Ajna Bar

I've been reading these reviews, and was a little hesitant to go, but figured I would give it a shot because I heard the atmosphere was awesome, and the sushi good. Needless to say, it lived up to those standards. Although our server was a little unattentive, everything was flawless. Got the drinks and food in a normal amount of time, and the sushi, some of the best I had in the city. Definately try the Toro Sampler, and the Spicy Crunch Roll. Everybody I was with had a great time, and we even stayed after our meal and hung out in the lounge for more drinks. The staff was relatively friendly for how busy it was. I would definately reccommend going there. Pros: music, atmosphere, sushi Cons: not reccommended for an intimate night out more

To make it short and simple:\r the WORST service I have encountered in the city in recent years.....A birthday, reservations, good mood and good spirits... and then we get to Buddha Bar..... ""We cant seat you unless your whole party is here"" is exactly what the EXTREMELY rude and obnoxious hostess said to me.... we had to disinvite one person because they were coming by an hour later.... FINE.... can I take your order? the waitress.... thats a whole different story ... after taking our order she informed us that unfortunately the chef couldnt make it seperate orderst per person and that all our food would come together.... FINE... SAKE? we got some ... ohh but wait... i believe when you get sake and there are 4 people at the table there should technically be FOUR cups... noooo... there was one and we waited roughly 20 min for the other three by which time the sake was cold.... then we got some food that wasnt ours and didnt get some stuff we actually oprdered... waitress? nowhere to be found....... bill comes... look at this ? she overcharged us.... well well well... only after seeing the look on our faces does she come up politely take the bill and say OOPS i made a mistake..... comes back with a bill 40$ less and a nasty unapologetic smile and excuse of ""sorry"".... what a way to work for your tip/.... worlds worst service, nasty staff, decent food... NOT WORTH IT Pros: Space Cons: service, hostess, wait time, attitude more

This was the worst dining experience ever. We dined there as a party of 10. The waiter had the nerve of accusing my friend and I of ordering a dish that we never ordered. As a group, we spent over $1100, why would we lie about ordering a dish when we are already spending a ridiculous amount of money there?!!! To top the evening off, after giving $2 for the coat check, I went to pick up my bag. The bag had candle wax all over it!!! It was ridiculous!! Supposedly, some lady knocked a candle over and it just so happens that it went all over my bag!!! Cons: Rude waiters, overpriced menu more

It was bad from the time I walked in the door. They made you check your coat and then it was $2 that you had to pay. Nothing bothers me more tht being forced to pay for a coat check. I always tip the person at the coat check, but all high end establishments in the city never charge at their coat check. It is just poor service. Then we sat down at the table and the service was terribe and they were rude. The food we ordered was terrible and stay away from the sushi....I could have gotten better sushi from the buffet bar at a corner deli. Pros: music Cons: food,service,everything more

A horrible experience. The staff was beyond rude. They tried to charge us twice for each dish they brought us and, when we called them on it, they became belligerent. After ""negotiating"" with the obnoxious manager and paying the agreed upon amount, the manager had security throw us out. Funny enough, as we were walking out, I noticed another party that was having the same problem with their bill.\r \r Do not go to this place. You will regret it. Cons: Rude staff, they don't honor reservations more

went there for dinner last week (thursday)...was taken out by my friends for my upcoming birthday...after hearing that this place was over rated...i was actually quite surprised that my friends picked this place to treat me...i have been to buddha bar in paris and dubai (loved the one in dubai) and thought the one in nyc is v good as well..the food was excellent...the drinks were good...the service wasnt bad...we landed up having 2 servers as we moved our tables...the first one was excellent the second was not as attentive..but nonetheless we had a great time and didnt have any complaints...overall it was an evening well spent!!\r i loved the little area for smoking within the restaurant.... Pros: gorgeous....great music Cons: expensive more

I had reservations (which I made two weeks in advanced) for an early dinner on a Saturday night. This was supposed to be my husband's birthday where we had about 20 guests. When the staff brought us to our table, the first thing they did was ""remind"" us only about 10 times that we had to be out by 9pm. This was pretty rude since most of my guests came at 8pm. It only took about 30 minutes for our COLD food to come out (which for the price, the portions were VERY small). Granted this is Manhattan, I've been to much better places that are worth it. Since it was a birthday celebration, I wanted to order a bottle of wine for my group. I explained to the wait that I wanted something economical. He ended up ordering a bottle which was over $100!!! The total bill came out to be around $1,500 and all we did was order sushi (which was not fresh) and about 10 out of the 20 people ordered entrees. When I made the reservation, the maitre dee explained that there would be a table at the lounge arear waiting for us after dinner (which was NOT there). We were rudely rushed and kicked out by a security guard. Let me tell you this, by 10pm we were at another lounge for drinks which was much better and a lot more welcoming to me and my guests. I was VERY embarassed that I chose this expensive place. Pros: the decor Cons: Food, Service, everything else, even the table was not comfortable more

