Zula Bar

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  So, this restaurant was disgusting and deceptive.  Never go here if you can help it.  We walked in (apparently during restaurant week, which is fine) and were seated quickly.  We were handed the special restaurant week menu and told the male server that we had come for the happy hour menu.  He said, "you can only order happy hour at the bar".  So, we proceeded to the bar, where a very nice blonde bartender took our drink order.  She even informed us of the $4 happy hour sangria. We knew that the hibachi skewers were on the menu for happy hour (as we had checked the happy hour menu on their the website beforehand), and we decided to get a plate of the chicken and a plate of the beef.  Once we received them, we noted that the skewers were dry and lacked any sauce.  The salad was bitter and had hardly a hint of dressing (...and though I prefer that dressing is light, there was NONE).  The bruschetta was pretty good.  So, we go to pay, and between the 2 of us, we had a $40 bill!!  Now, as you may know, you can get a 3 course meal during restaurant week for $20.12.  We explained to the bar tender that we wanted the small plates from the happy hour menu and that we were told to come sit at the bar to enjoy them.  Then, she had to get her manager.  Her manager was out in the street, and we had to wait 10 minutes to talk to her.  When she came in, she was snotty and rude.  She kept saying the same thing over and over, "well its restaurant week, we don't offer happy hour food".  We explained that someone had told us to physically move to the bar for the prices.  We explained that we would have ordered the 3 course restaurant week meal for the price we were paying; so obviously there had been a big misunderstanding.  She didn't budge.  Then, when we asked again if the food was on their happy hour menu during a regular week, she said "NO".  We just re-checked the menu for happy hour online, and hmm, this red-haired maven is quite a liar.  The hibachi skewers were there, we knew we had seen this before walking in!  So, she refused to lower our bill or compromise even in the slightest, and was like, "I can't help you".  We are two super nice girls, and we didn't get mad or loud, in case you're wondering.  We paid and left, knowing that we'd immediately go on Yelp, write this review and pray that her manager sees it.  We will probably follow up with the owner.  Cheers!

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  Posted on 07.23.12 Laura D.

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  Just had lunch there.  I had a poached pear salad. very good but almost no goat cheese, which is why I ordered it.  Nice looking place, good location, waitress was quick to fill my glass. I would go back for a drink.  Overpriced.

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  Posted on 04.27.12 Kelly Y.

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  I love the downtown scene. The ambiance and decor is upscale. The seating is tight. The food is good and the service is excellent. I ordered the seafood dish and it was good.

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  Posted on 03.26.12 Queen A.

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  Food was great. But the atmosphere and service were lacking. The restaurant was freezing cold, the music was too loud to be able to carry a conversation and the decor must have been designed by a madman (pretty random). Our waiter did not seem like he was all there, and as a result service seemed a little slow or you would have to remind them of something you ordered. Luckily the food was great and made up for the other shortcomings. Not sure if I would go back for dinner.

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  Posted on 03.17.12 Leland M.

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  We had an ok meal tonight.  We started with a lobster bisque and french oinion soup.  Both were a great starter.  I had the short ribs over grits and veggies.  My friend had the filo wrapped salmon over crab cakes.  My short ribs were tasty, but I would have rathered had sweet grits and pushed the veggies to side since they looked rather shriveled.  I tried some of the crab cake and it was a bit greasy.  The place was dead and in downtown hartford, so I'm not really sure I'd return.

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  Posted on 12.10.11 Steven T.

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  I stopped in after a long day for a drink, the bar was almost full.   I ordered the Aviator martini, a gin based drink that had some floral notes.  It was interesting, innovative and refreshing.  The atmosphere and music were trendy and it made for a very pleasant experience.  I had dined there before and found the cuisine beautiful and chic and approachable.

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  Posted on 11.15.11 Alexandria P.

