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Socarrat Nolita
Categories: Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Tapas Bars Spanish, Tapas Bars [Edit]
284 Mulberry St(between Jersey St & Houston St)
New York, NY 10012
Neighbourhood: Nolita
(212) 219-0101
- Nearest Transit:
-
Broadway - Lafayette St (B, D, F, M)
Bleecker St (4, 6, 6X)
Prince St (N, R)
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11:30 pm
- Parking:
- Street
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Trendy
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- Yes
76 reviews for Socarrat Nolita
Review Highlights
-
"really love the traditional rabbit paella." In 48 reviews -
"Namely, Socarrat's Arroz Negro." In 9 reviews -
"Black rice - The bomb diggity like always." In 5 reviews
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76 reviews in English
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Review from James O.
Forest Hills, NY
5/23/2012
Plus: Nice atmosphere, nice cocktails, nice server (forgot his name) The paella I ordered was quite nice (the one with chorizo).
Con: Packed. (But then all restaurants are the same in NYC that is nice). Tapas are pricey.
Overall: I would go here again for a nice date night. -
Review from Danny V.
My good friend and I came to Socarrat Nolita for brunch about two weeks ago and had a terrific time. The atmosphere is adorable, the host and server both equally courteous, and the food exceptional.
Their brunch menu doesn't feature any special cocktail or drink offering but the main entree totally makes up for that. I ordered the Huevos a la Flamenca (chorizo, tomato, potato, artichoke, green beans) and HIGHLY RECOMMEND you try it. Check out my photo on here if you're even fractionally skeptical. -
Review from Jack L.
Manhattan, NY
3/12/2012
Delicious, cute date place that is actually decent for groups. They take reservations ahead of time, which is nice. This place is known for their paella. Be aware that the minimum order for paella is 2, so the price you see on the menu is actually per person.
Noteworthies:
Soccarrat paella - buttery dish
Arroz paella - the squid ink has a great salty, seafood taste -
Review from Cristina P.
Brooklyn, NY
5/17/2012
Everything on this menu was excellent. You must try the squid ink paella. nice and quiet for brunch.
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Review from Geoff G.
Nyack, NY
4/4/2012
Having a father from Spain, traveled to Galicia a dozen times for extended stays and having worked in a Spanish restaurant for nearly a decade has all given me a strong opinion for what makes for good Spanish food. In my opinion the paella here (why bother talking about anything else) is one of the best I've ever had (in the US or Spain). While this paella might not be for everyone (from the odd criticisms posted here), it certainly isn't to be missed by anyone that has a deep appreciation for Spanish food and paella.
This location was small and packed and our table was in an awkward location but we got over it. The other location is larger but the food was just as good.
On this particular trip I got the vegetable paella and while I much prefer the squid ink version, it was still very good. And something I am eager to return for again.
Was happy to see they had Estrella Galicia on the menu - so much better than Estrella Barcelona/Damn.
To address some criticisms in other reviews on this page:
1) Salt: Spanish food is salty. Period. Complaining about the salt is like going to a Japanese restaurant and complaining about raw fish.
2) Pan size: paella is traditionally served in shallow big pans that take up table space.
3) Wait time for food: paella is cooked to order, therefore it does take a long time to make. Your wait staff should warn you and I believe it is printed on the menu.
4) Portion: if you can finish a 2 person portion from this place then you have portion control issues.
5) Crispy rice: the crisp/firm rice at the bottom of the pan is intentional. It is fried slightly which causes it to be firmer than you might be accustomed to.
6) Spain is in Europe, Spanish food isn't the same as south/central American food. They don't have burritos and tacos.
7) Sangria: there are at least 2 ways to make it, one involves nearly a 60/40 split of wine to OJ, the other replaces the OJ with a gas based soda like 7Up or club soda (w/ sugar). They taste very different. -
Review from Chris P.
