Bibo: Italian Classics Done Right
The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
I was craving Italian so we checked out Bibo. The cozy restaurant features old world decor with a modern twist, bold colours and TV screens. There was also a huge wood fire burning pizza oven in the open concept kitchen so we knew the pizza was going to be stellar.
We stuck with the classics: margherita pizza and gnocchi.
Margherita pizza, The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
The margherita pizza had a thin, crisp crust and giant globs of fresh, stretchy, creamy mozzarella cheese. The tomato sauce was nicely spiced and smooth in texture. I’ve always been in awe of this pizza: that only three simple ingredients can be transformed into something so extraordinary; the Bibo succeeds in making this happen.
Margherita pizza, The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
The gnocchi in marinara sauce was my favourite. The potato and cheese dumplings were smaller than what I’m used to, but each small morsel was just as chewy and bouncy as I had hoped. Perfectly al dente. The dumplings soaked up the sauce beautifully and each gnocchi was lightly coated with salty and melted Parmesan cheese.
Gnocchi, The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
Gnocchi, The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
This was a total comfort food meal. To top it off, we ordered a traditional Italian dessert: tiramisu. The cake came to our table heavily dusted in cocoa powder and smelling strongly of espresso. We dug right in. The Mascarpone was rich, decadent and satisfying. The espresso was nutty and deep, living up to its fragrance. The lady finger biscuits soaked almost entirely in coffee and Mascarpone cream that it resembled sponge cake.
Again, Bibo proves that they can take simple ingredients and combine them to create depth in flavour and pay proper homage to age-old traditional dishes.
Tiramisu, The Bibo, 1835 West 4th Avenue, Kitsilano, Vancouver, BC
Bibo does a wonderful job of upholding Italian classic dishes. I would totally revisit to try more of their pizzas and pastas and maybe taste a few of their Italian wines.