Victor’s Cafe
“Service was perfect and location right in the theater district makes this convenient as well.”
“My go to always is the Camarones Enchilados though the Paella comes in a close second.”
“For dessert we tried the coconut sorbet, the Churros con Tres Salsas, and the Guayabitas de Maria.”
Victor’s Cafe
Takes Reservations: Yes
Delivery: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Accepts Apple Pay: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Happy Hour: Yes
Coat Check: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
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Victor's Cafe is living on it's name alone! Decided to have dinner here on a whim after watching Jersey Boys. We were hungry, and when I noticed that this well known spot was just across the street we had to check it out! The restaurant is beautiful — very tastefully decorated, modern but with a feel reminiscent of old Havana. We were seated in the back room with lots of plants and fans on the ceiling, and promptly presented with menus. We ordered a couple of glasses of wine and quickly decided on an appetizer and the entrees we wanted.
I understand that portions can be small at certain restaurants but our Cuban Quesadilla was ridiculous. It was the equivalent of 4 bites shared between two people. It was delicious! But, again, ridiculous given the price tag. My husband ordered the Camarones Enchilados, and it was fantastic! However, when he ordered the waiter asked him what accompaniment he wanted with his meal and offered tostones, roasted vegetables or an avocado salad of which he chose the latter. When our bill arrived, we noticed that the salad was not included with the meal at all, and was in fact $14 for a plate of watercress and a quarter of an avocado! We didn't fight it, it would have been in poor taste and I suppose we should have inquired whether or not it was included when ordering, but it was very misleading. I ordered the short ribs, which were the most substantial portion but also the weakest dish of everything we tried. It was seasoned with some sort of very odd herb that gave it a weird and unpleasant aftertaste.
Service was somewhat scattered, and can be called average at best. Victor's Cafe seems to lack the authenticity that I had always heard it was so famous for. Cauliflower puree? Organic field greens? Champagne vinaigrette? Give me a break! The restaurant is beautiful. And that's about all. Rincon Criollo in Corona, Queens may not look as posh, but their food and service beats Victor's Cafe by a mile! Stop by for a drink and enjoy the ambiance, then head elsewhere for dinner.
Several of my friends and I have been coming here for many, many years. We always brought other people, visitors/guests from out of town etc. because the food and service were always on point. As reflected in my previous reviews.
So we brought back a group of 10 here after a show, about a month or so ago. Unfortunately…….the experience was quite disappointing. The place was busy on a Saturday night, which is pretty typical for most well know/good places in NYC. But the standard of food & service was simply not the same as we have experienced in the past years.
Took the waiter forever to get our drinks out. We asked for more of the plantain chips and were told that the kitchen was out of them & preparing more….a Cuban spot running out of plantain chips on a Sat night, really? (Poor planning). But then we see them being brought to other tables around us & our waiter completely forgot to get us more. When you are pay $100/head or more….an extra round of chips should not be too much to ask. Many of the entrees that came out were barely lukewarm at best…..2 people had the fish entree special & it was way too salty. The classic Ropa Vieja had been changed & was no longer served in the classic plantain chips basket. Dessert was just OK.
Overall not the best night…. 🙁
This place was recommended by a friend. Impeccable service. Great decor. Food was very good and the wine was served at the perfect temperature. If I am in the neighborhood for Cuban/Latin food, I'll definitely go here again.
Came here for dinner with a large party and was quite pleased with everything: the food, the service, and the overall ambiance.
My mind is blanking on the full array of starters and shared plates, but I'll try giving a run down of the things I know we had!
Ceviche de Pargo ($16): 5/5
– This. Was. AMAZING! I loved every moment of this ceviche and honestly, wish I'd ordered my own instead of sharing with the table. It was that good.
Aguacate Relleno ($12)
– I didn't try this myself as I don't eat bacon, but this was a huge hit amongst the rest of my party and I won't lie — I was a little envious, because it looked delicious.
Other shared plates I can't seem to find on the menu included fried plaintains and a crab appetizer, both of which were also delicious. Now onto the main courses!
Camarones Enchilados ($27): 4/5
– I really enjoyed this dish. The shrimp was done perfectly and I loved the sauce! I wish there was a little more kick to it, though.
