Sala One Nine

Recommends

bequia

Joined 6 years ago

Food was great, but felt rushed.. My girlfriend and I decided to go to Sala One Nine on a Friday night around 7pm for the first time. Sala had a very warm feeling to it, but was really crowded., with the after work crowd, and a mixture of others. We forgot to make reservations, and ended up waiting at the front bar, which was way to crowded and small to keep people waiting for about an hour. But its expected.. no biggy because I was dying to taste their food. Well,,,Just before we came up with the idea to call the Bowery location to make a reservation so we can finally eat, we were seated. The selections were great, there was plenty tapas/entrees to choose from, we had the Paella, which was really tasty, we also had the coquetas hamon it was just delightful. The grilled calamari wasnt the best. I must say I felt the man at the bar, who could possible be the owner/host was a little preoccupied, we asked for a recommendation of what was good on the menu, and he had no suggestions. You would think he would have some feedback. He seemed like he was juggling 4 jobs at one time. As soon as we finished our delicious desert our check was placed on the table. I will go back there again, but I will make sure to have reservations first, and possible come at an earlier time in the day, so I dont feel rushed, I can only image how this place is on the weekend. This is not to discourage anyone, its just not a good feeling when you want to sit and relax after a long work week, to feel rushed to leave. It left a bad taste in my mouth.

Recommends

gwen718

Joined 6 years ago

Great food and sangria, a little crowded for my taste. My friend and I really enjoyed the grilled shrimp with sliced almonds and scallions as well as the croquettes with serrano ham. The sangria was great. We went on a Friday night at around 7pm. It quickly grew too crowded for my comfort and the busboy put a "reserved" card on our table to give as the hint to finish up quickly. Overall I would recommend it though.

Recommends

pfdavidson

Joined 11 years ago

Add this one to the list. Had Valentines Day dinner here... Great food, good service and nice decor... I'll definitely be going back.

Doesn't Recommend

russian_frost

Joined 6 years ago

mediocre food, dull atmosphere. If you are a 20-something female who's really proudof eating out in NYc and don't know anything about food or wine but like to hear yourself, you will love this place.

Recommends

salley280

Joined 7 years ago

great for groups. We had our office party here and it was a great pick. THe food was really good and they kept the drinks always full. The service was wonderful and they were so pleasant. Not the best tapas in town, but if you want a good yummy place for groups, definitely try Sala 19.

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dawsondigs

Joined 7 years ago

Good bar, good venue, but sub-par table service. Place: good atmosphere: shadow cast tables, two bars, awkward winterized entrance, mid-block Flatiron location; no coat check. Food: Average. Nothing particularly notable in any selection even the fish special. Suffice it to say, it?s not bad... but just not good. All of us said: "ok".

Service: very mixed bag. At the bar is fantastic and very welcoming.; never felt rushed or ignored. However, table service was, frankly, terrible on both occasions. It seems Sala likes to hire presumably cheap bus labor providing very awkwardly busing service while the wait staff is therefore theoretically less burdened yet thet latter still remains inattentive and aloof. Our latest outing involved a perfect example: the overworked buser dumped dirty placeware, whilst cleaning, on the back of my friend in the tight dining area and didn't apologize (stunning); when the server was told, we received only a curt "sorry" followed, unfortunately, by a very long absent period. During both visits, we had to wait for the server to ask about more drinks and even an initial "how's it going" inquiry after the food arrived -- which was not asked in the last visit.

Summary: If you go, expect reliable slightly above average food for the price; and definitely eat at the bar or go when the staff is less taxed -- they seem not to be the cream of the crop here and need to be unlittered by needy customers to really provide good service.

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creativelolita

Joined 8 years ago

Fun, Lively and a decent Value. Sala One Nine isn't the most authentic Spanish cuisine you can find in the city but it's still good and the atmosphere is as alluring as the food. It's very lively and young. The value is OK. It's not inexpensive but average. Drinks are strong and a good size and they have a good group rate for b-day's and special occasions. $55.00 for 3 courses and 2 hours of all-you-can-drink Sangria, Beer and Wine.

Recommends

ymbvpoy

Joined 8 years ago

Excelent Tapas, Friendly Staff. I've been to this place several times and have always had a great experience here. As far as Tapas restaurants go, I haven't found one yet that bests this place. From the small sandwiches to the chorizo to the shrimp in garlic sauce, everything is what you'd expect from a true Spanish Tapas restaurant. Try to get here early to get a good table, or eat just as comfortably at the bar.

In response to a recently posted-negative review, Sala is not a bar, if you're looking for happy hour, go next door to the Flatiron Lounge and spend a couple of bucks on a well-crafted cocktail, or if that's too high-brow, go to No Idea on 20th b/t Park and Broadway where you can swill $5 pints of Gin and Tonic.

Recommends

fwf

Joined 7 years ago

Great Tapas, Entrees mediocre. My two friends and I were waiting at the bar for our table for a bit, and as a sort of apology, the bartender gave us a free round! We tried to give her a good tip as a thank you and she refused to take it! We snuck it in, but were definitely impressed w/ her thoughtful gesture. I would stick w/ the tapas here - entrees have never been memorable. Some favorites of mine include the Tortilla Espandla, Gambas Al Ajillo, Chorizo Frito, Croquetas De Jamon.

Recommends

nyclisa78

Joined 7 years ago

wonderful food, great ambience, amazing food. the food at sala one nine is the closes to "authentic" spanish i have had in iew york. the sangria is delicious and the portions are not skimpy at all. do not miss the grilled calimari or the chorizo. a reservation is recommended, and the bar can get very packed, making the whole restaurant a little loud. the staff is knowledgeable and very friendly.