Brooklyn, NY
4/14/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Best Pella in NY hands down, the socarrat (crunchy rice at the bottom of the pot) is insanely good. All the tapas as excellent as well: we had the Gambas al Ajilo, Tortilla, a flat bread and the croquets. The red sangria was very good as well, we had 2 pitchers. Been here twice and will be back, one work of cautions...get there early.
-
Review from Jen L.
New York, NY
2/19/2012
I was excited, I was so excited about good paella that I dragged my friends many many blocks to eat at this place. It took a long time to come out, no problem, I can wait for good food.
Problem, bad food came out. Bad food makes me grumpy. The paella is in this big pan but is super duper shallow - I can't believe I paid $24 for rice and some skimpy seafood. There isn't enough ratio of moist rice and crispy rice.
Overpaying for bad food and eh service. GRUMPITY GRUMP GRUMP GRUMPY!! -
Review from Megan S.
12/29/2011 1 photo
This place was the perfect antidote to our infamous paella disaster in Nice, France 8 months prior. We can still barely talk about it without gagging, and we avoided eating paella until this place was recommended to us just prior to our trip. We summoned our courage and went - and we weren't disappointed.
We started with a nice rosé and two of the featured tapas - a croquette and a pork belly dish, both were good. We decided to play it safe with the paella and stuck with the Socarrat - it was lovely. The seafood was maybe slightly more cooked than I would've liked, but everything was fresh and the flavours were absolutely perfect.
Our server was great, but the highlight of the service that night was definitely the fellow who was bussing the tables - he was on fire! I've never seen anyone so on top of wiping down tables, refreshing cutlery, napkins and plates ever in my life. He seemed to have a sixth sense for knowing exactly when to swoop in and do his thing - he never rushed us, but we never sat with anything dirty in front of us for more than about 30 seconds.
Give that guy a raise! -
Review from Julia C.
KNICKERBOCKER, NY
5/1/2012
Get the arroz negro and the bacon wrapped dates. You won't be disappointed. Cozy spot, good for a date.
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Review from Liz S.
New York, NY
12/11/2011
Terrible, terrible, terrible. I do not understand the good reviews.
First off: Let me say, this place knows NOTHING about paella. Let me explain.
The only way to order the paella is for 2, although the portion is only sufficient for one. It is a big, shallow pan, with a tiny bit of hard, tasteless, rice sprinkled with bits of dried out chicken and beef, and chewy seafood. 44 bucks for a disgusting, small portion of "paella". Absolutely horrible.
The only It is trendy, overpriced, and overrated I was craving good paella, and was left unsatisfied, and with an empty wallet.
Anyone who likes this place is only saying so to sound cool. -
Review from KL Z.
Manhattan, NY
5/3/2012 1 photo
Squid ink paella is great! Charming little place. Service was impeccable. Pricing is the only thing I'm not fond of. They charge per person for the pot of paella even if you plan on sharing instead of charging one price for the whole dish. Easy money right there.
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Review from Yashar Y.
Newark, NJ
3/10/2012
Me and my bf was looking for a place to take my parents out for dinner and as my chinese mother loves Spanish food, we thought paella would be a great choice, boy were we wrong. The service was subpar and the food was just so overly salty that the four of us went home and finished a gallon of water. Since it was a few months ago that we went all I can remember was that it seemed tasty at the time but you will suffer when you go home! There are many better places in this city for tapas and paella.
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Review from Erum R.
Updated - 10/24/2011
Just have to give an update. I went back here this past weekend and had an amazing meal again! We had the tomato on that yummy crunchy bread stuff (divine) and the Soccarat paella which included a mix of seafood, chicken and beef. The chicken and beef were a bit overcooked but it was still amazing. The cuttlefish literally melted in your mouth and they were very generous with the seafood. Loved this meal!
I can't wait to go back and try to black ink paella!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/1/2011
Yum yum yum! This place was AMAZING! For a big time foodie living in NYC, Socarrat was one of the… Read more »
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Review from Alex M.
