Ajna Bar

Came here for a birthday party 2 years ago. Music was more on the hip hop side. I did not know there was dining. The crowd here is on the much older side. I would say lay twenties people come here. It was a bit different from the bars/​lounges that I normally go, but this was a good difference experience.

Went here for an event and had never been before. The night started off rough as we waited on line for about 40 minutes. Organization for getting guests in was lacking. Their coat check also has you waiting very close in proximity to door which causes more uncomfortable waiting in the cold.
The atmosphere was great once inside. it’s def a popular venue and very trendy. Worth checking it out. I had a great night but it was also very crowded. If you don’t like others bumping into you this is not the spot to go to.
Drinks were strong but expensive as is expected in meatpacking.

Allison and I went during restaurant week. We enjoyed the pre fix menu. We met some friends and went to the lounge enjoyed a drink then found a table. Food was great. The tasting menu was awesome. we got to taste a little of everything and enjoy their culinary skill.
However, the service was horrible. Our server was very dry and didnt seem like he wanted to be there. He didnt explain anything or talk the menu at all. Which would have been nice especially since its a prefix menu. We were constantly ignored, especially when we tried to flag down an employee and They just kept walking by. We were seated by a POSwhile a server was there I simply asked for an extra fork and he refused to reach into the drawer right in front of him and hand me a fork. Way turned off after that point. Hate to say we won’t be back. Even though we really enjoyed the atmosphere. Maybe for drinks.

Spacious, nice décor and divided into two parts — bar and restaurants. We went a few times with bottle service in the summer, didn’t know why it felt hotter than most of other nightclubs. Music was ok, I wasn’t overly impressed; door policy is a bit of ridiculous but just like other nightclubs in meatpacking, bottle service or guest list.

Ambiance gets 5 stars: You walk in through a rounded hallway flanked by Thai Buddhas. So pretty! The place is huge and decorated with a mix of bold colors and Asian décor (including dragon shaped door pulls in the bathroom).
The drinks are great and get 5 stars:
The Ajna lemonade was a favorite of the group. It was the perfect balance of sweet and sour (my friend downed 4 of them during dinner alone).
The black buddha was also very good and sweet but not overly so.
Food was all served family style (not sure if this is just how it normally is served or if it was because we were there are a large party for a birthday)…average or slightly below average:
Appetizers:
Filo spun tiger shrimp — ok. I liked the sauce but it wasn’t anything special.
Vegetable spring roll — meh. just okay. Wouldn’t order again.
Sides:
baby bok choy — …easily something we can make at home for less than ½ the price.
Vegetable fried rice — slightly better than what you can find at your local fast food place
entrees:
Miso glazed salmon — ok. Not dry but not anything amazingly tender or awesome either.
Black angus rib eye — favorite dish of the night. Flavorful rib eye and the mashed potatoes that came with it are heavenly.
Dessert:
it was a birthday celebration so we got two dessert trays with:
molten chocolate cake — not the best i’ve ever had but pretty good. warm & gooey
chocolate éclair — the cream was a bit sour. Definitely least fav thing on the plate
pear tart — good and reminded people at the table of an egg tart from a chinese bakery
chocolate mousse cake (i think?) — best thing out of the platter. a little bit of crunchies in the cake part.
mocha mousse cake (i think?) — second to last fav (right before the éclair which took last place).
Overall the place had nice ambiance and I would go again just for drinks at the bar but probably won’t be back for food as it was nothing special and ended up costing $ 75/​person.

It may be good as a night club, but I was not impressed at all but the restaurant factor of Anja at all. The service was eh they didn’t know their sakes, wines or anything on the menu, the food was good but it really felt like they have a restaurant because they can.
I won’t return again to eat here ever.

