Baru 66

My wife and I were excited to go to Baru 66 in advance of the theatre, as we had heard great things. I left feeling we had a decent meal at best, but one that was nowhere near worth the expense. The ambiance of the place was quite nice.
We each ordered the «Du Chef» where each of us picked a first, a main, and a dessert. Before that, though, we ordered the cheese plate and a bowl of the french onion soup. The bread and butter came out while the cheese plate and the soup was being prepared. The butter was noticeably salty where it got mentioned in conversation. Not a huge deal really.
The server brought out the soup and the cheese plate, set it down, and walked away. She didn’t even explain the cheeses as one would expect from a fancy restaurant or cheese shop. I managed to catch her attention before the got too far away and asked jokingly, «so what’re we lookin’ at here?» She replied, «this is the cow; this is the goat; this is the sheep.» Well, that took some of the fun out of trying nice cheeses. I would expect the server to know the country or region or something special about it. See, e.g., The Cheese Shop on 42^nd Street. Ah well. The cheeses themselves were quite good, though.
The french onion soup was meh, very anticlimactic, especially for $ 10. Coincidentally, not enough cheese and not salty enough for a soup. Django has the best damn french onion soup in town. This one did not have cheese melted on top, but just little bits floating around. The temperature was scalding, but I guess that is better than too cold (see below).
Prior to putting in our order, my wife asked about the spinach and mushroom millenuele (sp?), basically asking the server «what is it?» She explained it is a french pastry-​like puff based off of «mille-​» meaning a thousand layers of paper. I asked «kinda like baklava-​style?» She said yes. So, we both assumed it was some type of stuff baklava thing with spinach and mushrooms. In fact, it was a soup — a green-​colored purée of mushrooms and spinach with with the pastry just floating on the soup. No «actual» mushrooms or spinach in the purée or within the pastry. It was decent in taste, but again, the explanation was lacking. Not to mention the pastry thing was difficult to break down with a spoon inside of a full bowl of pureed liquid.
My first course was the pan seared scallops — always a safe bet at a top tier restaurant, right? Again, they were decent at best, but way too salty — not sure how that much salt gets incorporated into a scallop. They also really didn’t have any of that pan char that I personally prefer. Oh, the server took my knives after the soup course. She brought over a new fork, but not a knife. .. so I cut the scallops with a fork. Just sayin’.
For our mains, my wife got the duck l’orange and I got the brisket something. Both were cold in temperature. Way more troubling for me personally was that with each bite I could smell/​taste a bleach/​cleaning agent smell/​taste. I’m sitting there sniffing my plate like a weirdo trying to figure out whether this is legit or if I’m losing it. My wife didn’t taste it, so maybe I am — but something put that thought in my head. I’m pretty sure they didn’t rinse the plate enough. Of note, we were both given salad forks for our main, but whatever.
Onward to dessert. My wife got a caramel gleateau thing which was quite good and well presented. It must’ve been my lucky day, because again came disappointment. It was comprised of four fresh raspberries sandwiched between two macaroons that looked like from HyVee with a scoop of regular raspberry sorbet. Breaking down the macaroons with a spoon was tricky — I wanted smaller pieces so as to mix with a raspberry and the sorbet. There was a little candied edible decorative thing on top, which was impressive, but my guess is that was the only part that was made in-​house.
Overall, was this a «horrible» meal? No. But mind you, after tip this thing set us back $ 210 (which includes a $ 20 corkage fee and one after dinner drink each). That is some serious cash to be dropping on the performance described above. I generally consider myself an easy going diner, but I expect when going to this purported caliber of dining and expensive to be associated with a bit of an experience, in which servers explain the flavors/​components of the dishes, the food is the right temperature, the right utensils are provided, desserts have a little bit of ‘wow’ factor, etc.
Hence the two stars. I haven’t wrote a review in years, but I kind of felt compelled to here. Take it for what it’s worth.