New York, NY
12/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Although the food was amazing, and the atmosphere was nice, the staff was not. We were seated without menus, our waiter was pushy and tried to get us to order items on the menu we were not interested in a number of times. When the paella was delivered we were not given any instructions and thought we could get started right away. When our waiter walked over about 5 minutes later he said we were supposed to wait and let the paella rest...
We had the veggie paella (not rested), a few of the tapas, and the red sangria. The food was very good if only the staff was better I'd defiantly say I'd come back! -
Review from Alexandra C.
New York, NY
11/9/2011
Let's start with the positive.. 5 stars for ambiance! Candlelit..I loved it and good, friendly service as well.
The grilled octopus appetizer was small but good, although overly loaded with oil, although it was a very good quality olive oil, so healthy at least. Personally I prefer that grilled flavor with octopus, and although this didn't have it, it was still okay.
And now for the 1 star paella.. Looked huge at first, but don't be fooled - the pan is extremely shallow as I figured out once I dug the spoon in way deep and well, that didn't work too well.
Generous amount of seafood. I didn't find the shrimp or scallops or cuttlefish to taste very fresh.
The flavors together just did nothing for me. I remember paella I had while in Spain to be much more flavorful and overall delicious. This just wasn't it. But the worst part was once we got to the bottom of the pan.We waited for the crunchy crust to form. It was seriously a terrible burnt taste which left THE worst aftertaste in my mouth ever. I'll never forget that awful aftertaste and the high bill my bf paid for a meal that left not only the worst taste in my mouth but had us going to find pizza and ice cream to fill up! -
Review from Nida K.
9/28/2011 6 photos
Socarrat is known for their paellas and when my friend told me about this place, I couldn't wait to give it a try. The restaurant is very quaint and dimly lit. There were only a few other tables and we got seated in a nice spot by the window. There were three of us so we decided to share everything family style.
We started off the night by ordering tapas. I don't know how many tapas they have, but we ordered like six of them. All of them were really good, especially the truffle mushrooms and asparagus. The paella takes about 40 minutes to cook, so we shared tapas while we were waiting for the Black Ink Paella. When it finally arrived, I was shocked because the pan was huge. Later we figured out that the pan made it look like there was a lot more than there really was, but the presentation of the paella was enticing with it's assortment of seafood spread out on top. It was my first time ever have squid ink and I didn't know what to expect. After my first bite, it was like I just died and gone to heaven. Yes, the paella was that amazing. I've never tasted anything quite like this, it was wonderful.
You must get the Black ink Paella! It's like heaven in your mouth. I still think about it when I'm home in California and I can't wait to head back to NY just to get some of this.Listed in: New York City, Baby!
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Review from Mandy Y.
9/6/2011
Socarrat is an European (Spain) Spanish restaurant that serves tapas, paella, various wines, etc. Man Friend and I went here for our first RW experience (Sunday lunch) and I was super excited because paella has been on my to-eat list this summer for a LONGGGG time. I was also really anxious because my reservations kept getting pushed back a few times, due to that bitch, Irene and being too hungover to function another day.
ANYWAYS...
I ordered an Estrella Damm, a beer from Barcelona and it was pretty good. It was really refreshing and went well with our first course of tapas; garlic shrimp and this tomato bruschetta type spread on bread. The paellas took a while because the kitchen got backed up but we never really noticed. To compensate for the wait, they gave us a free order of croquetas.
I whispered to Man Friend, "pssssttt, we didn't order that!"
"What is it???"
"Croquetas."
Me: *breaks off a piece and is about to stuff it into mouth without question*
MF: "WHY ARE YOU EATING/TOUCHING IT THEN????!!"
