An Awesome Favorite! Delicious food and a unique, cozy atmosphere make this place one of my favorite NYC reataurants. Great for a romantic date, family gathering or a quick stop at the bar. Try the tapas! My favorites are gambas al ajillo, calamari al ajillo, tortilla española, There are others that are super good, too. The paella is a hit with my family and we love everything on the menu. Mom had the Pollo Riazor, a huge dish of roasted chicken and potatoes. Amazing portions and the food comes quickly and is hot when it gets to the table. Really enjoy this place and we will keep coming back. The service is as wonderful as the food! Happy hour in the bar is a real treat if you like to have drinks with late lunch/early dinner. The chocolate cake is also amazing! And I cannot forget Miriam's cappuccino which is the best in town!! We love this place! read more

Great food n servise. Shrimp ajillo is just awsome, grilled chorizo is perfect with beer. Pollo Asado is a simple grilled chicken and was juicy in very good way. read more

Cafe Riazor - Spanish Near Me - New York, New York

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Incredible tapas, mushrooms, chorizo in wine sauce, octopus, just let the waiter/owner pick your dishes and you wont be disappointed. Small family owned, one of NYCs remaining hidden gems....and the best flan on the planet...support small local businesses, the lifeblood of our incredible City. read more

Was trolling for a nice Tapas bar near work and saw this place's flag hanging outside the building. Looked nice until we descended into the restaurant which reminded me of the Batcave. Being from California, was not quite used to the constraints of space here in NYC and so eating tapas in a basement was not what I expected. Further, the dishes and wine glasses were identical to that of my college cafeteria's. But, we stayed and were glad we did. The menu was nice and authentic and the wait staff was very helpful, responsive and courteous. We were served immediately and the food came out promptly and hot. The stuffed mushrooms were AWESOME; nice an juicy with a great combination of spices within the stuffing to complement. A big surprise was the Pulpo a La Gallega or Octopus. I am not usually a fan but we ordered it and it was delicious. Not at all chewy but had a great texture and was very flavorful. the Mejillones or mussels were also outstanding and served in abundance. We pretty much loved everything served. So, although I felt the ambiance lacking, Cafe Riazor made up handily in the food dept, which is most important, wouldnt you say? oh and only AMEX which is weird read more

I tried there ribeye steak with rice for lunch. It was cooked and seasoned very nicely and the service was good. Also good wine. Would recommend. read more

Nice solid Spanish tapas in the neighborhood especially the paella. Friendly service. We'll be coming back.

Stopped in for lunch and had a great experience! Extensive lunch menu - I had the veal, which was super tender! My friend had the seafood platter, which was delicious! Great sangria, too. A secret hideaway away from the beaten path! Must try! read more

Very nice place! The food is like 5 stars, simply excellent. The service is exceptional, the only negative it gets is that the size of the place is a bit tight. Its family run, for years and the owners and waitresses seem to be interacting with a familiar crowd. A welcoming atmosphere and the Best Lamb dishes read more

I came here hoping to find good paella and I was not disappointed. My friend and I tried the squid ink paella which was amazing. I've tried so many places, including the one named after the dish, and they've all been pretty bad. They're either too salty or the rice is undercooked or some other reason. This one was rich without being heavy and the rice was cooked and flavored just right. I was so happy to find a place in NY with good paella. We also had a pitcher of the red sangria which was pretty good. Now to the down side The tapas were not good. We tried the chicken and ham croquettas but I couldn't tell which was which from tasting them. While they were nice and crispy on the outside, they mainly tasted like flour and cream. The octopus salad was nothing special and I wasn't crazy about it's texture. It might have been over boiled. Overall, the service was good and the paella was good. If I have a craving for paella, I'll be back but not the tapas. read more

