“From the unique and inviting decor, to the DELICIOUS drinks (I love the "vodka" cocktail, pina partida and watermelon lemongrass mojito), innovative and tasty food (especially the amazing bread, ceviches and the veggie empanada) and great service (Scott i”

“love this place as the food is very good and the vibe is energetic and the decor is cool.”

“We then all tried some different things from the menu, everything except for the crispy vegetables was pretty good.”

“Seems like it would be a great place for a small gathering.”

“POOR service, food was okay--- i will NEVER return to this restaurant again!”

“so much fun) on the second floor where we had once again one of the best meals this city can offer, from the ceviche bar to the daily specials and our waiter made us feel taken care of, we could have use some more of those tasty rolls they serve but inste”

“Food was good but very small portions.”

“The only con, the service is a little slow, but we still had a great time.”

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Rayuela

From The Owner of Rayuela

"Freestyle Latin" cuisine that attempts to redefine the traditional tastes of Latin America's favorite foods.

What Our Expert Scouts Say

Josh Ozersky Scout

Joined 9 months ago

November 26, 2012

It does something of an injustice to this bustling LES bar / restaurant / nightspot to speak of it as a "latino" or "pan-hispanic" operation. Yes, its eclectic menu moves effortlessly between central America, peru, brazil, and other traditions, and God knows its cocktail program is informed down to its core by Latino and carribbean flavors. But there's a sense of fun and improvisation here that defies traditional categorization. Hit the bar, order a few of Junior Merino's crazy cocktails, and start ordering what's interesting. You can be sure you won't get it anywhere else.

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daphnis16

Joined 4 years ago

April 06, 2011

great food - keep an open mind. I think if they had pictures, it would make it a little easier to understand the menu, lol. But seriously though, the food there was amazing. I went there in March with a group of friends and we all enjoyed it. The staff was great. There was a super long wait and we waited after our reservation to be seated which really annoyed me, but the manager was very generous in providing us with complimentary appetizers and desserts for our HOUR long wait for a table. Our bill was a small fortune even with the comps, lol - but everything was well worth it. The deserts were great also.

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ThisSideUp

Joined 3 years ago

May 30, 2010

Wonderful Food. Me and my friend we tried this place. It was very crowded and I wanted to go but my friend wanted to wait. We got a table finally. The food was really good. Maybe I would try to go back when there's not so many people. Its a nice looking place and our waiter was very nice too.

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Doesn't Recommend

11Bravo

Joined 3 years ago

April 10, 2010

not the best latin fusion...but decent. Everything but the food here is great. The restaurant is gorgeous. The staff was warm, professional, and accommodating. I made reservations and I was an hour late and they were still able to seat us within 20 minutes or so. The hostess and waiters were outstanding. The food and drink were nothing to write home about. I had a mojito that was bland. The ceviche was okay. I ordered the arroz con pollo and it was tasty but again lacking flavor. The desert was just strange and unsavory or sweet. The food was high quality and fresh just missing something.

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es11sn0w

Joined 10 years ago

March 28, 2010

Great Decor, Menu and Special Occasions.. Great place for one on one work/business dinners, dates and small groups. Food is top quality and consistent. Cocktails are creative and well thought out. Had many dinners in the past and special occasions and were very pleased.

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Doesn't Recommend

foodlover127

Joined 10 years ago

March 15, 2010

ssshhh, they'll give the surprise away.... knowing the owner doesn't mean anything anymore. went to rayuela for a surprise birthday party and was extremely disappointed. first, when the birthday boy got there, they basically said the surprise party is upstairs. huh? you knew it was a surprise. why would you open your mouth and ruin it. then when we metion something regarding the hostess' mistake, i don't remember hearing "i'm sorry". only got a brush off. the person putting the party together, worked it out so we had a pre-fixe menu. $45/person. this doesn't sound bad when you're getting 3 courses. they did offer a decent selection, and the food was ok. but if you're bringing your own cake, that's not really 3 courses and shouldn't be part of the $45/person. if you look at the menu and ordrer the most expensive appetizer and most expensive entree, then it'll be $45. why bother doing a pre-fixe? i don't even see the items we offered on the menu. plus, wouldn't you throw in ice cream or even coffee in the $45. not only was coffeed not included, but they didn't even ask if we wanted coffee prior to dessert (the cake we brought). instead, we had to ask 3 different waiters. 2 of them twice if we could have coffee. and then we got a separate bill for the coffee from the rest of the bill. i was also told, the birthday boy, who was drinking diet cokes all night got a separate bill for the sodas also. seriously? having growing up in the restautant / catering business, you put sodas, coffee, and tea as part of the $45. how insulting to hand out separate bills for $3-$50 dollars for coffee and soda. and don't get me started on the wine issue. if i ask for a bottle, then bring it. i shouldn't have to wait 30 minutes to have a bottle brought to me. sorry hector, but not sure if i'll be back.

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Doesn't Recommend

sj1010

Joined 3 years ago

March 07, 2010

Amazing Food. Disgusting Service.. Horrified. Never bring groups here unless you want your evening ruined. Was here with friends on the weekend and it will be the last time.

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Czuks

Joined 4 years ago

February 21, 2010

Amazing!!!. After a terrible experience at Essex we left and made the best move of the night by going to Rayuela. The hostess was great, sat us really fast and was very sweet. Our waiters were all great and really friendly. I had the beef tenderloin- perfectly cooked! For apps we had the guac with crabmeat and the tuna relleno. Both highly recommended. I wanted to lick the plate, but controlled the urge! I can"t wait to go back.

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jls818

Joined 5 years ago

October 25, 2009

AMAZING!!. Has become one of my new favs. Vibe, very cool. Service was fantastic. Food was excellent. Cannot wait to return (I rarely go to the same restaurant twice).

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P27NYC

Joined 4 years ago

September 04, 2009

Cool spot. Went with two friends of mine a while ago. Nice spot. Loved the decor, seating and the constantly smiling hostess. We tried a couple of ceviches, steak and the Chilean seabass (I always order it at every restaurant I go to if its on the menu). The food was very good, or, rather excellent. The only downside: the portions could be a bit larger. The three of us ended up ordering six appetizers, four main courses and three desserts. The wine list is excellent as well - short, but well priced with some excellent selections. (the 2001 Almaviva was the BOMB!). Long story short... we would be coming back soon.

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CSMobileUser2

Joined 5 years ago

August 13, 2009

I left hungry. Food was good but very small portions. Just about everything on the menu had seafood. Not being a big seafood fan my options were limited. The waiter kept filling up my peligrino after one sip, which got irritating. They're mixed green cocktail she recommended was herendous! Seating was uncomfortable.

Pass on the restaurant

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