(212) 473-9900

157 E Houston St (Between Allen and Eldridge)
New York, NY 10002 40.7229 -73.9891

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Neighborhoods: Lower East Side, Downtown, Bowery

macondonyc.com

Hours:

Monday - Wednesday: 5pm to Midnight, Thursday & Friday: 4pm to 2am, Saturday: 12pm to 2am, Sunday: 11:30am to 2pm

Last updated 10.18.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot

Cuisine:

Latin American

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Macondo

Featured Review

Joshua M Bernstein

Contributor

The Lower East Side goes tropical at this bright and airy bar, decorated with faux ivy and fruits suspended in nets that dangle from the ceiling. While the open kitchen serves savory street eats including empanadas and arepas, the real stars of the show are mixologist Junior Merino's playful, fruit-based cocktails, like the potent, mint-tinted Guava and Whiskey and the knockout, meal-in-a-glass Aguacate and Mescal ($7.50). It's a blended, silky-smooth mixture containing mescal, agave nectar and--get this--avocado. – – High Marks – "Seems they use a lot of really interesting…

Editor's Tips

Food Served:
Cure your hunger pains with pan-Latino street eats like codfish-stuffed arepas, shrimp ceviche and barbecued lamb tacos.
Fun Fact:
Prior to its tropical transformation, this space housed the drab--and quickly shuttered--LoSide Diner.
Outdoor Seating:
For prime people-watching on sunny, sultry days (or hot nights), nab one of the outdoor stools that line Macondo's concrete counter.
ambiance
93.33000183105469% positive
  1. “The restaurant was completely willing fully to receive a creative and fun party like mine.”
  2. “Our waitress, Meredith, was not only fun and friendly but she was very knowledgeble about the menu.”
  3. “The atmosphere, the music, the lighting was fantastic.”
  4. “clever idea though, with nice decor and a cool Spanish street fare theme going on, but sadly the rest is very inconsistent.”
  5. “The service was great, and I loved the atmosphere - especially the chalk-board walls in the bathroom to write quotes on.”
dessert
0.0% positive
  1. “The dessert of churros & donuts wasn't too memorable but they were a tasty way to finish the meal.”
drinks
75.0% positive
  1. “will definitely return to try some more food items & their long tasty drinks.”
  2. “I'm a huge fan of latin food & cocktails, but I have yet to find somewhere remotely authentic until now.”
  3. “Appropriate service, great music and delicious cocktails made our experience extremely pleasurable.”
  4. “Overall, Macondo has potential, but seriously steep prices for food and drinks and tasteless "street fair" aren't going to cut it.”
  5. “And the cocktails are fabulous!”
  6. “Interesting great drinks!”
  7. “Loved the food & drinks.”
  8. “We ordered an assortment of food to share & a pitcher of the tamarind tequila drink- soo good & not too sweet.”
  9. “Junior Merino is the mixologist but the drinks were tasteless.”
  10. “he was very pushy from the start by trying to sell us drinks and the special of the night - the whole roasted pig ( with the face attached).”
  11. “The server recommended this specialty sparkling beer drink which you use a flask to drink out of & it proved a great time for all.”
  12. “Best latin cocktails in NYC - highly recommend!”
food quality
76.83000087738037% positive
  1. “Great food!”
  2. “I'm a huge fan of latin food & cocktails, but I have yet to find somewhere remotely authentic until now.”
  3. “Loved the food & drinks.”
  4. “there are too many other good restaurants with the same genre of food with much better service.”
  5. “Street food in a cool restaurant!”
  6. “You have to try the bacalaitos, the shrimp chorizo, the crispy oysters.”
  7. “Our table ordered the Columbian flat bread but the chorizo failed to deliver.”
  8. “Appropriate service, great music and delicious cocktails made our experience extremely pleasurable.”
  9. “The dessert of churros & donuts wasn't too memorable but they were a tasty way to finish the meal.”
  10. “Overall, Macondo has potential, but seriously steep prices for food and drinks and tasteless "street fair" aren't going to cut it.”
  11. “The food was absolutely delicious!”
  12. “Service not so great, but food is wonderful.”
  13. “We were pretty unfamiliar with the Latin cuisine on the menu but the server was very helpful with detailed descriptions and we loved everything that was recommended.”
  14. “The reason my friends and I chose this place recently is because we are all on a budget, however we still wanted to eat good food in a great environment.”
  15. “We ordered an assortment of food to share & a pitcher of the tamarind tequila drink- soo good & not too sweet.”
  16. “will definitely return to try some more food items & their long tasty drinks.”
  17. “In fact, the Cuban sandwich was so good, we ordered one to go and took it home with us!”
  18. “We went there expecting a wonderful spanish meal, but the result was a throughly tasteless, underseasoned, and well, bland, experience.”
  19. “The food was amazing, served hot and fresh.”
  20. “The cocktail menu is absolutely amazing, fresh and innovative.”
menu variety
77.77999877929688% positive
  1. “We were pretty unfamiliar with the Latin cuisine on the menu but the server was very helpful with detailed descriptions and we loved everything that was recommended.”
  2. “Our waitress, Meredith, was not only fun and friendly but she was very knowledgeble about the menu.”
  3. “The cocktail menu is absolutely amazing, fresh and innovative.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “That was the best place to make a party like this”
  2. “There is a room in the back with cool lighting and ivy - great place to have a party there.”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “will definitely return to try some more food items & their long tasty drinks.”
service
75.76000213623047% positive
  1. “our waiter was the most obnoxious waiter by far.”
  2. “The server recommended this specialty sparkling beer drink which you use a flask to drink out of & it proved a great time for all.”
  3. “Despite the number of people, the checks were perfect and clear.”
  4. “Our waitress, Meredith, was not only fun and friendly but she was very knowledgeble about the menu.”
  5. “rude waiter”
  6. “there are too many other good restaurants with the same genre of food with much better service.”
  7. “Hostesses, waiters, waitresses, the staff service was excellent.”
  8. “We were pretty unfamiliar with the Latin cuisine on the menu but the server was very helpful with detailed descriptions and we loved everything that was recommended.”
  9. “The service was great, and I loved the atmosphere - especially the chalk-board walls in the bathroom to write quotes on.”
  10. “Beverage service was simply excellent.”
  11. “Appropriate service, great music and delicious cocktails made our experience extremely pleasurable.”
value
50.0% positive
  1. “I'm a huge fan of latin food & cocktails, but I have yet to find somewhere remotely authentic until now.”
  2. “Overall, Macondo has potential, but seriously steep prices for food and drinks and tasteless "street fair" aren't going to cut it.”
wait time
100.0% positive
  1. “will definitely return to try some more food items & their long tasty drinks.”
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/15/11

