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Pala
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Gluten-Free Restaurants Vegan Pizza, Gluten-Free, Vegan [Edit]
198 Allen St(between Stanton St & Houston St)
New York, NY 10002
Neighborhood: Lower East Side
(212) 614-7252
Announcement
Go Big Blue Special....
All day SuperBowl Sunday
Order any 2 pies get the 3rd one FREE!!!
available for delivery and take out only.
- Nearest Transit:
-
2 Av (F)
Delancey St (F)
Essex St (J, M, Z)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 4 pm - 12 am
Fri 4 pm - 1 am
Sat 12 pm - 1 am
Sun 12 pm - 12 am
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Classy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
229 reviews for Pala
Review Highlights
"The cherry tomato sauce is also a nice touch of tartness."
(in 12 reviews)
"I love the fact that they use Daiya cheese."
(in 20 reviews)
"funghi e salsiccia in humongous portions to share."
(in 5 reviews)
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229 reviews in English
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Review from Brent B.
New York, NY
1/14/2012
Fantastic place to eat. Went there with gf tonight (who is a celiac) and they more than met all expectations and truly served great food. They basically can do the entire menu gluten free including all pastas and pizza. We had the Arancini and a salad for starters, the salad was very good I forget the name think it was Fresco something or another... it had fava beans in it..
For the pizza we had the spinach pizza which was absolutely amazing. You couldnt tell it was gluten free crust at all.
Excellent wait staff, great ambiance, great food, will 100% be going back.
Best restaurant in NY for people with gluten allergies. -
Review from Anne C.
Astoria, NY
12/13/2011
Stopped in before a show with a friend to grab a quick bite and was pleasantly surprised at how much we both liked it.
Service: Our waiter was probably the best waiter I've ever had. First he recommended that we split a pizza and a salad between the two of us since we're small women. It was a great suggestion so we took it; we had plenty to eat and it & ended up saving us money. Secondly he was attentive but not pushy. And lastly, he saved my friends phone when we almost walked out without it.
Atmosphere: Cute. Not sure romantic or cozy. Has more of a "hipster" feel to it with exposed brink and an old garage door as part of the decor, but clean and pleasant.
Food: Was VERY good. The menu is not very extensive, but they have a vegan menu that we ordered off of and both the salad and the pizza were good.
Drinks & Dessert: We did not try either. The wine list is not very long but had some interesting choices like a Montepulciano. I didn't even glimpse the Dessert menu but I will check it out next time I promise.
Vegan/Macro/Gluten-free options: Vegan is easy with the vegan menu; however, Macro options might be a little more limited as the serve a lot of Daiya cheese there which is of course processed (and tasty). I'm sure you could do a salad without the cheese though. One thing to note is that they are VERY good with gluten free options for those that can't do the gluten.
Overall: I will be going back again to try new options and see about those desserts. -
Review from Allison T.
12/1/2011
Maybe it is good that I don't live in New York City because I might have to claim bankruptcy due to over consumption of their delicious pizza. We sampled regular crust + gluten-free & devoured both. I don't know what they do to their Daiya to make it this amazing but I can't seem to replicate it on my own. Tragic for me, great for them.
A star was subtracted because in the midst of serving our drinks, a spill occurred & the drink wasn't replaced with a new one even though a lot of it was in my lap. Picky but it is a nice place.
I was very grateful someone in our group had the foresight to make reservations.
Yum. -
Review from Hugo B.
Manhattan, NY
1/28/2012
Pizza was delicious. This isn't your standard pizzeria that sells slices. I am definitely going back.
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Review from D H.
New York, NY
1/22/2012
Pala has the best gluten-free pizza in the city, and I've tried most places. Their GF pizza tastes like normal pizza. They do make regular, non-gluten free pizza there too.
My favorite pizzas are the Zucchina, Porri E Salsiccia, and the Fungi E Salsiccia. I didn't love the Zucca, but that's just personal perference. The risotto balls are also delicious and in the summer they had a delicious appetizer special that was zucchini blossoms with goat cheese inside. The bottles of wine are reasonably priced and the cocktails are tasty also. They have dried sprigs of oregano on the table that are great on the pizza.
