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Boqueria
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Basque Spanish, Basque [Edit]
171 Spring St(between Broadway & Thompson St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighborhood: South Village
(212) 343-4255
- Nearest Transit:
-
Spring St (A, C, E)
Prince St (N, R)
Canal St (1, 2)
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 12 pm - 12 am
- Attire:
- Casual
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Stephanie B. said: "I came here with a group of four on a Sunday night so it was pretty empty inside. However, that didn't mean there was any lacking in the food. For appetizers we ordered the chorizo, the camarones al aljillo, the mushrooms stuffed…" read more »
247 reviews for Boqueria
Review Highlights
"espinacas a la catalana: yum."
(in 11 reviews)
"A large assortment of tapas to choose from."
(in 146 reviews)
"cojonudo (fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast."
(in 8 reviews)
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247 reviews in English
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Review from Julia K.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012
Came here for NYE with my boyfriend and my mom for an early dinner. My mom is very Asian tame- she eats Chinese food, American food if she's eating with white people, and maybe, when she's feeling crazy, she'll have some Italian-American.
Also, in a traditional Asian way, she also hates it when I spend a ton of money, but I wanted to take her to a nice meal with a fun and "cool" (her words) atmosphere that she wouldn't normally go to. This completely fit the bill- they had a reasonable $75 prix fixe including drinks. Just so you guys aren't scared that this is a geriatric place, she was definitely the oldest person here by 20 years, but it was chill and fun anyway! She was genuinely touched that I brought her here on New Year's Eve.
I adore Spanish food, esp pintxos. The hits, imo were the patatas bravas, the pata negra (wasn't on the menu but we added it because it's my favorite), the espinacas and my favorite: the iberico loin (omg! so tender and amazing!) The churros were literally as good as the ones I've had in Spain. Like custard on the inside.
It really helped that our server was adorable and super generous on our unlimited refills of cava too. (It also made the rest of my night with our friends totally insane).
Highly recommended for groups, for a fun date, for a casual but celebratory dinner, or anytime you just want to kick back for a leisurely, yummy dinner. -
Review from Cynthia M.
Long Island City, NY
2/1/2012
What we had...
Cojonudo - Fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast
Gambas al Ajillo - Shrimp, garlic and Guindilla pepper in olive oil
Carne a la Plancha - Hanger steak "a la plancha," seasonal market vegetables
Albóndigas - Lamb meatballs in tomato sauce, sheep's milk cheese
The right time to come to Boqueria is at 5:30-6ish when you can actually see inside the place and not just crowds of people. I have been looking forward to coming here ever since we couldn't make it past the crowds of people waiting and had to settle for Sala One Nine last week.
I am a fan of sunny side-up eggs on anything so I had to try the Cojunudo. The quail eggs were cooked perfectly and the yolks just infused the whole tasty bite with a nice rich sauce. This was a perfect bite to start with.
Next the meatballs. These were nice, and I did enjoy the cheese alongside it, but unfortunately it also had random slices of cucumber that really did not go with the dish.
The shrimp, though not as photogenic as displayed on their site were quite yummy. Can't go wrong with a garlic, butter, oil sauce that has a slight kick. I imagine that sauce would be good on anything (I am picturing lobster right now).
Finally the steak was cooked nicely, but a bit on the boring side. The mushrooms on the side were good, but this was quite a forgettable dish.
By the time we left, Boqueria was packed and there was a line of people waiting for tables. It was a good meal, but honestly I think I enjoyed Sala One Nine more. The price was pretty steep at Boqueria for the portions and what you get. I was glad to finally try it, but I don't think I need to do a repeat visit. -
Review from Sean G.
Philadelphia, PA
1/5/2012
After our day of drinking and running around East Village/ Alphabet City, my soon to be father in law and I headed out to meet my fiance and her mom at Boqueria for dinner. Needless to say, we were both pretty faded which is also a good way to describe some of my memories of the dinner. Still, here is my best review...
Food: 4.0 stars
The food at Boquieria was delicious but not exceptional. We had the:
Dátiles con Beicon-- Dates stuffed with almonds and Valdeón, wrapped in bacon
**I love this combination. You can't beat the rich sweetness of Dates with the saltiness of good bacon. The almonds were a nice touch. I would recommend trying this if you haven't had it before
Carne a la Plancha-- Hanger steak
**The steak was tender and juicy but the seasoning was nothing exceptional
Paella de Mariscos-- Seafood Paella of monkfish, sepia, squid, shrimp, clams, mussels
**We got two orders for the table. The portions were disappointing. When it came out, I thought to myself "WTF?!? This is a portion for 4 people???" It didn't taste that great either. I felt the rice base was borderline burnt, to the point where were had to scrape. Sad.
Service: 3.5 stars
Service was good. Admittedly I was being a dick and spent a good portion of the night making fun of the waiter. Still, they service was good.
