Barbounia

Attentive wait staff but no sense of timing whatsoever. Appetizers came so fast that it was frankly uncomfortable. I thought we must have received someone else's food. It's not a good sign when the apps beat the wine to the table. We asked the waitress for some help in choosing the wine but she deferred to the manager. The manager seemed way out of his element in looking over his own wine list. He made a recommendation based on what Italian style of wine we liked (we wanted a Greek wine to salute the cuisine), and what he offered was way off base. We ordered something else and he was kind enough to pick up the $$ difference in the 2 bottles. The souvlaki is served with the meat only. It was good enough, but as a meal, the dish needs more. The wait staff, busboys, etc. are doing their job but the overall rhythm here was not relaxing and I won't return. Too many flaws for me. Pros: It's a nice big room, I always like that Cons: Rushed service, not relaxing, poor meal design more

Attentive wait staff but no sense of timing whatsoever. Appetizers came so fast that it was frankly uncomfortable. I thought we must have received someone else's food. It's not a good sign when the apps beat the wine to the table. We asked the waitress for some help in choosing the wine but she deferred to the manager. The manager seemed way out of his element in looking over his own wine list. He made a recommendation based on what Italian style of wine we liked (we wanted a Greek wine to salute the cuisine), and what he offered was way off base. We ordered something else and he was kind enough to pick up the $$ difference in the 2 bottles. The souvlaki is served with the meat only. It was good enough, but as a meal, the dish needs more. The wait staff, busboys, etc. are doing their job but the overall rhythm here was not relaxing and I won't return. Too many flaws for me. Pros: It's a nice big room, I always like that Cons: Rushed service, not relaxing, poor meal design more

Pros: good fish dishes Cons: weak service more

overall an average to slightly above average experience. the service definitely felt rushed - we were prepared to spend some time drinking between courses, but the waiter couldn't seem to space anything out appropriately - each course was right on top of each other. they don't seem to have any sort of service system, which is strange for a restaurant at this price point. It seemed more like eating at a Friday's than somewhere on park avenue. food wise - spanikopta was above average, nothing to write home about. Classic greek salad was dressed very nicely. For mains, the baked snapper was excellent. i highly recommend this as some of the best i have had in the city. the souvlaki, on the other hand, was horrible. You will find far better quality on the typical lunch cart around town. The lamb, in particular, is something that I would deem completely inedible. Dessert was good - but, stay away from the dessert wines unless you know your stuff. We asked questions about some of the different offerings, but all the staff could do was bring the bottle for us to read! Overall, I'd say about average. Nothing makes me want to go back, but I wouldn't turn down an invite... Pros: good fish dishes Cons: weak service more

I went for my birthday a few days ago, and it's a nice place. The ambiance is old, but easy enough to be around. We sat on the pillows which were nice. First off we felt rushed. The restuarant on a Monday wasn't even packed, but we had to keep asking for some extra time each time they came around to ask our drink orders or our appetizers. You figure you would be able to sit talk a bit and not 2 minutes later asked what we wanted to drink. That was the pace the whole night. They wanted to take our appetizers before we were done, and dessert they wanted to take away even before it was finished and we were sharing it too. For me service was OK at best. The food was also rushed out as well which just means it's sitting in the back waiting. i had the Charred octopus, which was a little over seasoned and extremely oily but good, and the scallops for the main course was good. If someone asked me where to go for dinner this would not be my first recommendation. This place i think would be good if you are just walking in, and not expecting anything from it. I went in expecting something amazing and it was just good. Pros: Very pretty, comfortable pillows, and nice looking bar Cons: Rushed service, and heavy on the salt more

