We ate at La Vara for our last dinner in the city during our long weekend trip, and it was by far my favorite. La Vara is a Spanish restaurant with an emphasis on the Jewish and Moorish legacies in Spanish cuisine. We shared the pulpo de roca (Galician octopus carpaccio, citrus, olive oil), judias a la plancha (scorched flat beans, romesco, butter beans, and charred onion), bakalao (house-cured salt cod, pisto, pil pil sauce), rossejat (toasted fideos, shrimp, lobster, squid, and black pearl aioli), and xiocolata (whipped chocolate flan, olive oil, sea salt, brandied cream). Everything was great. The pulpo and the bakalao were my favorites - dishes I will definitely keep thinking about and dishes I would eat again today if I were at La Vara right now (the texture of that fish!?). The beverage menu was great as well - cocktails to wine to beer and sherries galore. I wish I'd had room for a flight of three sherries! I did have room for a delicious glass of Spanish wine. The restaurant is small but charming, warm, and comfortable, and it has a lovely outside eating area as well. The service was great. Overall, it was just an excellent evening, an excellent meal. I'd happily return to try more! We had a hard time choosing because I wanted to eat everything. And the food more than lived up to its menu descriptions. If you haven't been, run! read more

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This is a pricey restaurant; but definitively neither the service, nor the food or the actual space justify these prices. I am afraid that in general I would not recommend this restaurant now. I'll explain: I came here a few years ago, and then I got a much better impression. It definitively has slid down since I first came here. 1. Service is not good. I made a reservation. When we arrived -just on time-, we were asked to wait (for 20 minutes, standing literally on the street) to get our table. We were seated at the patio, and there, at one point, there was hardly anyone taking care of the tables. I had to stand and walk to the interior to find someone to come with the desserts menu (after waiting for 15 minutes for someone to show up), the same to request the check... The service was incredibly slow. We order 6 dishes to share, and we had to wait more than 20 minutes between dishes. Our dinner got endless. Really not good. 2. Food was sometimes good, but often not good at all. The cochinillo was good (not Candido's good, but still good), the torrija was actually very good. The bomba rice was good, but unclear if it was within the risotto or in the arroz caldoso traditions. However, the trufa croquetas were terribly flavorless (a very ordinary bechamel with New Jersey-synthesized trufa oil, and that's it). The huevos rellenos were not any better (a celebration of blender, with this acid paste made of ingredients that were impossible to identify). In general, this started as a research-based Sephardi restaurant, and seems to be now a not-good tapas bar. The menu is in a desperate need of being workshopped. 3. Something needs to be said about silverware. You cannot charge an 80$/person check and expect customers to keep their silverware from fish to meat, and from appetizers to mains. That seems just cheap and careless about flavors, experience and decor. This is just sketchy. 4. Space. The layout is really not working. The space is too fragmented. There is not a proper place to nicely wait to be seated. The kitchen and bathroom are dividing the restaurant in sections that the waiters forget about. The bar occupies the best part and is unnecessarily huge and useless. The patio us too small to create a lively atmosphere and is too distant to the rest. An architect is needed here. Other establishments by the same owner have similar issues. I am thinking of Txikito. These people need much better design. In general. Overpriced for a rather messy service, food and space, and for a diluted identity. Definitively not at the level of similar restaurants like Ernesto's or Estela and quite as expensive if not more. read more

The restaurant is tucked away in a nice resi area. Has a very homey/local feel to it. We came here for dinner and grabbed a seat at the bar. The bartender served us and was great and he has been there for many years. Not only did he make great cocktails, he knew the menu very well. We started with the shishito peppers and croquette - that day, salted cod. Both came out reasonably quick and cooked perfectly. For mains: 1) beef jowl - best dish of the night and we can eat plates of them; uniquely prepared, flavorful, and not something you can find in many places; 2) suckling pig - nice portion to share, perfectly crispy and tender meat; if you like lechon/kalau pork then this is a must-have; 3) rosseejat - seafood noodle dish with just the right amount seafood and not too salty and noodles were just right - served in cast iron so get scrape a bit of noodles off the bottom and sides if u like that; and 4) double whipped choco flan - a killer combo with olive oil, touch of sea salt and brandied cream; light, not sweet. We were already full after mains but so glad we finished with this; we could have had another one. Will definitely be back. read more

