Overall rating: 4.7 My friend recommended this place to me claiming (!) they have really good espresso martinis. I was a bit cautious because they have such high ratings. From the outside, it looks like it's just going to be a tourist spot. But going inside was a very different experience. The decor is so much fun and the vibe is awesome. Definitely brought some energy up which was needed. I sat at the bar and the bartender was really nice and still left me alone. The espresso martini was good & I had a chicken sandwich which was amazing. Total price of $35 including tip hurt a little, but that's the city we live in now. I'd go back again if I'm in the area needing a place to hang. Highly recommend! read more

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Food is TRAGIC. I would never get food here again Drinks are 10/10. Love the happy hour Take that as you will. read more

This is a nice spot in Chinatown with some amazing cocktails and fun vibes! Their tacos were my favorite. Great to host private events as well. Someone was celebrating their birthday party when we visited and it seemed like an amazing event! Definitely check out their amazing happy hour too when you get a chance read more

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We were forced to duck into this restaurant when a sudden rainstorm caught us on our way to grab soup dumplings. The drinks were good and reasonably priced but our taquitos were so bad I felt the need to come here and leave a review, which I never do. The 'salsa' on top seemed to just be unseasoned tomato sauce from a can? If you are interested in anything even resembling authentic Mexican food, run--don't walk-- in the opposite direction. read more

La Diaspora - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Around the corner does it belong in Chinatown bar! Great ambiance. Stopped in to get some cocktails. I can see this qaint spot being perfect for gram photos. read more

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The service was beyond exemplary. The crew was so warm and helpful. The food was good -- my only complaint was that the churro had raw dough in the middle still -- but I don't really need desserts :). Good happy hour pricing. read more

La Diaspora - Churros & Cajeta - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Shout out to Adrian and Charley who went above and beyond for us. So many drinks are made with housemade liquors and natural ingredients. Everything is made to order and tasted fresh, flavorful and yummy. Highly recommend the hibiscus freeze and naval margarita. The green tea shots I could have ten more too. The guacamole and house made chips outstanding. Big amount. The shrimp cocktail was better than anywhere in the USA. Big juicy shrimp in a sauce with buttery crackers and fresh avocado. The vegetarian quesadillas and tacos delicious. The corn toro are so tasty you can taste the corn. All the hot sauce and sauces are house made. Everything is made to order. The steak frite my friend loved. This is nyc at its best. A. Jungle modern speakeasy in the heart of Chinatown. read more

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I've only been there for the drinks and it's such a quiet, classy place which i enjoyed.

I was craving ropa vieja, so we decided to order takeout. The flavor was ok, but I thought it was subpar compared to most other iterations I've had elsewhere. The same was true for the consomme that came with our 3 quesabirrias. It was very bland and didn't have the richness or depth of flavor that we expected. For the price, the portions were also quite small. Most of our group ended up ordering fast food afterwards because they were still hungry. I had a positive experience eating here a few years ago, but probably won't be back anytime soon after this. read more

La Diaspora - Ropa vieja - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

3 stars ... May 2024, Found this on Yelp and saw that it took over the former Forlini's spot so I was curious to try it. I noticed there were signs that they offered dancing and live music on certain nights. Interesting for a fun night out. I was here on a Sunday, casual dinner for 4. Made a reservation in case. They didn't even seem to care that I had one but stranger still, they had to move another table to seat us into the four seater. Seems their group was larger so it did make sense to move them to the larger table but why put them there in the first place? The rest of the tables available were all two seaters so odd. What I found off putting was that they still had to swap the tableware and glassware as that group was already snacking on the complimentary chips and salsa. At any rate, we were seated, eventually got new plates and glasses (it was disorganized) and we ordered. Our entrees came out pretty quickly so enjoying our guacamole and chips was short lived. I did enjoy that my chicken enchiladas had two sauces - never had that before in other restaurants and I particularly enjoyed the mole. But the chicken itself lacked seasoning. Hubby got the beef tacos, it was a generous port of beef - could've used some acidity and color. While there were onions and cilantro, it could've used some tomatoes or red pepper for added color. Maybe a radish? It just seemed very one note. Kiddo got the chicken burrito and while he enjoyed the sauce, thought the chicken was a little dry. How is that possible? Side of fries were great! Everything looked delicious, just needed a bit more work on the flavor profiles. Sauces were great... That made the dishes presentable and edible. Seasoning is key, which was lacking. Just meh for me. read more

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I didn't try the food but the service and drinks were good. Dive bar atmosphere with good music.

