Natasha’s Bistro & Bar

We had an amazing dinner and enjoyed great live music. It was just the kind of place we were looking for when visiting Lexington. We will definitely be back.

What a crash and burn experience this was! I have dined at Natasha’s several times in the past, and really enjoyed it. This time was a joke.
* I don’t drink, so asked for iced tea– unsweetened. Waitress brought syrupy-​sweet tea– ok, whatever, but the regular tea had not been brewed yet, and the sweet tea was in the wrong container. Um, ok. Rather than wait, how about a Pelligrino or Perrier? Nope. Really?
Ok, club soda? Finally. Not a big deal, but it’s telling of what was to come.
*I have tried Natasha’s Vegan Midnight Curry before and loved it, but decided to go with a couple of the small dish choices and an appetizer as my dinner.
First, I ordered the Vegetable Skewers, «Two skewers served with choice of marinated seasonal vegetables, chicken or shrimp. Served on a bed of cilantro lime rice– 7.99»
Hold on here, guys. It says Skewers, NOT toothpicks. Yup, this dish was 4 3″ toothpicks (complete with cellophane decoration) with barely cooked veggies on them. Cherry tomatoes, yellow squash, green pepper & red pepper. I’m not kidding when I say barely cooked. The cilantro-​lime rice? White rice with a few flecks of green.
*I also ordered a Mezze Platter, which is a combo of any 3 from the «sides» menu. Mine was to be Hummus with pita, Global Grain Salad (Cous Cous, parsley, cranberries, onions, celery and carrots tossed with our house made vinaigrette), and finally the Tabouleh,
(Middle Eastern salad of cracked wheat, parsley, tomatoes, onions and mint.)
As a vegan, I eat my share of Mediterranean food, and I know what Tabouleh should be like. This was the weirdest concoction ever. It was all grains, with a few flecks of parsley. Huh? I called the waitress over because I wasn’t sure I even got the dish I ordered. She said «that’s how it always looks». The other grain salad could have been good but all I could taste was vinegar.
To top it off, I asked for both of my dishes to be served together, but nope, couldn’t do that either. 10 minutes between the two. This was with only a few tables being served. Our waitress did not know the menu and had to ask about everything, and I do mean everything.
I don’t know what has happened here, but I’m just relieved that our friends couldn’t join us for dinner that evening, or I would have been terribly embarrassed.
Never, ever going back.

Hooray for the new Natasha’s! One of my favorite haunts going all the way back to their Southland Drive days has upped their game.
Natasha’s has a very unique and cool ambience that I love. The über cool Moroccan feel of the arches and lanterns is trumped only by the friendliness of the staff. Absolutely love the Alley Bar at the back of the restaurant. It’s intimate, friendly and after a few visits, feels like home base.
My only issues with Natasha’s in the past have been the menu’s lack of lower price points and limited choices in the appetizer/​small plate category. Both have been dealt with admirably since their recent re-​imagining of things. I sampled a plethora of the new offerings and give a hearty thumbs up to the Bahn-​Mi Sliders, crab cakes, hummus and pita points as well as their braised pork and several other offerings from the new menu. The Veggie Pot Stickers were wonderfully light and crisp but would benefit from a more inventive mix of stuffing. Mine were very heavy on mashed potato taste and little else. I’ll try them with shrimp next time.
And…I noticed from the Natasha’s Calendar that the start times for many of the music and variety acts have been rolled back to 9 rather than 8. In the past I’ve found myself racing to get through dinner and conversation before that kicked in as it can be very difficult to hear once it starts. Kudos to the management on that!
As always the warmth and friendliness of the staff from bartenders to the management and wait staff was superb. I’ve never been treated with anything but warm smiles, friendly banter and open arms.
In summing up, a visit to Natasha’s feels like a sojourn into an exotic new destination while vacationing with a welcome side of hometown hospitality.
An enthusiastic ‘thumbs up’.

We stopped in on a Monday night as we were road tripping back from STL to DC. They have some great vegan options. Husband got the curry, which was super good. I got a cup of borscht and the stuffed portobello, also delicious. 4 not 5 stars because the meat eaters were not as happy. The pork belly came out without half its sides and was a small portion. I’d love to go back for music sometime. Their beer list looked pretty great too.

