I was honestly shocked by how much I loved this place! We did the tasting menu, which was $65 per person, and I also ordered the passion fruit cocktail. It was fab! Most of all, what I really appreciated with every bite is that I wanted more and that it was so unique compared to anything else that I had ever tried. I thought the tasting menu was a really good deal, but you should also consider booking just a la carte because everything was so solid. You can tell when the chips served alongside the guacamole are so delicious and so unique that the rest of the meal is going to be incredible. I will say that it did seem slightly understaffed. Our waiters did the best they could, but dinner took longer than expected. It was still a great experience for both those on dates and those there with friends! read more

See all

4.5 stars, 5 for food and 4 for service Food was delish! My favorites were the gem salad elote and the guac. We also got the crispy snapper taco and the duck to share. I loved all the sauces that they give to each table that I couldn't decide which one I liked more. The drinks were very good as well. We got the deconstructed margarita and I really enjoyed it as well as the pina colada cocktail. Service was a bit on the slower side but to be fair, there weren't many people working the tables. Also one of our dishes got served to the wrong table and then never came :( definitely wanna come back to try the tuna tartare which was the dish that didn't get delivered. read more

Xixa - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Xixa is a great upscale Mexican restaurant in Brooklyn. The space is a bit small, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. Every dish we tried was packed with flavor, and they have a huge selection of cocktails to choose from. Everything was delicious, and I'll definitely be back. read more

See all

4.4 and rounded up. Ambiance 4 stars. Food 5 stars. Service 4.3 stars. AMBIANCE: Walking to the restaurant from the subway, it's located on an unassuming block at the corner of 4th St and Havemeyer in Williamsburg, front of store doesn't particularly stand out. Walking in they've decorated with creative, crafty (in a good way) touches--the multitude of ropes draped from the ceiling add dimension to the ceiling and the bar back wall is composed of wood pieces forming a multi-colored herringbone pattern. Textured glass pendant lights hanging from the ceiling throw mini geometric patterns across the dark walls, and vibrant canvas artworks add pictorial interest along the walls. FOOD: YUM. I can see why this place was jam packed on a Saturday night, and reservations are needed. Strong recommendation for their tasting menu at $58 pp, what a delightful meal! 8 sharing dishes and 3 desserts were perfect for a party of five, and drinks are separate though you can add a cocktail pairing for $47. For each main they provide a serving per person, and the desserts are shared. I came hungry and was so full by the end of the meal--everything was delicious! - grapefruit guacamole w/house-made chips: the grapefruit chunks were "meaty" and surprisingly went really well with the guac, it added a different citrus element than the usual lime. Comes with a small bowl of maybe 6-7 chips and we asked for two chips refills since the chips to guac and salsa ratio was low. - spicy faroe islands' salmon tartar: tasty and I liked the latin flavors and corn, snow peas, a touch of wasabi. Flavors of the sesame-soy-truffle-lemon vin and crema got a little muddled. Relatively more "generic" dish of the evening though I was here for it! Any dish with fresh tender salmon, I can't complain. - blue crab and carrot tostada, generous shredded crab salad on top of freshly crisp blue corn tortilla. Topped with pumpkin seeds, dill, cilantro, and saffron-orange aioli. - three cheese & artichoke 'queso fundido': served in a very hot ceramic pot and super melty and delicious, eaten with the fluffy grilled pita and green apple slices + salsa. One of the top picks of the evening. - roasted bone marrow and chorizo, served as tacos with fresh blue corn tortillas, and added a sprinkle of pickled onions--does that sound amazing? Bc it was AAHMAZING. - spicy chipotle-guajillo shimp 'diablo' (not spicy): served with pumpkin tortillas and three accompaniments on the side--mushroom chile crisp, horseradish crema, celery 'salsa macha". Part 2 to make your own tacos was another hit! Our entire table agreed if they sold the sauce for the shrimp we'd all buy it. - heritage pork osso bucco 'carnitas' with Fall-spiced black mole, sour cherry mostardo, calabrian chile pesto: cue drooling now. This part 3 of the tacos was served on pumpkin tortillas; the meat was practically falling off the bone, tender, juicy and flavorful. - buffalo-style com 'elote: sooo good too! A little messier to eat since it comes drizzled with spicy hot sauce butter, feta, lime aioli, cilantro, though totally worth it! - Desserts: --green tea matcha churros: comes with two little pots of spiced mexican chocolate & passion fruit sauce. Warm, sugary and crisp without being too sweet. --pumpkin spiced-vanilla flan: topped with sour cherries, cocoa nibs & toasted seed 'trail mix", if you love flan you'll love this, so smooth and creamy with a bit of crunch and tang from the cherries. --pistachio tres leches cake with cream cheese frosting, raspberry, using an olive oil cake: we all agreed this was probably the best tres leches we've ever had. The pistachio nuttiness and the creaminess from the milks paired well. SERVICE: Very friendly and attentive service though it was very loud in the restaurant and they had to really shout. There was a delay in the middle of our meal I think bc kitchen was slammed, after the entree we waited about 35 min for our desserts. Considering they limited the seating to 2 hours and about half of our party arrived 20 min late, and accounting for the long wait pre-dessert, they did us solid by extending our table time by about an hour in total. Also great that they brought the first dessert out with a candle for my friend's birthday. read more