Me: *removes it from my mouth and gingerly pats it back into place on plate*
Poor waitress must've heard us arguing because she came over, smiled at us and told us the kitchen gave it to us for free because of the long wait. I had the seafood one which was filled with clams, mussels, shrimp, and octopus. Lots of fresh, yummy seafood. Man Friend had a meat paella which came with chicken, duck, and chorizo. He was in LOVE with the flan cheesecake but I don't believe in dessert hybrids. I liked the service at this spot, they apologized profusely for the long wait and were genuinely nice waitstaff. Socarrat seems pretty authentic...from the food to the leisurely pace that it runs at.
I'd like to go back and try its regular menu...ON A DATE. *Hint, hint* -
Review from Eva G.
10/26/2011
I came to share a paella with black rice (arroz negro) and seafood; after that, I've trained myself not to order seafood paellas because the flavors don't weld into the flavor of the rice. The shrimp and scallops just sit at the top, looking pretty.
Also, after half an hour of waiting, our pan comes. My friend channelled his inner Norman Bates and dived in with his spoon, and awkwardly created a loud bang... because the layer of rice was just about 3/4". Anyway, minus another star because their paella went to town on pushing the restaurant's name -- the rice on the bottom of the pan should be slightly burnt and thus crispy. However, we found that ours was just plain old raw.
I don't know, maybe the Soccarat in Chelsea is better? -
Review from Tyler A.
10/3/2011
Named after the prized crunchiness that lies beneath the tender morsels of rice, seafood, vegetables, and other meats, Socarrat delivers on what paella should truly taste like including its varied textures.
Between the 4 of us, we ordered the black rice and the meat in 4 portions. We had a few apps too but they were just distractions to the main event. But dude, you say croquettes, imma gonna eat me some croquettes.
Disclaimer: squid ink is my crack. You put squid ink on my rice, on my calamari, on my noodles, I will love you for it. There is nothing that gives me the high of black teeth like squid ink.
So you can guess that I loved the black rice. Plenty of seafood, rice perfectly al dente. I don't think anyone did but I mentally cordoned off half the damn paella pan for myself. I dig and dig through that thing until the lovely waiter came back to scrape the socarrat up for us. I reentered the battle victoriously as I am certain I ate more than anyone else at the table.
Bonus: our server, he was an actual spaniard, which I appreciate. And the decor was perfectly adorable. Intimate date night kind of joint --- shoveling rice into your face kind of date. -
Review from Hani J.
New York, NY
4/10/2012
i love their paellas. i was told its very authentic. given that i am not a Spaniard nor have i ever visited Spain, i cannot comment on its authenticity. all i can say is that my taste buds loved it. i've been there three times. in all cases the service was good. i think the ambiance can be improved (its not as cute as others are citing---its just small and stuffy).
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Review from Giac K.
Brooklyn, NY
7/21/2011
*This is my first review in a long time. No, I've not been dead; and I've continued to throw away money at restaurants when I could (and enjoy to) cook at home. It's just, most of the time the meal passes by without a funny anecdote, and how many run on sentences does one site need about "good", "delicious" or "regurgitated baby food?"*
Restaurant week 2011! Socarrat Nolita! Three course/$35!
Actually, it turned out to be 2.5 course, as the paella is of significant size as to share between 2 people. But, it's still $35 dollars. This place can get muy expensivo. You'd be better off sharing a paella ala carte ($20+ range), ordering appetizers ($8-$10) and skipping the flan desserts (the restaurant was regrettably out of the fried dough balls filled with chocolate. Expletive)
The cuttlefish was tender, and the fried artichoke hearts were "bangin" (as the kids may or may not have said 3 years ago). The squeeze of lemon makes it. Is there nothing adding acid to a dish can't do?
The paella is off the charts. Although, I feel as if it was invented by a guy (or gal) who was making rice and burned it. To avoid some domestic violence, they explained it was on purpose and now all our mouths benefit.
The cheese flan was definitely... savory? You could taste the farm in it (although not unpleasant for me, someone who prefers their desserts sweet will be put-off). Coffee flan had the right texture, but I do not like said texture. The taste was good though.
Fin. -
Review from Saara H.
