PAO Restaurant

This was the best place in the whole wide world. Thank you Jorge for creating something so special.

Came here on a Sunday evening before taping of watch what happens live.
Very nice owner/​hostess. We started speaking portuguese to her and so did a few additional patrons.
I ordered the bacalhau a casa which is salted cod with French fries. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn’t care for the olives but the dish was delicious and cooked to perfection.
I also had the caldo verde. When I go somewhere portuguese I know immediately how good they are by the caldo verse. Perfect. Delish.
My cousin had the fresh cod fish special. She’d never had cod that wasn’t bacala before and I must say it was quite exceptional.
Was served on a bed of potatoe that was a cream and it was amazing. Quite quite good.
I will return.
Limited menu. Small number of covers. Nice bar.

Pros:
Great décor and ambience
Superlative service
Fresh fish
Superb soup (light)
Good house wine
Great desserts
Cons:
Could have a broader fish menu (since that’s what the Portuguese are big on)
Overall a fantastic place in a quiet corner of Spring Street (SoHo and TriBeCa border). I wish they had sardines and fish stews like most Cervejarias do in Lisbon. However the food was excellent and the service was honest and warm and outshone the food.

Excellent service! Excellent food! Warm and inviting.
Wanted to try Pao for their Portugese food and to my surprise they were open on Labor Day.
Ordered the scallops as an app and they are divine! The tomato blends perfect and they are real diver scallops that were cooked perfectly. Entrée ordered the tiger shrimp and rabbit. The rabbit was GREAT. Tiger shrimp was a unique taste on the plate but not for me, but points for whatever the unique sauce was. –I never order shrimp, just don’t like it that much, that was the boyfriends choice.
Dessert had chocolate mouse and rice pudding. Would highly recommend both and the B&B cognac.

I came here about four years ago in search of Portuguese food. I cannot remember what I ordered but recall having a very pleasant experience, so I returned about a month ago. It blew me away this round — I had the Gambas Com Açorda at the server’s suggestion. It was utterly succulent and packed with seafood. The dishes sound light but they are actually quite rich from a flavor perspective, yet not rich to point where it feels excessive.
Pao is my ideal restaurant for a warm summer evening. All of the floor to ceiling windows are open, and the atmosphere is very casual and relaxed. The service is unparalleled and treats you like family. Finally, the wines are cheap by New York standards, and the vinho verde perfectly complements the array of seafood dishes. I will return here again and again, despite the location being a bit out of the way for me — also note that Pao is cash-​only.

We had a Groupon and decided to try this place. While it is a bit out of the way, it was well worth the trip.
For appetizers, we had the octopus and the clams in broth. While the octopus was not bad, I was expecting it hot. Perhaps if I would have read the menu which stated ‘Salada’, my expectations would have been different. The clams were FAN-​TAS-​TIC… the broth was slightly salty which worked well with the clams and tasted perfect when I soaked it all up with the crusty bread they brought out.
For the mains, I had the ‘Cherne Assado Com Nabinhos & Alecrim’ which was bass with turnips in a rosemary broth. Simply phenominal being perfectly cooked and seasoned My other half had the special which was cod with whipped potatoes in a white truffle oil. In general, I don’t really like the taste of truffle… that said, these were the creamiest, most luxurious mashed potatoes I have ever tasted. Had there been a tub of this stuff, I would have loved to bathe in it.
Both fish dishes were cooked to perfection!
For the wine, we had a bottle of ‘Vinho Verde’ from Octave. This was a Portugese green wine and was not too dry, nor too sweet, and complimented the meal perfectly.
For dessert, I had the rice pudding, which had a hint of lemon. This was okay and refreshing. The star dessert was the chocolate mousse, which was both creamy and decadant. You could taste the real cocoa in it, rather than being made with chocolate syrup which other restaurants may do for the flavor.
The bartender and waitresses were all knowledgable and helpful and gave good suggestions.
I would definately come back to this place! A perfect meal with knowledgable staff.