Great vibe in there! Would definitely go back. The drinks & food were strong. The bartender was great too! read more

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Depends on the day of the week & time of day, but you can typically get seated without reservation upon arrival. Their drinks are pretty good and strong, the food is also good, nothing to rave about I guess. The portions are appropriate; depends on appetite but appetizers are good to share (2) and 1 entree per person. The ambiance is cute for a date night or outing with friends; dim light and music, but low enough that you can have a conversation with indoor voices read more

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We happened upon this place on Thanksgiving day 2023 and decided to pop in for a few cocktails before grabbing dinner nearby. We sat at the bar and ordered. The bartender/owner was warm and friendly and made us his special recipe of a tequila shot which we all loved! He also took the time to chat with us about the history of his establishment which was once an Italian restaurant. The vibe is casual and welcoming. The restrooms and bar area were clean the nearby tables and areas nicely decorated. I would not hesitate to return here when in the vicinity and would recommend a stop in. read more

La Diaspora - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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We walked into La Diaspora with high hopes--a party of six ready for happy hour in a completely empty, adorable space. You'd think, with no one else around, we'd be treated like royalty, right? WRONG. The service was so bad I almost thought we were on a hidden camera show. We asked the server what was on happy hour, and after five minutes of pure nonsense that made zero sense (seriously, it was like a riddle we were meant to solve), she finally said "all the classic cocktails." Cool. We ordered six margaritas--easy enough when you have literally no other customers, right? Nope. It took **25 minutes** for our drinks to arrive. Again, to emphasize, the place was EMPTY. It's almost impressive how long it took. But wait, it gets better! When we closed out, we discovered we had been charged full price, not happy hour prices, for the margaritas we had painfully discussed at length. So, not only did we wait an eternity for drinks in an empty bar, but we also got overcharged for the privilege. La Diaspora: Cute spot, if only we hadn't been stuck in some alternate dimension where time slows down and the prices go up! Would not recommend unless you enjoy confusion, frustration, and full-priced margaritas that are meant to be discounted. read more

La Diaspora - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Me and my fiancé came in here and sat there for 10-15 minutes and did not get any help from the workers who were just standing there so we just l read more

Very cute restaurant with good food and drinks. The fish tacos were crunchy and tasty. The drinks were strong and delicious. We got the frozen margarita which was hibiscus flavored (yum) and the mezcal Negroni which was also delicious. We were able to walk in on a Friday night without a reservation and they served us food right before the kitchen closed. The service was excellent. Recommend trying this place for decently priced Mexican food in the area read more

La Diaspora - Fish Tacos (Dinner 2) mezcal Negroni and frozen margarita - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Love this place, happy hour drinks are good. Food is great and staff are really friendly. The ambience is nice, great music and cute place.

The food was not good, I got the burger and fries. It didn't do anything for my taste buds also the soda was flat, the glass used for the water was dirty. The server was polite read more

Good vibe and tropical decor at this Mexican bar/restaurant in Chinatown. The place was quite empty on a late Wednesday afternoon but started to fill up as the day went on. The staffs/bartender are really nice and friendly. We sat at one of the tables near the bar, there's also a dinning room area as well. Not much can say on their food as my friend and I only had one drink and snacked on Guacamole and Fries. This is a good replacement to the old Italian joint in the area. read more

La Diaspora - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED this place! The food was great and authentic Mexican (as a Mexican myself, I can attest to it). I particularly liked the generously-portioned enchiladas de mole, the to-die-for tres leches cake, and the delicious jamaica (hibiscus) frozen margarita. The prices are more than fair, service excellent, and the decor/ambiance charming and fun; definitely a good vibe spot. The place has 2 sections: a bar and a restaurant (you can eat in either section), and there was a dance class (I think salsa) happening on Sunday afternoon. People were having fun all around. Will definitely be back! Oooh! And for my Law & Order co-fans, this place has been featured tons of times on the show! read more

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Excellent pork tacos and chicken tacos! Stooped for lunch on a hot afternoon walk thru chinatown. Inviting space, great a/c. Quite place to reconnect. Definitely recommend. read more

My co-workers and I have been coming here on a weekly basis just to down their Spicy Michelada - we're hooked! Their wings and guacamole are solid, especially for late night. Staff are also very nice. read more

Could not be happier to have La Diaspora open up on Baxter! The restaurant space is stunning with beautiful, tropical walls, soft lighting, and disco balls. I've only been to the bar side, but there is a spacious restaurant side as well. Crowdedness has been hit or miss -- sometimes nearly every seat is full and other times there are only one or two parties inside. Either way, it's just an incredibly aesthetically-pleasing and welcoming space to come to. I can only speak to the bartending team since I've only sat on the bar side, but every person I've interacted with is kind and warm! The staff is also extremely knowledgeable on their menu items with a special understanding of their mezcal lineup. They are happy to make recommendations and will follow up to see how you're enjoying your drinks. Definitely a place that I would come back to just because the service is THAT good! My partner and I split the mezcal flight and a Michelada. The mezcal flight was both fun and informative! Our bartender took us through the four types of mezcals included from where they originate to how they are made and what flavor differences to expect. They include a mezcal verde that has a refreshing, earthy flavor different from the usual smokiness of mezcal that I would come back for alone! The flight is served with four types of mezcal and orange slices with tajín for a lovely palate cleanser between drinks. Their Michelada is my favorite I've had in New York. Citrusy, slightly smoky, tangy, and sweet all in one. read more

