Finally made it to Ha's Snack Bar! Maybe the recent opening of Bistrot Ha is making it slightly easier to grab a reservation here? I paired my meal with a delicious glass of red wine (Beaujolais), which was served chilled. I don't know that I'd agree with the sentiment that this is more of a wine bar with snacks. There's good wine for sure, but the focus seems more on the food. Ordered: -Chicken liver pate with pickled rhubarb on toast: Good, but this could be a skip unless you're obsessed with pate or you have low iron. The vinegar/acid from the rhubarb kind of brightened up the dish. -Gulf shrimp with melon and shiso: Overall, I loved the flavors of this summery dish, from the ripe, sweet cantaloupe to the fresh bites of shiso chili-pepper spice that sneaks up on you but then adds an ever-present, warm buzz. But the shrimp were a bit rubbery. -Rice salad with green chili, peas, and herbs: This was maybe my favorite dish of the night, which was a surprise because we hadn't even considered it at first. Lots of umami flavor and the peas made it summery. The herbs on top were so fresh. -Snails with tamarind butter: Really interesting and different. The intense sweet-spice flavor of the decadent tamarind butter is memorable. The snails were tender. I wish we'd been given a little more bread to sop up the buttery goodness. -Plum and mint chip sundae: This dessert was soo good and refreshing! It was made of half plum ice cream (quite tart), half mint ice cream, with big, flaky chunks of semisweet chocolate, whipped cream, and mint pieces on top. And I think there were actual plums in there as well. The space is really tiny, one small room that was jam-packed with people on a recent August Saturday at 9:30 pm. The AC wasn't on, or it was broken, and the room was pretty warm and stuffy. It cooled down as people started to leave. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. read more

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I was very excited to try this place because of all of the hype. I think it's important to note that this place doesn't have a full kitchen, it should really be for good wine and light bites. The portions are pretty small and we ordered a lot on the menu. The standouts were the zucchini and bacon toast, shrimp and melon salad (perf for the summer), skate wing, and snail in tamarind butter (their staple). FYI The snail is supper buttery read more

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Glad schools out and the line was doable this visit. It's totally a snack bar.. I don't think coming here for dinner is all that good of an idea.. $250 before tip for 2 ppl is kinda steep lol I think I'd prolly come here for a round 2 type thing. For economic reasons All the dishes we had was a little on the sweet side. I'm more of a salty girl. But the shrimp was so salty (or that one shrimp) so that kinda shocked me. Shrimp was cooked well at least. Salad was good. I needed a salad. The mussels needed some acid or spice imo. Ribs were good and the tendon was a little forgettable. The best was the snails via taste... wish the snails were... plumper. They were like the small conches.. maybe that's what they were supposed to be. The tamarind sauce was delish. We dipped all the bread and I even dunked my leftover rice in there. I could have slurped that if I had a spoon. The rice was very well done actually. Can't wait to find more good eats in NY. read more

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My husband and I have eaten here twice, and everything we've ordered has been an absolute hit. Every dish is packed with flavor and so creative. Our favorites this time were the skate wing dish and the tomatoes and cucumbers dish. read more

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Is Ha's Snack Bar good? Yes - very good. Is it overhyped? Yes - in relation to ease of getting a table. They do accept walk ins however. We had a reservation at 10pm on a Wednesday night and were able to pull that down to 9pm. It's a small space with an open kitchen. The menu can change daily and is focused on Vietnamese French dishes. Between 2 people we had 7 dishes which was a perfect amount. Delicata Squash & Cheese On Toast - there are a lot of bread dishes on the menu and this is a good one to start with. Egg Mayo With Maggi & Trout Roe - excellent, must order. Rice Salad With Green Chili, Fennel, & Herbs - this was another excellent dish and worth ordering. Eggplant With Sweet Nuoc Mam & Fried Garlic - this was another good dish and a nice serving of eggplant. Snails With Tamarind Butter - the snails were ok, but the star of this dish is dipping the bread in the tamarind butter. Make sure to ask for some more bread. Roast Pork Loin With Tonnato & Chilli - this was ok. The pork was lukewarm and served in a similar style to sliced roast beef. Summer Fruit Sundae - dish of the meal, and one of the best desserts in NYC. read more