Ambiance: 4.5 stars
The vibe and energy of the restaurant was its best feature. Lots of people, a nice corner bar, and good decor and lighting in the restaurant.
Location: 4.0 stars
In SOHO @ Spring and Broadway. Not much around for nightlife but still close to alot of good spots (a cab or long walk away)
**Overall: 3.5 stars
The experience at Boqueria was good and the service was on point but the food was alright and the portions were disappointing for a Tapas Bar. I'm used to small plates but we ordered food that was supposed to easily serve 4 people and I left hungry. Give Boqueria a try if you're looking for a fun night out but not for an astounding meal. There are other tapas bars and restaurants that I would recommend over Boqueria -
Review from Sunny K.
Los Angeles, CA
12/3/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is the NYC I long crave. The intimacy of a well designed restaurant with flavor to match.
We happened to have stumbled onto this lil gem purely by ravenous hunger after a morning of shopping. Yes... my man knows when I get cranky, you either feed the bitch or stick a nipple bottle full of gin in my mouth.
Yes, we are one of those couples that like to share our plates. I know... gag me, right? I get it. I'm the person in the corner looking at couples like us estimating how long they'll last before one kills the other. So... we shared an omelette that came with a salad and a platter of meats and cheeses. Everything was fantastic. The best was their blood orange mimosas. My oh my my.... made me want to stick an I.V. in my arm and have a blood orange transfusion.
The decor and ambience of Boqueria is so well designed. An open kitchen to watch all the flavorful dishes being prepared, to the high seats, to the purse hook underneath the table! How friggin smart is that?!!!
The service was "eh"... They get it done. Not with a smile, tho. "Welcome to New York. Now, sit down and eat your damn food."
A sure spot not to be missed. -
Review from Barb G.
Cardiff by the Sea, CA
12/3/2011
I love wandering around neighborhoods in the city, and especially Soho, that's how I found this place, wanting a bite and to warm up. It looked so classically New York and wonderful ambience.
I did have a sticker shock looking at the wine prices (but shouldn't have considering the neighborhood).
I had a nice wine and ordered the crisped potatoes with aioli, (plentiful amount - I couldn't finish half, tasty and on the spicy side), and a wonderful spinach side dish - spinach sauteed in olive oil and shaved garlic, pine nuts, garbanzos and golden raisins, and finished with a cherry vinaigrette...I loved this dish and want to try to duplicate it at home - the server very nicely shared the ingredients with me!
A very romantic lovely atmosphere -- a perfect place for a date with someone special, or by yourself in the bar. -
Review from B S.
New York, NY
1/15/2012
Great atmosphere, very good food, and fantastic sangria. Came here with a large group to celebrate a friend's birthday. We got the pre-fixe menu which included a sampling of the more popular dishes for $40/per person. It was a great bargain--tons of food and so much variety. Just going to mention the highlights. The cheese and meat plate was savory and a perfect start. As for the tapas: Loved the Pimientos de Padrón, Espinacas a la Catalana, and the Patatas Bravas. And wow, the Buñuelos de Bacalao was really quite heavenly. My friends really enjoyed the Albondigas and Seafood Paella which I was too full to try. We also ordered a pitcher of both the red and white sangria. So refreshing and sweet with just the right amount of fresh fruit. Highly recommend the red one.
But I have to cut one star because of the service. I think we were just unlucky and got stuck with a nasty, rude waitress. So here goes my rant!
Karen, who was our server last night...I hope you read this. You took care of our table--I'm sure you will remember us quite easily--8 Asian females who you treated with disdain and pompousness the entire time. Didn't even try to make the birthday girl feel a little special on her night. Never asked if we wanted to do something fun with a birthday dessert. Clueless. With your nose in the air and condescending, flippant attitude, you deserved a real bitch slap. You're lucky you got 20% gratuity because if it were up to me, NOTHING would have been more than generous.
Sorry for that tirade...aside from the obnoxious waitress Karen, we had an otherwise wonderful dinner outing at Boqueria. -
Review from Matthew M.
New York, NY
Went here for lunch on a Tuesday and this place was packed. Tried multiple dishes including the lamb skewers, shrimp in garlic sauce, croquettes, spinach salad, and quail eggs with toast.
Lamb skewers were cooked perfectly (medium rare) and was topped with their version of salsa verde--was extremely satisfying and definitely one of the standouts of the meal.
The shrimp was standard, similar to scampi--solid choice, came with about 6-7 shrimp.
Croquettes were bland, they even came with 2 sauces but they added little to the overall flavor; however the mushroom ones were more enjoyable than the ham.
The spinach salad was very welcoming because it was a nice palate cleanser. Had a nice acidic flavor and was served with chickpeas, peanuts, and raisins.
The quail eggs + chorizo on toast was the other standout of this meal, in fact we ordered it twice. Reminded me of a play on bacon and eggs, will order this every time.
