What a marvelous little place! We arrived at Happy hour…read more I ordered the Quesadilla de pollo. It was stuffed with shredded chicken and topped with loads of cheese. My daughter ordered the Guacamole and a burrita. She raved about it. Then we shared the Beef short ribs with Thai basil... totally amazing... fork tender. Quite a busy and pretty noisy place.

Three years after my stellar reviews...It's not really the same place…read more The lobster taco that I used to dream about and went several times to satisfy my cravings is now very meh. Nothing special about it at all, it's like they forgot how to make the flavors pop. One thing I didn't like in my other visits was that the spicy version of the guac was not spicy and very bland. The other options weren't appealing to me to I tried it again. Not spicy and very bland. At least they're consistent here. Salsa was different and also bland, which is hard to do with salsa. On the plus side, I love a perfectly fried chip, and they nail the chips here. Spicy Kale was decent. Service was...passable.

I encountered La Contenta when scoping out Resy and OpenTable for brunch reservations in the Lower…read moreEast Side. The reviews were strong everywhere, so a reservation was made. Interestingly, it looks like you can reserve on either Resy or OpenTable? Also, there was a pescaterian in our party, and La Contenta's menu seemed to offer several meatless dishes which was also a point in their favor.  I walked in and found La Contenta to be cozy-sized with a bathroom to match. We were the only diners for a little while but then the space filled up. Our server was pleasant and checked on us regularly. She also offered options for things which I appreciated. We ordered the guacamole ($17) to start. As my main, I picked the chilaquiles verdes o rojos con huevo ($19) with chicken for a few extra bucks. The dishes were actually bigger than I expected, always a nice surprise in Manhattan. The chilaquiles were fantastic. Several of the entrees sounded delicious but I was content with the chilaquiles. There were a lot of customizations available for 'em: you could get tomatillo sauce instead of the chipotle-tomato red, you could add steak, your egg was cooked any way you wanted. Regarding beverages, some folks ordered cocktails and mocktails. They were beautiful to look at!

I always go back for the same thing I need that steak !!…read moreUsually spots that I go to the offer steak at such an affordable price have steak that's tough and not tender! La Contenta changes the narrative!! The space is small inside, but that's good cause everybody makes you feel like you're in your own living room 5 's

Michael and Ina were the best! The tacos & margaritas were…read morewonderful. We'll be back! What a great midtown happy hour.

Did not like it. Food was very basic. We order sweet plantains either cheese and it was literally…read moreGoya frozen maduros with queso, I couldn't believe it. The flautas were good just regular flautas I love mezcal and I love tequila and I'm a bartender so I drink pretty much anything but drinks were nasty. Even the mojito was gross Didn't even take pictures

Thursday night, 5 adults and 2 toddlers under two - it's going to be fun! Let's start off with the…read morerestaurant interior. You walk in and there's the bar, which looked mighty inviting but alas, I'm here for the table. The dining room is fairly large, with optional private rooms in the back. The space had ambient lighting as the evening progressed. The bathrooms were nice and spacious and I never had to wait in line. We started off with drinks - the NA selection is pretty decent, as well as the cocktails. As for the food, we didn't hold back. We did this family style, where everyone shared plates. We started off with the Sweet corn, Guacamole, Blue fin tuna crudo, Pork belly chicharron, and the Caesar salad. My favorite was the pork belly chicharron, which was recommended to us by the server. The portions for the sweet corn and guac were smaller than I wouldve liked but tasty nonetheless, great for the kiddos. Caesar salad tasted buttery somehow, thus enjoyable. Tuna was good and light, definitely open to trying the other crudo options as well. For the entrees, we ordered Squash Blossom tacos , Ribeye tacos, Chamorro Carnitas, Carne Asada, and a Grilled Salmon Cruz. The squash blossom tacos was different than the usual vegetarian type tacos. I'm appearance, the squash was pureed and stuffed into a pepper shape tempura, wrapped with a soft taco tortilla. The carne asada was done medium and was pre-cut individual slices. I don't often cook steak at home, and definitely not in this style, so this was amazing to me. The ribeye tacos were a bit tougher but we'll seasoned. As for the Chamorro Carnitas, this was prob one of the best dishes. Not overly salted and all the meat can be picked off with the tongs provided - nothing left on the bone. Lastly desserts - for our table we got the Oreja' La Mode and the TiraNIZUC. I was pretty much stuffed by this point but there's always a tiny little space reserved for dessert. Of the two, I enjoyed the TiraNIZUC because I love their tiramisu twist with tres leches. Oreja' La Mode was caramel like, served with toasted almonds. Personally not a huge fan of caramel like desserts but this was definitely a cozy and warm wrap up of the evening. Service was a bit chaotic but the restaurant was busy. You never disrespected or intentionally ignored.

