Basso Cafe Restaurant & Bar

Brought my wife here for our 2-​year anny. Excellent service and even better food. Of the tapas that we ordered, the fried artichokes and homemade gnocchi were probably the best, but the calamari, burrata, and arepas were solid too. Be sure to leave room for dessert, we ordered their gelato sampler which ended up being the perfect end to our meal.
Will be back…

So we were looking for a place not too far off the beaten path (we were on our way to NJ) but not fast food and we stumbled upon this little gem. The tapas menu was vast. We had Brie croquettes with passion fruit drizzle. When we cut into them, Brie lava flowed out like a river. OMG. So delicious! I had empanadas which were amazing and the beet salad — a generous helping of fresh greens, Gorgonzola cheese, candied walnuts and delicious beets. Everything was fresh and delicious. I took off one star for slow service but everything else was fantastic!

I just love this restaurant! I was just there for my birthday lunch and it couldn’t have been better! Our waiter, Sam made the visit even better. He was very attentive without «hanging around». The many choices for lunch sounded so wonderful that it was difficult to make up my mind! I ended up with the lobster salad and wow, just fantastic! I will continue to go to Basso! Just fabulous!

Fantastic neighborhood gem! Love the creativeness of the owner/​chef. He also makes a mean martini. Great wait staff. Courteous service.

One of my favorite places to Eat Love Basso Café If you love BYOB places then you will love Basso Café try the Porkchops really good the Steak is really good to really good they just put in a Wine Bar really nice have not been in a while but the Fee for the Corkage i think is really expensive 25 bucks really expensive I think they should change it

Two years on and this is still a favorite in Fairfield County. The quality has remained consistent, and the place itself keeps getting better. Just this past week we brought in two couples who’d never been, and they were blown away. I said it before, I’ll say it again — do not miss the arepas.
Since my last review there have been two major changes to Basso. First, they have improved the lighting and changed the artwork, which has improved the atmosphere. It now feels much sleeker than it did.
Secondly, they got a liquor license. This is equal parts awesome and terrible. It’s terrible because I love bringing those special bottles to a great restaurant, and avoiding a $ 20+ corkage fee. But thank heavens, Basso did it right. The wine list is small but well-​selected including interesting varietals and reasonable prices, and they hired someone to design their drink menu, so their cocktails aren’t a throwaway. Although (pet peeve alert) they shook my gin martini, so the bartender must be a plebe. Even so, they have a good gin selection, which is always a good sign of better things to come.

Big fan of Basso — it’s quaint, local, has great service and great food. My wife and I enjoyed both times we’ve been to Basso. It’s not the best Tapas place in Norwalk but it’s damn good. I don’t remember the exact meal but we did have croquettes, empanadas and a brussel sprout dish, all were fantastic.
Ambiance is quiet and relaxing with great décor and background music. The seating is very comfortable and everything is very clean.
I’d highly recommend Basso if you’re in the area.

I hear they are now licensed so no longer need to BYOB!

How I really wanted to love this place. It’s close, we could even walk there, the ambiance inside is nice (outside less desirable) and the food is really good, but alas, we haven’t been to impressed with Basso. The first time we went, many months ago, we felt a little scoffed at by our server for not bringing our own wine. They didn’t have their liquor license and the corkage was a mere $ 10. No big deal, just walked across the street and got some wine. We enjoyed our meal but really felt it was overpriced. So we gave it another shot this week. Wine bottle in hand, we were prepared. So it was a little awkward when they dropped the wine list and informed us the corkage fee is now $ 25/​bottle AFTER the server opened our bottle. I smiled and said we wouldn’t have brought the bottle had we known you’d had a 150% mark up. I guess he shrugged it off. As I said, the food is really good. I had the gnocchi appetizer as my main and when the server asked if I’d prefer a larger portion instead of the appetizer portion all I could think of was the 150% increase and decided against ordering anything On which I had not confirmed a price. Food was great, then when we declined the dessert our server returned with our bill and corked our unfinished bottle. I thought, «well, I guess we’re done.» So, we gave it another shot and, once again, Basso did not impress. You got our $ 25, but you lost our business. (P.S. If you just got your liquor license a couple of months ago and were operating without it for years, you should probably inform your patrons of a significant change in the corkage fee. In fact, most of these reviews note the BYOB, so I don’t feel like I’m wrong for assuming it was the same).

Not a pleasant experience. Avoid. Don’t get wrapped up in the hype.
1. $ 40 a plate for halibut that I would’ve have spent $ 24 on. The fish was clearly quality though (props to the purveyors) just an unexciting dish for $ 40.
2. I had asked the waiter for the price of the specials ahead of time and he quoted me at $ 10 less than the actual price. Definitely ask for prices and clarification (a hazelnut latte is $ 7.13?). Although I asked him again when I got the bill and he again stated $ 29. When I explained that it was $ 39, he replied, «Yea, I wasn’t sure. Sorry.» Shrugged and walked away. Then the table behind me also had an issue with him and called him over.
3. I didn’t order the fish originally, I ordered the sea scallops (which was $ 32), but the scallops were so salted I sent back the plate. (My first time sending back a plate, ever). Then I had to wait, AND pay extra for the halibut. Nothing comped, but the owner told me the chef agreed with me — far too salty and apparently that should’ve been enough to make me feel better. So I didn’t get dinner until over 40 minutes after I arrived, was served inedible food that the chef agreed was not appropriate to serve, and paid extra for a new fish. I feel like an idiot, so I’m writing this review to keep you all from the same experience.
4. Right… about waiting… Plan to wait. It took over nine minutes to get water ((should’ve left)). Bread came out after the appetizer if that gives you any idea of the less than prompt service.
5. Other observations: Repeat sauces on the menu with different dishes left me saying, «let me guess Cabernet sauce or truffles.»
The star is for the pulpo appetizer, delicious. Exiting. Totally decadent.
Basso is pretending it’s something it’s not. It has a large following, and I was excited to be there, but every fifteen/​twenty minutes there was another disappointment. Won’t go back and will not recommend.