Went for lunch today, in a business meeting. Was greeted at the door immediately, got a great seat at the window, some interesting folks walk by, making for good people watching. Ordered the Bahn Mi Sliders, three double cooked pork sliders, with plenty of flavor and the pork is delicious, taking the recommendation of my server Lindsay. Lindsay provided very timely service, and was fun and friendly to interact with. Looking forward to my next trip back. Volume level was very conducive to conducting a business lunch inside.

My wife and I recently had dinner at Natasha’s and we were both very pleased with the food and the service. My wife had the fish and I had a grilled chicken and both were exceptional. Our waitress was very attentive and the manager stopped by our table to make sure things were satisfactory. I am looking forward to my next visit to Natasha’s.
I should also mention that the food prices were very reasonable as well.

Everything is overpriced. You had to pay $ 12 to be near the music otherwise they stuff you in the far corner. The food is over priced with super tiny portions. Our one meal pork belly was disgusting and had to be returned. Waitress was super nice and took it back and issued a refund. Stroganoff was super average but the mezze salads were pretty good. The interior of the bar/​restaurant is pretty cool and the music was good. I just don’t know why they lay out the food like you’re at a three star Michelin restaurant. One cube of this. A small spatter of that and a drip of this. You leave the place starving and broke.

Perfect proportions. Creative menu, slightly smaller selection, but all over the map. We had the surf & turf and Fettuccini. Both were fantastic. Good ambiance, great bourbon selection. Live music the night we went included a Cello vocalist who was phenomenal. I would recommend this place to anyone visiting Lexington.

Great atmosphere and fantastic music venue. Best hot brown I’ve had. Service was very good and it was a fun crowd. Not much of a draft beer selection if that’s what you are looking for.
If you ever get a chance to hear The Northside Sheiks definitely go. They are incredible. I would go see The Landers on their own. Great music.

I had lunch at Natasha’s with my family a few weeks ago on Thursday. We had wandered down from Thursday night live because it was so cold and we wanted real food. Oh, did we get it.
The menu rotates seasonally, which I love because it means you are always getting vegetables that are in season, AND they source locally. The beef is also locally sourced, a grass fed and grain fed combo. We had trouble deciding on food, everyone had dishes they were torn between, and none of them were the same. There’s a wide variety, with something for every taste.
I ended up getting the sliders (I was craving a burger) with fries, my husband had the hot brown, MiL got the chicken Alfredo, and my FiL had the crab cakes. I got to try everyone’s dish except my FiL and oh-​em-​gee everything was delicious! There was a slight twist on everything, so it was simultaneously what you expected and not at all what you expected. Pesto in the Alfredo! Paprika in the hot brown! Garlic on the fries, and a Caprese slider in the trio (which also included a regular slider, and a rotating slider, which was pulled pork-​different but spot on!)
If you happen to go, ask for Aaron. He was without a doubt the most polite server I’ve ever had. The chef hadn’t told them the special when we first sat, and he was very gracious about checking on that for us. We kept forgetting things and he just smiled like it was no big deal.
Oh almost forgot, coconut bread pudding was great. Not for purists, but great for everyone else.

I’ve been here a couple of times since my last review, and it’s gotten worse quickly. Today was BAD. My husband and I shared an order of 6 wings as an appetizer, then each had lunch (and our son ate some of everything). Oh my GARLIC. EVERYTHING on my plate was overpowered by garlic! The wings had had garlic in their description, so that doesn’t really bother me (though a better balance of flavors would have been nice), but my vegetable wrap had so much garlic I couldn’t taste anything else, the fries were soggy, limp, and covered in garlic, and even the side of Ranch dressing I’d requested had huge chunks of garlic in it! Gross. I literally couldn’t eat most of my meal, and have no intention of ever returning. Our waitress was really nice, which is all that kept this from a 1-​star review. The kitchen deserves 0 stars though. The food was awful, and it took 30 minutes to get our food with no other customers in the place (and we ordered a sandwich and a wrap).