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Visited on a Thursday night around 7:45pm, bar was full but was able to grab a standing room spot after waiting for a spot to clear around 8pm. Definitely try to make a reservation if you want to visit or later in the evening around 8:30pm spots seemed to be a bit easier to get. Drink: a nice little variety of wines by the glass and a larger bottle selection. Beer and a few non- alcoholic beverages are also available. I grabbed a glass of Sauvignon Blanc - nice light and crisp with notes of citrus, appreciate that they let you taste the wine before you commit to the glass Food: asparagus and chinese sausage toast - solid, nice crisp baguette topped with diced pieces of chinese sausage and thin shaved slices of asparagus, sausage had a subtle salty sweetness, asparagus added some vegetal freshness, ate a bit oily but a tasty start Clam salad - good, a mix of larger clams that were steamed and quartered into of a soy vinegarette with watercress, herbs and chopped peanuts, lots of textures and flavors, clams were a touch chewy but had a great slight oceanic flavor, peanuts added a great crunch and nuttiness, watercress was fresh and really clung to the delicious balanced dressing,did get a few grits of sand but nothing major Curried lamb tartlette - really good, a thin lamb curry sandwiched between a square of puff pastry split in half, tender chunks of lamb braised in an amazing complex nutty subtlely sweet currry with a touch of coconut, pastry on top was crisp and flaky, this was quite rich so definitely an item worth splitting Service was solid, water was brought out right as I was seated and refilled through the meal. Pacing of dishes was good not much of a wait between courses and dishes and glasses once finished were removed promptly Overall enjoyed ha's snack bar, a fun innovative vietnamese french fusion spot that highlight seasonal ingredients. Worth checking out if you can snag a spot definitely better for smaller groups. read more

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I kept hearing great things about this NYC restaurant with the unlikely name of Ha's Snack Bar. So I managed to line up outside the tiny spot at 4:45PM on a Wednesday afternoon and snagged a seat at the counter when the doors opened at 5:30. It's a small (24 seats) but full Lower East Side restaurant featuring Vietnamese / French inspired flavors, with a great vibe, friendly, helpful servers - and you can't miss the chefs at work in the microscopic open kitchen (Two inductions and a Rational). I kicked things off with Oysters with Green Chili which were a perfect starter. Next up was the dish I'd heard a lot about, Snails with Tamarind Butter. This lived up to the praise, absolutely delicious, with a warm chunk of baguette. Later, I realized, it's reminiscent of New Orleans style BBQ Shrimp! And that's a good thing. For my final plate, I ordered the Clams with Lemongrass and Chinese Bacon, and this seafood stew type dish was wonderful as well. I loved the whole experience at Ha's, which in a previous life was a well-known NYC Pop-up (Ha's Dac Biet) from Sadie Mae Burns-Ha and Anthony Ha. Now, in addition to Ha's, they also have a larger spot, Bistrot Ha. You can sure that's on my list now too! Ha's was the first stop in a three-day NYC visit for me, and a very memorable one. read more

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Got in line outside at 5:09 PM on a Thursday, and were seated when they opened at 5:30 - which was awesome, but unfortunately we only had 60 mins to eat so we weren't able to get dessert. The standard 90 mins would have been nice but they did warn us. My boyfriend and I shared: + Chicken liver and candied kumquats on toast + snails with tamarind butter + Pate chaud + Shrimp and kabocha squash risotto Food is super delicious (and rich). Would return with a reservation! 4.5 stars. read more

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Really wanted to love this spot after hearing so much about it over the years, but it didn't quite get there for us the night that we walked in, unfortunately! There were some high highs but also a handful of misses. Service was excellent and attentive throughout the night, and with a party of 5 people at the standing table we basically ordered all the savory items they had on the menu that day. My husband and I's favorites were the rice salad (basically a fusion-y take on risotto that was really flavorful and fresh-tasting), the Gulf shrimp (not a huge portion but the flavors were excellent), and the curried crab tartlette (amazing flavors and textures). I enjoyed the toasts (honestly all the bread that came with each dishes was really good and excellent for sopping up sauces), the oysters, and the mussels. Pork ribs were fine but nothing particularly special IMO. The egg mayo was way too salty and really only saved by the trout roe, the tamarind snails were okay but I didn't love that the tamarind kind of broke the butter -- just wasn't a dish that hit for me. Also staff were for the most part great about the nut allergy at the table but I think it was overlooked for the crab tartlette; fortunately the girls affected noticed upon first bite and spat it out before any reaction could occur. But worth noting! We were unfortunately too carbed out for dessert, which I hear is amazing. I'd maybe come back to try other dishes or if someone really wanted to come again, but it wouldn't be my first choice. Maybe I'll try Bistrot Ha at some point and enjoy that better! read more

