Food wasn't very cohesive service was weird. Their prime rib katsu thing was basically inedible. Octopus was good.

Great service and food! Tapas size is just right, not too small. Excellent cocktails and wine! Loved the portobello and pork cheek. Definitely would go back again! read more

My friends and I were feeling Spanish tapas and booked it the night before for dinner on Thursday. The food and service was great, and the ambience and interior was very cute. I want to buy the wooden box for the check. We got Bravas, Berenjena, Fideua, Zanahoria, and Lubina. Long story short, I loved every tapas we got and would order them all again except Bravas. There was nothing wrong with it, but also nothing special. I would highly recommend getting Lubina, Berenjena, and Fideua. The smoked eggplant paste was amazing, especially with the olive seeds and hazelnut adding crunchiness to every bite. It was my first time experiencing paella made with pasta noodle, but was surprisingly good. I had some doubts, which were overturned with the first spoon. Lubina was also amazing--the waitress asked the kitchen to cut in three pieces so each can have their own. The black tobiko popping in the mouth with crunchy fried dough and sea bass was quite an experience. Overall, I would totally go back to try their other tapas. I feel I found another gem in East Village. read more

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Delicious tapas restaurant, our server said 5 tapas max for 2 people and we ate mostly everything feeling pretty full. Amazing table service but okay at the front desk he seemed over it. Sea bass and mushroom carpaccio was my favorite, they were both bursting with flavor. The sea bass was wrapped with crispy toast and had orange zest on top which helps add a lightness to the fried dish. Mushroom carpaccio taste like truffle heaven it was little bit too salty but so incredibly good. read more

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Had an amazing time at @naitapas the other weekend trying out their very interesting Japanese fusion cuisine. Everything was absolutely amazing and really reminded us both of the "western food" you would get in JapanPasta paella was really special and the tobiko added such good texture to the dish. Katsu sando was also great (but ofc much more expensive than other places so it's not fair to compare). Carpaccio also blew me away because the mushroom was so soft but chewy it almost didn't taste like mushrooms! Went so well with the cheese and nuts! Dessert menu was a good closure and we were both surprisingly full afterwards even though all the tapas were not that big. I'd be super down to try their other restaurants! read more

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Amazing tapas - loved the fried artichokes hiding under ia creamy light Spanish cheese sauce, the portobello mushrooms soaked in truffle oil and topped shredded cheese and nuts, seafood Fideua read more

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What used to be a super cozy and authentic Spanish place is now a super modern and trendy Spanish fusion place. This place was never cheap, but now, the prices are astronomical. The homey feel of this place has been replaced by a more modern vibe. The service was on point - our server checked on us often and was very attentive. The food fine, but not for that price point. I'm so disappointed because this was my favorite Spanish place and I was really looking forward to eating here. read more

This place has a fun vibe and the tapas are great for sharing with friends. It can get pricey if you have big drinkers and eaters . I couldn't remember some of the dishes name but the steak was one of our favorites read more

Nai - White sangria - tasty - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New York, New York

