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Our 1st time at Barbounia: [Note we arrived at 3p]. A few weeks ago my husband & I wanted to take mom to a nice, yet not overwhelmingly expensive brunch. We ended up at Barbounia and were not disappointed. The food and service were top notch. Our waiter was french speaking (I didn't get his name), but he was attentive & helpful. My husband had the $12 cocktail special (very good deal). Our meals included: the croque madame, aparagus pizza, sabich (eggplant). All very tasty. We had such a pleasant experience, that we decided to go back the following week to celebrate my birthday (again brunch). This time we arrived a bit earlier (1:30p) and we quickly realized it was too crowded. We stayed, were seated in the front of the restaurant. We could immediately discern that our waiter wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed (spilling water on our table, slow response time); however, the worst part was that at one point he was standing at the door entrance, talking to the hostess. Ironically, at that same moment I turned and saw him remove a finger (from his right hand) from his mouth. I mentioned this to my husband (who had already seen the incident). Needless to say, we were disgusted. My husband wanted to leave immediately. I felt that our brunch had already been ruined, but want to try to salvage our celebratory afternoon. The maitre d' (Salim) approached our table and was very gracious once we explained the situation. Apparently, he had either noticed the incident or had been informed by another patron. Salim personally brought a basket of mini croissants/breads, asked how he could rectify the situation (I asked for a bellini) and provided a different waiter, Mathew. While our 2nd experience at Barbounia was strikingly different (negatively so) from our first, I give kudos to Salim for his professionalism and graciousness.

i almost didn't want to post this b/c i don't want it to get too crowded but all of the negative reviews shocked me! this is one of my favorite brunch places in the city! the ambiance is amazing (i love the bathroom, how many times can you say that about a restaurant?!) and the food is always fresh and good quality. AND they have the best champagne cocktail deal! unlimited champagne cocktails for an additional $14. they refill drinks super fast and you can change the kind of drink you get. it's a fave spot for me and my friends. and i have never waited more than 10 mins for a table- if you do have to wait they let you start the champagne special at the bar in the meantime. very generous.

Decided to try this place again after the chef changed, and still a dissapointment. Appetizers were the octopus which came on a yogurt sauce (no idea why) and was way too salty and the chopped salad (again a huge amount of yogurt plopped on top). Main courses were the Branzino which was ok and the lamb chops which were fair at best. Desserts were the rice pudding and the sorbet and both were good. Make sure to check your bill as they calculated wrong. Service was good, but I will not return here for more than a drink at the bar.

We recently ate at Barbounia; we were a party of 10. While waiting a long time for our meal, we asked for extra bread. When our bill came they charged us for the extra bread. I have never been charged for ANY bread and this place did so. Stay away; the food is simply not that great for the extra charge.

Dishes are TOO salty. Portions are small. Too sceney to be a genuinely good restuarant. However, fun place, really nice bar area, vlean restaurant. Food just not so good.

I have been here a couple times and it’s always a great meal. The cocktails are awesome and the vibe of the place is great when it’s not super packed. We try to get there when its semi empty and by the time we have our entrees the place is full. The Mediterranean spreads and olives are nice and the lamb there is great. The first time I went I had the lamb chops which were excellent but were too rare for me so I sent them back to be cooked a little longer. The next time I had the lamb shank which was fantastic. They also had this chocolate thing that was insane. Pretty much everything is great. I would avoid weekend dinner rushes as I can see how they would want to turn over tables quickly. I would go when you can have nice leisurely meal.

Went here tonight for a drink at the bar followed by dinner with two friends. Second time here for each of us. Service was incredibly rushed and when three entrees come out of the kitchen in a full restaurant in under 3 minutes (including risotto) you know you're getting warmed up food that was pre-cooked. When the inside of the dish is hot and the outside of the sauce so cold the oil has congealed, you REALLY know it. Oh, and thanks for charging us for the bread after asking us if we'd like some more. Sure - but come on....