Wow. This place is a flavor lovers dream. Incredible knowledge of flavors and how they play together is applied to every dish. I would say this is a Malaysian fusion restaurant. East asian elements. The lamb special had a bit of Middle Eastern flare. The menu rotates. Specialls very. Desserts vary. We sampled everything from the apps to the desserts. It's worth the price. Which isn't bad when you consider what you are getting and the ingredients involved. Excellent service. Great ambiance. Call ahead to make a reservation. Parking can be iffy. Street parking out front is free after 5pm, but is usually gone by 6pm.
Parking: After 5pm on weekend free street parking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crab Rangoon
DREW PATTERSON
Unfortunately, our service was very bad. We were barely checked on, didn't get a drink we ordered, water went unfilled for nearly the entire duration of our meal. We had been looking forward to trying Akar for months. We were told our server was new, of which I am understanding, but it led to a service experience that was far below the cost of the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Crispy Chicken, Gnocchi
Bhavin Parekh
I had a very bad experience. I was made to sit at the bar where there was no seating available but they arranged it since I called them ahead to book for 1 person. It was very shabby and not clean. After I get as seated, someone else came in without reservation (party of 1) but was given table. When I asked for the table I was told to come back after 2 hrs. These guys are in service industry but lack basic sense .
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Virginia Thompson
Awesome food!!!
G R
First of all, the food was amazing! No complaints about the food at all. Coming to the actual reason why it is a 3 star for me was the service. We made called in and made a reservation a day earlier and did receive a call back confirming the reservation. When we went in, they insisted that they do not have us on their reservation and advised us that we can sit outside and have the meal (let me tell you it was in 90s outside). When we tried to show them that we did receive a call back, the manager or the person-in-charge was very indifferent and said I am trying to accommodate you even though you have reservation! Later when we sat outside and made our drink orders, one if the servers came up yo us and asked us to sit inside as there was a cancellation. Wouldn’t be visiting this place again
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Tiffany Hamilton
Our waiter was extremely rude. When I asked questions about a certain dish, he was short and rude, as if I was inconveniencing him with my questions. When the meal came out, he brought a completely different dish than what was ordered by my sister and didn’t try to rectify the situation. Flavors were great, but service was so bad I wouldn’t go back.
Prashant Bhandari
This is such a cool place. The food and the cocktail was spicy, quite matching flavors of the asian streets and while making it with a classy smooth finish. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
P L M
Kid-friendliness: ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jason Flodder
Recently had dinner here with friends and what a treat! There was a slight buzz of chatter throughout the restaurant but not above having a wonderful conversation with your table guests. Our table of four are “share-ers” so we tried the lamb shank, scallops(the two specials), and duck breast. We also tried the shrimp and greens salad app(can’t remember what they actually called it). ALL FOOD WAS DELICIOUS! The spotlight was definitely on how tender the lamb shank was that just fell off the bone, and in close second was the black forbidden rice with the scallops…..talk about a flavor bomb. Long story short, get here and try the specials…you won’t be disappointed. Ps. Only dock on star was the front seating. It was padded and comfy on the seat however the only option for a back was far back on the window which rattled if you leaned on it. Possibly a few pillows tossed for use if needed? (Personal thought after 90 mins of no back support)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank
Alexis Hendrickson
So underrated. Best espresso martinis in town. Great service / ambience. Super veg friendly.
The weather allowed us to sit outside and enjoy the cozy settings. Service was quick and the food was great. I am happy to find bold signature dishes in STL. The lobster rangoon is good, but the lamb was amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crab Rangoon, Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry, Rangoon Ravioli, Risotto, Braised Beef Short Rib
Aleksandr Yashkov
Great food and service, definitely 5 stars! The only thing I didn't like was that tables were too close to each other. For the premium restaurant like that, it would be nice to have a little privacy/intimacy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crispy Chicken
Naveed Chowhan
We had a family dinner to celebrate a milestone event. Our server tonight, (who was also the manager) made our experience horrible. Because we observe Kosher, my daughter asked if he knew where the lamb was from, his answer was “from the field” in a very sarcastic manner. My son ordered a Diet Coke and when he received it he tried and said it was flat. When my son notified the server he said that he just opened it. My son responded asking if it was expired. He replied saying he “did not make it a hobby of reading expiration dates of soda cans” in a very rude response. This server / manager ruined the mood of our joyous occasion. He brought out a can and my son checked it and it was in fact expired. That’s when we decided to leave politely without having dinner there. We still tipped appropriately for our $200 appetizer bill. Please do not visit this establishment!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Prakash Gupta
The best restaurant in Saint Louis. The food is so flavorful. I tried the gnocchi and the tofu dish and it was the best tasting dishes of those type I have ever had. You might require a reservation and the space is a bit limited, but the staff is very accommodating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jon D
Great upscale restaurant. The food was amazing and the cocktails were also great. The service was good but there was only one waitress for the whole place. Even though the place was small, it ended up taking a little longer for some things but the waitress was doing everything she could to keep up with all of the parties. Great restaurant for special occasions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fish of the Day, Rangoon Ravioli
Wow. This place is a flavor lovers dream. Incredible knowledge of flavors and how they play together is applied to every dish. I would say this is a Malaysian fusion restaurant. East asian elements. The lamb special had a bit of Middle Eastern flare. The menu rotates. Specialls very. Desserts vary. We sampled everything from the apps to the desserts. It's worth the price. Which isn't bad when you consider what you are getting and the ingredients involved. Excellent service. Great ambiance. Call ahead to make a reservation. Parking can be iffy. Street parking out front is free after 5pm, but is usually gone by 6pm.