Besides going there for dinner, anytime I'm nearby I pick up a couple pizzas to take home for the next couple days.
Also, in the summer the garage door walls open and it's nice to sit outside or in with fresh air. They have one big table for a group dinner. -
Review from Michelle L.
Philadelphia, PA
11/30/2011
My friend and I walked into Pala the night she flew in for a visit. As hungry as she was, she refused to eat at all of the places we walked by for what felt like an hour. Amazingly, Pala seemed up to her standards. She couldn't have been more right, because their pizza was PHENOMS. We tried the mushroom and sausage pizza, which was topped with pillows of the most mind-blowing, melted fresh mozzarella cheese. It was so out-of-this-world I didn't believe it was mozzarella and felt compelled to ask what it was haha. Pretty much like biting into heaven.
They also get points for having prosecco, which I get very excited about for some reason. Gourmet pizza and drinks in a cozy, rustic atmosphere? Can't ask for more - except for maybe a hot, accented wait staff. Oh wait, they have that too! -
Review from Joi B.
10/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Pala is one of those places I have walked by for years unaware of the awesomeness within. I used to work right by here and probably avoided it because it looked like a typical trendy spot for newbie LES thrill seekers. How unfair of me. Note to self: you need to stop being so judgmental. Oh and you need to stop thinking that Allen St. is a deserted wasteland of old mattress shops. It hasn't been that way for about a decade now. Hard to lose that impression, though.
I digress. Pala seems intimate, but they do have a couple large tables that would accommodate a large party. It's dark, candlelit, with an open air kitchen and overall tasteful rustic- at the same time slightly sleek- decor... just a really sweet spot for dinner. The dried oregano flowers on the table are a nice touch, too.
Caveat: The wait staff is probably told to tell you that you can consume an entire pizza by yourself, "if you're very hungry." I don't see how I could possibly be hungry enough to eat one of these things. I was stuffed after one slice of each of the three we ordered for our table of 7. I'd say if there are two of you, you'd do best to order an app or salad and share a pizza, which keep in mind are not super thin crust and have loads of toppings (I'm a huge fan of loads of toppings, of course).
We started with the vegan carciofi al parmigiano salad. It was tasty, but truthfully, I think Daiya cheese really only works when melted (hence it being great on pizza). If you're not vegan, I suggest you don't order the vegan salads because cold, shredded Daiya mixed with greens just doesn't provide a pleasing texture.
Our pizzas:
-patatosa (Daiya cheese and thinly sliced potatoes & zucchini)... I never thought I could possibly tolerate such a weird topping as potatoes on pizza, but this is one of the best unusual pizzas I have ever tasted.
-funghi esalsiccia (spicy, with vegan sausage, Daiya and field mushrooms) PHE-NOM-INAL flavor and I'm a big fan of how the texure of chewy sausage and juicy mushrooms worked together
-romana (field mushrooms, Daiya and lots of tomato sauce) Can't say a negative thing about this. Delicious! But since I appreciated the sausage on the other mushroom pie, it's got a bit of an advantage.
Yes, you can order any pizza gluten-free.
I am definitely a fan of Pala and looking forward to returning again!Listed in: NYC Pizza
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Review from Lauren B.
Manhattan, NY
1/3/2012
My friend insisted on coming here for dinner. I was not into it--the pizza was sloppy-shaped and over-crisped. Not sure I'll try this again.
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Review from Susan P.
Manhattan, NY
11/20/2011
I love Pala! I've been here both with a group of friends (six of us) and for a date, and it's a great place for either. With a bigger group, you can order up a bunch of different pizzas so you can try a few, although one pizza will definitely feed two people. Everything we tried was amaaaazing, although I would give major props to any of the pizza with butternut squash on it. Try it, you'll be converted. Wait staff was great in helping us decide how much food to order and making recommendations. With a big group, we had four different pizzas to try, an appetizer (risotto balls, get them!), and a salad. We all left satisfied, but not stuffed, which is a good feeling.