See all

A trendy spot for modern Mexican eats! Everything was baseline yummy, standouts include Blue Crab Tostada, Shrimp and Scallop Tacos and Tiramisu Tres Leches. Vegetarian options were super great too, and decent selection. We ordered à la carte, but there's a chef's tasting menu for $63 which feels well worth. read more

See all

This is more of a 4.5. I've been to Traif, so was curious to try their sister restaurant on the block. I had the " carne asada " portobello mushroom and a deconstructed mezcal margarita. The mushroom was amazing, juicy and flavorful and I always love a corn tortilla moment. The deconstructed margarita was a pretty cool concept and after several moments of sipping and melting, it all came together. Ambiance is somewhat dim, almost dark and casual. Would love to try some of their other vegetarian options next time I'm around. read more

Xixa - Deconstructed margarita - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Such a unique, fun, and delicious experience with the absolute friendliest staff (thank you Lily!!)! This dinner was the highlight of my most recent NYC trip. My friend and I did the chef's tasting dinner (about $58/person) and the cocktail pairing ($47/person). The chef's tasting menu comes with 6 appetizers, an entree, and 2 desserts, all of which are presented family-style on shared plates. The cocktail pairing came with 3 full-sized cocktails and a flavored shot to round out the evening. - Edamame: Best edamame I've had -- great char and bright flavor from the chili yuzu seasoning! - Pozole: hearty, comforting, and such fantastic deep flavors; I really enjoyed the corn flavor that came through as well - Bone marrow tacos with chorizo: so unique, incredibly savory, and such a fun presentation! - Shrimp tacos: perfectly crispy batter, large juicy shrimp, and fresh tangy slaw. Served with their homemade tortillas of course! - Octopus with gnocchi: this was one of my favorite dishes of the evening. The gnocchi were perfect pillows, and the octopus was cooked incredibly. So so tender and paired so well with the spicy saffron cream sauce. - Duck confit wraps: I've never had banana in a wrap, but this worked! Fun textures and different flavor combos to keep this really interesting. - Short rib mole taco: incredibly tender (I could cut it with a spoon), but it was a little too salty for me. - Matcha churros: I couldn't really taste the matcha, but both the chocolate and passionfruit sauces were delicious and having both flavors was very fun! - Espresso flan: the perfect espresso flavor, delicate texture, and crunchy cocoa nibs All the cocktails are tequila or mezcal based, the latter of which was a bit too strong for me, but the last almond and coffee infused shot with coconut cream and nutmeg was absolutely delicious and my favorite drink of the night! read more

See all

If you love their sister restaurant Traif you need to check out Xixa! The tasting menu is the way to go and great value for money. We literally ended up bringing food home we were so stuffed. Our highlight of the night was the bone marrow tacos. read more

I made dinner reservation for my girlfriend's bday and it was the best meal of our lives! The service was great from the second we walked in. Saul greeted us and sat us in a very romantic booth. We got the tasting menu and the drink pairings. Sooo good! Our favorite dishes were, the bone marrow, pork belly, and short rib tacos! The tres leches desert was phenomenal as well! Saul really took amazing care of us and we will be coming back very soon to have more of those delicious (& strong) mezcal cocktails!! read more

See all

One of the few good Mexican spots outside of queens! Great for large groups the pre fixe menu comes with tons of food for everyone. Great service as well, the servers kept the tables clean and made sure all the courses were out promptly. Would definitely recommend for a special occasion! read more

