Shared Spanish small plates in a lively yet elegant Flatiron nook.

(212) 255-4160

53 W 19th St (nr. Sixth Ave.)
New York, NY 10011 40.739807 -73.993082

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Neighborhoods: Flatiron District, Midtown

boquerianyc.com

Years in business

Established in 2006

Hours:

Sun-Thu 12pm-11pm

Sat-Sun 12pm-12am

Price:

$$

Last updated 8.16.11

Category:

Restaurants, Certified Green Restaurant(R)

Payment Methods:

American Express, Discover, Diners Club, Visa, MasterCard

Catering Services:

Restaurant Management

Restaurant Special Features:

Late Night Dining, Date Spot, Dine At The Bar

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Spanish, Tapas / Small Plates

Editor's Tips

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What People Are Saying About Boqueria

The Owner

Boqueria

Owner

Yann de Rochefort is the owner behind this modern take on Barcelona's famous tapas bars. The stunning interior designed by architects Meyer Davis is inspired by the traditional tapas bar and cervezerias of Barcelona, but also takes its cues from modern European design. The cuisine ranges from excellent traditional tapas and paellas, to lesser known regional dishes reflecting the wealth and breadth of Spanish cuisine. The tapas bar offers a wide selection of Spanish cured meats and cheese, as well as a raw bar. The wine list is a condensed course in the excellence of modern Spanish…

Provided by CityGrid

Read more from the owner

Featured Review

Katie Heffernan

Contributor

The Scene – Compared to its famous namesake, a bustling Barcelona marketplace, this polished tapas place is quite the sophisticate. Ham ages artfully in the window, and a marble bar stretches back toward a snug cul-de-sac of high cream-colored banquettes. Well-dressed patrons share this strong consciousness of style. They--and the room--warm up with food-induced buoyancy. – – The Food – There may be nothing like the real thing, but chef Seamus Mullen's two-year tour in Spain is certainly evident. Trust the encyclopedic service to recommend the best of his…