Pretty good. Service was very warm & familial. The pulpo gallego was tasty. Paella casera was delish- a big old pot of paella. Cant go wrong witg that. The carne guisada was also very good. The meat was tender and exactly what i was expecting. The torta de almendras was so good. Texture was of a dry madeline with almond flavor & whip cream. Very good. All of the food tasted fresh & well traditionally seasoned. Prices are very reasonable. Decor and ambiance was well done & what u would expect of a family-run restaurant. We walked in- no reservation needed. They can accommodate groups if necessary, and have a fun looking bar. The music was awesome! Great flamenco/tablao music. Made me want to stomp around and dance! They accept credit cards (other than AmEx). So maybe the "cash & American Express" policy was overturned since a previous yelpers review. One down side is that they automatically add a 20% tip onto the bill so be mindful so you dont double tip which i am sure they are banking on, especially if the customer had a pitcher or 2 of sangria. I recommend this restaurant and return again when in the area. read more

Cafe Riazor - Carne guisada with rice (thursday's special) - Spanish Near Me - New York, New York

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i have to admit this review is so way overdue. i have been coming here for years but even before coming here i was going to their other restaurant that was in the meat market and has been closed for many years. so i have a very long history with the owners and their fabulous restaurant. food is always so delicious and freshly prepared and service is excellent. its a family owned place and you'll feel right at home there. it really is a hidden gem of a place but definitely worth trying as again the food is so good. their sangria is also a winner. tell them eileen sent you! read more

Went on a weekday evening evening and it was quite empty. Like what others have mentioned, the decor is cramped ( fortunately, no one else was in the restaurant area otherwise we would have "bumped" into other patrons - that's how close the tables and chairs are ) and "traditional" but dated. Reminded me of some of the other "old time" Spanish restaurants I've been to around the city. We ordered 4 tapas - squid in garlic, shrimp in garlic, potatoes with tomatoes, and stuffed mushrooms. It was all fine/ok but not extraordinary. And it was pricey. Each tapas dish costs approximately 8.50 - 9.50 and with 2 drinks our bill came out to be 70.00 with tip. read more

There was flashes of expertise here. Like the texture of the Spanish omelet (tortilla Española) and the Octopus. As well as the Tripe on the stew (Callos). The menu displays the prototypical Spanish cuisine and I liked that some of the tapas were served in a terracotta plate. How Spanish is that. But when it comes to the flavor it was just non-right And I don't know what to think about the ambiance. There is something about descending underground and enter in a space embedded in red light accentuated by other red elements that I just don't find appealing at all. But truth is, once you get use to it, it is actually quite intimate ...yes, candles light, you know it. Such and effect for those tiny, dancing drops of light. And it feels good also because of the service. Besides of the one who rush us at the end with a non that welcoming face, everybody else was wonderful, specially the host. However, even when the name Riazor stands for a region in Galicia that once became very popular because their soccer team made tremble the giants Real Madrid and FC Barcelona for many years, the reality is that Cafe Riazor looks more like an Andalusia country-house, in fact, more like the patio that would be outside, with those white walls and the balconies, which is fine with me you know? but just saying. In addition to this, it looks also to be design to satisfy Spanish immigrants of the 50's to calm down their yearning. Nothing wrong either, other than a little bit too much. And so you can see posters with images of what you have surely see in those souvenirs like fans, foulard, and T-shirts that claim loud, Made in Spain ... The Spanish version of our "I love NY" Anyways, the first bite to the Tortilla (Spanish omelette) was as pleasant as a homey dinner. Home expertise (i.e. grandma) looks to be behind only for the way it is made. But it was on the salty side and it had an strange flavor that I can hypothesize where is coming from, but what would be the point of that. It also looked to me it was reheated for way too long. The pulpo a la Gallega (octopus in olive oil and paprika) was right in texture, which is quite an accomplishment by itself. I tried to overlook that is was dancing on oil and that it had a trace of tangy flavor that shouldn't be there while the smokey paprika taste, signature of this dish, was barely noticeable. I tried, but after a few bites I decided that I didn't like it any more. I'll just mention as a side note that the slices were also too tiny. The next two tapas were an exhibition of the same tomato sauce, surrounding and overpowering everything else that was on the plate: Vieiras (Scallops) al estilo Vigo, which at Cafe Riazor are described as scallops lightly baked with cheese and tomato sauce. Why cheese on this scallops? that I don't know and there was much more free interpretation of the recipe. Overall the tomato sauce was the only distinctive flavor. The patatas bravas (chunky fried potatoes in tangy tomato sauce) were non spicy at all. Nothing Brava about it, because it is all about the sauce and once again this was not right, but just plain tomato sauce like the one you use for pasta. And I don't want to enter into the question if it was homemade. We also order Callos a la Gallega, which are Tripe, sausage and chickpea stew. That was the best one, although the chickpeas were undercook. To end we also order Pan con Tomate y Ajo (Bread with tomato). When in a Spanish restaurant you expect this to be the popular Pa amb tomàquet or Pan Tumaca originally from Catalonia and consisting in bread slices optionally toasted (and better if you use payes or chapatti bread) rubbed with tomato and garlic (if you decide to use it) and finished with olive oil and salt. Riazor's version ... really ... the bread was crispy and way too greasy, soaked on oil, and there was slices of crudo tomato and chopped garlic on the top in addition to powder garlic ending up being just too much garlic. Even so, I have to say I liked it. The truth is that it was reasonably priced, the service was very nice and friendly, the experience was pleasant and there is a menu full of many other dishes to try. I would low my expectations for authenticity and food taste. If that is enough, I would say go ahead. read more