I came here with a crew of 6. Overall it was a pretty good experience for brunch…read more The great: The steak n eggs was exciting... amazingly well presented with terrific flavor. The good: - Service was kind and helpful. - I really liked the ambiance... definitely felt like a classy and clean Mexican restaurant, but it wasn't tacky. Why it didn't get 5 stars. The staff was terrific, but they were constantly trying to sell us on stuff, events, more food, and etc. I felt like I was at McDonalds constantly being asked to supersize. I realize they are trying to get people to return, but it just felt a bit to salesy.

One of the most delicious meals I've had in ages. Basically everything we ordered was unreasonably…read moretasty. The servers were super friendly and helpful. The queso fundito, corn, ceviche, and nachos were all phenomenal. They also had a lovely tequila list and actually offered several flights. We had added an extra person on top of our reserved table and they were able to accommodate us. Prices were a little much for some of the dishes. Nearly $20 for some corn - even if it was phenomenal that's kind of crazy. The filet was good but quite small for the price (especially compared to some of the other entrees like the quesobirria). Will definitely be returning!

Killer spot for a work dinner, date night, or any excuse to eat like you made a questionable bonus…read morecheck. The interior is a sick Art Deco, modern steakhouse, supper club vibe with the dramatic lighting, bold colors, and big chandeliers. Filet Albondigas appetizer were really good with a slightly sweet flavor, and the Filet Mignon with chimichurri negro was the main event. I don't even like chimichurri, and the steak didn't need it. It was seasoned perfectly and cooked rare EXACTLY how I asked, which is a lost art in some kitchens. Easily one of the best steaks I've had in a long time. The Dark Chocolate Masa Torta was ridiculous good too. Drenched in chocolate sauce, rich, and so good I took it home and rationed it bite by bite like wartime supplies days later. Great food, great atmosphere, and absolutely worth going back.

First time eating at xixa and I am proud to say one of the best culinary experiences ever , from…read morethe food and their recipes to the drinks and the bartender ( Saul is amazing, he shared his knowledge with us ). Never experienced something like this before 100% recommend. Looking forward to come back soon

4.4 and rounded up. Ambiance 4 stars…read more Food 5 stars. Service 4.3 stars. AMBIANCE: Walking to the restaurant from the subway, it's located on an unassuming block at the corner of 4th St and Havemeyer in Williamsburg, front of store doesn't particularly stand out. Walking in they've decorated with creative, crafty (in a good way) touches--the multitude of ropes draped from the ceiling add dimension to the ceiling and the bar back wall is composed of wood pieces forming a multi-colored herringbone pattern. Textured glass pendant lights hanging from the ceiling throw mini geometric patterns across the dark walls, and vibrant canvas artworks add pictorial interest along the walls. FOOD: YUM. I can see why this place was jam packed on a Saturday night, and reservations are needed. Strong recommendation for their tasting menu at $58 pp, what a delightful meal! 8 sharing dishes and 3 desserts were perfect for a party of five, and drinks are separate though you can add a cocktail pairing for $47. For each main they provide a serving per person, and the desserts are shared. I came hungry and was so full by the end of the meal--everything was delicious! - grapefruit guacamole w/house-made chips: the grapefruit chunks were "meaty" and surprisingly went really well with the guac, it added a different citrus element than the usual lime. Comes with a small bowl of maybe 6-7 chips and we asked for two chips refills since the chips to guac and salsa ratio was low. - spicy faroe islands' salmon tartar: tasty and I liked the latin flavors and corn, snow peas, a touch of wasabi. Flavors of the sesame-soy-truffle-lemon vin and crema got a little muddled. Relatively more "generic" dish of the evening though I was here for it! Any dish with fresh tender salmon, I can't complain. - blue crab and carrot tostada, generous shredded crab salad on top of freshly crisp blue corn tortilla. Topped with pumpkin seeds, dill, cilantro, and saffron-orange aioli. - three cheese & artichoke 'queso fundido': served in a very hot ceramic pot and super melty and delicious, eaten with the fluffy grilled pita and green apple slices + salsa. One of the top picks of the evening. - roasted bone marrow and chorizo, served as tacos with fresh blue corn tortillas, and added a sprinkle of pickled onions--does that sound amazing? Bc it was AAHMAZING. - spicy chipotle-guajillo shimp 'diablo' (not spicy): served with pumpkin tortillas and three accompaniments on the side--mushroom chile crisp, horseradish crema, celery 'salsa macha". Part 2 to make your own tacos was another hit! Our entire table agreed if they sold the sauce for the shrimp we'd all buy it. - heritage pork osso bucco 'carnitas' with Fall-spiced black mole, sour cherry mostardo, calabrian chile pesto: cue drooling now. This part 3 of the tacos was served on pumpkin tortillas; the meat was practically falling off the bone, tender, juicy and flavorful. - buffalo-style com 'elote: sooo good too! A little messier to eat since it comes drizzled with spicy hot sauce butter, feta, lime aioli, cilantro, though totally worth it! - Desserts: --green tea matcha churros: comes with two little pots of spiced mexican chocolate & passion fruit sauce. Warm, sugary and crisp without being too sweet. --pumpkin spiced-vanilla flan: topped with sour cherries, cocoa nibs & toasted seed 'trail mix", if you love flan you'll love this, so smooth and creamy with a bit of crunch and tang from the cherries. --pistachio tres leches cake with cream cheese frosting, raspberry, using an olive oil cake: we all agreed this was probably the best tres leches we've ever had. The pistachio nuttiness and the creaminess from the milks paired well. SERVICE: Very friendly and attentive service though it was very loud in the restaurant and they had to really shout. There was a delay in the middle of our meal I think bc kitchen was slammed, after the entree we waited about 35 min for our desserts. Considering they limited the seating to 2 hours and about half of our party arrived 20 min late, and accounting for the long wait pre-dessert, they did us solid by extending our table time by about an hour in total. Also great that they brought the first dessert out with a candle for my friend's birthday.

