Bartino Tapas Bar

2.5 stars.
Since I work in Pyrmont, I always walk by Bartino and have wanted to try it. Last night, a small group of us finally made the trip.
Ambiance:
–Bartino’s a pretty cute place by day and night. There is outdoor seating which I suspect would be really awesome during the summer months.
–Pretty rustic interior with wooden floors, chairs, and tables
–Casual and a bit romantic
–Drafty — I wouldn’t say the place is the coziest of places. Also, a bit too empty for a Friday night.
Food:
–We ordered a number of different tapas plates: Grilled halloumi, spicy chorizo sausage, shrimp, meatballs, and polenta
–Though interesting to eat, the grilled halloumi had good texture but little taste
–I also felt the same way about the spicy chorizo which wasn’t as flavorful as I expect chorizo to be
–The shrimp was cooked well, but forgettable
–I had high hopes for meatballs as they tend to be the more filling tapas plate that Spanish/​Portuguese places offer. However, these meatballs were the smallest I’ve seen and just unsatisfying :\
–The polenta tasted like crispy tofu.
–In addition to tapas, we also ordered the paella which was ordinary at best. At least it was filling.
–Lastly, the owner had recommended a skewed pork strip. It came to our table without us fully knowing whether we had ordered it or not. The meat smelled nice when placed on my plate, but it’s texture wasn’t near tender and again flavor lacked
–Sangria? Meh.
Service:
–Bartino’s saving grace was it’s service
–Family owned, it was a nice touch that the owner greeted us personally and we were waited on by his daughter. The owner’s son, it seemed, ran the bills and back of the house.
Overall, Bartino was a miss for me. Perhaps, it’s a much more exciting place when the weather is warmer. I could see people really enjoying sangria and people watching as party-​goers make their way to the Star. Other than that, I would think twice about this place and spend $ 45 on a meal elsewhere.