I'm surprised by the mediocre reviews for this tapas restaurant because I've always been satisfied! Order the more traditional dishes and you will not be disappointed: camarones al ajillo, champinoes rellenos, chorizo, patatas bravas, pulpo a la gallega, y tortilla espanola! That's the most satisfying traditional meal to share with friends. The servers are very friendly and the sangria is strong and fresh (although a bit expensive!). read more

Delicious food and outstanding service. Would definitely go there again. Great for a small group of people

I just had a late lunch with a friend at Café Riazor this afternoon. After ordering three (!) dishes that I had to send back because they simply tasted BAD, I asked for the bill and left. The one star in my rating is for the delicious sangria they served us but that is the only highlight of this visit. The waiter (bartender/manager?) did not even lift an eyebrow when I politely sent back the first dish with an apology. Nor did he comment when I sent back the second dish with a little less friendliness. By the time I sent back the third dish without any kind of response from him I told him exactly how offensive this dining experience had been. And not even then did I get a response. Not a word! Who does that? Especially in New York! Incredible! I could have just flushed that $40 down the drain. read more

Came here with my husband on Valentine's day. This place was a very unique find. We sat at the bar and ordered a pitcher of sangria and the pulpo. The sangria was really good (strong) and the pulpo tasted fresh. We then sat at a table and ordered a tortilla espanola. The tortilla espanola was amazing- my husband said it brought back memories of the tortilla he had on his visit to Spain. The wonderful waitress then served us a salad on the house. For our main dish we both ordered the paella marinera. It came in a big pot (fyi it took more than 30 minutes to come out) and the wait was well worth it. Our wonderful waitress then served it to us in our plates. It was one of the best paella I have ever had! We somehow managed to have room for dessert. For dessert we had a slice of the chocolate cake since they were out of the chocolate mousse. The cake was so good (get a slice or two you won't regret it). We will be back soon! read more

I suggested this place for dinner based on the reviews here, but it was nothing like what I expected! The atmosphere and decor were great, the people were very nice and the service was great, but I didn't enjoy the food at all. We got a soup, a steak sandwich, and the squid tapas to share, and only the squid was tasty. The steak on the sandwich was so thin and flavorless that it was basically a salty lettuce sandwich with French bread. The soup tasted like smoke and the lowest quality food in the South I can think of (old ham, wilted collard greens thrown in the soup to conserve, mushy potatoes). The squid was a great texture and I loved the slight bit of spiciness, but it was pretty salty and oily as well. My friend got an espresso after dinner and thought it was good, but otherwise we were not impressed with the food at all. read more

Fantastic, family run gem. The Filet Mignon is the bollocks as is the Paella. The place looks a bit dodgy, but trust me, it's a great little spot. read more

Not a bad place to have a dinner!!!! The food is amazing...! I went there with my friend.Prices are not that high ,so you can have two or three tapas-and you"ll be good.Capuchino was not that great,but the rest was delicious!!! Good place to have a dinner with friends read more

One week after my visit to the restaurant, my credit card was fraudulently charged 16 usd by cafe Riazor for a new 'online purchase'. This place is a scam. That said, the food was below average though the atmosphere was quite nice. read more

Riazor is excellent; they're bringing great paella and a lot of interesting, delicious tapas to the table in a relatively relaxed setting. Not sure why there are complaints about the atmosphere. Standouts were the paella and some octopus tapas dish with a name I will never recall. It would be good to go back and try all the tapas. read more

I really want to like this place. It's got authentic spanish charm and the sangria is good. But the food was not good (the Chicken Riazor dish I ordered was bad enough that I left half of it on the plate) and the prices unreasonably high. Entrees are in the $17 to $25 but should be $8 to $12 and the quality needs to improve even at that price. I didn't try anything from the tapas menu, but again the reason was the price - $8 per tapas item would be $24 per person just for the food part of the meal. Perhaps they need to charge high prices to keep the place open given that it seems not get that much business. The waitstaff are very nice and again it has charm for its casual atmosphere. But I don't plan to return. Borderline 2 versus 3 stars... giving them benefit of the doubt. read more

Maybe it's unfair to write this review being that it's Christmas Eve but boy did everything take so long! Maybe they were just understaffed, idk. The veal stuffed ham and cheese wasn't flavorful and the veal was extremely raw in some parts, the yellow rice was very bland, and the only good thing at my table was the filet mignon which was super delicious along with the broiled potato. If you're already in Chelsea and you're just dying to eat filet mignon, I'd go here. I suggest maybe trying the tapas only. read more

Fantastic! Amazing Sangria. Great service and loved the decor. (kind of reminds me of a small Chi-Chi's from the 80's but that is why I loved it so much). The food is very good and that sangria....mama like. read more