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I feel so guilty for never reviewing this restaurant until now! I've been a patron here for over 20 years and I can't say enough about Cafe Riazor. The food is delicious, the sangria is superb (red), the service is so wonderful and the space itself is like a little hidden grotto. I've brought/sent family and friends here over the years and they continue that tradition. Can't give a much better recommendation than that. Bring family, go on a date, slip in and dine solo at the bar, whatever works. read more

A bunch of us -- 12 people! -- went here for lunch today to welcome a new team member. They could easily accomodate us, as they were entirely empty when we arrived at 1 p.m., and it wasn't until after 2 that a couple of other tables filled up. But that just says that it's more of a dinner place than a lunch place -- not that it's a bad restaurant. It's an awesome restaurant. Our waitress didn't speak a lot of English, so ordering and getting her attention was challenging, but we did OK. And once the food arrived, we did very well. We ordered a bunch of tapas for the table, mostly two plates of each, and shared amongst the group. Highlights included the croquettes, the stuffed mushrooms, the chorizo in red wine, and the patatas bravas. The other dishes -- especially the French bread with tomato and garlic -- were also good. I didn't pay, so I don't know whether I can afford to return. But it's a great restaurant and well worth checking out. And it's right across the street from Maroon's! read more

As Spanish tapas lovers, we were very excited to try this neighborhood restaurant. Sadly, the food let us down really hard. First of all, the portion was SMALL!!!! The plates and pans were no bigger than my palm and we left the restaurant hungry. Secondly, the quality of the food was just bad. The Patatas bravas was basically some fried potatoes with a spoon of tomato sauce. The ham was thick and uneven, which made it really hard to chew. The Pan com tomate with just a slice of tomato on bread. The only thing I would recommend is just the Spanish chorizos. We ended up spending around $50 each on some mediocre food. Definitely not coming back!!! read more

I have been to this restaurant many times the food and service are always excellent and they're very excited every time you come back. The food is very traditional Spanish/Mediterranean flavor. This is a staple I love the octopus salad they have as an appetizer and they arroz con pollo is always really good!! If you love good red wine their house wine is fantastic and if you going to have a big party the paella is a must!! And don't forget to have your port wine at the end of dinner read more