9/8/2011
Wonderful service, intimate ambiance, and mediocre food.
I so badly wanted to love this place; I love paella and thought Soccarat could provide an authentic experience. However, the paella they serve doesn't evoke memories of the paella I've had in Spain at all. I'm not a food snob and would have enjoyed any twist on paella the restaurant put forth, but, unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy my meal that much.
I recognize that the soccarat (the burned bottom of the rice) is a treasured part of the dish, but I don't think that necessitates such dry paella. I couldn't get over how dry the entire dish was-this could've been exacerbated by how little rice is included in each dish. I think everyone is surprised by what a thin layer of rice is provided and how few main ingredients are included-both the squid ink and lobster paellas seemed to skimp out on the seafood. Even including the tapas we ordered while waiting, I wasn't full-something I never would've expected after a paella dinner. -
Review from Tommy K.
9/26/2011
Big fan of paella - the seafood one was delicious and included clams, mussels, lobster, shrimp. Crispy rice on the bottom, legit. We also had second one with pork, chicken and another meat that was just as delicious.
Next time we go, we will try the squid ink paella.
Great service, great atmosphere and busy, so try getting a reservation. -
Review from Tim W.
Had been wanting to try their new downtown location for awhile and was glad I did. Cant complain about anything. The space is great, the staff was VERY friendly and attentive, from the hostess to the barkeep to the waiter to the support staff! Great experience. Had the chorizo croquettes! Get them, they are SO good, freshly prepared with a lil aioli dip the flash fried peppers and the seafood paella.
If you are thinking...ohhhh the carbs...just know they dont skimp on the meat/seafood and they only do a small layer of rice so you dont walk out feeling like you at a ton of rice. They portion control quite well. So go and dont worry about your SOBE diet! You wont be dissapointed!!
Will I go back? Yes, it'll be great to show to my out of town guests!! -
Review from Danielle C.
Jersey City, NJ
8/9/2011
Excellent Paella... excellent Spanish Tapas.
On a Monday night, Socarrat was not too crowded where you had to wait for a table and it wasn't too empty that your conversation echoed throughout the room. They seemed to have steady traffic at this location all night. It had a good vibe- fun and classy, but not pretentious by any means.
Service was good. Perhaps a tad slow, but we were with old friends and were too busy chatting away to really notice.
Recommend ordering a Paella and 2-3 tapas to feed a group fo four. We ordered the Paella Socarrat, which is a mix of everything. My dining partner, who lived in Spain for 6 months said the paella was just as good, if not better than in Spain! (I know. I know. - that's a BIG statement, but she seemd to firmly stand by it).
Can't tell you the name of the tapas cuz I didn't choose them. But, they all were delicious and I'd be surprised if there was something on the menu that wasn't tasty.
With drinks, the meal cost about $215 for four people. (including tax and tip)
Great place to take out of town guests, if you don't mind spending the $$$. -
Review from Sarah C.
Manhattan, NY
2/13/2012
This place is absolutely amazing! Went on a Saturday night after waiting at several other lame Meatpacking places. The hostess was friendly, kept us informed and helped us to get seating right away. She even had appetizers sent to the table since we had to wait a little longer than originally quoted. Food and wine were both spectacular! This is one of my favorite places in NY.
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Review from Marika T.
I recently went to the Chelsea location for dinner and loved it. My boyfriend and I went to the Nolita location for lunch the other day and...I loved it even more! This location is more spacious with a lot more individual tables. Totally recommended for bigger groups (compared to the Chelsea location). Nothing really new to write about this fabulous place except that they don't have a 2 minimum person order for the paellas during lunch! This is a grand way to try out the different types of paella at one sitting. The (cute) waiter did admit that the bigger orders tend to have more socarrat; I do feel this is THE way to impressive to your guests.
Anyway, here's what we ordered:
Shrimp Croquette - Four thumb sized croquettes filled with rich creamy fillings and pieces of shrimp. Not impressed but we wanted something to nibble while we waited for the paella.