My friends and I came here for another "Dinner Club" evening and left decently full and happy. I do think some of the items on the menu are better than the others, but that feels pretty typical for tapas. Side note: I wish we had known about the tasting menu beforehand or that when the restaurant had mentioned this option when they called me to confirm the reservation of our large party. Had we known, we probably would have opted for this but did not know until it was too late. (They need 24 hr notice for the tasting menus.) So, we ended up "making our own" tasting menu. I will list below what we ordered and coordinating thoughts: Gambas: (shrimp dish) This was a dish we all really enjoyed. It has shrimp swimming in oil and garlic and was just the right amount of seasoning. We ended up ordering 2 of these. Zanahoria: (carrot dish) I was hoping for more flavor from this dish, this was one that had caught my initial attention but I didn't think it was anything sensational. I don't think I would order it again. Carpaccio: ( mushroom/truffle dish) This was my personal favorite bite of the night. The mushrooms are flattened and are topped with the perfect amount of oil, cheese and nuts. This really blew me away and may be one of those "dream bites" for me. Bravas: (fried potatoes) Normally I love potatoes bravas and I was sad that I found these to be just ok. We had ordered two of these, but probably only needed one. I've had better potatoes bravas at other Spanish tapas spots. Colifor: (caulifower) My friend was super excited to try this but this was my least favorite bite of the night. It has a very earthy (grassy?) flavor. If that is a flavor profile you enjoy, you may like this dish. Churrasco: (steak) This was pretty good. I won't dream about it, but it was yummy. Croqueta: This was my second favorite bite. I thought these were some of the best croquetes I've had in the city. They were perfectly creamy on the outside and had a beautiful crunch on the outside. I don't see the dessert menu online but we did opt in for two different dishes. Goat cheese cheesecake: This was surprisingly delicious. It was an interesting mix of both sweet/savory and had a lovely jam/marmalade on top which added alot of flavor. Chocolate mouse: We also had a chocolate mouse swimming in some orange emulsion. This was delicious and rich, we loved it! We also opted to get the sangria as we heard how good it was. This rounded out for a lovely dinner and recommend getting a pitcher for the table. The service here was great, we kept ordering additional dishes and the server was super attentive and helpful with suggestions. The interior was minimal but aesthetically pleasing, I won't elaborate too much because it looks like they may be relocating. All in all, I'd give Nai a solid 4/5. Most of the dishes were good, a few were standouts and some I'd skip. This was a great option for our Dinner Club and I'm glad we came. 4/5 read more

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

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Although Nai has a somewhat small menu, everything we ate was divine. Nai offers a great spin on seafood paella and their mushroom tartuffo dish was fantastic. Both were so good we had to order seconds. Service was good and The Flamenco Show was the icing on the cake. read more

Came to Nai on a Friday night with a group of five. We had a reservation for 8 pm so we were seated immediately. The restaurant was full but it wasn't packed with people waiting to be seated so I think most people coming made reservations in advance. We ordered about 11 tapas for the group which was more then enough. We also ordered a couple drinks each. The food was all tasty and each had its own distinct flavor. The only dish we had that I didn't like was the octopus. The octopus is boiled which creates a really soft texture similar to a 7/11 hotdog. I would recommend asking for it grilled but maybe some people like it that way. Otherwise the food was all great. Overall Nai is a good restaurant but it's pricey. You should expect to pay about 70-100 dollars depending if you get drinks. read more

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Amazing! Probably one of the best places I've eaten at New York. I came on a Sunday afternoon with a few friends for a birthday. Definite stand outs from our meal for me were the fideua and the bravas. The fideua is their version of paella but instead of rice they have fideo (noodles). It was so delicious and I love that they added an asian fusion to it with the nori and tobiko! Service was amazing and they even brought out a free dessert to celebrate the birthday!! Will definitely be back again soon! :) read more

Great restaurant with tons of tapa options and drinks. Service: 5 stars. My drinks was a little sugary, the server gladly made it right the second time. Environment: perfect for date night. The minor detail I wish to change is if the table for 2 people could be a little bigger, that would be great. Since it is tapa style that comes with more than 4-5 small dishes + couple drinks, the table seems a little small for that. Food: great food. Loved everything we ordered! Average $ per person is about $100+ Will definitely come back one day~ read more

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I followed the craze from online to book a place to celebrate a birthday. The service is very nice, and the feel is decent. But everyone knows food is more important. So must order tartare and Brussels sprouts, amazing flavor. Octopus is a little disappointing cause it's just soft served with potato and lack flavor and salt. The sea bass is amazing but the problem is it comes in a order of 2, so any extras they basically charge you per order which they didn't tell me. All they said was, I see you have 4 people so I will tell them to make 4. I didn't know they would just charge us 2 orders... but it's tasty so what ever... the main dish of paella and oxtail both let down a lot. The noodle thing doesn't make sense, like someone gave up on using rice and the shrimp was over cooked to hell. The oxtail didn't taste like much. Sadly high expectations ended up as a a failed attempt. read more