Overall, the restaurant has a nice layout (it was cool watching the chef making all of our dishes) and feel to it and was a great eating experience. -
Review from Denise R.
Glendale, NY
11/6/2011
I've been to their other location several times (19th St), this one is a lot bigger, busier and much faster pace. I went here for dinner recently we had about 5 different tapas everything was great. Here's my thoughts on what we ate:
-Pan con tomate: perfect, just as delicious as the ones I had in Spain
-Datiles con bacon: love the combination of the salty bacon with the sweet dates
-Pimientos al padron: nicely charred with sprinkles of sea salt, very yummy
-Patatas bravas: perfectly cooked, a bit spicy
-Gambas al ajillo: I didn't taste, but my friend seemed happy with them
For dessert I had the crema catalana, which was excellent! It had a nice hint of citrus.
I had the red sangria which was good, lots of fruit.
The service here was also great. We were going to a show at 8pm, showed up around 6:45pm, no reservation. We were able to eat all our dishes, several rounds of drinks and dessert in an hour, which was awesome cause I was starving (def needed food before the show).
I'll definitely be back to Boqueria! -
Review from Ajay R.
Brooklyn, NY
11/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
The joys of finding a place again. When I had first moved to New York, I stumbled upon this place due to a blackboard eats deal. Had a great time, really enjoyed the food and vowed to come back repeatedly, only to forget the name later on. That was 2 years ago. Off an on I would go to my wife and ask "Remember that place we went to....", and we thought it was lost to us. Coming to loath and despise the West Village probably had something to do with why I forgot about it.
Fast forward 2 yrs later and my co-worker is telling me about this great place Boqueria... IN the West Village. I cringe. Why do people keep insisting on going to this neighborhood? But I relented, and as we walked in my eyes lit up as we realized "THIS IS THE PLACE!". The tapas was still great, and the atmosphere was just as we remembered it. Now I have a West Village sanctuary to propose for all my friends who insist on meeting up in this area. -
Review from Noshii R.
Cambridge, MA
10/20/2011
Its not the REAL BOQUERIA market...but for this side of the ocean it will have to do...
Its good standard tapas and delish vino...this location is full of tourists but still bareable...but barely.
Prices are a bit high for the very small portions...but hey so is all of NYC!! -
Review from Gianni G.
New York, NY
10/18/2011
Went here without a reservation and was able to get a seat at the chefs counter, which was very cool to see everyone in the kitchen in action. The place had a great atmosphere and was very crowded.
We had the beef croquettes, brussels sprouts and chorizo, the baby squid and a flat bread pizza special they had. Everything was very good. I love brussels sprouts so I may be biased but that was my favorite dish.
As far as tapas places go, this is one of the best in my opinion. -
Review from Amanda K.
Ashburn, VA
10/16/2011
This place was a knockout for me. Very trendy, very delicious, and a great atmosphere at 11:30pm in the city. Everyone seemed to be having a great time and the whole restaurant was alive and smelled delicious. The food measured up to the same bar.
I was with my Uncle, his friend, and my best friend who recently graduated college and moved up to Brooklyn. My Uncle's friend knew exactly what he was doing and how to treat two poor college kids. We were first greeted with this amazing bubbly pink wine. It was called Txakoli, and had to be poured from above in order to preserve the airiness of it. It felt like drinking soda, but more indulgent and more alcoholic. Then the food came. First-sweet peppers fried and dipped in salt. I was intimidated at first, afraid they would burn my delicate tongue. But they were sweet and salty and wonderful and I had to eat another before they all vanished.
Next on the menu was toast with Jamon Serrano. LIke prosciutto, but instead of Italian it was Spanish. It was thick and rich atop of grilled pieces of crusty bread. Just remember he rich meatiness of the jamon serrano makes my mouth water. Luckily, I didn't have time to stay hungry because our next bread dish came right out! This time a tomato spread on the toast paired with an anchovy. I've never eaten an anchovy before and I must say, it was pretty damn good. Perhaps I enjoyed it so much because the sweetness of the freshly pureed tomatoes complimented it so well. I'm not quite sure, but regardless, it was pretty amazing. Don't hate the anchovies.
Following our toasts were four oysters, one for each of us. I was thrilled with such a delectable ocean treat. At first I was intimated by oysters, but last year I was converted and now I can't get enough of them. When you slurp them up you can almsot taste the ocean (in the most amazing way), With a little cocktail sauce dabbed on top, its perfection.
Then came my two favorites. A quail egg, delicately placed on a thick slice of chorizo atop a piece of toast (man, we were LOVIN the toast). I will now spend this time to rant a bit about the beauty of a runny egg. There is nothing more satisfying than breaking open an egg and then watching the yolk run down like a waterfall over whatever food it happens to be sitting on. In this case, the yolk danced with the spicy chorizo and was soaked up by that wonderful sourdough. The explosion of flavor was perfect, and I could have died right there a happy girl.
