Barbounia

When my friend and I walked in, the hostess totally checked me up and down, finally staring at my handbag. Her eyes were on me the entire time I walked toward her, but when I reached her, she turned her head away! I had to stand there for a few seconds until I finally got her ?attention.? When I told her my last name which is a very simple 4-letter surname, she said ?What?? with a twisted face as if it were the most bizarre name in the entire world. I finally said to her, ?Is there a problem?? She replied defensively, ?I was just asking because I couldn?t hear you,? as if I were being unreasonable. So I said ?I was just wondering because there was no hello, no smile and this attitude.? Nice way to start dinner. Pros: Very good food, nice decor Cons: Scary hostess, mis-informed waiter who pushes extra dishes more

When my friend and I walked in, the hostess totally checked me up and down, finally staring at my handbag. Her eyes were on me the entire time I walked toward her, but when I reached her, she turned her head away! I had to stand there for a few seconds until I finally got her ?attention.? When I told her my last name which is a very simple 4-letter surname, she said ?What?? with a twisted face as if it were the most bizarre name in the entire world. I finally said to her, ?Is there a problem?? She replied defensively, ?I was just asking because I couldn?t hear you,? as if I were being unreasonable. So I said ?I was just wondering because there was no hello, no smile and this attitude.? Nice way to start dinner. It was Oscar Sunday so the restaurant was almost empty. The hostess walked us to a table and pulled it out, but only so that there was barely a 6-inch gap between our table and the next one. I was confused since there was no way anyone over 10 could squeeze in and asked ?Wait, this table or the next one?? She looked at me silently. I said again, ?I?m asking because there?s no way I can get in here?? Then she said with this total street attitude, ?You can move the table, you know?? We couldn?t believe how haughty and superior she was but possessed no class or sense of service. Our waiter was extremely nice but not very well informed. When I ordered a glass of the Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, he warned me that it was ?semi-dry and semi-sweet,? so I ordered something else. Later, my friend asked for the same Sauvignon Blanc and the waiter repeated this again, so I asked ?Is it a late-harvest?? He said, ?No, but all Sauvignon Blancs from Marlborough are semi-sweet.? I corrected him and he was embarrassed and started mentioning the tropical fruit aromas, and I said, ?Just because there?re fruit characteristics in a wine doesn?t make it sweet.? In any case, we thought the decor and the food were great but the hostess was scary. Pros: Very good food, nice decor Cons: Scary hostess, mis-informed waiter who pushes extra dishes more

I was there last Thursday with a group of friends and had a wonderful time from beginning to end! The entire staff was friendly and accommodating, including letting us know when our table was going to be ready to pulling over an additional table when two unexpected joiners came (what can i say, they where out-of-towners). The food was excellent and the table service was perfect. I usually try to stay away from big Park Avenue restaurants, but some how they managed to win me over. Thanks again to the Maitre'D and the staff! Pros: food was excellent, great service & friendly staff Cons: too bright more

I was there last Thursday with a group of friends and had a wonderful time from beginning to end! The entire staff was friendly and accommodating, including letting us know when our table was going to be ready to pulling over an additional table when two unexpected joiners came (what can i say, they where out-of-towners). The food was excellent and the table service was perfect. I usually try to stay away from big Park Avenue restaurants, but some how they managed to win me over. Thanks again to the Maitre'D and the staff! Pros: food was excellent, great service & friendly staff Cons: too bright more

I dined at Barbounia with 4 of my friends last night and it was fantastic. We originally went there because of restaurant week, but the normal menu had so many wonderful options that decided not to stick to the restaurant week menu. We ended up sharing a number of appetizers and entrees. The souvlaki was very tasty and tender, the entree prawns were outstanding and the mouzzaka was great. The only dish that was disappointing was the calamari - it was very ordinary. The wait staff were very attentive and helpful, giving us good suggestions on the food and wine. It will definitely get a repeat visit. more