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

Gosh! I only have good things to say about this place. Definitely get their sangrias!! We tried mango and blueberry, both were delicious. For the food, we ordered a bunch of stuff - Sardines, very well done but strong flavors and smell, Fideua - the one paella dish, one if the best I've had, 10/10, Roasted Brussels sprouts, not be missed at all if you are vegetarian, Lamb shank soup and oxtail dish take the cake - so flavorful and meat so tender it was falling off the bone. Can't say enough good things about service, it's a small place with about ten tables and there were ALWAYS waiters around - gracious and attentive. Loved spending Christmas Eve dinner here. read more

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I came here with my coworkers and it was such a great experience. First, I LOVE that they require vaccination records to enter the restaurant - I feel like this restaurant genuinely care about people's health and well-being which is a huge plus for me. We ordered a good set of tapas - The snowflake portabello mushroom (amazing, my favorite), the octopus, the skirt steak, the patatas bravas, croquette, seabass, and jamon iberico + manchego. All of them were amazing and tasted so great. We also got the paella which was very different than our usual paella- it had nori in it, which was really cool! Not going to lie, my favorite part of the night was definitely the blueberry sangria + champagne sangria. It tasted amazing and it was such a fun thing to have, the price wasn't bad for a pitcher either. Overall, definitely a 9/10 experience would love to come back! read more

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Came here with a party of 9 and the restaurant was very accommodating! They were super helpful in assisting with ordering and everything was delicious and authentic. I particularly loved the skirt steak and the portions were generous. Sangria was delicious as well! A bit sweet but definitely yummy. We also got a couple cheesecakes for dessert and they were so unique in taste and richly delicious. Highly recommend this spot! read more

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A serious gem of a find. I've heard so many positive things about Nai, and have had it bookmarked for so long. My trip didn't disappoint at all! Every dish we ordered was a surprise- from the tomatoes to the katsu and shrimp and octopus. I'd go back in a heartbeat and order the exact same all over again. The dishes were all very versatile, in that there was so much more flavour than just the ingredients of the dish itself. I promise you, every bite was a great surprise. 6 hours later I'm still thinking about it. I hope to be back! read more

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Came for dinner on NYE around 7:30pm. The restaurant was full and busy but not too loud or crowded. There is a downstairs and an upstairs dining space so plenty of room for bigger groups. FOOD: we had the pre fix menu for NYE which included the patatas aioli, salmon sushi, skirt steak, mini prime rib sandwiches, shrimp (gambas al ajillo), and brussel sprouts. The standout dishes were the mini prime rib sandwiches and the salmon sushi pieces. Especially the mini prime rib sandwiches. The other dishes were solid, well-cooked and flavorful but not very memorable. SERVICE: service was on point. Waiters were always checking in, food came out very quickly and we never went without our unlimited sangria. The sangria that night was heavily watered down/consisted more of fruit juice than alcohol. Three of us finished three full pitchers in less than two hours and when we left, nobody felt drunk or even tipsy. So that definitely sings a star. VERDICT: I give this place 3/5 stars bc I didn't remember (until I got here on NYE) that I'd been here before, and If the food really rose to the level of 4.5/5 stars, I'd remember. Which means both times I've been here, it just was not that mind blowing. Good for larger groups and quick / easy reservations. read more

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

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wow the katsu sando changed my life it is sooo tender and the toast is soo buttery and delicious. my spanish friend said this is the best tapas she's had in the city! patatas bravas and ham croquettes were amazing read more

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

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Wow, Nai exceeded my expectations. Everything was SO delicious. We ordered: the Spanish mackerel, Patatas bravas, endive salad, leek quiche, short ribs, and garnacha wine. Each dish had a main feature but the garnishes were some of my favorite parts. The candied pecans in the endive salad tied it all together. The garlic mousse that came with the quiche was so innovative, I never would've thought to make that. The thinly sliced EVOO soy sauce garlic bits were a delightful addition to an already delicious Spanish mackerel. Everything was divine. My partner said it was the best quiche he's ever had (i agree) and the short rib was fall off the bone. Small plates but we were stuffed by the end of it because of the pacing. We got to enjoy each plate by themselves which I loooooved. Truly slow dining. Not enough of that in the city. I'm surprised I was able to book a table here with lots of open seats day-of on Friday bc it was so good. It was one of those meals that made me feel so grateful that I am able to eat such delicious meals. Only bad part--and this is absolutely a nitpick--was that the lights were on so bright. It felt like when you're at a club at 4 AM and they turn the lights on to get you out. Management, lower the lighting please! I feel like by doing so it would complete the upscale ambiance. read more

