Simply the best. Classic food, amazing service, warm room. This is what NYC is all about. Always a solid special, strong drink and a real smile meets you here. Been going for 20+ years and never disappointed. Plus if you are lucky you can meet the doctor who just performed your bypass to clear out all of that carne asada at NYU Med across the street! Millenials and Gen Z seeking "mouth feel" and "flavor palettes" should head to the latest pop up that will laugh as they over charge them for "real Mexican" food made by chefs trained in the Hudson Valley. 5 stars +1 for longevity. read more

Apparently this is the oldest Mexican restaurant in NYC! Came here on a weeknight and made a reservation in advance- you don't necessarily need one but the tables did fill up as the night went on. This restaurant has very moody and dim lightning, which is perfect for a date night or night out with friends! Service is on the slower side, but not necessarily a bad thing as you aren't rushed. We shared a pitcher of red sangria (delicious not too strong) along with the elote as an appetizer. I got the cheese enchiladas for my main, which was great (not too oily). The salsa was unique and flavorful! Another plus is it's quite close to the ferry, which is convenient for commuters. Reasonable and fair pricing all things considered read more

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Nice Mexican restaurant in Kips Bay! The vibes are nice inside - perfect for a margarita, chips and salsa and a main entree. I tried the Chef's Combo - Chicken Enchilada with Tomatillo Salsa, Beef Picadillo Enchilada with Guajillo Salsa, and Cheese Chile Relleno with Jitomate salsa. Rice and Beans ($29). It was nice to have an assortment of main dishes and each one was pretty good. The salsa they give out has zero spice in it, but it wasn't bad; the chips came out warm. Overall solid spot for Mexican in the area! read more

Came here for date night and had the best mole I've ever had!!! We made a reservation for 6pm on a Sunday and there were plenty of tables available. I love that they seated us at a table that had a lot of iconic moments -- there were three plaques describing how someone had proposed at that table and how that table was the first date for two couples that ended up getting married. The restaurant is honestly quite large and there's even more tables and a bar downstairs (that's also where the bathrooms are). They give you complimentary chips and salsa which were both delicious. We ended up finishing the entire bowl of chips before our appetizer arrived and our server was kind enough to refill not only the chips but also the salsa. The salsa is a recipe they have been using for decades and I can understand why. It's warm and full of flavor. To start, we ordered the heart of palm salad which may have been a special. I ordered the quesadilla which came with NY strip steak and a few yucca fries and a bit of guacamole, but to be honest my husband's dish stole the show. He ordered the chicken with mole sauce and it was divine. It came with rice, beans, tortillas, two chicken thighs and a drumstick. The sauce was absolutely incredible. I ended up getting the sauce boxed up and I made more chicken with it the next day. Next time, I would love to try the paella. read more

El Parador Cafe - Mole Poblano de Pollo - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Cozy little restaurant with great service. Clearly a local staple...but man, I do not get the hype on the food here. Good: Salsa - stewed rather than fresh. Very unique. Served warm. Highlight! Margs - well made. Not too acidic or sweet. They've got a good bar. Less good: Tacos. 3 tiny tacos for $26. Chorizo had ZERO flavor. Picadillo was better but lacking. Pork was best but still subpar. There was barely any aroma coming off of the dish itself. Feels like the flavors are waaaaay watered down. If you're gonna charge nearly $10 a taco, you need to at least beat Tacos #1, and these aren't even in the same orbit (and they are smollllllll). Enchiladas. All mouth feel, no flavor. It just seems like they forgot to use spices. It feels like Mexican food for people who've never had it before and are being gently guided in on starter platters. read more

My favorite restaurant in all of NYC. It's hard to find decent Mexican food here, especially if you've lived in TX or Southern California. For a while everywhere I tried disappointed me. This place is amazing. The margaritas are great too. I've brought lots of people here too and they loved their meal. read more

Everything was good except the recycle Nachos , they took the nachos left over at the bar and put it back in the nachos section read more