Of course I read all the reviews on Unilocal before planning my 21^st anniversary of the day we met. (Can’t believe We are still that)
Decided to surprise my wife with dinner and some music but didn’t realize I was in for one of the best nights since moving here.
I had reservation and arrived with no issues. Parking was free so the night is already perfect. We arrived and paid the cover for the band. They say is directly in front of the stage.
The food was amazing and the waiters seems to have a degree in foodieism (not a real degree). This guy was constantly use descriptor words making the food sound ridiculously tasty. He did the same with our drinks. My wife has so blackberry mottled thingy mixed drink with a fancy garnish. It was really good. I had the bourbon trio. I can’t remember too much after that. Lol
The food was almost better than the descriptor words I mentioned above.
Then the true prize of the night was the band. These dude where amazing.

The live music and atmosphere is great but the food and drink prices are high for what you get.

I used to be a huge fan and supporter of Natasha’s — all the way back to the days when half of the space was an incredible eclectic and international boutique. Tonight I was terribly disappointed in my meal. The Szechuan Satay had bad flavor, some undercooked and some overcooked chicken, too-​al dente rice (some was barely cooked), and bland veggies. And it was $ 15. I have had better similar meals in airport food courts. Disappointed and don’t plan l go back.

This is a good place to stop for weekend brunch. During the summer I enjoy
a Saturday brunch here after hitting the downtown farmers market. I am pretty sure they are closed for Sunday lunch time, sadly. I’ve heard they have a drag queen show with brunch on Sundays every now and then, but I’ve never been. The highlight of all entrees I’ve tried here has been the french fries! They are fresh potatoes with chunks of garlic and spices and just really, really good.

I love this little local spot so much I have been two times in 3 days since I found it. I would actually just come back for the French fries! The menu selection is wonderful, the staff is welcoming and courteous, the atmosphere is charming! The patio is a great spot for lunching and the dining room for dinner is cozy. It looks as if they have live entertainment as well. If you are in the area… this is a must!

I’m just not feeling it.
I decided to go back here for lunch, for my first time in probably 5+ years. I figured I’d try them again and see if they’d improved. The fact that they’ve had a guy walking around downtown Lexington handing out flyers for them made me think that maybe they’d revitalized their place and were wanting to take a second look, so I thought I’d do just that. I wanted to try something different, and while I had been underwhelmed by my prior experiences, I was willing to be open to the idea that they had improved.
Not really. The little curio shop is gone, and there’s a large stage taking its place. When I walked in during lunch on a Wednsday, the place was so dark, and there was only one table in the corner with someone at it (on a laptop working busily) that when a server finally came up to me I had to ask if they were even open.
As I had previously remembered, the food was overpriced, and the food was mediocre. I had a barbeque sandwich which managed to make chicken barbeque virtually flavorless. The sauce was pink, and I couldn’t make out any «barbeque» flavor, it wasn’t smoky, or sweet, or spicy, it was just a vague creamy texture with no apparent flavor. The only texture was added by the carrots and cabbage slaw that was added to the barbeque mixture.
They also got my order wrong. There was a choice of side dishes: french fries or pasta salad. I clearly asked for fries. They brought salad, and the server basically tried to argue with me that I’d ordered salad. I’m not normally a big fan of pasta salads, so I can’t say much good about it, but it was okay for what it was.
Here’s what I’ll say the good parts were:
The bun for the barbeque sandwich was great, with a fluffy yet crispy texture.
The iced tea was definitely not a typical commercial iced tea blend, it was slightly more robust and had some complicated flavors which made it clear that they were using a wholly different tea than is typical for their iced tea.

Headed here tonight watch a comic preform. Really enjoyed the layout of the restaurant. It was kinda slow, and my husband and I could have a wonderful, slightly romantic time.
Our waiter was attentive and friendly. We explained we came here for the show that starts later and he timed delivery of our food very nicely.
Our meals were fantastic. Place was relaxing and we will be back in the future.

Lunch is great! The fries are very, very good. Lots of garlic in everything. Yum!

This place is unique on several levels, but I their food is what I feel gives them their identity. I had the beef tenderloin special and I was stunned with the explosion of flavors. The meat was so delicately tender, I could have used a spoon to cut it. I would hazard to say that it was probably in the top 5 for my favorite cuts of meat ever. The drink menu is small, but they still offer a great selection.
As for the staff, I think this is what hipster is all about. If I had 2 more hours in the place, I would be writing this review on a mechanical typewriter! Seriously though, good people and I’m pretty sure they don’t bite. They were extremely knowledgeable about the menu and offered great advice.
If you had a bad experience before with this place, I would advise that you give it another shot.