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The cauliflower is SO GOOD. It'll take forever to come out though. But it was the #1 dish of the night! Portions aren't crazy small as some other tapas spots I didn't care for the octopus - it was pretty tasteless. Thought the flavor would be popping but it's not The dancers made the vibe of the room fun - you can't take videos or photos though 4 stars mainly because the service was spotty and the cauliflower took forever read more

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Came for a work celebration with some friends and had a blast! The drinks were great, but tapas are definitely small plates. Would recommend getting a bunch to share so you can all try everything. The croquetas and katsu sandwich were my fave! read more

Booked the tasting menu which is paired with sangria or wine, I don't drink alcohol and they happily accommodated with mocktails which were delicious! Usually not a fan of drinking calories but these were well worth it, all 3 were so good and unique. The dishes were all presented very well. The ingredients and quality were and the dishes were all tasty and unique without trying too hard. Our server was so friendly and took the time to explain each dish. I'd definitely recommend this place. I'm not sure why such mixed reviews, I did not find the dishes small and felt there was a very good amount of food for the $89 tasting menu. Towards the end I asked how many courses were left. Server said dessert was next but said if we weren't full they could add more which was very nice of her. The desserts were very good, there was a manchego cheesecake and a chocolate mousse which is usually boring but I thought the one here was phenomenal. Will definitely be back! read more

Nai - Sea bass wrapped w a deep fried piece of bread with asparagus wrapped w jamon. Very good and salmon w sticky rice - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New York, New York

My top rec at Nai is the Fideua, it was our favorite! The sea bass was nice as well, although it was a small portion (understandable). The sangrias taste really nice- kind of just like a fruit soda, you can't taste the alcohol- but so don't expect them to get you anywhere close to tipsy. We also enjoyed the brussels sprouts, which were tossed in mayo and little apple chunks. Nai is great for a date night, a classy meal, or just with friends. read more

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Terrible valentine menu, small dish with higher price. The waiter said this menu spent chef two week to create that. I mean this is ridiculous. Just want the owner know that the price is not reasonable. read more

I came here with a friend on Sunday for lunch. There's not any noticeable sign of the restaurant outside, and I almost walked past it. The interior design is minimalist. I like the ambience - good for friends catch up or dating. We ordered two cocktails, pulpo (octopus), carpaccio (portobello mushroom), and katsu (45 day aged prime rib eye). The cocktails are a bit too sweet. My favorite dish was the mushroom (it's covered by manchego cheese in the picture), and the other two were just ok. The service was good. I may come back again to try other dishes, and I wanted to see the flamenco performance someday once the pandemic is over. read more

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

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Great food, amazing service and good ambiance. Definitely recommend the sea bass toast! read more

Nai - Sea bass toast - Tapas/Small Plates Near Me - New York, New York

This place has got a cute vibe that's perfect for cozying up with your boo! The food was decent, not quite my taste buds are exploding good, but it hit the spot. We ordered eight dishes between the four of us and that seemed to do the trick. Can't go wrong with the portobello carpaccio, fideua, and steak tartare, those were all major yummers. I was really excited to try the ribeye Katsu sandwich and lupina, but they were disappointingly a bit overcooked. Kinda put a damper on things, but the overall experience was still pretty solid. read more

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The service was excellent, staffs are very friendly and sweet. From favorite to least favorite: 1) TOSTADA DE LUBINA (Sea Bass) [A absolute Must Try] Seabass was tender, wrap with crispy skin excellent with asparagus & bacon on the top 2) PATATAS BRAVAS (Potato) A must try!! 3) ALIOLI KATSU MP (Rib Eye Sandwich) Medium rare steak with milk bread! Very good 4) CROQUETTES DE JAMON Very good tho 5) PULPO A LA GALLEGA (Octopus) Tender, but just little bit oily 6) CHICKEN LIVER (TODAY SPECIAL) My friend they love it! Said very creamy! Worth for a try 7) TOMATE DESNUDO (Cherry Tomato) Very fresh, a new flavor that I never try 8) SALMOREJO CANARIO (Baby Back Ribs) Kinda dry and no flavor 9) COLIFLOR AL HORNO (Cauliflower) If anyone like Sharwarma seasoning, should okay with this. Just not my flavor read more

