Manolo Tapas

This being a 5 star rating is an understatement, great food, awesome drinks, and amazing service.

I love this place. Been here numerous times. The drinks are made very very well and the appetizers are SO delicious. Had a mushroom appetizer, potatoes, and even the seafood was so delicious. The reason why these appetizers are different from other places is because they’re so well seasoned and actually have some spice. The bartender is friendly and great customer service. There’s also an ATM downstairs if you forget cash. Clean place and great food.

I love this place! Been here twice. Once with my family (group of 6) and again with friends (group of 4).
Their dishes are delicious, the staff is very courteous and quick to provide refills or more bread. The ambience is beautiful, the noise level of the music is just right so that you can carry on conversation with a group without needing so shout like you do at some restaurants.
My favorite tapa dish is the Gambas (shrimp). The paella with lobster is delicious and enough to share with 2 – 4 people if you order 3 or more tapas. The bread they give complimentary is so good! Definitely would recommend this place as one of the best restaurants in the Heights!

This is such a cute place. I am so glad my friend (a regular of this spot) showed me this gorgeous restaurant!
CASH ONLY.
FOOD:
–my friend ordered tapas: the crispy potato, the grilled octopus, and the mushrooms. The mushrooms were surprisingly flavorful. The potatoes were good but not amazing. The octopus was very fresh. My favorite might be the mushrooms out of the trio.
–I ordered the lobster paella. Holy moly was this a GIANT portion! I think it was meant to serve two but I will neither confirm nor deny that I ate most of it, took the rest to go, then ate it around 1 am that night. Yes it’s that good. The lobster was a bit measly but the other seafood in it was generously portioned. Giant scallops, fresh mussels, etc.
MUSIC/​ATMOSPHERE: there’s usually live music but we went on a Friday and there was just a really cool playlist. Good for date night, tons of string lights, sangrias, rustic wooden dining tables, and cute wooden bar tables for more casual diners.
SERVICE: we stayed from 7:40 to midnight and didn’t keep ordering drinks after the first set and they never tried to oust us! Instead they refilled our water glass numerous times. This pushed the place from a 4 star to a 5 star!

Went to Manolo’s Tapas Bar on a date last night and the experience was impeccable. The waiter/​host was beyond helpful and appealing. The food was great, I got the rip-​eye steak which was huge! This place is the perfect atmosphere for an intimate date as the music is not too loud, it’s more of a coffee drinking setting. The bar has a huge wine collection, not to mention the variety of tapas. Would definitely recommend and return myself.

I picked this place randomly not knowing what to expect. I came during lunch time and ordered off the lunch menu. Everything was delicious, I can’t remember the last time I enjoyed restaurant food that much. I had pork with rice and beans from the lunch menu, delicious. My boyfriend got the Caldo Gallego soup, delicious. He also got the Mojama con Pipirrana Manchego, delicious. Lastly we got the Torrijas de Almendra, DELICIOUS!!! Delicious, just delicious; I have no other words.

I was very excited to try this place out based on my friend’s recommendation. My friend works around here and is a frequent customers who absolutely loves this place! Perhaps I was expecting too much but sadly based on my experience I was extremely underwhelmed. I’ll start with the positive, the atmosphere is very warm and inviting, this seems like a great place for a date! We sat at the bar and the bartender was very friendly and the service was good. I was not very hungry so we just got a couple tapas to try out. I absolutely love mussels so when I saw it on the menu I was excited, and of course I wanted the standard meat and cheese plate. When the meat and cheese plate arrived I was immediately put of by the lack of creativity. Perhaps again my expectations are too high but I was expecting more effort, the ham tasted like one I get in the deli section at the supermarket and it came with 2 sad little pickles. I usually love bread but since this plate did not come with a tiny side of jam or fruit the entire combination was very dry and unappealing. The mussels were just okay, the sauce could have used more flavor. I also tried the spicy potatoes and they were just meh. Others seem to love this place so perhaps this was an off night. I would probably return if in the area but I wouldn’t go out of my way to go there based on my experience.

This is the only place outside of Galicia, Spain that you can get very traditional octopus and empanada.