Both times we had reservations and were seated right away, which is always a plus. The atmosphere is wonderful with candlelight and outdoor seating (if it's warm...it was not when we were there!). Only complain would be that once our big group paid our bill, we were asked to leave. Makes sense since it was a Friday night and there was a wait, but that was the first time I've ever been asked to leave a restaurant.
Will definitely be back here, especially with gluten free friends/family. I have yet to try it, but I can only imagine that it will be delicious! -
Review from Victoria F.
New York, NY
10/10/2011
Pala has one of the best gluten-free pizza options in the city! The ingredients are very fresh and the pizza dough is really one of the best I've tried yet.
Everything feels very rustic and the ambiance is somewhat romantic in the evening time. During the summer, however, they open up the front of the restaurant, and there is outdoor seating.
The only qualm I have with them is that one evening, when it was raining, my friend and I stopped in and there were no two tops available, only 4 seaters and even though half the restaurant was empty, they wouldn't seat us until a 2 seater was open. So after waiting about 7 minutes, we left. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of customer service. -
Review from Leese H.
Washington D.C., DC
Updated - 9/17/2011
I came back to Pala again because I knew the gourmet pizza has always been very promising. But I realized this second time, the appetizers were not so.
It was around 5:30, a peak time when old people come out and have senior dinner. My friends and I were the only ones, along with some other elderly folks, at the restaurant. We had a ravenous appetite, and had a huge craving for calamari. Oddly, the server told us it was all out... which concerns me greatly. (Like, how could an Italian restaurant be out of calamari? It's similar to a Vietnamese restaurant running out of pho.) Anyway, we got the arancini, potato chips, and some meatball appetizer- all were very expensive, and came in small amounts. Not really worth the exuberant price for these small portions.
However, behold... the pizza! Got the bufala cruda with prosciutto and the
funghi e salsiccia in humongous portions to share. My recommendation is to get the funghi e salsiccia, because the copious layering of cheese on top of the mushrooms and sausages was simply heavenly!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/7/2011
Came here on a whim, and dined on a warm, summery night with a friend.
We had outdoor seating, and… Read more »
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Review from Megan V.
New York, NY
10/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
I'll start by saying I didn't try the gluten-free options. The pizza was delicious and the ambiance was great. My colleagues took clients here after an evening event - it was a nice place to just relax, have a few drinks and some food. Service was good too.
I tried the marinated zucchini with goat cheese, cherry tomato sauce, mozzarella and rosemary as well as prosciutto with cherry tomatoes parmesan, basil and mozzarella. Both were a great combo of salty with sweet tomatoes, and I loved the crust. I prefer my crust a little charred, but it was crunchy and not too thick. -
Review from Jen S.
Brooklyn, NY
10/26/2011
A little pricey for pizza? Yes. But let's consider the following:
1. They offer items on the menu that can fit ANY diet. You could be eating nothing but beets and eggplant and they would probably have a pizza for that.
2. The specialty drinks are fantastic (so I hear - I was pregnant when I went) and unexpected - Blueberry Lavender Mojito? Very original!
3. The atmosphere is really lovely - soft candlelight, outdoor seating if it's warm, enough room to move your elbows (that's an impressive quality in an LES restaurant) - and the tables are set with fresh oregano should you choose to get a little adventurous with the spices.
On the downside, they do not take reservations for more than 4 ppl between 6 and 9pm. Very strange. We had a party of 5 and so we reserved a table for 4 thinking we could just pull up an extra chair, but when our fifth person showed up, the waiter had to request that another group be moved to a different table to accomodate us. Very considerate on his part, but this all could have been avoided if they had just let us reserve a table for five! Especially since there were three people sitting at a table set for six!
Overall, a decent dining experience, very good pizza, and a level of service that I would expect for the prices. -
Review from Jean K.
Manhattan, NY
10/10/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Love the thin pizza here! Came here with a party of 8.