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I came here for a friend's birthday this past Wednesday night. We came as a big group (about 15 of us). I can overall say that Tapas is something that I am not used to. However I can overall say that I had a positive experience. Our waitress was nothing special. She wasn't rude, got us what we wanted when we needed it and left us alone majority of the time. I cannot really comment about service since it was nothing special. For cocktails I had the whiskey based drink. It tasted like a whiskey sour and very sugary. I thought it was average at best, but I didn't come here for the drinks did I. Overall I will give it a 3/5. We decided to do the A La Carte for the table. We had the Carpaccio, Queso, Remolocha and Bravas. The other people who ate meat at the table got separate pieces off of the A La Carte. I can overall say that the food was very good. Even though it was quite small (it is Tapas) it was quite good. I highly recommend the Bravas and Carpaccio. Those were definitely my favorite. Overall I would give it a solid 4.5/5. We skipped dessert and got the bill. I would say it was a enjoyable experience even though I am not a big Tapas guy. I think if you're to try Tapas I would highly recommend this place. read more

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Came here for a friends birthday dinner. Really cute vibes. Seems to be very new. Staff is friendly. One star removed cause the Pulpo was soggy and over cooked under flavor. The beef katsu sandwich was bomb! So was the mussels and noodle dish. read more

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This spot is a great date option night with creative, Spanish-inspire tapas with a handful of traditional tapas. The ambiance is wonderful and it is fairly reasonable given the creativity and thought put into the dishes. Tomate: the gazpacho gelatin in this dish was delicious and worked well with the tomatoes and herbs. The presentation was beautiful. Cauliflower: the shawarma spice was mixed into the avocado chimichurri and then drizzled over oven roasted cauliflower that is cut tableside. A+ for presentation! Patatas Bravas: appreciated that this followed a traditional recipe. It was well executed. Service: The service was friendly, detailed, quick and on-point. Atmosphere: Definitely has a nice buzz, and the decor is quite nice as well. Apparently some nights they have flamenco dancing and music! read more

Patatas Bravas - 8/10 These potatoes were crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Since I'm a saucy girl I wish the potatoes were doused with more sauce but I could have asked for more on the side. Skirt Steak - 7/10 The skirt steak was pretty good but there were some pieces that were kind of tough. This restaurant definitely knows how to make a sauce because the sauce for the steak was delicious. Steak Tartare - 7/10 The steak tartare tasted very fresh, however I felt like there was nothing super special about this dish. Ribeye Katsu - 6/10 This dish was my friend's favorite dish the last time they came but we all agreed that it was not as good this time around. I think this dish could've been a 8/10 had they added more mayo to the bread but because it was lacking in mayo the taste fell a bit flat to me. read more

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

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Today was our first visit- most assuredly it won't be our last. We came for Father's Day. We had the croquetas, pulpo, skirt steak, manchego and pintxo. Everything was wonderful- the pulpo was cooked to perfection- so tender! The skirt steak was well seasoned and also tender! The carrot dish was superb- I am not a big carrot fan but the mix of spice and sweet was divine! Everything was just so tasty. The wait staff were friendly and attentive. Almost forgot- the SANGRIA- yummy! read more

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My overall impression is all dishes are generally good. Customer service is also good as they tried to accommodate last minute changes to the seating arrangement. There are several highlights to our meal: - pork belly with brussel sprout is very good. I felt that the brussel sprouts is elevated in this dish - Portobello mushroom with truffle oil and cheese, very memorable dish - Chilean seabass has a nice crispy texture on the outside. Seabass is soft but i think it's flavor is slightly overpowered by the crispy exterior. My friends like this though. Small portion though. - fideua Paella served on the cone is really interesting and moist. Good portion as well. Below are other dishes that are also worth mentioning. - chicken croquettes are pretty good. - Pulpo boiled octopus is very soft but I would prefer grilled octopus over it - Patatas and skirt steak has good portion - Gambas shrimps are decent but not that memorable Tried two shangrias in pitcher and they are good value as it's 30$ for a pitcher. However, I can't taste the alcohol read more