El Parador Cafe - Mussels and regular margaritas - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

My friend and I were happy to go tonight for happy hour. When we were about to leave and ready to pay , they said they do not except Apple Pay , I never bring cards because everywhere I go takes Apple Pay now! They were sooo rude and I went home to get a card leaving my friend there who had cash. I sent her a picture of my card so she could use it and they still didn't take it. Mind you , this was happy hour and we spent $180. And not a free drink came our way. They threatened my friend. We were so hurt and treated so poorly! Usually bars give you the 3rd or 4th drink on the house. We will never go back here ever read more

There are so few sit-down restaurants in Kips Bay, and with high hopes, we decided to try El Parador again. Last time I was there must have been forty years ago. The best thing about the evening was the delightful host/owner, whose sparkling personality made the evening. Unfortunately, not much has changed regarding the food; the restaurant is stuck in a time warp. While prices are moderate, what we ordered was nowhere near good Mexican food. The evening chef must have forgotten one or all of the herbs and spices necessary for authentic Mexican cuisine. Additionally, there were a few things that really bugged us. The natural nachos were so bland and visually unappealing, and way overpriced for the portion. The chimichanga was nothing like the real thing - boring. And the sides of rice and beans, besides lacking in flavor, were so minuscule you would need not only a fork but a magnifying glass. I had the double-sized pork chop, which was well prepared and quite delicious. But in all, I hope the owner rethinks the menu recipes and a new chef. read more

I really wish I could give 'em 5 stars and be absolutely in love with El Parador. But strike one on the first thing I ordered- a "tamarind marg in the rocks" Super fresh lime juice, but wayyyyy too much of it- just tasted like I was suckin on a lime. I drank it and moved on to my next drink... the salsa. Hell yeah I drank the salsa. That stuff was fantastic! A bit different than your typical salsa, very good, nice kick, sweet onion, fantastic! Brought a whole second cup of it home. Next was the black bean soup, enjoyed the hell outa that too, wish there was a few more chunks from the top throughout the entire soup (avocado onion sour cream). Delicious and understated in the best way. The Ropa Vieja was everything it needed to be and the sweet plantains were up there with the best I've ever had. The beans were somehow super light and airy .. everything was, didn't sit like a brick at all. A lot of the flavors were muted but all in all it was a god meal. Just wish I didn't spend $15 on one of the worst margs I've ever had in my life but uhhhh Oldest Mexican joint in the city I'm told, everything was good except for the margarita and chicken in the fajitas (sorta weird n chewy I'd like to try some other things but I'm not sure when I'll be comfortable spending that much money on it lol- probably soonish though :) read more

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Excited to come back and bring others here for their first time!!! Such a romantic spot for date night, but also great atmosphere to split a bunch of dishes with a large group. The Mexican paella was to die for... and the spicy margaritas too. Amazing staff, thank you to our waitress sofia! read more

El Parador Cafe - Mexican Paella - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

had nice attentive staffs and the guac and salsa were pretty good. They had frozen margaritas nd mango flavors were the best. Interesting bathroom set up in the basement the decors were cute and the ceiling was little. Food was just ok in my opinion the portions were smol for the price we paid. My saute shrimp meal came in a big plate but not too much on it. The flavors were familiar and it was tasty but i was pretty shocked. Chicken fried the parador was nicely flavored and seasoning go deep but it was tangy citrus flavored interesting take of an in the middle too. read more

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01/26/23: Another great meal had. Yummy scallop salad. Not bad for $20. Decent amount of scallops. Cooked just right. Love how you are greeted the staff is awesome. Good place to catch a lunch special. Will keep on returning especially when earning Seated $$. Download, use code Michelle1454 you'll be glad you did! read more

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The oldest Mexican restaurant in Manhattan: They must be doing things right. Their homemade family recipe salsa is unmatched. The guacamole, rice and beans follow suit and should be paired with any entry of choice, including the Chille Rellano. read more