Xixa - Fish taco - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

See all

Amazing. Showstopping. Phenomenal. I enjoyed the chef's selection menu with a group of friends, and greatly appreciated that they accommodated our dietary restrictions. Since it wasn't that busy, they were able to do 3 chef's menu all vegetarian and 2 chef's menu all pescatarian. They already got high marks for this, and we hadn't eaten yet. Now, the meal itself. I quite literally have to peruse my photo gallery to remember what all I ate because they brought out so many courses. I couldn't believe the quality of service, food, creativity, and fresh ingredients we were receiving for $56 a person. When I say everything was good, everything was gooooood. The highlights for me were the sweet potato shaped and fried like a chicken wing, the eggplant tacos, the guacamole, the orzo, and all of the desserts. I can't wait to go back again. To those who have been to Dirt Candy... this is 10x better. Do yourself a favor and make a reservation here asap! read more

See all

We made a resy for eight on a Saturday night. One of the main reasons why we chose this place was for the ease of having a set tasting menu. It was even better when the tasting menu was super affordable at around 56 dollars! I got two cocktails. They were good but not something to write home about. Our set menu started with guacamole and 3 types of chips. It was very standard. I would've wanted a few more chips as we still had guacamole left. The fish tacos were great with a sweet beet topping? I was expecting them to be pickled. I think it needed a bit more citrus. The burrata with possibly ?fried green tomatoes was interesting. The lamb meatballs and pita course was interesting. It definitely tasted more Mediterranean than Mexican, which was a little disjointed with the overall vibe of the menu. But it was very well done. The scallop with noodles with artichoke sauce was my favorite of the night. The chicken wings were very crisply fried and super tasty . Lastly I think we had a super crispy pork shank with tortillas. At this point, we were already so happily full from the meal. We ended with churros and a funfetti tres leche. The service was friendly. I would give it a 4.5/5. Definitely would come back for another big group dinner. Excited to see how the menu changes seasonally. read more

See all

The food is incredible. Best cornbread I have ever had. Our server was very accommodating and friendly. The only drawback is the smaller plates are more suited for an even number of guests (2-4 portions per plate) and we had a group of 5. read more

This place is so unaccommodating and rude. I made a reservation with less than 24 hours notice. And I got really sick the day of the reservation. I called the restaurant and politely told them. But they charged me a massive cancellation fee even though I can't come to the dinner. DON'T DINE HERE!!! read more

First time eating at xixa and I am proud to say one of the best culinary experiences ever , from the food and their recipes to the drinks and the bartender ( Saul is amazing, he shared his knowledge with us ). Never experienced something like this before 100% recommend. Looking forward to come back soon read more

The food here in incredible. Pork shank and fish tacos are a must. Also the guacamole is great and comes with a nice variety of chips. Really good cocktails as well. Would definitely return to try more. read more

Service was great Definitely a culinary journey The cocktails could be better mixed and stronger The journey of dishes or the tasting menu is amazing Definitely a go to. The ambiance is lovely And the decor is fab. It is pricey but worth it. Would recommend the churros be sweeter and not fried in the same oil they fry everything else in. As well as adding more textures to the food My favorite dish was the fish tacos :) read more

Food: The food here was overall delicious. Our party had the chef's choice which was plenty of food for everyone. Some of the dishes had a little bit of spice but they were well balanced with other dishes that did not. The overall best dish was the fish tacos. The fish was perfectly cooked and the sauce was delicious. Service: The service here was the only questionable part of the evening. Our party called ahead to make sure we could order individual dishes. However when we arrived the waitress argued with us and then passive aggressively allowed us to choose if we wanted the chefs choice or to order individual dishes. She continued to make passive aggressive comments all night whenever we so much as asked for napkins. We also had a member of our party that had food allergies and made the waitress aware of them before ordering. Despite being told that the food was safe, the person had an allergic reaction, that required treatment, due to the food served, even though they only ate 3 of the dishes. Ambiance: The restaurant is narrow but long. The tables are decently spaced to allow so it doesn't feel too crowded. The lighting is kept overly dim. All of the people in my party over the age of 30 struggled to read the menu, and ended up needing to pull out their phones to be able to read. read more

See all

I cant rave about this place enough. The bone marrow tacos are to DIE for. Chef's tasting is an amazing value. Service is friendly as well! The ambiance is alright- it's a little millennial industrial neon lights-esque but who cares when the dishes are so good. read more

Love Xixa. Came back here after a few years and so glad to see that it's still here and going strong. The chef's sampler is where it's at. A nine-course selection of small plates, everything is delicious. As good as the food is, I still think the drinks are the best part! They have old fashioneds with tequila and mezcal...I mean, how can you go wrong? Perfect drink to warm you up in the winter. Pair that with the cozy feel of the restaurant. Cozy and sweet. Will always recommend and can't wait to go back! read more

