10/12/07

Best paella anywhere.

by greatfavad

My first meal at El Faro was in 1969. Nothing but a few of the waiters have changed since. The bar is still terriffic, shrimp in garlic sauce with great bread and a pitcher of margarita will get you going. Still the best paella in North America let alone New York City. Standard meal for 38 years. Paella Valenciana (not with lobster) , lobster in white sauce, and if you have room, pork in almond sauce. Everything is perfect and will have you coming back for 38 years too. Get the fresh potato chips instead of rice. Enough rice in the paella and it can't be topped.

11/05/06

Always a good experience here

by burgerbiatch

I've been coming here for years and have yet to be disappointed. Great for couples or large groups. Their sangria rocks and the food is great. Don't expect great atmosphere though!

• Pros: great food, excellent sangria
• Cons: a little crowded

10/31/06

Great seafood, good sangria value

by bootsytown

Stumbled on this restaurant. The menu didn't strike me as anything too special at first, but our very nice waiter assured us that anything we picked would be terrific since it's lasted on the menu for so long. The shrimp in wine sauce was amazing, large shrimp and great creamy sauce. We had one of the veal dishes, pretty good. We ordered the half-carafe of sangria, which was only $12 but filled six glasses!

08/30/06

Best Paella in NYC

by stregamama

I have eaten at El Faro for the last 5 years and never had a bad meal. This is a small bustling mom & pop operation that combines great food with adequate service and friendliness. Everyone greets me when I arrive and they even know my name. I am treated like a human being and not herded like cattle. Yes it is small and noisy but that is fridays & weekends. You want a quiet romantic dinner try a week night, it a great place to bring a date. If you want glitter and DECOUR go to the posh spots in the meat packing district and pay your $12 dollars for a bad martini. This place is the best value in the neighborhood and is the most friendly. Any NYC diner knows that small restaurant need turn over on the weekends and when you see people hanging out to eat. I chow down their awesome Paella Valenciana with a couple of tapas and wash it down with some great sangria. Then to hangout I go have dessert at one of the great cafes close by. I have gone on week nights and hungout with a date for hours no pressure. Look this place is special and has lasted over 70 years, thats because the treat you right!!!Try it you won't be sorry!

• Pros: Great food & drink, friendly service, value
• Cons: you can wait on the weekends but worth it.

06/10/06

Systematically Pushes out Diners

by kibitz

We heard that El Faro serves some of the best Spanish dishes in the city and we decided to give it a try. My wife and I were seated promptly. Our orders were taken and served accordingly. The house bread and salad were average, the sangria was very good and the paella is excellent. However, the dining area is small and can get quite noisy. The décor is not that great either and needs some work. In terms of service, we noticed that the other diners, when they are about to finish their meals, are systematically rushed through their dinners. You would see the waiters walking back and forth and putting the pressure on the diners. I would like to agree with the other reviewer mentioning that the wait staff can be indifferent and rude. Overall, I would say this place has good drinks, good food but a bad place to hang out even for a short conversation with your friends. Want to hang out? Try the bar.

• Pros: Drinks, Food
• Cons: Crowded, Noisy, and Rude Wait Staff

05/16/06

A Spanish Gem

by miacomp

I first stumbled upon this great Spanish restaurant with a friend a few years ago, while roaming the meatpacking district. It doesn't loook like much from the outside, but once you step inside the cozy and romantic atmosphere lends to such an authentic Spanish feel, reminicent of tapas bars I frequented while traveling through Spain. There's a beautiful mural on the walls of the dining room- not many places like this left in the city.

I go often and the food is consistently excellent, even their house salad dressing is something to write home about. I especially enjoy the Paella Marinara and the Chicken Villarroy. And don't forget the sangria- it's delicious. This place is great to go with a group of friends or to impress a date. You won't be disappointed!

01/16/06

Good Food, Lousy Everything Else

by shanir

The place is really crowded and noisy and the staff's emphasis seems to be on turning over the tables. The service was subpar with the waiters acting either indifferent, brusque or downright rude. If you can overlook that, the sangria is good and the food (save for the garlic bread, which seemed a bit charred) was excellent. We enjoyed a range of dishes, including shrimp, beef and paella. If you like historic places, this one's been around since the 1920s.

• Pros: Food, History
• Cons: Service, Noise

06/14/05

This small restaurant delivers Spanish cuisine in the West Village.

by Contributor

In Short
Spanish senoritas painted on the walls lend an air of the Mediterranean to this eatery. Customers can share a selection of tapas or choose their own entrees while splitting a pitcher of sangria. The vegetable paella, served hot with carrots, is a popular lunchtime item; the menu boasts a variety of red and white Spanish wines.

02/16/05

Craving for Paellas!

by sugarchula

My boyfriend took me to El Faro for our Valentine's Day dinner. Knowing the fact that I love sangria and spanish food, this place was pretty incredible. Because the restaurant is so old and small, it gave it a sense of authencity and underground-like feel; like you're actually in Spain. The eating area was pretty small but cozy. My boyfriend ordered the classic paella and I had a broiled sirloin steak. Both were terrific. I normally had sweeter tasting sangria, but maybe this is how they are actually made? It's pretty much wine and slices of oranges. Definitely a ideal place to be with small parties. And we ended it off with a mouth-watering Natilla.

• Pros: flavorful dishes, good service
• Cons: hard to find, a bit costly

11/11/04

Flavorful and authentic

by macreagent

Over the years, I've frequently dined at El Faro and the food is consistent. Although their cuisine is flavorful, there is much to do about space and decor...

All in all, a great place to chow down.

• Pros: No long waits, Prompt service
• Cons: , Drabby decor