Editor's Tips

Save Time:
Lunch cravings can be satisfied at work with Monday thru Friday delivery from 12pm-3pm.
Know Before You Go:
Menu items are sized on three tiers: Tapas for small tasting ($7), mid-range media-raciones ($11) and entree-sized raciones ($27).
The Extras:
Lunch offers salads, bocatas (sandwiches) and cocas (open-face sandwiches).
Look Good:
Check the rotating menu of cured meats for jamon Iberico, a rare specialty that comes from acorn-fed pigs.
What to Drink:
Of the four sangrias, skip the fizzy white to gamble on the buzzed-about beer-infused rendition. Or choose from a 50-bottle wine list. A glass of the deep red Onix ($9) has nice hints of black cherry.
ambiance
92.9800033569336% positive
  1. “Beautiful decor + amazing food = going back for more.”
  2. “great atmosphere, good food”
  3. “it was a perfect location to bring my date.”
  4. “The enironment is cozy and nicely lit, but the proximity of tables, which some might say is part of its charm, is absurd.”
  5. “Yes, the portions are small compared to other tapas places, but the food is well presented, the service is excellent, and the decor is very welcoming and comfortable.”
  6. “If you want to experience some authentic Spanish cuisine in a great atmosphere with an attentive staff Boqueria is the place to go.”
  7. “Good food, great atmosphere, terrible service!”
  8. “great, lively atmosphere, crowded yet still comfortable, loud but in a good way, and the service was excellent.”
  9. “The atmosphere is perfect, with the attention to detail brilliantly subtle.”
  10. “The atmosphere was pleasant and the design chic, but the service was no good and everything was over-fried and over priced.”
  11. “The atmosphere is causal, but sophisticated and the food is terrific.”
  12. “the service was mediocre and in fact he had made no effort to make us comfortable (its communal seating and so we had to share, but when we suggested a different seating pattern to maximize conversation flow he dismissed it).”
  13. “Great decor, excellent service, could increase portion size”
  14. “The decor was clean, minimal and very comfortable.”
  15. “It has a casual and relaxed ambience with a clean, modern decor.”
  16. “The space is very trendy and comfortable, with a nice crowd of mostly young professionals.”
  17. “The restaurant feels very cozy and our server was so attentive.”
  18. “It's a great place to eat a lot of different things in small portions with great service, at a good value and with a location well decorated!”
  19. “Great service, great food, great decor and great options.”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “the sangria was great, and the food was pretty tasty overall - we ordered 6 plates + a dessert and were pleased with them all.”
drinks
79.16999816894531% positive
  1. “found a lovely, coolly elegant room and took a seat at the marble-top bar.”
  2. “took 15 minutes to get seated (had drinks at bar) service was slow to get espresso and check (very spanish).”
  3. “The tapas are amazing and the wine list is perfect for tapas.”
  4. “We also each had a glass of wine - don't be afraid to ask about any on the list - the waitress was pretty knowledgeable, I had a great red which I promptly forgot the name of!”
  5. “took a seat at the marble counter tapas bar where there were presentations of delicious bocatas (sandwiches) and cocas(open face sandwiches).”
  6. “Instead, our waitress accidentally spilled a full drink down my back, completely soaking my shirt and skirt.”
  7. “this is a good fancy place to eat great food, wine, and to hung out with friends, but not for me.”
  8. “Fantastic wine list.”
  9. “Jessie, the bartender, was very helpful, explaining the menu and specials, and recommending an excellent Chilean white wine.”
  10. “Amazing tapas and great bar that makes you feel like you are in Barcelona.”
  11. “Very good tapas, nice wines selection,friendly staff.”
  12. “We proceeded to order some wine and tapas from the bartender and to wait.”
food quality
89.42999839782715% positive
  1. “Boqueria still has the greatest combination of delicious food, cool vibe and nice staff.”
  2. “The service was excellent, our waitress was very nice and knew everything about the dishes in the menu.”
  3. “They had a Cauliflower special that was delicious.”
  4. “For those that have had good jamon in Spain, it's just not the same here in the states, but Boqueria's simple jamon with bread was so yummy.”
  5. “While I am no authority on Spanish cuisine and delicacies, I know good tapas after having traveled extensively in Spain for 3 months and this is probably the best selection and quality of tapas I have found in New York.”
  6. “The food was amazing, I especially liked the skeward lamb and the croquets, which come as a plate of three: Spanish ham, chicken, and mushroom.”
  7. “The jamon serrano comes served with delicious toasts lightly covered in tomato paste.”
  8. “The food was NOT good at ALL!”
  9. “Took my uncle and aunt there over Thanksgiving weekend, and my notoriously hard-to-please (and very vocal about such things) uncle proclaimed it "the best meal I've had out in I don't know how long.”
  10. “The Spanish ham and cheese selection is really extensive and the lamb skewers on the menu's small plates section are out of this world!”
  11. “For me this is important, you may have good food but unfriendly, brusque or poor service can ruin a dining experience.”