Paella de Langosta y Mariscos ($44): 5/5
– This seems like an expensive dish (and it is) but honestly, it is HUGE! Two people could easily share this. Lucky for me, I sat next to someone who ordered it and got to try quite a bit! Amazing.
We also had plenty of sangria, which was also delicious. Bathrooms are located downstairs. Overall, a solid Cuban restaurant in Midtown.
First time here. Place was packed. We made a reservation and asked to be seated near the bar area so we could see the live band perform.
The service was amazing and the food even better. I highly recommend this restaurant. Definitely a great find. The Cuban sandwich I ordered was delish, so we're the appetizers we ordered, Papas Rellanas and Piquillo Rellano. Your welcome.
Happy eating!!
I have a soft spot for Victor's cafe because we go out for a family dinner here every year and it is always a good time.
I like the well seasoned cuban food.
It is a little expensive, but I wouldn't say the food isn't worth the money and the interior of the restaurant is pretty cool.
My husband and I had only had one prior Cuban meal in the city. But if all Cuban foods were as good as ones served at victor's cafe, then we need to eat it more frequently!
We invited 4 of our friends to a triple dinner date on Friday night. First thing that struck us – We really loved the ambiance of the restaurant – the decor, the music – everything just seemed so perfect.
The service was a bit on the slower side which surprised me since Victor's Cafe is such a popular dining go-to for nearby theatres. Although our foods did take some time to be served, we were given complimentary plantain chips to hold us over. They were still warm when served – I couldn't help but demolish (almost) the entire basket myself. My husband and I stuck to their signature entrees – ropa vieja and camaneros enchilados – while our friends also ordered the ceviche and empanadas to start.
The portions might appear small at first glance (my eyes are always bigger than my stomach) but they were surprisingly filling. My husband couldn't stop raving about his dish. And I found my shrimp in creole sauce over mashed sweet potato? with rice and beans extremely tasty! The shrimp were a bit overcooked but the sauce was lick my bowl worthy. The rice were fluffy and the beans were perfectly seasoned – we didn't bother ordering any additional sides since these two basic pairings were already so satisfying!
I purposely didn't get a starter because I wanted to save enough stomach room for desserts! Each couple shared a tres leches came and guava cobbler The majority of the group preferred the tres leches. I thought it was good but I had better (hello Calle Dao!) – it was a little too dense and not sweet enough for me. I enjoyed the warm, gooey, crumbly guava cobbler served with vanilla ice cream much more.
Overall – service was attentive, foods were tasty, ambiance was perfect – Definitely check out Victor's Cafe especially when in theater district!
The best Cuban restaurant in town!! Amazing food, ambiance and service. Everything is perfect in this place.
We came here for Restaurant Week and I loooove when the food is the same as the regular menu. All the dishes were generous in size and totally shareble.
Starting with chip plantains with a killer salsa, the meal followed the appetizer round with a shrimp ceviche that was exquisite, lots and lots of shrimp so you get a consistent appetizer. We also got the ham croquettes which were perfectly cooked and came with the same special sauce as the chips. Nice touch!
Then the stars of the lunch: the ropa vieja and lechón asado. Both recommended by the waiter who was really helpful and confident about the dishes. He did not disappoint us! The ropa vieja is by far the best one I had. It reminded me of the estofado my grandma used to make. It melts in your mouth. The meat is so tender than you can shred it with your eyes. You can tell why this dish is Victor's specialty. Even the plain white rice was unbelievable and it came with some black beans that made the difference.
Then the lechón was amazing. Cooked for hours it has a tenderness that is mouth watering. The dish itself is so well thought and prepared: yuca a with pickled onions and Moros (black beans and rice). This dish has all the flavors.
We were so satisfied and we didn't get to the dessert yet. Let me tell you just one thing: THAT'S A FLAN!! Wow! I'm so glad there was only one type of dessert in the menu so each one of us had his own Flan. Perfection in a plate.
Victor's has to be the best Cuban cuisine. I love Floridita and Café Habana but this place is at another level.
Lots of great food for $25 per person. What else can you ask for?