I dined at Barbounia with 4 of my friends last night and it was fantastic. We originally went there because of restaurant week, but the normal menu had so many wonderful options that decided not to stick to the restaurant week menu. We ended up sharing a number of appetizers and entrees. The souvlaki was very tasty and tender, the entree prawns were outstanding and the mouzzaka was great. The only dish that was disappointing was the calamari - it was very ordinary. The wait staff were very attentive and helpful, giving us good suggestions on the food and wine. It will definitely get a repeat visit. more

absolutely perfect! hosted my 30th birthday there for a group of 10. extremely accomodating. the food and decor were to die for! I was afraid it would work out to expensive, but the total bill was actually very reasonable and we all left happy! Pros: decor, food Cons: nothing! more

absolutely perfect! hosted my 30th birthday there for a group of 10. extremely accomodating. the food and decor were to die for! I was afraid it would work out to expensive, but the total bill was actually very reasonable and we all left happy! Pros: decor, food Cons: nothing! more

Save your money and head for any street corner- any gyro vendor in Manhattan can season up food better than Barbounia. The one exception was the spicy feta appetizer which was so over seasoned I could barely taste my wine. My boyfriend's fish was so incredibly bland he didn't finish it- and trust me, for him that's saying a lot. My souvlaki platter was standard- nothing interesting about it. It could have easily passed off as re-plated food from some east village hole in the wall. The only high point was the wine, but even that was difficult to select, as their selection of reasonably priced decent reds was sorely lacking. more

Save your money and head for any street corner- any gyro vendor in Manhattan can season up food better than Barbounia. The one exception was the spicy feta appetizer which was so over seasoned I could barely taste my wine. My boyfriend's fish was so incredibly bland he didn't finish it- and trust me, for him that's saying a lot. My souvlaki platter was standard- nothing interesting about it. It could have easily passed off as re-plated food from some east village hole in the wall. The only high point was the wine, but even that was difficult to select, as their selection of reasonably priced decent reds was sorely lacking. When we arrived, early in the evening, before the rush, the service was so overly attentive we felt like our table was being stalked- our plates were snatched up as soon as we finished the last bite. But by the end of the evening, the attention of the wait staff had seriously waned. The decor and ambiance of the restauant is almost gorgeous- but it looks like they ran out of money- or ran out of taste- right before they finished. The expansive glass windows, high arched ceilings, and open kitchen are beautiful. The bench seating with pillows is romantic and cozy. So it begs the question, whose bright idea was it to drape fake ivy all over this beautiful space? It looks like leftover decor from an Olive Garden in New Jersey, or props from a third grade play. Overall, I'd say spend your money elsewhere. We won't be back. more

This is a beautiful restaurant with a great atmosphere (I specially liked the ceiling). We liked very much the food. It was very well prepared and very fresh. The service was good, the waiter was spontaneously kind. The wine recommendations were accurate and very reasonable in prices. Pros: Ambience, Food, Service more

This is a beautiful restaurant with a great atmosphere (I specially liked the ceiling). We liked very much the food. It was very well prepared and very fresh. The service was good, the waiter was spontaneously kind. The wine recommendations were accurate and very reasonable in prices. Pros: Ambience, Food, Service more

This restaurant was visually beautiful (maybe one of the prettiest places I've seen in a long time), the food was *excellent*, the service attentive. I went for a work lunch and it was pretty quiet. I ordered a flatbread pizza type dish that had fresh figs and prosciutto on it - a really nice blend of salty and sweet flavors. For dessert we had the chocolate bread pudding - which looked like an overgrown muffin sitting on a cloud of cream - and came with a tiny scoop of pure vanilla ice cream. The thing that impressed me most was that they and had some staple Greek dishes, but also experimented with those traditional flavors. Pros: atmosphere, service, high quality Cons: price if you're on a budget more