We finally dined at Baru 66 for the first time last evening to celebrate my other half’s 30^th birthday. We’ve wanted to try this restaurant for ages and like others continue to frequent our other favorites in town. Leaving there last night made us both regret not trying this restaurant sooner. From start to finish we were incredibly impressed by the service, and impeccable cuisine. I ordered the short rib and he had the duck breast. They were both amazing and we’ve never had a better meal in Iowa! Each course continued to get better and better. Steph, our waitress was incredible with her recommendations. They also went above and beyond to make my fiancé feel important on his birthday! They served dessert with a candle followed by sparkling bubbles! We can not wait to go back to Baru 66! You will not be disappointed what so ever! This is a must in Des Moines!

Baru 66 is not cheap, but you definitely get what you pay for with excellent food and service. My wife and I ordered the four course degustation, which is four courses picked by the chef. My wife is gluten and dairy free and the chef was more than happy to accommodate, so we actually each had tailored courses that weren’t exactly the same. The chef personally came out before and after each course to explain what he had prepared and to make sure we liked it and didn’t require any changes. Excellent service! We were worried that the courses would be very light, but my wife actually had to ask for a box there was so much food. I highly recommend Baru 66 for a nice meal.

Great food, a little pricey for Des Moines. Probably the best ‘gourmet’ or fine dining place in Des Moines. The atmosphere however is just plain cold. From the concrete floor to the high ceilings… It must cost a fortune to heat the place and you can tell when you’re inside.

I was passing through and happened to be in Des Moines roughly an hour before this place opened. Since I was in the mood for a bit of French and this place was highly rated on Unilocal — I stuck around and I am very happy I did! At first, I was very put off by the fact that I was shown a table right next to the bathroom — this is a pet peeve of mine — especially when the entire restaurant was available. However, since I was hungry and I had waited for the food, I decided not to make a big deal about this. I was pleased that my waitress was not the same person that seated me. My waitress had a sweet personality and ensured that my glass of water was always full and I had plenty of bread in between the courses. My first course was seared scallops. Second was the wild sea bass and the third was a molten fondue cake that was reminiscent of my travels to the Cayman island. What I found extremely pleasing was the fact that the chef personally came out to greet all of his guests! I would definitely eat there again — and make sure they don’t sit me next to the bathroom.

My main disappointment with Baru 66 was that they indicated they could accommodate my dietary restrictions, but they did not.
My requests were no wheat, dairy or garlic. The server checked with the chef who said it would be no problem.
The first thing she brought me was bread. This was easy enough to pass on to my husband, but was really a red flag of her general inattentiveness.
The second thing she brought was a creamy soup. I asked if there was milk in it. She said, oh yes, but just a little cream.
There was also a third course that was presented with cheese on it.
This is one of the worst food allergy restaurant experiences I’ve had. If you have life threatening allergies, I would avoid this restaurant.
The food I was able to eat was very good, but not to the level of places in other metropolitan areas at a lower price point. The drinks were great. The atmosphere was nice enough.

We went here for our 2^nd anniversary dinner. We really enjoyed the atmosphere and the people were great. We ordered the four course dinner and it was excellent. The portions were great and we were full and satisfied with the chef’s choice. It made me like lamb again. Would love to come back here sometime in the future!

I travel a lot for work and have the good fortune to try great restaurants all over the country but had one of my best dining experiences in a while last night in Des Moines at Baru 66. We were there during Restaurant Week so the menu was a little limited but everything we had was wonderful. I had the lox, braised ribs and goat cheese spread for dessert. And while the food was delish it was the usual charm of a quaint, chef-​owned restaurant that won me over. All of the wait staff was great, the bartender made some great drinks and the chef’s wife was so nice. At the end of the evening the chef David came behind the bar and chatted with me and my co-​worker. Really fascinating story and he introduced us to some drinks on his dime. Very cool experience and I will definitely be back. Keep up the great work!

Excellent service, food was wonderful, we did the 6 course Chef’s choice tasting menu and were pleased with 5 of the 6 courses. One of the seafood courses was bland. The staff was extremely attentive and made it a special evening for us. Next time we go back we will definitely be ordering from the menu rather than doing the tasting menu but it was a fun experience. Glad to see Des Moines doing fine dining!