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We came at 4:45 and there were about 15 or so people in front of us before opening. We were one of the last people to get a spot and it was standing. Overall we thought it was overhyped and didn't meet our expectations. We ordered the snails (too small), ragu and chicken liver on toast, and oysters (mid, not as fresh as we'd like). It was fine to try but I wouldn't come back. read more

Ha's Snack Bar - Snails - French Near Me - New York, New York

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I really wanted to love this place. Months of refreshing Resy, finally scored a reservation, told everyone I was going. What I got was one of the most disappointing meals I've had since moving to New York. Let's start with the egg. Whatever was on top of it was not aioli. It was a thick, sour, broken mayo situation that tasted like it had been sitting out. Inedible. The escargot looked and tasted like it came out of a can. Tiny, gritty, clearly not cleaned properly. I've had better snails at a bistro in a strip mall. The tendon and pea tartlet was a swing and a miss that genuinely confused me. I love tendon. I seek it out. Whatever happened to it here made it completely inedible, and the combination with pea did nothing to save it. The tuna toast was good. That's my one star. The whole menu reads like a concept that sounds exciting on paper but falls apart in execution. Fusion only works when both traditions are respected. This felt like neither was. For a place that Bon Appétit called one of the best new restaurants in the country, I expected food that at minimum tasted fresh and was properly prepared. I got neither. Not worth the reservation. Not worth the hype. Not worth going back.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ read more

Great flavors and incredible vibes! Highly recommend trying to just walk in and try your luck. Definitely get the eggs and snails. read more

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The food wasn't good. It wasn't inedible, it just wasn't very tasty. I never understand these yelp and NY Times reviews. It seems that people go into restaurants wanting to like the food so that they can tell people they went to a hot restaurant and feel cool by saying they loved it but half the time the food is very average or in this instance, not very good. I dine out a lot for work and because I like trying restaurants and I feel like I have an objective palate. We had the oysters, eggs, snails, squash toast, oxtail, risotto and pate caude. Most everything was too salty and the only dish I truly liked was the pate caude. The flavors were not very good in general, nothing I need to eat again. I would skip this place. The service was wonderful I would say though. read more

Very small and cute bar/restaurant with only bar seating and a standing area. We lined up on a cold Friday evening about 15-20 minutes before opening and there were already at least 10 people in front of us. It's a very small and intimate restaurant, so I probably wouldn't recommend for any group with party size more than 2-3. We managed to make the first round but they told us we needed to be finished by 6:30 PM. For two people they recommend 4-6 dishes. We ordered the following: - Bluefin tuna and lime leaf toast- probably our favorite dish. The tuna was fresh, but the lime added a really refreshing twist. - Carrot salad- the toasted shallots made the carrots very tasty, but otherwise nothing super special. Would probably on this. - Snail with tamarind butter- must try! The snails are super tiny but the tamarind butter is sooo good with the baguette. - Squid ink risotto- nothing super special. Pretty mediocre risotto. The squid was softer than expected and not that chewy so not sure how I feel about that. Dish also got cold pretty quickly. We also ordered the egg mayo dish which seemed to be popular, but they never ended up bringing out the dish and we had to ask them to remove it from our bill. Overall, I think it's worth trying once and I would come here for the vibes than for the food. While the dishes were certainly tasty, I don't think it's worth waiting out in the cold for a bar seat! read more

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Cozy, vibey spot with great service and good food! I came here with a friend for her birthday after we read about the hype surrounding it. We didn't have a reservation, so we made a plan to get there at 4:50pm to wait in line for their 5:30pm opening time. There were several people in front of us, but we snagged seating no problem when the restaurant finally opened. The interior is famously tiny, though stylish and cute, and we were sat at two bar seats against the wall. The service is friendly and warm, and our server checked in on us often. For food, we shared two oysters with green chili, the egg mayo with sweet chili and anchovy, snails with tamarind butter, and pig trotter with cranberry beans and spinach. We also had sticky toffee pudding for dessert and a few drinks. I found the food to be a little inconsistent: the oysters were alright, and the pig trotter was surprisingly bland and one-note. But the snails were delicious--and came with incredible bread for us to sop up the butter--and the egg mayo was outstanding, by far the best thing I had on the menu. The sticky toffee pudding was also good, but nothing particularly unique. Overall: a lovely little spot for dinner, though I'm not sure it warrants all the hype it's been getting. I would recommend for a date night or a 1:1 hangout, though! read more