Food- 4 Stars
Appetizer- Arancini, fried risotto balls filled with spinach and cheese. DELISH!!
Main- I can't remember which pizza, but we got a few of them and each and everyone of them were great! You seriously can't go wrong with any of them :)
Ambiance- 4 Stars
Will be back Pala! I am craving youuu! -
Review from Kelley K.
9/21/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Gourmet vegan pizza, solid wine and cocktail list, dim, romantic lighting, and true Italian servers?! I'm definitely a fan of Pala.
I came here for my 21st birthday dinner with a group of six other friends and we were promptly seated (we had a reservation) on a table that was half inside-half outside as the weather was nice and they opened up the entire front.
My only complaint would be that I always had to flag down our server to order anything, be it wine or our food. A few friends and I had studied abroad in Florence so we asked where he was from. Coincidentally, he was from Bolgia, a smaller town near Milan where we had gone to see deadmau5 and Steve Aoki! Small world.
I love that Pala has a dual menu: left side is regular Italian made with meats and cheeses, right side is 100% vegan. YESSSS. They also didn't forgo the authenticity of the dishes by making them vegan; I was able to order a funghi and vegan sausage pizza with daiya cheese while my friend got the regular funghi and sausage. They pretty much have a vegan counterpart for anything on the regular menu. I also got the Eggplant Caponata which was warm and had a good helping of sauce.
They also have a great bottle of red wine that I get whenever I see it on a menu, Montepulciano D'abbruzzo. All in all, great place to entertain a group of vegans, gluten-free peeps, and regular omnivores. -
Review from Sonia D.
Manhattan, NY
10/1/2011
I was here for a Bachelorette party dinner last weekend and was thrilled to discover a truly fantastic pizza spot. Gourmet pizzas galore can be found at this trendy Lower East Side restaurant with fresh veggies, meats and tasty cheeses. A bunch of us shared a few different pizzas and I was pretty impressed with the variety of pizzas offered and how well they paired with both the cocktail and wine offerings. My blueberry lavender mojito was divine and our group's favorite pizzas were the etna, romana and inferno -- so look out for those when you drop in.
Overall the ambience was very fun for a Saturday night dinner - candlelit tables, great music and both indoor and outdoor seating areas. All in all it is a great dinner option for both group parties and dates. The only slight issue we had was that our waiter was pretty intense and at times, impatient but it didn't hinder the experience too much. I will be definitely going back to Pala many times in the future, especially with its proximity to about a hundred fun Lower East Side bars to head out to after. -
Review from Alex J.
New York, NY
9/17/2011
We had a reservation, we came on time, and they kept us waiting for over 20 minutes outside. Some restaurants have some sort of an honor system, and they throw in a drink or a desert or a discount into the bill when they mess up. Not here - they will tell you that "people don't show up" or "lots of people want to eat here" and so they overbook, and it's your fault. Unlike even the worst of airlines, they don't clean up after their own mess.
Don't bother making a reservation here. -
Review from Bean H.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2011
So scrumptious.
It's really exciting to find vegan pizza, delicious vegan pizza, that has daiya cheese which in my opinion is the best of them, and has gluten-free options for our celiac friends (and we could all use a bit of cutting down on the gluten anywho.) I recommend the etna, but heck, they all look amazing.
The only reason this is 4 stars instead of 5 is because it is on the expensive side of things. But for a gourmet yummy meal, it is worth the occasional splurge.
The drinks (while pricey) are also delicious. The limoncello limonata was creative and thirst quenching. The wine and beer are tasty too.
The service is lovely as well. It's a great balance of fancy and casual at this place. The waiters are sweet and introduce your options with expert yet down-to-earth culinary zeal.
Pala opens to the outside and has outdoor seating as well, with rustic decor, making for a lovely twilit summer evening dinner. -
Review from Audrey T.
