Baró Brings Latin American Flavor to Fairfield

The moment you walk into Baró, you're greeted with a Latin American streetscape -- a big colorful mural that enforces the types of food and flavors that make up the menu. 

Walk further into the restaurant and there's the bar, glittering with bottles of wines and liquor from places like Spain, Argentina, and Chile.

Next to the bar is a community table, and to the left is the "heartbeat" of the restaurant, according to co-owner Richard Reyes: the two eat-up bar.

One side of the bar serves ceviche (seafood); the other anticucho (skewers with meat, fish, and/or vegetables). Diners can take a seat, watch as their food is cooked, and chat with the chefs.

Then there's a room in the back for larger parties and private events, and a main area for more traditional dining.

But Reyes hopes you'll choose the less traditional experience -- that's the point.

"You get a tour throughout Latin America" by choosing Baró, Reyes said -- from the "casual Latin small plates" menu to the interactive communal eating experience.

Baró  -- located at 1299 Post Road, where Vino and Mare used to be -- opened Aug. 11. So far the feedback has been "tremendous," Reyes said.

He would know -- Reyes' family has been in the restaurant business for 25 years. Baró is the fourth restaurant Reyes and his brother, Juan, have opened. Their other ventures include Danbury's popular tapas restaurant, Mezon.

Through their endeavors, the brothers have introduced Latin American and Caribbean fusion eateries to Fairfield County, adding "new flavors" and "interpretations" of the food they've grown up with to the area.

So far at Baró, tacos are the most popular thing on the menu right now. Baró makes the ground corn shells in-house.

Taste buds starting to tingle? Learn more about Baró's menu, hours, and offerings here.

Editor's note: This article originally was published by Fairfield Patch.