Ideya Restaurant

(212) 625-1441

349 W Broadway
New York, NY 10013 40.7227 -74.0032

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Neighborhoods: SoHo, Downtown

IDEYA.NET

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard, Travelers Check

Restaurant Special Features:

Romantic Dining, Brunch, Date Spot, Live Music, Dine At The Bar, Bar Scene

Cuisine:

Latin American, Caribbean

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Ideya Restaurant

Featured Review

Karen Hudes

Contributor

The Scene – Whirring fans and flickering candles--which also illuminate the bar's many-hued bottles of rum--contribute to the breezy atmosphere of this crisply designed spot. – – The Food – The salads and seafood are delightfully fresh, but try a medio dia here and you'll know why this pressed sandwich of ham, pork, cheese and a pickle makes people flip. House-specialty cocktails include the caipirinha, the classic Cuban mojito--made with freshly-crushed mint leaves--and creamy batidas. Try the mangomambo--a blend of spiced rum, mango puree, vanilla vodka, milk and…

Editor's Tips

Music:
Look for live salsa bands like Jose Conde and Ola Fresca on Monday nights!
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The food was great and the atmosphere perfect-bright with a beachy feel!”
  2. “Was refreshing to have such a warm atmosphere WITHOUT SoHo pretension.”
  3. “Went for brunch on Saturday and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere immensely.”
  4. “Very good ambience, specially when the salsa band plays.”
  5. “Always a hip, fun atmosphere with good music and a crowd that's usually neither too hip nor too touristy.”
  6. “Pretty tropical decor perfect for lazy cocktail drinking, with paintings for sale by local artists on the wall.”
  7. “this should not be listed under romantic, food was good, but a major let down for a romantic date!”
  8. “great atmosphere to get drunk with yoour friends.”
  9. “enjoyed my food and atmosphere on friday night.”
  10. “laid back atmosphere, friendly staff.”
  11. “The place is cozy, esthetically pleasing and the meal was lush !”
  12. “fresh taste of flavor and fun”
  13. “The atmosphere is festive & the wait staff were attentive.”
  14. “was there the other night with a freind and as nice the server was and as kool as the music and the decor was the portions were super tiny ,and overpriced”
dessert
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Service was not even passable, even when the restaurant emptied out, I had to hail my waiter every time we needed something, which was everything: drinks, water, food, bring out the cake, could I have a spoon.”
  2. “The tasteless tres leche cake was swimming in milk.”
  3. “had a flan for dessert (wowwowwow), and it was a perfect evening.”
drinks
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “We did have to return a drink because it didn't seem like any alcohol was in it, but overall, they were accomodating and the food was great -- the fried plantain chips & salsa were DELICIOUS!”
  2. “The mojitos were UNBELIEVABLE, the food, flavorful, piping hot and with excellent service, especially if you ate at the bar.”
  3. “The waiter kept us in good supply of drinks, and was helpful with recommendations.”
  4. “The food was average, but the drinks were strong AND expensive.”
  5. “On the plus side - the drinks were strong and the presentation (clearly designed to make up for the quality of the food and disguise the fact that the portions are tiny) was good.”
  6. “great little spot for appetizers and drinks-- the vibe was super suave, but nice.”
  7. “Service was not even passable, even when the restaurant emptied out, I had to hail my waiter every time we needed something, which was everything: drinks, water, food, bring out the cake, could I have a spoon.”
food quality
91.11000061035156% positive
  1. “The food was very fresh, even the salsa with chips tasted like they just prepared it.”
  2. “stopped in for lunch a few weeks ago and had an unexpectedly good meal.”
  3. “Service was not even passable, even when the restaurant emptied out, I had to hail my waiter every time we needed something, which was everything: drinks, water, food, bring out the cake, could I have a spoon.”
