Imaginative Vietnamese-French fusion with daily changing specials; lauded for unique flavors like tamarind butter snails.
Molly Fitzpatrick reviews Ha's Snack Bar, a tiny Lower East Side spot with huge Vietnamese-inspired flavors, perfect for a date night or solo dining.
Discover Ha's Snack Bar, a gem in NYC's culinary scene that masterfully blends Vietnamese and French influences with a constantly evolving menu. This intimate spot is renowned for its bold flavors, featuring standout dishes like tamarind butter snails and an innovative French onion soup with a pho twist. From expertly prepared seafood to unique pastries, the food is consistently praised for its creativity and quality, making it a must-visit for adventurous eaters.
Ha's Snack Bar is celebrated for its inventive Vietnamese-inspired cuisine, with a menu that changes daily. Popular recommendations include their tamarind butter snails, black pudding tartlet, and unique takes on French classics like a pho-broth French onion soup. While many rave about dishes like oysters with green chili and branzino, some reviews suggest the portions can be small for the price. The restaurant is also noted for its creative desserts.
"Highly recommended dishes include the tamarind butter snails, black pudding tartlet with kumquats, and the oysters with green chili. The pate chaud in vol au vent format and various desserts are also frequently praised."
Customers generally have a very positive sentiment towards Ha's Snack Bar, praising its imaginative fusion of Vietnamese and French flavors and unique, exciting dishes. While some find it a bit pricey or cramped, the overall consensus is that the food quality and culinary creativity make it a highly recommended experience.
Important Note
Some diners find the seating at Ha's Snack Bar to be quite cramped, and the price point can be considered high for the portion sizes by some. Reservations can also be difficult to secure, and some have experienced disappointment with specific pop-up events or the overall booking process.
"This user found Ha's Snack Bar to be good, along with Cervo's, but did not like Jajaja."
Positive"Ha's Snack Bar was mentioned as a recommendation in the area."
Neutral"Ha's snack bar is mentioned as being pretty small."
Neutral"People start lining up outside Ha's Snack Bar as early as 5 PM, and the restaurant is very small."
Neutral"Ha's Snack Bar is a great choice and is amazing."
Positive"Ha's Snack Bar is mentioned for its elevated version of pate chaud, specifically the vol au vent format, which the reviewer considers more technical and worth the price point compared to Banh Anh Em's version."
Positive"The user notes that Ha's Snack Bar, similar to Corner Store, claims to post reservations online but does not actually do so, making it impossible to book through stated channels."
Negative"User haribobosses highlights the $48 lamb chop at Ha's Snack Bar to exemplify the high prices of restaurants typically featured in New York Times reviews."
Negative"The commenter provides details on the seating arrangement at Ha's Snack Bar, mentioning three small tables inside, two outside, and additional counter/bar seating. They conclude that any indoor seating option is a tight squeeze."
Negative"Based on the discussion, the commenter expresses a negative general impression of Ha's Snack Bar. They suggest it would not be a great experience, is too expensive for very small portions, and generally sounds unappealing."
Negative"A user asks if it is possible to walk into Ha's Snack Bar, specifically inquiring about the feasibility of doing so between lunch and dinner if only trying for one person."
Neutral"The commenter describes the seating options at Ha's Snack Bar, noting that the dining room setup allows people to face each other, while the bar counter has limited seats. They confirm that the space is a single area with various table sizes."
Neutral"The commenter states that all seating at Ha's Snack Bar is cramped. They mention that the tables in the middle, likely the dining room area, are slightly roomier but not significantly so."
Negative"This user had been to two of Ha's pop-ups, finding one good but the whole pig one disappointing in terms of both food and hospitality/communication, which led them to lose interest."
Negative"This user considered Ha's ranking as #5 to be 'crazy' because it wasn't around last year, suggesting that restaurants need tested consistency over several years to earn such a high spot, and labeled the list as a 'hype-list'."
Negative"Ha's Snack Bar is mentioned as a new banchan place that aligns with the popular innovative small plates style emerging in NYC, although the user has not personally visited."
Neutral"This user found Ha's to be fantastic."
Positive"The author states they like Ha's Snack Bar (likely a Vietnamese spot) but questions with an emoji whether it truly ranks among the "25 best" restaurants in NYC, implying skepticism about its high ranking."
Neutral"The author shares their positive personal experience at Ha's Snack Bar, confirming that their group of two was second in line and got seated right away by arriving early."
Positive"The commenter advises that to visit Ha's Snack Bar, a Vietnamese restaurant the original poster is interested in, one can easily walk in by arriving 30 minutes before they open on a weekday."
Positive
