Bar Carrera

The Scene – There's a certain austere modesty to the interior of this wine and tapas bar. From the outside, its ribbed, opaque facade completely obscures the space. From the inside, the panes become a blurred moving picture of shapes, colors and flashes of light, gently dimming the street buzz. A serene concrete bar, backed by obsessively arranged wine bottles and topped with a bonsai tree and Siamese fighting fish, calms the East Villagers who come to muse. – – The Draw – Start as they do in Spain, by ordering a tasty "pincho" (tiny tapa) like the small plate of…

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Editor's Tips

Look Good:: Show off your knowledge of the region and ask for a glass of txacoli, a traditional drink in the Basque region. The bartender pours the effervescent white wine from a great height--and the greater the height, the better the bartender.
The Extras:: Proprietor Frederick Twomey also runs the adjacent wine bar, Bar Veloce.

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User Reviews (24)

ambiance	100.0% positive	“great for a session at the bar or in the dining rOOm that's truely cozy.” “Great tapas, wine and atmosphere.” “Great ambience, wine and tapas selection.” “love the relaxing ambience there.” “the service was top-notch and the ambiance was excellent.”
dessert	100.0% positive	“Aside from a diverse menu of delicious and very reasonably priced tapas, this place boasts the most sinful little slice of cheesecake I've ever encountered.”
drinks	78.5699987411499% positive	“Great wine.” “the best place to enjoy Spanish wine and tapa dishes in Manhattan.” “expensive white wines on the menu, it wound up” “love trying new wines and the bartender always makes great suggestions and is very friendly.” “Great tapas, wine and atmosphere.” “Classic tapas place, with the flavor-packed food, great selection of wines, bartender is a great help too, encouraging all to toss their napkins on the floor very spanish!” “Our experience was beyond our expectations at this charming bar.” “great for a session at the bar or in the dining rOOm that's truely cozy.” “Great ambience, wine and tapas selection.” “Its great food, great service, and a great wine selection.” “you can easily make it out of there for $30 a head and have some great wine and tons of tapas.” “You ask about the wine, which is overpriced, and no one there can answer a question.” “The floor is dirty; the bartender looks like he hasn't taken a shower; the bar is sticky and full of grime from previous people.” “Amazing wine.”
food quality	100.0% positive	“This place has a good vibe, and i was very glad when a friend turned me on to it one night, that now I do the same and drag friends there, ordering up the yummy chorizo sandwiches, SO GOOD, most of the tapas are $3.50 each, and most of them are hits, with” “Classic tapas place, with the flavor-packed food, great selection of wines, bartender is a great help too, encouraging all to toss their napkins on the floor very spanish!” “Carrera is a must for people wanting an authentic Tapas experience.” “ok, maybe tons of notches ;) not pricey at all and worth every penny, because it's truly the most authentic spanish place I've been in NY.” “We also loved the pork belly.” “Aside from a diverse menu of delicious and very reasonably priced tapas, this place boasts the most sinful little slice of cheesecake I've ever encountered.” “Service was friendly, cucumber sangria was delicious, but the food is not worth staying for.” “Its great food, great service, and a great wine selection.” “really like the egg in brioche with jamon and my girlfriend loved the salmon with caviar and mascarpone.” “Its a little place, the staff was welcoming and the tapas seemed authentic and were delicious.” “the best place to enjoy Spanish wine and tapa dishes in Manhattan.” “Service and food were awesome.” “The dishes are still good but not as "WOW"-ing as before.”
menu variety	83.33000183105469% positive	“This place has a good vibe, and i was very glad when a friend turned me on to it one night, that now I do the same and drag friends there, ordering up the yummy chorizo sandwiches, SO GOOD, most of the tapas are $3.50 each, and most of them are hits, with” “Aside from a diverse menu of delicious and very reasonably priced tapas, this place boasts the most sinful little slice of cheesecake I've ever encountered.” “expensive white wines on the menu, it wound up” “Classic tapas place, with the flavor-packed food, great selection of wines, bartender is a great help too, encouraging all to toss their napkins on the floor very spanish!” “Great ambience, wine and tapas selection.” “Its great food, great service, and a great wine selection.”
overall	100.0% positive	“30 minutes later we left and went to a great place right across the street.” “great place for groups, alone time or a quiet date.” “the best place to enjoy Spanish wine and tapa dishes in Manhattan.”
service	89.28999900817871% positive	“The floor is dirty; the bartender looks like he hasn't taken a shower; the bar is sticky and full of grime from previous people.” “Excellent service, our bartender was polite and funny.” “Bartender Joseph was attentive, knowledgeable and funny.” “Classic tapas place, with the flavor-packed food, great selection of wines, bartender is a great help too, encouraging all to toss their napkins on the floor very spanish!” “Normally the service is very good, but they hired a new bartender who is horrible.” “Its a little place, the staff was welcoming and the tapas seemed authentic and were delicious.” “Its great food, great service, and a great wine selection.” “Great service.” “Service was friendly, cucumber sangria was delicious, but the food is not worth staying for.” “the service was top-notch and the ambiance was excellent.” “the staff is warm and humble (meaning, they appreciate your business).” “Carrera is a must for people wanting an authentic Tapas experience.” “the contrast of busy trafficy streets of NY, yet welcoming attitude of the staff is magnificent.” “love trying new wines and the bartender always makes great suggestions and is very friendly.”
value	66.66999816894531% positive	“This place has a good vibe, and i was very glad when a friend turned me on to it one night, that now I do the same and drag friends there, ordering up the yummy chorizo sandwiches, SO GOOD, most of the tapas are $3.50 each, and most of them are hits, with” “You ask about the wine, which is overpriced, and no one there can answer a question.” “While the tapas are seemingly affordable, portions” “expensive white wines on the menu, it wound up” “Service was friendly, cucumber sangria was delicious, but the food is not worth staying for.” “ok, maybe tons of notches ;) not pricey at all and worth every penny, because it's truly the most authentic spanish place I've been in NY.”
wait time	100.0% positive	“Bar Carrera is probably one of the best date places I've found in the city in such a long time.” “30 minutes later we left and went to a great place right across the street.”