We came here as an early Father’s day treat for my man. We live right across the street and we thought we try their food without anyone actually suggesting the place, not that it matters since I ran out of option to do on the special day. Let me start of with the ambiance. The place was small, which I like by the way but you wouldn’t know how. It feels intimate and if you need anything they’ll get to you faster. I notice they have the right amount of lighting and have simple decors. (I will get to the food, eventually). But you know what, the place does matter to the kind of mood you are wanting to set-​up. I got lucky to make a same day reservation too.
I enjoy the 3-​course I had and it was reasonable price for what it is and the steak that my husband had was really good too. We started with bread and palate cleansing salad in a can with tiny spoon, which I found cute. It was good. Then our server came with a basket of bread. I love the bread and what tasted like a homemade bread and butter. That bread almost was a little heavy, I know I was supposed to just have one but I got another one when she came back and asked if I want more. Lol! I started with foie gras and this was one of the reason why I opted to come here. This is the first time I tried it and since I have no point of comparison, I just thought this is how everyone should eat duck or fat. I love liver on every animal really but this is one of those every once in a while luxury. Don’t get me wrong I would probably eat it everyday if I can.
Then came the 2^nd course which was a duck roasted breast. I love duck meat, as long it was prepared and cooked right since they really tend to get greasy. The flavorful is what I always liked about duck meat it’s kinda hard to explain and to my friends I can’t even explain it. All I know is that it was good and the garnish and sauce made it all better too. It also came with what I can only think was a very light potato balls. Our very nice lady help me choose a good red wine that will go with it and of course but I’m sure it’s pinot noir, I forgot what it’s called but it work well with my duck. It’s what you’ll need anyway, lighter bodied, smooth and a good amount of acidity to cut through the greasiness. It was nice that if you don’t know what to choose someone will be more than happy to help.
My husband had the steak frites maître d’hôtel. He said it was good and probably better than he had from one from the other french place downtown which was over power by the peppercorn looks like chard. Had it in medium rare, which some may disagree but this is the only way steak should be eaten. He gave me a slice some and it was so good so I asked for one more.
Finally, the dessert, I opted for cherries jubilee w/​madeleine cookies coz it sounds interesting. They poured the lavender syrup last minute and since the cherry that was on the plate has warm syrup, it melted the ice cream that they have in there as well. I guess it was a little too much syrup on a small about of ice cream. To our surprise, after we’re done with our shared dessert (God knows I ate a lot so it’s just appropriate to share, well always anyway), they gave us macaroons!!! Someone will have to be crazy to say no to that, I always have room for good macaroons, same room that I have given the cherries jubilee. Lol!
Yes, to sum it up, it was a wonderful experience for me and my husband on a very special day. Our host was very attentive and just lovely person, I think she happens to be sister-​in-​law of the owner. At the end of the night, he actually came out and say hi and thank you to us. It was nice that he did that, he’s pretty a busy man but finding the time to do it was just made the night even better.

