Bay Leaf

11/20/09

Fantastic!!!

by luisblondet at Citysearch

Having spent a considerable amount of time in both the UK and India I was delighted to find Bay Leaf. The food was exceptional and by far the most authentic I've had in NYC. The service was very helpful and friendly and the cocktail list was very extensive. I love sharing and Indian food really lends itself for this - I highly recommend you let the waiters serve the food on to your plate!

The starters were delightful and I highly recommend both the bhel poori (a puffed rice with fresh herbs) and the hosht kabab (lamb skewer). Just when I thought things could not get any better, the main course arrived. The adraki chaap (rack of lamb), the grilled shrimps (absolutely masive) and the saag paneer (cheese and spinach) were absolutely delicious.

To complement my meal I had a very fresh mango and blood orange martini followed by traditional Indian beer (Kingfisher). The cocktail list is very extensive and chosing amongst all these delicious drinks was no easy task.

Last but not least, the aam mousse (mango mousse) was the perfect finish to an absolutely delicious meal.

My friends and I had a great time and as a huge fan of Indian food I'm sure I will be making another visit to Bay Leaf very very soon!!!

02/09/09

Not real Indian food

by foodlover0 at Citysearch

Where to start... Don't go into this restaurant if you've ever had any actual Indian cuisine. I had the Thali which I will warn you is a big no-no. There were so many restrictions... it came with 2 meats but I was not allowed to pick which ones. I guess whatever they had extras of you received, but I decided maybe that's how this restaurant was. I forgot to mention also asking for water multiple times which they will not give you unless they have a confirmed order from you. Upon placing our order the waiter disappears. No where to be seen for the next 15 minutes.

In the meanwhile the bus boy finally gets s some water and Papdum with some sauves. Be aware do not eat the green one thinking it?s actually edible. It?s a vinegar concoction.

For appetizers we ordered Tandoori Quails. Which I have to admit were delectable.

The Thali arrives and the disappointments continue! They had given me lamb curry which was undercooked and mostly had fat on it. Chicken tikka masala in which they put sugar instead of salt (same for the chick peas and the yogurt). The dal was the only good thing in the Thali. I forgot to mention the samosa that came with the Thali which was filled with nothing but oil! It was the most atrocious thing I?ve ever tasted.

If you still want to go be my guest but please don?t let this place represent Indian food for you.

• Pros: Drinks and dessert
• Cons: Food and Service

09/24/08

My First Expereince...

by brucegoss at Citysearch

I'd never eaten good Indian food before so I went with a friend who lived there for a while. She was kind enough to order for me as she knew what I liked. Boy was it good. I'd eat Indian food anyday if it always tasted this good. Their dal mahkni is good. Nice flavor, not overcooked to death, just great! . I'd recommend this place to anyone.

08/02/08

a nice mid-town find

by madmax64 at Citysearch

It's hard to get seated in the bay window that gives the name to the restaurant, naturally. Still, the food is very good and the service and atmosphere make for a very pleasant midtown experience. Try their saffron ice cream, sounds weird but it's a delicacy!

03/20/08

One of The Best Indian Meals .. Anywhere !

by SebastianR at Citysearch

A friend from Manhattan brought me and a few friends to Bay Leaf !! ... WOW !

We had an AWESOME meal. The place was packed, the service was spot on, and the manager even came by many times to make sure everything was perfect.

The tandoori lamb kabbab was tender, crispy, and flavorful, the chicken korma was nutty and rich, and the warm grated carrot pudding with the fig ice cream was a great, new experience for my palate!

I am definitely coming back and can't recommend this place enough. What a wonderful introduction to Bay Leaf. Hands down one of the best Indian meals I have had, anywhere.

• Pros: Attentive Service, Flavorful Indian Food, Elegant Ambience

10/28/07

Good food, questionable service

by agupta1md at Citysearch

My fiance and I are both Indian and have been to Bay Leaf on several occasions. We really enjoy the food there but are perplexed as to why we are never seated in the front section which is nicer. Is it because we are younger? Or perhaps cause we are not tourists? Or is it another reason? For this reason, we have decided to temporarily boycott this restaurant for now.

03/28/07

I do NOT recommend this restaurant

by dave_jacobson at Citysearch

We ate here for my mother-in-law's birthday. There were 12 of us. The service was poor. They were trying to get us to leave after about one hour. The food was OK. I chose the buffet because I liked the shrimp curry I saw. After ordering and going to get my food the shrimp curry was gone and was replaced by a fish curry.

We spent $650. I thought it was expensive given the quality of the food and service.

We parked at the parking lot next door. Somehow our car came out with a new loud noise which sounds like it is coming from the rear-right axle. I still have not gotten this fixed.

• Pros: Decent food.
• Cons: Poor service.

10/24/06

lovely lunch buffet with a large variety of fresh foods

by londonlovers at Citysearch

My mom and I went to New York for 4 days, and the first day we came across Bay Leaf. The food was FABULOUS. It was so amazing that we went again before we left ~ thats 2 times within 4 days! They had great service, our server was friendly, and the manager intoduced himself and had some helpful advice as to some notable attractions. The variety of dishes in the lunch buffet were unique and prepared very well - I should know I am a foodie in London the capital of fine Indian dining. Now having tried many other Indian restaurant in NYC there is nothing that relly compares to the value and quality of the Bay Leaf Lunch. I will be sure that every time I go back to NYC I am sure to go to Bay Leaf.

• Pros: great variety, high quality, freshly prepared
• Cons: bathrooms are down a long set of stairs

10/23/06

Poor food, worse service

by joebloggs at Citysearch

Normally I'm easy to please, but having just visited the Bay Leaf for the lunchtime buffet I was dismally dissapointed in both the food and the service.

The setting was good, inside was quiet, clean, spacious enough and not very busy.

The quality of the food left a lot to be desired (you could tell it had been lying around for a while) and the service was just awful. The waiter scoffed when I asked for still water instead of sparkling. There wasn't much choice at the buffet, and two of the platters (tandori chicken and fish curry) were empty and both the lamb and the chicken used in the other dishes I tried were of poor quality.

When we finished our meal we asked the waiter for the bill. Ten minutes passed and I had to attract the waiters attention and ask again. I could see through this if the place was busy, but it wasn't.

Wouldn't recommend this one.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Food, service

08/23/06

One of the finest indian places in town

by quasibuddha at Citysearch

I've been to this place twice and both times I've walked away with a feeling of pure contentment over a wonderful meal. Decor is ok, service is prompt and the food selection is really good. I felt that the wines are slightly on the pricier side and if you order by the glass, you're stuck with house wines. Beyond that, no complains whatsoever.

• Pros: Good Indian food, prompt service, nice ambience
• Cons: None