  12. “The food was great, but now I have such a bad taste in my mouth, I'll never go back.”
  13. “Also enjoyed the lamb confit.”
  14. “Great service - yummy, authentic tapas”
  15. “Anyone who has had the opportunity to visit Spain and has had the chance to taste the authentic product would know better.”
  16. “the salted peppers were the most interesting and worth trying, the patatas excellent, the chorizo and jamon serrano standard, but the lamb skewer was too chewy and as much fat as meat.”
  17. “If you want a great glass of sangria and some tasty tapas, this is your place.”
  18. “this is a good fancy place to eat great food, wine, and to hung out with friends, but not for me.”
  19. “its a good place if you are a group of friends who dont have a reservation for a saturday night dinner (they dont take reservations) but the food and sangria is slightly better than average, and be prepared to overpay on service or else you will be accost”
  20. “The 25 minute wait time flew by, and our waitress was extremely attentive, explaining the various dishes to us.”
  21. “The tapas were very tasty and authentic - the Spaniard in our group was even impressed.”
  22. “Good food, great atmosphere, terrible service!”
  23. “the sangria was great, and the food was pretty tasty overall - we ordered 6 plates + a dessert and were pleased with them all.”
  24. “Great service, great food, great decor and great options.”
  25. “Great food, good sangria, great staff”
  26. “Dessert we ordered the churros which were tasty as well.”
  27. “The server was knowledgeable but bland dishes with silly names and long stories of what market the ingredients came from did little to make the food taste better.”
  28. “The food is really good (especially the lentil stew and the prime rib.”
  29. “The lamb skewers, the baby squid, shrimp, croquettes are all great.”
  30. “Beautiful decor + amazing food = going back for more.”
  31. “We ordered two salads for the 3 of us to split, plus the croquettes, serano ham on toast, sea scallops (which turned out to be 1 scallop but was on a bed of great pea/corn mixture) and 2 cheeses.”
  32. “had several tastes - Navajas, sliced razor clams grilled and mixe with fresh corn and smoked bacon and served in the shell - Txipirones, sauted baby squid served on a bed of greens with fried garbanzos, radish and olive - Anchovy, one perfectly fried fr”
  33. “loved the croquettes dish which had a mix of cod, mushrooms, and jamon, and all were good ?”
  34. “The quality of the food is excellent, and the service was helpful and friendly.”
  35. “Be specific: Generalities like "lazy service" or "tasty pizza" leave people wanting more detail.”
  36. “Most of the tapas were unidentifiable flavor wise(except chorizo in everything), if it weren't for our friendly server telling us what each dish was, I wouldn't have been able to recognize what I was eating half the time.”
  37. “enjoyed the side salad (market vegetables).”
  38. “The atmosphere is causal, but sophisticated and the food is terrific.”
  39. “The food was excellent.”
  40. “Good food but sketchy Israeli manager ruins authenticity”
  41. “don't have the luxury of taking a long break so I was concerned that I might be stuck there too long, but I was definetely in the mood for some good food and didn't want the same ol' deli sandwich.”
  42. “Great food, fantastic service, I still LOVE this place!”
  43. “Then the hostess was deliteful; she smiled when we entered, made small talk and even recommended several of her favorite dishes.”
  44. “Other dishes such as "Pulpo de Playa" translated literally as "octopus of the beach" left us scratching our heads and wondering where the honest, rich, and inventive food of Spain was on this menu.”
  45. “The tapas were fresh, clean, and upscale compared to your usual tapas places.”
  46. “The food was okay, our waitress (Emily) was wonderful.”
  47. “Yes, the portions are small compared to other tapas places, but the food is well presented, the service is excellent, and the decor is very welcoming and comfortable.”
  48. “Fantastic food, great downtown vibe”
  49. “don't mind spending $$$ on a good meal - BUT this was awful, so much so that it's inspired me to write my very first restaurant review.”
  50. “Everything was delightful, from the rose sangria, mixed greens, croquettes, dates wrapped in bacon, fresh shrimp in garlic (yum), to the sherry.”
  51. “Boqueria is ab-fab for unique flavors, cheeses and interesting small dishes - the datiles con beicon and monte enebro cheese are not to be skipped.”
  52. “great ambient, good food”
  53. “Very disappointing because we heard the food was good but of the 8 or so dishes we tried only 2 were good.”
  54. “some of my favorite dishes so far include mini toast topped with chorizo and sunny-side up quail eggs, bacon wrapped dates (yumm!)”
  55. “Did I mention that my eggs were cold and a little pathetic looking?”
  56. “That is just a bad dish.”
  57. “If you want to experience some authentic Spanish cuisine in a great atmosphere with an attentive staff Boqueria is the place to go.”
  58. “great atmosphere, good food”
  59. “took a seat at the marble counter tapas bar where there were presentations of delicious bocatas (sandwiches) and cocas(open face sandwiches).”
  60. “The food is absolutely outstanding.”
  61. “The little fried peppers and mixed olives were good but the croquettas, salad and bacalao were not good -- too oily, fried and not fresh tasting.”
