Bar25 NBPT — Restaurant in Newburyport

Went for dinner last night after being away for the winter. Have to say we were overall, disappointed. We were there a little after 5 so it was not busy yet at all. Drinks took forever, (the bar was very slow the first time we frequented as well so somewhere there is a disconnect with the bar) I ordered a Margherita which was good but says right on the menu, salted rim. Each time it was ordered, no salt rim and had to be sent back to get it. I would understand if it doesn't state it but it's right on the menu! We had the magic mushrooms, which were incredible. I could have just had that for my meal. I ordered the short rib shawarmas which I have had in the past and absolutely loved. Now they only put the sauteed cherry tomoates and prosciutto chips on some of the shawarmas but not all. So what was in mine was a jalepeno pepper, 1 small piece of meat and I don't even remember what else as it did not stand out at all. Very underwhelming and why only put the extras on some and not all? Makes no sense at all. A friend at the table ordered the sliders. They used to give you 3 and now it's 1 -4oz slider for $14! I understand all costs have gone up but pretty sure you can still get a a full size, 8 oz. burger for less than $14. Nothing liked feeling completely ripped off. I really loved this restuarant last year and liked frequenting it but after last night, I would be hesitant to go back.

I was looking forward to trying Bar 25 as I love Mediterranean cuisine so we decided to try it last night. They were extremely busy but were able to give us a table outside. Our waitress was very nice and took our drink orders, just a glass of wine and a Lesley Cup cocktail. 20 minutes later and still waiting for our drinks. We thought maybe there is only 1 bartender for the night but no, there were quite a few. This was the only disappointment of our experience. It should never take that long to get a drink and it started to give a negative tone to our expectations. Once we received them the cocktail itself was just ok for $14.00. Nothing my partner would try again. She also asked for some simple syrup to add to it as it definitely needed something. This did improve the taste of the drink. Then our first plate arrived-the Imperial Orb and it was AMAZING! The combination of flavors were incredible. Absolutely delicious. We also tried the Haloum which was lightly breaded and fried and also yummy. We both had different variations of the Shawarmas which we loved. So good with the roasted grape tomatoes, prosciutto chips (great idea!) and the tzatziki sauce with a little bit of kick to it. The Barberry Basmati as an side dish- one of the best things you will ever taste.....no, seriously! So we will absolutely be back. The only thing that kept me from giving this 5 stars was the bar part of the experience. Hopefully this aspect will...

Edit: Super disappointed! This had become my favorite restaurant and now I'm realizing how important it is to have good people at the front of the house. There is someone new handling the desk and I have now had 2 bad experiences. Nervous for a first date I called ahead to try to reserve a specific table and was on my way over in less than an hour. When I arrived the table had been given away and we were awkwardly put alone upstairs on the 2nd floor which I promise you is absolutely not a good date vibe. Despite the fact that she continued to walk around in the area near us we sat at the table for well over 15 minutes with no menus and no drinks. It was the 2nd time I had called ahead to try to make a reservation and then ultimately was told "we try to do our best", If that is the case I suggest that they don't offer reservations at all to avoid this kind of disappointment. The real kicker was when I said can I sit at that other table, and she said we are holding that for someone else. Blatantly letting me know that they do hold tables for people but they just weren't doing their "best" for me. The 1st time was equally bad with a lot of attitude for even having to walk us up to the 3rd floor to show us our table.

This went from a great small place where you could go and feel like you were at home and taken care of with a real host who cared, to just another annoying restaurant in Newburyport with no personal service.

The black cow and Loretta's I think are the only 2 restaurants now that still have a traditional caring host for their restaurant.

Waitress was very nice and food was great.*

2 thumbs STRAIGHT up 👍 👍 So excited to have a new restaurant in town that serves amazing food! Interesting, flavorful and satisfying options. The waiter was friendly and gave great recommendations, the host makes you feel like an old friend and like you're getting special treatment every time. Everything I tried was delicious and the people behind us were raving about the food as well. We brought the dog and sat outside. Everyone that came to the table was friendly and fun. Great music, fun night life, great date atmosphere. THANK YOU BAR25 for raising the...

RESPONSE TO OWNER: We were undeniably present before the wedding party arrived; there were only a few people at the time, which was precisely why we chose to enter. The place seemed less crowded compared to other options in the area, and after visiting I now know why. Additionally, we were dressed in "witches night out" attire- very clearly NOT part of the wedding party. Moreover, your staff made no effort to "accommodate" us; instead, they hastily ushered paying customers out the door. Customers have a legitimate expectation to be informed about how your establishment treats them, and each of these reviews is entirely justified.

Sent a message privately to the restaurant on Instagram and was blocked by the account. Clearly they take customer complaints very seriously.

Sharing my awful experience here. Was at the bar last night and ordered a bottle of wine and split with a friend when a wedding party took over the space. We were minding our own business, when an extremely rude bartender told us it was a private party and we weren’t allowed to be there. We explained we were there before the wedding party arrived had an open tab and a bottle of wine we were finishing and that were served and BEFORE the wedding party even arrived and we were still told to leave. Went to pay our tab and the bartender gave us the wrong credit card and tab while trying to rush us out. This was beyond unprofessional and an extremely rude way to treat paying customers. Will not be back and absolutely do not recommend, customer service here ia very clearly lacking. I suggest this place take a better look at how your bartenders are treating patrons- not acceptable.

There are several other restaurants in the area with excellent food, drinks and customer service. Please do not spend your hard earned money on a...