Black rice - The bomb diggity like always! I heart cuttlefish.
Carne - As the name states, this is perfect for any meat lover. Great contrast compared to the black rice paella. Lots of tender and juicy pieces of pork, chicken, chorizos and duck. The complex flavors go well with a glass of red sangria.
Now, this might become my favorite restaurant of 2011. For an adventurous person to come twice in two weeks indicates how good this place is. I'll be back to try the stuffed dates and alcachofas fritas and not to mention every single paella dishes except for the vegetarian one. Sorry veggies!!
FYI - they have TWO bathrooms here. yay -
Review from Liz B.
12/30/2011
I was looking for a place to take out my friends (a Frenchman, Cambodian, and...pressure...Spaniard) for dinner during a recent trip to NYC. Most of the restaurants I researched on Opentable were already booked, but I was able to get a reservation for 4 at Socarrat Nolita. As someone who had never eaten paella before, I was excited to finally try it, and to get the opinion of a qualified critic while doing so. I chose the Nolita location over the Chelsea one because I read that it actually had individual tables.
My friends and I arrived on time for our reservation, and the place was a chaotic madhouse. It was mind-boggling how many people they managed to cram into such a tiny space. The hostess looked confused as she tried to figure out where she was going to put us (apparently this was not determined in advance). We waited for at least 10-15 minutes (with no room at the bar) and were finally seated in the middle of a long shared table with tiny, tall chairs. The groups on either side of us already had their dishes, so we (and our glasses and silverware) were truly squished on both sides; the friend seated next to me was practically in my lap the entire time, and we negotiated elbow placement every couple minutes. There was no place for coats or larger bags, which we thankfully did not bring in. I ultimately had to leave my purse on the floor underneath the high table since there wasn't room for me to place it on the chair (it would have obstructed the narrow passageway behind me).
Our server took his time getting to us, and was less than friendly (not surprising for this sort of trendy NY restaurant). I asked him for a red wine recommendation, and to be fair, he did recommend a nice one. I let my Spanish friend do the food ordering.
APPETIZERS:
We got a series of tapas, which were all delicious and well prepared, though the portions small. The croquettes, canelones, and pan tomaca were consumed with equal vigor by all. My Spanish friend agreed that they tasted authentic.
PAELLAS:
Black rice (with fish, shrimp, calamari, scallops): the black rice itself tasted delicious, though the texture was dry and not as creamy as I'd expected. My Spanish friend agreed that the flavor was good, but the texture wrong. He was unimpressed. My French and Cambodian friends were similarly unimpressed, and said they had tasted better versions. The quality of the seafood was mediocre (certainly did not taste fresh), and the fish seemed overcooked.
Fideua (with shrimp, cuttlefish, mussels, bass): while most paella is made with rice, this version is actually made with very thin bits of noodles, with a very creamy aioli sauce. Again, according to my Spanish friend--too dry, not the right texture, and the taste was just OK. I appreciated trying something different, but between the two, I preferred the taste of the black rice version. The chunks of seafood were again of mediocre quailty, and the fish chunks overcooked and bland.
We decided against dessert. I did have to suppress some shock at the bill amount, given the small amount of food that we had ordered, and the less than impressive quality. I did not realize that they charge at least $20 per person for a shared paella order (thus there is not flexibility about portion size when ordering multiple kinds of paella).
While the food was good (particularly the tapas), it was EXTREMELY overpriced, especially for the good-but-not-great paella (which is supposed to be this place's specialty). Not surprisingly, according to the Spaniard, one can get much better paella for much less money in Spain. Also, I loathed the seating arrangement--I was cramped and uncomfortable the entire time, and it was so loud that I was practically screaming to communicate with my friends as people were loudly talking on either side of us. The service was rude, unorganized, and unaccomodating.
If you're desperate for less-than-fantastic paella or good but overpriced tapas in a place with a sexy but very crowded, loud, uncomfortable atmosphere, then this place is for you. I won't be back. -
Review from Helena H.