Trendy, but food is not good

by KLeigh333 at Citysearch

I've been to Macondo twice for dinner- the first time was so unmemorable that when a friend made a reservation only a year later I didn't remember that I had been there until I arrived. The second time the food was just OK. Most of the reviews talk about the drinks and fusion of ingredients but they don't actually talk about the taste of the food - which is not good! There were 4 of us so we tried a lot of different dishes - the pescado tacos, enchilada de pollo, and the tuna flatbreads and I wasn't impressed by any of them.

I think the reason that people go there is because it is a trendy fusion restaurant on the LES and people want to feel hip by eating there. If you are not one of those people and just want delicious food, then I don't recommend trying it!

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/02/10

Awesome Brunch!!

by thecritiq at Citysearch

Macondo....Get. Over. There! They have this brunch special that you buy one mimosa and you get a few more complimentary mimosas with your brunch! That's unheard of in this city. Brilliant guys! And it's not just some Tropicana and cheap champagne...it's a choice of three amazing flavors..all made with fresh fruits (insane). I was so impressed. Drinks aside, the food was brilliant. The torrijas, basically a Latino version of French toast, and the pancakes with fresh blueberries, were my favorites for brunch. My friend had the steak and eggs which was unreal. The meat was so juicy and it was presented sliced over fresh greens with a sunny-side egg on top. These corn arepas also came with the dish and are officially my new favorite thing in the world.

i asked our waitress, who was so helpful and informative by the way, if we could have two more arepas and she made it happen. Two thumbs way up.

To make brunch even more fun, the bathroom walls are made of chalkboard! So you can write funny comments or draw pictures, etc. Awesome idea! Love this place.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/14/10

Amazing Tapas

by ravterps at Citysearch

Ate here last night. Food and cocktails were outstanding. Interesting ingredients mixed...tough to find around the city. Nice vibe also.

3 Star Rating: Average

08/01/10

At least the cooks are Latino

by blgerson at Citysearch

I could eat the Chorishrimp every day for a while. The bocadilla and arepa were whateves. It is funny to see gringos pedal fancy latin street food in a posh LES setting. A great marketing appeal none the less.

I will go back for those camarones con patacones and try a few different sides next time and a new drink too.

Go make your own decision...

  • Pros: Camarones, Sangria
  • Cons: Its kinda fake
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/08/10

Great place to party

by Oscar Goldman at Citysearch

Last Friday, March 5 had a Birthday party at Macondo. That was the best party I've ever had.

First of all, this was a theme party: Wig and Glasses. The restaurant was completely willing fully to receive a creative and fun party like mine.

We were about 50 people. The appetizers came overnight, always well served and always delicious. The variety was vast. My friends, both locals and foreigners were happy with the food and service.

Considering the amount of people, the drinks always arrive on time. Cocktails at Macondo are spectacular.

Beverage service was simply excellent. Despite the number of people, the checks were perfect and clear. Hostesses, waiters, waitresses, the staff service was excellent.

The atmosphere, the music, the lighting was fantastic. That was the best place to make a party like this

This party will be unforgettable.

Thank you Macondo for a great night.

  • Pros: Food, service, drinks, atmosphere
  • Cons: None

The Details on Macondo

Place Categories:

  • tasteless drinks
  • absolutely delicious food
  • recommend place
  • bland experience
  • cool restaurant
  • fresh cocktail menu
  • great staff service
  • very knowledgeble meredith
  • pretty unfamiliar server
  • very knowledgeble waitress
  • fantastic lighting
  • rude waiter
  • good soo
  • fabulous cocktail
  • clear checks
  • fantastic music
  • loved everything
  • highly recommend best latin cocktails
  • loved atmosphere
  • not too memorable dessert
  • wonderful spanish meal
  • flat bread
  • cool space
  • amazing tapas
  • creative party
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