I went for my birthday a few days ago, and it's a nice place. The ambiance is old, but easy enough to be around. We sat on the pillows which were nice. First off we felt rushed. The restuarant on a Monday wasn't even packed, but we had to keep asking for some extra time each time they came around to ask our drink orders or our appetizers. You figure you would be able to sit talk a bit and not 2 minutes later asked what we wanted to drink. That was the pace the whole night. They wanted to take our appetizers before we were done, and dessert they wanted to take away even before it was finished and we were sharing it too. For me service was OK at best. The food was also rushed out as well which just means it's sitting in the back waiting. i had the Charred octopus, which was a little over seasoned and extremely oily but good, and the scallops for the main course was good. If someone asked me where to go for dinner this would not be my first recommendation. This place i think would be good if you are just walking in, and not expecting anything from it. I went in expecting something amazing and it was just good. Pros: Very pretty, comfortable pillows, and nice looking bar Cons: Rushed service, and heavy on the salt more

Me & 6 girlfriends went to Barbounia on friday night and had the best time! it was 8 o'clock and we didn't have a reservation but were quickly sat at the "communal table". I ordered a cocktail called the "Pandora" with Bulldog gin, lemongrass, sage, and litchi foam. AMAZING! We ordered a whole bunch of appetizers (or "mezze" as they're called) to share. It was so much fun passing the plates around and sharing with good friends. We all loved the hummus and spreads with fresh baked flatbread. Stuffed grape leaves, Spanikopita, Stuffed Zuchini Blossom, Greek Loukanika Sausage, Grilled Haloumi Cheese, and Tuna Tartar with Watermelon and Kalamata olives all delivered lots of flavor. Salads were fresh and flavorful. Entrees were just as great. One of my friends who is Lebanese, had the Vermicelli pasta with lentils, fried onions, mint, and yogurt sauce and said that it was just like her grandmother makes. The scallops were unforgetable and the highlight of our meal. Everyone agreed handsdown. Pros: Communal table, bar scene, hot people Cons: Busy, Crowded at bar more

Me & 6 girlfriends went to Barbounia on friday night and had the best time! it was 8 o'clock and we didn't have a reservation but were quickly sat at the "communal table". I ordered a cocktail called the "Pandora" with Bulldog gin, lemongrass, sage, and litchi foam. AMAZING! We ordered a whole bunch of appetizers (or "mezze" as they're called) to share. It was so much fun passing the plates around and sharing with good friends. We all loved the hummus and spreads with fresh baked flatbread. Stuffed grape leaves, Spanikopita, Stuffed Zuchini Blossom, Greek Loukanika Sausage, Grilled Haloumi Cheese, and Tuna Tartar with Watermelon and Kalamata olives all delivered lots of flavor. Salads were fresh and flavorful. Entrees were just as great. One of my friends who is Lebanese, had the Vermicelli pasta with lentils, fried onions, mint, and yogurt sauce and said that it was just like her grandmother makes. The scallops were unforgetable and the highlight of our meal. Everyone agreed handsdown. There are two great things about Barbounia. The food and the "Scenery". And by scenery I don't just mean the plush drapes and huge pillars, but also the crowd. We saw alot of hot guys, and one group of guys even joined us at the communal table. The kitchen is open so you can see the action and BTW, even the chef is a hottie! Another great thing about Barbounia (I guess that's three) is that the whole dinner for seven of us was only $190. It helped that our new friends were buying us drinks, but that's still pretty cheap! Definately a must if you haven't already. And, this Gramercy spot is close to lot's of other areas (Chelsea, Union Square, East Village) if you need a spot to pre-party before hitting the clubs. Pros: Communal table, bar scene, hot people Cons: Busy, Crowded at bar more

Being a Greek working in Manhattan, I decided to visit Barbounia with a few co-workers. At first glance, the environment looked very posh and trendy. I saw quite a few people there, but very little food on the tables. This is very uncharacteristic of your typical REAL Greek restaurant in which the tables are full of hearty portions of appetizers, salads, breads, etc. Our waiter had trouble speaking up and answering our questions. Looking at the menu, the prices seemed typical of a trendy manhattan restaurant. I was not so much concerned with the prices, but with the quality and quantity of the food. I did most of the ordering for the people at my table with the purpose of benchmarking the food to other Mediterranean restaurants. First off there were actually very few Greek dishes on the menu. I ordered the mousaka, which was extremely underportioned, and un-authentic. It tastes good, if you are comparing it to a bowl of chili, because that's practically what was served to me. It was not mousaka. My friend could have had better souvlaki from a street-meat stand, and the falafel another co-worker of mine ordered was extremely hard and dry. Basically, the food was horrible. To top it off, when my co-worker asked if his souvlaki dish came with pita bread, the waiter gave him a surprised look. Then when my co-worker requested a piece of pita bread, our waiter got annoyed and quickly explained it would be an extra $5; almost as if he didn't care to take any more of our orders. We spent over $100 between the four of us and the staff did not want to give us a complimentary free piece of pita bread. Pros: A lot of hot girls, nice environment Cons: Food quality and quantity. Staff more

