Invited here by a friend who saw all the great reviews, just wished we had as good of an experience as everyone else did. The restaurant was nicely decorated and neat, it seems like the night was off to a good start. I ordered a Estrella beer and my friend ordered the red sangria. We got our drinks fairly quickly but waited a while to get our order in as we were seated in the outer section. Instead of the tasting menu we decided to go a la carte and got the Scallop Crudo, Cured Sardine, Grilled Octopus, Ham Croquette and opted for a bottle of wine. We also wanted the patatas bravas and the chicken liver mousse but they were not available. The food came out timely and it was great. Unfortunately we were brought the wrong bottle of wine, which was fine. We kept it as it tasted great when we tried it and paired well with our food. After finishing the bottle, I asked for another glass of the original bottle we ordered and the waiter brought back the very same bottle the incorrectly served us. Not only that the waiter had the audacity to tell us that it is indeed the bottle that we ordered and the vineyard on the label is not the vineyard but the grape... and when pointing it out to the staff they still insisted it was the correct bottle. Unfortunately, that did it for us. Totally killed the evening we got the check and never looked back. A shame as we really looked forward to enjoying other dishes. Not only did we leave unhappy but also hungry. read more

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The interior is classy and ideal for dinner dates or small gatherings with friends. I would highly recommend the octopus and bravas - the paella had an interesting take with furikake and more Asian inspired flavors. read more

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One of the best tasting menu experiences I have ever had! Every dish was on point - loved the Cod, the scallops, the dry aged ribeye sando. The host was amazing, brought us delicious wines from Spain that paired so well with the food. Will highly recommend! read more

The hostesses were very pleasant. Clean restaurant. But considering the price and the portions and the flavor, this was terrible. I was wondering why there were so many polarizing reviews. The glazed carrots were not glazed, they weren't even soft. These carrots were actually infuriating to me. There is barely half a carrot in this dish and it cost $16. There was no flavor. The boquerones were quite salty. At least the scallops were redeeming. The ribs eye milk bread sandwiches were tolerable but definitely not worth $39. One of the most disappointing restaurants I have been to. read more

Came here with a group of 6 randomly on a Friday with no reservation. Luckily, they had a table for us but looked pretty busy otherwise. They serve tapas style food with a nice range of cocktails on the menu too: Central Park Carousal - good if you like sweet drinks haha. A lot of their drinks are soju based so they're pretty light, forgot if this was one of them though Fluke Tartare - super fresh, everyone was a big fan and I've never had fluke tartare before, so this was a first! Paella - really flavorful and probably my favorite dish out of the ones we tried. Good to split among 2-3 people! Carpaccio - my least favorite, the mushrooms come coated in a thick layer of Parmesan which was pretty overwhelming. Our group had a hard time wanting to finish this one Gambas (shrimp) - wish there were more, but another great dish and highly recommend! Costilla (rib confit) - tiny portion so it's difficult to split with a group.. still a tasty dish but probably wouldn't order it again Katsu - another one of my favorites, on the pricier end but would recommend! Heard they have a secret salsa dance floor in the basement... need someone to confirm read more

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Very nice Japanese Spanish fusion restaurant. Something different. Small menu and prices are good. Will come back to try the rest of the stuff. Must try the sea bass appetizer, paella and the katsu. read more

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Some dishes are okay, some are pretty lame. Everything is quite expensive tho, hence I don't recommend it. The sea bass is interesting, along with the mushroom. The octopus isn't that great. The steak sandwich is the most disappointing one -- the beef isn't that great and seasoning is pretty meh. read more