Ha's Snack Bar - French Near Me - New York, New York

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Everyone's already pointed out that this place is small and therefore the reservation is tough to obtain, and that the food is pretty good. I enjoyed the tartare, ouef mayo, herb salad, and the tamarind escargot, but thinking about the effort in returning drives me mad. The Vacation Dreamsicle dessert put a smile on my face. I'll be back whenever that's back on the menu. Service was quick (had to be lol) and fun. I thought wine with our food would be weird but whatever our server poured us was pretty good. Vibes were casual, lively, cramped. What I really liked about Ha's was that it didn't tone down pungent flavors that are characteristic of Vietnamese food. I've been waiting for southeast Asian restaurants in NYC (other than Thai) that excites me and I think Ha's is it. Just wish it were easier to return. read more

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This place has been on my to go list for a whileeee and I finally managed to walk in!! Walked in around 5:10PM on a Thursday evening and was able to snag a spot at the bar. First off, vibes are vibingggg-- this is def a place to come with your gal friends for some wine and yap. Service was fantastic too-- superrrr friendly and fast. Food was great, wine was amazing. Honestly, I'd say this place is def closer to a wine bar than a restaurant-- good for girl dinner vibes or just a lil snacky snack while you share a bottle (or two?) Food: - Oysters: 10/10 (fresh oysters with a little salty twist! Glad I ordered two because one would've been... sad) - Egg and mayo: 10/10 (yummy take on egg and mayo. Super flavorful with ikura, mayo, and a suqce that's almost like teriyaki sauce? Comes with baguette bread) - Tamarind snails: 1000000/10 (this was def my fav dish of the bunch!!! Omg literally the best escargot dish I've had like... in a while? Lovedddd the tangy kick from the tamarind sauce. Also comes with baguette bread) Wine: - White wine: 10/10 (tbh I forgot which one it was but it was gooooood! Not too sweet but also fruity-- just the way I like it) - Orange wine: 10000/10 (as an orange wine lover omg this was some of the best orange wine I've had in NYC!! I hate it when orange wine is too funky but the orange wine here was very refreshing) I'll def be back next time: to order a bottle!! read more

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Ha's Snack Bar has some really unique Vietnamese French fusion dishes that you don't find anywhere else. On top of that, their menu is always changing, so you never know what new dish you will get to experience here. I can definitely see the hype around this cozy restaurant. Plus, the small space and limited seating doesn't help with securing a table here. My friend and I were planning to walk-in an hour before opening, but luckily checked the day of and miraculously got a 7pm reservation on a Saturday. We were truly lucky with timing to score this probably from a cancellation --win! Once we arrived, we were seated in a corner table next to the bar. You are literally inches from another party in all sides, so just be warned. Between the two of us, we tried the Egg Mayo ($12), Pig Trotter Terrine ($18), Tomato Carpaccio ($24), Snails with Tamarind Butter ($23), and a Tomato Risotto ($38). The terrine was kind of hard to eat while I absolutely loved the creaminess of the egg Mayo reminiscent of a banh mi. The snails were savory and buttery soaked with the bread although nothing too special. We enjoyed both tomato dishes the most, especially with it being tomato season. The carpaccio used two types of tomatoes, which were so fresh and the risotto was very flavorful too. We also enjoyed a glass of bubbles ($19) and rose ($18) before finishing our meal with the Panna Cotta Dreamsicle ($15). I also enjoyed the dessert quite well, which was tart and sweet with different fun textures too. There are definitely some unique dishes that I hope stay on the menu. The experience here is for those who are adventurous with their food. Overall, it's a bit on the pricey end, but it's worth for a special occasion, especially if you can snag a reservation. read more

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finally got the opportunity to visit ha's snack bar after trying for a year and a half and was not disappointed. this is a french-vietnamese fusion restaurant, but i think it leans more french with some viet influences. dishes are relatively small and tapa portioned, i personally think it'd be difficult to share if you're dining with a party of more than 2. my friend and i ordered the following: - watercress salad -- fave dish of the evening. dressing is delicious and vegetables were very fresh. - snails -- sweeter than the traditional escargot. i think i prefer a herbaceous palette over a sweet one, but it was still excellent. - eggs mayo -- another interesting dish! second favorite of the night. - chili crab toast -- good, but nothing special. feel like i have had something like this elsewhere. - clams (not pictured) -- also good, but no notes. options to add on white rice. service was ok - it was kind of difficult to flag our server down even as it was slowing down for the night. all in all, a good meal. i am looking forward to trying their sister restaurant next! read more