Being a Greek working in Manhattan, I decided to visit Barbounia with a few co-workers. At first glance, the environment looked very posh and trendy. I saw quite a few people there, but very little food on the tables. This is very uncharacteristic of your typical REAL Greek restaurant in which the tables are full of hearty portions of appetizers, salads, breads, etc. Our waiter had trouble speaking up and answering our questions. Looking at the menu, the prices seemed typical of a trendy manhattan restaurant. I was not so much concerned with the prices, but with the quality and quantity of the food. I did most of the ordering for the people at my table with the purpose of benchmarking the food to other Mediterranean restaurants. First off there were actually very few Greek dishes on the menu. I ordered the mousaka, which was extremely underportioned, and un-authentic. It tastes good, if you are comparing it to a bowl of chili, because that's practically what was served to me. It was not mousaka. My friend could have had better souvlaki from a street-meat stand, and the falafel another co-worker of mine ordered was extremely hard and dry. Basically, the food was horrible. To top it off, when my co-worker asked if his souvlaki dish came with pita bread, the waiter gave him a surprised look. Then when my co-worker requested a piece of pita bread, our waiter got annoyed and quickly explained it would be an extra $5; almost as if he didn't care to take any more of our orders. We spent over $100 between the four of us and the staff did not want to give us a complimentary free piece of pita bread. I'll never go back to this place again. And I would just like to say I'm completley dumbfounded as to how some of the people on this website could give this restaurant such high ratings. You want good food with good portions, go elsewhere... preferably Astoria. Pros: A lot of hot girls, nice environment Cons: Food quality and quantity. Staff more

The ambiance, cute decor and deliciously comfortable seating really did outweigh the food. My biggest problem with this place was it never seemed to try very hard in terms of flavor, plating... anything else you'd expect from a relatively expensive establishment. My boyfriend ordered a $27 lambchop dish that was tiny, undercooked and with potatoes that tasted like the chef had boiled them, chopped them and that was it. I had a red snapper, which is supposed to be one of their best dishes, but it also lacked any kind of umph. It was resting on a heap of cooked veggies marginally flavored by some kind of broth. I got the feeling I could have cooked it myself, and trust me, I'm no chef. The plate of saganaki, which cost $12, came with four tiny slices of bread, and the cheese was surprisingly untasty. It was cheese! How do you drain the flavor out of cheese?? Karavas in the Village's saganaki was half the price, twice the size and ultimately, more delicious. Oh, and a bottle of Stella took 20 minutes to come. A bottle. The waitress said the bar was backed up, but jeez... is it that hard to pop a cap off? Pros: ambience, seating, watching the chefs was fun... Cons: bland food, slow service more

The ambiance, cute decor and deliciously comfortable seating really did outweigh the food. My biggest problem with this place was it never seemed to try very hard in terms of flavor, plating... anything else you'd expect from a relatively expensive establishment. My boyfriend ordered a $27 lambchop dish that was tiny, undercooked and with potatoes that tasted like the chef had boiled them, chopped them and that was it. I had a red snapper, which is supposed to be one of their best dishes, but it also lacked any kind of umph. It was resting on a heap of cooked veggies marginally flavored by some kind of broth. I got the feeling I could have cooked it myself, and trust me, I'm no chef. The plate of saganaki, which cost $12, came with four tiny slices of bread, and the cheese was surprisingly untasty. It was cheese! How do you drain the flavor out of cheese?? Karavas in the Village's saganaki was half the price, twice the size and ultimately, more delicious. Oh, and a bottle of Stella took 20 minutes to come. A bottle. The waitress said the bar was backed up, but jeez... is it that hard to pop a cap off? Pros: ambience, seating, watching the chefs was fun... Cons: bland food, slow service more