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  Perhaps if i could get proper service i would visit again. As the manager in a finer dining establishment myself i know what good service is. I can't explain to you how disgruntled i was with my first and ONLY visit to your establishment. I dragged my friend to your restaurant even though he ddn't want to go only to sit at a table waiting for a server to approach us which never happanned. We were sitting there for at least 15 minutes watching servers laugh and giggle in the corner to themselves, walk outside to smoke ciggarettes, and serve other tables. But do you think anyone EVEN A MANGER noticed? NO! They just continued walking by us, two big guys that can't be missed with menu's in hand. The  person that appeared to be the  manager seemed to be preoccupied with some lady at the door. Needless to say we walked out hungry and annoyed. No worries though we just walked over to Max Downtown where the service is always prompt, and pleasant. GET IT TOGETHER!!

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  Posted on 10.22.11 Eugene J.

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  *gasp* There's actually a nice, trendy but accessible restaurant/lounge in downtown Hartford.
  
  Ambiance is trendy with the metal furniture and cool steel and blue color schemes.  Not so crowded but still lively when I was there with my dinner partner.  There was also live music performing while we were there which was pretty nice.
  
  Entrees were hearty though a little underseasoned.  The seafood dish had plenty of seafood pieces and other components, and the vegetable lasagna was also hearty.  Both dishes were a little undersalted, but that might be for the better if you're health conscious.  Portions were hearty and price point was reasonable (I think $18-30/plate depending on what you got).  Service was friendly and attentive despite taking slightly longer than expected to get our dinner.
  
  Solid dining option in downtown Hartford.  Keep it in mind my friends.

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  Posted on 10.16.11 Tu-van L.

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  I wish it was  possible to give half stars on Yelp. My rating would actually be 3.5 stars. Zula is a fun restaurant and bar in  Hartford, located in a prime spot on Main Street. My husband and I arrived without a reservation but we were able to get one a half hour from our arrival time. There is something about the hostess check-in situation and area that needs to be improved but it's hard to articulate exactly what that is. The hostess was friendly but there is an odd tension in the air around the check-in area that I observed even as others arrived. I think it's that the staff is not very sophisticated at "triaging" customers in a way that doesn't make them privy to the fact that this is in fact taking place. There are lots of odd nervous glances between the staff.
  That aside, the ambiance is quite nice and our waiter was friendly. There is live entertainment but the live band is way too loud, forcing everyone to speak loudly as well. I didn't notice how noisy it was until my meal came and I myself was silent. Then I realized the cacophony around me. It became quite irritating.
  We got the Mac and Cheese entree and three small plates, namely the fried calamari, the mussels and the barbeque wings. Well they're not exaggerating when they say small plates.The calamari was one of the tiniest small plate portions I've ever experienced. The macaroni was delicious, the calamari was tasty but a bit soggy, the wings were also tasty and the mussels were nothing to write home about but enjoyable nonetheless. Overall the food was good and I would dine there again. Would I rush to recommend it to a friend? Probably not but I would definitely go back. Then again I've been spoiled by the dining options in New Haven, so dining in Hartford always leaves me wanting.

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  Posted on 08.12.11 Ashika B.

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  Staff were all friendly, as well as the hot bartender. We put our faith in her abilities and she came up with two drinks in a row my girlfriend really enjoyed. But if you're a cocktail lover there is already some interesting stuff to try. They seemed to have a pretty well stocked bar as far as liquor, (some trendy useless items), beer and wine selection didn't blow me away. This place is more for food and drinks, not just drinks alone, but we wanted to try it out. We did a couple of appetizers, the garlic bread with gorgonzola sause was a great addition to our drinking. I stuck with vodka based drinks and te girlfriend stuck with gin. There a weird mix of older songs and older songs remixes to a dance beat. Not good or bad, So if you like the current top 20 crap, be warned. The bathroom was odd as well. A spot light over the toilet, and no light over the sink. Weird. Also, no soap in the men's room. You'd think people would check on these things. All and all an interesting location, although the later it gets the more ghetto it becomes, bit hey, it's downtown Hartford so it's a crap shoot. I'll probably return an give gem a try for dinner so I can add to this review.

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  Posted on 08.07.11 Rolf L.

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  We had a fabulous dinner at Zula.  Dined there with friends recently and can't say enough about the food and the service. The calamari  appetizer was so delicious that we ordered seconds. Main entree (seafood special) was outstanding! Our server Kevin, was attentive and well informed about menu and wine selection. A great place to stop in Hartford.  Will be back again soon!

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  Posted on 07.27.11 Mary S.