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The service was kind of a mess. The server wasn't knowledgeable about the menu. They told us we were going to have to wait a while for food because of 1 large party, and half the restaurant was empty. Food was fine. Price was about right. Portions were good. read more

Wonderful service. Very efficient and courteous. The environment is very relaxed and chill. The food was great especially the burger and the sauce that compliment it. read more

Amazing margaritas, elote, tacos, chips and salsa. Highly recommend stopping by on a hot day for a drink and a seat in the cool indoors.

Second time at this establishment did not disappoint. I love how my colleagues and I can order at the bar and go have a seat on the other side where they have a larger seating area. The margaritas were delicious. But I really loved the birria quesadillas. The staff is nice and attentive. On Thursdays they sometimes have loteria night which is so much fun! Only con is sometimes it can be a bit of a wait due to limited staff. read more

La Diaspora - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

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Amazing service, great food, good drinks. Incredibly gracious and helpful with our event--cannot recommend them enough. The back room was perfect for our community. read more

I can't even put into words how excited I was to see that a new restaurant had opened at the iconic location of Forlini's, an 80-year-old legendary Italian restaurant which closed its doors last year. I was worried when I heard that Forlini's closed that whatever took its place would be some fancy club spot or retail store or something that removed all traces of the original restaurant. I was pleasantly surprised to see that the bar side of the restaurant had opened looking absolutely beautiful, revamped, and reminiscent of the bar that used to be in Forlini's. The actual bar is the same bar with the same layout, there's just new finishes and stunning hand-painted walls decorating the bar area. They even have Walter serving drinks at the bar still (Walter worked at Forlini's for a very long time and is an awesome bartender and joy to be around). The dining area has been completely converted and has a really fresh, fun vibe - it'll be a great area to dance the night away with a DJ set-up. I haven't had a chance to try the food yet, but that's probably the biggest change from its Italian predecessor - it's a mix of Caribbean and Mexican food. I'm excited to try the vegetarian mofongo at some point, and they have guacamole with grasshoppers! Lastly, I used to order margaritas at the old bar which previously were a strong tequila pour with margarita mix and that was it. Now, there is a full-on cocktail menu with all kinds of mezcals, tequilas, and different types of margaritas. I love the spicy margarita! I also love the chili/tamarind dipped orange slices that come with a shot of mezcal. As someone whose preference for drinks is mezcal/tequila, this is a huge upgrade! I can't wait to frequent La Diaspora. It has so much potential and I'm sure as more people find out about it it'll become a lot busier - go check it out if you haven't already! read more

Great drinks spot for after hours and their food is great. Also, a feel good spot to bring friends and start the night off. I sat at the bar and the service was good and didn't have to keep calling the bartender, excellent service. read more

Love! The music Loya of reggaeton and salsa. the drinks the bartenders are amazing. Listening to Frankie Ruiz and Maluma was amazing and drinking some great mojitos and Paloma's was incredible. I highly recommend coming here !!! read more

La Diaspora - Sign from the bar - Latin American Near Me - New York, New York

Understanding this is a new establishiment, but my expectations of dining out is very HIGH. Limited staff. Limited lunch menu. When inquiring about a different, was given the dinner menu which was the same items with pricing being a dollar more and the layout being reversed from the lunch menu. Guacamole was bland. Margarita & Sangria were tasty. Due to limited menu choices, I only had fries. :-( Perhaps nighttime is a very vibe. Waitstaff was nice. I doubt I'll dine here again--at least for awhile. read more

Loved this place. The vibe is amazing and staff was so attentive to our every need! The drinks were really good and the guacamole was so delicious. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Amazing drinks and the best wings. Came for the music and left for the food and drinks. Amazing. Will be back next time we visit.

To the old Forlini's space comes La Diáspora, a very welcoming pan-Latino bar and restaurant with very good Mezcalitas, authentic, abundant guacamole, and a surprisingly excellent Ropa Vieja, served with delicious black beans, rice and plantains. The Tres Leches cake is legit. The food is affordably priced, the drinks are well served and the service is charming. A great option for lunch for the courts and jury duty and a great, unpretentious place to have drinks and tasty Mexican and other Latino cuisine dishes in the evening. With an excellent (if a bit loud for my taste) soundtrack of Latin music. read more