Haven't been here in a long time and I brough my partner for the first time. The atmosphere is really nice and romantic. The staff was super attentive and fast service. Got the jalapenos with peanut butter because those used to be my favorite and they did not disappoint. I would recommend half peanut butter and half cheese. The cocktails were great, we tried the mezcalita and the frozen mango margarita. For entrees we shared was the chicken mole that was excellent and the shrimp quesadilla, also pretty tasty. Everything was so good we went for the fried ice cream, a very yummy end to an overall really good meal. read more

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The kitchen staff creates culinary magic. The establishment is clean and the owners are pleasant, focused and truthful. The meal exceeded our expectations. The workers bring laughs, friendliness, and careful service. The staff treated us well and the food satisfied. read more

Excellent!!! The food was wonderful. So delicious and cooked to order. The best mexican restaurant I have been to. The bartender told me that it would take a little time - but the chef speeded it up because I had a car coming. Customer service!!! Talking about service - if I had a business, I would try so hard to steal Armando away. He is the best! To top it off, prices were great. The owner was sooo generous - not like so many places in NYC that soak you on everything, like $23 for a 5-ounce glass of wine. The owner offered special bar (?) prices of $11 for a $16 glass of very good wine- in beautiful glasses, separate red and white. He also offered $9 tacos for $6. I figured I saved almost $30, so I gave my bartender 45%. What a wonderful place! read more

A treasure & the oldest continuously operated Mexican restaurant in NYC. Built when kitsch was big, the booths, wood beamed ceilings are incredible. The food is old school do if that's not what you're looking for the oh well. If your good with that this is a delicious dining treat. Ate: Chips & salsa(gratis) Black bean soup Mussels Sweet potato mash Total: $28 before tax & tip The soup was solidly deep, creamy & delicious with bits of avocado- yum as were the mussels & mash. I will definitely be back! read more

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Went here during Happy Hour and dinner with friends on a weekday. Andrew at the Bar prepared our Margaritas on 1st round and made it good. Service was up to par (5 Star for me). On the 2nd round one of the server made it, but it's bland, I told Andrew about it and he quickly fixed and replaced the tasteless Margarita. I had the Seafood Paella and it's soooo good (if you don't have seafood allergy, try this). We also ordered Mole Poblano de Pollo and definitely a must to try too. Overall great food and Kudos to Andrew for 5 Star Service to our group! read more

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The Biggest Hidden Secret for Mexican Food! Family Business-Staff extremely friendly and Excellent Food! They have their "Own " special sauce with unlimited warm Tortilla Chips!! I have been going there for over 40 years! Never disappointed! 10 Star Rating !! read more

We came here for the happy hour, which is pretty good. $7 for a straight (no ice) margarita, $9 for a slightly larger margarita with ice, and a good sangria. I would recommend the sangria (1/2 and full pitcher) if you're looking to share among a group. The happy hour is at the bar area only, and you can't reserve. Although there is extra seating at the bar area. Food wise, we had the tacos from the happy hour menu as well. They were pretty good and I would recommend. read more

True upscale Mexican! I was pleasantly surprised by the quality and inventiveness of the cuisine here. Simply delicious. If you think you know what a good quesadilla is.... I invite you to try the barbacoa and watch your bar raise! A fabulous and spacious oasis in Murray Hill. read more

El Parador Cafe - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Love this place. Been a million times but tonight was terrible. Maybe new owners? Waited forever for everything...table, menus, drinks, chips, food, Bummer. But I'll be back. read more

This is a great place. The food is excellent, the service is great, and the people who work here are FUN! Go and be happy! Patricio read more

lots of memories here over 40 years love everything about this place most delicious and unique salsa in the world cant get anything like it anywhere read more

Mexican restaurant, open since 1959, with a solid menu of traditional Mexican foods & margaritas.  The place is very reasonably priced All meals come with complimentary chips and salsa, which are very tasty I sat at the bar and got a chicken quesadilla, which was small but mighty The staff were very friendly Bib Gourmand 2018, not in 2019 8 read more