Picture it: a first date on a chilly post Sandy December evening with the guy who is now my significant other.
Born in Portugal and raised on real Portuguese eats, I was happy to find what had been coined by many as authentic Portuguese food. The «Lulas com Folhas de Nabo» was tasty and tender. Squid is always a bone of contention with me: it’s either perfectly tender or ridiculously rubbery, but I digress. «Bacalhau à Bráz»: not bad. I’ve had better. Our server seemed indifferent, and neither here or there. All in all, a somewhat enjoyable evening. The meal was fairly decent, the company was lovely, and I had acquired another notch on my belt of restaurant conquests.
The thing about American dollars is they have the tendency to stick together and they’re all the same color. Throw in a dark restaurant, and you’re bound to mistake a five dollar bill for a twenty. That folks, is how I managed to pay for our meal in full and only leave a $ 2 tip, when in reality, it was my intention to leave a $ 15 tip. The place is packed, and as we wind our way to the front door, a salt-​and-​pepper beast of a man pursues us, money in hand, yelling at the top of his lungs for us to stop. Apparently, he wanted the entire restaurant to know that we had paid for our dinner and left a $ 2 tip. My honest mistake became a public spectacle, and wanting to end the night as a gentleman would, I pulled out a twenty, handed it over with a quick explanation, and darted for the door. Anyone with class would have handled the situation differently. We both laugh about it now but rest assured, we won’t be visiting again!

I had long been intrigued by the Portuguese cuisine served at Pao and was thrilled to see them offering a 3-​course + wine dinner deal on Groupon. The restaurant was on a quiet corner in the far Western area of SoHo. In addition to the outlandish location, Pao felt like an European tavern that transported you to Portugal. The service was fine, but nothing overly memorable, but the atmosphere was so delightfully relaxed, not something typically found in Manhattan.
Our meal began with a basket of Portuguese rolls and this other sort of dense, drier bread that was simply heavenly. It was almost a mix of rye and corn — very unique. Our included house white wine was a Vinho Verde that was light and easy to drink. It was a fairly popular brand that I had seen elsewhere.
For our starter courses, we sampled the octopus and scallops. The salad of Baked Octopus was topped with chickpeas and greens, all in a vinaigrette. The dish was certainly tasty, but not overly memorable. The scallops might have been tiny, but were perfectly cooked and artifully plated over a tomato compote and topped with a sweet port wine syrup. When it came to the entrees, the Bacalao had been formed into an elegant cyclinder, but the plate lacked eye-​appeal otherwise. The sides of mere greens and thin potato sticks were traditional, yet generic. The shrimp, on the other hand, were extremely addicting. The grilled tiger shrimp were large and well-​seasoned. They were lovingly draped over a lemon shellfish bread pudding that walked the line between sweet and savory. The warm side dish was phenomenal and, on its own, worth the trip to this quiet section of the city! We ended the meal with a plate of the über sweet Chocolate Salami. The dry, cocoa-​infused slices truly resembled pieces of salami — a startlingly intriguing concept. Plating the treat with fresh strawberries and whipped cream helped cut the sweetness a bit.
All in all, I would say that my dinner at Pao was more inline with a 3.5 star-​rating, and that I would definitely be willing to return. It was a nice spot for a quiet meal with friends or a significant other.

Went there last night with wifey. Used a groupon. Food was great. Nice and cozy, intimate location on spring street.
Apps :ad the cod cakes and squid. Felt like being adventurous and they were amazing.
Entrees: we ordered the steak n tilapia and the were equally mouthwatering and well prepared.
Desert. Rice pudding n raspberry mouse topped off an already great dinner on a Thursday night.
A bit noisy due it being small place but overall would return there.

