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Romera - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Spanish Spanish [Edit]
355 W 16th St(between 9th Ave & 8th Ave)
New York, NY 10011
Neighbourhoods: Chelsea, Meatpacking District
(212) 929-5800
- Nearest Transit:
-
14 St (A, C, E)
8 Av (L)
18 St (1, 2)
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$$
- Attire:
- Dressy
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Upscale
- Caters:
- No
10 reviews for Romera
10 reviews in English
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Review from Amanda B.
Updated - 2/21/2012 15 photos
*********************** UPDATE REVIEW **************************
Since got back from NY, I was out to Hawaii, then LA, then Dallas, the the Holidays, and the lazy me haven't got anytime to write this wonderful update.
Since my first review about the experience I got with the reservation department, and how much I couldn't wait to come back here. Some Yelper dares to send me a private message, how much she dislikes her experience &b convinced me to not dining here. What is up with all these crazy fools, they don't have anything else to do?
Enough of that, I stayed the the Dream hotel for this whole week, so it was very convenient because ROMERA was just downstairs! My Michelin Star trip each year for my BDAY, began with the meal by myself at ROMERA.
The moment I walked in the GM was kindly greeted me. He was from Golden Ramsey before, what a small world. I had 3 servers, and a sommelier that kept pouring me wines from Jeroboam bottles, I'm not gonna complain ;-) Including my Champagne, bliss!
The restaurant is less than 30 seats in the main dining room, and another back room for private event. All decorated in off white leather chair, spacious between tables which I love. Fresh herbs are nicely growing in the pots through out the walls, interesting.
11 courses, plus Amuse Bouche, for under $250, each course paired with this wonderful scent of water. Wines serve by 1/3, 1/2, or full price of the tasting menu itself.
The water came in cold, warm, or hot depends on each dish it serves with. These water all flavored with an ingredient form the the course that paired with it! It was an eye opening experience for me.
Every single dish was simply stunning, gorgeous displayed, wonderful scents, and the to pair with the aromatic water, out of this world. I've been waiting since spring 2011to try Dr. Romera food, a fan of Katy McLaughlin from the Wall Street Journal writer, her review on his food, a 2 Michelin Star resto in Spain, blown me away. I finally got to try it, 2 weeks after ROMERA NYC opened. What's a nice treat, thanks to my parents.
The menu explained very details of the dishes, the ingredients where it comes from and all. However seeing each dish still blown my mind away! It almost as Dr. Romera tricks my eyes, and when I see the dish, he tricks my palette! From the sea, to the land, from Italian Truffle to the Kobe beef, from the caviar to the the fish from Tsukiji Market. Dr. Romera took me traveled the world with his creations.
The best part of dining alone is that I got to take as long as I want to enjoy each bite. I got to pair the wines of my choice. I got to chat with the GM, chef, sommelier & server, all I want, without any date to judge me! Oh well, after all I pay for my own meal.
Too bad, the GM told me I can't take any food pictures, although I got to meet Dr. Romera himself in the kitchen, what's a nice surprise. He was really nice and so humble. 3 hours later, took the elevator up in Ph-D, enjoyed the beautiful night view of downtown Manhattan, mesmerizing about what I just experience all over again! I love dining in this town, I should have never left NY!
A few critics in NYC didn't give him much praise, but I'm no critic, just a Californian chic that love food and follow all Michelin Star restos. Just watch people, ROMERA NYC will get his stars just as he did in Spain! Can't wait to come back again this year.
P.S. Since I dined there in OCT 2011, their menu now offer lower cost tasting menu and more affordable to more people. However, if you are visiting NYC like me, you got to go all out!
Overall: 5 stars
For value: 5 stars
For Food: 5 stars
For Service: 5 stars
For ambiance: 5 stars
Location: Downtown Manhattan, inside the "IT" Dream Hotel, walk in, take the first elevator on down to the basement.Listed in: Michelin Star, NYC Love
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/20/2011 First to Review
*********************** 689 ************************* *
Romera is located inside the Dream… Read more »
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Review from Saa G.
Manhattan, NY
1/27/2012
What an experience!
As soon as you walk down the stairs to the restaurant, you realize you are about to embark on an amazing culinary journey.
