Great food, Great atmosphere and great prices during there happy hour. Classy atmosphere and friendly wait staff. Going back again and again

Last Saturday afternoon, my husband and I celebrated our milestone wedding anniversary with a luncheon in the Crystal Room. A few months earlier, we had celebrated a family Christening in the same room and were very impressed by the friendly atmosphere of one giant rectangular table. Our guests ranged in age from 3 years old to 77. We chose one of the pre-fixe menus with dessert, and everything was delicious. The appetizer selection, five items of our choice, was served family style, as was the selection of assorted desserts. Each of the four entrée choices was served attractively and thoroughly enjoyed by our guests. There was definitely something for everyone. We used the large screen TV to run a slide show of our wedding photos and various family moments on a loop throughout the event. We also had a playlist of our favorite wedding songs set up. The waitstaff, headed by Dania, was impeccable. All requests were handled immediately. Our thanks also to Adrian, who assisted us with all our plans and made well received suggestions. It was truly an elegant, white tablecloth affair which we will always remember. read more

Our favorite place! The food is always amazing, the atmosphere is beautiful, and the service is excellent. Barka never disappoints--we love coming here! Best Octopus on the planet read more

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So my daughter decided to take me out today to barka today for father's day because she will be away on Sunday. She just orders anything she thinks i would like appetizers up the wazoo. She knows how much i love food and how sacred food is too me . As a chef i just eat anything and everything. The most beautiful bone marrow comes to our table so perfectly cooked and plated it was a master piece. Stuffed dates oh my god and the rest of the food was exquisite. I felt like a emperor I dont have the words for the dishes that came to the table i was so excited without disappointment. Every dish that came out were top notch The table service i cant even thank the staff in front of the house enough for their professional curious clean cut service. Such well trained table service such amazing ambassadors representing the kitchen and restaurant with such pride and proudness of the place of employment . The restaurant was absolutely beautiful and well taken care and clean. You can tell the staff are very proud of the establishment just on how the place was so meticulously clean. This place is a five star definitely in my opinion very well earned Such well mannered and such service should never be unnoticed I hope the owners recognize this staff back and front of the house are excellent. To impress me to this level i assure you i look at everything notice everything so i can tell you this place is my top three favorite . I had such a beautiful time today. Thank you all for making my visit a one of a life time great My chef hat off to all of you my respects Sincerely yours truly Chef P Ramos read more

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The moment you arrive at Barka, you immediately get a sense of old-world elegance and charm. Parking is easy, the staff is incredibly welcoming, and the atmosphere sets the stage for a special evening. We came here to celebrate my husband's 52nd birthday, and the experience did not disappoint. I had called ahead and was pleased that they allowed me to bring a custom cake. I also appreciated the simple yet elegant touches, like the beautifully folded table napkins and a selection of champagne options (bonus points!) Starting off, the grilled octopus with capers, onions, and red peppers was the best I've ever had--simply amazing. It was light, fresh, flavorful, and perfectly prepared. This is an absolute must-order appetizer. For my entrée, I ordered the Diver scallops with grilled asparagus risotto, crab meat, and crispy prosciutto. It was very good--rich, flavorful, and beautifully presented. My husband chose the Halibut with grilled asparagus and butternut squash risotto, and he enjoyed every bite as well. To top off the evening, the staff came out to sing happy birthday, which added another nice touch to the night. The service, ambiance, and food all came together to create an exceptional experience. I would highly recommend Barka for anyone looking for excellent seafood, elegant ambiance, and attentive service. "Because dining is more than food - it's flavor, style and elegance that should be savored one bite at a time." - AMC read more

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Amazing!! Amazing food service and wonderful atmosphere I loved the Santorini lobster and how it was presented! The cocktails are amazing and you have to get to the tableside fish and dessert read more

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Highly recommend it for this place. I like their prefix lunch special for $29.95, a value lunch meal. The service is very friendly and the atmosphere is gorgeous. You feel like you are in Mediterranean for the moment... read more

As always Barka never disappoints. I visited this place first time back in 2019 which was the pre COVID era. It was a beautiful experience and we knew the place was expensive. Post COVID the price looks like reaching the sky! But of court the good is amazing with amazing ambiance. As you get in, they welcome you and get you seated. If you are a group of more people, I suggest you get it booked . They have a good wine collection and date night dinners and corporate dinners are amazing . Some of the things that I tried and liked are attached in here. Coming back again for sure! Best seafood in town ! read more

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I came here for dinner with friends on a Tuesday night, and it was such a wonderful experience. The food is delicious. I got the rigatoni bolognese and it was so flavorful. Pasta was cooked perfectly and the meat in the sauce was so tender. I also asked the server to request from the bartender, a sweet mocktail and they made this passion fruit mocktail for me. That was delicious. read more