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  This place is pretty new and was not crowded at all for a Friday lunch.  Our lunch was relatively good - nothing to rave on about, but how much can one rave about a chicken ceasar wrap?  I will go back again, although I'll have to try a few more things on the menu before it becomes a Hartford lunch staple for me.

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  Posted on 07.07.11 Maureen L.

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  I went to this place about two weeks ago for the first time. I purchased a deal online and thought of giving it a try. Turns out, I liked it! The setting was nice and cozy. I enjoyed the music and the atmosphere. The place was smaller than I expected though. I ordered a chicken sandwich. The bread was amazing. One problem with this was the chicken. It tended to be a little hard as I chewed on it. Nonetheless, I enjoyed the taste of the sandwich overall. I also had a crab cake. I loved the salad and its dressing that came with the crab cake. So delicious and tasty!! It was a good crab cake with plenty of crab meat in it. I will definitely come back again and try other dishes as well as check out the bar area. I gave it a 4 rating because overall, I was satisfied with everything (ie., service, food, setting etc.).

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  Posted on 06.21.11 Gemii L.

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  **UPDATE 2 1/1/2013 -- Zula Restaurant and Bar looked to be shuttered and closed.  After making a few inquiries, I finally recently got confirmation that they are closed. Apparently due to personal issues that led to the owner needing to return to his home-country. In any event, now that the space on the corner of Main and Pratt St. has been restored and is pretty much restaurant-ready for the next owner, I hope it doesn't sit there for too long. Here's hoping that a new and exciting spot takes Zula's place, and sooner than later.
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  **UPDATE** 11/27/11 -- Since my last review, I've frequented Zula several times and it has become a favorite Happy Hour spot. The bartenders are friendly and the menu has been updated thanks to a newly hired chef. Happy Hour prices are among the best in downtown Hartford (even with the dollar increase) and runs 4pm-7pm, every Monday through Friday: $4 wines, beer, and small plates. The owner also seems really personable and open, as I watched him introduce himself to several bar patrons and chat with them for a spell... Good food and drink.  Try the new menu offerings.
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  I finally had a chance to check Zula out. The evening I ventured in, it was pretty low-key considering it always seems to be quite busy and crowded whenever I pass... especially the bar area.
  Great music, hip and trendy decor, and so far the service was friendly. The menu consisted of the myriad of different options, from the Zula Burger to steak, different salads, and pan seared salmon. I opted on an Angus Burger, medium rare... which came with fries and a pickle... and it was actually quite good. I rounded it out with a nice glass of the Hob Nob pinot noir, suggested by the waitress. Overall, not a bad experience. I do look forward to revisiting Zula, so as to familiarize myself with its overall feeling, ambiance, and menu even more!
  Decent list  of wines and cocktails to choose from, great entertainment, and most importantly, an awesome Happy Hour deal from 4-7pm, which includes $4 small plates and $3 wines. They're also open 7 days a week!

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  Posted on 06.05.11 Tiff J.

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  Definitely has potential, but menu was a little bland.   I'm hoping once they get settled that they expand/improve the choices, much like Dish (which also had some growing pains).   My grilled chicken "salad" was mostly made up of what normally would pass for garnish, and only a few chicken slices hidden amongst the rabbit food.   Cool decor, and will definitely help bring some continuity to the area as the Main street face of Pratt St.

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  Posted on 03.30.11 T L.

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  The place was pretty full but we found two seats at the bar. The menu seemed italian/american mix. We wanted a glass of wine that was only listed by the bottle. I asked Danielle, our bartender and she was kind enough to say of course you can have that and also stated they ran out of the chard by the glass anyways so they were offering what we wanted by the glass to everyone. Good enough and we were happy with that. We then looked at the menu and both wifey and I wanted meat and cheese plate but it looked like only meat was offered. We asked her if it was possible to do meat and cheese, she said she would check with the kitchen. WOW more than most servers would even do. She ran back and said yes of course he can for a small extra charge and quickly she returned with a plate of four different meats and fresh mozz and grana padana on top and roasted peppers! wow this place is accomodating. will def be back for a full meal. Heard the owner of this place also owns DD's gyros and Gyro Palace.

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  Posted on 03.20.11 M Z.

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