Came here for dinner on Friday evening with a Groupon deal for 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, 2 desserts & a bottle of wine. The waitress was friendly enough however did not seem knowledgeable about the menu.
The Octopus salad was a major disappointment — very little octopus and didn’t taste fresh either. The clams with garlic and wine was equally disappointing — flavorless.
We ordered Bife A Marrare Com Porto and Cherne Assado Com Nabinhos & Alecrim based on the recommendations. The steak was again, nothing spectacular. The striped bass however was perfectly cooked. Light and fluffy with crispy skin.
The egg custard dessert was terrible — do NOT order it. The chocolate mousse was delightful. It had little chocolate bits in it rather than being overly rich.

We came here for a fairly early Sunday dinner. At 6PM, the place was completely empty, and we were the only ones in the restaurant.
The waitress was really nice and took the time to explain everything and even let us sample the Portuguese wine, which we’ve never had before. (It was very delicious & refreshing, by the way, with a slight hint of carbonation.) She did not treat us with any less respect just because we had a Groupon, which I know is a problem with a lot of places.
The food did not disappoint either. We got two appetizers, two main course dishes, and two desserts.
Appetizers:
— Cataplana De Marisco — the broth had a nice flavor and wasn’t too salty. The mussels and clams were good but not exceptional. It was kinda fun to use a clam shell as a spoon for the broth.
— Vieiras Em Tomatada Com Porto — delicious! The scallops were really fresh, which is absolutely required for a dish like this. The gentle acidity of the tomato compote worked really well in here
Main Courses:
— Bacalhau A Braz — the cod was fresh, and the egg, which was mixed into the fish, worked. I wish I could finish it, but by this point I was starting to get pretty stuffed.
— Pargo Com Espuma Batata — very nice, crispy skin, and like everything else, very fresh. There were a few bones, though, and the whipped potatoes were a bit too creamy for my taste, almost like a sauce
By dessert time, it started to get slightly more busy. I ordered a glass of cognac, but they forgot to bring it out. So they gave it to me on the house!

The restaurant is located almost at the edge of the highway. Very little foot traffic around 6:30pm.
My friend made a reservation and when i got there she was the only person in the rest. We sat and talked about how empty it was. The place is cozy maybe 10 — 12 tables all together, 2 wait staff and a bartender which i think is the owner or manager. When we were ready to order he came by and gave us the specials of the day and told us that the portions were good size. We doubted it at first but when our food arrived it was well worth the price.
Ordered the Pork and clam stew in a reduce wine sauce:. the pork was good and clams small but the sauce had good flavor. I wished it was a bit thicker so i can at least get some of the sauce on the meat.
My friend ordered the backed chicken on a bed of spinach and it actually was not bad, again the sauce was a little light.
For appetizers we had scallops on another wine reduction and those were good, placed in a bed of well seasoned tomatoes.
Overall the place is cozy, romantic and plays good music. The small bar and old charm makes this place a good place for a date.
PS: we used a living social deal and they honored without a problem even when it had expired.

This place is truly authentic.
Awesome staff. Great hospitality. Great bar. Stellar food. I will ALWAYS return.

We came here with a Groupon and could not have been more surprised by the quality we met. Typically such offers are restricted to a small menu, but open to our selection was their entire menu of decadent Portuguese dishes. I must also add that the entire waitstaff treated us like friends, with attentive service and a friendly demeanor rare in restaurants nowadays.
For appetizers, we had the baked octopus and sea scallops. Both were fresh and light, seasoned lightly and paired well with greens. For wine, we selected the sparkling «green» wine, very similar to a Moscato, sweet and light. Entrées were a cod special and a veal chop special. The veal was seasoned well and the meat was cooked to tender perfection. The cod was somewhat salty, but actually its flavors combined well with the green beans.
For dessert, we had the chocolate mousse and the chocolate salami. The salami is chocolate in literally the texture and pattern of salami. It’s rich, and so four pieces is too much. Same goes for the mousse. I would have preferred the pound cake, which they recommended, but it had sold out.
It’s a small restaurant with a busy atmosphere. Good for a date or a simple culinary outing.

