Alta

If you’re feeling seafood, try the PEI mussels with its harissa lobster broth.

Walking into Alta was like walking into The Secret Garden. I crossed through the ivy-​covered front doorway into a magical land of romance and indulgence.
My friends and I were seated in the main dining room, near a roaring fire which added such amazing ambiance (and a rustic outdoorsy smell). There was also an upper floor with seats around a balcony, keeping the main dining room’s ceiling fully two-​story.
We started with wine (rose for me) and tasted nearly half of the tapas menu. Our server helped us to understand the portion sizes, and there were a few items where we needed more than one order to satisfy our party of five. Standouts included the Fried Goat Cheese with Lavender Honey, Grilled Octopus, Roasted Sea Scallops, Pulled Pork Empanadas and the Lamb Meatballs. But my absolute favorite dish was the Smoked Mozzarella which was just so delicious and unexpected, served on a skewer with some toasted bread.
Dessert was also delicious, especially the Chocolate Peanut Butter Napoleon and the Lemon Scented Olive Oil Cake (served warm with Olive Oil Ice Cream).
My only complaint about Alta is that it is incredibly noisy, and I oftentimes couldn’t even hear what the person across from me was saying.

So the place is cute and the service is great, but the food wasn’t at all to my expectations. I was very disappointed after reading all the nice reviews. I guess this was a mis not a hit.

Best tapas in the City. Excellent service, but wine is a little overpriced.

Came here for my husband’s bday dinner. We ordered the following:
Fried goat cheese w honey –good, but not wow
Salmon tartar on crispy black rice: just ok, expected a more interesting flavor. Tasted too fishy & not fresh
Grilled octopus — def had better elsewhere
Pulled pork empanadas: didn’t like at all, dough was soggy & filling wasn’t good but sauce was great
Short rib w beet spaghetti: very tender & we both loved the beet spaghetti. Interesting flavor!
Paella: best dish of the night. Loved how they squeeze a dollop of squid ink on top of the crispy rice then you mix everything. This dish saved the night for us
Apple tart: one of the worst desserts I’ve had in a restaurant. Tasted like a frozen dessert
Overall, was disappointed in the food with all the great reviews, can’t recommend this place. Plus everything came all at once so it was hard to truly enjoy each dish, felt very rushed! Much better tapas & small plates elsewhere. Service was okay, not rude but we barely saw our server all night & no one really checked on how we were doing. Minus another star for forgetting to put a candle on my husbands dessert after telling them it was his bday.

Food: We were told to order 2 – 3 dishes per person, with each «snack» counting as ½ a dish. Our party of 8 ordered 14 dishes and 2 snacks and were quite full. Our favorite dishes were the Brussels sprouts (so good we ordered 2 portions!), roasted trumpet mushrooms, Rohan duck breast, and fried goat cheese. Somewhat underwhelming were the pulled pork empanadas and beef sliders, which were dry and not very interesting.
Drinks: ⁵⁄₅ — the red wine sangria was delicious and the glass was extremely generous!
Service: ⁴⁄₅ — Our server was friendly and happy to explain things, but a bit slow on refilling our water glasses.
Price: ³⁄₅ — This place is expensive (though not unexpected for NYC), so save it for special occasions.
Ambience: ⁴⁄₅ Low lighting adds a romantic mood, but the closely placed «cozy» tables can make things a bit crowded.

Absolutely amazing!
A total hole in the wall type of place, but the food and service is just spectacular! The service and staff is very attentive, but not overly so, to the point you can’t focus on your meal or date. Came here to celebrate getting a new job right before New Years and it’s decorated in lights and candles. Dim lighting, with soft music playing, giving it a really nice intimate feel, so would definitely recommend it for a date night!
Ordered the bacon wrap dates and fried goat cheese as starters, and was pleasantly surprised and pleased by both! Then on to the roasted beets, and the brussel sprouts which were very soft and rich in flavor! (My favorite dish) Also had the chorizo and shrimp skewers and chicken cigars which were both delicious! Lastly had the lamb meatballs… Must say, they were a bit disappointing, especially after seeing so many pictures of them posted! I was definitely expecting more, probably would not order them again, only because everything else I ordered blew them out of the water!
I definitely plan on making another appearance, hopefully sooner, rather than later! Just a heads up though, the place fills very quickly and would recommend making reservations prior to going!

The food used to be way better which justified the price,
And on top of it we got sick from the food :(
Not coming back.

My boyfriend and I decided to walk around Washington Sq Park last Saturday afternoon since the weather was so gorgeous, and before we realized it was already dinner time. We looked up restaurants near by and decided to give Alta a try, since we were in the mood for Mediterranean food (and the reviews are good)!
This restaurant is soooo cute! The front terrace area has a table set up for two with plants all around, very romantic! We make our way into the restaurant and the hostess informed us there are no tables available, so we sat at the bar. The bartender was really attentive and gave us a regular menu and a dairy free menu. I love that they have a diary free option because I am lactose intolerant!
We decided to share the fluke crudo, octopus, and seafood paella. We started with the crudo, it was light and delicious, I loved the ponzo dressing on it. Then we moved onto the octopus, which was pretty much grilled to perfection and served with a tomato sauce. Lastly, we had the paella, the portion size was great to share between two people, it was so good, there’s a lot of seafood in the paella and it was served with squid ink I believe.
So here’s where I had to take away one star, you can only pay by AMEX or CASH! Thank god my bf had cash and Amex, or one of us would have to run to an atm. That’s my only complaint, but non the less the food here is delicious and the ambiance is wonderful! We would definitely return in the near future.

