Darbar Indian Restaurants

I?ve been in the dining room of Lantern before with its cheerful yellow walls but this was my first trip to the lounge at the back. It?s much more my style with 70?s music playing, lanterns hung all over, dim lighting, and intimate tables against the wall. While wai...ting for my husband, I had a Lotus Blossom cocktail that was superb. We decided to share a few appetizers and started with the Salmon Bento Box. It was literally bursting with flavor as the salmon is cured with sake and tea. The miso mayonnaise was an excellent accompaniment to the fish. We went for the Baang Baang Chicken next, which went quite well with a Yo La Mango cocktail. The ginger and chile oil in the dish was too brash; a subtler flavoring would have been more impressive. The meal was complete with a Mint Ice Cream Sundae, which was tasty but might have been better with a mint extract rather than the leaves themselves. While I didn?t love every ingredient, I did love the experience of dining at the Lounge. Read More

Best Bartenders in NC. The food is great, but get there early to get a seat.

Lantern (esp the bar) offers a surprisingly hip and sophisticated atmosphere and menu, while not coming off as high-brow. It's too bad the bar isn't a little bigger, but then again that's part of the allure and it keeps the noise down. A great bar if you're in a sultr...y mood or with a great date. A great restaurant if you're looking to please your pallet and dine on a real mixture of Asian cuisine. FYI not inexpensive but worth it. Read More