Bar Primi Bowery

I had the most delicious meal at Primi!! The vibe was casual, hip iykyk. I was so excited to eat here because they are recognized with a Michelin Bib Gourmand!

For apps, we ordered the Stuffed Meatballs in sugo and Burrata cremosa peperonata with grilled bread. You can never go wrong with some meatball apps in my opinion. These were golden brown on the outside and tender and juicy on the inside. I could've eaten this whole burrata! The inside was so soft and luxurious.

For my meal, I ordered the Pennette ragu bolognese with ricotta.Oh my god you this pasta was soooo good!!! There was not one little morsel left on my plate (also because my boyfriend was stealing some as well lol!)

My boyfriend ordered the Italian benedict with prosciutto on focaccia and tomato hollandaise. While I didn't try it, it looked phenomenal. He loved it!

I actually first heard about Bar Primi when I overheard someone talking about it on the train, but I looked it up and it seemed yummy, so voilà, here we are. A few friends and I came by for a weekday dinner; we had a reservation, but it was really empty when we got there (6:30pm ish).

The restaurant is a bit bigger than I expected, since there's a second floor, but even though there's a lot of space, our table was pretty small (it was fine since there were only 3 of us, but it's ordinarily meant to seat 4).
Also the seats of the booth we were in were rather uncomfortable for me heh.

Regardless. We ordered the stuffed meatballs to start, which were pretty good. The meat was savoury (although a little too heavy, I think) and the tomato sauce was very yummy (would have gone nicely with e.g. bread but alas, no bread. For the price I did think portion size was a little small (it's 4 medium-ish meatballs).

We ordered three pastas to share:

- rigatoni carbonara: the sauce felt a little one-dimensional and too salty; there wasn't that much of the usual egg/cheese undertone throughout. I did like that the pasta was nicely cooked to the perfect al-dente chewiness, but the overall flavour profile was definitely a bit lacking. The guanciale was very savoury and yummy, definitely the high point of the dish.

- ricotta agnolotti: so, interestingly I learnt that the main difference between agnolotti and ravioli is that agnolotti is made from one piece of folded pasta whereas ravioli is with two separate pieces stuck together. (fun fact of the day.) this dish was fine-ish; I liked the mouthfeel of the ricotta and agnolotti wrapper together, but I felt like the flavours of the ricotta and the vodka sauce were a bit unbalanced (both rather heavy, and not quite in a complementary way)

- orecchiette: I thought it was surprisingly good, although it did get very mixed reviews around the table. The sauce wasn't too heavy while still adding a nice complement to the broccoli rabe and spinach. The sausage was a bit salty for my taste but I think it worked pretty well with this dish in particular. Pasta also very nicely al dente.

And finally we shared a tiramisù for dessert. I am the biggest tiramisù fan, so of course it was delicious, but not spectacularly so (e.g. I think you could get a similarly above-average slice at many places throughout the city).

Overall, I feel like our meal was pretty OK - nothing particularly bad, but also nothing particularly fantastic. Price point was decent (pretty good compared to many Italian restaurants in the city) but still a little on the higher end.

Came here for a Sunday brunch because I wanted to make a last minute reservation for 5, and this is one of the few places in the LES with solid reviews where that was possible. We were a little late, but they were very understanding and willing to seat us without our whole party being present. Service was excellent, friendly and warm. One server discreetly brought us more napkins when he saw us struggling with keeping our toddler clean. It was a kind gesture, with a smile and no judgment.
The food was solid. The ricotta toast with toasted hazelnuts and truffle honey was delicious. My breakfast pasta was perfect. The chocolate hazelnut budino was a lovely and light dessert, not too sweet.
Prices are fair for the quality and size of the portions.
Note: there is no changing table if you have a kiddo in diapers!

Bar Primi is a decent spot for italian fare. I came here for Sunday brunch with friends, and it was easy to get a reservation. It was not too crowded so you may not need a reservation. Service was good and attentive, and the ambience was very nice (bright, clean, spacious) and perfect for a brunch. It felt cozy inside. In terms of the food:

Ricotta crostino 4/5: very decadent ricotta with a little bit of honey, truffle, and hazelnut on a crunchy piece of bread! This was really delicious and nice to try. Felt rich and light at the same time!

The sandwich 2/5: this unfortunately wasn't it for me. My main complaint is the sliced beef... it was dry and completely flavorless. The sandwich tries to compensate with a bit of sauce and a decent pepper jam, but I really didn't enjoy the beef. I'm also not that into the brioche-type bun that the sandwich came on. Sandwich is a decent size but definitely disappointing from a flavor profile.

Solid spot for a nice dinner after work.

I had a reservation with a group of coworkers for Tuesday evening and were seated immediately upon arrival. The restaurant has two floors and we were lucky enough to be seated in a cozy corner upstairs.

Our table split a few appetizers, including the Sicilian Tomato Rice Balls, Beets, Buratta Cremosa, and Grilled Octopus. Every dish was great, though my favorites were the rice balls and the buratta (the bread that came with it was so fluffy!!). For my main, I ordered the popular Squid Ink Campanelle, which was delicious and had a nice kick of spice, though there could have been bigger chunks of crab. Pasta texture was great and the dish wasn't too salty. I also ordered a Fellini - nothing super special but light and refreshing.

The restaurant was pretty busy when we were there, but the space is large so it was pretty easy to get a reservation for our group of 7. Would recommend!

The Italian restaurant offers well-executed dishes with commendable service in a cool atmosphere.

Food: The culinary experience at the Italian restaurant was commendable, with well-executed dishes presented thoughtfully. While the flavors were satisfying, nothing particularly stood out as groundbreaking.

Service: The service was praiseworthy, as the staff provided attentive and accommodating assistance. The hostess, despite a full house, graciously accommodated a last-minute switch to outdoor dining, enhancing the overall positive dining experience.

Atmosphere: The restaurant's atmosphere struck a delightful balance between laid-back and chic. The cool ambiance added to the overall enjoyment of the evening, making it a pleasant place to unwind and savor the Italian culinary delights.

Our family had a great lunch at Bar Primi. From the ambiance to the food to the service! We came in on a Sunday afternoon with about 10 people and there were 2-3 other tables seated so seating was not an issue at all.

We started off with the Chickory Salad, Sicilian Tomato Rice Balls, Ricotta Crostino, and Brussels Sprouts (with pepperoni!) to share as an appetizer. For the main dishes, I ordered the Rigatoni Alla Norma and the table shared Ricotta Pancakes and Breakfast Spaghetti. Everything we ordered was delicious and there were definitely many unique ingredient combinations. If I had to pick, my favorites were the Sicilian Tomato Rice Balls, Ricotta Crostino, and the Breakfast Spaghetti!

Another great dinner at Bar Primi. The first time didn't disappoint so I had to come back and bring a friend to experience the great food and service. The experience was great yet again. The grilled octopus, branzino, and spaghetti and clams were amazing!

Amazing Michelin recommended restaurant. Affordable and the focus is on the primi meal - contrary to other nice italian restaurants where you're expected to order multiple meals. Amazing food, service, and vibes!!

Made a reservation for a solo dinner when I was in town for work and was seated right away. The host was so sweet and seated my by a window because he said it was the best spot for people watching. I started with the stuffed meatballs and they were SO good. Meat was tender and the sauce was delicious. Highlight of my meal for sure. I got the rigatoni carbonara for my main course which was not one of the pastas the waiter suggested when I asked him. I will say it was good, but something about it had a strange flavor/after taste. The guanciale in the pasta was incredible though. Serves me right for not taking my servers recommendation! Overall, loved the vibe and would be back again for the meatballs.