Finally-Paella. Oh, Paealla, how I love you. The variety of indulgent seafoods and the saffron, all piled together on top of a bed of crispy rice. Each bite is a surprise and you're always blown away by just HOW GOOD it is. My personal favorite-the mussels. I think they absorb the flavor a little better than everything else, that perhaps some of those juices collect in their bed of a shell and then make their way into my mouth.
The perfect evening, very easy to socialize and we were well taken care of. I would be back here in a heartbeat. -
Review from Suzanne S.
Little Falls, NJ
1/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
Warm and cozy atmosphere, the open kitchen area actually added to the authenticity. The meat and cheese plate is a must. The lamb meatballs were AWESOME. Everything was so tasty and just the right amount. It's not cheap, not expensive, I'd say it's just right. I'm definitely going back!
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Review from Jess L.
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
While I have been to the other Boqueria location, this one felt a bit more rushed and trendy, not as comfy as the other one.
Nonetheless, we had a pretty good meal here. I'd say the items that stood out were the quail eggs -- if anything because they were unique -- and the beef/potato croquettes. I wouldn't say anything knocked our socks off, though, and we had about five or six dishes.
I would say, though, that I still love their white sangria. -
Review from Kathleen K.
Manhattan, NY
9/9/2011
After living in Sevilla, Spain, for six months I became addicted to tapas. As luck would have it now I work a block away from Boqueria which is only feeding my addiction. Literally. I'm just grateful I lived in Spain and not Germany because constant beer and spatzle wouldn't help my waistline.
Anyway, I love Boqueria. I find it to be authentic to Spain and I especially like:
Gambas al ajillo (be sure to dip the bread in the juices)
Tortilla Espanola
Patatas Bravas (if you're with a hungry group)
Espinacas a la Catalana (not like the espinacas con garbanzo I loved in Sevilla but good enough!)
Pan con Tomate
Don't forget the chorizo and manchego. It's great here. Oh and you can't go wrong on the wine list and the bartenders are knowledgeable if you have questions.
Buen provecho! -
Review from Helena H.
8/17/2011
Tapas Bar = Small Petite Snack
But also Tapas can fill you up. By ordering a good selection of dishes to vary your taste and flavor different texture of meats and Drinks.
Unfortunately Boqueria does not take reservations for under 6 people. My Friend and I hoped they had tables available (Friday Night at 7 PM). As soon as we went inside, the restaurant was half full and the Hostess assigned us a table right away (Very friendly!)
High chair and tables (with Hooks under the table for the ladies to Hang your BAG or Coats). Comfortable decor with a nice view of the clear kitchen with professional Chefs cooking and preparing the meal.
First, I ordered my ROSE Sangria - IT was really tasteful with a mix of sparkler and fruitiness.**
Gambas al Ajillo - $13
Shrimp, garlic and Guindilla pepper in olive oil
- Was looking forward to this but a bit disappointing, Picture showed large size shrimp, but in reality, it was a tad small. Aside from that the Olive oil with garlic and pepper was a great mix that we requested for more bread to dip in!.
Watermelon, Tomatoes and Goat Cheese - $ 8
- This particular dish threw me out of the loop. At first I was not expecting a great mix with sweet, soury but it blend out pretty well.
Bombas de la Barceloneta - $ 8****
Two beef and potato croquettes,
"salsa brava," garlic allioli
- This Special dish was so, so. The Grounded beef had a spicy kick in it that made it pretty tasteful. Mixing with Potato to cool down the Spiciness and mush it with the meat to blend out the taste.
Of course, we saved a small spot for dessert, well... make it 2 DESSERTS!.
Enjoyed a lot of Torta de Chocolate - $7
Warm chocolate torte,
Marcona almond ice-cream
- Soo Smooth, and Hot Chocolate Fudge melting in your mouth (I recommend to combine the cake with Ice cream and eat it together). I LOVED IT!.
But also I enjoyed Churros con Chocolate - $ 7
Traditional fried dough, thick hot chocolate
- HOLY CHURROS!, Dipping HOT Chocolate was the BEST Part. (That was my happy ending).
At the end. After all the meal My Lovely Friend and I paid under $ 30.00 per person because I had a extra Discount thru Blackboardeats (Would have been about $ 40 per person). But I will definitely come back!, I really Enjoy the Meal plus drinks, Service was SUPERB (Waitress kept coming back to make sure we were ok).
When we left, they were a line of people waiting to get a table (aroound 9 PM). So Make sure to come a bit early or call to check how long is the wait.
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** = If you check in on foursquare, you can get another small glass of Sangria (Complimentary).
**** = Since the Bombas Order took a little bit longer than what Expected (because they were cooking for a large party at the same time). The Chef made an exception and offered us a complimentary dish, Which was........
Cojonudo - $ 6
Fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast
- Imagine a sunny side up egg, BUT 10 TIMES SMALLER and tasty!. Enough Said.