Wonderful ambiance - a bit pricey. Great for dates/couples... not recommended for business dinners - far too loud/dark. Pros: Exquisite ""Vibe"" Cons: Pricey... a little too dark. more

The music in this place is good but that's about it! It's trying to be cool with the staff having an attitude but that just doesn't work in a cheesy place like this. We got there early and had a seat at a small table and stayed for about 2 hours. In that time, we spent $150 on just drinks and were planning on spending more. Without us asking, the waitress had closed our tab and asked us to move from the table! We asked what we could do to stay and she said order a bottle of Dom Perignon! So, we decided not to move and didn't buy anything more, prompting the waitress to tell us she will get security. At this point we decided to leave and were followed out by 3 security staff who wanted to be confrontational. There are a lot better places to go than this. more

As a native Manhattanite with a thick skin and experienced palate, I must disagree with the other New Yorker that gave an excellent review. Buddha Bar is the antithesis of everything that is Manhattan, which sets itself apart from other American cities with its more European, yet wonderfully distinctive American style. BB is just like every other warehouse, Disney-like structure taking over the once quaint Meatpacking District, where at one time only locals knew about & dared to travel. Now, BB is just like all the other chains (yes, chains that are concept restaurants moved from one city to another, from NYC to Vegas & in this case from Paris to NYC) popping up & taking over what used to be unique eateries. Yes, NYC has its Taos & Asia de Cubas, but they were unique concepts at the time, not just restaurants jumping on the Vegas casino style bandwagon. As for my personal experience, I brought tourists who don't have any real taste here. A group of guys in front of us were shooed away because they didn't have reservations. We did, but once inside, there was not a single person there to validate that we did (word to the wise). The bar was cramped with B&T & a boring afterwork crowd in button downs. The drinks were watered down, the music was far too loud, & the staff with clip on mics were a joke. We left (all that velvet rope and no one noticed that we didn't even eat), grabbed a slice & went dancing instead. If you are in this lovely city & like to do what the locals do when you travel (like me), trust me, this area & this restaurant are no longer authentic and no longer where hip, in-the-know locals go (BB was erected a stones throw away from two large hotels built within the past 7 years, if that is a clue to who hangs out here now). Instead, try someplace on the Lower East Side before that turns into Vegas too. Say no to chains (BB is in Paris already & at this rate will probably be opening on the Vegas strip for khaki short lovers everywhere to enjoy). Pros: Confuse the bouncer by saying you have a res Cons: Disney-like chain, not unique more

As a born and raised New Yorker with quite a bit of experience in the food and beverage industry I am well aware of the trendy new hotspot that everyone must go to until they've been and then they never go again. I've been to Buddha Bar over a dozen times. It is hyped, it is trendy, there is an attitude and it isn't cheap, but this is New York City not Podunk, Iowa. If I wanted smiles and a friendly greeting I'd go to a TGI Friday's in Kansas.\r I thought the food was good, not extraordinarily so, but very good, particularly the sushi and apps. The service was prompt and on a number of occasions when I asked the waiter to order for the table I was pleasantly surprised to find that he didn't order every expensive item on the menu, but a good cross-section thereof.\r The times I've stayed after dinner I was ushered over to the lounge area and seated by a genial bald man with an earpiece. My cocktail waitresses have always been attractive and cheerful, the busboys have been attentive and the cranberry juice for my Ketel has never ran out. \r My only complaint is the French. I generally don't mind French, as a food, a language or a people, but when they stand around idly with their hands behind their back only to stammer and stutter at you uselessly when you ask them a simple question I tend to take offense. Beyond that I am a fan of Buddha Bar. Pros: Ambience more

I hated this place from the moment we made a reservation to the time we were rushed out the door. Terrible, overrated and downright CHEESY!!!! Send it back to Europe!!! more