I liked the restaurant. You can bring your wine they have a little selection. everything was delicious.

Now that they they have a bar and aliquot permit no need to BYOB or BYOW anymore. The bartender Jeff has some tasty libations he has curated and the chef Renato has some creative takes on your standard fare! A hidden gem in Norwalk in a nondescript location. I had the pleasure of trying a few samples of their small plates, cocktails and dessert and walked content and sated. A definite food orgasm in my mouth and belly.

I loved this restaurant. This was my first time there. What a great menu. I had the soup of the day — fantastic. My wife had an amazing bib lettuce salad and she loved the dressing. It was a tough choice deciding on a main dish but I went with the Tuscan Grilled Chicken. Wow. It was deboned and cut into several pieces. We also had the brussel sprouts and the gnocchi — all excellent. I can’t wait to go back and explore the menu some more.
Nice clean kinda hip (for Norwalk!) atmosphere. Friendly relaxed service. We brought our own wine but they should be serving wine by next week the waiter mentioned.
Check it out.

A very nice experience.
The menu is very innovative, appetizers incredibly well made and tasty. I had the lamb two ways, which was a bit dry even if I ordered medium rare. My wife had scallops and my daughter linguini which were both perfect.
It is a bit pricey, so I would think this restaurant would do better in South Norwalk or Bedford Street in Stamford, where I think the location would attract more customers. Whatever the location, this is absolutely a restaurant I will go back to when I crave something special.

Returned to Basso over the weekend to celebrate a friend’s 40^th birthday, and it was indeed a special night. We started with several small plates, and everyone at the table was oohing and ahhhing over everything (especially the sashimi tuna and mozzarella wrapped in bacon). We then shared 2 salads and ordered 3 entrees to share. There is a lot of detail put into each dish and everything is very creative and delicious. The dessert (chocolate ganache cake) was to die for. Great spot for a casual dinner or special occasion. Don’t forget to byob. Enjoy!

The arrogance started as soon as we walked in and we asked for a different table that was away from the door. «That one is reserved and will shorty be combined for a group of six». It was never filled.
All night we encountered a similar attitude. This finally hit a point that really bothered us when we received a comment about an article of clothing we were wearing. This was covering something that was for a medical condition, which should not have been brought attention towards.
The food was ok and you can tell they put a lot of effort into the place, but it’s small and over packed, with too much attitude to enjoy the night. I will not be returning ever again.

This place is amazing! Each dish seemed to top the next. All the meat dishes were succulent — lamb two ways, stuffed pork chop and the duck. The lamb was my favorite. The gnocchi was really delicious, and I don’t see how you can come here and not order the mozzarella wrapped in bacon.
Looking forward to coming back soon!

I have no idea why more people do not go to this place. They have got to be one of the best restaurants in Norwalk. Everything is consistently good, and although the prices are probably $ 3 – 5 more per plate then I would like to pay, the quality really comes through and so there is never anything to complain about. Every time my gf and I come here the place is deserted which is a real shame because it is a perfect date place.

Basso Café was great, I found it on Unilocal.Its a small and intimate restaurant. You can tell the owner/​chef has put a lot of heart into this place because it has a very warm feeling when you’re there.
The staff was very friendly and attentive. I was one of the first patrons when I went there around 5:30 pm so that could be one of the reasons ;).
I started off with a classic Caesar salad and the Lamb two Ways. which is a grilled rack of lamb and slices of roasted leg of lamb served with Parmesan Reggiano green pea risotto and grilled asparagus. It was GOOD! I loved it. It was a sizable portion and worth the price $ 32.00. You could even share it if your in a nice mood.
Some tips, its a bring your own beverage BYOB. IE no liquor license so be sure to bring a nice bottle or two. I suggest making reservations or come early.
Bottom line this a great restaurant nestled in a small neighborhood within Norwalk. Norwalk seems to be an up and coming place with new trendy hotels like EVEN or Zero Degrees.
I’d love to come back here on another road trip.

Basso is a hidden gem in Norwalk. The food is a serious contender for the best food in Norwalk. Possibly even Fairfield County. The chef is very creative and the menu has a vast array of tapas to choose from. Its great to have the choice to either share a bunch of small plates or go the traditional route with entrees.
We had the stuffed piquillo peppers, fried artichokes and the dates with formaggio capra. All were delicious. The Dover sole over beet carpaccio with a crab/​avocado roll was to die for! I also had a bite of my husbands filet mignon wrapped in pancetta. I dont usually eat red meat but this was incredible. Highly recommend. Service was attentive and the place is adorable and super cozy!!!