Bayberry Garden Restaurant — Restaurant in Providence

A Disastrous Dining Experience at Bayberry Garden

We will never return to this pretentious restaurant. I would give zero stars if I could. We made an 8 PM reservation online, only to be charged a $20 per person hold fee, a policy I’ve never encountered at even the finest dining establishments. Despite their strict no-show policy, they failed to have our table ready for 30 minutes when we arrived on time. The hypocrisy?

We had been enjoying superior food and drinks at a nearby restaurant before heading to Bayberry Garden, only to be met by a rude, frantic host who told us to wait. The bar was full, and we were left standing to the side. When my boyfriend suggested a complimentary drink for the inconvenience, the host flatly refused. After some insistence, he begrudgingly offered us sparkling wine, something we never drink. A true fine dining establishment would have let us choose our drinks, especially given the delay.

At the Table—More Disappointments Once seated, no one adjusted our dinnerware to match where we were sitting next to each other. This basic attention to detail was lacking. Four different people attended to our table, leaving us confused about who our actual server was. When we finally placed a drink order for dirty martinis, we discovered after asking the waiter they had no blue cheese, garlic, jalapeño, or even pimento stuffed olives, just plain olives. Their vodka selection was shockingly low-end for a so-called fine dining restaurant, offering only Tito’s or Ketel One. Where is the top shelf vodka such as Belvedere or Greygoose for the top dollar you are charging customers to dine here? The drinks took 15 minutes to arrive and contained one sad, hollow olive each.

We ordered a half dozen oysters, which took another 30 minutes to arrive. The manager came over, explaining there were multiple orders ahead of us. Not sure if you’ve been to the Matunuck Oyster Bar where they fire out oysters even when they are jammed packed with customers and still treat their patrons with utmost respect. You should go there to get a lesson in what good restauranteering is all about.

Unprofessional Management & a Final Insult The manager checked in, but the conversation quickly turned argumentative. My boyfriend again suggested a gesture of goodwill for the delays. The manager, visibly frustrated, reluctantly agreed but made us feel like an inconvenience. He even tried justifying the no-show fee by citing another restaurant that does the same. Instead of listening to customer feedback, he made it about his 20 years of experience and literally said “let’s play devil’s advocate” after we told him our concerns. The arrogance was astounding.

When we again pointed out the irony of charging customers for a late arrival while failing to honor our own reservation time, he snapped. Taking our unfinished drinks, he told us, “You can leave,” and stormed away. Honestly, walking out was the best part of the night.

Bayberry Garden is an overpriced, self-important restaurant that treats its customers with condescension rather than hospitality. We don’t normally write reviews but our experience was horrendous and egregious. THE PUBLIC NEEDS TO KNOW.

Based on very recent one-star reviews of similar concerns, you seem to take pride in being defensive rather than improving. If that’s your approach, you deserve every bit of criticism you receive and you will close down. It is your customers that keep you in business, not your egos. Maybe that is why you are on Dyer St....

TLDR - Bayberry Garden was an unfortunate experience with rude priggish service, mediocre but photogenic dishes, good cocktails, and a very nice botanical atmosphere. Cannot recommend.

Arbitrary rudeness was the theme of the night. Made a reservation here with my gf as her bday dinner fell on a Tues., and many of our faves (Palo, Persimmon, etc) were not open. I was afraid we might be a bit late as we had a 20 min car ride, so I asked her to call them to apologize in advance and respectfully let them know. A brusque voice chastised her for the call while accepting our notice. We shrugged it off as nothing at the time. As it turned out we made it to the host station only 3 minutes after our reservation time. I let the host know that we had called earlier to apologize that we might be late, but luckily made good time. Like a stern school master, he with all seriousness says that they had given our table away so he didn't have our table. I didn't say anything and just waited to see what he would say next. After a long pause, he then said, "We have other tables available, however," and then told us to follow him to one of many open tables, lol. My gf and I shot amused and befuddled glances at each other as we followed him to the table. A nice gentleman soon came to ask us about water and drinks. This was the only normal person we dealt with at Bayberry. Unfortunately he was not our waiter. Our waitress, Megan, arrives later and doesn't make eye contact or tell us the specials until I politely inquired if there were any. We tried to order oysters and appetizers when she brought our drinks, however she insisted that we had to order everything at once because, "That's how we do it here." So we did. Then she reached for the plastic-coated menus and I inquired if it would be okay for me to keep one for us to look at some other drink options. She responds, "No. We don't like to do that because they get sticky and stuff," and took it right out of my hand. I was speechless, haha. When she walked away, my gf covers her mouth so no one else can tell, but she is giggling at the absurdity, so at least we kept things light, lol. Megan did not smile once through the evening. Soon after, Megan notes my drink is empty and asks if I would like another drink and I said yes, but I would need to look at the menu. She walks away in a huff but does later return with one. My gf actually had a nice birthday as we exchanged amused glances about the insolent performance by Megan which continued throughout. Twice she literally pulled silverware out of our hands as she took plates away. It was special. I wonder if perhaps they were going for a Soup N@zi attitude? Do they not realize that the attitude was what people put up with because

I recently celebrated my birthday here at Bayberry Garden for dinner and I can confidently say it did not disappoint. From the moment we arrived, the atmosphere welcomed us with warmth and inclusivity. The beautiful greenery and decor created such an amazing ambiance. The staff was exceptionally friendly and attentive. They took the time to explain the menu in detail, showcasing their knowledge and passion for the food. This level of service truly made our experience 10x better.

We opted for the “let us cook for you” option, similar to a tasting menu, which turned out to be a fantastic choice. Each dish was thoughtfully planned out and beautifully presented. We were surprised at the uniqueness of each dish that came out to us. The menu was a pleasant surprise and the flavors were something no other restaurant can compete with. Each dish reflects the freshness of the ingredients and the care put into each plate. You can taste how fresh these ingredients were.

To start, we enjoyed oysters drizzled with strawberry vinaigrette, mini hush puppies, yellowfin tuna crudo with egg yolk jam and yuzu, and a smoky fish dip served with potato crisps. The smoky flavor of the dip paired perfectly with the crisps.

Next, we had a delicata squash salad with invierno cheese and brined almonds, which was a delightful surprise—I’ve never tasted anything quite like it. This was followed by grilled shishito peppers with a vibrant green basil sauce. The peppers were seasoned to perfection, and the hearty sauce complemented them so well.

For the entrees, we tried the duck sausage pasta, which was the best pasta I’ve ever had. The dish was light, with a sauce that didn’t overwhelm. Unlike many pasta dishes that leave you feeling heavy, this one left me wanting more! The crunchy breadcrumbs added a wonderful texture. The conchiglie was cooked al dente and everything about dish was perfect. 10/10 I would recommend.

Our second entree was a black sea bass with chimichurri sauce and bell peppers. The fish was fresh, meaty, and packed with flavor. For those who love fish, this would be the perfect entree for you.

To finish, we indulged in an Eton mess sundae, that had vanilla ice cream, raspberry puree, meringue, and whipped cream. The meringue was soft and melted in your mouth, and the blend of tart and sweetness was the perfect ending to our meal.

Overall, Bayberry and the chef’s selection menu provided a memorable evening with exceptional food and warm hospitality. I highly recommend it for anyone looking to celebrate a special occasion or simply enjoy a fantastic meal. I don’t think any other tasting menu can beat theirs. The quality and amount of food for the price was truly worth it. I left full and extremely happy! I would 100% return back and try out another...