Ernesto's - New York

This one is tough to write because I've walked by this restaurant many times wanting to give it a try, but it ultimately left me disappointed. The food is decent but way overpriced for what you get. For instance, one tomato with olive oil, salt, and onions cost $18, and canned seafood served on very ordinary potato chips was $28. It's not that I'm unwilling to spend that kind of money; I just expected something a bit more elaborate. There are tastier and more affordable Basque restaurants within walking distance. That said, the service was excellent, and the ambiance is really charming.

It's not often that we come across a restaurant that so completely excels in each area of food, atmosphere, and service. Ernesto's was a spectacular experience all around. We sat at the chef's table/ kitchen bar and witnessed all the culinary action first hand. Watching Sous Chef Mike expertly direct the kitchen staff in creating the evening's dishes was a definite highlight. Our server Kristin was attentive and made terrific recommendations on menu items. The anchovy starter was perhaps the best anchovy dish I've ever eaten. The croquetas de jamón were as good or better than what you find in Spain: crispy on the outside, creamy and full of ham and cheese sauce on the inside. The Hemingway Bikini sandwich was grilled perfectly, and full of cheese, chistorra sausage, and shrimp. We asked Kristin to chose our main, and her selection of the grilled duck breast over potato puree with a foie gras reduction was spot on. Can't wait to return!

This is a great tapas spot in the neighborhood! The food is delicious, and the open kitchen adds to the atmosphere. It's easy to find a table, and there are outdoor seating options as well. The vibe is fantastic. I highly recommend trying the Gildas, Bikini Hemingway, and the arroz meloso de gamba roja.

Secondly, I found the insistence on ordering everything upfront to be quite off-putting. We wanted to start with a few small plates and drinks before deciding on our main courses, but this clearly went against the restaurant's policy. As for the food, it was rather unremarkable. Although one of the sauces was decent, the rest of the dishes were lackluster and not worth the high prices. For $32, being served what looked like a small lunch-sized portion of chips with a few strips of prosciutto was both disappointing and insulting. To top it all off, the attitude of the manager was downright haughty and condescending. Overall, it was a terrible experience.

My friend and I had such a lovely dining experience here last night. The staff were all young and warm (somewhat of an impossible combo) and the somm, Darryl was great. She has a lot of charisma and took a risk on giving me an Armenian wine and it turned out wonderfully. The BIKINI HEMMINGWAY…j’adoreeeeee. The sliced duck was good, a tad chewy but full of delicious flavor..the sauce was incroiable. The salted cod rocked. The palates w Iberico ham and plums was ite. The croquettes were divine. It was comfort food. Rich and umami. I liked being there and I felt the food was refined yet not too precious.