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Pros: We went with a medium sized group and had a good experience with the hosts and waiters. They were mindful of our allergies and dietary needs and ensured that we knew what we could and couldn't eat. The restaurant itself is actually pretty big with packed seats. We made a reservation and were promptly seated. Cons: while some of the dishes were good, based on the prices of the dishes and the quality and taste, it simply wasn't worth the price. We liked the shrimp dish and the croquets but many others were just meh. What we did not like was the paella. It's a mixture of Spanish and possibly Japanese cuisine as it has nori and tobiko. Yet, the rice was possibly a rice-a-roni? One of those thin noodles cut into smaller pieces to mimic rice. If you google "Lipton Kosher Soup Secrets Noodle Soup" you'd see what was in the paella. The dish was overwhelmingly nori like and the texture of the "rice" simply did not work. Overall, considering the price and the location, I would not recommend. There are ton of amazing tapas restaurants that would live up to the location and the price. read more

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Service was super attentive! We chose to sit by the table not realizing that's where the music came from so it was a little loud but was still able to have a conversation with my partner. Even though this is a tapas place, I did feel like the portion size was larger than other places so the prices were well worth it! Cocktails were really good (maybe because they were not strong? not sure) and overall unique experience. Would come back to try other items on the menu! read more

Spanish tapas on a cold snowy night was such a great idea. We got a reservation for 6 and was seated downstairs. We ordered so many items and everything was so delicious. We added a few extra pieces for each dish because of our party size and it was really affordable. Our cocktails were okay, maybe we should've ordered wine instead or compliment the dishes. The chicken liver mousse was creamy and went really well with our crusty bread. We ordered 2 for the table and realized we needed wayyyy more bread! That was definitely not an issue because our waiter gave us plenty of bread refills! The langostino dish were prawns in a red sauce that was just ok. Carpaccio mushrooms was a flavor bomb in my mouth, it was so good with all the grated parm on top!! Bravas were crispy potatoes that were tossed in maybe paprika and a chipotle aioli was drizzled all over. This was crispy and fluffy. The katsu came in 4 pieces only, but the ribeye was cooked medium rare / rare in toasted milk bread, this was kind of heavy but delish. The spare ribs were so tender, they fall off the bone from being cooked by sous vide method (our favorite). Lubina (sea bass ) was so so soooo good. This is a must get here. The sea bass is cooked perfectly and the meat was flakey, and the outer shell was so crispy!! Croqueta was filled with a bunch of ham and served with a creamy sauce. Oxtail was just okay, maybe we didn't need this one. And lastly, the pintxo was so good. The chorizo was flavorful and quail egg cooked to perfection. Yes we ordered so much food but because we were doing tapas, we wanted to make sure we were all well fed! Our foo came out fairly quick and staff was friendly and attentive! read more

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Update - the owner reached out to me personally and offered me an apology and also told me about some special things they would do for old customers. I really appreciate the gesture. Even though this time was not as amazing as my previous visits, Nai is still one of my favorite restaurants in NYC. I was honestly a little disappointed today. This is my fourth time to have dinner here and it's been a while since the last time. They moved to a new location across the street that is smaller but more trendy. Now it's very busy. The four of us were seated to a table for 2-3 (granted I was late). I'm a bit surprised that the menu hasn't changed much. One thing I hated is that they got rid of two flavors of sangria and they also stop doing pitchers. read more

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Excellent Spanish fusion tapas. Idk why I feel like this place got a lot of mixed reviews but at least I really enjoyed my time here. Service was excellent and they provided a lot of insight into their dishes. Ie double checked with us if we wanted the octopus because it is boiled rather than grilled and a lot of people usually don't realize the difference and get upset with their preparation. Also similarly with their drinks provided a lot of guidance on the flavor profiles. Went on a Monday and it was more calm and intimate than perhaps a busy weekend. They were nice enough to give us a free birthday dessert too. read more

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I've been meaning to come check out Nai because I've heard such great things and finally got the chance to come here with a friend on a Saturday night. We were so impressed with our entire experience here!! The staff was phenomenal! Our hostess (wish we caught her name) went above and beyond to recommend us great dishes based on our preferences and she was spot on. We loved the portobello mushroom dish, highly recommend!! I'm not a huge fan of mushrooms but this dish was amazing! We were raving about it all night. We also really enjoyed the sea bass tapa - it was a perfect blend of crispy on the outside yet soft and buttery on the inside and the balsamic tops it off so well! We ended the night with chocolate mouse which paired perfectly with the desert wine they gave us on the house (shout out to the owner/manager who gave us awesome vino recs). The mouse wasn't too sweet or heavy and tasted incredible with the tangy orange sauce. Overall 10/10 food and staff; couldn't have asked for a better experience and will definitely be coming back!! read more