I was delighted to find that the restaurant's name is indeed a nod to the Yiddish term, "shiksa," a sometimes derogatory but often cheekily used term to describe a non-Jewish woman. The owners, who are both chefs, were referencing their own relationship and created the restaurant as an ode to their love for Mexican cuisine. I enjoyed their extensive mezcal list, creative takes on traditional Mexican dishes, and cozy ambience, but we had some hiccups along the way. We came as a group to celebrate a friend's birthday. The birthday girl was excited to try the $55 tasting menu, but there were several folks in the group with dietary restrictions, and the restaurant wasn't able to make any adjustments to the dishes. This part sounds reasonable, but we were disappointed that they required everyone in the party to have the tasting menu, or no one. So we ordered a la carte. Our server didn't seem at all familiar with the menu, and had to go back to the kitchen anytime we had a question about ingredients because we had allergies and dietary restrictions at the table. Our server also forgot to ask the kitchen about really important questions about allergens, and we had to remind them multiple times lest we cause our friends to have anaphylaxis. The food was pretty good but the cocktails were what really stood out. The food portions were a little precious but at least the prices were reasonable. It wasn't at all crowded on the Thursday night I visited, so make reservations if you have a large party but I think you could easily walk in as a smaller group. I'd come back only for the drinks and maybe some apps, but I'd be super careful if you're wanting to avoid any particular ingredient, as the staff didn't seem to care too much about that. read more

Xixa - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I was really excited to try this place. I've been wanting to try their chef's selection course menu ($56) for a while now. We were seated immediately with a reservation. The staff was really nice and explained the chef's selection to us. The environment was very dim so dim that it was difficult to see the menu. But the noise level was good for chatting. I was excited for the food because of all the good reviews but in the end, most dishes were mediocre. Except for a couple that taste delicious, the rest were just okay. The tasting course was 7 savory (6 appetizer and 1 entree) and 2 desserts. I don't know if they changed this recently because looking at the reviews it seems like people got 8-9 savory courses. The dishes we got were: Guacamole with 4 different types of chips 3/5 Tuna tartare 2/5 (nothing special and flavor is even a little bland) Bone marrow tacos 5/5 (really good and I love bone marrow) Spicy confit chicken 2/5 (the chicken was really crispy and good but the sauce was so overpowering and tasted off) Foie gras 5/5 (this was melt in your mouth good- my favorite) Artichoke fundido 1/5 (this felt really oily) Braised short ribs 4/5 Flan 3/5 Churro 5/5 The pacing of the dishes was very quick in the beginning but maybe we were just eating slow. We ended up being there for the full two hours and even a couple minutes after to finish up our desserts. The tasting course is sooo much food! We were pretty full a couple dishes in. Food wise, I was mostly disappointed because only the bone marrow tacos, foie gras, and braised short rib stood out to me. The rest were just meh. I'm glad to have tried the tasting course because I'm someone who likes to try different things but sad they didn't meet my expectations. The service was great, our water was always refilled and the staff was very attentive! There's a 20% pretax gratuity added on to every table. (It's written on the menu). Though, usually I am not a fan of added gratuity...I do like that it is pre tax, noted on the menu, and the service was good. Keep in mind that they are strict with their two hour reservation. We're slower eaters so it did take us the full two hours. Overall, I'm not sure I would come again. The taste of the food is just not it for me. read more

See all

Back again and XIXA NEVER disappoints! This hidden gem in Williamsburg is easily one of our favorite spots in all 5 boroughs. We had our 8pm reservation and the manager recognized us from last time and from Traif, their sister restaurant next door. We were seated and given a glass of Lambrusco to celebrate our anniversary. We then ordered two deconstructed margaritas: which are such a great concept and lets you appreciate the tequila/mezcal of your choice. After starting our drinks we ordered the "MUST HAVES" of XIXA in my opinion: Grapefruit Guacamole Charred Edamame Japanese Fish Tempura Tacos Confit Chicken Wings I would make this trip SOLELY for the Japanese Tempura Fish Tacos. They're THAT good! Everything was so good as usual and we will be back for more! Food, service, ambience are all top tier! read more

See all

Although I don't like Mexican food, I am absolutely in love with this place! Though it is not your average Mexican restaurant, it is very unorthodox, creative and contemporary. Also be aware of the size of the portions. They are quite generous and I ended up in food coma. Everything was very delicious and I really liked their duck. Also their are big on the drinks mostly mescal based that are very creative and really tasty. The place is quite busy, so reservation is recommend. read more