Manhattan, NY
9/26/2011
We ordered gourmet beers, a caponata app, a spinach salad, and a mushroom pizza. The food was fantastic. The apps were cooked to perfection, no easy task when eggplant is involved, and the salad was expertly dressed although a little heavy on the gorgonzola. The only think holding me back from a stellar review was the server. The guy came to the table a little too often and then forgot water and had to be prompted for the next beer order. What was he doing each time? Badgering us for our order (before the meal) even though we were chatting over drinks; and then badgering us for a dessert order. By the end he seemed to be saying, "If you have no dessert order, you gotta go." I get that it's NYC and a busy hotspot but seriously we had only finished the meal five minutes before the hinted boot.
Oh, and a big faux pas: No clean plate between messy app and pizza. I didn't order a caponata pizza. When a member of our party of four requested one, the server said, "Oh, you want a clean plate?" and brought by one. One plate. Was this is the name of being green? -
Review from Emily K.
Flushing, NY
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
Excellent pizza! I had zucchini, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese and it was superb! The dough was soft and crispy. Drinks very potent. Waiter was pleasant and not annoying like some places, she had just the right amount of interaction. I sat outside which was nice as the weather was permitting. I will definitely be going back here.
In another note, they had glutin free pizza and a vegan side of the menu for those that are interested. Decent wine selection and also had pasta/anti pasta.
I highly recommend! -
Review from Ali M.
Astoria, NY
7/11/2011 1 photo
This is the perfect place to bring people for dinner when you have a variety of different dietary needs in your group.
Case in point - I am a vegetarian who tries to avoid dairy for health reasons (so I always eat vegan pizza), and I came here with another vegetarian/dairy-avoiding friend, plus a friend who can't eat gluten, and then my sister who can eat anything and enjoys meat.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our pizza.
It's a bit pricey (for pizza), so I'd only come here on special occasions. If I just want a slice or two of vegan pizza, viva herbal in the east village is not far away. -
Review from Dennis P.
New York, NY
7/14/2011 Seated via OpenTable
Delectable foot-long pizzas! I've had the fungata, cipollotta, spinaci, inferno, and the etna so far and have had absolutely no complaints. Each one was like an orgasm of organic flavors in my mouth. I adore mushrooms and the fungata does not disappoint - it's an explosion of rich earthy flavor.
I had the Vegan Etna for the first time. The veggie sausage was tasty and the daiya/FYH cheese was palatable, but both are definitely not substitutes for the real stuff.
The ambiance is usually good and the service spot-on. I'll be back soon. -
Review from Liz S.
Evanston, IL
I love this place! My only complaint was that they were out of the first 3 beers i tried to order; it didn't seem like that was the usual case, as the waiter said they were in the process of changing the menu. The food menu was a little confusing, just because they have 3 or 4 different color-coded symbols and some sections say to specify gluten-free and some say other things. But everything except for the gnocchi and the veggie sausage could be made GF, which is amazing!! I had the potato leek soup, lamb pizza, and tarta di mele. The soup had some fresh rosemary (and/or oregano i think) sprinkled on top, with a drizzle of olive oil. I love to put olive oil on my soup! The bits of leek were very tasty and there was the right amount of leek and potato bits, but the herbs on top ended up overpowering the other flavors of the soup. The pizza was delicious and I wouldn't have known it was gluten-free. yesss! These both came out very hot...straight from the oven. I was happy they had a GF apple tart (made with rice flour according to the menu), but, though still tasty, it wasn't what I was expecting. It was a shortbread-like tart with some cooked apples placed on top. Maybe this is the roman version of apple tart..? The tart base was the right amount of sweetness, but a bit grainy, as most GF pastries often are.
Definitely recommend this place, whether you have food allergies or not. I think they do a good job not making it seem like eating gluten free is weird ;) -
Review from Nick B.
Manhattan, NY
11/5/2011
Best pizza in the village. Risotto balls are ridiculous as well. Great gluten free options!
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Review from Jason G.
5/1/2011
This more of a gourmet pizza place than your run-of-the-mill New York pizza. You know, the kind that has slices of cheese, not grated, and full fresh basil leaves. Our server was Italian, somewhat fobbish. The oven looked like it was made out of brick (although the bricks might have been ceramic), but really it was a metallic over set back in a brick enclosure. There is exposed brick on the walls.