My experience with El Parador Cafe is unlike any other Yelp Adventure I've ever been on. When my husband and I popped into this location we were first seated across from the bar on a small table for two. Personally, whenever I go out to eat, those small tables for two barley fit everything I order on it and so I asked our server to be moved to the back / main dining room which looked like it was closed. I had seen one or two people pop around back there so I assumed it would be fine. At first the waiter paused and said that it was closed for private dining - my first thought was that someone is getting proposed to back there, a few minutes later our waiter came back and said that we would be allowed to move there if we promise not to take any pictures. At first I was confused, but to get to the bigger table I agreed. As soon as we got back there I locked eyes with THE EMMA WATSON. My literal childhood idol - I couldn't believe it. My husband and I ordered a pitcher of red sangria which was super refreshing and light. My husband ordered the Fajitas De Pollo which came out looking quite average, I ordered the Short Rib Tacos (2 tacos) super delicious though I wish it came with 3 instead of two. Overall amazing experience - will definitely return! read more

Yelp found us this place for dinner on a Saturday evening. A bit unusual for either a Mexican or Spanish restaurant, kind of a mashup, seemed to us, but good! They start you off with a bowl of tortilla chips and a small dish of cooked, warm, salsa, that the menu says is their non-vegetarian recipe from 1959! Waiter said there's chicken broth in it, hence the not vegetarian. There are raw salsas available for an up charge, but we stuck with the original, different but tasty! We ordered a half pitcher of sangria, which was a light red, filled with chunks of lemon, lime, & orange, and went down easy! Mmmm. I couldn't resist the gazpacho, not always on the menu, and I loved it. Mostly puréed but with some tiny chunks of veggies and a thick texture. Very very good! My husband asked if they'd make a paella without chorizo, and that was no problem - plenty of seafood on that lovely yellow rice; of course I tasted (ate 2 of the mussels and some of the rice) and it was a good paella. My entree, the black bean and spinach enchiladas, was okay, underwhelming. Two enchiladas with just a dusting of queso fresco. Usually enchiladas are buried in too much melted cheese; these erred in the opposite direction! But the spinach tasted fresh, and it was overall enough with an excellent tomato sauce and a side of slaw. We were full, so we passed on dessert. We'll definitely go again, covid-permitting! We sat outside because even though we're fully vaxed, no longer comfortable going indoors. that this will eventually go away! Anyway, do try El Parador! read more

Been eating here since Med School(NYU'65), starting with the original location on East 32nd street, and would go nowhere else for Mexican/Spanish food- and not just the food-EVERYTHING is outstanding at the Parador. If we're getting together in the city with old classmates= first choice! read more

The absolute best Mexican you're going to find in New York City. I cannot give a higher recommendation for food, service and atmosphere. Make sure to make a reservation--walk ins on Friday/Saturday will have a long wait time, though it will certainly be worth it! read more

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I just love this place. The taco combo plate is giant. The garlic shrimp has large delicious shrimp. Everything is wonderful. Love the fresh fruit margaritas. read more

El Parador Cafe - Awning - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

It was our second time in the restaurant. We usually do not go to the same place twice but this happened by accident. Place is pretty decent. Food is very good but service is very bad. You wait 10 minutes for a menu and it is Monday 7:30 pm. You wait very long for guacamole, like 30-40 minutes. After we finished our main courses, we waited like 30 minutes with dirty plates on the table. And again it was Monday. Food was pretty good that is why 4 stars. They had specials for dinner, pretty good salmon and blue crab enchilada. Tres leches cake was great as well. So not a single complaint about the food, it was pretty good. The problem is slow and inattentive service. read more

El Parador Cafe - Tres leches - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