For those of you that read my reviews… you will know that I gave Baru a 2 star rating during my last visit… Baru management graciously reached out to me and gave me a gift card inviting me back. It took me awhile to get back but I figured Valentine’s was the perfect day to try the restaurant again.
For those of you that like short and to the point here its. Baru is probably the highest quality french restaurant in the Des Moines Metro area. It is however NOT a good value for your money. It is a restaurant to come and visit to experience good to very good french food BUT it is at too high a premium. The quality of the meal that was served to us (primarily the dessert) was good to great, in fact if the six course tasting menu wasn’t $ 120 pp then this would be 4 stars. But for me food has to be outstanding to command that kind of price point and I am willing to pay that for outstanding food. Baru’s food quality while approaching that zenith is not there yet. You will see why as I break down the courses.
Baru’s Love Affair (the menu is entitled) — rated…
Amuse — Cupid’s Arrow (no description on the menu). Some type of crab preparation on toast… my wife enjoyed it but since I am allergic to shellfish (anything that turns orange when cooked) I had to ask for a substitution. They gave me chopped up strawberries… downer. My amuse was more like a dessert. Oh well. 2 Stars
Course 1 — Cured Salmon and Seared Scallops with lettuce coulis and lemon cream. Very good, the scallaps were perfectly cooked and when mixing all the elements together it worked. Although it tasted weirdly like a bagel and lox… which is fine since I love a good bagel and lox. 3 stars
Course 2 — Zucchini bisque with lobster ravioli, curry oil and almonds. This was just okay. First off the bisque was served to us cold meaning it was sitting on the pass waiting for our server to bring it to us. Since I could not eat the lobster I was given a ravioli filled with chorizo which while good the flavors really didn’t meld with the zucchini and curry. 2.5 stars.
Course 3 — Sea bass with pickled radish crab salad and roast cauliflower. So this plate was very good (they omitted the crab from my dish). The pickle on the radish worked very well with the sea bass. It almost had a japanese vibe to it. Very good and well balanced. 3.5 stars
Course 4 — Prime New York Strip with beets and truffles. Not very innovative but very good. Meat was beautifully rare and the truffles and mushrooms gave a great umami flavor. The roasted beets went well with the beef although the texture of the meal was all kind of mushy. Mushy mash, mushy beets, tender meat… needed some crunchy texture. 3 stars
Course 5 — Cheese Course — Goat Cheese Honey Mousse, figs and nuts. This dish suffered from a proportion problem. As you will see in the picture (sorry it was dark and the flash was a bit harsh) the amount of cheese dwarfs the accompaniments. We needed more figs to pair with the amount of cheese given to us. Additionally if you are charging 120 pp for a tasting menu, do something inventive with the cheese course… I could buy everything on this cheese plate from Trader joe’s. 2 stars
Course 6 — Dessert — Strawberry Champagne sorbet, rose marshmallow, white chocolate mousse, meringue. As I read the description I realize that I cannot find everything that was mentioned on the plate. IT DOES NOT MATTER. Out of everything we ate this evening this was the most inventive most palate exciting dish. There actually was a cotton candy with pop rocks on the top of the sorbet. The combination of flavors, strawberry with the cotton candy and pop rocks and white chocolate was amazing. As in previous visits their dessert shines. Their pastry chef is VERY good and inventive. If I had seen this type of inventiveness in the other 5 courses this review would have been very different. This course on its own is 5 stars.
I am conflicted with Baru. They set a price point which causes me to have higher expectations. I either expect perfectly executed classic french dishes or an innovative tasting menu. It ends up a muddled mix of both. There are some dishes that amaze (dessert wow still amazed) but courses like the cheese course and cold soup course fall flat. The remaining dishes are okay to good. Their cocktails are very good though. For me, my wife and I will stop by for dessert and drinks after having dinner somewhere else. If we return we won’t be ordering the tasting menu, it just doesn’t deliver the innovation that I have come to expect from a tasting menu for the price point.

Baru 66 continues to amaze me! I will be honest, I am extremely lucky. Years ago my husband opened my eyes (and my palate!) to a world of food I had never experienced before. His passion for food and my passion for travel have become that magical combination that drives us to seek out culinary experiences. We have eaten in some of the finest restaurants in the United States and have both traveled and eaten in Europe, but the one place I have never been let down is right here at home in Windsor Heights, Iowa. Baru 66. Sometimes we order directly from the menu, while other times we allow the Chef to decide for us.
Last evening my sister-​in-​laws and I decided to dine at Baru 66, and I had one of the best meals I have ever had there.
We chose a 6 course tasting and told our server (who was phenomenal) to allow the Chef to decide all of our courses.
I started off with a Lady Baru Champagne cocktail (Ladies…if you haven’t tried it, DO!) followed by the amuse-​bouche of a petit French onion tart accompanied by a butternut squash cappuccino with a divine foam sprinkled with spices.
Chef Baruthio had me exactly where he wanted me… right in the palm of his hand ready for more of the culinary presentation that was about to unfold.
Each course was just the right size and built the anticipation for the next course. Our meal consisted of a crab cake and crab salad, a seared fish and scallop sea food presentation, delicious potato gnocchi with a truffle and chestnut cream, an excellently prepared sliced filet with root vegetables, a goat cheese and fresh fig tarte tatin, and closed with dessert: a tempura battered and lightly fried apple ring with butternut squash purée and a caramel drizzle accompanied by a clementine sorbet.
While that sounds like a lot of food, I did not find myself uncomfortably full. It was just right. I my appetite was completely satisfied.
Our ladies night was a success! The ambiance of the restaurant was delightfully inviting, the service staff never missed a beat, and the food was art on the plate.
I couldn’t wait to tell my husband… he was so jealous that we will be going for dinner at Baru 66 again soon!