This restaurant was visually beautiful (maybe one of the prettiest places I've seen in a long time), the food was *excellent*, the service attentive. I went for a work lunch and it was pretty quiet. I ordered a flatbread pizza type dish that had fresh figs and prosciutto on it - a really nice blend of salty and sweet flavors. For dessert we had the chocolate bread pudding - which looked like an overgrown muffin sitting on a cloud of cream - and came with a tiny scoop of pure vanilla ice cream. The thing that impressed me most was that they and had some staple Greek dishes, but also experimented with those traditional flavors. Pros: atmosphere, service, high quality Cons: price if you're on a budget more

Who would've known Greek could be so chic on the east side? Outside of the Greek havens in Astoria, will one find such dressy Greek culinary fare at this location. Come with plenty of $$$ and enjoy a great time with some snazzy drinks. Pros: Food, Decor Cons: Crowded, Service, Expensive more

Who would've known Greek could be so chic on the east side? Outside of the Greek havens in Astoria, will one find such dressy Greek culinary fare at this location. Come with plenty of $$$ and enjoy a great time with some snazzy drinks. Pros: Food, Decor Cons: Crowded, Service, Expensive more

I chanced upon this place a couple of years back before the decor changed from white crystals in the center to what it is now. I still loved the food but missed the crystals! I recently took my parents to this place telling them about how good it was, and realized that the chef had changed. The food was not good anymore. I thought of giving this place another chance last weekend for old times sake, and was highly disappointed. Pros: Very tasty food, wonderful ambience, good service Cons: None more

I chanced upon this place a couple of years back before the decor changed from white crystals in the center to what it is now. I still loved the food but missed the crystals! I recently took my parents to this place telling them about how good it was, and realized that the chef had changed. The food was not good anymore. I thought of giving this place another chance last weekend for old times sake, and was highly disappointed. First get the rules straight before you go here: 1) You cannot ask for another seat other than what the host/hostess directs you to - be prepared to hear a very firm "I don't think so" if you request change despite the restaurant being empty (BTW if you do remain standing and look at the hostess like she is crazy, you may get your seat of choice) 2) You have to order appetizers and entrees at the same time - they will not accept separate orders for both. Maybe they need more time to prepare - if so, they should say it to the customer rather than just insist that you order at the same time. 3) Be prepared for waiters to hover over you so that as soon as you finish they can take your plate The service and food no longer measure up, which is why I had to change my previously positive review. Food portions have also declined. I will not be going back. Pros: Very tasty food, wonderful ambience, good service Cons: None more

Wow. You can't get better than this...sex and the city style with totally friendly service and amazing food. Fresh baked bread made right there...try the thinly sliced cured meat platter. Wine list is one of the best I've seen -- all prices, and top quality with a sommelier that really guided us along. Go to Barbounia! PROS: Delicious Mediterranean brasserie -- pretty space -- loved it! CONS: busy, so you might have to wait a bit...but fabulous long bar to wait in! more

Yes the space is gorgeous and the food is good, what there is of it. We were a very large party (10) for lunch and whatever pleasant experience could be derived from the interesting menu and inviting decor was quickly dampened by an incredibly slow kitchen and service that was beyond bad. Let's first address the food. Yes, the imaginative menu offered many interesting dishes and some were excellent. Many, unfortunately, were in portions that they should be ashamed of. Enough said. The kiss of death for us came in the form of impolite waiters who made rare visits to the table and looked like they were at a funeral. If you are going to keep people waiting an hour for a lunch entree, then at least be nice. Come over and say, "sorry for the delay, is there anything we can get you? More drinks? An appetizer or two on us?" Not here. They couldn't care less. Finally, the maitre d' came over and rattled off an apology that came too little too late. And as far as that coffee custard they rave about, it would be nice if it tasted like coffee. How this place will stay in business is Greek to me! Pros: Gorgeous space. Maybe ok for a drink and an appy at the cool bar. Cons: Dreadful service and impolite staff. more