We ordered zucchini blossoms and buffalo mozzarella pizza with prosciutto. Both were delicious. The pizza had a bizarre shape to it, like a semi-circle. I've had better gourmet pizza, but this was pretty good. -
Review from Dave C.
Hopkinton, MA
11/12/2011
Loved this restaurant! Went there for Gluten Free fair and was not disappointed. Location is easy to get to from the F train. Ambiance is small, busy and a little loud. Staff was very helpful, nice, professional. The food was great. Most of the menu items can be prepared GF. They have a separate pizza oven (lower right) for cooking GF pizzas. Also make the GF dough in a separate area from regular pizza dough. The appetizers, salads and pizza were all outstanding.
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Review from Gretchen G.
Atlanta, GA
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Great Gluten Free pizza, they can really work with any of the pizzas on the menu and have a dedicated oven for your delicious gluten free crust. They also have pasta but I didn't try it. The ambiance was very urban and the environment is very dark which I like. It was tad cold and the big "garage" doors were open so bring a sweater. The service was great too and they also have good gluten free desserts. It was a fun way to spend my birthday. Only 4 stars because I had an 730pm reservation for my birthday and we were 30mn late due to traffic and they gave it away even though I called them 3 times to apologize and would have pre ordered champagne to hold the table.
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Review from Laryssa W.
Jersey City, NJ
5/23/2011 1 photo
I love this place! As someone who is trying to convert from vegetarian to vegan, I also love that Pala has an entire vegan pizza menu. You mean I can be a vegan and still enjoy one of my favorite foods?!
As a party of one, I was seated at the bar and very well attended. The cute bartender kept refilling my water and making sure that I was happy. I was a little taken aback by the prices ($17 for the asparagi pizza that I ordered), but I took enough home to feed me for two small meals. You can absolutely share a pizza with one or even two other people if you order a bunch of appetizers.
The asparagi has veggie sausage (very believable texture and taste), small pieces of asparagus, cherry tomatoes, and daiya mozzarella "cheese". As this was my first experience with daiya, I wasn't sure what to expect. In fact, I expected the worst.
I LOVED IT. The crust was thin, but not too thin, and chewy, just the way I like it. The cheese had the texture of the real thing. It tasted a little bit creamier and richer than the mild mozz I'm used to (I've had the best of the best mozz in Hoboken), but I liked it just the same. All the flavors melded perfectly.
I took a little more than half the pizza home with me and snacked on it for much of the next day. It even tasted great cold! I'm still dreaming about the pizza. I need to get back as soon as possible. -
Review from L O.
New York, NY
12/18/2011
food- o.k. the vegan pizza is pretty good but most vegan food in the area is more focused on getting a nutrient-dense meal for your buck. my 17$ pizza was white crust, daiya cheese, veggie sausage, and some mushrooms.no sauce. the 8$ antipasto was good but really tiny. we made a reservation on yelp but the waiter said, that although my name was on the list, the reservation page from yelp doesnt refresh or something so we didnt have a table when we got there and waited for about 15-20 minutes. ok overall, but i wouldn't go out of my way again. esp. not for the 49 $ bill for 2 pizzas and an appetizer, no drinks.
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Review from Susan s.
Updated - 1/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Its been a couple months since my last review. I am in love with the gluten-free daiya cheese pizza with veggies and basil.
enough said.Listed in: VEGAN and Gluten-Free…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/25/2010
This weekend I met up with a girl friend of mine and we chose Pala as our lunch spot. She was a… Read more »
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Review from melissa l.
Minneapolis, MN
4/19/2011
The pizzas were delicious, but the prices and quality of service convince me of better places in LES.
Ordered a drink and did not feel buzzed at all. This is coming from a girl who drinks half a bottle of beer and starts turning red. To charge ten dollars for juice and a splash of vodka is criminal.
Service was surprisingly mediocre. Water refills are rare and everyone seemed impatient. We had a surprise guest and while they helped us get a larger table, there was a lot of eye rolling.
