Brewery Bhavana: Raleigh’s Best Dim Sum

Choice Pork Bao and artful beer in a minimalist setting. Brewery Bhavana might sound a little odd but it goes together perfectly. Come check out this minimalist masterpiece on you next dinner out in Raleigh

Raleigh Staples

Raleigh has a rich downtown night life to include Watts & Ward, Morgan Street Food Hall and Sitti Restaurant. Brewery Bhavana is no exception. The surrounding area is perfect for nights on the town or relaxing dates.

Parking is best in the various parking garages. I recommend using the official Raleigh Parking map to find the best spot for your adventure. If you are feeling brave, you can try to find a parallel parking spot on the street but these are few and far between. I have never had an issue with the parking decks in town aside from some big event days. The decks are well maintained and accessible. I believe all have elevators at this point. If you drive a larger vehicle, you should be OK but some oversized vehicles may not fit some.

Minimalism Meets Beer

The experience at Brewery Bhavana is incredibly polished. Every inch of the space appears manicured and perfect. The lights appear as if they are orbs floating in the air. Each one perfectly aligned with the others in a neat grid like manner. For Pete-sake, their wall of beer taps behind the bar is a single massive wall of seamless granite

I particularly love the skylight in the center of the main room. They have this area surrounded by transparent drapes. The whole room transitions beautifully between day and night as a result. I do love how simple most of the décor is. It forces you to focus on the food, beer and the company that you brought with you.

Wait Is This The Right Menu?

Though the name indicates that this is a Brewery, you need to understand it is anything but a typical brewery. So many Breweries in NC use the same formula. Find an old factory. Brew some beer. Invite all you friends and job complete. Brewery Bhavana is very different. Yes they do still make their own beer but the food and drink experience is very unique. Unlike most mainstream brewery, you will need a reservation. If you want to go during dinner on the weekend, book early. There is the option to get a drink at their immaculate bar while you wait for a seat.

The drinks here all have a single word for their name like “Bloom”, “Palm” and “Piglet”. This also fits the minimalist esthetic of the whole restaurant. There are cocktails on the menu but I recommend trying some of the beer if you drink. I came with a group of long term friends and several of us really enjoyed Piglet.

The food here also balks the mainstream brewery trend. They have an amazing Asia focused menu including top notch dim sum. I could eat their pork bao all day if I was given the opportunity. The first time I came, I did not do any research about the place and simply booked a reservation based on a recommendation from my brother. Needless to say, I was surprised by the lack of greasy burgers and typical bar food when. Somehow this menu choice also fits the minimalist esthetic too.

I was glad that they include chopsticks with the silverware but you still get a fork. I am OK with chopsticks but I will inevitably get to one thing on my plate and can not make them work. Having a fork as a default makes it easier to just admit defeat without having to draw attention to it.

Raleigh’s Best Dim Sum

Brewery Bhavana is a perfectly manicured experience that culminates with the food and beer. The Dim Sum is one of my favorite items on the menu. I highly recommend coming by any time people ask me about stuff to do in Raleigh.

Overall

In simple terms, I am a fan of Brewery Bhavana. The excruciating attention to detail and a relentless pursuit to eliminate non-essential elements turned me from a happy customer to nearly obsessed. If you get lucky enough to get a reservation in, you will not regret it.

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