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

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

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!

• Pros: Thumbs way up!

09/03/08

Best Tapas & Spanish Wine in tOwn

by 129999999999

This is a great night to spend in Barcelona, NY that is...Takes you away for a bitt... make sure to bite into their egg in the blanket..xO...truely a chill & fun atmosphere..great for a session at the bar or in the dining rOOm that's truely cozy...nutzo tapas with a twist toO... a few by WD50 chef Wiley Dufresne....try sOme Cava from a pOrrone.!!!..u wOn't want tO forget it....njOy....eVeryday...eAt and drink....well

04/02/08

Great Wine Bar and Great Service

by PJMAX

I love this place! I work near by and usually stop in after work for a bite and glass of wine. I love trying new wines and the bartender always makes great suggestions and is very friendly. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a chill place to hang!! P.S Try the egg in the blanket, its to die for!

• Pros: great service, great food, chill place

03/18/08

Great Tapas bar in the area

by DumpyBumpy

I've been there twice. It wasnt too crowded both times we were there - we got to sit at the bar. (First time it was a rainy day, second times we were early). My fav dish is Egg in a blanket. We also loved the pork belly. I cant recall other dishes we tried cuz it has been a while. Though we ordered wine, I'm not a wine person to comment on the recommendation by the bartender. But I have no complain about the wine. I love the relaxing ambience there. I would recommend it. UPDATE: Went again in March 08, they expanded the place to next door. It is huge. Seats gauranteed. The dishes are still good but not as "WOW"-ing as before. We waited for the longest time for our tapas to arrive cuz the cooks disappeared for a long time (how could 2 cooks go away at the same time at 9, 10pm???). We got a plate of olives on the house in return... The pork belly is not tender enough, Egg in a blanket has the same flavour but not the same texture... Not sure if that's because the cooks were rushing through many orders after their breaks (or whatever emergency)... I would still return though - rarely a line, and nice ambience.

• Pros: eggs in a blanket & pork belly, ambience, location
• Cons: -

03/08/08

Great Place but Bartender Incompetent

by Burt_Reynolds

Been here countless times as I live in the neighborhood. Normally the service is very good, but they hired a new bartender who is horrible. My friend and I went on Friday, March 7, and the bartender seemed new, which is bad since they just expanded the place. He seemed to be very slow and daydreaming while he ignored people trying to order and just served random people sitting at the bar, and then proceeded to fiddle with something below the bar for ages, while more and more people lined up waiting to order. No "just a moments" or eye contact, he just slowly did his own thing--no second gear. Anyway, he forgot to pour our wine, spent much of his time messing with random stuff while people waited, flirted with people, and generally was slow while people got frustrated. Took forever to order anything--not going back if he is there.

10/01/07

Tasty Spanish Bar!!!

by i_love_nyc

Excellent service, our bartender was polite and funny. The eclectic music and spectacular menu, we just didn't know where to begin. Because we had dinner next door, Bar Veloce, we weren't quite sure we'd have room for dessert here, and forget it, we managed with pure bliss!! We definitely have to come back here and explore the food and wines of Spain! We'd been to Spain, and this place reminded us of the Spanish tapa bars, wow, sweeeeeet!!

• Pros: Service, Menu, Wines, Atmosphere, Music

08/01/07

Goatcheesecake Heaven

by bedstuybaby

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. The atmosphere is sleek in a very lowkey way. If you're looking to impress a date without overwhelming them this is a great spot. Classy and cozy!

07/31/07

Best Date Place in NYC!

by paprikab

Bar Carrera is probably one of the best date places I've found in the city in such a long time. Its great food, great service, and a great wine selection. Also, if you can't find a seat try next door at Bar Veloce its almost exactly the same but Italian. You can't go wrong.