It's a family affair...and it's been working since they first opened their doors in 1974. Four steps down from an otherwise residential block with dim lights, old travel posters and the stucco walls are meant to harken back to the Galician coast in the northwest corner of Spain -- the place where Riazor gets its name from. The menu is pretty much unchanged in the near 40 years of its existence. To say that Cafe Riazor is a venerable institution would be stating the obvious. The food is homestyle, generously portioned and authentic "detox-friendly" Mediterranean. Tapas and seafood shine here. Definitely worth a visit! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - TAPAS/APPETIZERS Aceitunas adobadas $5.00 pickled spanish olives Champinones al ajillo $7.75 mushrooms sauteed in garlic Pulpo a la gallega $10.75 warm octopus seasoned with spanish paprika & olive oil Pulpo $10.75 cold octopus salad marinated with olive oil, paprika, onions, & red pepper Boquerones en vinagre $8.75 fresh anchovies and onions seasoned with a vinagrette dressing Tortilla espanola $7.00 thick potato, egg, & onion omelette SOUPS small $4.75 large $5.75 Sopa de pollo chicken soup chicken, vegetables, and rice in a tomato based broth Sopa de pescado fish soup fish, vegetables, and rice in a tomato based broth SALADS (salads are served with oil & vinegar dressing) Ensalada mixta $4.50 mixed green Lechuga y tomate $4.00 lettuce & tomato Tomate y cebolla en rebanadas $4.75 sliced tomatoes & onions ENTREES (ask about daily specials) all entrees are served with house salad and one side dish except for the following all entrees except mariscada, paella, arroz con pollo, bacalao, vegetarian rice, and costilleta de ternera riazor are served with your choice of: boiled potatoes, white rice, yellow rice, or steamed vegetables Seafood calamares a la cazuela $18.50 squid sauteed in a tangy tomato, garlic, olive oil, and wine sauce Pargo a la parilla $18.75 whole red snapper broiled with lemon wedges in a garlic & wine sauce Bacalao $18.00 cod stewed with potatoes, paprika, garlic & olive oil Lubina a la parilla $18.50 whole striped bass broiled with lemon wedges in a garlic & wine sauce Pescado en salsa verde (merluza o salmon) hake or salmon steaks poached in a thick parsley sauce 18.00 Meats and Poultry Pollo asado 18.00 half chicken broiled with mild spices VEGETARIAN Arroz vegetariano $13.75 vegetarian paella with assorted vegetables Side dishes Arroz blanco $3.00 white rice Arroz amarillo $3.00 yellow rice Patatas hervidas $3.50 boiled potatoes Vegetales $4.00 steamed vegetables - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *DETOX APPROVED = NO processed sugar, dairy, wheat, wheat-gluten, non-organic, non-fermented soy products, deep fried foods, red meat, shell-fish As always, give me shout if this worked out for you...or if for some reason it didn't. read more

Went to a show in Cafe Riazor's neighbourhood one night, and wasn't sure where the heck to get some dinner at 9pm in that area. I thought I'd just head eastward until I stumble upon something that looks curious and/or interesting. Just one block into my trek, I walked by this basement restaurant. The menu posted outside looked promising, so in I went. Now, it was 9pm on a Saturday night and the place was not busy at all. It is already a small establishment and it was less than 50% full at the time. I thought, OK, this could be a bad sign, or maybe people just don't know about this restaurant. After all, the location is not very busy with pedestrian traffic and it's not a restaurant-filled neighbourhood. So I sat down and by this time I was very hungry. Many of their tapas looked good on the menu, but I ultimately decided to get a chorizo tapa. It is Spanish sausage sauteed in red wine. About half of the "meat and poultry" selection on their menu consisted of veal, so I thought maybe veal is something they are especially good at cooking. I have said before that I'd eat anything, but that's an exaggeration. There are a few things I don't eat: anchovies, olives, artificial grape flavouring. The last one reminds me of cough medicine I had to drink when I was sick as a little kid. There's also one thing - veal. I actually haven't had veal in about 13 or 14 years. One of my university friends, who was vegetarian, decided to tell me in gruesome details how veal was produced. Since then I had not been able to eat veal. But that night, I thought, oh what the heck, I'll have some veal. So I ordered the Ternera a la Gallega, which is veal cutlets dipped in an egg parsley batter and sauteed with a lemon and wine sauce. After nearly destroying the bread and chips & salsa that were first served, because I was so hungry, the chorizo came. It was very delicious and savoury just like chorizo should be. Then the veal dish came. The consistency of the veal was just like I remember it - tender and melts in your mouth. The egg parsley batter was a nice touch. But damn. This dish was salty. The saltiness overpowered any other flavour that the dish was supposed to contain. Saltiness was all that I tasted. I was really hoping the dish would be good. The restaurant has a quiet and quaint, low key kind of atmosphere that's great for a date. But that veal dish was way too salty. I would not come back. I was actually going to give the restaurant three stars because I really did like the chorizo. But you know what, it's difficult to mess up sauteed sausages. Two stars, and I would not go back. read more