Came here for a fancy date night. I was looking a tasting menu type place and noticed that Xixa had a 10 course menu for only $55?! I figured that is an absolute steal, and the drinks look bomb as well so i reserved it right away. Turns out not only is the price great, the food is stellar as well. You get many unique fusion dishes, usually Mexican or Central American with interesting European and Asian twists. The quantities are very good too given the price! We left pretty full. My personal favorites might have been the chicken wings or the duck liver foie gras, but everything was tasty and different. The desserts were both fantastic too, I knew I'd love the chocolate churros but the rosemary flan was even better. The ambiance was perfect for a date but the larger tables would work for friends too. Our servers were SUPERB and one of the highlights of the experience. We never had to ask for anything or flag anyone down, the whole team was super on top of everything. Plus, they described each dish very well and elevated the entire tasting menu experience. Overall, strong recommendation as one of the best tasting menu experiences in NYC. read more

See all

One of my top NYC dining experiences so far for sure. Came here on a recommendation. Xixa's been around for approximately 9 years and offers a $55 tasting menu with approximately 10-11 chef-selected dishes. No overthinking the menu here! Come hungry because the food feels like it just keeps coming. Service was great. We were seated immediately (with a reservation) and felt like we were being attended to the entire time. Some brief specifics on the dishes we were served (without specific dish names - sorry!): Grapefruit guacamole (8/10): served with 3 different types of chips. Nice aftertaste of the grapefruit that was not too overpowering. Tanginess and spice of the jalapenos complemented each other well. Fish tacos (9/10): incredibly cooked fish. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth on the inside, crispy (but not too thick/heavy on the batter) outside. Yum! Shrimp ceviche (10/10): didn't know shrimp could be cooked so tender. Amazing sweet and tanginess to this that left me wanting more. This one rose higher in the ranks than I initially expected. Fried chicken (7/10): to be fair, this was *really* well fried. The sauce was awesome. The chicken was tender and fall-off-the-bone. But stood out a bit less compared to the other amazing dishes. Foie Gras (11/10): incredible. The sweetness from the pineapple really pulled everything today. A must have. Octopus rice (9/10): octopus was cooked perfectly. The short grained rice (?) here was plump and tender. The perfect amount of flavor - not bland but not too overkill either (which was VERY welcome in the pool of flavor that constituted this meal). Short ribs tacos (9/10): the meat fell apart on the plate. So soft and tender. The handmade tortillas were the highlight here. Artichoke dip (6/10): out of everything, this was the dish I liked the least. Maybe I was starting to fill up, but it felt a bit heavy at this point. Would have made a great appetizer, just not sure if felt like it was in the right place being served here. Green tea churros (10/10): we sat praying for dessert and were pleasantly served not one but two desserts (see below). These were so hot, soft, and fluffy on the inside. A perfect cap to everything. Flan (10/10): like the churros, this really rounded out the meal. We also tried the Paloma and Midnight in Paris. Both were excellent and had flavor profiles that meshed well with our food. Keep in mind that these rankings/ratings are really only relative to each other as I felt like the entire meal was fantastic - thus the easily earned 5 star rating overall. Left here feeling full and content. Had high expectations for this place but it definitely hit the mark. One of the servers (managers?) threw in some almond flavored infused dessert tequila at the end of the night. Will definitely be back here in the future for this place as well as its sister restaurant down the street! read more

Very solid experience at Xixa - wasn't completely blown away, but I enjoyed it a lot. The chef's selection is really the way to go. You get to try a good bit of the menu for a great price. The pacing could definitely be improved, service was a bit inconsistent but otherwise very friendly, and the food was solid across the board with a few standouts. If I were to go again and order a la carte, I'd go for the fish tacos, the octopus pasta, and the ceviche. The pork osso busco gets an honorable mention, you basically create your own tacos & it comes with a ton of food. Cocktails were beautiful, I recommend the Lost in the Dessert if you want something that's not too sweet. Dessert was also great, I'm typically not a fan of flan but it was incredibly well-executed. The restaurant itself has a very cool, modern vibe. It wasn't too crowded when we went but I imagine it's very lively on busy nights. read more