The food was very average. The service was shocking. We were told "we'd just have to wait" when we asked to order. We tried to ask if it would be possible for our tapas to come out a few at a time, any order - just not all at once. The waiter snapped at us and said he just couldn't guarantee what would happen given what was going on in the kitchen. We waited for nearly a hour before any food arrived and then it came all at once and our order was incorrect. There was a feeble attempt at an apology at the end of the night. The wrong tapas charged at a slightly lower amount and two free glasses of port. We didn't really want the port and as it turned out, everyone got it - regardless of the service. read more

This place knocks my socks off. Usually almost empty, excellent waitstaff and quick service, amazing food (and free peanuts!) and the wine flows like....wine. Jukebox, also, and really quaint decor. I tend to go here when I'm out for a drink with a friend and still want to be able to carry on a conversation. read more

I always have a good meal here. The portions are large, food is tasty, and the staff makes you feel welcome. The house red is a great wine choice. read more

There aren't that many restaurants that we will return to over and over, but Cafe Riazor is on.We've never been disappointed. Their fish is good and outrageously reasonably priced.The owner is always around and takes a personal interest in everything that is going on.I had veal the other day and it was superb. We love Spanish wines and I would particularly recommend their tempranillo red and Albarino white. The staff is very nice and accommodating. Often they bring 2 glasses of port after the meal gratis.Maybe its not the fancy place you would go for an anniversary dinner, but for an everyday neighborhood place you would go for good food and a good time, I would definitely recommend. read more

This is my go to place for paella in the city! It is reasonably priced and the paella Valenciana is fantastic that with Shrimp with garlic hot black beans and Red wine and I am a happy man. :)))) read more

The food is wonderful, the service is excellent, and the price is moderate compare to other restaurants provide seafoods. The place is kind of unrecognizable, but it's a "must try" place! read more

This place was terrible. We were the only one in the restaurant but we were told that we had to sit at the dark and small bar to get the happy hour prices for drinks. The older woman who waited on us was humorless, dour and frankly unpleasant. She acted as if she was doing us a favor by waiting on us! Moreover, after we received our first round of tapas, this waitress would not give us anymore bread unless we order another round of tapas even though we were still eating the first round. The food was absolutely mediocre and a true disappointment. Will not go back again. read more

Do you love someone enough to give them the eternally generous gift of unquestionably delicious authentic region-specific Spanish tapas? 18 years ago I was first introduced to Cafe Riazor. That this cozy, unpretentious, friendly and warm establishment has lasted as long as it has in New York City's cut-throat climate of trend and change is a testament to the success of its unbeatable menu, familial staff and horde of loyal patrons who come and keep coming to get their fill of New York City's finest tapas. You will never leave hungry. Having experienced haute Spanish cuisine before, I have often encountered tapas bars that feel fit to offer adorable miniature plates of a two-bite delicacy for $45+. Outrageous. Tapas are small plates meant to be shared and they should incorporate native, filling and fresh ingredients. This is the guarantee you will find at Cafe Riazor. My best friend took me here as her "getting lucky" place, a restaurant where young (and old) people may take a date they care about and want to impress. The tapas offered are classics such as brined olives, fried ham croquettes, a manchgo and serrano ham plate and the light and fluffy tortilla. There, too, are the patatas bravas, and garlicky sauteed mushrooms. My girl is a vegetarian and she can eat her fill in this place. The sangria is perfect--not too sweet and never watered down with chunks of fresh fruit. My favorite tapas are the grilled pulpo, the chorizo sauteed in wine, the scallops in spiced tomato sauce (with chunks of fresh bread for dipping up the sauce) and the steamed clams with garlic. Their seafood tapas are a highlight of their menu. Oh, but let's say you have a large crowd and tapas just aren't enough? Feast on their amazing paella with generous portions of langoustine, chicken and chorizo. Their bistec is a flank skirt steak expertly prepared and crusted with garlic. The chicken is juicy and bursting with flavor, NEVER dry. Their desserts are simple, classic and elegant. A rich chocolate cake or the traditional creamy flan which goes down heavenly with coffee. Every bite is perfection. The red and white checkered tablecloth and Spanish music playing will give you a sense of dining in a private home. The candlelight glows, the ambiance is soft and the service is friendly, informative and with a smile. You will never regret coming here and I can guarantee, you will be back for more. I have been going to this place for special occasions for over 20 years. Take it from a native New Yorker. read more

Adorable place. Don't be fooled by the unassuming street entrance. It is cozy and the food is delicious. Service was wonderful, cute Spanish decor and sangrias are excellent. Came for brunch on Saturday and was great for tapas (shared plates). I am sure it would be a great date place in the evening. read more