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Really enjoyed the ambiance and tapas at Nai! They have a great selection of wines and we ordered about 5 dishes for 2 people which ended up being the perfect amount! Our favorite dishes were definitely the croquetas, churrasco, and gambas. Also, highly recommend trying the carpaccio - it was unlike anything I had tasted before! Couldn't believe portobello mushroom could be so juicy, tender, and flavorful. Giving Nai 4 stars because for NYC standards the food and service was really good but not mind-blowing! Definitely worth checking out though. read more

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I visited Nai Tapas a WHILE ago but the experience is still fresh in my memory. The most prominent thing in my memory is the service (isn't that a rare thing nowadays?). The waitstaff was quick and efficient but on top of that there was a female Manager/Hostess (?) who observed everything like a hawk! If my glass of water was anywhere beyond half full ( or a pessimistic empty), she was on it in seconds. Even more remarkable was the fact that it didn't feel obtrusive. That type of delicate service is extremely difficult to achieve. We tried several items on their menu including Salmon Gratin (topped with Garlic Aioli and Saffron after being charred table-side), ribs, squid and more. Everything was great! Their specialty cocktails have hilarious names. I had the "Shy Mother from Galicia" (Whiskey, Sake, Orange Wine, Orange and Lychee) as well as the "Not Spanish Girlfriend" (Soju, Plum Wine, Champagne, Rose Water, and Jamaican Flower). My only wish was that I could try more than I had. That's a good sign if you ask me. Now apparently, this place used to have Flamenco Dancing but that's been curtailed due to covid season. My hope is that they resume those shows so that I have an excuse to come back. Vaccines are required for indoor activities now, so maybe the shows are coming back soon! Bottom line: Grab a buddy, your food camera and go! It's worth it! read more

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I came here on a Thursdays night around 7pm to celebrate a friend's new job and was seated just about immediately! (no reservation). The upstairs is super cute and has plenty of seating - a great first date spot honestly! Definitely start off with the sangria - you will not regret it. It doesn't taste like there's alcohol in it so be careful because I'm sure it will creep up on you. My friend knows menus and loves reading it so he ordered us the - Tartare - Lubina (Chilean Sea Bass) - Pulpo A La Gallega (Octopus) - Carpaccio (Portabello Mushroom) - Churrasco (Skirt Steak) Honestly, I couldn't get enough of ALL of them. Everything was cooked perfectly with the right amount of flavours, spices and pairs really well with the sangria. The Carpaccio melts with every bite especially with the hint of truffle oil which leaves you wanting more. The lubina - chilean sea bass - man.. I wish we got more than 3 because it was like finger foods and blends so so SO well together. Delectable and spectacular service. The waiters were very attentive and came to refill my water glass every so often even with a pretty full house. Would recommend this to anyone craving tapas! I did read that they have flamenco dancing pre-covid so it would definitely be an incentive to return. read more

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Awesome restaurant and experience- 4 stars cause the food was excellent- get the lamb, the ribeye sandwich, and the seafood items and thank me later. What elevates this to 5 stars is the excellent service, and the Flamenco show! Yes, a Flamenco show. Book your reservation during the Flamenco show and you'll have a blast- it's a legit, authentic performance. Great restaurant experience. read more

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great tapas restaurant with small plates that are good for sharing. very good vibe with excellent service and wine. At the front of the restaurant there were a lot of people on dates and the back area was filled with bigger groups so perfect for celebrating birthdays or also for dates! For more recs and photos follow @asgoodasitgets on instagram read more