What a lovely selection of tapas! Dinner here was enticing; we had the calamares al ajo(which was delicious, had a fiesty flavor), the croquetas de pollo (they were too mushy), the patatas bravas(which paired lovely with everything), and chorizo(didn't really taste them haha, but they we're vibrant!) As for entrees, the camarones en salsa verde was way too thick....felt more like an Italian dish than Latin. The pollo riazor was delicious! It had a tangy kick to it, worked well with the yellow rice. I should also state that while the tapas were pretty small, the entrees had very large servings, go figure lol. It's a nice restaurant with a semi intimate feel (it's more casual towards the back of the restaurant), and it felt like I wasn't in Manhattan anymore; sort of like a minor retreat into another country. Staff was extremely accommodating and checked in on us periodically. Overall a lovely experience :). Definitely worth going to again! read more

Ran into this place while walking around Chelsea w my family (who happen to be from the Basque region of Spain). The food was bland and overcooked. The service was fine, but they tried to add a 24% tip to our bill. There were only four of us, and there were no signs that mentioned tips. I would not recommend this restaurant. read more

Rang in the new year at Cafe Riazor, a quaint tapas place on 16th Street in Chelsea. The staff was so accommodating and our group of 8 scrunched into a small round table near the bar, before commencing with cocktails, sangria and cervezas. We dined late but it was new years and hey this place is a Spanish restaurant - they wrote the book on late night dining. So it was no surprise the ball dropped and my dinner had still not arrived. The place turned into a raucous fiesta after that, the staff and patrons were dancing and some kid in the corner was blowing his horn again and again and again. He really should have been in bed. The food arrived and it was worth the wait. I ordered the polla al ajillo, a half chicken broiled with a marinade of olive oil and garlic. With fries on the side, this was heaven in two dishes. I wish i could tell you what the others in my party ordered but I can't. Once my dish arrived I turned into a crazy pirahna and I have no recollection after that. My fuzzy dream is of a conga line of people dancing through the aisles, young and old alike, the smell of saffron wafting through the air, the scent of a new year. read more

Honestly, the WORST food experience that I have had in my whole life. This restaurant offers not just expensive food but also terrible food quality.. You pay $9 for "bravas" that are reheating in the microwave and octopus that I can easily tell that was cooked a week ago.. Moreover, the waitress ignored us during the whole lunch but she wanted to charge us 20% obligatory gratuity. An authentic disappointing experience.. Being all said, I am Spanish. read more

I'm Spanish: this is the worst (and the most disgusting) Spanish food I have ever tried in my life. I have been living during a couple of years here. Moreover, the waitress wanted to charge us a compulsory 20% tip fee, arguing that it was the law. PLEASE, AVOID THAT FAKE RESTAURANT. Not original food from Spain. read more

Authentic. Amazing. Lovely staff. THEE best staff in NYC. I've been coming here for decades. I don't even live here! I'm an O.G. Angeleno. This is the most authentic Spanish tapas and dinner I have ever encountered. Always a fun time too, whether you are on a romantic first date, lunch with your family, or a late night solo meal at the bar and in need of deep talk with the bartender (yeah, I've done it all, ugh). It's so delicious, I schedule my trip around this place. Viva Espana! read more