La Vara - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I wanted to love this place, but it fell so short: +ordered the lobster paella ($28) - not a single morsel of lobster, so we basically paid a steep price tag for a bowl of rice + mushrooms :( +bellota jamon +artichoke ($21) - jamon was sliced so thin you almost couldn't taste it +chocolate flan - this was just chocolate mouse with whipped cream. Nothing flanny about it Additionally, the bathroom was disgusting. My husband let them know and I waited 30 min to give them time to clean, but when I got there, still gross. Nothing like having to hold your nose to wash your hands before a $250+ meal We enjoyed the squid ribbons/scallop and the beef jowl, and the staff was absolutely lovely, but the experience was so irritating and the food so hit or miss we won't be coming back read more

The food here is very good. Cochinillo is delicious. and the atmosphere is fine and blessedly not loud or over-designed. Ive been here several times. However, Im not going back. I had to cancel my reservation, which I did several hours before the meal in a response to a text confirmation the restaurant sent me, giving me the option of informing them of a cancelation. They still charged me $75 to not eat there. I get that cancelations are a problem for restaurant owners, but really? It's not like I was a no-show. I see that this is a widespread policy now, but I find this to be the height of tackiness and inhospitality, especially for a fairly expensive restaurant in a rich, gentrified neighborhood. What a trun-off. They just lost a once-a-quarter customer with that one. read more

Right around 4 stars. Came here on a Sunday night with a group of 4 and had a lovely time sampling different menu items. I don't venture out into Brooklyn too often to try restaurants, but we have friends in Brooklyn and this has a Michelin star so if you're going to get me out there, this was as good a reason as any. We shared them following items: Fried Chickpeas - there were very unique and had a lovely crunch, though the spice didn't work for me. Blistered Shishito Peppers - I love shishito peppers and these did not disappoint Anchovies - I'm not an anchovy person, but found myself enjoying these a lot. Remojon - this was strange given the various components, but the flavors seemed to work. I liked the pomegranate and the citrus flavors, but found the olives and egg to be weird. A foie gras dish which was pretty good Berenjena con Miel - this was one of my favorite things, the crispy eggplant was delicious as was the melted cheese Octopus - I didn't love this at all, it was slimy and gross. 2 meat dishes, I think one was the suckling pig and the second was duck. The duck was very thinly sliced and cooked very well though there was way too much fat on the skin and it wasn't rendered properly. Overall, I thought the food and service were both good, though for some of the reasons the dishes still came out with bread on the plate even though we said that someone had a gluten allergy (it should be easy to put the bread on the side, so that was a little frustrating). I don't know if I'd go out of my way to go back, but if you're in the area, it's worth stopping by. read more

One of the best Spanish restaurants in the city. Menu is incredible with a variety of interesting dishes and flavors. Excellent wine list. A bit expensive but well worth it. Service is spot on. Vibe is chic but homey. You'll be telling all your friends about it! read more

La Vara was hands down one of the best restaurants I've eaten at this year (and I go to a lot of restaurants). I was hesitant to book a res because of some less than flattering Yelp reviews, but took the risk as the restaurant is beautiful and I've always wanted to try it for a special occasion. It did not disappoint! We ordered the croquetas and huevos relleños to start - both were delicious! They filled us up a bit before the courses started coming. We also ordered two glasses of white sangria, crisp and refreshing. Salchicha with artichokes were next, followed by the soft shell crab special which was also wonderful. The bakalao was the highlight of all of the courses, with flavorful and sweet pepper sauce. Fish was cooked perfectly. Definitely a must order. We finished with rossejat, which we also enjoyed. The service was excellent throughout, and the host even brought us two complementary glasses of cava as we had noted our anniversary on Resy. Such a nice gesture!! My only complaint is I wish the food had come a bit slower, as I would have stayed and savored the courses a bit longer. Thank you La Vara team for the excellent meal on our anniversary! read more