  4. “The food was unremarkable: generally good, but lacking the spice and flair of more memorable cuban/latin cuisine.”
  5. “had 2 of the grande dark rum mojitos made with fresh mint.”
  6. “fresh taste of flavor and fun”
  7. “On the plus side - the drinks were strong and the presentation (clearly designed to make up for the quality of the food and disguise the fact that the portions are tiny) was good.”
  8. “sorry just didnt work out - it is a cuban /latin american place right so why do u spice the food the way gringos would like it ?”
  9. “this should not be listed under romantic, food was good, but a major let down for a romantic date!”
  10. “The food was average, but the drinks were strong AND expensive.”
  11. “The first mojito was very tasty.”
  12. “Great food.”
  13. “In conclusion, I would certainly return to Ideya, and order the skirt steak again, without hesitation.”
  14. “The pork chops are delicious and the red snapper isn't dry ( I recommend).”
  15. “Beautiful food+people”
  16. “The appetizers we good, but the skirt steak with Chimeichurra sauce, and the tuna were both delicious.”
  17. “Overall, don't expect much, just good food.”
  18. “enjoyed my food and atmosphere on friday night.”
  19. “good food.”
  20. “The food was dry, especially the tostones rellenos (the whole, dish, not just the plantain) terribly disappointing as I was really looking forward to recreating my last wonderful meal there.”
  21. “The place is cozy, esthetically pleasing and the meal was lush !”
  22. “Overall, the food was delicious.”
  23. “Great food, great service.”
  24. “The plantains are addictive, and I especially suggest the pork appetizer and mojitos.”
  25. “It was the best skirt steak I have had in recent memory, and I do love (and frequently eat) a good steak.”
  26. “The food was cold (though I imagine if it were warm, it might've had more taste).”
  27. “After years of terrible b-days (bad service, iffy food) I really lucked out @ Ideya restaurant.”
  28. “Very good ambience, specially when the salsa band plays.”
  29. “The food was very tasty, though, like another review stated, the portions were a little small.”
  30. “The mojitos were UNBELIEVABLE, the food, flavorful, piping hot and with excellent service, especially if you ate at the bar.”
  31. “Make sure to order seconds of the freshly fried plantains and mango salsa.”
  32. “love the skirt steak”
  33. “Tender cubes of cornbread were served in a cute bowl and made a nice snack while we waited for our food.”
  34. “It's expensive for what you get but the food is good and the staff is nice.”
  35. “The food ( I happen to LOVE Cuban, growing up in SoFla) is very good - most iems being updated versions of Caribbean classics.”
  36. “little expensive, but tasty food.”
  37. “the food is also quite good.”
  38. “We ordered a very large (both in price and in size) pitcher of mojitos, which were delicious.”
  39. “good food (salmon was delecious).”
  40. “We did have to return a drink because it didn't seem like any alcohol was in it, but overall, they were accomodating and the food was great -- the fried plantain chips & salsa were DELICIOUS!”
  41. “Tasty grilled shrimp salad; an OK roast pork Cuban sandwich; superb plantains (cooked dark & gooey, like I used to get 'em in Tampa).”
  42. “All in all, the service was fantastic, very nice people, and food that was very well priced.”
  43. “Everything was very tasty, although the kale could have used a little more salt to overcome the natural bitterness of kale.”
  44. “The food was great and the atmosphere perfect-bright with a beachy feel!”
  45. “The food was excellent, incredible, fantastic- even my difficult vegertarian sister was loving it.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “The service is friendly and reliable; great place to stop by on a hot summer day.”
  2. “It was a nice place to relax and not crowded when I was there.”
  3. “great brunch place”
return potential
100.0% positive
  1. “In conclusion, I would certainly return to Ideya, and order the skirt steak again, without hesitation.”
  2. “We did have to return a drink because it didn't seem like any alcohol was in it, but overall, they were accomodating and the food was great -- the fried plantain chips & salsa were DELICIOUS!”
  3. “Would love to go back.”
  4. “Have recommended Ideya to others & want to go back.”
