Alcala Restaurant

I’ve been going here for years with my cousin, both of us seniors. Service and food are deteriorating, although it’s popularity seems to be growing (perhaps they’re related). Most recently today, where tuna was way overdone — had to send it back, and service very slow and the staff didn’t seem to care. What a shame.

Great food, but the service SUCKS! Very unfortunate because it’s really authentic Spanish. Will not go back or recommend. Staff is not genuine, warm or caring. Service is uneven, un-​Manhattan-​like and slow, slow, slow.

Met up with a few former co-​workers for drinks and tapas here at Alcala. The restaurant is quite close to GCS and is tucked away from midtown madness. We ate some great sardines, Jamon ham with tomato toast, liver in a cheese sauce (yum), and some great bread with delicious olive oil. The basque wine and cheeses were tasty too.

Total rip off. Don’t go here!
Two glasses of wine, two diet cokes, 4 plates of tapas and 4 main courses. Really small portions. Total amount € 245! Totally overpriced. Glass of White wine which tasted really awfull was 10 $. Why did we have to pay 20% service? We are not Americans and can not get used to this.

This restaurant is great. The owner is the chef of the place and the food is delicious and the service very personal and pleasant. Prices are around 60 – 70 dollars per person for a super good typical spanish food with house wine included.

Loved Alcala. Quaint, lovely restaurant. Staff is all spaniards and very accommodating. Authentic and delicious food. I can eat every single tapa. It’s hard to find an authentic real Spanish restaurant that doesn’t mix in other cultures. Alcala is on point! I will be returning over and over. The owner and chef Jesus Martinez came over to our table introduced himself. Personalized attention.

Stepped in for dessert and night cap after dinner. Service was so warm and friendly. The owners were hugging guests that come back all of the time. We ordered the Spanish cheese plate and wine. Service attentive and very pleasant. Cute little spot that we want to try again. Food smelled amazing!

We love authentic Spanish food. I had the chance to spend many time in this wonderful country, so that we can say that we are quite familiar with the real deal. When we decide to go for Spanish food I do not feel like a culinary round trip through South America. Unfortunately it is what happens most of the time in NYC (with our lovely exception in Astoria). Alcala has all it takes to take you to a short trip to Spain. the interior is warm, cozy, tasteful really Spanish old fashioned, we love it. The staff is really a part of the experience, they remembered us after only our second visit, the chef comes to your table and check on you and your dishes, and your wine glass never turns empty. So now to the essential the menu. It is well balanced with a basquish touch. the tapas have all you will expect from a Spanish bodega. The croquettes with bacalao and ham are perfectly made. The pata negra fantastic, the squid in black ink delicious. for main dishes I had to try the paella, because it I is still in the simplest common dishes that you really can taste the difference. We were impressed it was not 100% but pretty close. The wine list includes all the major wine region in Spain, and personally we would recommend the Ribera Del duero wines they have definitely the best price quality level. It is definitely a place to discover and appreciate.
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Great mid-​town spot. We had a group of 7 that can be mid to high maintenance. The service was attentive and the chef came out to greet us at our table, we enjoyed a variety of dishes but favorites were the paella carne, the tapas with filet over rustic bread, and the air cured ham. I can see this as a great locale favorite that I will revisit again! Again, the service was attentive — especially for our first time!

We are from south of france. Born and raised under the influence of spanish culture and food. Warmth, taste, special attention, pata negra jamon, paella, gambas al ailio, grilled calamari, croquetas, anything that makes a wonderful tapas experience. We were not sure we could find anything close here in Nyc. We found Alcala. This is a hidden gem in mid town east not far from the United Nations. Jesus, the owner and chef always welcome you as if you are home. Food is just excellent, so is service. Tapas selection is up to the best local spanish standards i had in Spain. Entrees are of same standard. Try the paella ! Last but not least, the wine selection is amazing and reasonably priced. This is a place for a romantic diner or a big party with friends. Thank you Jesus!