See all

This spot came really highly recommended, but I found it to be a bit of a disappointment. The service is excellent (our water was always full and they gave us extra sauce and helpful menu tips whenever we asked for them) and the portions are large (I'd recommend splitting a main and getting one or two appetizers between two people), but I found the flavors to be lacking depth (which is surprising given the chef's background). I thought the spicy scallop and shrimp diablo was sweet and watery. The scallops tasted a bit rubbery / overcooked for my taste. The spicy, confit organic chicken wings also were lacking in spice. I found them to be bland, although I must say my partner and I were both really impressed by how tender they were given how crispy they came out. The carrot elote was phenomenal - it's nicely caramelized with a captivating sweetness that isn't too overwhelming. The homemade tortillas are also fantastic. I think overall my take is that the dishes we had were cooked perfectly but not composed particularly well. The food we ordered tasted a bit one-dimensional. The spicy dishes need to be spicier! It's possible we caught the kitchen on a bad night, but even if that's the case the kitchen needs to be more consistent to justify the hefty price tag. read more

The last time I was in the city, my partner and I had an incredible dining experience at Xixa. This spot is a low-key-style restaurant that offers high-quality and gourmet Mexican cuisine. Since it was our first time there, we decided to check out their tasting menu with the cocktail pairing and from start to end we were wowed by it. From their guacamole to their tartare everything was done with such an exquisite twist. I'm usually not a fan of cocktail pairings because I like certain drinks but this one caught me by surprise. From their unique ice cubes to their sangria everything tasted amazing! Their menu is very seasonal, which I loved. You can really tell the chef has a passion for Mexican cuisine and for creating innovative dishes. read more

Xixa - Mexican Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Unbelievable. We had a party of 9 on a Saturday night at 830 PM. Because of the party size, we had to do a set tasting menu. We had 1 veg, 1 allergy to fish, 1 dairy free. Xixa delivered! The drinks and service were quick, attentive, and fun! Our first course, a fried fish taco, came out around 850 and it was the best fish taco I've ever had. Light, airy, meaty, perfect accoutrement, house made tortillas, and just an absolute hit. The veg/non fish got a fried eggplant taco that they raved about too! I won't list every course, but they were all incredible, unique in a familiar way, and very sizable. I was so full at the end and we even got a double dessert because we were celebrating some events. My favorite dish was the crispy pork osso buco taco, but everything was exceptional. We got 9 of us fed 11 courses, multiple drinks, and great service the whole way in about 2.25 hours. I hope I get the honor to go back again soon. Thank you Xixa (Shiksa)! read more

I love their sister restaurant Traif so much and I take everyone I know there. I've been meaning to try Xixa and I'm so glad I did! I honestly think I may like Xixa more Get the chef's tasting menu for $55/person - it comes with 9 savory dishes and 2 desserts. You don't get to choose but you can tell them what you're allergic to. Keep in mind these are shared dishes so whatever you're allergic too - your guests will also miss out on. You will be STUFFED. But it will be delicious and everyone is super friendly. Come and enjoy! Oh and don't forget to try their cocktails - what a cool gimmick! read more

See all

Love this place with their unique offering on the menu, but don't love their Chef's Menu (Family Style required for 8 people +) sadly was forced to go with this for my birthday celebration and cannot even choose any specific dish I love. 1. Scallop Ceviche 2. Guacamole 3. Octopus & Chorizo stir fry - didn't like it. 4. Baked Cheese - too cheesy 5. Chicken Wing - dry and not good 6. Fish Taco 7. Ouzo Mushroom Risotto w Shaved Truffle 8. Carrot - terrible 9. Short Rib 10. Flan 11. Churro It's a lot of food for $50 pp which is a good deal. However, I rather choose quality over quantity. None of the dishes i would order if I have a choice. read more

See all

So this was my second time here in at least 10 years and I was curious to know if I'd still enjoy it. Somehow the Chef's tasting seems cheaper than I remember it. How is that even possible? For $50, you get a 10 course tasting. Name another place that offers that in the City, I'll wait. This deal is unheard of. It was hard to come by 10 years ago but who's still doing this today? So of course, price alone doesn't make a place good. The meal started off with both guacamole and tuna tartar with assorted chips. Both dishes well executed but nothing new. Then we got the shishito peppers and fish tacos. The tacos were huge. Then it was the orzo and short rib tacos. The short rib was fork tender and the tortillas were very unique. Again, a huge portion. Then my favorite, foie gras tacos. Who is serving foie for a $50 menu? Argh, can't get over this. It was supposed to be al pastor style but it just tasted like foie over pineapple. Finally we finished off the savories with the fried chicken. This was my least favorite. It felt a bit greasy and I want a huge fan of the smokey chili oil. The desserts (plural) was flan and churros. It was a feast that had us saying no mas. I have no idea how the other guy here said there wasn't enough food. How much do you eat dude?!? I will say the deconstructed cocktails are a bit gimmicky and not really that great. I would not order that again. Also, the food and price is great but I can't see myself eating like this too often. So I'll be back but probably not for awhile. Also, there's an automatic 20% tip now even though it was just a party of 2. No biggie since that's what I would've paid anyway but something to be aware about. Service was great regardless. That said, it's amazing to see that this place is still open after so many years. So obviously they must be doing something right. I would definitely recommend you checking them out. read more