I was invited to party at Ajna bar for one my common friends birthday. All of us were waiting at the door to get in, we were six of us. The bouncer called my other friend and asked if we wanted a hookup to get in, he wanted us to pay like $ 30-​$ 40 bucks to get inside. That was weird, he did not know that we already had a table reserved.
So we walk in, the place is big with a bar on the left hand side. There are buddha statues in the entrance. The main hall becomes a dance floor otherwise it is the main dining area. So we had three bottles for 6 people, even after ordering 3 bottles we got this tiny space in one corner where everybody could even sit.
When one orders 3 bottles, they expect some decent service. But that does not happen at Ajna, the cranberry and mixers did not arrive for a long time. It took them a long time to get our 3^rd bottle of vodka. Overall the bottle service sucked.
Coming to the DJ, he was playing good music initially but after like 30 minutes he had no clue what music he was mixing. We didn’t like the music at all.
So to sum up Ajna is —
* Where all the tourists go
* One gets subpar bottle service even after spending a lot of $$$
* Crowd is not diverse at all
* DJ sucks
On top of all this people were putting bottle of beer in the hands of Buddha Statues which is so disgraceful. Definitely never coming back here.
Ajna stop trying to mimick clubs in Vegas, get your act together!

This review is for the club. I hate clubs but I really liked this place. The music was good, the crowd was chill. The line wasn’t too bad and its nice inside. I’d come back here.

This is probably one of those instances where you have to check it out for yourself and not base your restaurant choice solely on Unilocal reviews– I was skeptical at first!
This review is for the restaurant, not the nightclub. A friend and I went for a celebration and it was FANTASTIC. Amazing ambiance, food, service, fun area for drinks after– what’s not to like?
I had the lemongrass chicken, and my friend had the salmon– she said it was the best salmon she’s ever eaten. I thought the sweet potatoes and spinach complemented the chicken really well. The servers were attentive and friendly. If you go to RW, my friend had the chocolate cake, ERMAGERD it was amazing. Really.
My only qualm with the place was the snarly bathroom attendant. She was playing on her phone the entire time and I had to ask three times to get her attention since she was holding the paper towels captive.
Overall, A++. Can’t wait to go back with a group of friends!

This review is for the food, and not the nightclub. Last Friday my friend and I needed to catch up, so she picked this place for restaurant week (though neither of us actually ordered the RW menu). First off, I will say that I do love the décor here. Dark, dimly lit, sleek, sexy. very nice. I was hoping to see the giant buddha, but it wasn’t there. Oh well. I’m all the ambiance, and this place does have a great one.
Since we were catching up, we ordered drinks first. She got a wine, and I got a drink with gin, cucumber, and lime. It was pretty good (good enough to get two throughout our time there), but not out of this world by any stretch of the imagination. I kind of felt the same way about the food as well. I ordered a specialty roll of sushi, and it was good, not wonderful. I tried my friends braised short ribs, and it was quite tasty. The portion size was good, but could have used a bit more sauce. If I was hungrier, I probably would have ordered the short ribs, and I would have been pretty satisfied.
Our service was friendly. She was understanding that we were catching up, but at times seemed to disappear for long periods of time (I sat without a drink for some time).
If you want a good dinner with a beautiful setting, then this place works. If you are looking for exquisite, more original dishes, then you might want to look elsewhere.
PS — They don’t accept discover. fyi.

I came here for restaurant week with 3 of my friends. Although their RW menu is minimal (about 3 choices for each course), everything on it tasted so good, so you really can’t go wrong. Among my group, we started with the lobster tempura roll and the butternut squash soup, moved on to the miso glazed scottish salmon, vegetable curry, and the roasted lemongrass chicken, and then concluded with the banana pudding and the chocolate cake. The food was truly delicious, so much so that I actually felt sad when I had my last bite of vegetable curry.
From the outside, the doors were closed so it was hidden and dark, and didn’t seem to have any activity of life. After walking passed the place and then struggling to make out the addresses, we realised it was Ajna and went in, albeit cautiously. One you’re inside, though, you’ll find the atmosphere is really intimate and relaxed, and the statues make you feel transported. The servers were pretty attentive, but not overbearing. I hear the spot turns into a club/​lounge at night, which seems visually obvious when you walk in and come across the bar area.
I would recommend this place, at least for the restaurant, and I plan to go back to try food from their regular menu.