As a customer who had frequented Cafe Riazor in the past I was highly disappointed in my visit to them this week for my daughter's birthday. I chose to go here since their food was always very good and the staff is friendly.. My complaint is in the billing. There was only 5 of us and they added on 24 1/2% service charge on the bill. This is not the standard amount and also the head waitress asked me if I would like a piece of cake for my daughter and I replied yes. Not knowing that she was going to take into her own hands to give me 3 pieces (which looked like one big piece) and then proceed to charge $16.00 for the cake. Had I known this I would have not said yes. We didn't ask for anything out of the ordinary and didn't ask for any extra help for our table. I went back to ask why the service charge was unusually high and the waitress replied because they sang Happy Birthday. They shouldnt have bothered if that was the case. This has left a bad taste in my mouth and will not go back to them. She patted me on my shoulder and gave me a fake smile and sorry sorry next time. Haha there will be no next time for me! read more

A Spanish restaurant that can't make a decent Paella? Well, that's my opinion. The rice was brownish and practically tasteless, and the seafood was way overcooked - rubbery. There were 4 of us and everyone else seemed to enjoy their dinners (they didn't have Paella), but I did not. It isn't cheap, either. The bill came to over $250.00 for a party of 4. I won't be going back, even if someone else foots the bill. read more

Great tapas and sangria. The waiter was extremely kind and I had a great time. The restaurant was a bit warm, but that was just because there was a big party taking up much of the restaurant (it was busy). Definitely give it a try. read more

Having been to this place in the past and found food good and sangria very good, I was very disappointed recently. The sangria was not good. The shrimp appetizer and t he empanada were good but the stuffed muchrooms awful...mushroom was watery and the filling an unidentifable brown goop. We ordered the paella and was ok but the tilapia tasted off and the french fries were hard as rocks. Then came the flan which fell apart in globules and burnt sugar and was entirely inedibile. The head waiter took it away and there was no apology or offer of different dessert. After this the stall left us completely alone until the bill. Overall very, very disappointing read more

Fantastic service. Very, very good food. Absolutely will be back! Highly recommend the champignons rellenos and calamari. Rose is also excellent. read more

Cafe Riazor is just awesome all-around. It is one of the last remaining authentic Spanish restaurants in Chelsea and the family that operates it has been there for 40+ years. Even some of the staff have been there over 20 years. It's a rare find in a neighborhood that has lost most of it's small and family-run businesses. And, the food is superb! My husband and I have been regulars since we were dating and we have always had excellent meals there and we love the people who work there. We take friends who all love it as well. Some of our favorites are the Chorizo, Camarones al ajillo, and Patatas Bravas. They have a great spanish wine selection and you can't go wrong with the sangria either. Highly recommended, Cafe Riazor does not disappoint! read more

Cafe Riazor is an amazing and welcoming restaurant! I was there last week and the food there is delicious with lots of variety. The "Pollo Riazor" is my absolute favorite! Every time I go the chicken has the same flavor and doesn't change for 43 years. I enjoy it because it's fresh and has an excellent taste. Also the appetizer such as the tapas like chicken empanadas, shrimp garlic and chorizos in red wine, and octopus are delicious. To drink I enjoy the sangria it is freshly made and good. Overall I recommend this restaurant to all New Yorkers it's a true experience! read more

We were looking for somewhere to escape the heat wave and Cafe Riazor emerged out of the steamy gloom on West 16th Street. We found our way inside and were met with a very nice welcome. Service was super-friendly and everything we ordered was quite good (except for a glass of rosé that was clearly past its peak and tasted like sherry). We especially enjoyed the octopus and stuffed mushroom tapas. This is not a trendy spot--the waiter told us it's been there for 40 years. Which is pretty cool when you think about it, a longtime labor of love in NYC. Overall we were glad to stop in here and we would return. read more

Arrived at the resto, first I notice, 7pm on a Friday night, place is empty. Not a good sign. So hot it felt like a sauna. Amazing how it was muggier in there than outside. Not nice after a long hot summer day. Waited for 5 of my friends, sat at the bar for nearly 10 mins before even being offered a drink by the snotty frozen faced woman behind the bar. Because of the wait I missed happy hour by 10 mins, when I asked if I could still avail of happy hour prices I was told no. Wow. It wasn't like the place was packed, It was just me and this other woman at the bar, they could have used some customers. I was served my drink, no menu or offer for some appetizers. Bar lady too busy getting chummy with the other customer. I felt like she was about to jump her. Awkward. I'll skip all the other annoying details. Bottom line, when my party came, we left. Spend your money elsewhere. It's called service standards, this place should get some. read more