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Absolutely incredible. The tasting menu is the best I've had in my life. Service is 11/10. And the outside skylight seating is incredible, amazing ambiance. One of the best restaurants in the east village. read more

Nai is run by really good people and they make quality vegetarian food. We originally had a Valentine's Day hiccup, but the Nai team went above and beyond to make it right for me and my girlfriend. All the food we tried on the tasting menu was delicious, and the non-alcoholic cocktails and wine were fantastic. There wasn't an item we didn't enjoy. The staff were very friendly, we had sangrias and left beyond full and very satisfied. Plus, they have Wi-Fi! read more

We made a reservation for dinner on a Friday for a group of 5. The restaurant has 2 floors and there're stairs at the back of the 1st floor connecting the ground floor to upstairs. I was late for my dinner party, the hostess was nice enough to walk me upstairs to the table where my group's seated. Food: 1. Carpaccio De Portobello - must try! The portobello mushrooms were thinly sliced that I thought they're eggplants at first. You would have to lift up each piece with the wooden tongs. The fragrance of the truffle oil and the sprinkle of nuts on top, mixed with the sliced up truffles = Heaven. This dish is the most delicious dish I tried that evening. 2. Gambas Al Ajillo - garlic shrimps served in a cast iron dish. The shrimps were coated with garlic oil and they're flavorful. 3. Coliflor Al Horno - Almost looked like a piece of steak but it's made up of cauliflower. We ordered half and then added an order of a whole cauliflower. The flavor was bold with the sauce they put on the top. It makes cauliflower to tolerable to people who do not like eating cauliflower. 4. Bocados de salmon - we ordered this dish based on the recommendation of our server, but little did we know that this dish is presented sushi style. After drizzling the salmon nigiri sushi with mayo, the server would torch the pieces until the surface's cooked. This dish is my least favorite of the evening as the fusion part is causing confusion in this case in the interpretation of the dish. 5. Pulpo A la gallega - you can rarely go wrong with an octopus dish at a Spanish tapas place. We ordered 2 of this dish, as it was delicious and the octopus was chopped up and not chewy. 6. Fideua - the paella like pasta is served in a cone used to serve fries at a restaurant. The overpowering taste of mayo, seaweed and fish roes pretty much dictated the flavor of the dish. I did not like the fact that they used too much mayo in this dish. This is my 2nd unimpressed dish after the salmon. 7. Beet rice - risotto like texture, a strong taste of gooey cheese, not much of a hint of the taste of beet. The dish was topped with a soft boiled egg with a runny center. I probably would not order it again. 8. Blueberry pornegranate sangria pitcher - the server would refill your glass as soon as it ran empty. The sangria was too sweet for my taste, but nonetheless, it's a delightful sweet drink. 9. Cod fish cooked in tomato sauce - they first brought us the wrong dish, and this dish was served towards the end. I like fish cooked in a tomato sauce, the acidity of the sauce paired well with the freshness of the fish. 10. We ordered a bottle of red wine - Artigas 2013 - for a full bodied wine, it does its job by not being too earthy or too sweet. Overall, service was attentive. The servers missed some of the orders, but were quick to fix the issue once we mentioned to them. My head got hit by the elbow of one of the servers, but overall the service went smooth. I would recommend this tapas place for a gathering for a big group so you could try as many dishes as possible. They recommended that each person should order at least 2 dishes. As mentioned earlier, one thing I do not like in some of the dishes is that they use too much mayo, the strong taste of mayo is too overpowering and taking away the natural flavors of some of the ingredients. read more

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They did not even put the cake in the fridge because the cake tasted like in the normal temperature. Always exert pressure on the customer so they have to eat quick and leave the table for other customers. We are a large group celebrating birthday. But guess how long does it take between arriving and leaving? Less than 1hr 40 minutes. I have been to nai tapas 4 years ago but it has now drastically changed to something I am not a big fan anymore. One joke: even if one of our members has not finish her cake, they started to stage the new plates for the new customers(and then take new plates away? Idk what happens there, might be sending the message 'get out now') read more

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