Love Love Love going here, the place is alive and fun. I didn't know much about it til I found it on newnewyorker ( dot) com I love whatever they tell me about this great City. The food is really great at BARBOUNIA, I recommend it for both pickies or a full dinner.. Desserts are too good to discuss... Pros: trendy looking and fun to sit there Cons: hard to park if u have a car more

Love Love Love going here, the place is alive and fun. I didn't know much about it til I found it on newnewyorker ( dot) com I love whatever they tell me about this great City. The food is really great at BARBOUNIA, I recommend it for both pickies or a full dinner.. Desserts are too good to discuss... Pros: trendy looking and fun to sit there Cons: hard to park if u have a car more

Very romantic but not in a cheesy way. Excellent whole grilled fish with simple drizzling or olive oil and... more

Very romantic but not in a cheesy way. Excellent whole grilled fish with simple drizzling or olive oil and fresh herbs. Narrow but good bar too. ... more

I went to Barbounia last night with my husband and parents. The hostess was very pleasant and our waiter was phenomonal! He was friendly and knowledgeable and made the whole dinner a fun experience. The flatbread and dipping spreads are amazing- the tzatziki and hummos are so delicious, as is the bread right out of the oven. I highly recommend for a nice and unique dinner choice. more

I went to Barbounia last night with my husband and parents. The hostess was very pleasant and our waiter was phenomonal! He was friendly and knowledgeable and made the whole dinner a fun experience. The flatbread and dipping spreads are amazing- the tzatziki and hummos are so delicious, as is the bread right out of the oven. I highly recommend for a nice and unique dinner choice. more

Truly the most amazing restuarant I have ever been to! I walked past it on my way to eat Mexican with my boyfriend but our plans quickly changed once we peeked inside. We did go on a Sunday so it was relatively quiet and we had the most attentive, kind waiter called Sergio (like a Mediterranean Hank Azaria), who really stood out exceptionally. Pros: The food. The Service. Cons: You wish you could taste everything. more

Truly the most amazing restuarant I have ever been to! I walked past it on my way to eat Mexican with my boyfriend but our plans quickly changed once we peeked inside. We did go on a Sunday so it was relatively quiet and we had the most attentive, kind waiter called Sergio (like a Mediterranean Hank Azaria), who really stood out exceptionally. It has been so long since I have had a meal where suddenly remember that cooking is an art and you savour every mouthful! The salads are as perfect as you can get...I promise you will notice! I had the chicken with lemon roasted potatoes. The spinach. Every ingredient stood out! The prawns my boyfriend had with roasted tomatoes and feta. The fries. Every mouthful was heaven. And then the warm chocolate cake souffle - and my boyfriend is an expert - beats out anything he has ever tried anywhere and we have been touring deserts recently!! The one possible downside to the meal was the two violently botoxed people sitting at the table next to us -- you know, the bald 40-year old with the big, flashy blue Blackberry (who'll tell you he's not really bald, but he shaves his head because it's "the new hot thing"), dressed like Liberace had Liberace done his shopping at Jack's 99 Cents; and his wife, so surgically enhanced her mouth looked like a scar in the middle of overblown plastic souffle; who made sure to very loudly, very obnoxiously contest, complain, and just generally be rude about every little thing throughout dinner. They didn't like the table, they took 20 minutes to order but then complained that they were in a rush and THEN stuck around eating all night, they complained that the water wasn't cold enough, that the Babaganoush wasn't nice, that the salad didn't have enough paprika (IT'S A SALAD!) etc, etc. Luckily enough, the aforementioned Sergio handled them perfectly, like a wise, patient father keeping his two spoilt little brats under control. The whole experience was something I had to get out - so GO! Pros: The food. The Service. Cons: You wish you could taste everything. more