Inside: Chandra's Bistro

Fresh seafood, sushi and pasta in a cozy atmosphere

By Kara Markley

Special to Metromix

Food: If you love sushi, Chandra's might become your new favorite hangout. Delaware hasn't seen a sushi bar in many years (if ever), so the concept is promising even if the restaurant itself seems like it's still in the stages of early growth and experimentation. In addition to a wide range of sushi and seafood choices, you can order soups, salads, stir fries, teriyaki, Korean specials, Chinese and Japanese house specials, and several Italian favorites such as chicken rigatoni and lobster ravioli.

Libations: Standard non-alcoholic beverages are available. Chandra's also has a full bar and offers most American beers, so you shouldn't have any problem ordering your favorite drink.

Décor:  The interior is small and cozy, primarily dominated by large, modern red lamps that hang overhead and cast a dim light on surrounding tables. Seating is comfortable if not a bit crowded, and the overall atmosphere is enjoyable as long as the restaurant isn't too busy. Several widescreen TVs are mounted on the walls, but are turned off during early dining hours.

Crowd: Although this is a small restaurant with limited seating (especially during winter months when the outdoor patio is closed) it usually isn't busy. Finding a table shouldn't be a problem, but there are a few extra seats at the bar in case you have to wait. Lunch hours are slow, even on weekends, so this is the better (and cheaper) time to dine.

Service: The service, like the food, is just fair. While dining there, our meal arrived in a decent amount of time, and our drinks were occasionally refilled, but our server wasn't very friendly or interested in helping us. We were informed, after already deciding on our meals, that we couldn't order the lunch-sized portions during weekend lunch hours and were forced to order the dinner portions—which are smaller, yet somehow cost more.

Bottom line: If you're in Delaware and looking for something different, give Chandra's a try. Otherwise, there are many better choices offering similar fare in Columbus.