  62. “Otherwise, the food was decent (nothing spectular) and the server was still well informed but very blase (how hard is it to smile - really).”
  63. “The food is overpriced.”
  64. “good casual dining and drinking--especially if you love pork products”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “The Spanish ham and cheese selection is really extensive and the lamb skewers on the menu's small plates section are out of this world!”
  2. “Very good tapas, nice wines selection,friendly staff.”
  3. “While I am no authority on Spanish cuisine and delicacies, I know good tapas after having traveled extensively in Spain for 3 months and this is probably the best selection and quality of tapas I have found in New York.”
  4. “Jessie, the bartender, was very helpful, explaining the menu and specials, and recommending an excellent Chilean white wine.”
  5. “Other dishes such as "Pulpo de Playa" translated literally as "octopus of the beach" left us scratching our heads and wondering where the honest, rich, and inventive food of Spain was on this menu.”
  6. “After studying the menu and talking with the friendly bartender, I decided that I might possibly be addicted to this place.”
  7. “Great service, great food, great decor and great options.”
  8. “The service was excellent, our waitress was very nice and knew everything about the dishes in the menu.”
  9. “On the positive side, the variety and quality of tapas is terrific.”
  10. “The service is warm and friendly, and they willingly walk you through what is a very confusing menu.”
overall
92.8600025177002% positive
  1. “If you want to experience some authentic Spanish cuisine in a great atmosphere with an attentive staff Boqueria is the place to go.”
  2. “the best tapas place ever!”
  3. “good place for first dates, girlfriends getting together or even medium size parties (not bigger than 8-9 the place is not huge).”
  4. “It's a great place to eat a lot of different things in small portions with great service, at a good value and with a location well decorated!”
  5. “its a good place if you are a group of friends who dont have a reservation for a saturday night dinner (they dont take reservations) but the food and sangria is slightly better than average, and be prepared to overpay on service or else you will be accost”
  6. “this is a good fancy place to eat great food, wine, and to hung out with friends, but not for me.”
  7. “If you want a great glass of sangria and some tasty tapas, this is your place.”
return potential
62.5% positive
  1. “overall a great experience - i'd definitely go back.”
  2. “but we'll never go back there again because the management was so rude.”
  3. “liked this place, but I don't really feel the need to go back.”
  4. “The food was great, but now I have such a bad taste in my mouth, I'll never go back.”
service
83.94000053405762% positive
  1. “The service is warm and friendly, and they willingly walk you through what is a very confusing menu.”
  2. “After studying the menu and talking with the friendly bartender, I decided that I might possibly be addicted to this place.”
  3. “The service was great where we sat, at a tiny table in the front.”
  4. “Very good tapas and a charming staff.”
  5. “The service is great.”
  6. “Jessie, the bartender, was very helpful, explaining the menu and specials, and recommending an excellent Chilean white wine.”
  7. “Great food, fantastic service, I still LOVE this place!”
  8. “took 15 minutes to get seated (had drinks at bar) service was slow to get espresso and check (very spanish).”
  9. “The restaurant feels very cozy and our server was so attentive.”
  10. “Although the place was packed, the staff was extremely friendly, and patient despite us standing in their way (there isn't much space to stand out of the way).”
  11. “Even with the friendly and prompt service, still a waste of $150.00.”
  12. “its a good place if you are a group of friends who dont have a reservation for a saturday night dinner (they dont take reservations) but the food and sangria is slightly better than average, and be prepared to overpay on service or else you will be accost”
  13. “Then the hostess was deliteful; she smiled when we entered, made small talk and even recommended several of her favorite dishes.”
  14. “The other staff were very friendly and helpful as well (esp.”
  15. “Otherwise, the food was decent (nothing spectular) and the server was still well informed but very blase (how hard is it to smile - really).”
  16. “The server was knowledgeable but bland dishes with silly names and long stories of what market the ingredients came from did little to make the food taste better.”
  17. “The service was poor- it took over 1/2 hour to place our order.”
  18. “For me this is important, you may have good food but unfriendly, brusque or poor service can ruin a dining experience.”
  19. “great, lively atmosphere, crowded yet still comfortable, loud but in a good way, and the service was excellent.”
  20. “Good food but sketchy Israeli manager ruins authenticity”
  21. “Very good tapas, nice wines selection,friendly staff.”
  22. “Overall service was amazing with the waiter spending alot of time with us to answer questions.”
  23. “If you want to experience some authentic Spanish cuisine in a great atmosphere with an attentive staff Boqueria is the place to go.”
