Baru

Review summary

1. R

   Ricolette

   Western KY

   29 reviews

   3.0

   29 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   Always enjoy the food, service is definitely an afterthought. 
   

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2. S

   Sara

   Cincinnati

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This place was outstanding. The standout was definitely their sushi rolls. But everything we had was great. Our service was amazing. He was friendly and attentive. His name was Alex. We will definitely be back.
   

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3. M

   Maeve

   VIP

   Charleston

   9 reviews

   5.0

   9 reviews

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The lobster shots were so good. Great service. We love this place.
   

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4. h

   henry

   VIP

   Cincinnati

   27 reviews

   3.0

   27 reviews

   Dined on February 22, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service was excellent, nice ambiance. Kitchen out of two items ordered on the menu, shrimp tempura and hamachi were excellent
   

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5. M

   Michell

   Chicago

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 20, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   food is decent. service was slow despite restaurant not being busy.
   

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6. G

   Greta

   VIP

   Minneapolis

   10 reviews

   4.0

   10 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 2

   Our sushi and drinks were delicious. The ambience was just okay for me…but of course it was daytime/early evening. This seems like a much better pick for drinks and late nights! A large open space with a huge center bar.
   

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7. L

   Lindsay

   Cincinnati

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food is phenomenal! We got the lobster shot, crispy rice and shrimp tempura appetizers and loved them all. I’ve also had the edamame which is delicious. The sushi rolls are good but not as tasty as the other dishes in my opinion. My favorite roll was the Ebi, followed by the lobster hand roll. The shabu and truffle rolls were ok. Both the scallops and the crab fried rice were outstanding. The tiramisu was underwhelming but overall the food is definitely worth trying. I can’t wait to go back!
   

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8. J

   Joseph

   VIP

   Tampa

   4 reviews

   1.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 2

   I took my wife here for Valentine’s Day, expecting a special evening. What we got instead was a masterclass in disappointment. Despite emailing the host a week in advance and receiving confirmation that our special request would be noted in our reservation, the waitstaff had no idea what we were talking about. To their credit, they scrambled to accommodate us, but it was clear they’d been left in the dark—an unfortunate bit of disorganization that set the tone for the night. Then came the food. We were mysteriously served two of the same appetizers (though only charged for one, which I suppose counts as a silver lining). The sushi? A revelation in how utterly uninspired raw fish can be—bland, wrapped in dry, stale rice, and shockingly tiny. We tried the most expensive roll on the menu—$38. Waste of money. And the fried rice? Less of a dish, more of a saltwater experiment, drenched in soy sauce to the point of being inedible. The waitstaff, ever-apologetic, removed it from the bill and offered a complimentary dessert, but by then, our appetite for both food and goodwill had vanished. A Valentine’s dinner should be memorable. This one certainly was—just for all the wrong reasons. Between the service mishap, the disastrous food, and the laughable prices, it’s safe to say we won’t be back.
   

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9. L

   Logan

   Cincinnati

   3 reviews

   1.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   Have been to Baru a few times now and have always loved it. Got the advertisement for a Valentine’s Day special menu so booked a reservation and was very excited for the amazing experience were used to. Unfortunately the Valentine’s Day experience at baru was not great. We were not sat on time for our reservation and after 15 minutes were told there wasn’t a table available but we could eat at the bar. First bartender assigned to us told us he would be “right with us” and then did not come back for more then 10 minutes. Luckily Alex another bartender noticed us not being serviced and stepped in to take our orders. We were excited about the sweet Riesling advertised for the Valentine’s Day menu but then were told they don’t have any. This was the first day of the two day valentines day menu so shocking they ran out so quickly. Alex was great and very kind and the sushi was good. We then ordered the Valentine’s Day mug cake that was advertised with an espresso mochi. The mug cake tastes mostly like burnt chocolate and there was no espresso mochi, but instead a strawberry mochi. So either they made it wrong or ran out of espresso mochi and did not ask us if strawberry is an ok alternative. As a couple with many allergies it was off putting to see the recipe being alternated without at least checking if that’s okay. So overall it did not seem like a very well run special Valentine’s Day at Baru and our experience was disappointing on many instances throughout the dinner. Overall Alex was great as a bartender/service and would recommend him to anyone.
   

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10. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Cincinnati

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 3

    Terrible service for mediocre food. I will not be back
    

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