This restaurant does takeout & kids meals. Absolutely loved L6, C5, & N3. Friendly service & great food!

Another great dinner (or lunch) option in fantastic downtown New Bern. The lunch buffet is great, with just enough options for a big noontime appetite. The dinner menu is pretty extensive and, regarding spice, you can choose the level of "heat" you desire. My dish of choice is the Lamb Rogan Josh... super tender cubes of lamb in a superb heavy red sauce, served over rice. One of the best I've ever had. We really enjoy this place! read more

Yes, yes, yes, yes, and yes- those are the answers to about 95% of your questions about this authentic Indian restaurant. When they are busy, you'll probably have to wait. That is sadly, in New Bern, a reality. But I've always enjoyed the staff's efforts and the way everyone is trying to accommodate customer needs. My favorite part of this place is that they will make it spicy if you ask. Like really spicy and hot, so don't challenge them! My favorite of all eateries in NB!! read more

Hands down one of my fav places to eat in New Bern! So delicious. Everything! Lots of choices! I believe I got the mild though for my Tikka Masala and it wasn't spicy at all so might bump up to next level next time! Highly recommend, even for people who have never had Indian food before. read more

Food was absolutely amazing as always. I hate that due to COVID they are not offering the buffet. This was my boyfriends first time having Indian food and I wanted him to be able to try a few things. Maybe once the world goes back to normal. But the service is always great and we loved it. read more

The food was great and the service was good. The naan was awesome, I don't think anyone got anything that didn't taste great. My only comment is that it is really loud in the restaurant and it was made worse by the staff feeling obligated to have music going. It wasn't needed and only made the noise level worse. read more

First time trying Indian and I absolutely would go again. The service was fast and I didn't have to wait long for the food. The only issue is this could be seen as a little pricey compared to the portion size. read more

I love this place, it's my absolute favorite! I've had a variety of foods and desserts from here and they were all great! They have a number of vegetarian options which I really appreciate! The atmosphere and staff make you feel really welcome and comfortable! Everyone I met on staff is the sweetest! 10/10 read more

Everything was great! Best vegan Masala I've ever had. Thank you, Bay Leaf. Always appreciative of healthy, vegan friendly restaurants. Would love to see more vegan items on the menu though; such as veg Manchurian vegetable balls in a sauce that I just tried in OMaha, Nebraska. They will be a best seller, promise!! :) read more

The food here is phenomenal- the folks that run it are so nice. My favorite things on the menu are the chicken korma, meat samosa, chicken khas 65.....but really you can't go wrong with anything! read more

Great food and service. No Buffett as advertised on door but for was very good and mango lassi was excellent.

We had the buffet on a Saturday. The place is small and packed. It was very good. We will be back for sure. I heard sometimes it is hit or miss, but that can be anywhere. It just happens. Looking forward to our next visit. Also, with water and one tea and tip the bill was about $35.00. Not a bad deal at all. read more

Food is good, service is okay but I can see where some say it's hit or miss. We're from out of town and have been twice: Once for dinner and once for the lunch buffet. Dinner was a quiet, enjoyable experience. The restaurant was dark with a nice ambiance, but we were surprised how few other diners there were. The carry-out was doing a booming business, however. Food and service were both excellent, and the naan was perfection. The lunch buffet is pretty good. We went on a really busy day so it felt a little rushed, but the food was tasty. I prefer a little more spice, but it's hard to cater to all tastes on a buffet so I feel like the level was pretty normal. read more

Took two hours after I ordered take out to get take out. I ordered when they opened. They told me 45 minutes. When I got there 50 min later I had to wait another 1:20 minutes to get food. Hostess and waiter were disrespectful and rude when we asked how much longer. Now we know how this place is failing. It don't take that long to cook! Two hours!!! Crazy! I spent 140$ at this dump never again! read more

Bay Leaf is open and just as delicious as always! I went in with a party of 4 and our food was DELICIOUS, quick, hot, and the service was impeccable as always. We felt very safe dining in the restaurant. read more

Food is always excellent as well as service!!!! Small little place with incredible taste!!! Love the butter chicken!!! Omg the samosas are so good too! read more

Bay Leaf - Indian Near Me - New Bern, North Carolina

How do you rate terrible, awful service but delicious food? From the moment we walked in, the service was bad. The woman running the restaurant was rude beyond anything I can recently recall. Aside from the fact that she was clearly upset that I made a reservation for six, and four were children, she made no effort to get us out of there. Quite the opposite: our drink order wasn't taken for 15 minutes. The food order another 10. In totally it was over 45 minutes before the appetizer came out, and 1 hour and 15 minutes before the entrees. We constantly had to flag someone down for refills on beer, water. But it wasn't just us: the table next to us, also with children, had to ask several times for their kids order. The tables with out children didn't seem to have this issue. It should not have taken us close to two hours at this establishment. If you don't want kids there, then get rid of the high chairs and post a sign on the door: no children after 5. On a separate note, the food was probably best served as take out. read more

