I was at this location of this Basque and Spanish restaurant a while ago with a group, with their…read moreoriginal location being in Harlem. The table we sat at was quite large, and I think it could have fit a few more people. The staff was friendly, and the lighting wasn't too dark, nor was it too loud. While I liked the atmosphere, I found the food, or rather specifically the tapas, to be not good at best, while the main dishes were better but also ranged in quality. The fact that the tapas we ordered were pretty closely priced to the mains means I would recommend the mains only based on portion and taste alone. To drink, a bunch of us split a bottle of wine from their large and pretty reasonably priced selection.
The first tapas that arrived was something that I could not eat. This was the Pulpo Zarautz for $32, listed as octopus with garlic and merken seasoning served over mashed baby potatoes. The dish was small, and people thought it was OK as they found the pieces of octopus a tad chewy. They liked the spices but were surprised that the potatoes were a bit cool.
The $24 Gambas Al Ajillo, with slow-cooked prawns, white wine, EVOO, garlic, and mermen, was alright. There was a handful of shrimp, and they were decently cooked, but the "ajillo," or rather, the garlic, was very light. Therefore, I found it a bit bland, which is almost never the case for this dish. I wouldn't recommend this based on price and flavor.
Last and least of the tapas was the $22 Tortilla De Patatas, listed simply as a Spanish omelette. There was an option to add chorizo for $2 more, which we did. Along with the omelette, this also arrived with a few sauces and some pieces of crunchy bread, which were the highlight, as the omelette wasn't good either. The texture of the omelette was very different than any other Spanish omelette I've ever had. It was quite soft with a bit of chew, with a mild chorizo flavor. Along with the greenish color, it wasn't exactly appetizing. I wouldn't recommend this at all, but thankfully, that was the last tapas we ordered.
My favorite of the main dishes was the Solomillo & Pebre for $28, listed as skirt steak topped with parsley and olive oil, with hand-cut fried potato and salad. While not the most tender, as it is a skirt steak, it was still well-flavored with the topping almost reminding me, to an extent, of a less oily version of chimichurri. The potatoes had a unique texture, being slightly crispy on the outside while remaining slightly soft in the middle. The salad on the side, which also arrived with one of our other mains, was a tasty mix and certainly more effort than a typical salad you find in many of these places.
We also liked the $32 Costillas De Cerdito, with pork ribs in beer, mustard, and rosemary with hand-cut fried potato and salad. The pork ribs were flavorful, though I did find a bit of it to be a bit fatty, but some of that is expected with pork ribs. The mildly sweet and slightly rich sauce paired with the pork ribs. The same comments from before can be made about the potatoes and salad.
Last was the OK Paella De Mariscos for $38, listed as rice cooked with shrimp, mussels, clams, prawns, and fresh saffron. The portion size was good, with a lot of mussels and clams in particular, and a handful of shrimp. Of the bite I had of the two large prawns, they were plump and juicy as well. However, the rice was both a bit bland and a tad mushy and felt a bit overcooked compared to many other paellas. There was some socarrat on the bottom as per usual, which was the best part.
It's a bit difficult to rate this place. The spices, textures, and flavors were lacking from the overpriced tapas, and I honestly wouldn't recommend any of them. For the main dishes, they were tasty, but you can get a better-cooked skirt steak at many other places for a similar price. The ribs were decent, and the paella was just OK. If we only had the tapas, I probably would be giving this place a 1, but for the whole meal, an upper 2, rounded up.
