Baru on Alma

[Sam Salmon]

Has anyone visited Baru on Alma lately?

Impressions generally?

Is it a Bar or a Restaurant?

I walked by a while back and it looked like a Bar-one with excruciatingly uncomfortable seats.

You know the kind that pass for cool in glossy mags but are in fact meant for Martini sipping bone racks to pose on.

I ask because a friend of mine wants to take me to dinner there for a Xmas present and she thinks it'll be 'fun' because I spent most of this last February travelling in Colombia

Colombia has some excellent food/drink/unique surroundings to partake in but I wonder how well it translates in the Rain Forest.

[Ling]

I've been there, but not very recently (probably over a year ago since my last visit). It didn't seem terribly trendy to me, but it's a nice room. It's a restaurant and they have a bar too--but I wouldn't really consider it a lounge unless they've changed the interior (most of the ppl were there to eat). They had this really cool dessert that was a cheese-filled quesadilla drizzled with caramel. Tastes better than it sounds.

["T"]

I was there about a month ago.

The food was great, as usual, but when it's a full house it can get a bit loud.

Everything from starters to entrees gets a better than passing grade.

Drinks are well made, wine could be cheaper but that can be said for 99% of restaurants on this continent.

It is a "cool" room so put on a nice shirt, relax and be cooool.

Enjoy.

Edited December 13, 2004 by "T" (log)

[Sam Salmon]

It is a "cool" room so put on a nice shirt, relax and be cooool.

←

Ah Yes Colombia is a 'good shirt' kind of a country-they do like to dress up.

Therein lies part of the problem.

As someone once said of me I slouch through a door looking something like a down-on-his-luck Russian Mafia Hitman in a dodgy mood-heavy Slavic features, rumpled garb and all that.

I must say I've received some excellent service from some very nervous waitstaff in the past-why change?

[DameD]

I have had great experiences at Baru, love the food, cocktails and the room. It is like always summer, great for these rainy wintery nights. I would love a gift like that. Also try the reef for some good jerk and a carribean feel, also they have red stripe beer, which is an added bonus :)

["T"]

It is a "cool" room so put on a nice shirt, relax and be cooool.

←

Ah Yes Colombia is a 'good shirt' kind of a country-they do like to dress up.

Therein lies part of the problem.

As someone once said of me I slouch through a door looking something like a down-on-his-luck Russian Mafia Hitman in a dodgy mood-heavy Slavic features, rumpled garb and all that.

I must say I've received some excellent service from some very nervous waitstaff in the past-why change?

←

If it works for you then I see no reason to change

Besides, when considering what passes for cool these days you may fit in just fine.

[Mooshmouse]

Though my last dining experience there was in May, I thought I'd chime in and say that I've enjoyed each one of my meals at Baru.

I'd call it a restaurant as opposed to a bar. If it is, indeed, a bar, then it serves damn fine food! As a restaurant, their cocktails are, indeed, tasty. Can't comment on whether or not it's authentic Colombian, but I believe there's a little bit of something thrown in from all over Central and South America. I have a weakness for seafood, so I'm partial to their ceviches (don't ask me to choose just one), salmon tiradito and chorizo clams. Also their plantain-crusted halibut.

As mentioned by "T", go on a weeknight if you're looking for a quiet dinner sans a plethora of chatty hipsters.

[Sam Salmon]

Delicous meal last night @ Baru.

We went early as suggested-a great idea-Thanks!

Both food and service were outstanding and I'm a bit chagrinned to say that with the exception of a few breakfasts better than any I had all the time I was in Colombia.

If you haven't been yet Baru is definitely worth a visit.

Of particular note is the 'Honduran' Ceviche-Albacore in a simple Coconut milk dressing over a bed of Arugula-ambrosial.

["T"]

So Russian mobster cool does the trick?

Glad you had a good meal.

Cheers

Edited December 22, 2004 by "T" (log)

[Mooshmouse]

I'm happy to hear that your first dining experience at Baru was a good one! Sounds like you're on your way to becoming a regular. Just the mention of their ceviche is prompting me to make a return visit of my own in the not-too-distant future.

[Paul B]

We were at Baru on Saturday night. The place was pretty full when we showed up (around 7:30) but packed when we left. It was loud and a bit crowded -- it felt more like a singles bar than a restaurant to me, especially by the end of the meal. When we left the restaurant a quartet of young blonde Sex-in-the-City wannabes sashayed in, leaving a trail of perfume that made my eyes water. I was also a bit non-plussed by some of the seating. Ours was fine, but some people were sitting on these bizarre fixed stools that looked very uncomfortable.

Anyway, the food. Not bad. We split an order of the "Latin chips" and the plantains to start. Pretty good. Then we waited for our entrees. And waited. And waited. Eventually one of our party got up and went to the kitchen to ask what had happened with our food. I don't know what response she got but we were finally served. I had the steak. It was excellent. Really good. My wife had the tuna and liked it. Our friends had the lamb and, uh, something else. Everyone liked the food and the presentation was beautiful, but man, they got to get the kitchen working faster.