Wonderful food and service! A fantastic place for a romantic dinner. Although families fit in just as well! But my husband and I found this to be a special treat. We are quite picky and we are hardly ever surprised by restaurants any more, and we were pleasantly surprised by Baru 66! If you’re looking for a special date night place thats different from the average steakhouse, try Baru 66! Enjoy! We sure did.

Huh, I’m not sure if we just hit an off night or if this place just gets such high marks because it is so upscale compared to other restaurants in town. We went on a Tuesday evening at 8 PM, and we were one of two tables in an otherwise empty restaurant. Not faulting them for not having a crowd the day after Labor Day, but I’m sure that didn’t help the ambience.
Our meal was fine but definitely didn’t meet our expectations after reading this was the best restaurant in Des Moines! The amuse-​bouche was a tiny crab fritter with cheese, which was a yummy start. My first course was the goat cheese mousse with beets. It was tasty but the mousse-​to-​beet ratio was a little off. I got the duck for my entrée, which was recommended by our server. It was a little tough, and the chanterelles were undercooked. My partner had the corn bisque with scallops, which I tried and really liked, but he got the quail for his entrée and thought it was surprisingly dry. We did get a great bottle of red wine at our server’s recommendation though! We passed on dessert, which might have been a mistake.
Overall, the experience was disappointing. The service was good, and the tempo of the meal was right, but the food just wasn’t of the caliber we expected. I’d be willing to try again on a weekend when the place is more lively, but there are plenty of other places in town I will try first.

Definitely the swankiest meal in town!
Make a reservation and prepared to be wowed. Baru has a very seasonal menu highlighting the most pristine, vibrant produce around. I dined at the tail end of May, so this review is a tiny bit overdue.
My dining companion and I both selected the chef’s degustation menu, which featured a seasonal chilled spring pea soup, delicate scallops, smoked salmon & crab roll, duck breast, and an unbaked cheesecake.
The courses were paced nicely, so my dining companion and I could really enjoy the whole experience. My favorite courses were the pea soup and, surprisingly, the cheesecake. It was delicate and was accompanied by fresh berries.
I recommend getting a cocktail from their thoughtful list.
Also, service was attentive and professional. They weren’t busy (it was a Monday night), but they weren’t hovering, which was much appreciated.
I look forward to dining here again!

Decided to treat ourselves to a fine French meal. Arrived early on a weeknight without a reservation. Though the restaurant was fairly empty, we were seated at a table right next to the doors to the kitchen. Strike one.
After being seated, we were issued three menus instead of two and a wine list. Our waiter arrived, introduced himself and explained that he would be taking care of us for the evening. Even though the restaurant had just opened, we were informed of the items they were out of. Shortly thereafter, our real waitress arrived. The amuse-​bouche was described as a stuffed cherry — it was a stuffed cherry tomato. I’ll chalk that one up to nervousness.
The signature cocktails were as creative and unique as they were delicious.
This restaurant is in desperate need of a makeover. Surfaces are worn, extra tables and chairs are pushed against walls, and the art work is dated. Food is served on plates and dishes that detract from the presentation and make the food difficult to eat and precarious to serve.
My three course fixed price meal was $ 45. I chose pan seared scallops in a corn pudding, steak frites, and sorbet\ice cream for dessert. Three slices of scallop browned on only one side appeared in a large bowl on a yellow sauce — that was the corn pudding. The fries were thin and cooked well, but the steak, though medium rare as ordered, was not served warm enough to melt the tab of herb butter atop it. The accompanying sauce was mediocre at best. Th array of mini-​vegetables garnishing the plate, however, were delicious!
My dessert choice was a scoop each of strawberry and blackberry sorbet and vanilla ice cream. Alas, the vanilla ice cream had not set properly so I chose a pistachio instead. It was the best pistachio ice cream (more like a gelato) I have ever had, but it had half melted by the time it arrived at my table. Three small scoops sat at the bottom of a gigantic bowl resembling the end of a Jai Alai stick. Such a shame they had not be served up in a proper dish to show off what was the highlight of the meal.
Upon requesting our check we were then served a tiny shot glass containing a blackberry, a small Norwegian shortbread, and something foamed into the consistency of spittle.
Service was annoyingly intrusive, interrupting mid-​conversation. Obviously, they were trying, but not quite delivering fine service.
I would try them again, but I wouldn’t be expecting much.

