Pata Negra

12/13/08

ok

by agent99712

this was a back up restaurant when all the others had an hour wait(needed to get to a movie) for a light, quick bite it's fine. but there isn't any offering of a sizable dish. i don't believe there's even a full kitchen here. most everything was served with pieces of bread. it is tapas, but very limited. the gambas was tasty with good size shrimp and well, you can't go wrong with garlic. the jamon was very young. the pork unmemorable. the sangria was very good. the waitress was pleasant but she was not at all familiar with most everything on the menu. that was disappointing. all the tables are high/bar like, the lighting is a trace bright with candles on the tables, but you can still classify it as romantic. if you're not terribly hungry, stop by.

• Pros: music, cleanliness, quick bite
• Cons: little pricey, too small an offering of food, inexperienced waitress

Spain meets New York with at this wallet-friendly wine bar.

by Laura Norkin

In Short
Flickering candles and flamenco music make Ostia owner Rafael Mateo's latest wine bar feel more like Southern Spain than the East Village, even before the ex-pat, accented waitress appears at your table. Space is maximized with individual barstool-level tables, which allow for easy conversation among the after-work set and the casual more-wine-less-dine crowd. Each of the more than 30 wines on the list are from Spain, as is the tapas-style small plate menu, which features delicacies like Lomo (cured pork loin) and La Mancha (Butifarra sausage, Mahon cheese and red bell pepper spread).

Hits: A bonus list of an additional 30-odd monthly reserve wines ($50 - $145) enhances the already well-rounded menu, and the owner manages to please particular palates by recommending glasses from the full-bodied Almansa to a triple-grape Oda.

Misses: The pork-centric menu leaves vegetarians with nothing but cheese plates, while vegans are stuck drinking their dinner--at least there's fruit in Sangria.