service
74.07000064849854% positive
  1. “Service was good also, with very corteous staff.”
  2. “After having to here the hostess be completely bitchy during the planning process about the whole party arriving on time, etc, they forced us to wait for 1 hour before seating us with no apology or consolation - very poor planning on the part of the resta”
  3. “The waiter kept us in good supply of drinks, and was helpful with recommendations.”
  4. “waiter was attentive.”
  5. “The service was great, very cool and laid back.”
  6. “The staff was warm, like it was a big familia.”
  7. “Great food, great service.”
  8. “Beautiful food+people”
  9. “was there the other night with a freind and as nice the server was and as kool as the music and the decor was the portions were super tiny ,and overpriced”
  10. “went there w/a group of 7 people and they accomodated us fine and we had good service.”
  11. “But the service was extremely poor.”
  12. “The music was bit loudy and the service was bit slow but it worths.”
  13. “It's expensive for what you get but the food is good and the staff is nice.”
  14. “Water, something that any good waiter knows to have on hand for his guests, our entire table had empty glasses of water for over 20 minutes before I had to, yet again, flag him down to bring us water.”
  15. “The prices are reasonable and the staff was funny, friendly and accomodating.”
  16. “Considering it was Friday night in Soho and was around 8:30, we walked right in & were seated promptly near the window - great for people watching.”
  17. “The atmosphere is festive & the wait staff were attentive.”
  18. “the worst service!”
  19. “Food servers were not very good either.”
  20. “The mojitos were UNBELIEVABLE, the food, flavorful, piping hot and with excellent service, especially if you ate at the bar.”
  21. “poor service and rude hostess”
  22. “The service is friendly and reliable; great place to stop by on a hot summer day.”
  23. “laid back atmosphere, friendly staff.”
  24. “my wife and I went on a Thursday eve and the place was filled with beautiful people and the flow of passerbys on the sidewalk outside was like a modeling show!”
  25. “After years of terrible b-days (bad service, iffy food) I really lucked out @ Ideya restaurant.”
  26. “All in all, the service was fantastic, very nice people, and food that was very well priced.”
  27. “Service was not even passable, even when the restaurant emptied out, I had to hail my waiter every time we needed something, which was everything: drinks, water, food, bring out the cake, could I have a spoon.”
value
87.5% positive
  1. “was there the other night with a freind and as nice the server was and as kool as the music and the decor was the portions were super tiny ,and overpriced”
  2. “little expensive, but tasty food.”
  3. “On the plus side - the drinks were strong and the presentation (clearly designed to make up for the quality of the food and disguise the fact that the portions are tiny) was good.”
  4. “That's a great markup considering that between the rum, sugar, lime juice, and mint leaves it still only costs about 3 dollars to make a pitcher.”
  5. “The portions were reasonable, albeit a bit expensive.”
  6. “Food was good, but the portions were small.”
  7. “It's expensive for what you get but the food is good and the staff is nice.”
  8. “The prices are reasonable and the staff was funny, friendly and accomodating.”
  9. “The food was very tasty, though, like another review stated, the portions were a little small.”
  10. “it's definitely a cool place that is worth checking out.”
  11. “We ordered a very large (both in price and in size) pitcher of mojitos, which were delicious.”
  12. “The food was average, but the drinks were strong AND expensive.”
wait time
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The music was bit loudy and the service was bit slow but it worths.”
  2. “Water, something that any good waiter knows to have on hand for his guests, our entire table had empty glasses of water for over 20 minutes before I had to, yet again, flag him down to bring us water.”
  3. “The host, though polite, told us he was doing us a favor by seating us in place of a party that was 15 minutes late - even though it was 40 minutes AFTER our reservation.”
4 Star Rating: Recommended

