above, right).
Each of the five courses (four savory and one dessert) arrived at a comfortable pace. Not in a rush, like at Noma, or delayed to the point where you wonder if you’ve been forgotten. We thoroughly enjoyed lingering over each course, and five courses felt like the perfect amount of food. Our server shared with us that the menu remains mostly the same for a period of time, and dishes eventually are swapped out for something new. This means that we’d likely have a similar experience if we dined again very soon, but could expect something different entirely in a few months. As we weren’t given any printed information on the evening’s menu and I haven’t received a response to my follow-up request, you’ll just have to trust my memory of what was included in each dish:
We were both a little surprised that the savory courses skewed 50% fish/shellfish (and 100% nasturtium), but at the end of the day, that’s one of the reasons we dine out: to enjoy food we don’t have to prepare ourselves. We don’t typically prepare much seafood in our home, so this was a real treat. I’d happily eat each expertly prepared dish again, but if I had to choose a favorite, the pork cheek would likely be the winner. It practically melted under the weight of my fork, yet the exterior was perfectly crackly to balance out the tenderness. Coming in at a close second was the scallop course, with its beautiful and fragrant (and wonderfully spicy) bed of Thai green curry. Not to say that the hamachi crudo or squash custard should be left unmentioned – the fish was stunningly delicate, and the custard was basically genius (silky squash made even silkier!). I think if I had to choose my least favorite course, it might be the dessert. Not that it wasn’t delicious (it definitely was), I just often make my own cakes and ice creams at home. I also appreciated all of the different pottery used when serving each course, the glazework on the first two courses in particular was stunning (Bardo is blessedly not a We Want Plates type of dining experience).
Curious about the price? Well then, let’s get down to brass tacks: Currently, the five-course tasting menu runs $60 $75 per person (the $20 deposit we paid when making the reservation was refunded to us). We nearly sprang for the seven-course menu at $90 (no longer available), but ultimately decided we would rather save the difference. (After nearly having to be rolled out of Pujol, I knew better than to even consider the twelve-course tasting menu). Wines-by-the-glass and cocktails run $11-16 each, and cans of locally brewed beer range from $6-7. Although this is more than we typically spend on a weeknight dinner, the five-course tasting menu is well within our range for a celebration. Ultimately, meals like the one we enjoyed at Bardo are similar to the types of experiences we seek when traveling; it’s nice to have such a gem right in our neighborhood. We can’t wait to return later this year to see what they come up with next.
Planning a trip to the Queen City? You may also enjoy these other Charlotte posts:
- Charlotte Weekend Guide
- 10 Great Meals in Charlotte for Under $10
- 10 More Great Meals in Charlotte for Under $10
- A Review of Every Charlotte Brewery
- 2024 Carowinds Guide
- Charlotte Restaurant Review: Kindred
- Charlotte Restaurant Review: Supperland
- Charlotte Restaurant Review: Greenway Restaurant at CPCC
- A Romantic Staycation at the Dunhill Hotel
- Some of the Best Texas Barbecue is in This Tiny North Carolina Town
- Every Essential Day Trip from Charlotte, North Carolina
- 10 Charlotte Shops You Should Know About
- My Favorite Charlotte Thrift Stores
- Charlotte Packing List
What are your favorite neighborhood restaurants?
I’m drooling over these pictures! It all looks so delicious. I had to look up “nasturtium” so I learned something new today…thank you 🙂
My favorite neighborhood place is a local Thai restaurant. My husband and I used to have a date lunch there once a week before the pandemic and have just started going back in person (although we’re pausing again for a bit). Can’t wait to make it a regular occurrence again!
It’s okay, my partner didn’t know what nasturtium was until he read my post (and he was there at the restaurant 😆)!
Your neighborhood spot sound fantastic – and it seems like Thai restaurants have the best lunch deals almost universally!
CAN YOU RECCOMEND RESTAURANTS THAT HAVE A 6 TO 12 COURSE MEAL FOR NEW YEARS EVE. THANK YOU JOHN
Hi John!
It’s too soon to say whether they’ll host a New Year’s Eve dinner again this year, but some wonderful Charlotte restaurants that have offered multi-course or tasting menus on NYE in the past include Bardo, Counter, The Stanley, Mariposa, Lincoln Street Kitchen + Cocktails, Alchemy, and VANA (Bardo’s sister restaurant).
I hope you find what you’re looking for – and let us know where you decide to go!