We had two pitchers of red sangria with the meal. Good, but not as good as the my wife makes at our annual paella party:(http://homepage.mac.com/dsdunbar/Paella_2005/PhotoAlbum65.html)

[SBonner]

Helen and I were there last week and still enjoying it. Nice room, good service, and tasty food. Cocktails are well designed and the small wine list gets the passing grade.

Cheers,

Stephen

[Vancitygirl]

Here is my first restaurant review I did while in the UBC Food Writing Class - Baru

Baru could still take the Gold

Baru Latino Tapas Lounge

2535 Alma St.

Tel: 604 222 9171

Baru Latino Tapas Lounge appeared on the scene, riding the wave of the tapas trend, early in 2002. Focusing on mainly Ecuadorian dishes, first time restaraunteurs Carolos and Nicole Fonnegtra, and Pablo Rogras promptly took the Gold title for Best Other American in the Vancouver Magazine 2002 awards. How does the lounge rate 2 years later?

We challenged the restaurant with a large group on a busy Wednesday evening. The room is funky/sexy, lots of fashionable swimming pool tile, well done. Decorations such as a full-size kayak suspended on the wall and tractor seats at the bar compliment the eclectic menu. An insistent Latin beat completes the mood.

Initial glances at the menu revealed tempting and original martinis ($7) and cocktails ($6). We were torn between a “tamalino” (tamarind, lime, vodka) and the mojito (rum, lime, fresh mint). Ordered the tamalino stole a sip of the mojito from another. Both very vibrant, the mint in the mojito is overwhelmingly refreshing. But, please invest in some glass wear. Steel glasses look cool, but the taste is similar to chewing tinfoil.

Tables were set with deep-fried yam and plantain chips, an interesting twist from the usual corn tortilla chips and salsa. A bit oily, but hey, we’re going Latino here. Starters included a variety of ceviches ($12) tiraditos (similar to carpaccio) and a sampling of dishes, such as smoked duck with steamed clams and cheesy empanadas. Soups and Salads included typical Latin ingredients. Tough choices.

Our group had a set menu, starting with the decision between a mango salad or sopa blanca, a white bean soup. Presentation was well thought out, the ingredients blending well to create unusual flavours that transcend the usual Latin/Mexican restaurant experiences Vancouverites are often limited to. Ordered the salad, preferred the complex layered flavour of garlic, mushroom and bean in the soup.

For mains the choice was impossible, so we had to share. Steak Chimichurri was cooked exactly as requested - how rare. An eight-ounce strip loin with red and green chimichurri, an Argentinean sauce of fresh parsley, herbs, lemon and oil, with a side of mashed potatoes and sliced beets.

The Chicken Poblano was nicely spiced and topped with crushed maple peanuts. Seafood choice was Cazuela Baru, definitely the favorite. Caribbean tomato coconut bouillabaisse with prawns, halibut, clams and squid was paired with fluffy coconut rice. All main dishes are decently sized and priced between $17 and $21.

By this point we were feeling complete, but were “forced” to at least try dessert. A chocolate lava cake was suggested, however, it was disappointingly rough in texture. The only culinary failure of the evening, however, the dish is commonly at the end of many menus, so there is tough competition.

Wines can be challenging to pair with Latin Cuisine. The Baru list is limited, all from Argentina, Chile and Spain. Some reserve Chardonnay’s and descent Merlots stand out, but we liked the cocktail suggestions best.

So has Baru stood the test of time? Our vote? Still worthy of a Gold in the food department. We will be back, but earlier in the evening when we will not be told that the restaurant is “really busy right now” when making a simple request of the somewhat flustered wait staff.

[lauraf]

Baru has actually won Best of the Americas from Vancouver Magazine for three years running - not that there was a huge amount of competition in this city. And personally (oops, disclosure: Baru is one of my clients) every meal we've enjoyed at Baru has been outstanding. I adore their Honduran ceviche, the white bean sopa, and the Buena Vista cocktails. Decor-wise, it can seem a little bit like That 70's Show basement, with garage-sale orange lounge chairs and brown coffee tables, but we're there for the food. I do agree that the kitchen can sometimes be slow, but hey, if someone needs a siesta, they need a siesta. C'mon.

[Pez]

Thanks all for the Baru suggestions. I went on Thursday with a friend and had their ceviche tri-sampler along with their pisco sour and a mojito. All was good. The sampler was amazing. I'm not a plantain person, but really liked it there as an accompaniment to the ceviche.

[Ducky]

We're regulars here - as it is in the neighbourhood - and are also fans.

The decor? What can you say when designers want to be trendy at any cost? Problem is trends change and today's cool is tomorrow's kitsch.

In my view "comfort" should always be the principal design criteria for restaurants - but this view is apparently not widely held in Vancouver.

That said, the ceviche at Baru is always good - as is the striploin. My wife absolutely swears by the mango-pork loin, and indeed this dish is the principal reason for our regular return visits.

We find it helps to do a few serious shooters before going to Baru. Helps with the decor, the silly chairs and the hipsters.