  24. “Be specific: Generalities like "lazy service" or "tasty pizza" leave people wanting more detail.”
  25. “The staff and the chef, Seamus Mullen were friendly and professional, and seemed genuinely interested in making sure my dining experience was a good one.”
  26. “but we'll never go back there again because the management was so rude.”
  27. “Yes, the portions are small compared to other tapas places, but the food is well presented, the service is excellent, and the decor is very welcoming and comfortable.”
  28. “Great decor, excellent service, could increase portion size”
  29. “We also each had a glass of wine - don't be afraid to ask about any on the list - the waitress was pretty knowledgeable, I had a great red which I promptly forgot the name of!”
  30. “Good food, great atmosphere, terrible service!”
  31. “Fabuloso Catalonian tapas and great service”
  32. “It's a great place to eat a lot of different things in small portions with great service, at a good value and with a location well decorated!”
  33. “The atmosphere was pleasant and the design chic, but the service was no good and everything was over-fried and over priced.”
  34. “The wonderful hostess I had met is no longer there - which is a real shame.”
  35. “Food as beautiful as the people”
  36. “Most of the tapas were unidentifiable flavor wise(except chorizo in everything), if it weren't for our friendly server telling us what each dish was, I wouldn't have been able to recognize what I was eating half the time.”
  37. “The service was excellent, our waitress was very nice and knew everything about the dishes in the menu.”
  38. “The staff is wonderful, most speak Spanish and are very smiley and friendly and make the experience complete.”
  39. “the service was mediocre and in fact he had made no effort to make us comfortable (its communal seating and so we had to share, but when we suggested a different seating pattern to maximize conversation flow he dismissed it).”
  40. “Plus lunch is still quiet (dinner is a zoo with all the beautiful people oggling each other) but I expect lunch to pick up as the weather cools off.”
  41. “The 25 minute wait time flew by, and our waitress was extremely attentive, explaining the various dishes to us.”
  42. “And a result it does become somewhat noisy, but that is the sound of happy people enjoying the place.”
  43. “We proceeded to order some wine and tapas from the bartender and to wait.”
  44. “Boqueria still has the greatest combination of delicious food, cool vibe and nice staff.”
  45. “Bad service.”
  46. “Great food, good sangria, great staff”
  47. “Great service - yummy, authentic tapas”
  48. “Great service, great food, great decor and great options.”
  49. “Our waitress was very nice but that did not make up for the price to value ratio.”
  50. “esp for a busy restaurant, our glasses were always full, and our waitress checked in with us often.”
  51. “The servers have always been great and made good recommendations.”
  52. “The food was okay, our waitress (Emily) was wonderful.”
  53. “told the manager that everything about the place was great, except the service needed work.”
  54. “Instead, our waitress accidentally spilled a full drink down my back, completely soaking my shirt and skirt.”
  55. “The quality of the food is excellent, and the service was helpful and friendly.”
value
75.0% positive
  1. “The Food: Tastes good, but even for tapas, the portions are insulting.”
  2. “Yes, the portions are small compared to other tapas places, but the food is well presented, the service is excellent, and the decor is very welcoming and comfortable.”
  3. “Our waitress was very nice but that did not make up for the price to value ratio.”
  4. “It's a great place to eat a lot of different things in small portions with great service, at a good value and with a location well decorated!”
  5. “good place for first dates, girlfriends getting together or even medium size parties (not bigger than 8-9 the place is not huge).”
  6. “the salted peppers were the most interesting and worth trying, the patatas excellent, the chorizo and jamon serrano standard, but the lamb skewer was too chewy and as much fat as meat.”
  7. “Small portions (too small) and in general overpriced.”
  8. “The atmosphere was pleasant and the design chic, but the service was no good and everything was over-fried and over priced.”
  9. “The food is overpriced.”
  10. “If they increase the portion sizes a bit and bring the prices more inline with other tapas places, Boqueria will have great potential.”
wait time
70.0% positive
  1. “don't have the luxury of taking a long break so I was concerned that I might be stuck there too long, but I was definetely in the mood for some good food and didn't want the same ol' deli sandwich.”
  2. “Took my uncle and aunt there over Thanksgiving weekend, and my notoriously hard-to-please (and very vocal about such things) uncle proclaimed it "the best meal I've had out in I don't know how long.”
  3. “The server was knowledgeable but bland dishes with silly names and long stories of what market the ingredients came from did little to make the food taste better.”
  4. “The 25 minute wait time flew by, and our waitress was extremely attentive, explaining the various dishes to us.”
  5. “took 15 minutes to get seated (had drinks at bar) service was slow to get espresso and check (very spanish).”
1 Star Rating: Poor