Very well Apologetic from the Restaurant, We were very pleased and satisfied with the Dinner and service!.Listed in: Impress your DATE!, No Reservations!!!, OINK OINK, Wine and Tapas (NY)
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Review from Blanca V.
Madison, NJ
10/3/2011
Very trendy restaurant and the food was delicious, I would def recommed you try the food here and when you do show up come dressed up, I dont mean prom dressy but def hip dressy.
We got a pitcher of the red sangria and it seemed the food went with it so well. Patatas Bravas mmmm it is slap yo mama good... Every single dish we ordered went with the Sangria, damm!
The only dish I was not impressed with was the flan, Ive had better, i can make it much better. -
Review from laura g.
New York, NY
9/22/2011
LOVED this place for lunch yesterday with a few girlfriends. Atmosphere was super relaxed (minus the waitstaff which is why I am giving this 3 stars - they were sooo pushy and why? there were 3 other tables IF THAT!) and enjoying our time. I felt pressure to order and leave as quickly as we did walking in...DO NOT RUSH CUSTOMERS WHEN YOU HAVE 3 TABLES!!
aside from feeling super rushed, the mushroom platter, meatballs and mixed salad were very tasty. I am 1/2 Spanish and this is as close to Spain (minus Despana which I need to try) as it gets for me. -
Review from Emma L.
8/17/2011
Wow, tapas!
Not one single bad dish here... and we've ordered plenty! So much so that I believe we got some flack from our diva waiter, oh he was a bitch! We were up to our sixth dish and about to order 2 more and he goes, "Uh, I think that's enough". WTF? Who does that? Right after we put our orders in I had checked in on Foursquare for a free sangria so I showed him and he goes "Well, I'll get it for you once I have a free hand"..... Guess what? I never got my sangria. UGH WHAT A MAN-BITCH.
Minus the bitchy man waiter, this place still gets 5 stars because the food is just that good. Potatoes, bacon wrapped dates, fried peppers, lamb, italian cured meats, pita, quail/crispyricething, oh my.
The saving grace (and a little bit of fate) was definitely the server named Cassie. I had worked with her few months back at another restaurant to plan a bridal shower and low and behold she's working here now and recognized me. We exchanged quick hellos and the night went on. She checked in with us, brought us a few of the dishes we ordered, and comped our dessert at the end. It was so sweet of her!
That bitchy man-waiter can learn a thing or two from Cassie. -
Review from Francisco G.
Brooklyn, NY
8/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
My star rating method:
Service - 5 stars
Food - 3.5 stars
Drinks - 4 stars
Ambiance - 4 stars
average: 4 stars
Would I return? yes, and that might improve the food rating
Just went there for lunch today. I had the price fix lunch special.
Salad was nice.
I had the Mussels as the main course and was not impressed. I've had way better mussels plenty of times at other places (The Mermaid Inn!). I do not recommend them.
For dessert I had flan. I didn't like it too much but that is purely my own personal preference with flan. Being half Cuban and half Puerto Rican, I'm used to the style from the those countries, especially Cuban style, which is much sweeter and heavier (I make a mean Cuban flan). I knew Spanish style flan would be different and in hindsight I probably should have tried the other choice for dessert.
Our waitress was really cool and seemed very knowledgeable about all the drinks. I had a glass of white wine that was perfectly fine. My friend has an amazing tasting red. I had a free glass of Sangria with my 4sq check-in (w00t!). It was good (free so I can't really complain). And then we finished off lunch with some sherry. I had the Gutiérrez-Colosía Oloroso and thoroughly enjoyed it. -
Review from Captain G.
New York, NY
12/7/2011
One of my favorite tapas places in NYC. Good service here. I usually sit at the bar and the bartenders generally take good care of you. They also offer a great wide variety of wines by the glass.
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Review from Jennifer S.
New York, NY
9/3/2011
I wanted to like this place more than I did. Sure, the food was good and the service was attentive enough, but something was missing for me. I am a big, big tapas fan with a number of favorite spots in the city and was hoping to add another hot spot to that list. I am very aware that tapas are small portions, but I felt like theirs were particularly small and that we had to order a lot to fill up.
Three of us shared:
Cojonudo (quail eggs)
Bombas de la Barceloneta (beef/potato croquettes)
Croquetas Cremosas (ham and mushroom croquettes)
A special that had seafood so I didn't eat it ...
Pintxos Morunos (lamb on a stick)
A special that had bread and spreads
Tortilla Española (classic Spanish omelet)
AND a pitcher of Sangria -
Review from Louis R.
Updated - 7/12/2011
Taaaaaappppppaaaaasssssss
Razor clams? I haven't had them since Barcelona! Sooooo delish
Lamb Meatballs? righteous
Baby squid? gimme their mama too
no carbs, no problems.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/11/2010
1pm
A. Nice decor; tall tables; great aroma
B. Brunch items were eh, so went for the tapas which were… Read more »
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Review from Cathy M.