6/8/2011 3 photos
OH Socarrat. You Saved Me from Flying to España for Paella!
What 3 people can eat (or 4).......
Pitcher of Sangria (Red Wine) - It was made to perfection!, Didn't feel like drinking fruit juice or plain Red Wine. I ended up drinking 3 Glasses!
Appetizer
Cochinito (Special of the day) - Baby pig with Spinach and Chesnut. two words... LICKING FINGERS!!!!
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Entree: DOS Paellas
Arroz Negro - http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Langostas Paella - Need I say More???????
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Negative one star..... The Rice combine with seafood flavor was succulent!. but the Lobster tail was a tad dry. The Arroz Negro was pretty good, but a bit salty on my side.
I enjoyed the ambience, everyone was able to have their own space for a nice date / conversation. Music was a mix of Spanish and English. I give thumbs up for the service since the waiter was super helpful and also warned us about waiting 5-6 minutes to pick up the Paella*.
The Bill came out about $ 50.00 / person but I was happy with everything.
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* = Also Mr. Chun L's review warned me about burning fingers, BWAHAHAHHAAHHA. (And also saved $$ by RSVPing thru http://VillageVines.com) His review..
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
If you think the Pictures cannot convince you... Then I don't think you like Paellas.Listed in: Impress your DATE!, OINK OINK
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Review from Brad M.
12/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Enjoyable Spanish food. The tapas were really good, especially the swordfish special. The 2 person paella was big enough for 3 of us because we had already filled up on tapas beforehand. Our friendly waiter was from Barcelona and it was his last night on the job. I hope the rest of the staff are as attentive as him.
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Review from Parisa A.
5/23/2011
Things I like in black:
1. Little dresses
2. Sky-high heels
3. Hot cars
4. (and maybe most importantly) Paella. Namely, Socarrat's Arroz Negro.Listed in: 5 Stars, You Say?!?
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Review from Peter C.
7/25/2011 1 Check-in Here
We came here on a Sunday night with reservations and was promptly seated even though we were a little bit early. They have this really long diagonal table in the restaurant that we thought was booked for a large group, but we were actually seated there. I guess that table is permanently situated like that and can seat small groups or one large group.
Turns out that they still participated in restaurant week even though it was a Sunday (which is awesome!) but I was kinda confused by the fact that if one person orders from the restaurant week menu, the entire table would have to as well (we had a table of 3). Come to know, that if you order the paella, the price on the menu is for each person and the minimum order for a paella is for 2 people! So really, you should double the price on the menu to know the true cost of the dish.
We ended up ordering 4 tapas and the Black Rice (Arroz Negro) Paella. For tapas, we got the garlic shrimp, Alcachofas (fried artichokes), sauteed mushrooms, and canelones. All the tapas I thought were pretty good. The garlic shrimp was slightly overcooked but still very good. The mushrooms were also delicious although I think they were a little on the salty side. The fried artichokes were just as you imagine what fried artichokes would taste like so no surprise there and the canelones was decent. It was flavorful and tender which worked out well.
Onto the paella which is what they are known for. Each paella is actually pretty thin on rice (maybe half an inch?). I think it actually gets thicker if you order it for more people at which point I think they layer on the rice. The presentation is great and the first bite is amazing with the aioli. However, a few more bites down the road, and you will be grabbing for your glass of water. I thought there was a lot of flavor to this dish with a lot of seasoning which tasted great in the first bite, but as you keep eating more of it, it just gets to be a little too much. The seafood wasn't overcooked but I thought the rice could've been less burnt. It was actually stuck to the pan and crunches in your mouth. My preference would've been if it wasn't as crunchy, but at least it didn't taste burnt!
Overall, I think this place serves good tapas and paella. I wish the paella could've been less crunchy, but I think any rice that is made in a cast iron pan will probably be crunchy. -
Review from Connie B.