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Went for dinner, not as good as lunch. Excellent - octopus Good - soft shell crab So so - jowl Avoid - suckling pig. Too salty and not worth it at half the price. read more

We visited the place on a Tuesday. Surprisingly there were no reservations available between 6:30-8:30 so I took the 6pm. Don't remember it getting that busy even when we left which was around 7:30. Regardless, we enjoyed our time here, food was flavorful and would definitely try again! read more

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La Vara was high on my list of restaurants to try for many months. Snagging up a seemingly hot reservation, I finally had the opportunity to dine there on a recent Thursday night. The atmosphere was very welcoming, space not too tight, and service friendly and helpful throughout, even after I spilled about a half liter of water all over the floor only minutes after our arrival (nothing broke, miraculously). The food at La Vara was only ok. We ordered the fried artichokes, salt cod carpaccio, and house-cured duck breast. The artichokes were my favorite item, although there were some untrimmed pieces that could not be chewed. The salted cod was a bit of a misnomer, as it was rather bland and actually needed salt added. The duck breast was flavorful, but the exterior was quite fatty and I wish it had been cooked down a bit more. Additionally, I found La Vara a bit overpriced given the average level of satisfaction the food left us with. For example, the duck was $26 and gave us only a few bites each. The drinks, as with many trendy NY spots, were around $12, but not anything unique or special. I'm happy I tried La Vara, but I wasn't mind-blown by any aspect of this experience. read more

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Food was good but not the most memorable. To start we had: * Shishito peppers-very good * Octopus- amazing and prob my favorite we had * Swordfish-good * Rossejat-Ok-a bit salty IMO To drink I had Wild In The Streets- to sweet and was hoping for more of a smoky mezcal cocktail. Service was just ok which is why only 4 stars and not 5. read more

Went here for dinner and got a whole bunch of plates. The anchovies were outstanding. Croquettes and deviled eggs also great. Would definitely go back. read more

Beautiful restaurant with great ambiance. Service is on point- Abigail was great. Menu is on the smaller side lots of seafood, minimal meat options. Flavorful nicely done dessert. Pacing of food is on the slower side. 4/5 because yes this is a tapas place and the portions are on the smaller side but overpriced. The drinks are also not that great. Food we ordered: deviled eggs- delicious must order Cod croquettes- was a little on the fence about these. The crisp of the croquette is perfect. If you like cod I would recommend ordering these. Fluke crudo- refreshing, well balanced and delicious Corn chowder- creamy, great texture Sausage with artichokes- really well balanced dish Mussels w/ Jalapeños- one of my favorite dishes Suckling pig- if you like pork great option; I thought it was just good Dessert- almond cake & chocolate flan Almond cake alone is dry but eaten together with the cream and apricot amazing Chocolate flan isn't a flan it's more of a mouse but none the less delicious wish it had slightly more salt though Drinks: sangria- too watery for my taste Wild in the streets- my favorite out of the 3 we tried; almost spicy margarita Cucumber margarita drink- also too watery for my taste read more

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I love this place! Their ajo blanco is out of this world, and their twist on paella with the noodles was delicious. We'll be back!

Expensive tapas! Quality is ok but tapas should not cost the price of a main. Good service.