02/25/11

Great Coconut mojitos and Cod fish fritters

by cuts100

I love Ideya restaurant. The simple decor is cozy even when its busy. The service is great, the waiters and bartenders are always consistent. The food is delicious.

1 Star Rating: Poor

06/01/10

Generic food with no soul

by gaiamcraft

I really wanted to enjoy this place, having read some good reviews. Our group of 4 came in for a Saturday brunch to a surprisingly empty restaurant.

The food was horrendous. Everything tasted like it was cooked a week ago and warmed up in the microwave for our order. The empanadas were the worst I have ever had. The tasteless tres leche cake was swimming in milk. The only dish that was liked was the eggs sunny side up, and come on, that is really hard to cook incorrectly. Especially for $10. Most of us didn't finish our food past the first bite, and we told the waiter who just shrugged like he's heard it a million times and brought us the check for the full amount anyway.

I would have to be crazy to go back.

  • Pros: none
  • Cons: food
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/18/08

YES!

by DrGeis

There's absolutely NO reason NOT to go to this hip Cuban-fusion SoHo storefront. Get a table in front of the mid-restaurant bar, get the mojitos (light or dark rum, both terrific) and ceviche started, and chill. It's not flashy, or overly atmospheric - they're not trying THAT hard. Gets crowded on weekends, if you're into that, but weeknights are mellower. The food ( I happen to LOVE Cuban, growing up in SoFla) is very good - most iems being updated versions of Caribbean classics.

4 Star Rating: Recommended

08/19/08

Deliious mashed yucca

by hpena

Ideya is an interesting little place... A little expensive, but tasty food. If you crave an empanada,

1 Star Rating: Poor

07/23/08

OH Ideya, you USED to be so great

by firestar515

A few weeks ago, Ideya was an amazing way to spend money like it was going out of style, and it was worth every cent. The mojitos were UNBELIEVABLE, the food, flavorful, piping hot and with excellent service, especially if you ate at the bar.

I went last Saturday. The Mojitos, weak and BITTER. If the mojitos just two weeks ago were a perfect ten, they're now about a 3, maybe a 4. Even the flavored ones couldn't be saved, the mango mojitos tasted bitter like you can imagine nail polish remover tasting, YUCK! The food was dry, especially the tostones rellenos (the whole, dish, not just the plantain) terribly disappointing as I was really looking forward to recreating my last wonderful meal there. Service was not even passable, even when the restaurant emptied out, I had to hail my waiter every time we needed something, which was everything: drinks, water, food, bring out the cake, could I have a spoon. Each time we ordered a drink (even when the restaurant was empty!) it took him forever to get it, I remember waiting 25 minutes for my first mojito. Water, something that any good waiter knows to have on hand for his guests, our entire table had empty glasses of water for over 20 minutes before I had to, yet again, flag him down to bring us water. One member of our party ordered a simple hard liquor, neat, and was brought some other hard liquor that was obviously wrong (like rum instead of scotch, what!?). Our plates were empty, again like the restaurant, for about 15 minutes before he came to pick them up. For some reason he could not be found before then. The only time he actually came to our table to check up on us was when he asked if we wanted the bill. I had asked for everything at this point, so for him to offer the bill seemed like he was eager to get the tip he clearly did not earn. Thank god we were just under the 8-ppl party limit or else we would've been charged a 20% tip. I still tipped 15, having been a waitress myself but he deserved 8.

  • Pros: Mngr sent shots for the Bday girl, Thanks!
  • Cons: Bitter, weak Mojitos, HORRIBLE service, mediocre food (food is usually fantastic), would've been good for groups but unattentive service

The Details on Ideya Restaurant

Place Categories:

  • good food
  • good service
  • best mojitos
  • great brunch place
  • delicious skirt steak
  • great everything
  • nice wait staff
  • warm atmosphere
  • beautiful food people
  • hail waiter
  • unexpectedly good meal
  • expensive drinks
  • warm pleasant environment
  • superb plantains
  • not bad prices
  • excellent experience
  • polite host
  • bitter mango mojitos
  • more memorable cubanlatin cuisine
  • perfect balance
  • enjoyed relaxed atmosphere immensely
  • great alternative recommenddations
  • big familia
  • cold iffy food
  • especially suggest pork appetizer
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