We were greeted by a smiling, curteous and obliging Maitre'd - though the place is very trendy, she had none of the annoying and unnecessary attitude often seen at these places.
She took our coats, and showed us to the "library" - a lovely lounge where you can hang for a bit, while waiting for our table. We were immediately served champagne (which, by the way, kept flowing the ENTIRE night).
We were then shown to our table - located in a spectacular, airy dining room, where clearly, no detail was left unattended.
Each course was truly a symphony for the senses. I love chefs who understand that fine food isn't just about taste (that should be a given), and pay attention to the texture, composition, presentation, and accompanying items just as much.
I won't spoil anyone's experience by elaborating on the details, but rest assured, this was quite possibly one of the best dining experiences, on par with Daniel and Per Se, though we found the atmosphere at Romera to be much more relaxed and inviting.
The service was incredible - very attentive, without being intrusive. The best part is, we were never rushed through our meal. And at the end, we were welcomed to stay in the "library" to lounge around as long as we cared to, or to head upstairs to the (very vibrant by that point) bar.
Is this place pricey? Sure. But.... you definitely get what you paid for - not just a fantastic meal, but a true culinary experience.
IF you appreciate fine food, fine wine, and a trendy but not pretentious atmosphere, this place is it. We'll definitely go back very soon. -
Review from James A.
Miami Beach, FL
12/30/2011
Located in the hottest hotel in NYC right now, Dream Downtown, Romera was the most memorable and unique culinary experience of my life thus far. The food was amazing and service was top notch. Spent 2.5 hours enjoying Romera.
We had the 11 course tasting menu. There are 2 options with the beverage pairing and I decided to go the adventurous route with the wine, champagne, sake and beer paring for each dish. My girlfriend went with more of the classic beverage pairing. We found ourselves viewing each dish as it was an individual piece of art. The creativeness of each presentation along with the ingredients left us blown away. They also bring out flavored waters that complement the dishes which is something I have never experienced before. Amazing!
Romera also features a 5 course tasting menu for those with less time or not as much of an appetite. I would recommend checking this place out with anyone who you would like to share a unique and memorable Food and Beverage experience with. -
Review from Christoper E.
New York, NY
12/14/2011
Since someone else could write a review giving 5 stars for getting a reservation.
I was denied a reservation. I guess this means 1 star?
(will this review get 8 useful votes as well?) -
Review from G L.
FOREST HILLS, NY
10/2/2011
For whatever reason, the hostility of these posts makes me feel i have to justify my 'street-cred'. Ive eaten at some SERIOUS venues including Alinea, elBulli, Daniel (chef's table), Del Posto, and Jean-Georges and i can confidently state that Romera is as good as any of them....and better than many.
I'm painfully confused as to how the previous posters can claim the service is 'awful' or 'unengaging'. Either the entire staff reinvented themselves in 72 hrs, or those complaining have ulterior motives. EVERY SINGLE PERSON MADE ME AND MY PARTNER FEEL COMFORTABLE...ESPECIALLY GERMAINE!!!!!!.
The food is stellar with 2 exceptions: the first course of was a little uneventful and the various Acqua Gourmands not only added nothing to the meal, but actually INTERFERED with it. I appreciate the work that went into them...but they were distracting. Surely, even if every diner protested, Dr. s. Romera will never get rid of them...so we'll all have to learn to tolerate them. Out of the 11 course, 9 were exemplary.
These ingredients COULD NEVER be assembled for the $100 that BAILEY K. deems fair.....making his/her assessment quite unfair indeed. The portion of Foie Gras and salmon in and of itself must have cost the restaurant $45 pp.....wholesale!!
The space is minimalist with out being cold. Although the fact that the restaurant is in a basement ;-(, they use the space efficiently and comfortably.
The bill is bananas.... but the professionalism, culinary deftness, and the gratis port with dessert to celebrate our engagement made it all worth it.
I would be happy to defend/clarify this review...because this sh*t is serious,
Joseph
vesaliususb@yahoo.com
__ADDENDUM:
MEL:
I have no ulterior motives for the review other than to share a singular experience that i had during an engagement dinner. I am in Medicine and in NO way affiliated with the industry or the establishment.