For lunch, this place is almost always empty. Considering the location this is expected. Good looking Portuguese food/​wine and some food specials.
The second time here, got the lunch special of Fish filet served over seasoned rice. This comes with soup or salad, waitress forgot this, but I didn’t mind because I got free bread, so didn’t really need the extra food. Also ordered wine, but apparently only one bottle was able for a glass pour, at least it was a decent amount.
Altogether, meal came a shade over $ 22 with tax ($ 8 wine, $ 13 special). Despite being 1 of 4 people there, it took her 20 minutes to get me the check. Not sure what was with the service that day, but the first time I came it was very fast/​efficient.
I like the food for the price but the service leaves something to be desired.

Here are my detailed reviews for Pao
Service — 5 stars
Ambiance — 4 stars
Green wine — 5 stars
Appetizer: Cod cake — 3.5 stars
Clams — 5 stars
Entry: Rabbit — 100 stars
Cod — 4.5 stars
Desserts — 3 stars (you won’t miss anything if skip it)
Windows insulation — 1 star (This is a new Michelin star criteria if polar vortex spreads, trust me!)

I was wavering between 3 and 4 stars, but will bump it up to 4 because of the amazing, helpful bartender. We sat right next to the bar and he made incredible caipiroskas for us and also recommended some great vinho verde.
We tried the flaming linguisa, which they douse with grappa and set on fire at your table – it was great. So was the veal special we tried. The chocolate mousse was very dark but delicious. Overall, a cute place with very solid food (although with so many good restaurants in the area, it’s tough competition). At the end of our meal a verrry loud group of 6 sat down and it changed the whole dynamic of the restaurant.

Made reservations for hubbs and I before attending a birthday party. We were a little late for our reservation but did not have to wait long for a table. the dining room is extremely intimate (small) Elbow to elbow tables but lends to the romance. They have a small bar and the staff is very attentive.
The food was ok. For my starter, I had the Octopus Salad which was okay. I have had better. The octopus was cooked well and was tender but the flavor did not hit the mark for me. I had the Shrimp with Seafood Stuffing which was so-​so. The stuffing had a weird texture. It was like overcooked Stovetop with bits of chopped seafood pieces in it. Hubby ordered a steak that had a cheesy white sauce on top of it. It was smothered in the sauce and you couldn’t see or really taste the meat. It probably would have been more tolerable if it was served on the side instead.
On the bright side, the desserts were really tasty. My mousse was yummy, as was hubby’s pound cake. I also had almost a full bottle of wine to the head because hubby doesn’t drink vino. So, I guess the night wasn’t a complete loss.

We loved…
the sardine special appetizer
octopus appetizer
striped bass
tiger shrimp
pound/​custard cake
chocolate mousse
and green wine
Service was superb! Our servers were polite and attentive.
The only reason I didn’t give this restaurant 5 stars was because of the noise level coming from the street with the open style window panels and the smell of cigarette smoke coming from outside.
I will definitely have to come back.

Once upon an appetite for something spicy, a self-​proclaimed brownstone princess sought an hour of refuge from her evil step mother job at the ever-​so-​popular but totally deserted (at least during the time I went) Pao.
To some, including me, it may seem weird to even open the book that at the time, no else was reading. Although I wondered why it was empty as I walked by to look for something else, I just had to go back and try it. Not just because of the tempting pics of shrimp dishes on Unilocal,nor because the host was now standing at the front with a hopeful gaze as I peeped in a second time, but because I thought it may be my lunchtime Prince Charming on a white horse, complete with food and service fit for royalty, as I had the entire restaurant to myself.
However, the first chapter started ok with a drinkable but not that memorable wine. The plot continued with a delicious but not that warm entrée, which somehow made me wonder about the freshness, and ended with the same OK, now capitalized by a terrific dessert and a free slice of the wildly creative chocolate salami.
A pricey lunch it was, and who can live in a so-​so fairy tale when you have to pay the bills?