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It feels like everyone is talking about Ha's Snack Bar, and the New York Times nod definitely didn't hurt. I obviously had to check out the hype for myself, and was overall pleased with the experience. The restaurant is tiny and the seats/tables are all jammed in really close to each other. If you want a place where you can chill for a while and engage in deep conversation, this isn't for you. Despite that, what really matters is the food. They say that the food is French-Vietnamese fusion, and the menu is definitely not traditional Vietnamese. I was able to try the snails, tomato carpaccio, shrimp tartlette, and pork chop. Surprisingly, the stand out dish was probably the tomato carpaccio which was so fresh and well seasoned. The snails and shrimp tartlette were both solid. The entree sized pork chop was cooked well but was otherwise boring and extremely overpriced at $54. That would be a definite pass for me next time. Overall, I think the food was a bit too salty and I wished that the Vietnamese influence was more present. But the small bites were all quite good and Ha's Snack Bar is definitely worth a visit so that you can check it out for yourself. Also, I have to say that I was impressed at the level of service despite how small and chaotic the restaurant could be. read more

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Reservations at Ha's Snack Bar are super hard to come by, but we were luckily able to get first seating by lining up 45 minutes before opening. It's a tiny restaurant, there are only 24 seats, most of which are counter spots. I loved the open kitchen concept, where you could see the chefs preparing the food. The dim lighting in the restaurant also made for great ambiance. Service was decent, but nothing extraordinary. My expectations were quite high, given the hype surrounding this spot. Starting with ones I loved, the Chicken Pate was wonderful. The chilis and chives were a perfect combination to cut the richness of the pate. The Snails with Tamarind Butter were also great. The tartness of the tamarind was a lovely pair for the butter. And THE DESSERT!!! Amazing. We opted for the Peach Tart, and the dough was buttery and flakey and was topped with this amaazzzinnngggg whipped cream. As for skips, I wasn't overly impressed by either seafood dish we ordered. The Oysters were fresh, but the sauce didn't blow me away. The Tuna Crudo was tasted good, but I had a bite that was either tissue or tendon and it was super unpleasant. I'm really glad I got to try! I don't think I'd play the resy game or wait in line again, but I'm not mad at my overall experience. read more

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The food here is so good, so glad they finally have a spot. We've been trying Ha's Dac Diet pop-ups throughout the city for some time, and the food has always hit the spot really well, so it's really nice to see a permanent location, albeit it can be a pain in the ass to get a reservation sometimes. Favorites of the night included the tamarind butter snails (like a livelier escargot dish), the pate chaud (classic Vietnamese bakery vibes, but elevated a bit more) and the beef heart tartare (fresh and crisp Vietnamese flavors, reminded me of Vietnamese bar food). Overall the food was delicious, we had a great time, and the vibes were amazing. Would love to be back! read more

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Really enjoyed our meal at Ha's Snack Bar. Managed to snag an actual reservation - note that basically everything is counter. We were seated at the bar and it was perfect as there was plenty of room for multiple plates for sharing. Service was super helpful in selecting dishes and they guided us well in terms of the appropriate number. Loved the oysters, salad and snails. Liked the chicken liver and the pate chaud...both tasty. A bit of a miss with the risotto - it was fine but forgettable. Menu seems to vary a great deal with a few "must haves" sticking around, which makes for a great option to revisit, which we will! read more

Overall a solid restaurant with a good concept. Some hits, some misses, but would return. Ha's is one of the hardest reservations to get. Originally, I had been planning to arrive early and wait for a table, but lady luck smiled on me and I scored a 7 pm same-day table. Arriving at the restaurant, we waited about 10 minutes to be seated as the previous party was finishing up. They are definitely running a tight operation here, so be respectful of that and don't overstay your welcome! They have a small menu of both wines by the glass and bottles-- my friend and I each opted for a glass. Prices were reasonable, with glasses around $18-$20 and bottles $60+. For food, my friend and I got the following (ranked from favorite to least): - Tomato Carpaccio: holy crap, love tomatoes and the combo with the seasonings made this an umami bomb. Definitely a show-stopper of a dish. - Egg Mayo: Reminded me of a banh mi even though it was boiled eggs and anchovy. Loved the mayo and complex flavors. - Snails: solid dish, but honestly the snails were a little small for me and the sauce mostly butter. The baguette on this one was warm though (vs the egg mayo and the terraine) so that was a plus. - Tomato risotto: pretty solid, but the flavor profile is what you expect and I felt like it was missing complexity, especially when compared to the carpaccio. - Terraine: the texture was superb but it was lacking all flavor to me. Would not recommend. The dessert, which I feel like should always be categorized separately, was delicious! Would recommend saving room for something sweet at the end. Overall a fun vibe and I appreciate that their menu is ever changing. I'd go back once it's a little easier to go to and try some different dishes. read more