A meal full of chorizo was not our goal, but it was the end result, and we were - overall - pleased enough with our meal at Cafe Riazor. I like the low-ceilinged, stucco-walled room, and the staff is extremely friendly. We were there on a lively Friday night, and didn't have to wait for a table (the joys of being on a street instead of an avenue in Manhattan!). The sangria is nice - not much to write home about, but very drinkable. We had the chorizo appetizer (surprise!) and it was very good. The bread they bring to the table didn't really help it much, though. The bread was dry, chewy, and pretty much flavorless, and the only food we didn't like. For the entree, I had the pollo riazor (basically, a roasted half chicken) because it came recommended by the waiter. It had moments of pure, juicy, skin-on brilliance, and moments of sad, brittle dryness. Kind of strange to have so much variation in a sole half chicken. My friend had the chorizo sandwich (more sausage!) and he liked it, but found the bread lacking. Sigh. I feel like this is another one of those places that I really want to like, but that just didn't deliver. The kitchen needs to step it up. And I hope they can! read more

Very warm and friendly staff who were most accommodating. Nothing special about the decor, space is cramped but cozy. The appetizer selection was great but not well executed. Chorizo, boquerones and shrimp with garlic were great. Hot and cold pulpo were so-so and could have been prepared better. Hot pulpo texture was mushy. I would recommend that they get better bread. The seafood paella and stuffed veal were great. But the chicken dish and grilled fish could have been better and were too salty Dessert selection was great and prices were reasonable. Tip is included for party over 5. read more

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I came here last night with a couple of friends and had a delightful time. It's a homey kind of place that is real low key sans the hip decor, trendy scene and snooty service attitude which is refreshing. My friends and I strolled in on a Friday eve during peak dinner time (8pm) and were immediately seated w/o a wait. It is a decent sized restaurant that can accommodate large groups which is also a rarity in Manhattan. We ordered a ton of tapas dishes to share and there were some memorable ones that my friends and I really liked. We had the following: 1/2 dozen raw clams Patata's Brava's Shrimp in garlic sauce Chorizo in red wine Grilled Chorizo Grilled Octopus Scallops in tomato sauce Of them all, we really liked the Patata's Brava's & Scallops. My friends didn't care much for the Chorizo plates but of the 2, I liked the Chorizo in red wine sauce. We all agreed the Grilled Octopus was chewy and too overdone so skip it. We also ordered a Flan dessert to share which was "meh" so skip this as well. We were really surprised to see how reasonably priced the bill came out to be given the amount of food we ordered! Btw, there was no alcohol ordered which may be partially why our bill was pretty low. The service throughout was very sweet and polite. Definitely worth revisiting! read more

Sadly- this is off the list. I wanted it to be good because I live on the block- but no such luck. My girlfriend and I ordered 7-8 tapas to try the dishes. The waitress kept speaking to us in Spanish- we don't speak Spanish and her English was fine once she spoke. The calamari was the chewiest thing ever- we couldn't eat it- the other dishes were just an ok at best, mussles, shrimp and garlic, rice, octopus- they forgot to bring two things we ordered (they weren't busy- only 1 other table). The black beans with cheese were actually good- but it's not a saving grace. Sadly- skip it. read more

The service was very friendly and attentive. The food, however, took a while especially the paella. The flavors are a little muted; nothing really stood out. Might be slightly overpriced. read more

My favorite restaurant in New York. The tapas are exquisite. The prices are reasonable for the quality and portion size of the food. The service is friendly. The only drawback is that they only take cash or Amex, so be prepared. I seriously dream of their pickled olives and broiled octopus, and they also make a mean sangria. This is the best place to go with a group of friends, or on a romantic date. read more