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Food was just ok. We went there for a friend's birthday. The ambient was ok, a little on the dark side. Small plates and food was mediocre but expensive for small plates. The octopus was not good. Basically steamed and with some seasoning on top, 1/10 Ox tails were good, 7/10 Brussel specious, 8/10 Pasta paella 8/10 Portobello mushroom 4/10 Cocktail 2/10 I'd try other places next time. read more

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~incredible!~ one of my absolute favorite dining experiences ever! We went for a celebratory dinner and got the chefs tasting. I think there was not a single thing we ate or drank that we didn't enjoy! Absolutely loved every dish they brought out and the wine/sangria that were paired with the dishes. The dishes were so tasty but also so unique. The whole dinner was an experience to remember and a culinary journey. Even if you don't do the chefs tasting, I think you can't go wrong with the a la carte selections either. Big shout out to our server Raul, who was so kind and accommodating and knowledgeable about every dish and drink! He made the dinner so special! If you love food, absolutely come here for an experience you'll never forget. HIGHLY RECOMMEND! read more

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MUST GO ASAP! This is such a gem of a find for Spanish tapas & sangria, and one of my favorite restaurants in the city now! Tapas - amazing Ambiance - amazing Service - amazing We got the Chilean sea bass, mushroom carpaccio, skirt steak, patatas bravas, and octopus (in order of my favorites!). Chilean sea bass and mushroom carpaccio are a MUST. So so good! 2 of my friends ordered a half pitcher of sangria to share- and it was massive! Love when restaurants can over deliver at a great price point. I absolutely loved my experience and will be returning as soon as I can! PSA: stay on the lookout for when their flamenco dancing shows resume (temporarily stopped due to covid) read more

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Picked this place out of a few others in the area. Was meeting an old friend haven't seen in years. The restaurant has very nice, low lit vibe. The service is very polite and attentive. Have a free drink at the end of the night of the old fashioned style soju drink. It was incredible. The food was all so delicious, the oysters are just out of his world. The lemon ice shaving in the oyster was a really unexpected touch and made them taste delicious in a very unique way. All in all I'll definitely be back here in the future. I wouldn't say go here for a first date but definitely a place for making a great impression for a special date. Prices are high but worth it. read more

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The food was delicious, the Flamenco dancers were talented and the service was outstanding. Just an overall wonderful dining experience.

We made reservations for dinner on Saturday. We each ordered a drink: white sangria, red sangria and blueberry champagne - all extremely delicious and refreshing. We shared the following tapas: Jamon (ham board), Fideua (pasta paella, mussel, clam, shrimp, alioli, tobiko, nori), Colifor (cauliflower), Katsu (45 day age prime ribeye sandwich), Rabo (oxtail). Everything was delicious! I can't wait to come back. But definitely order the Katsu and Paella. read more

Most of the food was mediocre. The mushroom carpaccio was really yummy though. The drink I got was also very good. The service was great, the waiter was really nice. The ambiance was quite dark but romantic. It was like a speakeasy. read more

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Had an amazing meal here! The food was delicious and the white sangria was soooo good. Raul was so nice and made our night even better. Definitely coming back again! read more

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We had something previously but wasn't satisfied. Nai seemed like the perfect place to fulfill that gap. Haven't been back for a while. Food was as good as I remembered. This time we specifically chose items that were light and we never tried before. All of them did not disappoint, even the hot toasty bread came with beef tartare lol. Our waitress tried hard to upsale us at the beginning. Once we told her it was our 2nd meal of the evening, she instantly got it. The manager was super nice to give us couple complimentary cocktails to end our night. Not sure he remembers us or something else, but we definitely remember seeing him in Emilia before. Nai still remains our favorite tapa spots. It's refined but with a down to earth pricing. read more

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HIDDEN NYC GEM: Dining at Nai evokes a rich cultural experience that combines a well thought out, masterfully crafted menu with the vibrant energy of Flamenco. Upon entering, the restauranteur, Rahul greets you with a warmth that feels like you were friends in a past life. Every plate is well thought out and carefully paired with wine, providing intense stimulation to the taste buds. The staff will enrich you with information on the ingredients and recipes, maximizing how much you take away from the experience. As you enjoy your meal, the room echoes with sounds straight from Spain. Nai is the epitome of NYC dining where food, culture, and people all come together to create an experience unique to our melting pot. I highly recommend this restaurant. As the title states, Nai is a hidden gem, and I would not be surprised if they received a Michelin star soon. read more