Brooklyn, NY
9/12/2011
I love Tapas. It's a great way to stretch out an evening and not be rushed. Boqueria has exactly the right amount of style without being too pretentious. The service is very good and they tapas are times just so. You get one plate at a time so that you can really focus on it. I really like the pace and the feel of this place. AND the kitchen is open and you can sit at the kitchen window bar and watch your food being made right in front of your eyes. That is very cool. I've been at least 5 times in the last year and still have not sat there but I reeeeeally want to the next time I go.
This is a top pick for a great night out with your SO or a few friends. Tapas are intimate and sexy so in the words of Deena: "it's a good time!" -
Review from Tanya M.
Manhattan, NY
8/6/2011
Great tapas, great atmosphere, and good place for groups! The service here is pretty good, but the food is what really makes this place stand out, o yeah and their sangria helps too! My favorites here are:
- Potatoes with garlic alioli yum!
-octopus salad
-bread rubbed with tomatoes and garlic and some prosciutto on top is amazing
-fried quail egg and chorizo on toast is a must try
-croquettes are delicious ( mushroom are my fave)
-shishito peppers are the best thing ever
- lamb meatballs
- good hanger steak
- paella is a great dish and perfect to share
They also offer great daily specials so pick a few dishes and share away!
Try the churros with the chocolate sauce for dessert. -
Review from Darcy P.
8/12/2011
This will be the most uninformative review I've ever written and I apologize in advance. Why am I bothering? Because of one dish.
LAMB MEATBALLS. Thinking about them, my mouth is watering. They're on the same "wow did something that amazing just really enter my mouth" level as the Foie gras meatballs from Mono + Mono. Happy. That's the best word to describe them.
The decor was cute. The bar as comfy though I felt service could of been a little better considering we were the only two people sitting there. Razor clams- yummy. The asparagus- average. The Pork Belly- you can never go wrong. -
Review from Evangeline l.
Somerville, MA
8/20/2011
Boqueria is fun tapas spot in an upbeat trendy environment. The service, however, is less than stellar.
Food:
albondigas: delicious- a must try
padron peppers: always must order whenever available
espinacas a la catalana: yum
gambas al ajilo- better than some others but not amazing
wine: delicious rose special
Service (we sat at the bar):
Boqueria would have been a 4 star experience for me if it hadn't been for the service. The bartender wasn't helpful and very unfriendly. It seems like he was having a bad day and was less than enthused by his job. No matter how many smiles we gave or attempts at conversation- nothing.
I would give it a shot though. -
Review from Loic C.
8/3/2011
Great tapas. Walking down spring the window of Boqueria was so inviting with the cured meat and the Tortilla Española we just had to walk in.
It is a Tapas place which equals: small plates for a lot of money. The experience is mainly a combination of Final prices and good choices in the selection of the tapas.
Lamb meatballs in tomato sauce: Great dish. We were begging for more.
Croquetas Cremosa: Nice deep fried balls.
The cured meat is great.
I love the decor but the place gets really noisy and crowded. -
Review from Lauren N.
Manhattan, NY
5/22/2011
I would have given this a one-star rating for management, but I'll give it two stars for the trendy atmosphere and drinks. BEWARE IF YOU'RE A PARTY OF MORE THAN 4 (see details below).
I came here for a birthday dinner. I wasn't feeling great and didn't want to eat, but figured I'd have a drink and enjoy the company. Apparently I was unaware of the restaurant's "group policy." You're considered a "group" if you're more than 4 people, at which point they require a pre-set menu at $40/person. When I called over the manager and told him I wasn't eating, he told me I would have to leave. Lo and behold, I got stuck with a $40 tab, plus drinks (total= $80 bill). Even if I WAS hungry, who wants the restaurant to tell you exactly what to order?! Bizarre and rude is the only reaction I have. I will never be back nor will I recommend this place to a friend.
This is what was included in our "pre-set" menu:
- Pan con tomate-- good but I can get bread with tomatoes on it anywhere
- Pintxos Morunos-- (seared lamb)- fine
- Dates w/ bacon--I don't eat bacon (again, really appreciate that this was mandatory to order)
- Spicy peppers--disgusting
- "Patatas bravas" aka french fries-- not a big fan of fried food and would never choose to order this at an upscale restaurant
- "Bunelos de Bacalao"--love the fancy name for "cod fritters" which were essentially fish sticks your parents fed you when you were 5.
- Hanger steak--fine
It sounds like a lot of food, but the portions were really small. The quality was very mediocre. The prices were high for food I didn't even want.
We asked them to make our drinks strong, but they never indicated that they would charge $10 extra for a stronger drink. If they had told us we probably would have said it was unnecessary.
Overall, I suggest you go elsewhere for an $80 meal. There are places all over the city that do a better job. Skip Boqueria. -
Review from Tracy W.
