Menu
It’s an okay place, but not a place I would necessarily recommend to my friends.
Best brunch in Arlington hands down! The food and drinks really are amazing
An interesting array of small dishes, influenced by Baba's relationship with Ambar, the Balkan tapas restaurant, next door. Food was tasty but servings were literally small.
Two things brings me back to Baba eveytime:
1. the great service
2. the awsome DJ on friday night
the food, atmosphere, cool crowd and great location also helps
I went for hh and the drinks are creative and delicious. However, the food menu is extremely limited especially for vegetarians. The last time I had been the menu was far more extensive, smaller yet similar to Ambar upstairs. The staff told me they changed the menu since my last visit about a year or so ago. I 100% recommend Baba for hh drinks though and then do what we did, eat upstairs. Great ambiance, as well!
Great cocktails, meh (and overpriced) food.
Food is great and a great value. A little cramped but cosy. Wine list is a bit weak, but great place.
Always a great place for brunch. The Balkan eggs are my favorite but everything is fantastic.
I was disappointed that although it was restaurant week and they were offering a prix fixe menu, the server did not mention it and did not give us the restaurant week menu. That did not seem right. I was with someone so it was awkward to point that out.
This place is great! Went here for a birthday dinner with a few friends and had a great time. It has sort of a "fourth date vibe" so be aware (When I went there my group was the only non-couple in the room). Watch out for the chairs (they roll). If you get anything other than the mix drink cocktails you are making a mistake because they are amazing and creative (though they also have a good wine/beer selection too)!
OUTSTANDING ambiance and food. We got the "unlimited/bottomless brunch" and enjoyed all the diverse selection. Appreciated that the culinary offering is not the standard American brunch fare. The Baba Team was fantastic. Only suggestion is that more attention is paid to timely mimosa refills and menu orders. More time than not, we were actively seeking attention from the staff. Other than that, it was a thoroughly enjoyable brunch experience.
Wonderful experience, as always—cozy, good food, thoughtful and attentive service staff. The brunch deal satisfied the most and least adventurous eaters among us, as well as the most and least interested in cocktails. Highly recommend.
Baba is a tucked away restaurant with excellent Balkan food and unique cocktails. It’s much quieter than it’s neighbor, Ámbar, and offers a cozy setting. The brunch buffet and ala carte menu was perfect on a warm Saturday!
Great ambience, great food! I invited a large group, first experience for them, and all were very pleased.
First time at Baba. Won't be my last. The food was AMAZING! Everyone in my group loved it.
Loved the ambiance! So relaxing and sweet
Love the secret passage from the sidewalk going into the restaurant. The furniture is very worn and is in need of an upgrade. The theme is cute and will work but with new furniture. This relates to comfort.
The food was great as far as flavor, however, the eggs were burnt. I don’t like mine burnt. The lunch side of brunch seems more solid than the breakfast. They have opportunities here to add some flare to the menu. My Bloody was OK... no celery, olives, etc... just juice and Vodka. Again.... add some flair...
My friends love this place so I’ll give you another try in the near future.
Went here for our anniversary to celebrate our first date, which was also here at Baba. We loved the vibe on our first date and obviously it was a good first date since we are together this much later. This time for our anniversary, we looked forward to the same atmosphere in terms of food, drinks, music, etc. Unfortunately we left after a couple drinks (which were very creative and good) and went upstairs to Ambar to eat because the acoustic guitarist playing at Baba was terrible and loud. Not sure if this is a nightly thing now, or just a couple days a week, or just on this one occasion. We will probably try again another time, but we won’t bother sitting down if there’s live music after this experience.
Pretty disturbing when you pay $35 per person for Restaurant week for a drink, appetizer and an entree and your portions are so small that you leave hungry.
The space is lovely reminds me of Paris! I don't know if the restaurant week portions were skrunk or if that is normal but they were small-we stopped at the taco and pizza place a few blocks down for take-out. The 5 hour lamb was amazing but my Bolognese had unevenly cooked pasta. I did enjoy my raspberry fizz and the sparkling wine was very nice. The staff are super friendly but if you get so busy that you can't remember what people order, you need to write it down. The guy came back 3 times to ask about something we ordered and we heard him ask 2 surrounding tables what they ordered.
