Bay Leaf Restaurant

Rated 5.0 This is a nice place, especially for a small southern town. Many have talked about the food and the staff, all of that is true. The service is slow-ish (by impatient American standards), the food is good and worth the wait. They ask you what heat/spice level you want and I think that is a nice nod to American palates. The flavors are complex. My wife and I were talking a few days later and both admitted that perhaps its one of those things where our ability to taste the "nuance" of all the complex spices isn't quite mature. We are going to remedy that by having Indian/Nepalese cuisine a little more often. Let me take a moment though to celebrate the courage of the immigrant community. I cannot personally imagine packing up my stuff, traveling to some small town in another country where I may not be fluent in the language and setting up the pulled pork joint (a dish I am good at). Those who would want to build walls or other barriers are perhaps simply afraid of competition. I would instead prefer to enjoy the fact that these folks are here and contributing. Of course I don't want to "give" anyone a handout, regardless of where they are born. I do however prefer a world of opportunity to make their own way. Our restaurant options are all the richer because someone from somewhere else took a big, big gamble.

Rated 5.0 Amazon restaurant. As an Indian man who grew up on Indian food this out-striped my wildest expectations. The Chicken 65 Kaas was to die for and the samosa were immaculate. Definitely come here if in you're in New Bern.

Rated 5.0 DISCLOSURES: Best Indian food that we have had in the US! Seriously, if you like Indian food or feel adventurous then you've got to visit this place. If you've lived in New Bern for a few years and haven't eaten here then you're really missing out. Before we decided to give these guys a shot we were very hesitant because of the reviews regarding quality of service. However, we were BLOWN AWAY by both the food and the service. I emphasize up front that these guys offer some of the best Indian cuisine in the world!! Highly recommend checking them out. We walked in shortly after 6 pm and were the third guests of the evening. With that said, service was excellent. The waiter was very attentive from beginning to end. We ordered the vegetable samosa, garlic and cheese naan, butter chicken, lamb roganjosh, mango lassi, and chai. The vegetable samosa and the sauces were outstanding; comparable to the best we've ever had. In line with the best we've ever had. The sauces were the best ever! The garlic and cheese naan was different. It was more like a pizza. That's new. Usually the cheese is placed inside the naan not on the top. Texture and consistency wise, terrific. Very good. Also some of the best naan. The butter chicken was incredible. At a spice level of 7.5 stars, this thing was exploding with flavor. Really outstanding curry! Everything about it was epic. The lamb wasn't really my thing and the husband agreed that my curry may have been only minimally better than the lamb. It was still packed with flavor but the lamb could've benefitted from about 20 minutes more heat to soften a bit more. We needed two plates of basmati to get all of the curry down. The spice level was perfect. Maybe even a 6.5 would've worked. Both curries were a 7.5 but felt like the butter chicken may have been an 8. Mango lassi is a no go. Too thick for our taste. More like a smoothie really. The chai was a true star. Best chai award goes to these guys. Oprah and Teavana need to try what real chai should taste like. NOTE: the place began to fill up beginning at 6:30/6:45. Perhaps showing up early would yield the outstanding service? No complaints on our part. $50 and absolutely worth every penny.

Rated 5.0 I absolutely love the food here and the service is exceptional.

Rated 5.0 Amazing Indian food. Everything we have ever gotten here is phenomenal. It is a little pricey, so we can't eat here as often as we would like. My favorite thing to eat here is the butter chicken. My husband loves the mango chicken. Don't go mild, get at least medium to enhance the flavored.

Rated 5.0 After six weeks working in New Bern, eating out every meal, it's become clear to me that Bay Leaf is the best restaurant in town. It doesn't matter what you order, it will be expertly prepared and satisfying to the last bite. I can't go to this restaurant without eating so much that my stomach hurts. Service is top notch and everything is prepared perfectly to order. Get your Indian on at this top notch establishment Try the lamb, or try anything. It won't disappoint.

Rated 5.0 Bay Leaf had us in love with the first aroma of food that found its way to our noses and mouths. Hadn't had Indian in a while. Having dinner at Bay Leaf on Friday sent us on a lovely dinner adventure. We shared everything we ordered. Had the Vegetable Pakora for an appetizer. Onions, broccoli, and cauliflower. Wish it had a little more variety, but we enjoyed it and the sauces, like the Tamarind, went with it nicely! Ordered a bottle of the J. Lohr Cab. Smooth, medium-bodied, really good red, which went well with our entree choices. Garlic Naan. Chicken Tikka Massala. Lamb Vindaloo (with potatoes in the gravy). Basmati rice that was refilled. Our waters were replenished before they could even be depleted halfway and the service was splendid. Highly professional, yet very friendly. Beautifully done. I can taste it again now as I write about it. If you're in the mood for a little adventure for your taste buds, while you're in New Bern, definitely check out Bay Leaf. So glad our host recommended it.