Parking: After 5pm on weekend free street parking.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crab Rangoon
Unfortunately, our service was very bad. We were barely checked on, didn't get a drink we ordered, water went unfilled for nearly the entire duration of our meal. We had been looking forward to trying Akar for months. We were told our server was new, of which I am understanding, but it led to a service experience that was far below the cost of the meal.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Crispy Chicken, Gnocchi
I had a very bad experience. I was made to sit at the bar where there was no seating available but they arranged it since I called them ahead to book for 1 person. It was very shabby and not clean. After I get as seated, someone else came in without reservation (party of 1) but was given table. When I asked for the table I was told to come back after 2 hrs. These guys are in service industry but lack basic sense .
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Awesome food!!!
First of all, the food was amazing! No complaints about the food at all.
Coming to the actual reason why it is a 3 star for me was the service. We made called in and made a reservation a day earlier and did receive a call back confirming the reservation. When we went in, they insisted that they do not have us on their reservation and advised us that we can sit outside and have the meal (let me tell you it was in 90s outside). When we tried to show them that we did receive a call back, the manager or the person-in-charge was very indifferent and said I am trying to accommodate you even though you have reservation!
Later when we sat outside and made our drink orders, one if the servers came up yo us and asked us to sit inside as there was a cancellation. Wouldn’t be visiting this place again
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 1
Our waiter was extremely rude. When I asked questions about a certain dish, he was short and rude, as if I was inconveniencing him with my questions. When the meal came out, he brought a completely different dish than what was ordered by my sister and didn’t try to rectify the situation. Flavors were great, but service was so bad I wouldn’t go back.
This is such a cool place. The food and the cocktail was spicy, quite matching flavors of the asian streets and while making it with a classy smooth finish. Highly recommend.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kid-friendliness: ?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recently had dinner here with friends and what a treat! There was a slight buzz of chatter throughout the restaurant but not above having a wonderful conversation with your table guests. Our table of four are “share-ers” so we tried the lamb shank, scallops(the two specials), and duck breast. We also tried the shrimp and greens salad app(can’t remember what they actually called it). ALL FOOD WAS DELICIOUS! The spotlight was definitely on how tender the lamb shank was that just fell off the bone, and in close second was the black forbidden rice with the scallops…..talk about a flavor bomb. Long story short, get here and try the specials…you won’t be disappointed.
Ps. Only dock on star was the front seating. It was padded and comfy on the seat however the only option for a back was far back on the window which rattled if you leaned on it. Possibly a few pillows tossed for use if needed? (Personal thought after 90 mins of no back support)
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank
So underrated. Best espresso martinis in town. Great service / ambience. Super veg friendly.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Gnocchi
Restaurantji Recommends
The weather allowed us to sit outside and enjoy the cozy settings.
Service was quick and the food was great. I am happy to find bold signature dishes in STL.
The lobster rangoon is good, but the lamb was amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crab Rangoon, Chocolate Lava Cake with Raspberry, Rangoon Ravioli, Risotto, Braised Beef Short Rib
Great food and service, definitely 5 stars! The only thing I didn't like was that tables were too close to each other. For the premium restaurant like that, it would be nice to have a little privacy/intimacy.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Lamb Shank, Crispy Chicken
We had a family dinner to celebrate a milestone event. Our server tonight, (who was also the manager) made our experience horrible. Because we observe Kosher, my daughter asked if he knew where the lamb was from, his answer was “from the field” in a very sarcastic manner. My son ordered a Diet Coke and when he received it he tried and said it was flat. When my son notified the server he said that he just opened it. My son responded asking if it was expired. He replied saying he “did not make it a hobby of reading expiration dates of soda cans” in a very rude response. This server / manager ruined the mood of our joyous occasion. He brought out a can and my son checked it and it was in fact expired. That’s when we decided to leave politely without having dinner there. We still tipped appropriately for our $200 appetizer bill. Please do not visit this establishment!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
The best restaurant in Saint Louis. The food is so flavorful. I tried the gnocchi and the tofu dish and it was the best tasting dishes of those type I have ever had. You might require a reservation and the space is a bit limited, but the staff is very accommodating.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great upscale restaurant. The food was amazing and the cocktails were also great. The service was good but there was only one waitress for the whole place. Even though the place was small, it ended up taking a little longer for some things but the waitress was doing everything she could to keep up with all of the parties. Great restaurant for special occasions!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Fish of the Day, Rangoon Ravioli
Loading...