Fantastic spot for a romantic or one with your grown-ass friends who want to sit, relax, enjoy, and eat food that's expensive but worth it. We were a group of 4 in a corner booth up front, and the evening was perfect. The staff is friendly, attentive, and kind. We had two different, serious allergies at our table and the waiter was knowledgeable and helpful. Somehow we managed to order a bunch of plates to share without incident! Given the allergies, I was impressed. The drinks / wine were great, and the food fantastic. Standouts were the Suckling Pig and the Pulpo de Roca. Would 100% return! read more

Very cute place with a nice, romantic ambiance. The service was great and the food was very unique. It was tapas, so we tried 5-6 dishes. I'd say the only one we did not enjoy was the shrimp because they had the shell and the tail on. Normally, I'm fine with peeling it off (I actually enjoy the process) but we were advised that the dish is meant to be eaten WITH the shell on, so we did and honestly it was just weird.. not in a good way. However, everything else was delicious and I have no complaints. I'm glad we tried this place and it wasn't too expensive for the amount of food we got! read more

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- Really wonderful attentive staff /service - Great neighborhood - Nice authentic presentation - Clean - Very loud (- 1 star) - Cocktails come in very tiny cups. 1 drink is more like a half of a typical cocktail. The cups are cute, the lack of beverage is not. (-1 star) - Food could have been better (-1/2 star) - The flat wood seats are uncomfortable and could use pads. (-1/2 star) I was here for dinner. It's pricey but consumerate for the location. It is about $120 per person for dinner or maybe $80/$90 per person if you are getting a drink or two and light apps. I ordered a few drinks and a few plates. I understand the nature of the food style so I wasn't expecting a big meal. I came from work in the evening as I live locally and did not find it as a comfortable dining experience. read more

One of my favorite places for local brunch recently became one of my favorites for dinner in the neighborhood. I took bf for his (second) birthday dinner of the year recently, chosen precisely because of its close proximity to our apartment, its reputation, and for the low-key casual vibe we were seeking. Yes, I know, he's lucky to have me. In case you're wondering, it does indeed, have a michelin star, which probably explains why the dining room was packed on a Monday night. We ordered various plates to share: a special of the day - slivered sugar snap pea salad with a tangy yogurt based sauce, the salted cod with boiled egg crumbles, the luxurious deviled eggs, the seafood fideua paella, and the tender suckling pig. Five dishes were more than plenty for us. Each dish was well thought out and perfectly executed and every single bite we tasted was packed full of flavor. The sangria of the day that day, a white version with passion fruit puree was perfect for a hot summer evening. Service was more than adequate, and the bill was more than reasonable. Most importantly,bf was very happy with his birthday meal. read more

I don't know if it was La Vara's fault or mine that I didn't enjoy my first experience with them two years ago, right when they opened. But life is about second chances. I believe it was the poet laureate Two Chainz who said that: "My whole story is just about me having a second chance."* This whole story is about La Vara having a second chance. And in my past few visits, they've killed it. Since their inception, the space itself has become more inviting (I love their garden immensely), and the service more welcoming. Most importantly, the consistency of the food has improved considerably. The menu changes often, and it's entirely likely that you could make a meal out of the intriguing specials available. Some of my favorite items have been seasonally available, such as the summer squash fritters or the torn bread served with chorizo oil and grapes. I've never seen more gorgeous deviled eggs than the ones La Vara served with green sauce, and the daily croquetas are never a bad decision. One item that tends to be a staple is the fried artichokes. I'm never sad about dipping into this salty, fatty bomb of flavor, and the bacon paprika stew is a similarly solid choice. Regardless of what you order, however, you are virtually guaranteed a meal of intensely flavorful, beautifully presented small plates. And although you may want more of any given dish, it's just as well that they are tiny portions. Not merely because almost everything is quite rich, but also because this affords you the opportunity to taste more items coming out of this kitchen, and that's a good thing. ______________ *He also said, "My wrist deserve a shout out, I'm like, 'What up wrist?' My stove deserve a shout out, I'm like, 'What up stove?'" Less relevant to this review, although now that I think about it, La Vara's stove deserves a shout out. I'm like, 'What up La Vara's stove?' read more

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This wonderful Brooklyn restaurant is a neighborhood gem. My friend and I had such an amazing dinner the other day. Based on our server's recommendation, we opted for 4-5 dishes as they are all shared and come out to the table as they are prepared in the kitchen. We opted for a Microshrimp Special salad which was delicious, as well as the Octopus appetizer. For our entrée, we went with the Fideua seafood noodle paella which was amazing! We also had some sides, including some white asparagus. And we of course had to try the Churros for dessert. Service was outstanding, the vibe of the restaurant was so laid back, and all the food was perfectly unique. read more