I did indeed write 3 reviews (not the 4 that you referenced) on the same night the month prior to my review of Romera. This was because i interacted with all three of those companies that evening and my experiences with them were so polar that i felt the need to comment on them. Wtf does this have to do with my review 1 month later of Romera? If you look at the reviews, they range from critical to supportive....reflecting the 'bell-curve' that most people would encounter on any given day. If all my reviews were STELLAR...i would put less stock in my rave review of Romera....but they are indeed diverse.
Regarding my 'street-cred". I like how conveniently cited Del Posto as laughable but ignored elbulli and Alinea. Your views on Del Posto don't trump the fact that it is a fantastic venue with well deserved NYT stars. As i'm sure you know, the difficulty getting a table is NOT necessarily proportionate to the impressiveness of the institution (Sripraphai?) Again, your tone is f@# irritating.
The reference to the Skybox is to distinguish it from the general service....both of which i felt were inferior to Romera. The fact that it isn't a traditional chef's table is irrelevant....it's in the kitchen, with a specially prepared menu, with constant interaction between the Chefs and the diners. For all intensive purposes, it's a Chef's table. You seem intelligent enough to understand the reason for the reference but too obstinate to lend it credence.
The point i made about the cost of the products was partially figurative (to protest the ridiculous estimate that $100 would have been fair) but still objective. I don't know how much of a portion you received when you dined, but we received about 40 grams each of high-quality Gras (about $28 bucks) and a sizable portion of salmon which probaly ran $17 considering its quality...about $45 total for those 2 proteins.
I alluded to the warmth of the service, the stellar food, professionalism and culinary deftness as a reason for my rating. In a casual review of an exciting night out, illicit details are often not included....it's YELP, MEL. You're a hypocrite if you can grant a star for citing something as vague as "dessert was a relative delight" but then jump down other peoples' throats for not 'justifying' their ratings.
In general, your tone is unattractive and is not conducive for fostering the sense of community that YELP inspires. -
Review from Dana H.
Manhattan, NY
2/17/2012
An experience to be had - maybe not every week, every month or even every year, but at least once, if possible. My husband brought me here for Valentine's Day, and the evening was just very well executed. The staff are amazing and I can't say enough about them - kind, courteous, unobtrusive but always there to help. The restaurant has a calm, quiet, atmosphere, which is surprising given what's going on in the hotel above. And the dishes are certainly inventive. We had the 6 course tasting menu, and I really don't remember what I ate, but it was fun and experimental. They were kind enough to substitute the meat dishes for me since I don't eat meat. In sum, although the food wasn't totally to my tastes, I liked the thought and creativity that went into it. That night the chef had a rose theme going - from rose flavored champagne to welcome us, to rose flavored ice cream with our dessert. The experience is a little formal, but worth it for a special occasion.
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Review from Roger D.
Manhattan, NY
2/12/2012 1 Check-in Here
Romera is as close to prefect as it gets, so why 4 stars instead of 5? Close to perfect is not perfect, and please realize we're splitting hairs here, but at an average check of $400 for dinner for two, we must, we owe it to the community. First off, the service is superb, nothing else to say, simply on point all the time. The decor is stark, clean and sheik with hints of warmth from fresh miniature flowers. The food was simply gorgeous. I don't even want to think about how much time goes into preparing this stuff, as well as the pomp and circumstance surrounding its service, ie; smoking urns with incense to finish the smoked squab, etc.
So why are we missing that fifth star? First, this restaurant is for that special occasion, however the clinical setting of the space does not scream romance or warmth, so if you go for that V-day, anniversary, or proposal meal, you may lose points on the romanctic scale. The food, while exqusitely prepared and served, may need instructions before you eat it. I read another review that said the food had very little flavor and now I understand why. Romera putshis component spices as an art piece on the plate, then the staff pours the sauces over them. You MUST let those spices meld and mix for a few minutes to bring all the magical flavorsout! If you begin eating right away, you won't get the entire spectrum flavors. I figured this out by accident as I stepped away from the table for a phone call. When I returned about two minutes later, the dish was completely diffrent to when it was first served. This probably should be explained to the diner before hand. I would have definitely waited a few minutes before eating each course just to marvel at the artistry alone. Additionally, the aqua gourmande is a bit of a mystery. They accompany many dishes and smell delectible, mirroring the dish they are served with, but don't impart much flavor and I could have done without them.