I chose to give it a five because it really was an excellent meal. From the excellent service, to…read morethe presentation, to the taste of the food. The extremely attentive waiter understood his menu so well and even how each meal was prepared. The truffle cornbread was an excellent starter, prepared by their baker who now has his own bakery called Masa Madre in Queens. Next time. My wife decided on the chicken mole, which was comparable to the last time she had it in Mexico City. Excellent preparation and a very large portion. I chose the shrimp fajitas which were typical in appearance and flavor except for one thing. I'm not sure how they exactly prepared their peppers that accompanied the shrimp fajitas (the waiter mentioned that they cook it alongside the meat which added more flavor), but all I can tell you is that the sweetness of those peppers was so incredibly rich and accented the entire dish so wonderfully. We didn't have room for dessert. But we'll be back.

Absolutely wonderful experience here dining with a large group! The food was great, and the staff,…read moreespecially Alex, gave the most phenomenal service. Friendly, warm, accommodating, timed perfectly, all in line with what was a celebratory occasion. Will absolutely be back and cannot recommend it enough!!!!!!

Just like Tijuana Mexico tacos authentic delicious along with they're salsas, aguas frescas and…read moresides

This is my favorite restaurant downtown Brooklyn. They have the best breakfast in the morning when…read moreI have meetings downtown I can call and tell what I want when I get there It's still hot you should try there codfish and coco bread and they all ways have a Line they know me by now they are nice and friendly know care what

The food and ambiance is terrific here. we came for my mom's birthday and made it for happy hour…read more Louisa and the waitstaff were so attentive and amazing. We briefly mentioned it was my moms bday and at the end of the mean they brought out a dessert that said "happy birthday Angela" and a gift bag with hot sauce. They never rushed us and were so attentive the whole time. A really special spot. thank you Louisa and La Contenta! We'll be back!!!

Great service excellent nachos and decadent mole. Delicious and flavorful NA mojito and…read moremargaritas. Small and vibrant decor and atmosphere. Request the back seating area if you need a little more quiet away from the bar and action.

The food was fresh, authentic and of great quality. Had the shrimp and chicken tacos - they were…read morefabulous. The margaritas were great. The staff could not have been more friendly and attentive. Great find. Not fancy ambience... it's all about the food

For the two of us, we had two beers each and two tacos each. Tax, tip, out the door $80. Literally…read morethe worst tacos of my life. (To be clear, I ordered it. It's not like I was surprised by the check. The bill was on me. I ordered chips and salsa as well. $7 for literally 1/3 of a paper tray of chips. Trio of salsas that were clearly from a jar, and probably 10-15 chips. Seriously. 10-15. It was laughable. The bottom of the little paper tray was barely covered.) It took the waitress about 30 minutes to come back and see if we wanted any food, which is why we were there. We should've noticed no one else was eating. We SHOULD have taken a cue from the bad chips situation. But we were starving. We each ordered two tacos, which were reasonably priced at five dollars, but they were absolutely awful, and served on cheap paper plates. No silverware to be found. Not even plastic. Like I said, I should've taken a queue from everybody around me, this is clearly a place you go to drink. And truth be told, the drink prices weren't bad. The space isn't bad, it was very loud, but it was fine. But oh my God, don't eat here.