Had really good experience there. We ordered : Aceitunas house citrus & herb marinated olives Garbanzos Fritos spiced fried chickpeas Alcachofas fried artichokes, anchovy aioli Pimientos de Gernika blistered shishito peppers, sea salt Pulpo con Carrueco Marinated octopus, kabocha squash, black eyed peas, fresh herbs Pincho de Ceuta Gibraltar-style grilled chicken hearts, fresh herb salad, lime-date vinaigrette Fideuá Valencia-style noddle paella, shrimp, squid, clams, aioli Pechuga de Pato house-cured duck breast, choricero chocolate sauce, almond picada, pickled vegetables Cochinillo slow-cooked crispy suckling pig, rose petal quince sauce, chimichurri Everything was good, artichokes and sucking pig - exceptionally good. Our waitress were extremely nice but waiting for 10 minutes for my beer is not what I would expect in a Michelin star restaurant. Most probably we'll be back. read more

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La Vara might just be one of my new favorite spots. It's a lovely little restaurant on a charming street in Cobble Hill...cozy and warm inside and not a table was open on a Saturday night. Bad timing brought the health inspector right during our meal, which meant the kitchen was temporarily shut for a little bit but the staff was friendly and gracious and brought out delicious crispy spiced chickpeas for all the tables to nibble on while we waited. We opted to share a bunch of plates between three people. Highlights included the fried artichokes with anchovy aioli (so perfectly lightly fried), the cumin lamb, and the house made Catalan sausage (don't miss this dish!). Oh, and the shrimp! Quite pricey at $10.50 per shrimp but these are the jumbo kind, head and shell on, cooked in preserved lemon, and dripping with juices when you pull the head off. Totally messy and delicious. The dessert, too, was sublime and I highly recommend the almond cake and the olive oil sea salt ice cream - they went perfectly together! Looking forward to returning and trying more dinner items and their famous brunch. read more

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So delicioso...Brunchtime- one person at a table- no problem. The waitresses were so nice here.....Arrived about 11:50 and even though it became full, it wasn't "Chaos with Carriages", and lines the way some popular borough spots are. Went with bottle of Grisberger beer- $8 Skate sandwich- $11 Ham croquettas-$5 The wheaty beer was quite pleasing to the palatte and a good compliment to the skate with aoili and slaw. Ham croquettas were a full of velvety potato and ham with a crunchy exterior. Mega Spanish flavors here made magically in a small kitchen and served with a laid back attitude and in such a pretty part of Cobble Hill-homerun! read more

La Vara - Ham croquettas deluxe - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Modest sized restaurant with seating around the bar and a humble outdoor patio. Easy finding street parking around dinner time during the week. Was surprised to have difficulty making a reservation on a Thursday - so book ahead - they fill up fast. Our waiter Daniel (I told you I was going to yelp about you!) was incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. Like - could tell you the history of ingredients "knowledgeable." They'll recommend 4-6 plates to share, but really you should order more. Not to satisfy your hunger, but to satisfy your curiosity. You can pretend you're a pro and plan out your meal ahead of time, but you'll just be left bewildered when the waiter begins to list off the many delicious daily specials. Even though the sardines were disappointing, the spreadable sausage, croquets, and fried artichokes made up for it. I hate to comment on specials because it'll just break your heart when you go and it's not available, but the foie gras and the scallop special were quite memorable. read more

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It's a phenomenal establishment. La Vara beats expectations every time. Their menu is great. Their service is delightful and it couldn't be more charming. read more

I'm probably posting this in the wrong place... so apologies in advance. This review is for the daytime popup- La Vara Julivert Beach Shack. The menu reads like a personalized version of the "my favorite things" lyrics. Sleeper hits might be the gazpacho, the jerk fish! (F'ed up delish), the twice cooked patata, pickled shrimp, and obviously the ceviche. But there's actually more I didn't list. Oh, and the sangria is adorably bottled for park-ease. read more