Really glad to see that they've improved upon the two dishes that did not meet expectations during our previous visit. This time the truffle oil really shined through in the Carpaccio, and the Lubina was cooked perfectly and rid of the fishiness. I was utterly impressed! Needless to say, this is a restaurant that holds itself to very high standards and is incredibly receptive to feedback. In addition to my previous recommendation of the Rabo, I highly, highly recommend the Cosilla, which was fall-off-the-bone tender, and the Salmon, which was on par with what I've had at high-end omakase places. Raul, our sommelier, was incredible. He'll take perfect care of you for the wine pairing. Service has been consistently good - professional and efficient. read more

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This was such a cute spot, we felt like we were in west elm because of how nice all the furniture and interior was. The drinks were really good (the Uber and white sangria were our favorites) and out of the tapas we ordered, we liked the croquets and mushroom the best (this was AMAZING)!! Other tapas we ordered were the octopus, skirt steak, bravas, pasta paella, Katsu sandwiches (close second) and octopus sticky rice! read more

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Loved this spot! We came for an early dinner and the restaurant was fairly empty but filled up later during reg dinner hours. Food arrived quickly and was delish! The highlight for me was the portobello carpaccio (not pictured). The tapas are nicely sized for being tapas. We got sangrias but I'd probably try a cocktail or do a white wine next time. They did kindly give us complimentary white wine which was super sweet! Dessert was delish and I'd def try the chocolate mousse next time as well. We luckily got seated at the front of the restaurant so it was nice and private plus it made for great people watching. I'd def come back! read more

Nai - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New York, New York

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Best Spanish tapas I recently tried on NYC, hands down good service a small place, dim lighted hoping they could do some nice updates to the restaurant but the food is 5 stars. We tried the croquettes, the octopus, the paella, sea bass, potatoes, the pepper salsa kinda. The star dish was the paella, made with a special pasta and even seaweed amazing combination. Croquettes and the crispy sea bass were the next, the potatoes were the weakest. The orange wine we tried wasn't that great, but a coconut milk based drink we tried later tasted much better. This is an expensive restaurant but the food is worth it ! read more

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We went here for a Saturday brunch and the place was not crowded at all. We sat by the window and the atmosphere felt nice. We ordered several dishes: - Bravas: many people recommended this, it was good but not like out of the world. - Croquetas: the sauce was yummy and the dish was solid - Lubina: this felt a little bit oily, probably because I just ate croquetas, but I was not too impressed either - Berenjena: many people here liked it, but not for me. The eggplant paste and the bread were cold, so it might help with other oily dish, but I would prefer them hot - Fideua: my favorite. It was a nice twist on paella Overall, some dishes were delicious and the food was on a pricier side. I would recommend the fideua. read more

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Randomly found this place because my friends wanted to have tapas. We ordered several items off of the menu and the waiter was very helpful in giving us suggestions. Out of all of the items that we ordered, we enjoyed the pasta paella, garlic shrimp, costilla, and pulpo. I wasn't too crazy about the smoked eggplant because of the texture but my friends liked it. I would definitely come back to try the other stuff on their menu. I also enjoyed the atmosphere. It was a little dimmed and it is a good place for a date night. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 read more

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I had a great experience at Nai's Flamenco Show! My group of three got a same-day Saturday reservation quite easily for the Flamenco show. Once we were seated it took a little while to get our initial service, but once we had our orders taken it was fine. We got about eight dishes and everything was delicious. The Flamenco Show was also very fun! It was great entertainment while we enjoyed our various dishes over about an hour and a half or two. I strongly recommend Nai! read more

Where do I start with Nai. Started going when they were at the old location and been my favorite restaurant in NYC since. The aesthetic is perfect, food is perfect and staff and so friendly and nice. Will continue to go back for year and years and always make sure to let everyone know what my favorite NYC restaurant is. read more

