El Cid
“I took my boyfriend here on Tuesday and used my KGB deal here.”
“My favorite was the pulpo gallego.”
“Great Tapas In Chelsea – this place just opened up and the owner, Francisco, also owner of Sol Y Sombra has done a fabulous job.”
El Cid
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
During happy hour at the bar, wine is $5 and margaritas are $6. Pretty good! They also serve some olives / tortilla espanola as you sip. Reminded me of Espana, which I loved!
The boyfriend had bought two dinner coupons online and we needed to use them here. We got to try the paella valenciana, arroz con pollo, and hake (fish). Definitely was not impressed with the hake as I thought it wasn't as fresh as it should've been. The other two dishes were enjoyable. Overall, a decent place for happy hour.
This place had been on my girlfriends places to try for a while – she had been to it years ago when they were on 15th street.
The original restaurant was tiny and quaint – felt very authentic. The new space was clearly once a big bar and had a vacant feel.
We arrived for happy hour. 5$ drinks. We ordered sangria. It was good.
For food we ordered
Meatballs
Chorizo
Salmon in a lemon butter sauce
Mushrooms
Tortilla espanola
Patatas bravas
The best items were
The patatas, chorizo,and tortilla
We were very underwhelmed by everything else. Way to salty for everything. The mushrooms felt like they were just taken out of a microwave and doused with salt
Just not good. The items that were good (excluding the tortilla) were just that. Medicare. Nothing special.
The best part of the meal was our server Edwin. He was awesome. Accommodating and friendly.
Overall with so many other good restaurants in Manhattan, I'd pass. Maybe a drink during happy hour and a quick snack. Not more than that.
I think I'd give 2 stars just because it wasn't completely hopeless and is nice inside … The food lacked flavor completely … And the staff, while extremely friendly, are tooooo … Much
My girlfriend and I came here on a cold wet afternoon. We got there just in time for HH and the deals were amazing. A 4 dollar glass of sangria? Who can beat that?
We had the fried calamari, bisteca, and a chicken garlic dish. They were all delicious.
Our bartender Louis Miguel was great, he kept recommending drinks and food. All the dishes he recommended were awesome.
Can't wait to come back when I can actually drink and not watch my friend drink! Those damn warning label on the antibiotics, it was VERY difficult to stay sober and dry!!
Good crowd at the bar after 6:30, a good mix of people.
This is a local haunt for us. The atmosphere here is great and we can usually find a seat. The upstairs of the place has a rooftop patio that is quite nice and something of a hidden gem. So let's get the bad stuff out of the way first. The food here is *meh*… which boggles my mind a bit because it's basic tapas… how hard could it possibly be? Just make sure you have fresh ingredients and don't be a cheapskate with the portions right? We ordered the ham and the shrimp and the serrano ham they gave us was REALLY dry and chewy- like it had been sitting in the fridge a few days in an unsealed package. It was borderline jerky. The shrimp was tasty… but they were quite small and we only go like 6 of them if I remember correctly. And there shrimp would not be considered "large" or "jumbo" by any stretch of the imagination… so while the food was not very good, the sangria was delish! As was the service. This place usually has happy hour and other drink specials going on so it's a good place to stop in if you are looking to chill or grab a quick drink. I would skip the food.
Really, this is 2.5 stars.
Went in with a voucher – $70 worth of food. I think I paid somewhere in the neighborhood of $20 for it. Got 2 glasses of wine, 1 appetizer, and 2 entrees.
Wasn't allowed to sit on the roof (the voucher "isnt' for the roof"….um, huh?).
Appetizer was pork tenderloin. It was fine, neither here nor there. For an entree I got gambas ajillo. It was rather bland. The vegetables on the side were good, though. Friend got Arroz con Pollo which was served almost like a paella. It too was very bland. Wine was fine.
Table bread was cold and butter was frozen.
Service was average.
Bill came and tip was added in for us. When it's a large party that's one thing, but a "required" tip for 2 people is inappropriate. Didn't fight it because the amount was about what we'd pay anyway, but that's presumptuous.
All in all, once I paid tax, tip, and the +/- $20 for the voucher, I paid $40 for a meal for two. Not bad by NY standards, but considering the quality of the food I'd say it was still on the high side.
Wouldn't return, there are too many better options in the immediate vicinity.
El Cid is THE BOMB for happy hour, which is perfect, because it's basically always happy hour at El Cid. Their drink menu spans any flavor of margarita, sangria, mojito, etc. that you can imagine. Many days, you can snag a glass of sangria for $2-3!
I've never seen anyone order food here, which I suppose is typical for a lot of Chelsea spots. Maybe because the music is bumpin'? There's lots of house music with a Spanish flair, so I guess if you're the doorman club type, El Cid would be your ideal pregame Mecca.
Terrible service and only okay drinks. While there was nothing wrong, per se, about El Cid, weeks later I'm having a hard time remembering anything about the place. Lackluster on all points, and I will not be back.