The old ask the 8 guys to get bottle service and send over the random wackos! We randomly walked up to this place and were told that we need to get a table and buy two bottles… No problem. Upon entry, we realized that we didn’t… Tons of randomness wondering around with bottles of beer… $ 500 minimum!!! Thats a lot of beers!
The table for eight people was the equivilent of two end tables… One coushioned bench that could fit three people. Nice sound system and good service… Until the vultures arrived. «Are you guys football players?» Ummm. Tomorrow would be a game and its midnight!

Ajna Bar is like the hottest girl in town but with no right man pursuing.
Such POSH and Lavish décor — impressive!
Definitely a good place to dance and enjoy drinks. They have plenty of dance space and good music.
Quite mixed and undefined crowd though… People normally stay within their friend circle and have fun, which, is not that bad of a thing I suppose. (don’t even bother picking up girls there, not the right setup and intention … ^.~)

The place is bieautiful, the food is delicious, the wine is really good too and the waiter knows what she talk about, and on saturday, the music is really good, my favorite, club in meatpacking,. The probleme is to get inside, so eating there is a good way

Get to the Chase:
Pros:
1) If you’re into house/​techno, you’ll love the DJ that is there on Saturday! SOOO GOOD and loving the bombastically heart-​pounding bass
2) Great mixed crowd (Russians, a lot of desi’s aka Indians)
3) Amazing ambiance, and have some dancers like this robot dude with a whole suit that lit up
4) Not too packed, which is rare to find these days. It’s the perfect crowd density so you don’t have to have face-​plants into sweaty people, or be moshing your way to the bar
Cons:
1) Didn’t move the tables on the main dance floor area, which was a bit disappointing as it could leave more space for those who wanna dance

My buddy is a promoter here, so we get a table every now and then. The place is pretty snobby, but music is fine. This place reminds me Tao, las vegas…
We had fun hanging out, but i wouldnt come here if it wasn’t because my friend is a promoter here…

Discovered Ajna on one of my many visits to NY. Its a really cool place to have some drinks. I didn’t think the food was worth the price, but to lounge, hang out, party (whatever you call it!) with friends over drinks, its a definite must.
The ambience is great. Not only is it lush, its Asian trendy, and very inviting. I had a fun night here and got to «people watch» (one of my secret hobbies I picked up in Paris). I think this is the old Buddah Bar and might have changed names. Seems like the same location and similar big buddah décor, but since I’m not a NY native, I could be wrong.
Definitely a place to check out if you’re into the whole Asian French fusion thing. Fun atmosphere with lots of interesting characters to watch. Good drinks. But it does get pretty loud, but that’s to be expected right!!!

This Place Is Wonderful !
I Love The Buddah Bar, Food Was Great Only Thing Was The Waitress Took Forever To Bring Our Food .
You Need ID To Get In
And I Believe It’s Also A Club

Women beware: The runners grab your butts as they walk by. It is an institution where they promote harassment and do nothing about it.
Came here the other night on a list and was hoping it was a sweet spot. Even on a guest list guys had to pay $ 20 cover. Luckily we avoided that. It looked like it had a revitalization during this past fashion week after seeing everyone check in and post pictures here.
It has obviously gone downhill much like the old tenjune. The drinks are the only things saving this place. ½ of the bartenders proved to be useful making the drinks. The others just stare at you while they stand around.
The DJ was probably one of the better ones in town and was spinning some really deep tracks. He brought in some of these tribal tracks to fit the ambiance along with some great new songs.
It seems they are trying hard to get this place on track. Decent bottle prices, good drinks and awesome tunes. They need to start filtering the people they let in though. Most of which made it miserable.