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Ha's Snack Bar was first brought to my attention by my brother - since we periodically catch dinner together, he thought it would be a good place to check out. I then saw an Instagram post by a food account I follow highlighting the space which even further piqued my interest. Finally, the NYT did a write up on the space - which pretty much sealed the deal in terms of us going. That being said, we headed to the LES after work to check it out. Ha's Snack Bar is the evolution of Ha's Đặc Biệt - a pop-up founded by husband-wife duo Anthony Ha and Sadie Mae Burns back in 2019. The brick-and-mortar Ha's opened at the end of last year, and serves up a fusion of Vietnamese and French food with an ever-changing menu. Because of the hype this place got via social media and the NYT, reservations are tough to get - the fact that the space only has 24 seats doesn't help either. I got lucky and snagged a 6pm reservation on a weeknight - though they do take walk-ins as well. The interior is really small - there are two, maybe three tables outside with a couple more inside. The rest of the seating is via stools either at the bar or against the opposite wall. There really isn't a kitchen - it's open in full view of the diners and they operate mostly via portable appliances. I read that Ha's is kind of a stepping stone for the owners, as they are in the works of opening a larger spot. But honestly it's really impressive what they have produced in such a small space with so few resources. The decor of the space is warm - it gives off kinda modern vibes but since it's so small it's also very cozy and intimate. Ha's has an ever-changing menu with a selection of French and Vietnamese dishes. Dishes are meant to be shared, and there is a variety of sizes from small bites to larger format meals. We asked our server for some recommendations and also suggested we order between four and six dishes between the two of us. We went with five: the snails, egg mayo, mussel toast, braised pork belly, and poached chicken risotto. Everything was really tasty - I would say that the snails and the pork belly were the two biggest standouts for me. The snails were served with a tamarind butter which provided great flavor; the bread that came with it was perfect for dipping into the butter mmmm. The pork belly was served vol au vent and was paired with a tasty sauce and broccoli rabe. The other dishes were also tasty - I would say the weakest for me was the egg mayo but I'm also not a big soft-boiled egg or mayo person. Regardless, what they're putting out from what is essentially a makeshift kitchen is kind of wild. We decided to get two of their desserts, and I'm glad we did as they were both excellent. The coconut tres leches had good flavor and wasn't overly sweet. The honeycomb ice cream was awesome - the ice cream itself was flavorful, but it was also paired with a chocolate shell, meringue, and honeycomb bits which really escalated the dish. They were honestly the perfect finishers - don't skip dessert! Service was good - everyone was super friendly and made sure we were taken care of. Overall, I enjoyed my experience at Ha's Snack Bar - this won't be everyone's vibe, but I think they're doing something special here. The food is innovative, and I'm looking forward to seeing where they take this business. read more

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The tiniest of spaces. Barely have enough room to even sit side to side. Saying that though the food is fantastic. The egg mayo and the pate were must gets. read more

Ha's Snack Bar - French Near Me - New York, New York

We came on Fri night with a reservation and had a good experience, though I'm not sure I understand the hype. I am Vietnamese and lived in Paris, so I guess I had a high bar. To be clear, food was tasty - especially enjoyed the egg mayo (we doubled up on this one), the snails (but there are great escargots at half a dozen French places in NYC), chicken liver pate. But there was a LOT of bread (good bread, but a bit too much), and I think we had some other mains that I don't remember. The pate chaud at Banh Anh Em is great and you don't need to jump through hoops to order it home! The place is very small. Service was fine though with a tinge of "too cool for school" attitude but that's just the LES for you. I might give it another go (will never stand in line for this but TBH I am too old to stand in line for things). Seems like they added a bunch of new stuff to the menu that look intriguing. read more

They were so accommodating to our group even though we arrived very late (subway mishaps from out of town suburb girlies). The server who was with us personally was very aloof but professional and attentive with refilling our waters and bussing our tables. The tables are like restrictively small--again they showed us great patience and hospitality when we constantly had stuff falling from our tables--at one point even dropping a glass. I get that the space isn't large, but when ordering the fixed menu with many courses, we just kept running out of room!!! As mentioned we did go with the family style set menu. I liked that they asked us what specifically we wanted to eat from the menu! They really went off the vibes of the table. They started off STRONG with the smaller appetizers--LOVED the oysters, LOVE the salad with fish sauce dressing, the deviled egg dish shockingly more than the sum of its parts and DELISH, LOVED the pate chaud. there was another pate dish served with mini baguettes that was just ok, snails were also pretty good. We had high expectations after such a strong start, and the mains -- poached chicken and skate wing-- were kind of a let down. Very mild flavors, and the first bite I had of the poached chicken was cold and gelatinous since it was mostly skin. The chicken was only good when really rubbing and rolling it into the fried garlic sauce it is served with. The desserts were great however, our favorites were the strawberry crumble (beautiful pastry) and the panna cotta. The chocolate cake was just OK imo! Overall a great dinner, nice ambiance. Cramped, not accessible-friendly bathroom. Little tables. Very accommodating servers. read more