See all

I went here with four others a few months ago where we did the tasting menu with cocktail pairings for most of us (with 1 person just getting their own cocktails and one person having mocktail pairings.) The pairings are excellent including three normal sized cocktails and one dessert shot. As with their other restaurant Traif, the portions are rather big here and definitely worth it for the pre fixe menu and also said menu has slight differences than what is listen online so the descriptions are approximated. Courses: Seasonal Guacamole: Mandarin orange, mixed spices, and chips. The Mandarin orange added some nice freshness to the dish Shrimp and Scallop Ceviche: Pineapple, tomato, cucumber, coconut aguachile This was probably my favorite dish of the night. There was a great mix of sweet and sour with some spice and the seafood was very fresh. Bone Marrow Tacos: Chorizo marmalade, Asiago chicharon, "mole" tortilla As the portion of this dish was a lot smaller, I would personally not order this. The bone marrow was good but the topping didn't really add much substance and the tortilla was just fine. Chicken Wings: Confit style with salsa macha topped with Kabocha This dish was a nice riff. The chicken wings had a nice crispiness with the macha along with the kabocha adding some nice nuttiness and sweetness. Grilled Octopus: Squid ink orzo The octopus was cooked quite well just like at Traif with the rice having a nice texture. I would recommend this one. Tuna Ceviche: Mixed fruit/veggies, sopes I was surprised to see a second ceviche but I wasn't really mad as the first one was very good and the presentation was a little bit different here being more chopped which makes sense if put on top of sopes. Along with the excellent tuna, there was some crunch from the cucumbers I presume and also some tartness and sweetness from the various fruit such as the pineapple and corn. Queso Fundido: Artichokes, chips I'm generally not a fan of this dish and while this tasted slightly different, it wasn't different enough for me to recommended it. The current version with "green chile-lamb chorizo" sounds a lot better but we already had a lot of meat dishes so this was fine Pork Osso buco: Red mole, "La Familia" style with tortillas, sauces, pickled onions This was a massive piece of tender pork as it was the main dish and we had difficulty finishing it. The red mole was excellent though personally the pork belly, goat neck, or Peking duck sounded different and better. Nothing wrong but not unique enough for their dishes. Shrimp and Scallop Diablo, guajillo and arbol chile This was served at the same time as the main dish and it was also good. The shellfish was fine and the dish was good though I preferred most of the rest of the dishes. Elote: Buffalo wing sauce, scallions, crema This was a cute rendition of elote with the buffalo wing sauce adding some sourness and spiciness to a dish I tend to find a bit bland. I'm personally more of a fan of esquites (which the edamame appears to be a variant of) but this was a very fun dish and I would recommend it. Dave's Tres Leches: Seasonal fruit (in this case strawberries and blueberries) This was a very moist piece of cake and I preferred it much more than the other desserts. It wasn't overly sweet and it was quite good overall. Espresso Flan: Various nuts I found this to be a bit similar to but a worse version of the Nutella mousse from Traif due to the nuts and mix of sweetness and bitterness. It was alright. Green tea Churros: This is probably one of the only other disappointing dishes as there wasn't any green tea flavor. It was saved by the sauces with the passion fruit sauce being excellent and the unsweetened chocolate sauce being also very complimentary. Cocktails: They allowed us to pick two of the cocktails which was nice. They're mostly riffs on tequila and as someone who usually hates the stuff, they did a really good job. Midnight in Paris: Gin'd tequila, passion fruit, cucumber, jalapeno, coconut salt rim This was easily my favorite of the cocktails and if I was ever to go back I would just order this. Very nice mix of flavors. Unknown: Mezcal, tequila, bitters and/or citrus, lime peel, candied ginger This was definitely a mezcal heavy cocktail. There was a smokiness to it with the lime/citrus/bitters adding a refreshing aftertaste. Also good but I preferred the first. Deconstructed Old Fashioned: Whiskey aged tequila, chili pepper, bitters. This was a unique old fashioned. The drink became more balanced as it blended better going from being on the definite strong side to being mild. I prefer a more normal one but it was fine. Unknown dessert shot: Vanilla, cinnamon, unknown alcohol (I assume tequila as everything else had tequila.) This reminded me of an alcoholic horchata which in no way is a bad thing. The service here was very nice. I would write more but but just like my stomach afterwards, I'm similarly out of space. 4.6. read more