Appetizers were mixed. The arancini were a bit larger than golf balls but tasted just like fried mozzarella sticks. The lamb sausage was cooked waaay too dry, requiring a generous slather of the yogurt sauce. Both were $8 and I can't say they were worth it.
As for the pizzas, we ordered the spinaci and etna on gluten free crusts. The spinaci had too much spinach making the pizza bitter. It was tempered by some of the ricotta but that wasn't evenly spread. The crusts were AMAZING though, especially for being gluten free. Loved the etna, with eggplant and leeks. So good!
If I were to do it all over again, I'd order the etna as takeout, take it home, mix myself a strong negroni and eat it with my boyfriend. -
Review from Sunny B.
New York, NY
Updated - 6/21/2011
Unfortunately my last two visits to Pala warrants an update to my earlier review. Service was not as smooth as the first visit, perhaps they were overwhelmed by a very busy night, but perhaps assigning an extra waitress/waiter in nights like these would be a good idea. We felt forgotten about and water was very slow in reaching the table. Little details like that made for a lackluster dining experience. Not for that price.
The meal was equally blah- my pasta dish was $15 and there was nothing remarkable about it. Not at all.
Very loud. Voices really carry and are amplified at this place.
2 stars for the gluten free pizzas, which are pretty good.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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7/3/2010
I have to give 5 stars based on service alone. Our waitress was friendly, engaging and efficient-… Read more »
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Review from Jim P.
1/12/2011
Stopped in here after a visit to the Meatball shop around the corner.
I wanted dessert in a different location.
Came here for a really nice dessert special they had of Biscotti, and cream, with fresh berries. It was actually amazing. The cream was similar to the taste you would get in a canoli only more pliable and slightly sweeter. The bicsotti was not the hard tooth busting kind you get on a Jet Blue flight, but, softer, and dippable in your cream. For $7 I thought this was a deal, and more than enough for 2 people to share.
Nice selection of teas. Attentive service, that was very accommodating.
This place is small, with a rustic feel to it, but it's warm and relaxed.
The pizza really looks wonderful. I'll need to come back for that. -
Review from Sonia C.
1/24/2011 Seated via OpenTable
I ventured here on a frigid Thursday night, armed with 2 InBundles and 4 friends to try their gluten-free pizza. I have zero dietary restrictions, but I'm intrigued by the idea of a wheat-free crust made from tapioca and beans and Pala's gluten-free vegan pizza had gotten good reviews. I opted for the vegan, gluten-free asparagi pizza (vegan sausage, asparagus, tomatoes, and daiya cheese) and I wasn't disappointed. The only thing I didn't like about the pizza was the daiya cheese, which had a mushy, cream cheesy consistency - I would have preferred chewier mozzarella. However, the crust was really good and I probably couldn't tell that it was gluten-free had I not known. It was a tad chewier than normal pizza crust with a stronger flavor but it was tasty.
I also tried the risotto balls which were good, but nothing spectacular. They're one of those foods that are hard to mess up: rice (good) + cheese (good) + tomato sauce (good) + fried (good).
Service was great. Our waitress was nice and came to check on us a bunch of times to make sure everything was ok. -
Review from Katie F.
Manhattan, NY
10/8/2011
This is a super fancy place to go on a nice date. The vegan pizza is really great! They should expand their vegan menu a little bit more. I would love to see something with vegan pesto.
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Review from Christine Y.
New York, NY
5/2/2011
Came here with my poor gluten-intolerant BFF before a Rockwood show one rainy night and was pleasantly surprised! The restaurant is so quaint with the exposed red brick and the service is pretty decent. Even their Cokes are super cute - they come in the old school mini glass bottles. But most of all, everything we ordered was delicious - and their gluten-free pizza is better than most normal pizzas!
