Located on the northern end of San Antonio’s world-renowned Sunset Strip, Bambino Ibiza is a new restaurant offering Italian fine dining alongside a sunset and pool club.
We went to check it out on a mid-May evening when the popular promenade was already abuzz. There was a slight chill in the air still once the sun had set, but the comforting soul food and the cordial welcome more than made up for it.
The restaurant is set on a series of terraces facing northwest. At this time of year, therefore, the sun sets directly in front of it. With the rays gilding the waters in the bay, it’s a truly romantic spot for enjoying well-prepared Mediterranean cuisine in the company of your loved one or friends.
The layout is appealing: nicely spaced tables, a cosy semi-circular cocktail bar and relaxed, Italian Riviera-style banquette seating.
The lighting deserves special mention, too, ranging from the overhead frilly lampshades that made the experience more intimate to the illuminated Sabina trees.
As for the background sounds, if music be the food of love, then Bambino serves up a feast with a mix (in this case, by DJ Ness) that blends chilled beats with a slightly more uptempo Italian vibe.
We were greeted and shown to our table by our hostess, the delightful Daniela, who exuded all the instinctive warmheartedness one associates with Italian hospitality.
To soak up the vibes and the sight of the sinking sun, what better than a round of cocktails? We opted for a dry-tasting mocktail, the passionfruit and lemon-based Bianca along with a Negroni and the house concoction, a mezcal-infused Luna. Cin cin!
The starters - perfectly executed - swiftly arrived. The first, a feta cheese and watermelon salad, was familiar.
Similarly, the truffle arancini, a refined take on the Sicilian staple.
But what really tickled our taste buds was the crunchy artichoke in tartare sauce. Served like this, the ‘king of vegetables’ - with its soft, earthy texture - benefitted from the contrast with the creamy, tangy tartare sauce.
Another revelation was the sea bass carpaccio with puntarelle sauce. Sliced paper-thin, the fish melted in the mouth, aided by the slightly bitter, herby freshness of the chicory-based Puntarelle sauce. Oozing cheese, the truffle pizzetta was a decadent, comforting companion dish.
Our first main dish, linguini with lemon cream and red tuna tartare, was a fine example of contemporary Mediterranean-Italian gastronomy.
The lemon-infused cream brought a gentle citrus lift to the pasta, cooked al dente. On top, the finely diced red tuna tartare introduced freshness, a slightly briny touch, and a firm texture to the soft, citrusy pasta beneath.
A second pasta dish appeared: truffle fettuccine. Earthy and aromatic, it struck a balance between comfort and luxury, coating each ribbon of the egg pasta with a rich, indulgent depth.
The third main dish was sea bass in puttanesca sauce. Another modern interpretation of a regional classic, it skillfully matched the soft, clean taste of the fish with the deeply savoury, fiery character of the Neapolitan sauce.
The sides, too, deserve a mention. The broccoli was cooked perfectly, bright green and crisp-edged. Beside it, the caponata anchored the other plates with its simple, home-cooked appeal.
For desserts, two all-time Italian classics, pavlova and tiramisu. The former was sweet and airy, with a delicate vanilla sweetness balanced by the tangy berries and the decadent whipped cream. A real melt-in-the-mouth treat!
As for the tiramisu, it was nothing short of a performance as Daniela prepared it at the table in a series of choreographed steps that turned the table into a small stage.
Pairing elevated Italian dining with friendly, efficient service and an enviable sunset-facing setting, Bambino Ibiza is a fresh-faced new arrival on the Sunset Strip dining scene.