7/20/2011
I need to come back here with a bigger appetite. Everything on the menu sounded great! Service was attentive, friendly, and genuine.
The cantaloupe salad, part of their pre fixe lunch menu, was so light and refreshing. I really enjoyed the sweet, cooling taste on this ridiculously hot day.
YUM! Patatas Bravas-Crispy potatoes, "salsa brava," roasted garlic allioli. Big plate! I was expecting smaller, so be sure to share this dish with someone. Gets soggy if you leave it for too long, so eat it while it's hot!
Carne a la Plancha-Hanger steak "a la plancha," seasonal market vegetables. Perfectly cooked, still pink and a little bloody. This dish was tender, mouth watering, and as good as it gets.
Churros, churros, churros! Oh my, this place has finally satisfied my churro craze that I've had for months! Loved how it was so hot and the chocolate dip was so rich. Now that I have tasted these babies, I'd make a trip out here just for the churros.
Get the sangria, you won't regret it.
I spent a pretty penny here for lunch, but worth it! -
Review from Gwen S.
North Bergen, NJ
8/31/2011
Ordered:
Paella
Salad (w/ herb croutons)
Complimentary Sangria (4Square Deal)
I'm not a tapas kind of person, but I enjoyed the food here very much. The portions didn't make you feel like you were fighting over a tiny plate of food. Paella was a little salty, but they were definitely not cheap on the the seafood. The seafood in the paella was fresh and cooked to perfection. The salad was good, but nothing too exciting. Next time I will try something else on the menu.
If you check in here on foursquare, you get a complimentary glass of sangria. Watered down, but hey! it's a free glass!
Ambiance is great. Felt cozy and not too loud to have a conversation with friends. -
Review from Michael B.
New York, NY
7/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is pretty damn good! Highly recommend this place for tapas. This place is also somewhat affordable compared to what you could spend in the area.
Recommend:
-Dátiles con Beicon (bacon wrapped dates...uh huh)
-Espinacas a la Catalana (Spinach with raisins and pine nuts. This is amazing)
-Croquetas Cremosas (fried balls of love and cream...need I say more? Set of 6. 3 with ham and 3 veggie)
Other items which are not on their regular menu
-Flat bread with onions and deliciousness
-Goat cheese with bread and raisins (best cheese ever) -
Review from Vania R.
5/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came in here for tapas, after using the Yelp app to find someplace new to try. We'd never had a rosé sangria before, so when we saw it on the menu, we decided to have that instead of our usual red. It was light, refreshing and a good choice for a sunny day. If you like spinach, definitely get the espinacas a la Catalana. It's delicious! The sweetness of the raisins balances out the vinegar and the pine nuts add a nice crunch to the dish. The txipirones were amazing! The baby squid were grilled perfectly, and the romesco dressing was to-die-for. We wanted just a little bite of something else, so we ordered the cojonudo. The toast had a thin slice of really delicious chorizo topped with a fried quail egg on top. The egg added a richness to the chorizo that was amazing. It was the perfect little bite we needed.
Service was good. Our server was attentive but still allowed us to just sit and chat without much interruption. I'm taking a star off because of cleanliness - while the dining room itself was clean, the restroom smelled disgusting! I had expected better at such a nice place. -
Review from Summer M.
Manhattan, NY
12/7/2011
So it's a Friday night, my girlfriend and I have had a stressful week, and what better way to decompress before a weekend of more stress than a nice dinner out? As we're both lovers of tapas, we were excited about trying this place and happy to see they were open till midnight (as we tend to be late night diners). We called to see if we needed a reservation and were told that come 11pm it wasn't necessary. We prettied up a bit and headed over, arriving just before 11:30pm. The ambiance was romantic and soothing- just what we had in mind. It was shaping up to be a delightful evening until the hostess looked at us and said, "sorry, but we called 'last seating' about 10min ago." "Last seating??" WTF??? If you wanted to stop seating people at 11:30pm, why not list that as your closing time? Why not warn someone who's calling late in the evening to ask about a reservation and confirming your midnight closing time, "oh, but we stop seating 1/2 hour earlier." I'm not one to show up 10min before closing and expect full service, but 1/2 an hour seems withing the bounds of acceptable. Apparently not at Boqueria. EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING.
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Review from Anastacia S.
New York, NY
9/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Okay this place is awesome! The decor - perfect for a work lunch and then turned down to be sleek and cool for a dinner date. The food - OMG! The lamb meatballs made me want to weep tears of joy at how delicious they were. If it were socially acceptable I would have licked the plate for the amazing sauce. The Drinks - Okay, this may be the best sangria I have ever had EVER. Rose Sangria??? Never had it until here and it was so refreshing and so good, it was easy to throw back 3 before I had to stop myself. The Staff - great! Very nice and relaxed. I would recommend Boqueria to anyone for anything. Fantastic!!