We hungrily shared their fried calamari appetizer, a parmesan/pistachio/apple summer salad, and the "spinaci" gluten-free pizza (sauteed spinach, ricotta, cherry tomato sauce, mozzarella, garlic and parsley pesto). I cannot stress enough, ALL of the dishes were DIVINE! We finished everything except a slice or two of the pizza. The salad had these big ol' slices of fresh parmesan and their dressing was some sort of homemade vinaigrette. The calamari, though seemingly mundane, was crispy without being oily and the squid itself was very fresh (i.e. not "chewy"). I have nothing but fond memories of this place. The only downside was that it was cold being seated next to the door, but I can't complain since we didn't have to wait for a table! -
Review from c d.
Brooklyn, NY
3/2/2011
I was so psyched to find a gluten free spot considering that too much gluten for me is a no-no. I first came here on a Friday but early, around 4 pm. The staff was friendly and our waiter was very attentive and helpful with menu selection. I had the fava bean salad and the lamb sausage pizza with gluten free crust. DELICIOUS! You forget that there is not one crumb of wheat in the pizza. The crust is thin and crispy and the flavors blend very well.
1 WEEK LATER.....
I was so happy with the food and the service that I brought one of my friends to the restaurant a week later. This time we went around 7 pm and most of the tables were booked for reservation.
NOTE: After 5 pm, MAKE A RESERVATION.
We were seated uncomfortably close to another 2 person table. Even the couple at this table requested a little space and privacy.---there was literally 2 inches separating our tables. This place isn't small but we had to deal with it unfortunately---minus 1 star.
Our waiter was less memorable. He barely came back to the table to check on us and when he constantly looked over at us with a "I wish you would hurry up and finish eating" look. --minus 1 star
Maybe my second experience here was not meant to be good. Besides the claustrophobic dining experience and the shotty service, the pizza was not good---
NOTE: Do NOT order the pecorino cheese pizza with the parsley. You will gag.
While I do like the concept of the restaurant, I will not be back for a while. The whole experience was a real headache. -
Review from W. L.
Brooklyn, NY
3/14/2011
We celebrated two birthdays here this past Saturday night. The price was reasonable for six people with drinks and deserts. The food was above average and all of the gluten-free food was great. The calamari (gluten-free) was very good. The gluten-free pizza crust was just fine too.
Service could have been a little better. Out waiter struggled with his own patience when dealing with our large and slightly indecisive group. Also, I my water, along with my lady's, was never refilled during the meal.
I sought this place out because we had midwestern, meat-eaters in from out of town along with local vegans and celiacs. This place seemed to please everyone; something hard to find. -
Review from Sherrie S.
Philadelphia, PA
12/8/2010 1 Check-in Here
I really want to give Pala a 5 star rating, so I did. However I just want to say, the hostess almost blew it for me entirely and I almost left without eating.
We made our dinner reservation in advance, while noting that it was a special occasions for a reason. Most people tend to do this to ensure a proper table will be waiting and with proper service. However, we almost left without sitting down to eat because Pala initially lacked both.
The hostess that greeted us was snotty and rude. When we arrived we realized that our table of six would literally be sitting in the main entrance, pretty much out the door. The hostess told us that all 6 top tables are sat there, no matter what. The way they had the tables didn't even make sense, I can't fathom this is the way it "always is". I am pretty flexible when it comes to making things "work", but this was outrageous, laughable at most. I understand this seating arrangement may not have been in the hostess control, however she could've dealt with it in a more professional way.
Thank god the hostess reluctantly agreed to rearrange things and give us a proper table, because the food was well worth it. It was beyond well worth it, it was amazing. Our table service was amazing as well. Very friendly, helpful and knowledgeable about the menu and their gluten-free cuisine. They make all the appetizers, pizza and pasta gluten-free. They also serve regular wheat pizza and pasta dishes. Their gf pizza is the best I've ever had. Most of my friends who eat wheat also noshed on the gf pizzas and said the gf crusts were even better than the regular ones!
I will definitely make sure Pala is on my go-to list of NYC eateries every time I'm back in my home state city. -
Review from marie r.
Astoria, NY
7/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Loved the gluten free options. Everything is delicious, you can't go wrong with this place.