Got a living social deal for here, $ 25 for $ 50. Great food, amazing service, good décor, little pricey but def worth it. Needless to say went way over the $ 50 off

I luv this place. Reminds me when I visited Spain years ago. The staff is really friendly, from the moment you walk in to the very end. I had the seafood paella, tasted ohh so fresh and season well. Just like I remember from Spain. The sangria was excellent (fruity light, not made w/​strong liquor n had different type of fruits inside) but when ordering ask then not to but much ice in it. The grand finale was the crema de Catalana. It’s a crème brûlée but lighter (like a whipped cream).i was satisfied with this establishment. needless to say
I’ll BE BACK BABY

The food was good and service was very average. The biggest turn off was that for a party of 4, they added tip to the bill as though we aren’t going to tip them. Normally in NYC, 18% tip is added for party of 6 or more. We had 4 in our party and they automatically included a 20% tip on our bill for the very average service. I had to demand for water refill and they didn’t even come over to pick up the check. I got so sick of waiting that one of us brought the check up to pay. m
Had better food and service else where in NYC. I don’t recommend unless u like all ur food to come out at once on a small table and forced to tip 20%.

I went on a Sunday. It was quiet and the service was good.
I guess its a family owned restaurant. Had a very homey feel to it.
I got Arozzo Negro and it came steaming hot. I loved it.
The place can improve a bit on the lighting. The salt was on a slightly higher side for me. But thats just my opinion.
Overall it was a relaxing experience. Its not too far from Grand Central, so I would go there when I am in the city.

I was looking for a nice place to celebrate my partner’s birthday with him. He’s originally from Ecuador so I wanted to take him out for some good Spanish cuisine.
After searching on Unilocal,I found Alcala and was impressed with the good reviews.
Then Living Social emailed me a voucher offer so i figured it must be fate!
We visited Alcala on ¹⁰⁄₂₉. We found a cozy, charming place where it was easy to relax and enjoy ourselves.
The food and presentation was very good as was the service. Servers were always around if you needed anything, but not hovering over you. The menu has a lot of variety for every taste. We had grilled calamari, salad, monkfish with shrimp and clams and a chicken dish with potatoes and mushrooms.
Everything was hot and delicious. And the apple tart dessert was perfect — light, not too sweet and a nice way to end the evening. Even the coffee was great.
And my partner really liked it. Said he felt like he was in his childhood home in Ecuador, which made me happy.
We’ll definitely visit Alcala again even without a voucher. It’s a welcome escape from our busy days and this is the kind of food I know I could never cook at home!

I’ve been going to some version of Marichu/​Alcala for almost 20 years and I can definitively say that their gambas al ajllo is my favorite dish ever. Perfectly sized shrimp in an amazingly simple yet delectable garlic/​olive oil sauce come sizzling from the kitchen. Usually I order two or three.
The other items I’ve ordered are good as well, but nothing compares to the gambas!

Loved this place. It is open on Mondays despite the note in Unilocal indicating its closed.
The food is very good although a bit salty. I will definitely come back here for a flavor of home made cuisine.

wow… I truly don’t know where to begin because EVERYTHING about this restaurant is amazing! This place has the best Tapas and Sangria I have had anywhere in Manhattan. So many options, all look amazing you want to have it all on the menu. I have been here a few times with my boyfriend, it is our favorite place in the city. Great ambiance, super friendly staff, unbelievable service. The pepitos de salomillo and gambas al ajillo are mouth watering every time! I am having my birthday dinner here in two weeks, I am soooo excited to have their delicious food again! :)
Katherine

My friends and I came here for Valentine’s Day last minute. There were several couples but were able to accommodate us. The service was attentive and food was average. We had gambas al ajillo (a little over cooked), meatballs, salad, sausage (tasty), and lobster al horno (eigh). We had a good time. The atmosphere was warm and we felt comfortable taking our time to enjoy each other’s company.

We wandered into this place while on a «lets wander and walk into every interesting place and have a bite» kind of evening. First impression: very rustic décor which became charmingly rustic after a glass of wine or two. A nice list of tapas on the menu had us ordering the tortilla (my measure of a tapas place), the croquetas, chorizo and vino and langustinos.
The service was quite friendly and the waiter was attentive and watched for our glasses of wine and water both. The food appeared in rapid succession which was slightly disappointing since we had asked for the food to be brought out in 2’s…but it was okay. The tortilla was quite well made with perfectly cooked layers of potatoes and onions enveloped in a well seasoned egg matrix. The chorizo was a bit over boiled in wine which had rendered it a bit dry, the langustinos looked good, but were slightly overcooked but had great flavor, the croquetas were the star of the show. Warm and crunchy outsides with a well flavored mixture of cod and ham (trifle salty) but an excellent accompaniment to the wine.
I would make another trip here to get the lamb chops and monkfish that a neighboring table was eating and raving about.
Swing in if you are walking outside!