Always Our Favorite - every time we travel from CA! Now, we live in New Bern and remains our favorite - full of flavors, spices, and authentic options. Lunch Buffet is a good time to taste a variety of dishes and experience the flavors and textures of Bay Leaf. *Thank You - Chef Raman for winning the taste of Carolina and competing among so many other restaurants. read more

The food was excellent. The ordering process for takeout was tedious and rude, the person acted like he had a lot better to do. When we picked up the food, no one wore a mask, which makes me a little uncomfortable with the food, the containers and the general care taken during a pandemic. The food is expensive. I won't order again until I hear they are more conscientious with their pandemic precautions. read more

Best Indian food ever!! Vegan friendly ! Definitely going back ! Great atmosphere quiet very friendly and detail to food. read more

Bay Leaf - Garlic nan , bullet nan "spicy . Fish Tikka -and channa sagg - Indian Near Me - New Bern, North Carolina

So Gooood! Eaten here for the last few years on special occasions or if I need to go to New Bern for something cause it 40 minutes away, but so its worth the drive. Many family and friends who said they've never eaten or like Indian food say this is very good and request I take them back here when they come to visit again. I never had rude experience from the staff, they're also helpful with the menu. read more

Lunch special here cant be beat eat your heart out and everything is delicious and price cant be beat!

....mango dessert... nuf' said. If you like Indian food, this is a great place to start opening your palate to new foods.

This is my first time trying Indian food. Bay Leaf did not disappoint... they have a buffet where you can choose what you'd like and I don't think there was anything I tried that I didn't like. The restaurant is cute and small, very cozy. I highly recommend this place when you are in downtown New Bern. read more

Bay Leaf - Indian Near Me - New Bern, North Carolina

We love coming here especially since we have a small child. The lady working is always wonderful and if our child gets cranky she like to hold him and walk around with him while we eat! She really is the sweetest! As for food.... I LOVE IT!! We travel from Cape Carteret (1 hour away) just to eat here! We haven't been for dinner yet, but plan on so very soon! See you soon! read more

Pricey. Good food. Be sure to ask about the lunch buffet that's advertised on their sidewalk sign. They'll tell you they do the buffet anymore. They are not particularly friendly when you go in. We haven't been back in a while. I guess local repeat business isn't important to the local restaurants. read more

Been to Indian Buffets all over the country (20+) and this one is in the top 5. The staff are always friendly and the food is always delicious. read more

We have sampled Indian Cuisine coast to coast Ann's this is HANDS DOWN the best in the whole continental US! If you visit New Bern, make sure you walk down Middle St and treat yourself to the loveliest people and food in town! The Beef Korma is flawless and the Chicken and Paneer Masala is to die for. This is our go to place anytime we go out unless friends ppick somewhere else! Try the Samosas and ask advise from the staff for any specials! read more

My wife and I have eaten here a few times. We love Indian food, and I've travelled to India for business, so we know what good Indian is supposed to taste like and how delicious it can be. Perhaps that is why we are so disappointed with this place. Each time we have come, the food has gotten worse. Our initial visit was to try the lunch buffet. The food on the buffet was predictable, tired and bland. "Gloopy and gloppy" were perhaps the best descriptions of their main dishes, and everything was way under-spiced. We subsequently avoided the buffet. Our next visit was for dinner, and we received good service and decent food. However, each visit over the last few months has revealed lower standards and worse service. The last time we ate there was a couple of nights ago, and it is the last time we will eat there. The pakora appetizer we ordered was forgotten by our server. It arrived after our meal was served and was soggy and lifeless. We then had to ask our forgetful server for the chutneys, which she begrudgingly brought from the buffet. Worst pakora ever. It was mushy, oily and nasty. We also ordered matar paneer, which was served in a boat that contained canned tomato sauce, about 2 dozen paneer cubes, and about the same number of peas. The cheese and vegetables floated in the tomato sauce (Chef Boyardee perhaps?) with minimal flavor and spice despite the fact we ordered it spicy. Baingain bharta looked like a brown mush covered with a greasy layer of clarified butter. If not for the mediocre rice, however, the gross eggplant would have been the highlight of our meal. The eggplant was spiced identically to the matar paneer, or in other words, without any thought or care for the food or the customers. (Bainghan bharta is one of our favorite dishes. We make it at home a lot. Ours is a hundred times better.) Yet the saddest part of the meal was the naan -- burnt on one side, uncooked on the other, and doughy and raw in the middle. "Another superlative," we noted, which was to say that it was the worst naan we've ever had. As remarked earlier, the basmati rice we were served was adequate, and the only aspect of the meal not defiled by utter carelessness. The same level of interest that the kitchen put into preparing our meal seemed to be mirrored in the attention we received from our server. We were greeted from across the room when we entered the restaurant with a "sit wherever you like", and then offered menus only after a ten minute wait at our table. When she finally arrived to take our order, we asked if the okra dish on the menu was made with fresh or frozen okra. We were told "everything is fresh". This, of course, is clearly not true. So we told her that if the okra they used was frozen, that we would prefer the matar paneer -- as frozen peas are tastier than frozen okra. We received no response from our server -- only the aforementioned boat of canned tomato sauce sprinkled with matar paneer, which at this point stands as one of the top ten saddest dishes we have ever been served in a restaurant. To the people that rave about this place, all I can say is that they really must not know any better. For many, I suppose, this is their first experience with Indian food or "exotic" cuisine of any kind. Then again, perhaps some lunch patrons actually enjoy eating their lunch from a shared trough of slop. From our view, anyone who considers this place delicious has clearly never experienced how good freshly prepared Indian cuisine can really be. We will not be back. The carelessness shown in all aspects of this establishment should not warrant anything but bad reviews from those who should expect some passion and professionalism when they pay for a meal in a restaurant. read more