I agree with Andre L. «A very large Buddha, a very large bill, and a very large disappointment!»
I have basically given up on all these club /​restaurant establishments especially in the meatpacking district., but my friend picked this place so I placed all my judgement aside and gave it a chance.
Service was really bad, maitre D was acting like a snooty bitch and the servers were just throwing plates down our table… I didnt pay all this $$ for crappy Asian fusion food served like I was at a diner or something
Tao is definitely a better choice

I initially came here for a night out with a George Clooney clone (less hot obviously and without that amazing voice) to meet a friend of mine but it was so packed I never found my friend and I didn’t have the best time so naturally I blame the clone. I came here for restaurant week knowing it was the G.C.c.‘s fault and not the place itself for my lack of a good time.
The place reminds me of some of the nicest hotel lobbies I have been in when I was in Asia. High ceilings, majestic, great subtle lighting. To juxtapose this walk into the bathrooms (leaves something to be desired). The service is slow but friendly. The drinks to get are the kanji (tart and delicious) and the coconut mojito was very good but just a bit too sweet for me I am more of a tart drink gal. The food was excellent. We had the yellow tail with jalapeño which was very good, the fried salmon was flavorful and fresh, the chicken entrée was decent. The coconut chicken soup was phenomenal. The molten lava cake dessert was just okay but I didn’t come here for dessert, I rarely order it so who cares?
This place is everything that I wished Spice Market if you are choosing between the two this one will not disappoint. I would come here again in a second for dinner & the lounge after but I need to save up some because it is pricey… sigh

The first time I attempted to go to Ajna, my dear (yet extremely drunk friend) got into a fight with my promoter. We didn’t go in.
Imagine my surprise when the SAME friend invited me to Ajna this past weekend because he had gotten a table. Talk about irony!
I arrived around midnight to a short line & with 2 girls and 1 guy, we got in without a problem. There was no mandatory coat check which was a definite plus in my book. Ah, reminds me of the good ol’ college days when me and my girls would freeze in our short dresses in the dead of the winter. We refused to wear jackets because we didn’t want to pay the $ 3 coat check… good times.
Anyhow, Ajna is really spacious! I had no idea as I thought it was just a small lounge and from the outside there was no indication of the size of this place. The bar was pretty long too and never seemed too crowded. There was a good mixture of people and the music was tight, nice mixture of hiphop and house. Our table was a little elevated from the rest of the crowd and was legitimately a table… with real sitting chairs haha, but still sweet & exclusive! It was pretty hot in the club, but not to the point where I would classify it as stuffy. I had a lot of fun & would defffff come back in a heartbeat!

I remember this place back when it was Buddha Bar. Since then, I’ve observed .
the atmosphere is pretty much the same, except instead of a huge buddha, the main wall is now filled with candles. The contrasting dim lighting gives the spacious restaurant a romantic, low key-​vibe.
the food was really not good except for the one sushi roll we ordered, which was decent.
drinks were OK, but nothing that would differentiate Ajna from any of the numerous other restaurants/​bars (or, more specifically, neuvo Asian-​fushion establishments) that populate the Meatpacking district.

Love the (house) music, the glam and lavish décor, and over the top performers/​dancers with their oh so skimpy outfit. Fairly big, you can definitely get lost in the mix. Meatpacking is by definition, pretentious! So know that you are ok with this, BEFORE you step into this district!
Quick to claim. Define YOUR crowd and I’ll tell you if you’d like this place or not. For a Sunday night, I am not fond of the crowd either. mirage of old folks, some young. others less hip. Some standing like you would expect them to, some dancing like crazy, others people watching… (myself included). However, the ravishing performance in such instances as sexy cool dancer, the the flames fuming from her fingernails more than made up for the so-​so crowd. No complaints, because all I need is good music & company. Who cares what the crowd is like, as long as they’re not a bother!
Good list of mixed cocktails… The moulin rouge was fantastic, but I’ll pass on the watermelon martini next time. People were still eating food at midnight… couldn’t tell you if it was good or not. However, while the dessert (an array of four different kinds) was richly in each of its own rite was nothing out of the extraordinary.
If I could just wrap my arms around the statues for goodness sake… beautifully crafted, wooded, oh for the love of Buddhas!

cheesy.