Bravo! Cucina Italiana - Indianapolis

This has become one of my favorite restaurants. My daughter and I both adore the Caesar dressing, and I usually opt for the Mama's Lasagna Bolognese. While the prices are a bit on the high side, the generous portion sizes make it worth it. The warm bread and seasoned oil that accompany your meal are delicious, and the lobster bisque is rich and smooth. I have experienced both dining in and takeout, and during our last visit, there was quite a stir regarding some missing belongings belonging to an employee. This seemed to distract the staff, and since my family was seated just behind the host station, it became a distraction for us as well. Our server appeared uncertain and lacked confidence when answering our questions about the menu, and when our meals arrived, everything was lukewarm or cold. I don't know if this was due to her being preoccupied with the chaos surrounding the other person's lost wallet, but without me even requesting it, she went to bring the manager over. Despite the lackluster service, she managed to turn it around with exceptional assistance! Well done!

We also ordered three Calamari Frittis, three Shrimp Napoli appetizers, three Lobster Bisques, a Shrimp Fra Diablo pasta, and Lobster Ravioli to take home for our hungry family. The service was excellent, but I noticed that the Fra Diablo dish was served with a different type of pasta and had a tomato-heavy sauce. The calamari looked more like fries rather than the usual presentation, which our granddaughter missed since she liked the tentacles. I suspect this change was made because previous calamari servings had been a bit dry and chewy. Overall, it was still good, but I’m concerned that the authenticity of the food has diminished, prompting me to lower my rating from 5 stars to 4 stars. Later, we decided to have lunch with our son and grandchildren. Our server, Monica, truly went above and beyond, providing exceptional service throughout our visit. My wife and I arrived early and ordered three each of the Calamari and Crispy Shrimp Napoli appetizers, which remain a favorite. We ordered apple juice for the kids, and she brought out two and a half cups, apologizing that it was the last batch they had and offering to provide other juices when they ran out. The rolls with dipping oil were excellent, as were the Lobster Ravioli, Spicy Scallops Marinara, Shrimp Alfredo, and of course, the Lobster Bisque. We definitely left with plenty of leftovers for later. Thank you again, Monica, for your attentive service!

We started with the calamari (crispy wild-caught calamari, fresh arrabiatta, lemon aioli). While it had good flavor, it could have been crispier; the lemon aioli was a lovely addition. For my main course, I had the spaghetti and meatballs (handmade organic free-range chicken meatballs with a blend of aged Parmigiano, sharp Pecorino, and fresh garlic herbs) which was fantastic — well-prepared and perfectly seasoned. I was also excited about being able to choose between beef or chicken for my dish. We also ordered the eggplant Parmigiana (breaded eggplant, marinara, fresh mozzarella, capellini pomodoro), which again tasted good but was slightly undercooked. Overall, based on all my past experiences here, I would say it was just okay. I'm hoping that the next time we visit, it will be even better.

I enjoyed Bravo a lot. Italian food is my all time favorite food so I was excited when we walked through these doors. I ordered the Lasagna, and like most great Italian restaurants we were given a bread bowl with oil, which is always delicious. The lasagna was lovely, and my drink was topped up whenever I needed it. Very much enjoyed this place, and I am sure I will be back!

We went to Bravo for lunch and were surprised to see cheaper prices, but only by a few dollars on our favorite pasta dishes, and they were smaller portions too. The atmosphere is always great and carry-out is easy and quick here. The food always comes out incredibly quickly and we love the unlimited bread. I also think that the quality of the food is always high and consistent, and we continue to come back for delicious food. Today, however, no one working was very kind to us. When we walked in, we were greeted by a grunt and little eye contact and left to stand at the hostess stand for a minute, even though the restaurant was nearly empty. Once we sat down, our waitress was ok, but really wasn't engaging and didn't seem to care a lot. We asked for more bread, and we know it's unlimited because we've been several times, and she returned begrudgingly with only two small wedges of bread. I just felt kinda weird about the service today, like something was off. I rated it so high because we really do love this place, but the service we received was definitely sub-par.