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Was not happy with the main course. The Shrimp scampi - the shrimp were over cooked and did not have much flavor. The appetizer and dessert were very good. The service was excellent. The ambiance made the disappointing food better. read more

Came here for dinner for the first time this past Saturday night. Parking lot was packed - a good sign. Walked in and the atmosphere and decor of the place was incredible. It's a beautiful restaurant. We were seated quickly (party of 6 with a reservation). Our water order was confusing (3 tap, 3 sparkling) but the waitstaff made sure to learn it and get it right from the get go. My mule was good as well as a dining companions spritz. She didn't like her first drink, something spicy. Said it wasn't actually spicy. Some highlights of the meal include the complimentary bread and tahini, the truffle fries, Barka salad, halibut special, lamb, scallops, shrimp scampi and chicken Milanese. Brussels sprouts could have been crisped more but the flavor was good. Asparagus were overcooked for some, but I enjoyed as it wasn't drenched in oil. All agreed the risotto was overcooked and mushy. Still tasty and decent to eat, but not as good as traditional home cooked risotto. We didn't order coffee or dessert and weren't rushed out of our table either. Overall everyone enjoyed their first Barka experience and we will definitely be back. I want to try their lunch specials! read more

Barka - Barka salad. Terrible picture and lighting- doesn't do it any justice at all. I'd order this every time I dine here. - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

Liked this place so much, my wife and I went twice in one week. Stopped by during the week without a res and ended up having a great meal. Had no plans on a Saturday evening and said to my wife, "want to go back to Barka?" Glad we did. This time we order the grilled octopus and it was excellent. Very flavorful with the right amount of char while not being over cooked. The restuarant is very nicely decorated and the staff is very attentive both times we went. Looking forward to going back real soon. read more

Beautiful restaurant. We went out for my husband's birthday, food was great and quick service. Overall such a nice time! read more

Barka - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

I recently went for brunch, and it was excellent! Service was top notch, and food was stellar. Hubby and I split both the lemon ricotta pancakes and the cacio e pepe croissant sandwich, and I couldn't have been happier. Booth was super comfy. Will definitely be our new go-to when we want to splurge on breakfast! read more

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The food was excellent. Stuffed halibut with crab, chicken parm, and bone marrow all recommended. The service and ambience were also excellent. read more

Barka - Bone Marrow - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

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We recently held a retirement luncheon at Barka and it was spectacular. The food was delicious, served on time, & super fresh. The fried calamari was magnificent. I would highly recommend having any occasion there. The service was superb, never a dirty plate or empty glass sat on the table. Special thanks to Matteo for making sure our luncheon went off without a hitch. read more

Great food and ambience. Friendly staff. Fantastic happy hour. Will be heading back soon.

Great food and service. Gabi was great and very nice. Ambiance was excellent and a very pleasant atmosphere to eat. Highly recommended!

I've come to Barka a few times for great happy hour deals at the bar. Recently visited for a private party and we ate a bunch of Italian food. The food itself was great - penne alla vodka and chicken parmesan were my favorites. The eggplant rolitini was also done pretty well. Many options were provided. The service itself was just ok. The attendants had to be told each time to replenish the food but overall it was a good experience. read more

Barka - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

Attended a wedding reception here, which was my first visit. The food was great overall, and it looks like they have a lot of special event menu options at different rates. I tried all of the apps, which came out at a good pace. They included caprese, shrimp arrabiatta, grilled artichokes, zucchini and eggplant chips, and clams oreganata. The shrimp arrabiatta and zucchini/eggplant chips were my favorites. For dinner, I selected the filet mignon, and my husband had to get the 20oz ribeye, which is never seen as a wedding menu choice. I did prefer the ribeye, which was more flavorful than the filet (fat = flavor). The salad was decent but didn't have mango as advertised. There was a huge plate of decadent desserts that we sampled (apps and desserts were all served family style at the table). I'm not sure if the cake was restaurant made. I'd come back to try the other food, the main restaurant was positively buzzing, and the seafood smelled incredible. It is a pretty big restaurant. read more

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We came here for a friend's birthday party. The moment we walked in the restaurant, I felt that this place is special. The decor is beautiful and they also have rooms for parties that's where we were. I cannot believe how good the food is especially given it is buffet style. The food was fresh. Fried calamari was perfection and the steak was rare in the middle. The salmon and shrimp were excellent, grilled veggie had just the right amount of seasonings. The coffee was very smooth and the desserts are amazing, especially the key lime pie. The bartender was super nice as well. My wife and I said to each other we will definitely come back for our next family gathering. read more

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Very nice place and people. Very good service and food. High end food quality and price as well. Good experience. read more

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Barka is very good from a food, service and ambiance perspective. I had the chicken parm and it was a solid 8/10.