See all

My friend and I head out for dinner once a month. We try to choose things we haven't had before. For the holidays, we look to go for something special. This year we wanted a tasting menu. Originally our reservation was at the sister restaurant Traif but due to Covid, our reservation had to be changed to Xixa. Both restaurants feature a tasting menu, so we were willing to make the switch. The restaurant is trendy, somewhat dark lighting, solid music selections. The staff was friendly and the service was efficient. The ten dish tasting menu for $50 is a fairly remarkable deal for NYC. When you're sampling that many dishes, it's natural for there to be a miss or two. Not at Xixa, all of the bites we had were enjoyable. I particularly enjoyed the pork osso bucco that was served with taco fixings. The queso fundido was an excellent gooey cheese dish. I also found the octopus with fideo dish to be excellent. Most of the portions were modest but the cumulative effect was a filling meal. The flan for dessert was wonderful, amazing texture and flavor. The churros were also quite nice. Xixa was an enjoyable experience. read more

See all

Came with a friend for dinner one night. Service was so slow we were there for 4.5 hours total (!) but the food was delicious. We ordered: + Pineapple Express cocktail - amazing + Hibiscus and tequila agua fresca - yummy + Grilled carrots elote - tied with the bone marrow tacos for my favorite thing that we ate + Tuna tartare sopes - great + Roasted bone marrow tacos - perfect + Confit short ribs en mole verde - great + Tres leches - I think it was birthday cake flavored? Okay, a little too sweet for my taste I want to try the foie gras al pastor next time! read more

See all

Xixa is on a pretty nondescript block of S 4th St. in Brooklyn. It is dark and loud and full of hipsters. It also has some really tasty food. The menu is designed for shared plates, which my daughter and I do most times regardless. There is a list of appetizers and a shorter list of "family" dishes or mains. We were advised to order 3-4 apps and 1 main. This was a perfect suggestion. We ordered: garlic butter octopus and orzo in squid ink sauce- best dish of the night. Perfectly cooked octopus, delicious sauce foie gras al pastor- very good. The foie sits on a round of French toast with caramelized pineapple. Sweet fatty delicious roasted bone marrow taco- a little disappointing. Maybe we just got a dud bone, but there really wasn't much marrow. Certainly not enough for the four tortillas that you get. And the pickled onions, while tasty, overpower the marrow. 1/2 duck carnitas - good. It should have been great, but the duck was over cooked so the breast was dry. The skin was perfectly crispy. The accoutrement were really good and necessary because of the drier meat, but the portions were very small. More sauce I also had an excellent pineapple ginger Aqua Fresca. I appreciate a fun non alcoholic beverage. The service was helpful and friendly. Overall, it was a very good experience. read more

See all

Did the tasting menu and absolutely loved the experience and all the food. We originally had a reservation for the bar, but called earlier in the evening to see if they could accommodate us in the main dining room. They were super flexible and got us in that night, which was really nice of them! The food kept coming and I was definitely full after. You do have to choose for the table if you want it to be veggie or meat. We ended up going veggie. The highlights for me were: fundido, tacos, risotto, and churros! Everything they brought out was really tasty though. Not sure if I would come back to do the tasting menu again (now that I know my favorites), but definitely an experience doing at least once. read more

See all

came for a friend's bday dinner and xixa is such a hidden gem!! we enjoyed a set menu, each dish were classics but done so well w great attention to detail in preparation and presentation. the fish taco and guac were some of the best i've ever had! the fish taco was crispy and lightly battered, and who knew the key to the perfect guac recipe is to include grapefruit chunks. other highlights were the tender braised short rib and moist tres leches heard the chef has another restaurant and i will def be checking that one out as well! read more

See all

This is my second time here. The first time was many years ago. The food and service were delicious. Be sure to book a table seat versus bar seat as the bar seats don't have a back. We did the chefs table and let them surprise us. The guac was SO good. Only thing I didn't love was the fois gras. But that's an acquired taste. Also the fish tacos were just ok. I'm not a fan of battered fish tacos. read more

See all