Bay Leaf - matar paneer made with canned tomato sauce and about 10 peas -- nasty! - Indian Near Me - New Bern, North Carolina

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Never been there, but just tried to make a reservation for my husband and I for our anniversary. The lady said they don't take reservations for two, which I tried to explain makes no sense. After some begging and pleading, still no dice. Granted, I wasn't very nice when I hung up. The lady called me back to thank me for my call and hung up on me mid-sentence. Anyway, something seems off about this place. If the people are that rude, I wouldn't want to eat there anyway!! read more

I went to New Bern to visit my Dad for a few days. We had done the seafood thing a couple of nights and were looking for something different. kI checked out Yelp and found out about Bay Leaf. It was a tremendous surprise. Thanks to all for the accurate reviews on Yelp about this place. I didn't anticipate a very good Indian restaurant in the middle the generally mediocre choices in New Bern. The thing that stood out to me was the excellent management. The wait staff (all, it seemed they worked as a team) were very informed about what they were serving and were incredibly helpful. The menu was extensive with most of the standard fare but the quality and flavor stood out. I have eaten at some of the best Indian restaurants in the DC area and the bay leaf stands up easily to them. The prices were very reasonable. I had the lamb Saag medium spice. I didn't think it was too spicy. I probably could have gone with the hot. Yes, the Naan is a must. We got the garlic naan and it was great. We got the cold Mango desert. It was a perfect finish to a great meal. To me this is without a doubt the best meal I have ever had in New Bern and I have eaten at most of the "good" restaurants there. I highly recommend it. Enjoy. read more

Bay Leaf is recently opened in downtown New Bern. They serve excellent Indian food with traditional and unique tastes. Naan of course, as well as Tandoori Grill. I have tried the Lamb Chop and Salmon Tandoori's, and they were great. It is really nice to have a new option and different cuisine in New Bern, NC. Lacy has treated us GREAT the 2 times we have been there. Traditionally white rice is served with the meal, but we wanted an herbed basmati that comes with a few of the dishes. No problem! Fantastic and fun waitress... I kept kidding them to get themselves on Yelp, so I guess they are now. read more

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My family and I went to Bay Leaf for their lunch buffet. We are vegetarians and were very pleased with the variety of dishes that were available on the buffet line. The food was excellent, I was particularly impressed with the Palak paneer, which was tangy and flavorful. The restaurant venue was clean and inviting. The only thing holding me back from a 5 star review is that the service was a little slow and that the buffet was not ready until 11:20 despite the restaurant opening at 11:00. read more

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. read more

Definitely wanted to try the place. The lady was nice for the most part except when i left somthing on my plate cause i didnt like it. Honestly didnt like most of it. I ended up just having chicken thighs and rice and didnt even eat till i was full cause she just made me uncomfortable to get 3rds. read more

Went to an early dinner on Saturday night at Bay Leaf. We arrived around 5:30 pm and there were already 2-3 tables taken as well as a large family group of about 18. Not a huge space, but we didn't feel crowded even with the large group. A good amount of staff were there and the service was well done (everyone checked in on us or helped out, not just our waiter). With entrees, you usually have the choice of mild, medium or spicy. We ordered spicy - they double checked to make sure we knew what we were doing - and when we got our food it was actually spicy! The naan was huge and really tasty. Bay Leaf is the closest Indian restaurant to us (45 minutes away) and I'll definitely make the drive anytime I'm craving Indian. Great food, good service and a nice space. read more

Great food! Tandoori chicken was good, however, very expensive for 4 small thighs.

This was our first time here, & I wish We had decided to come sooner. The decor is very nice, but still had a casual feel. The food was phenomenal, best Tikka Masala I have ever had, so flavorful. The owner came to our table & offered some suggestions on another dish to try, which was the Chicken Saag, boneless chicken prepared in a creamy spinach sauce. I'm so glad we ventured out & tried something new, as it was wonderful. The owner was very hospitable as well, we felt like we were guests at her home. Highly recommend if you're ever in the New Bern area. Worth the drive even if you're not. read more

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. read more

First time I went the food was amazing. But the price was really high , hasn't expected to pay almost 40 for lunch on 1 person. Came back for another try -ended up with FOOD POISONING!! Urgent care told me I wasn't the only one they saw that day from same restaurant. read more