Made a reservation for a friday evening with my girlfriend and two of our friends. Didn't seem like there was much availability for walk ins, though there was an entirely separate to go area which seemed nice. We started off with the red sangria, which was good. Not out of this world but enjoyable. Then we all ordered a round of Albaicin which we all agreed was indeed out of this world, highly recommend. It's a tapas place so we agreed with order as much as we can to try as many things as possible, and it was a great strategy. Everything was amazing. Octopus was fantastic, though presented a unique way. Rather than crispy it was cut razor thin in a delicious, citriousy glaze. The roasted vegetable plate was very refreshing and perfectly simple. Softshell crab is not my favorite but found myself really enjoying it here. The seared lamb belly was right up there as my favorite thing of the night. Super flavorful and just melted in your mouth, but the suckling pig stole the show. Unbelievable sauce to go along with a perfectly crispy outside and juicy tender inside. I'm not a huge dessert guy, as I tend to like to fill up on more savory dishes but I have to say the dessert empanadas were fantastic and the cheesecake was was heavenly. So light, it almost didn't feel bad for you. A perfect cozy place where everything was executed very well. Will 100% come back and try even more as nothing disappointed. read more

I'm sad to give this place a 2 because we had high expectations going in for our reservation. We were a reservation of five people at 8:15. Our experience went from good to pretty bad by the end of the night. Our first waitress was really good and was knowledgeable about the menu and experience. But we definitely over ordered even though it's tapas style dining. Dishes like the artichoke (alcachofas) and garbanzo fritos can definitely be shared by 5 people. We got two of each and it was too much. Here were the highlights: Garbanzo Fritos (one is enough though) Migas Aragonesas (this was delicious) Fideua (noodle paella - also delicious) Escalivada (market vegetables - probably the best) Berenjena con meil (eggplant - very good) Foie gras (special on the menu) Good wine list and sangria was good. Here were the average: Stewed beef in stuffed peppers was ok Octopus with mushrooms was ok Here were the terrible: Pollo Asada (super dry and tasted of raw spices) Artichokes (really bland) Gurullos (this had to be the worst, it was sooooo flavorless and had all the wrong textures but it was highly recommended by our waitress and so we got two) Bread pudding (it was just terrible I can't even begin to describe it) We told our second waitress that the Gurullos (homemade pasta) was bland and really not good. She didn't comp it for us. The bread pudding was so bad that we didn't even get through half of it. 5 people taking one bite of a small dessert. We noticed a cockroach crawling right behind us on the wall. Other customers noticed it too. The waitress tired to pass it off as a "New York thing" which was very inappropriate. In all our years of living here and paying 70+ dollars per person for a meal, we've never been joined by cockroaches. It was not pleasant or reassuring. We reluctantly paid our bill and left so we didn't have to be there anymore. You can't see the roach clearly but it's there. read more

La Vara - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My roommate and I suffered constant grief from a friend because we live so close to La Vara and never went before. He, on the other hand, has gone at least 4 times and lives in comparatively "far away" dumbo-ish. Granted, when we had tried to go in the past, we always were told there was some obscene wait of 3 hrs+. So after getting denied at Lucali for a 4 hr wait, we thought maybe we should at least try get have a look see at La Vara and...lo and behold, A TABLE!!!* WE DID IT WE DID IT! It was meant to be, obviously :) Standouts for me were the cumin lamb, stuffed rabbit, and the suckling pig (maybe not original per se...but very very tasty). The fried eggplant was also good, though I could maybe do with more honey and less cheese. Sangria could have been better if I were to nitpick, but hey, booze! *there was a real reservation due in about an hour's time so as long as we nommed fast and skiddaddled before then, the table was OURS. of course that wasn't a problem! read more