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I was really excited to eat here but it truly disappointed me. I like the concepts and the creativity here however overall it felt that there was no balance of flavor. One of the dishes was too sweet, another too oily, the next had too much truffle, etc. I did appreciate the variety of options for non meat eaters. But! There was no mocktails. We ordered Atun, Pulpo, Berenjena, Carpaccio and Fideua. I'd say neither one of them was executed in the best way. read more

Food is solid 4.5 from everything I tried Service is 5+! Carlos was our waiter and was super informative and helpful! Also so kind I will def be back to try other things Anyway, my bf randomly found this place and so glad he did! What we got- Central Park carousel - fruity, sweet, not too strong. Would get it again ($16) croquetas - Serrano ham and bechamel - so yummy! I love that it came out hot. I wouldn't mine it being a little hotter but I think it's prob the best temp for most lol :) perfect size for 2-3 to share cus it can get salty lubina - Chilean sea bass toast, black tobiko, orange - omg sooo good! My favorite thing we had. I could taste the orange flavor and it wasn't overpowering. It added the perfect citrus and sweetness to the dish. Loved that it came out hot. They recommend you eat this with your hands :) so of course I had to ;) ($19.50) rabo - oxtail, Tempranillo, carrot ginger purée, veal demi-glacé - flavor was good. Everything went well together. Meat wasn't as soft and tender as I expected but it was still really good ($19) costilla - St. Louis rib confit, oregano, thyme, cilantro chimichurri, and spicy pepper marmalade - good! I liked that the rib didn't have the meaty smell that it can have sometimes. The cilantro chimichurri was good and refreshing but a little too sweet. I tried the spicy pepper marmalade but it wasn't really spicy and I personally didn't need it cus the chimichurri was sweet enough Filipino something - new drink - so yummy! Tasted like an ube dessert cocktail. Loved that it comes with crushed ice. I drank it with the ice and it was so perfect! I love that everything came out hot and service was seriously one of the best! Everyone was so kind. Carlos was our waiter and he was the best! I saw him and others interact with customers and I can def see why people like it here. I also love that it's a tapas place cus I can try more things. I can't wait to go back lol or try their other restaurants They have a cute window area for two tables of 2 I think. A nice area for other groups and cute tables on the right for two and then an area in the back with more tables Bathroom is clean and spacious I read that there's another area to eat for prefixe/tasting menu read more

What we ordered | croquetas de jamon ( 6 pieces for $13) pitcher of mango sangria ($27) tostada de lubina (2 pieces for $18.5) alioli prime rib katsu (4 pieces for $27) barriga de cerdo (4 pieces for $16) Taste | mango sangria was pretty sweet. my favorites were the croqueta de jamon and the tostada de lubina. the sauce for the croqueta was really good. the prime rib katsu was interesting, but i felt the bread took away from the flavor the prime rib. the pork belly was very tender which was great. presentation of the dishes were beautiful. Service | our server gave good recommendations and was very helpful Parking | street read more

Must try: Croquetas de Jamin Tostada de Lubina (sea bass) Barriga de Cerdo (pork belly) Fideua (seafood paella) Why: Every dish was incredibly flavorful! My favorite was the honey glazed sea bass because it was so delicious. Crispy, tender and flaky all in one bite - what a great combo with the asparagus rolled in ham! The croquetas were crunchy on outside and creamy on inside with Spanish Serrano cured ham. The roasted pork belly was melt-in-your-mouth fatty goodness. The seafood paella used fideo pasta, which was a first for me! It was a wee bit salty and the seaweed was a wee bit overpowering but I absolutely loved it! There was also a fair amount of shrimp, mussels and clams. Notes: Awesome place for a group or more intimate setting. Very clean restaurant with simple and chic decor. Service was excellent and they were very attentive. I appreciate the menu with the fun commentary next to some of the dishes - creative! I can't wait to come back and try other dishes. read more

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