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Stopped by the other day for lunch, and this place did not disappoint. Location itself is spacious nice bar and the vibe is nice They stop serving lunch around three so we got the dinner menu. App House chips and salsa 4/5 Fresh chips, warm salsa. Can't go wrong, only thing is there was meat in the salsa so if someone is vegetarian, be aware of that.. Mains Steak burrito - 5/5 A great burrito that didn't have a crazy amount of stuff, covered in a red sauce. The red sauce was good and it was all wrapped in a thinner smaller tortilla. The state was amazing! Good quality meat, perfectly cooked. Chimichanga burrito -4/5 This was a fried burrito. Traditionally with beef. Well flavored flaky not too oily and the meat tasted good. Can't go wrong with this option Both of the items came with rice and beans, 3/5 They were OK, nothing extraordinary. Dessert: We had their tres leches, 4/5 Great, great consistency, flavor and moist. If it was a little more wet, I would have given it a five. read more

Cozy and great environment when you walk into the restaurant. Food was amazing!! Will be back for more read more

El Parador Cafe - Black Bean and Spinach Enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

Great services, tasty drinks (spicy margarita is delicious and strong according to my wife) and the staff is very polite. They didn't have Vermouth for a Manhattan I ordered so they comped my substitute drink order! All online ordering, which makes service fast for food and drink. A lot of out door seating; indoor seating was available and limited. Street closed off to cars, which is also nice. Couldn't stop staring at this wall art and running scenarios on how it was conceivably created! read more

El Parador Cafe - Exterior wall with outdoor cafe seating along side. - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

This place is a joke. They have the audacity to charge an ABSURD amount for the tiniest portions ever with zero accompaniments. For example, we paid $26 for I kid you not 3 fish tacos that were two bites each and had ZERO toppings!! Just a small piece of fried fish on a small tortilla. The chicken quesadilla was also similarly highway robbery - $17 for the world's smallest quesadilla that was simply chicken and cheese. No salsa, guac, sour cream, NOTHING! An extra star ONLY because the margaritas were the only thing that was fairly priced at $14/each and at least those were strong and delicious. A big fat AVOID! read more

I ordered chicken enchiladas. the flavor was good, but I found multiple little chic bones in my food. glad I didn't swallow the. read more

El Parador Cafe - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

We came here on a Sunday afternoon, and given it was during Valentine's Day weekend, we were surprised at how few people were here. Nonetheless, it did mean our service was quicker than if it were fully packed! We ended up ordering a tamarind margarita, the chef's combo (chicken enchilada & beef picadillo enchilada), and the ropa vieja with plaintains. To start, the tamarind margarita tasted very mediocre. It seemed like a mid cocktail. However, the plantains and the enchiladas were so delicious! The ropa vieja was good, probably above average, but I would probably order something else if I came here again. My husband stated the beans tasted like they have been on the floor for a long time and then reserved onto your plate, so I don't recommend getting any beans here. Overall, it was a pretty solid experience! We've always wanted to try out El Parador Cafe, and we're glad we did! There could have been some improvements to our food, but for the most part, we enjoyed eating here! read more

Fresh, reliable, affordable mexican food. The shrimp quesadilla in delicious. The plantations are so tasty. The salad is fresh. Their homemade dressing is delicious. It's great for a date night or the perfect delivery. Reheat the food to get the most bang for your buck. Def recommend! read more

El Parador Cafe - Shrimp Camarones Quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - New York, New York

This place is near and dear to my heart because it's one of the first restaurants my boyfriend and I went to together. Since then this has become our favorite Mexican restaurant and we come here often. The service is familial and warm and we're always treated with care when we dine here. The history of El Parador is really beautiful and we're so happy to continue to support such a special long lasting treasure in Manhattan. I stand by the fact that they serve the best margaritas I've ever had in my entire life and their sangria is on point as well. My boyfriend loves the taco tray which gives you a little bit of everything. We also love the shrimp fajitas, the elote and the fresh guacamole. We will continue to come here and if you've never been do yourself a favor and go! read more