In Des Moines this week for a business trip, so I trusted Unilocal to find me a place for a nice meal, and boy did it ever.
Baru 66 is an outstanding French restaurant located in Windsor Heights. Its unassuming exterior belies what lies within, that being an establishment that would not be out of place in San Francisco or New York City.
The first things you notice when you arrive is that the space is extremely well put together. The tables are set comfortably apart so you can walk between them, and you won’t feel like your neighbors are sitting in your lap. The artwork on the walls is beautiful, and the table settings are impeccably laid out.
The next thing you notice, and will continue to notice, is that this staff is extremely well trained and they understand service. From the moment I walked in to the restaurant, I was met with friendly and helpful servers. They were always attentive and never intrusive.
Then I looked at the menu and was faced with my first frustration — too many items that piqued my interest. A good problem to have, to be sure. With the help of my waitress, I was able to decide on an order and then waited, hoping to be wowed.
I started with a French Martini. I’m not a wine drinker, and didn’t think any of the beers on their menu sounded like they’d match particularly well, so I went with something a little froofy. Vodka, chambord, and pineapple juice. It was girlie, foamy, and tasty.
The meal began with an amuse bouche of a small piece of mozzarella served with a slice of prosciutto. The meat was nice and salty, but the cheese was a little too solid, as if it weren’t fresh mozzarella. A mild disappointment to start the meal.
They brought out bread and butter to the table. The salted focaccia was nice (soft and salted) but the dinner rolls weren’t particularly interesting. Cold butter accompanied the room-​temperature bread, which is a bit of a peeve of mine.
My starter was the St. Jacques — Seared scallops with crispy smoked bacon over a butternut purée with a sprinkling of micro greens. This was served on a half-​scallop shell. The scallops could have used a touch more sear, but otherwise were perfect. The sweet purée and the salty bacon worked very well together, but I think the bacon could have been a little crispier so it would have been crunchy rather than chewy. Still very good, but not quite perfection.
My main was a quail stuffed with foie gras and truffles. This dish was mind-​blowing. It had so many elements that all worked together. Juicy quail made super-​rich from the truffle and foie gras. Fried potato puffs that were like fluffy potato pillows. A subtle carrot mousseline underneath. Baby leeks to add pungency. Fried sweet potato chips for crunch. A roasted parsnip for some earthiness. Perfectly cooked baby green beans and mushrooms. A rich Bordelaise sauce brought it all together. Topping it off (literally) was a piece of foie gras. Just writing this is making me hungry again.
For dessert I ordered the crème brûlée. This came out in a long olive plate rather than the usual round. The result of this presentation was a higher ratio of crust to custard, thus ensuring a sweet crunch in every rich, eggy, creamy mouthful. This was served with a scoop of homemade vanilla bean ice cream. The cold ice cream lent a less sweet counterpart to the warm rich sweetness of the brulee.
I was about to burst when they brought out a final amuse, a five-​spice meringue topped with pineapple sorbet. This was a nice refreshing way to end the meal.
So there were definitely small areas where I felt they could improve, but my overall impression is that this was an outstanding meal. If I ever find myself in Des Moines again, I’ll definitely come back to Baru 66. You should, too.

A year later and my favorite restaurant in Des Moines is still my favorite!
We made dinner reservations for Monday in the hopes that the restaurant would be dead since we’d have to take the baby along. It was surprisingly buzzing with activity when we arrived. My heart initially sank because I was concerned that the little one would get fussy and some patron would complain.
So totally not the case. Not only did no one bat an eye at the fact that we had a wiggly six month old in tow, the staff was extremely welcoming as well.
The hostess even went out of her way to get a high chair from next door for the baby to sit in. When the hostess saw that she was still wobbly and tiny for the high chair, she brought us some table cloths to help support her. A++ service!
We wound up doing the tasting menu. I also had the Lady Baru whilst the boyfriend had a yummy beer and a coffee later on. While we enjoyed trying the tasting menu, we both agree that we’d rather pick our own appetizers, main dishes, and desserts next time. Our favorites from the tasting menu were the salmon appetizer and duck main course.