07/25/10

Not what it used to be

by RichardC1 at Citysearch

Went there July 22nd. Very busy, nice crowd & atmosphere. The food however was not what I had become accustomed to at Boqueria. I had been to both the Flatiron and Soho branches at least a dozen times and had always enjoyed it there. I was told by a friend that the chef had changed, but that most of the menu stayed the same.

We ordered 7 dishes, but were disappointed with all of them. The only dish we liked was an heirloom tomato and watermelon salad, but we had to fight for the very few pieces of tomato in the dish. The dish was fresh and tasty, but was mostly composed of watermelon and salad. From there on, a bit of a disaster. The lamb cubes were under seasoned and rough. We had to return the burnt patatas bravas, which should be very easy to master. The second rendition was barely any better. The stuffed dates (filled with ham, cheese and almonds and formerly one of my favorite side dishes) were too sweet. The bacalao was runny and had a strange flavor to it (which might explain why I was later sick from what was most likely food poisoning).

While the service was polite and pleasant, it certainly felt very rushed. All of our dishes except for the bacalao were served within 10 minutes. At this point (9:30pm), there were a good number of empty tables, so I am not sure why we were being rushed.

I had many good meals at Boqueria, but I am afraid I will not return.

  • Pros: Nice crowd and atmosphere
  • Cons: Quality of food has really slipped, expedited service
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/19/10

High Hopes...Sadly Disappointing

by foodfinders at Citysearch

I was surprised when I entered the restaurant, from the description, I expected fairly small and cramped seating. It wasn't. The decor was clean, minimal and very comfortable. All the tables and chairs were at bar level, which I liked. Like I said high hopes. We sat down and ordered our drinks, a spicy bloody mary.

Sadly, I cannot recommend the Bloody Mary. I wondered why they accompanied the drink with an anchovy (along with an olive, cheese and pepper). Its because their version of a Bloody Mary was basically cocktail sauce on ice, I wish it had been accompanied with shrimp. Did I mention that it wasn't spicy?

We waited 40 minutes for our meal from when we ordered it. I ordered Bocata Boqueria (egg sandwich, chorizo, market vegetables). I enjoyed the side salad (market vegetables). I don't eat potatoes and the eggs were basically a scramble with chorizo. Did I mention that my eggs were cold and a little pathetic looking? they were. I felt like I was served someone's left overs after looking at my neighbor's plate, who had ordered the same dish. My companion ordered a medium burger with bacon. The burger came out rare and cold. We sent it back. Twenty minutes later, after i shared and finished my salad and the sad scrambled eggs of my dish, the replacement burger arrived. It was more well done than medium but that was better than it being raw. He said it was ok, but nothing ruins a meal than having to send something back.

What I found really disappointing was that people who came in after us received their food in a timely manner and left before I did. In addition, the person sitting next to me ordered the same dish I did and it looked much better.

We didn't try any tapas, but unfortunately I have no interest in returning to try it.

We work so hard to earn a living in such an expensive city that I would rather spend my money on a restaurant that did not disappoint.

  • Pros: Casual and friendly ambiance; Nice decor and layout
  • Cons: slow service
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/17/10

Great Tapas!

by carpediem123 at Citysearch

I may not be a foodie, but I've been to Barcelona and went to amazing tapas restaurants.

Boqueria took me back to Spain.

The croquetas were perfection.

There was a selection of 4 different types of jamon. I ordered one and it was so good. For those that have had good jamon in Spain, it's just not the same here in the states, but Boqueria's simple jamon with bread was so yummy.