This was my second time coming to this place!! The first time it was for my friend's birthday party!! And we (my husband and I) felt that it would be a nice place to bring our family, hence the second time!! And it did not disappoint!! When it was my friend's birthday party, it was buffet style, but the food was delicious... everything was fresh and well seasoned, they gave you so much options, from steak, to chicken, to fish, pasta, vegetables, and not to mention desserts and coffee... and when we went back for our family dinner, we all ordered different thing, from steak, to pasta, to whole branzino, lobster and lamb shank.. calamari and octopus as appetizer and gelato and key lime pie for dessert!! It's not cheap!! But you get what you pay for!!! Service is great!! My water glass was always filled, and they are very polite and helpful!! My mother in law said that her friend recommend her to go there for lunch since they have special lunch menu!! Maybe we will have to try it out next!! read more

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Barka was a great experience! This is the quintessential date or celebration restaurant. The food was excellent - it lost a star because of soggy skin on the fish. The fish was cooked well - except the skin - and the sides excellent. This isn't the typical Mediterranean restaurant- so check the menu. The staff was VERY VERY attentive. read more

Barka - The red snapper special - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

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Came here for a bridal shower and it was held in the back room which had a bar and plenty of space and tables. Great space to host parties! The food was absolutely delicious and service was great. I don't think the restaurant was lacking in any area. read more

Barka is quite disappointing, especially at its price point. Hadn't been for years, and my wife and I thought the last time we went it was a different restaurant. But it was the same. That last time she got a pasta dish and the pasta was overcooked to the point of mush (mush being a theme here). Similar experience this time around. I don't write many reviews, but Barka charges enough that I think people should know what to expect before dropping that kind of money. The food was very disappointing, with one exception. I ordered a stuffed calamari appetizer from the specials menu. The calamari was very tough, like rubber. But it was the stuffing that made the dish almost inedible. It was the consistency of wet mush (maybe like an off putting oatmeal), and unseasoned. Not good. It was in a tomato and olive sauce that was ok, but again, unseasoned. You just cannot make a tomato sauce without salt. Food 101. This was just bad. No other way to say it. I got a dover sole entree stuffed with crab that was fine. But it came with risotto that was very overcooked. Again, it was mush. No consistency, no creaminess, nothing you would want in a risotto. Unfortunately, something like half of their dishes are served with risotto, but it seems they don't know how risotto is supposed to be prepared. I ate the fish and left the overcooked rice on the plate. The one exception was the Chilean sea bass my wife ordered. It came with risotto but, luckily, she subbed it out for sautéed spinach. The fish was cooked perfectly and the spinach was very good. This was a bright spot in our meal. The wine list was basic, and disappointing for a restaurant that sells itself as a high end Mediterranean seafood spot. There were five Italian whites and four were Pinot Grigios. The other was from Piedmont. How about something Sicilian, or from a coastal region, that isn't Pinot Grigio? Or something from Greece? That might sound nit-picky, but Barka's prices are very high. Dinner was $300 for the two of us before tip. It bills itself as a high-end restaurant, but it doesn't execute on basics like pastas and risotto, doesn't season a tomato sauce, and has basic, yet still high priced, wines. For the prices they charge, you should expect a kitchen that executes and wines that accentuate the food you are eating. At best, it's a very bad value and at worst (the stuffed calamari, the risotto) just plain bad. read more

It had been a few years since I was last at Barka. Last night, my wife and I met friends there for dinner. While I liked the restaurant previously, the food and service seemed even better last night. Wow...what a meal! After receiving our cocktails, we started in with appetizers. A couple of us had the octopus, others had the crab cake, and lobster bisque. I forgot just how good the octopus was, it was amazing! Grilled to perfection. Our entrees ranged from filets, veal Oscar, and ribeye steak. We all thought it was one of the best meals we've had. Of all the local NJ restaurants, Barka is certainly near the top in this high end category. The only reason I didn't give the 5 stars is that it was extremely hot in the restaurant. Uncomfortably hot. Just need to take a look at that AC! read more

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It's sadly obvious there is new management., not the place it once was. There was a small child sitting at the bar at 9pm watching an iPad at the highest volume so they could hear it over the music played by the restaurant. 1. Completely ruined the experience for any adult having dinner and drinks. 2. When did Barka and its bar become a child care center? 3. Why would management allow this? 4. Isn't it against the law for anyone under 21 to sit at a bar? Friend and I ordered two fish dishes, one was a special the other was a menu item. Other than the type fish we ordered, the dishes were exactly the same - the special was not at all the way it was described on the menu. read more