I took a great friend of mine their last night for dinner for her birthday, I made the reservation for 6:00...unfortunately we were running a bit behind coming from the UES so I called to let them know we were still coming...the maitre'd was rude and told us that if we weren't there in 15 minutes she was giving away our table. Luckily (from the other reviews that I've read, which I wish I would have done in the 1st place) we were seated promptly when we arrived at 6:20. The ambiance was stunning...I will give them that compliment, but that is as far as it goes. The server was very short with us, and though we were having trouble deciding he never once stayed around long enough to offer to help. We ordered our wine and he came back twice to ask us what we had ordered. We both ordered the lobster 3-ways...BAD CHOICE!!!! It was cold for one, and about the size of my palm...the one piece of visible lobster was about as large as my fore-finger and just about as tough. I was still hungry when we were done, but we dared not to have desert wondering what would come out if we did! All in all a very disappointing evening for what I had expected from such a over-hyped restaurant! Pros: Ambiance...absolutely stunning! Cons: Food, Service, WAYYYY OVERPRICED!!!!!! more

I am honestly amazed by all of the negative comments. I've been frequenting Buddha Bar since nearly the beginning and have never run into any problems. The service and quality of food has only improved, and the staff are a joy. Of course, bad days are unavoidable with any establishment. But I'm dumbfounded to read what some of the reviewers have written. The interior is gorgeous and the ambiance is fun and very Paris meets New York (especially after 11pm). I've brought visiting friends and clients for drinks and/or dinner. Each time they've had a blast. It's a super place for parties, especially at the large round tables in the back, and the drinks are phenomenal. To accept what some of the other reviewers have written is to assume they have never gone out in Manhattan. Buddha Bar isn't Ducasse, and it isn't meant to be. There is a time and a place for everything. Stop demanding the red carpet, and just enjoy yourself. Isn't that what life's supposed to be about anyway? Pros: Atmosphere, Staff, Decor, Drinks, Noshes Cons: A body needs to rest at some point. more

The decor was gorgeous but that's the only thing remotely nice about the restaurant. We were right on time for our reservation of three and had to wait around in the loung drinking extremely overpriced cocktails. When we finally arrived at our table, we barely had time to scoot our chairs in before the menus were shoved in our face! Throughout the entire dinner someone was always pacing around our table making us feel extremely uncomfortable and hurried. That same night we saw a group of women get thrown out for sitting at their table for too long! The manager was screaming and making a huge scene in the restaurant...it was quiet appalling and they should feel extremely embarrased by the behaviour of the staff. I won't ever be returning there and I would NEVER recommend it to anyone! Pros: cool space Cons: AWFUL SERVICE more

I witnessed a very disturbing situation at Buddha Bar last week. I was sitting adjacent to a table of 6 or 7 women, probably 20-30 years of age. I really didn?t notice the group until their table was being cleared from dinner. I noticed that one of the managers came over numerous times until another crazed manager ran to the table shouting with two security officers behind him. I witnessed a check booklet slammed in one of the woman?s face, shouting to pay and leave the restaurant. The ?manager? then shouted to the security guards to throw the entire group out. After speaking with our waiter, it turns out they were dissatisfied with their service (not a surprise), and didn?t want to pay the 20% gratuity. I have never seen a staff member of ANY restaurant yell and scream at a customer, especially a manager, and then have them thrown out of a restaurant?only for complaining about the service. It made my husband and myself feel very uncomfortable. On top of witnessing this disgusting act, we had to wait 45 minutes before ordering our food, and another 45 minutes to receive our food?which was overpriced and cold. I would have been embarrassed to take my family/friends here for dinner. more

This is the worse restaurant in all of NYC. You get better service at KFC.\r There are much better restaurants in the area. Visit Buddakan, Pastis, or Spice Market\r for a real quality expereince. Cons: Horrible Service more

Buddha Bar NYC is an experience ? one that is best enjoyed with many friends or colleagues. This gigantic (former factory) restaurant and nightlife hangout offers pan-Asian fare and an impressive ?Buddha? inspired ambience. The service is reasonable and the food/drink prices can burn a hole in your wallet. However, Buddha Bar is a signature NYC restaurant and nighttime hotspot that should be experienced at least once. For a full venue profile check out nightliferatings dot com. more

Where does one begin...the service is terrible, the management is disgusting and obnoxious.\r We arrived on time for our reservation and were told to wait in the lounge for over 2 hours before\r we were actually seated. The food was overpriced and cold. Don't waste your time at this dump! Pros: They serve Food Cons: They are a waste of real estate space more

This place is guaranteed to be closed in a year. The staff needs a course on customer service. Beautiful place with a staff of people with horrible attitudes. I would never return there again. Pros: Beautiful Space Cons: Horrible Staff more