The service is great. From hostess, to the bartender to our server, everyone was on top of things.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/03/09

Best Tappas outside of Spain

by truereview14 at Citysearch

Awesome selection of tappas, definitely try the jamon cerrano. The Sangria is great too, but be warned it's $32/pitcher which can add up quickly.

I have gone multiple times with groups of 3-6 and the longest I have ever waited in 15mins.

Great time for friends or co-workers, reasonably priced, definitely worth a trip!

  • Pros: Great food, atmosphere, sangria
  • Cons: None
3 Star Rating: Average

07/30/09

Good food but sketchy Israeli manager ruins authenticity

by CityCritiquer at Citysearch

Boqueria in Flatiron is an excellent choice with two important exceptions - I'll get to them in a minute. On the positive side, the variety and quality of tapas is terrific. I'm a foodie and passionate about markets from Barcelona to Sao Paulo to Mumbai. This place knows its food. We had the Serrano, sardinas, saladas and gambas to start and the paella and fideua as mains, washed down by a couple of bottles of grenache (excellent) and tempranillo (average). Overall, this place was very good and our party of four had a great time.

Now for the issues -- more for the management than patrons, necessarily. The tapas of sardinas essentially had one sardine each for $12 each. Even by NY standards that's a rip. I discreetly mentioned to the waitress that I thought it was odd - she graciously said they would do something about it. Next, the manager Gil saunters up and loudly asks our table (me and three women) what the problem was. Firstly, rude and confrontational approach. I told him I'd come by in a few minutes and I did. I found him a bit later - checking email on a wireless Mac at a banquette, no less - and mentioned to him my irritation with the portions. He chafed and told me this wasn't Barcelona and that was the price of seafood here. And if I had an issue, I should write the chef a suggestion card!! I asked where this champ was from - Israel, apparently, where manners and restaurant management seem to have been perfected. When I asked the waitress if I could get contact details for the management, she politely declined and said ... yes, again ... I could fill out a suggestion card.

Bottom line is, the restaurant is pretty good and my review shouldn't stop you from going there. Rather, if ownership/management actually care about management of their properties, I'd suggest they find Gil a role at a falafel stand in Haifa where the portions are small and manners are smaller. This is New York, after all - we prefer our tapas joints staffed by Spanish hospitality, not Israeli pettiness.

  • Pros: Good food and wine quality
  • Cons: Surly Israeli manager, dishonest food portions

Green Restaurant All Certified Green Restaurants® meet the minimum certification criteria of the science-based standards of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national non profit dedicated to Greening Restaurants since 1990. Certified Green Restaurants® implement transparent and verified environmental steps in seven environmental categories: Energy, Water, Chemicals, Food, Packaging, Waste, and Building. Learn more about the GRA's standards and how to Dine Green.

The Details on Boqueria

Place Categories:

  • good great food
  • best authentic tapas
  • great overall service
  • good fancy place
  • patient other staff
  • great lively atmosphere
  • fantastic excellent chilean white wine
  • very nice waitress
  • mediocre service
  • favorite small dishes
  • great server
  • yummy simple jamon
  • terrific new restaurant
  • beautiful leave people
  • great everything
  • bland dish
  • genuinely interested seamus mullen
  • recommend creamy croquettes
  • good meal
  • great downtown vibe
  • most interesting salted peppers
  • really extensive spanish ham
  • terrific quality
  • clean modern decor
  • very helpful bartender

As Seen In…

Best of Citysearch

New York

Best of Citysearch

New York

Message from Boqueria

  • Spanish Cured Meats & Tapas
  • Lunch, Brunch, Dinner
  • Catering & Delivery

Yann de Rochefort is the owner behind this modern take on Barcelona's famous tapas bars. The stunning interior designed by architects Meyer Davis is inspired by the traditional tapas bar and cervezerias of Barcelona, but also takes its cues from modern European design.

The cuisine ranges from excellent traditional tapas and paellas, to lesser known regional dishes reflecting the wealth and breadth of Spanish cuisine. The tapas bar offers a wide selection of Spanish cured meats and cheese, as well as a raw bar.

The wine list is a condensed course in the excellence of modern Spanish winemaking.

Boqueria
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