Five stars, even though I didn't love every appetizer we ordered this place is a gem. The decor is beautiful and the restaurant is immaculate. This definitely is a special occasion restaurant that I feel rivals Rails. We had started with the mussels (didn't love the red sauce, a few were unopened as well), clams orgenata (my pick and disappointed, it just was ok), shrimp arabiata (fantastic) and the crab cake (it's one crab cake that was just ok, for $22 it could have been better). Dinner however we all enjoyed. My brother's lobster was massive, my scallops with the amazing asparagus risotto was outstanding, the filet is huge and perfectly seasoned & cooked, the ahi tuna is beautiful presentation wise and the scampi sauce for the shrimp scampi was excellent. I would love to return, a great experience overall. read more

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Funny thing. Sometimes Barka is great. Great food, great service. Other times it's not that great. Slow service and the food is not that good. It's almost like they are bothered that you are even there. Probably won't be going back anytime soon. Sorry about that. read more

Barka - Barka at their best. - Seafood Near Me - Mountain Lakes, New Jersey

The food is always amazing and consistent. Waitstaff excellent, beautiful restaurant for all occasions!

Was a tough night at Barka but ultimately we left happy. Very smart looking restaurant that has a nice vibe. Although it was very hectic thanks to a large private event. Restaurant was also hot and they could take out a table or two to allow for better spacing. Things got off to a rocky start. We sat just after 7PM and a good 20 minutes passed without a server. We flagged one down and without introduction or apology immediately asks to take our food order. We ordered drinks, he delivered and that was the last we saw of him. Eventually our real waiter (I guess) surfaced and he was much better. Apologetic and friendly. Seemingly, all good. Fast forward - it was after 9PM and our entrees were still not out. He apologized several times along the way letting us know the kitchen was overwhelmed by the private party. Eventually, we did enjoy most of the food. Mussels, beet salad and calamari apps were all good. Sea Bass was excellent and lobster pretty good. Swordfish was dry and the guacamole side was way too salty. Flaming strawberries and baklava were both tasty desserts. Our waiter was gracious enough to top off a couple of our wine glasses and comped the desserts. Would I go back? Yes, but only if I could be assured of no private parties! read more

We celebrated our anniversary here and we were extremely pleased. They seated us in the circular booth which was perfect for our "romantic " dinner! The service was excellent and the food was done to perfection. I ordered the Chilean sea bass and my husband ordered the soft shell crabs , oh and I forgot the fried calamari. Ample servings and delicious! We shared the cheesecake, to die for We will definitely be returning. read more

Short and Bitter! Bring your check book, your credit cards and any cash you have. You are gonna need it. This place is wayyyyy overpriced. Two words, overpriced and underwhelmed. Pass on this one. read more

2nd time on a saturday night we have brought people here only to be disappointed by the service. Food was fine. When you can't find the waiter to get another drink or dessert or your check - the doggie bags are on the table after dessert and the waiter walks right by - well something ain't right as they say. Only hurting themselves by not having adequate wait staff. Will not return on a Saturday but will try a weekday again if the opportunity arises. Its a shame, hope they can get it together because the food is good. read more

We saw a lunch pre-fixe menu online. We decided to check it out. They gave us a dinner menu at the lunch hour and told us that they did not have a pre-fixe menu. Why put it online then? Deceptive advertising. The food smelled amazing, but we did not appreciate the lack of clarity. read more

This was my third time at Barka and it didn't disappoint. My husband and I have made this spot our new date night place. The restaurant's ambience is nice and the service has been excellent. We have tried mainly fish dishes which have been delicious but we look forward to going back with friends to try their meat dishes as well! I would highly recommend trying this place out. They also offer a great happy hour special at the bar with 30% off the entire menu including cocktails on Sundays, Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays! read more

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I don't know man.....maybe we caught them on an off night, but it really wasn't as good as all the reviews on yelp had described. We generally found the food very bland and just ok. Maybe we didn't order the right dishes and should have just stick with the fish. The French Onion soup was just ok, not great. The lobster bisque was terrible, I didn't even finish it. It was like tomato/carrot soup with pieces of lobster. The lamb shank was just eh, with a terrible gravy and lumpy mashed potatoes. Penne Vodka was very bland. Buffalo chicken pizza was chicken tenders cut up with red hot sauce. The lobster ravioli was ok but we had to add salt. The filet was cooked perfectly but I think they forgot to season it. It is very nice inside, however I just wasn't blown away by the food given the prices. Again, maybe we got them on an off night. read more

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Been to Barka a few times now and always a pleasant experience. I find their menu to have a lot of different things that sound very tasty. I always go for the scallops which are nicely done and you also get risotto with crab meat and asparagus a good bonus. They serve some good rolls with a hummus style dip and olives which was yummy. The cocktails on the menu I feel don't really mesh with the mediterranean vibe but they're alright, wish there was more variety like their food menu. Service is always good! read more

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