Baar Baar — Restaurant in New York

We recently dined at Baar Baar and had a mixed experience. We booked our reservation through Resy and were informed about potential cancellation charges, which was fine. We kept the restaurant updated about our estimated time of arrival and a 15-minute delay. The person on the phone was receptive, so we weren’t worried. However, despite mentioning twice that we were celebrating my mom’s birthday, no one informed us that the noise level would be deafening. Upon arrival, however, the receptionist, Vandana, seemed inattentive and more interested in the brunch participants dancing. I have had quiet dinners here so never thought we’ll walk into such a loud place. While the Bollywood music was fun, the acoustics were poor, and the DJ’s screaming made it feel more like a dandiya event than a dining experience.

We were initially seated outdoors in 85+ degree weather, overlooking a residential building, feeling isolated from the restaurant’s main ambiance. Thankfully, our attentive server, Jaswant, saved the day. He managed to get us a better table inside and adjusted the speaker volume.

The food and drinks were the highlights of our visit. We each ordered a main entree, a side dish, and dessert as part of the brunch set menu, along with a few add-ons. The lamb kofta was my favorite. The ghee shrimp had nice flavors but was slightly overcooked, and the pani puri didn’t taste good (only thing I wouldn’t order again). My mom enjoyed her vegetable biryani and chickpea curry, though I didn’t taste it. The paneer lasagna was decent, reminiscent of butter chicken gravy, and my friend liked his mushroom burger. Desserts like the filter coffee cake, coconut payasam, and saffron pista ice cream were delicious. We also enjoyed a bottle of Cabernet Sauvignon, which paired well with our food, and mango margaritas.

Overall, Jaswant’s exceptional service and the quality of the food made up for the initial disappointments. Jaswant’s understanding of good service truly stood out, and he should be at the front welcoming guests. Despite the hiccups, we had a pleasant dining experience thanks to him and the...

I enjoyed the tasting menu which features inventive and varied options at a reasonable price. A kulcha, pani puris, then we ordered the sweet potato chaat and cauliflower 65, then the paneer and jackfruit kofta. Finished off with a pistachio ice cream / carrot cake and a filter coffee cake. We ordered two cocktails each as well. First off the cocktails are fantastic. Inventive without being gimmicky, balanced well. The old fashioned was a tad sweet for my taste but the Amrud is an innovation that is a true winner! Would highly recommend. The chaat and cauliflower both were well presented and flavored adequately but I found the spice level to be very muted. A 65 is meant to be bold, an explosion of flavor and this dish was too quiet. I would suggest boosting the spice level if you order it. The chaat was good but these types of kale chaat fusion dishes are now common place in New York’s Indian scene and risk being overexposed. I can’t say enough about the paneer! These dishes are often too creamy, bland and one-note. But here we had beautifully layered spices, buttery and sweet but not overly so. A true standout. The jackfruit kofta was an interesting idea but the saag was a bit boring. It was a solid saag but after a few bites, this dish’s overall blandness began to hinder it. I would suggest trying something other than spinach to mix it up or replacing it. The garlic naan was solid but under-garlicked. The desserts: the carrot cake was great in the best Indian tradition - none of that sticky cloying sweetness one gets from American versions. The pistachio ice cream was incredible - the nuance of flavor and freshness makes it a true standout and makes you disappointed in commercial pistachio ice cream which is far more one-note. The coffee cake is passable but left no impression. All in all, Baar Baar is affordable and inventive at this price point. I would definitely recommend. Great service...

stopped by Baar Baar and enjoyed a South Asian-esque brunch. sat outside in the patio area—there are also sidewalk seats, too. the patio area is nice—not huge but is is sun-soaked but still shaded by the residential building behind it. the brunch is divided up into small and large plates plus there are options for brunch aycd if you’re looking to imbibe. the dishes are South Asian inspired / influenced with strong spicy flavors. shared the two small plates of sweet potato chaat and pani puri. both plates are easily shareable—would say the sweet potato chaat was good and a nice mix of flavors that kinda surprised me and the pani puri was a light appetizer option during warm weather. opted for the chicken tikka masala as my large plate order which comes with a choice of side from…opted for the saffron rice. the chicken tikka masala is a good serving of well-seasoned marinated roasted chicken in a tikka masala sauce. the sauce was tomatoey and creamy without being overly sweet or heavy. also tried a bite of the Baar Baar Chicken sandwich which is a fried chicken sandwich on a brioche bun…good comfort food sando! it came with masala French fries + a spicy mayo sauce which I’d recommend ordering—who doesn’t like crispy fries?!?

there seemed to be a private event inside of Baar Baar—probably a birthday party or something. so the music was extra super loud and the music just invaded the outdoor area and it felt like everyone outside had to yell through the music to converse. felt bad for the staff who were pleasant BUT they were working both the party and the outside area and seemed overtaxed and spread thin. so the service was friendly but super dodgy and slow bc of whatever event was going on. overall, good eats off the beaten path of typical Indian food you’d find BUT if an event is going on as it will likely affect your dining...