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Have been trying to get a reservation here for months, after a friend suggested we go here. I'm the one out of the two of us that has priority notify from Amex with Resy but we both tried for 3 months to get in here. Finally, priority notify came through and scored a reservation for 5:30 pm on a Thursday... I have no prior knowledge of this restaurant except that it serves Vietnamese, is small and that they take walk ins, so didn't know what to expect. We were fortunate to sit at one of three tables, versus the bar and high top communal table. We ordered wine and the Vermouth drink. Both were ok, then we started with the Sautéed Chanterelles & Cheese on toast, and the cauliflower, anchovy, etc on toast. Both were very good, but you only get one of each. Two of each would be very fair. I thought the Chanterelles were outstanding. The cauliflower was good, with the anchovy taste being subtle. Next, we had the egg mayo w/maggi and Beef Tataki. I thought the eggs were ok, nothing special. I actually like the mint/mam tom, etc that came with the beef, better than the beef. This was the most Vietnamese tasting off the dishes, with the use of mint. unfortunately, it was over salted, which overpowered the dish. And for me to say it was over salted (if you read my previous reviews you can see how many times I add salt to meals) says a lot. For the average human it must have been almost inedible. One of these two were spicy (I forget which) but it was manageable. Next, stew of squid, clams, tomato and chili oil came out. From previous experience, I know that chili oil is hot, but omg, this was borderline inedible. My friend said she couldn't eat it and wanted to order something else. I thought I could take one for the team but after another bite, with my mouth on fire, we threw in the towel and ordered the salad which was fine. Lastly, we finished with the sticky toffee pudding, which was very good. The service was good, music was loud and unnecessary and I thought there were too many patrons for the size of the space. The size keeps the vibe, but I wouldn't want to be in there if a fire broke out. They do have a very cute, yet tiny restroom. read more

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I was super excited after finding a reservation for 2 for dinner on a weeknight evening after hearing a lot of chatter of this restaurant opening. Overall, I felt like the service was lacking and the food itself was quite pricey with only 2/4 of the dishes standing out. We were waiting to get seated for quite a while, the servers all seemed quite busy and the restaurant was almost completely full. The snails with the sauce was probably the only highlight of the meal. The bread dipped in the butter was very delicious, though the snails itself didn't feel like they added too much to the dish itself (besides the flavor and umami-ness that they contributed to the butter). The deviled eggs with anchovy were okay, but for one egg cut in half for $12, I would have expected something to stick out a bit more. The pate chaud was flavorful, and the second thing I'd recommend. The puff pastry was flaky and the filling paired well. We also go a seafood stew, which came on the smallest plate-bowl and the waiter almost spilled it putting on the table. A couple of the clams were also empty, which I guess is to be expected, but there weren't too many to begin with anyways. The fish in the stew was a bit bland and lacked salt. For $47, I would have expected more. Or at least even small bowls since we were sharing. We got a chocolate cake with coconut ice cream for dessert, to find out that the cake was actually just a brownie, and the ice cream on top actually tasted more like vanilla (with coconut flakes on the top). The restaurant space is small, and with only a curtain separating the entrance with the door, the cold air was constantly blasting in the whole meal as people opened the door to add themselves to the waitlist (and we were seated right at the entrance). The waiter had also taken our water carafe to refill, but never brought it back. Even after we asked for more water, they still didn't give it back to us until we were ordering dessert. The ambiance is loud and its quite hard to hear over everyone talking. Overall, for ~$160 for two people, I think there are other restaurants that are more worth the cost. read more

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Pleasantly surprised! It's a very cute small snack bar. We had a window seat which I love. We asked our server suggestions on food and were happy we took their suggestions. The portions are actually veryyy goood for a snack bar. These dishes were actual meals for both us (2 females). Their menu does change. I can't remember the names of the dishes we ordered but the eggs are to die for. Can't go wrong with the desserts listed on their menu. The meat thing like a Wellington (I can't remember the name) maybe it was Pate Chaude. Anyway it was very delicious. Had the perfect consistency, texture, amazing flavors. I had a risotto which was appropriate me for the cold weather. I loved it so much. The flavors were perfect. My friend ordered a stew which is also very winter appropriate. That was also good and tastes just as expected. Overall very impressed with the French Vietnamese fusion. It surprisingly works! Was a great night. Love the cute candles and warm cozy ambience read more