Stumbled on to this little spot thats can easily be overlooked if you are not paying attention! The staff is very professional and the ambiance reminds me of my time spent in Spanish Canary Island. The bar tender has been with Cafe Riazor for three decades and was amazed that she remembers patrons who haven't been back for years. Don't miss out on a great opportunity to diversify your taste buds! The octopus al a gallega is a great start and feel free to order a pitcher of the sangria... you can thank me later! Buen provecho! read more

Really cute little Spanish bar that serves divine tapas. The chorizo sausages are to die for and simply the best I've had in the US. Great 7-day happy hour - which is really good while eating delicious tapas. Proper Spanish style/sized tapas plates. read more

Excellent little restaurant on a quiet street. It is an old school place with older decorations. The food is fantastic, the prices are good. I love the tapas. My favorites are the Tortilla, both potatoe dishes, and really anything they serve. My husband got the steak and he was very happy with it. It is not a scene, but if you want good food, this is the place! read more

Accidentally stopped by in the late evening. Tapas were great, very good selection - calamari, chorizo, mussels- everything was fresh and tasty. Good wine selection at reasonable prices. Service was good and attentive. I would gladly come back. read more

Should I lie and give a bad review so I can keep this place to myself? Anyway, I have been going to this place for 5-6 years and it never disappointed. There are so many "trendy" tapas/paella places around here and I suspect its just a "fad". I have tried a few of these oh-so-cool (and significantly more expensive) places but ended up wondering why I even bothered. Cafe R is the antithesis of these trendy places, IMHO. The decor here is rather basic but seating is much more comfortable than the other "cool" places in the area. The communal seating in other places is so cramped, I just dont see the appeal of it. Is it so cool to do that or people are just so masochistic??!! For a quick few tapas and a drink or two, the bar seating style could be great and you could meet and talk to interesting strangers, but come on! The service here is always friendly and efficient. Gradually over the years, we met the owner and got to know him by first name, but I dont think we get special treatment to be fair. It does feel like you are at someone's home as a guest. I also love that the chef often comes out of the kitchen and says hi to diners!! The tapas are very good-excellent. The cold pulpo (octopus) is unusual and takes a bit of getting used to but it is really good. (dont get this if you cant handle cold octopus). The seafood plate (Mariscada) is so good I cannot stop dipping bread in the broth! All paella varieties are excellent and seem authentic to me, compared to what I had in Spain. The sangria is also good. The fries here are a bit softer than usual but somehow I cant stop eating them! The only weird thing and slight annoyance is that they only take cash and AMEX. EDIT (March 2013): They do have bar seating and now take all major credit cards!! read more

First I like this place's cozy feel. I went with a friend at 4 pm. We were the only ppl there at the time which was cool. We had the red sangria. I liked it but my friend complained it was too mellow like the fruits were not brined in rum. I had the croquetas they were good. We sat at the bar which has a tv. Food prices seem a little high in the menu but this is to be expected in this neighborhood . I want to come back to try entres. read more

Cafe Riazor - Croquettes - Spanish Near Me - New York, New York

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Excellent menu, with seafood cooked to perfection.

Enjoyed both the white and red sangrias. The staff was awesome and super accommodating. My date and I enjoyed the authentic decor. The tapas were good and the paella wasn't bad. I was expecting a little more flavor, but then, I always do. Still looking for that paella that just might not exist. read more

A good place to stop by for a couple of tapas. Nothing out of this world but definitely a consistent quality in all the dishes. The pulpo a la gallega is a must although I would have like it to be bigger portion wise. Same with the gambas al ajillo which are good but just a few. The tortilla is big enough to share among 2 or 3 people. The bread is just bad. For a tapas or even Spanish restaurant the bread is super important and it was dry and without any flavor. You need something to dip in the juices! I always say it, you can tell the quality of a restaurant by the bread they put on the table. Also, no good olive oil to drizzle the tapas. Nice staff. The decor is quite traditional but on the old side. It wouldn't be a first choice but it's OK if you are around the neighborhood and everything else is closed. read more