Los Angeles, CA
8/11/2011
The Paella was good... the wine list was ok. The patatas bravas tasted like old stale homefries... and was not very warm. That was pretty disappointing. Make sure that you have 2 people who agree on the same paella- there is a minimum for the order.
Service was great, and not so great at times as 4 different people came to our table, and no one came to check on our meal... -
Review from Suanne L.
5/23/2011
Socorrat has been high on my "to-eat" list for some time now and Jon F. and I wanted to definitely partake of what is supposed to be an amazing gem of a restaurant. Jon f and I met at the bar, with a very nice bartender and get set up. Our group of four was promptly seated once all members of our party had arrived and we soaked in the dark and down-to-earth, yet romantic set up. The service was very friendly and accomodating. We put in the paella order first so the kitchen could get started, then ordered four additional tapas. Portion size is excellent for the paella, skimpy for the tapas (they ARE tapas after all) and so the value kind of cancels out.
ORDERED:
Patatas Bravas - as per usual
Hangar Steak with frites - nothing unusual
Setas con Jamon (mushrooms) - extremely salty
Menestra de Verduras - Can't really go wrong with grilled veggies
Paella de Pescado & Mariscos - Excellent.
Paella de Carne - burned. And I know the Socorrat is supposed to be crunchy - but this was burned. But I'm a snob - the rest of the table ate it anyway.
Paella is an awesome dish, made with love, and difficult to master. Not enough places take the time to make paella and make it WELL. It takes time and great attention to the ingredients. I would recommend going to Socorrat for the atmosphere and the paella experience - but I wouldn't call it the most amazing meal of your life. -
Review from Audra W.
Long Island City, NY
8/21/2011
I had an AMAZING dinner here last night.
The meal started with a bottle of Verdejo and an order of the bacon wrapped dates - which were crispy and perfect.
Since there were only two of us, we didn't get any of the other tapas to save room for the huge order paella we ordered, but next time I'd probably try to go with a bigger group and try some of the others.
The paella was unbelievable. We got the one with the crispy noodles, shrimp, mussels, bass and cuttlefish. It was so crispy and flavorful, and the seafood was tender and perfect.
I had such a great time here and can't wait to go back. -
Review from Alfonso C.
Washington, DC
11/27/2011
I am an expert in Spanish food and this was one of the best Spanish meals I've ever had in the US! The tapas were all authentic and the paellas were excellent. The service was also great - Alfredo took excellent care of us. We had a large party of ex-pats and everyone left very happy.
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Review from Marin G.
5/10/2011
Really great. Can't say enough good things about the flavor of all the various foods we ordered. Cheese croquettes. gambas al ajilla. bacon stuffed dates. The smells were amazing and that is SO important in food. The paella was excellent. We ordered the paella de langosta and friends had the de carne. Great presentation. The sangria was tasty - I would suggest more fruit in the sangria (but I always do). And there was enough paella to go around and make up for the teeny tiny sizes of the tapas.
Only negative is the price. This place is expensive so I can't go as often as I want. -
Review from Vanni P.
Manhattan, NY
12/22/2011
Pretty good paella... If you've never been to Spain. If you have, and have tasted the real thing, then you know that this paella is actually closer to decent than to good. but it's still eminently edible, so I won't disparage it too much. Still looking for that great paella experience in NYC though...
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Review from Tiff G.
New York, NY
7/17/2011
I wish I had a personal chef recreating the Socarrat menu for me every night.
It is by far the best paella I had in the city! Every bite reminded me of my time in Espana! The grilled peppers (not sure of the exact name) are addicting!!!! The Iberico ham was not the same as what I had while in Spain, but will suffice my cravings.
I like this location a lot more because it's bigger and not as tight as their other location. -
Review from Karol S.
12/3/2011
The paella was seriously off-the-hizook as the kids used to say about 8 years ago. They lose a star for the service but the food was really great. Best paella I've had in NYC.