Listed in: The More the Merrier! Let's…
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Review from Harrison E.
New York, NY
4/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had 11 in our group for a busy Saturday night and we were treated exceptionally well. Our waitress, Annabelle, was perfect; patient, knowledgeable about the food and wine, and very friendly.
The food was cooked to order, the wine selection is pretty good (mmmm Vall Llach from the Priorat region!!), and the ambiance and authenticity is much like you'd find in Barcelona.
Well done. -
Review from Nina B.
New York, NY
7/28/2011
I should begin by saying that I first found out about this restaurant when walking through the Union Square Farmer's Market one day, and saw a sous chef walking through the market with a Boqueria cart full of fresh produce. Now, any place that shops locally and as fresh as the farmer's market deserves at least one visit. In fact, this is my third time dining at Boqueria, and each time seems to get better than the last. The first two occasions were at the Flatiron location, and my oh-so-enjoyable 3rd visit was last night in Soho.
Typically, I am not a fan of places where you cannot make reservations unless your party is 6 people or more. However, we decided to take our chances around 8pm on a Wednesday night. Sure enough, the place was packed. Luckily, we didn't have to wait long because we opted to sit at the bar overlooking the kitchen. To me, this only added to our experience because we had the privy of being able to watch everything being prepared and hoping that the next dish would be ours. In addition, because we wanted to try almost everything that we saw the kitchen produce, we've already planned what to order on our next visit.
Everything that we ordered was amazing. And we tried A LOT. Highlights were the fried quail eggs and chorizo on toast (a bite-sized piece of heaven), the croquetas cremosas (I have never met a croquette that I didn't like & indeed I loved these), the Txipirones w/ Chorizo (this was a daily special and it was our favorite of the night...so many wonderful flavors that came together on that plate), the Albondigas (best meatballs ever), the 36-month-aged Jamon Iberico (best tip ever from our server - chew it longer for the flavor to come out), and the Torrija y Helado (although we didn't try the other desserts...we assume that this, by far, is the best choice. We will get that again on our next visit).
The service was amazing. Our server was Chris, who was absolutely perfect and he kept us entertained throughout the meal.
Add this one to the "returning soon" list. -
Review from Bonnie K.
Brooklyn, NY
11/6/2011
My go-to tapas and wine bar in this area is Bar Carrera, but when I want a change in scenery I come here. They have more "food" on the menu. Great to come here after a long day of shopping.
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Review from Tiffany L.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
It was a typical Tuesday night and we walked in around 8:30pm without a reservation. I appreciated that we didn't have to wait, and the decor was super modern and hip.
The white sangria was delicious and the food was good. I wouldn't say that the food was better than I can get anywhere else, but it was all tasty.
I would probably give this place 3.5 stars but unfortunately I don't have that option. If you are in the area check this place out, but it isn't on my must eat NYC list. -
Review from Megan L.
Huntington, NY
Updated - 5/22/2011
So as referenced in my last review on boqueria, I recently had my 27th bday party at boqueria in soho. Came in tow with a rowdy party of 13 ppl, many of whom are functioning social alcoholics or gargantuan sized men with big appetites who were apprehensive about how full they could get on tapas. I have obviously already been to this place and reviewed the food so I thought I would take this opportunity to review how they handled this undesirable group.
There was a probem w two small things with the evening. The first was the table they sat us at. When I made the reservation I was told I'd probably get the booth tables in the back of the restaurant, which are set apart from the rest of the place. Wouldve been ideal for a large party that wanted to hold actual conversations with one another in a busy restaurant. But instead they gave me a large rectangular table smack in the middle of the place. It was loud, very loud and impossible for me to converse w my friends who were at the other end of the table unless I physically got up and went over to them. But it was not the end of the world - another party ended up back there after a kittle bit so clearly they were just trying to accommodate everyone.
The only other problem was the fact that although the restaurant kept the pitchers of sangria flowing, they were $34 each. Very delicious but that is very pricey and I know the group wasn't thrilled. But, as one good friend put it, it was a special occasion and since we are in our late twenties, we are too old to nickel and dime good food and drinks.
The food was delicious as it was last time and they served it family style with huge portions. Even my large strapping guy friends were full. The lamb skewers were a huge hit and the paella was fantastic and plentiful.
AND get this: my one friend is allergic to shellfish so the paella was out of the question. Our server noticed she couldn't eat it and offered to get her something else. A few min later she brought my friend a plate of very tasty steak. My friend was eternally grateful.
The overall group experience was very pleasant. The servers we're extremely attentive: there was always drinks and plates flowing. The seating situation couldve been better and the drinks a little cheaper. But hey, that's the price you pay when you bring hungry social alcoholics into a very nice soho tapas place.
I def recommend this place for a group, for 4 ppl, for 2 ppl or even alone. Its just awesome.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/10/2011
I am having my birthday dinner at this restaurant in a couple weeks and that is going to be a party… Read more »
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