Wonderful surprise. Unique and delicious food. Sunday brunch is fairly reasonable.
Love the vibe at this downstairs restaurant! We enjoyed a lovely brunch with great service. The $.25 mimosas, bellinis, and enfused coffee we’re definitely a draw, and the overall price of $29 for a bottomless brunch can’t be beat. Our fave foods were the salmon crepes, the cheese/jelly pastries, the French toast, and the salmon Benedict. (Pescatarian, so can’t speak to the meat dishes). Oh, and the baklava & chocolate crepes for dessert. Yum.
Would definitely recommend!
Fourth time to visit Baba. Hard to believe, but each time just gets better. Our food was perfectly prepared and presented. As always the ambiance in the restaurant is cozy, yet lively. Happy Hour here is one af the best values in the DC area.
A business acquaintance from Japan was visiting, and I wanted to find someplace where a few of us could sit and catch up, as well as enjoy a nice cocktail and a small meal. Baba is perfect for such an occasion. The small plate filet was quite savory.
I'm sure I'll be back with friends and/or family. Really a delightful, intimate and fairly hip (by my old-guy standards) bistro. Bonus points for the downstairs location, which adds to the vibe!
Perfect evening - great location and atmosphere. Dinner & Drinks were well-prepared and well-presented. Attentive service. Live music was appropriate and enjoyable. Can't wait to go back again
Bartender was not attentive on my visit. Focused more on carrying the conversations with other waiting staff
I've been here about 6 times so far this year. One of the best brunch spots in the area with amazing food and incredibly light and tasty mixed drinks. Everyone I've brought here loves it too. I'll definitely continue coming here for the ambiance and original feel.
Place was great, loved the ambiance and the food was delicious. Very friendly staff. No reception though but I think that is good
Food was fantastic and the deal with the drinks being included for $0.25 each was awesome. Interesting selection of all kind of deliciousness with some items coming hot out of the kitchen. It was fab. Only reason that this is not 5 stars is because it was not made clear that brunch service ends at 3p. You have 2 hours from the time your reservation starts to eat and drink and so we only had one hour. Our waitress spilled our drinks all over my friend and, while accidents are understandable, it took too long to get it cleaned up and it was not ideal. I'd go back in a minute, though.
They have really improved over the past few years! Excellent brunch deal!
This is one of our favorites for brunch , and now we love it for a chic but casual dinner. Less noisy than Ambar upstairs, but same kitchen so food is just as good. Loved it!
A solid place for decent cocktails in a lounge that maximizes its space. It was great at first but then the DJ showed up and started blasting beats and the lets kept getting progressively darker - it felt like the VIP roped-off section of a club (but with no dancefloor). The vibe got sort of strange and incongruous. Drinks were overpriced and decent -- some were hit or miss but passable and it made for an enjoyable enough time for friends to gather.
Unlimited menu is great value. All food was yum
Baba is a gem. You really can't go wrong with any of the drinks or food, and the happy hour menu gives you a chance to get a little taste before being able to order more.
If you are drinking, I highly recommend the Sombrero. It's under the smoky drink menu, and it has a great balance of smoke, salt, and overall flavor.
The Croquettes are fantastic, and the chicken skewers have a ton of flavor.
Overall, you should stop here if you get the chance! My only regret is waiting this long to try this place.
We went for a holiday brunch. They had a buffet and/or order from the menu all the same price. The food was good and the wait staff very nice.
The bottomless Sunday brunch buffet was excellent with creative and delicious food choices. The buffet doesn't look enormous or overwhelming, yet there were plenty of excellent choices, including 3 types of soup, desserts, etc. Plus, in addition to the buffet, for the very reasonable price tag, you could also order entrees on menu at no extra cost, and 25 cent creative cocktails!
Hands down best Brunch I have been to in DC, food and atmosphere are amazing!
The service, drinks and ambiance were all on point! Will definitely be visiting soon.
We had a very enjoyable time. The band "The Rhythm Makers" was terrific. I will be back next time they play. My only complaint was the cost. Nearly $100 with tip for 3 drinks and a few appetizers seems excessive.
We enjoyed our brunch at baba. Food was delicious and wait staff was attentive