La Vara - Cumin lamb - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Excellent Spanish restaurant in picturesque residential location. The service was great while the food was outstanding. We were concerned about the prices and rightfully so given almost everything is tapas style, small and pricey, but the quality was exceptional. We would come back much more if the prices were about 30% less (where they probably should be) though we expect to return occasionally nonetheless. Highly recommend for an intimate evening and unique off-the-beaten-path experience. Here's what we had and recommend... Foie gras: delicious and different from usual prep Scallop-gazpacho special: incredible Suckling pig: very good-just like we had in Madrid Croquetas: light, airy and delicious Deviled eggs: very good, finished with herb oil & vinegar read more

La Vara - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

i love la vara's unique collaboration of peoples, regions, cultures...and flavors. jewish and muslim cuisines of spain! the similarities and the differences. and done well- thoughtfully, delicately. read more

Excellent service mediocre small portions that are overpriced. Why do I say it's over priced? As my hubby said, he does not care about price of food when it's delicious. We've droped $400 other times, but the meal was wonderful. Here, we droped $250 for the two of us. Why? Because portions are small. Two shrimp that are two fishy were over $25 dollars. We've had these head-on shrimp in many places and they were better with moee shrimp includes. All the other dishes were okay, but don't forget the protions are tiny in tapas. Two small croquettes are $12, while usual order almost always includes 4. We had lots of food, and to be fair you need 3 plates a person to get full here. The sweets were good, but that's honestly the only thing that I would call extraordinary here. Finaly, this is a solid neighborhood spot, but not excellent compaired to other Spanish places. read more

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Michelin star? Yes please! Sounds like my super secret spies...ok, I googled forbes leaked list, that La Vara will be a Michelin star receiving restaurant again for 2017. And that really comes as no surprise to me. The food is just so damn exquisitely delicious. Nothing will ever be "bad", but many dishes will be exceptionally flavored and unique. The mood is cozy, and reservations are strongly recommended. I've scored brunch without a reservation, but always played it save and got one for dinner. The menu is very seasonal so one minute your favorite dish may be available today, and tomorrow you get to discover your NEXT favorite dish. Let me just go over what I've had the sweet pleasures of trying, barely scratching the surface. The very good: Chickpeas, olives, blistered soshito peppers The amazing: The fried artichoke, Shredded lamb dish. Brunch: Cuchifrito-crispy lamb and potato hash, very nice change of pace from typical brunch dish The Chronicles of Re-diculously good: Sobrasadacon Miel-spreadable sausage on toast-small dish but oh so good. Cochinillo-slwo cooked crispy suckling pig. Cheers to another GEM in the great little Brooklyn nook that is Cobble Hill. Oh how I love thee so. read more

La Vara - Spreadable sausage. That honey foam is awesome. - Spanish Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Food was pretty good and staff was attentive and friendly but this place is ridiculously overpriced. Very small portions. Spent over $100 per person and left hungry. read more

Mediocre food, very simply. The place is nice, waiters are attentive, but the food just doesn't cut it. I went there with my wife and visiting in laws (from Spain), and we all agreed that this place would not survive more than 3 months in any Spanish city. read more

Food is good! But portions are the tiniest the 4 of us have ever seen and the prices very high for the quantities they are offering- kind of a joke they are playing on us- the more we pay, the less they give us- there is a point and a time when you feel like you are being taken advantage of in a major way, and you feel stupid for going there and supporting them. As we say, there is a limit to everything.... Avoid- no good food is worth that kind of treatment read more

The food for brunch was decent enough but the owner should instruct the staff on Sunday how to speak to guests. I was 9 min late to my reservation at 11:45 and the first thing out of Megan's (server) mouth was informing iabout our out time. Not the best way to start a meal in my opinion. read more

Great ambiance and service. Food was very very good. Beware - waiter will push you to order more food than necessary. Our waiter told us that two people usually order 5-7 dishes. We ordered 4, and felt almost uncomfortably full. Another warning - beef was super fatty. Recommendation - pineapple cheesecake!! read more