Delicious old school Spanish tapas joint. Solid, classic Spanish wine selections in all price ranges. Knowledgeable, friendly staff. Eat at the bar, it is comfortable and inviting. Recommend the Pata Negra, the anchovies. Great place for a bottle of wine to share with friends at either the start or end of the night.

Nice place, had the sangria and we order some tapas. We enjoy it very much music was great. We will be back

Very good Spanish seafood. Fun place. The black-​ink paella was outstanding.

We again chose Manola Tapas to cater our annual Labor Day Picnic. this year. We’ve chosen them in the past and then two other restaurants, one Italian, one nevus American the last two years just for the sake of variety. But our employees asked us to got back to Manola Tapas this year, as they remembered and loved their food, and so we did.
Once again putting together the menu was easy. I called and spoke with Jesus, their manager. Jesus helped me figure out the menu. And then we picked up the food at 1PM. All was ready and waiting for us and, as before, the food from Manoa Tapas put big smiles on all our employees faces. And it was all gone, quickly. The star dish was again the Paella Marinera, Lobster paella which is not only delicious, but gorgeous. The empandas the cold cuts, the shrimp in garlic sauce, the pollo extremeno, Churrasco a la Parrilla, the Prime skirt steak charcoal grilled served with vegetables and Panadera potatoes was delicious and inventive. The Medallones de Solomillo de Cerdo, pork was so flavorful, people were going back for third helpings.
I could go on and on about how terrific Manola Tapas is but the bottom line is Manola Tapas is a first rate, elegant Spanish restaurant with reasonable prices. located on upper Broadway and those who know about it are very lucky.

Ordered 4 tapas, the lobster marinera paella, 2 desserts, and a pitcher of red sangria.
Scallop and spicy sausage were served in the exact same way, on top of a piece of their below average baguette. It was okay. ³⁄₅ stars for this.
Mussels and mushrooms were really good. The mussels were cooked perfectly and the broth was excellent. Mushrooms was very juicy, although a little bit too salty. 4.5÷5 stars
Paella was pretty good. Rice cooked well and seasoning was spot on. The lobster, aka the most expensive part of the dish, was way over cooked which was a disappointment. It’s sorta hard to ruin scallops, mussels, and clams which were the other seafood items in the dish that were prepared well. ⁴⁄₅ stars
For dessert we ordered the crêpe and the almond cake. Crêpe was okay and the almond cake was a little better. ³⁄₅ stars
Sangria was alright too.
If I were to come back, I would probably order different tapas and try a different paella. Not bad for a night out if you’re feeling for some paella!

When my best friend first went Manolo Tapas during the time it opened she said, «You have to go to this new place, you’re going to love it.» Love it I did. It is my favorite place in Northern Manhattan.
First, the food is consistently good. I usually order tapas and stick with that but on this occasion my friend and I also ordered Churrasco and Vegetable Rice. It was perfect. I am not much of a meat eater so if I have to chew it more than a few times, I don’t eat it.
My favorite appetizers are the Tortilla Espanola and the Ham Croquettes. My cousin and friend love the Gambas al Ajillo so if you like Seafood you might want to try that dish. .
The service is always great. Servers are dressed in black attire and are quick to come to the table. We never have to wait once seated to have drinks. I’ve never seen them on their phones either. The music selection is an added plus and it is low enough that we can speak. Sometimes we don’t realize we are the last ones left in the place.
I had my birthday celebration in the downstairs room this year. If you want a private party, the downstairs room is perfect for it.
This venue is open for lunch and there is a great Chicken with Alcaparras (I think) that I can’t get enough of.
Oh, and as for the bread, I am not a fan of the dip that comes on the side with it so I order oil and vinaigrette. It’s that simple.
Do take cash because credit cards are not accepted. There is an atm downstairs that only charges $ 1.

I love this place. Their churrasco is extremely good. I am a huge fan of their churrasco. This is my favorite dish in this restaurant. They have such great service as well. They have good piña colada too! I definitely recommend this restaurant.