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Food: Everything was very flavorful, though some dishes felt a bit heavy--especially the vol-au-vent. That said, the menu changes frequently, so I'd definitely be interested in coming back to try other options. The rhubarb & vanilla tartlette was amazing--a real standout! Service: Overall, the service was good--friendly. Vibes: The space is quite small, and unfortunately, we were seated by the windows on stools without back support in a pretty tight spot. I think the experience would've been more comfortable at one of the main tables. At times, the restaurant also felt a bit smokey due to the open kitchen. read more

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This is definitely a small place! I think I got here around 4:30 and there were a few people that was ahead of me. However once opened, I was able to get seated at the bar. Everything was small so it's to be expected to order quite a few things. I had the oysters, egg mayo, vol-au-vent, and the pork belly. I think my favorites were the oysters and vol-au-vent! read more

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Tons of hype on this place and overall I would say it lives up to the hype. Many very unique dishes you won't find on other menus or at least unique takes on them. We had the egg mayo, shrimp tarltlet, oyster risotto, escargot, and blueberry cobbler. All were delicious, though prices are definitely high. I'd say $10 higher per dish in most cases. As long as your ok spending, it is a nice and unique meal. read more

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This might be the hardest table to get in NYC right now. What started as a pop-up is now serving some of the city's most exciting French-Vietnamese dishes. The menu changes almost daily, but if you see the tamarind butter snails or country pork chop, just get it. Even the simplest dishes, like oysters with white pepper mignonette, are the best oysters I've ever had. Even the desserts are next level, like a blueberry & nectarine comfort that feels like the hug my parents never gave me, or a lime sorbet with actual chili ants. The room feels like a cozy Parisian bistro, scented with fish sauce and shallots, lit by candles and paper lamps, and the chefs are literally right there, cooking a few feet away. Trust me this needs to be at the top of your list. read more

Rich, tangy, & comforting !!! Simple yet sophisticated, Ha's Snack Bar was phenomenal. Tight and a little pricy, yes! but also treat yourself to a delicious meal. Tucked in the heart of Chinatown is this gem of restaurant. Compact in flavor and tiptoeing in space. Was finally able to snag a reservation and came in on a packed Thursday night. Everything we ordered was so good for no reason. Only thing I wouldn't order again was maybe the Tuna. The Lamb & Snail were so so good. Dreaming about their deserts my stomach didn't have room for. Will be back! read more

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delectable food and changing menu! small space and smaller plates unique wines to try to would ask for recs service is attentive sometimes the owner is there too! read more

Super cute vietnamese + french restaurant, housed in an originally cozy wine bar. There's seating for ~6 at the bar, ~6 outside, and ~12 inside other than the bar. It's a tiny venue, which makes the reservations super hard to get. When arriving, somehow the reservation got messed up a bit, so we got punted from 6pm to waiting for an inside table in the scorching heat. It took about 45 minutes to get the table, which was brutal, but the owner was lovely and gave us 2 delicious spritzes ($17 - well worth). Regarding the meal, it's designed for those who love french food with a twist of vietnamese. The snails were delicious and the meal came heavily with bread. Favorite dish was the fish, which came with rice ($42). Pate was also quite tasty in general. The portions are small, and felt like tapas size. Meal is ~$100/pp without alcohol, ~$150/pp with alcohol. Service overall was good, so I won't ding them for the reservation blunder. It took a while to get new water, and they seemed to be running around in chaos. Could be a bit more organized. Overall 4/5 stars given the pricing to food, and the overall service which was hit or miss sometimes. read more

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Yet another place that is all hype and no substance. The ambiance isn't much to speak of since it is a cramped, tiny space. It's not terrible, but there's not much room --literally --to enjoy anything. The food is below average. Everything is very pungent and bold. I get the whole Asian inspired tapas/dishes thing, but Asian food can be refined with bold flavors. This isn't that at all. Wine selections are unique and not bad. However, trying to pair something that matches the bold dishes without overpowering or killing one flavor or another is a monumental task not worth doing sitting elbow to elbow with other patrons. read more

Tiny intimate place with great food and service. Started with the escargot and the tamarind butter was something else giving it a sweet flavor. The accompanying bread was crusty and delicious as well. The tuna crudo was fresh. The bread pudding was to die for. read more

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