Like I said, I'm splitting hairs here, but if that helps a fellow Yelper or Chef make educated choices, it's worth it. All in all Romera wasa true dining experience, worthy of mention along New York's finest. If you're a serious foodie, and I mean serious, the type that takes note that all the vegetables are the same size, or the trout caviar eggs are all firm, crisp and perfectly spherical, Romeara is for you. -
Review from D M.
Brooklyn, NY
2/11/2012
so I was psyched to come to Romera having read about the chef, the experience, and the fact that it's in the super hot dream hotel. we got there and it was a weekend night only our table and or more was occupied. The restaurant is beautiful, but it was completely empty. So thats ambience for you. The food was ok/good. We got the 5 dishes tasting menu. 3 out of the 5 dishes were good 1 was ok and 1 was not good. The service was superb and The sommelier was great . The restaurant was expensive- it didn't bother me going in but I just think my experience was worth the money.
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Review from Jonny B.
PACIFIC PLSDS, CA
10/19/2011
I ended up here by accident, as my sister was dining with some friends, and I popped in around course number 3, for what I thought would be a quick glass of wine. 3 hours later I left marveling over the combination of delicious unique flavors and outstanding, warm/friendly service. I have dined at the best in Paris, London, Rome, The French Laundry, Bazaar, Perse, and I thought it was worth every penny. Chef came out and we had a wonderful conversation. Can't wait go back and have the entire meal!
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Review from Susie G.
Brooklyn, NY
9/25/2011
My husband took me to Romera to celebrate our anniversary. Let me just say first off that the food is extraordinary. It is about everything that is sensory, visceral and immediate about food: gorgeous visuals of flowers, gardens, jewels and butterflies on the plate; powerful smells wafting from flavored waters and smoking herbs; crisp and airy textures, evoking the transitory textures and sensations of nature and the garden. We thought the presentation was the most stunning of any NYC restaurant and the execution was on par with the city's best.
Standout dishes included the following:
Bread Course: A flaky, layered bread that reminded me of Morrocan flaked breads, served with a little bowl of olive oils that had various purees, flowers and seasonings suspended in it. Accompanied by a tomato garlic water that was a spot on complement to the dish. The bread could have used a touch of salt but otherwise this was so perfect.
Seafood Course: A seafood mousse wrapped in daikon. This dish defies description but was sort of like a crispy seafood marshmallow.
Vegetable Course: A few bites of barely cooked vegetables and an herbal broth, served over a mosaic of tiny squares of different dried spices.
Foie gras: Seared foie wrapped in a thin sheet of white chocolate and topped with strings of radishes. Tasted kind of like an outrageously good melty-foie potsticker, if that makes sense.
Steak: Succulent, perfectly prepared beef topped with truffle butter and plated over another spice mosaic.
Fruit Sorbet/Dessert: A disc of airy sorbet over a mousse and rose-flavored soup. Served with a delicious water flavored with grappa and fruit.
Many of the dishes were painstakingly labor-intensive, meriting the high price of the meal. The only complaint we had about the food was that some of the sauces were a bit gluey. I believe that this is due to his use of some type of gel to bind the sauces.
Overall we thought the food was completely genius. The components within each dish interplayed perfectly and the meal as a whole progressed as if the chef were telling a story and reflecting upon a serious of ideas about cooking, gardening, nature, science and human emotion.
Having said all that, this restaurant is definitely not for everyone. It is unquestionably one of the most pretentious, precious restaurant concepts in the world, from the flavored waters that accompany each course to the somewhat macabre operating-room theater conceit of the dining room decor.
Thought also needs to be given to how to create a warmer, more hospitable dining environment that matches the excellence of the food. Most of the staff was humorless, charmless and unfriendly, and seemed to have been chosen to work there for reasons having nothing to do with a love for food or a gift for making others feel comfortable and welcome. Perhaps the staff also needs to be given more leeway to interact with diners in a one-off, idiosyncratic way. Everything there feels highly scripted and controlled. The one very notable exception to all of this was the sommelier, who was very friendly and engaging and spoke with us at length about both the wine and food. Taking into account that the restaurant just opened, I am not taking away any stars for the service issue, but I really hope that they work out the kinks because Romera is an exceptional place.