This restaurant has all the components for a great experience, starting with the service. Our server was So attentive, the wine and sangria were just amazing. There was a live performance, which made the whole experience even better, the ambience is very romantic; perfect for a special date. Coming here gives a feeling you really are in Spain. Cant wait to come back

This is a surprisingly authentic Spanish restaurant with a very cool, wine cellar-​esque vibe and big open bar. We were seated quickly and the service was super speedy and friendly and I was inwardly, like, «WOW! THIS IS MY NEW FAVORITE PLACE WHY HAVE I NEVER COME HERE BEFORE!?»
But then, our food was just a bit meh. We split a bottle of house red, which was served in an unmarked decanter, so I guess genuinely the «house» red. It was OK, nothing special. The bread was served with a greenish butter which I initially mistook for herbed butter — nope, it was sardines. Eek. As an aside, I’ve noticed a weird fish smell both in this restaurant and in the grocery store owned by the same folks next door. Maybe too many sardines?
A couple highlights: The lentil soup was very tasty and well-​seasoned, and the plate of ham and cheese tasted like it fell straight out of Madrid.
We got a few other tapas that were pretty good, but small portions and quite expensive. I think it ended up being $ 80 for 2 of us and we were by no means stuffed. I would stop by this place to try the sangria and maybe grab another ham/​cheese plate, but don’t try to make a meal of the tapas.

I enjoyed my night here. Servers were friendly and the food was very good. We ordered two tapas:
Atún sobre Pisto manchengo– this was a Montadito, large sizes of tuna for a tapa; very good
Filoa Rellena de Marisco– this was a crêpe filled with shrimp. Also good. Enjoyed the tuna more though.
Red sangria was great, and strong – just the way I like it.
Crème bruleé also very good, served with what I thing was a cinnamon raisin compote
Would like to come back to try the paellas

Super Ambiente, netter Service. Das Essen war ausgezeichnet und toll auch fürs Auge angerichtet. Preisleistung ist auch ok.

Wonderful spanish tapas bar. Loved everything: warm tortilla, freshly fried croquettes with smooth filling, and the squid ink rice tasted awesome. We ordered a pitcher of sangria as well, which tasted even better after some time.
Decorations and ambience were excellent. Haven’t had better in Washington heights.

Nestled in the heart of a pretty shitty neighborhood is this goldmine of authentic Spanish food. Having lived in Madrid, Spain for 6 months this restaurant brought back a wave of nostalgia in the best way possible.
Service here is amazingly speedy and courteous, and the waiters speak both English and Spanish (in case you want a truly authentic experience). The restaurant is fairly dark and has décor akin to a wine cellar. The drink list is impressive and expansive in regards to wine, spirits, and beer.
You would be remiss not to order the potaje de lentejas (lentil soup), tortilla española, and churrasco a la parilla. I’ve had better croquetas elsewhere in the neighborhood, but beyond that everything was absolutely incredible and could have been cooked in a home kitchen in Spain.
Legitimately the best Spanish food spot I’ve encountered in Manhattan. Definitely worth a trip if you’re in the neighborhood (and maybe even if you’re not).

Oliver nuestro server: Exelente el servicio amable y muy atento, definitivamente una experiencia y la comida delicious no tienes que esperar mucho tiempo por la comida. Deliciosa comida y Oliver muy professional y amable Gracias por el exelente servicio

Estaba contemplando la idea de ir al lugar desde que lo abrieron.
Mis companeras de oficina y yo decidimos ir a celebrar mi cumpleanos aqui, pero por un momento dude si lo haria o no por que leimos algunos comentarios que me hicieron dudar.
Afortunadamente fuimos y quedamos contentos y MUY SATISFECHOS. La comida toda estuvo deliciosa.
Ordenamos Paella Valenciana, suficiente para dos personas si ya han comido algo mas de apetitivo.
Chorizos al jerez, tortilla espanola, Setas al ajillo, todos excelentes para picar mientras te tomas una sangria.
Tambien ordenamos Caldo Gallego y sopa de Lenteja, los dos estuvieron muy sabrosos y con mucho sabor. La ensalada Valenciana muy buena, suficiente para compartir con una o dos personas.
Los postres esquisitos, recomendaria la Torta de Santiago.
La persona que nos atendio nos dio un excelente servicio, muy agradable, con una sonrisa en sus labios todo el tiempo y con la mejor disponibilidad de explicarnos todo.
Nos encanto la decoracion, el ambiente, los servicios y sobre todo la comida.
Regresaremos pronto!