08/13/11

Bar Carrera-Good Wine, Don't go for Dinner

by comida1

This restaurant was recommended by a younger family member, so it was with great anticipation that we went. I realized later that the recco was based on the price of the bill versus anything else.

If you haven't been to a tapas bar,I can see why so many people think that this restaurant is great. if you have been to Spain, your experience will be a little disappointing.

I did love the bartender Gabrielle, he gave me the PERFECT wine the first time based on my preference description. He has a great personality and worked the bar as if he were an owner.

The quantity of food and the variety offered were a little disappointing. The offerings were pseudo american. I would have liked to see more traditional dishes such as eggplant, and the portions were so tiny that you will order all night (but that is a smart business move).

I would not recommend going here if you were hungry for dinner (as we were). I would go here off peak (as it is small) for drinks and appetizers, then go to dinner nearby.

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04/04/10

Not good enough

by anonK

Service was friendly, cucumber sangria was delicious, but the food is not worth staying for. We left after eating our 3 dishes to eat more elsewhere. Each dish was ingredients side by side, but the juxtaposition was not strong, and/or the flavors were not integrated. And EVERYthing had aioli/crema to add flavor.

Pros: cucumber sangria
Cons: food

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07/13/09

Tasty, but there's better in NYC

by Moni112

We went last night. The tapas were good but I've had better. I personally like jamon serrano to be thinly sliced and at Carrera it was a thicker than usual. Everything we ordered was good but we could totally make them at home and match the flavor or make it better. I'm not saying don't go. I'm just saying there are better places for tapas that a bill of $75 for 2 is worth every dollar. We were not impressed.

Pros: tasty tapas
Cons: pricey wine list, too expensive for the whole experience

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04/10/09

Food? Hah! Try getting in

by drink_club1

What happened to all those annoying yuppies and the annoying girls who like them? You've found 'em! They pack this little place radiating everything you hated about the 90s. We had reservations for six, but they had no table. "We don't take reservations." Then, "Just wait a minute and we'll do something," said the waiter on duty. 30 minutes later we left and went to a great place right across the street. We can't tell you about the food. We didn't have a chance to have any. --Drink Club is a roving group of NYC drinkers.

Pros: Other good places nearby
Cons: Yuppies, snobs, and false promises

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09/11/08

Delicious and Lovely

by manhattanlady

had an awesome time last night with my girlfriends. the service was top-notch and the ambiance was excellent. great place for groups, alone time or a quiet date.

the best place to enjoy Spanish wine and tapa dishes in Manhattan. we began our evening at the bar, then moved on to the dining room. i just got back from spain and i feel like i never left. oh thank you my lovely friends for taking me to bar carrera. this is one of those places that makes me thankful for living in NY. amazingly cute and original tapas and sangria place that takes you back, or puts you right in, spain. the contrast of busy trafficy streets of NY, yet welcoming attitude of the staff is magnificent. after only few minutes you truly forget about the world outside and start to indulge distinct wines or sangrias. the level of noise and laughter is a vital sign happy customers everywhere around.

then, the tapas arrive. pleasantly stimulating, fresh, all items were tasty. how can you not love it? this is not a place to sit and stuff yourself. this is a place for enjoyment of great company (elbow-to-elbow folks waiting to sit at the bar or waiting for a table in the dining room), with little bites of tapas and excellent selection of wines just to turn it up a notch. ok, maybe tons of notches ;) not pricey at all and worth every penny, because it's truly the most authentic spanish place I've been in NY. the staff is warm and humble (meaning, they appreciate your business). can't wait to go back for more!

Bar Carrera

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What People Are Saying About Bar Carrera

Erin Behan

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Editor's Tips

08/13/11

Bar Carrera-Good Wine, Don't go for Dinner

by comida1

04/04/10

Not good enough

by anonK

07/13/09

Tasty, but there's better in NYC

by Moni112

04/10/09

Food? Hah! Try getting in

by drink_club1

09/11/08

Delicious and Lovely

by manhattanlady

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