Okay, so I have now been here for the second time the other night… and…it was just as good as the first time (something I can’t say about some of the dates I’ve been on!). The food, service, and atmosphere are bar none some of the best I’ve ever experienced. The room is candlelit, with a 2^nd floor balcony providing more of the romantic seating that exists on the 1^st floor. The bar is somewhat noisy but you can still find an intimate corner. Now, the food… to die for. From goat cheese balls to flat breads to chick peas, everything I’ve tasted is divine. They also have a full cocktail & wine bar, so that you can indulge to your heart’s content.
Overall, this place is a great date place or somewhere cool to get toghether with a group of friends. There’s no sign outside so you’ll just have to stumble into it as I did. And FYI, they only take cash or Amex (no other credit cards), so be prepared.

We stumbled on this place and were thoroughly surprised by the huge interior! There’s an upstairs section that overlooks the ground floor and currently it’s decorated with Christmas lights — very romantic!
The tapas here are super yum and pretty decently sized considering the quality. The service was nice too! Bartender is top notch. I got the Russian mule and couldn’t resist a second! Will definitely come back!

Well, talk about a hole-​in-​the-​wall treasure. I say hole-​in-​the-​wall because despite a four-​star rating from over 1,000 reviews, I’ve never talked to anyone who’s heard of Alta. Also, the layout is all beautiful rooms stacked upon and alongside other beautiful rooms, making you feel like you’re in a cozy manor as you walk through the restaurant.
My friend and I spontaneously decided to dine here after escaping the unpleasantness of Bell Book & Candle and wandering nearby. I’m so glad we did. If you’re going to splurge, this is the way to do it:
Fried goat cheese with lavender honey: Incredible. Rich, crisp, tart, creamy, sweet – all the textures and flavors your tongue loves
PEI Mussels in harissa lobster broth, lemon, and cilantro: As a Canadian, I’m picky about my PEI mussels. These, well, these would have made L. M. Montgomery proud
Spring Vegetable Primavera with English pea fettuccine, tarragon and cheddar: Fresh and delicious
Wild Boar Belly: Rich and meaty. Recommend
Chocolate Peanut Butter Napoleon: One of the few chocolate-​peanut butter desserts I’ve had that makes me not think about Reese’s Pieces. That’s a good thing.
Ginger Mojito and Alta’s Non-​Classical Sangria (White): Perfect concoctions to wash down your meal

LOVE LOVE LOVE
As soon as you approach the outside, Alta is tucked away in a brownstone. Walk a few steps down and you’ll spot the entrance covered in Ivy. They have a table outside too, but it was quite chilly for an October night. We had reservations via OpenTable and they were able to seat our party of four, even though we were 15 minutes late. We ordered a variety of tapas: Vegetable Tagine, Chicken Cigars, Chicory Salad, Mushrooms?, Fettuccine, and another vegetable dish i can’t recall.
For drinks, I had the Spanish Manhattan whilst my friends went with their Moscow Mules. They were Delicious and pricey for SF standards, but not NY. EVERYONE loved everything. I can’t say I was disappointed one bit.
More importantly the portion sizes were absolutely perfect for sharing without being overbearing.
I think this place is excellent for a large group! Sit by the fireplace lit with candles :)

My wife surprised me to this spot on my birthday. Have to say i was quiet surprised. Hidden gem on 10^th street with no big sign — this is a cute little tapas restaurant with amazing food and service.
The place also has good wine selection even though we ended up sticking to cocktails that were yummy.
Vegetarians will be thrilled with variety of options. Fried goat cheese and brussel sprouts were my favorite but frankly we were not disappointed in anything we ordered. Definitely a place to bookmark and come back to.

We were looking for a place to chill, have some dessert, and a couple of drinks. I pulled this place up on Unilocal and looked over the menu. It was close so we decided to give it to try. It was a little hard finding because there are no sighs clearly marking it which really adds to the charm! It’s like a secret hidden club.
Once inside, there we no place available in the main seating area so we sat at the bar. The drinks were good and they have a good selection of them. We tried a couple of the desserts on their menu but I was a bit underwhelmed. Many of the contained a «savory» element such as Rosemary or Lemongrass. If that’s your thing, great! It’s not really mine.
On the fun side, they also have a selection on the menu called «The Whole Sha-​bang,» which is every entrée on the menu. Cool, but we were already full from dinner! Also, they only accept cash or AMEX so be prepared.

This has been on my list forever and I was finally able to grab a last minute reservation for a birthday dinner. I was simply blown away by (almost) everything we tried. Do yourself a favor and go with as many people as possible — you’ll want to try one of everything on the menu!
…Fois gras, sea bass carpaccio, stuffed dates, fried goat cheese, burrata, stuffed grape leaves, chicken cigars (just ok), empanadas (also just ok)…
and now for the things we had to order seconds of:
Braised short Rib with beet noodles… OH MY GOD! Out of this world. Can’t believe I like beet noodles this much.
salmon tartare, perfect.
SMOKED MOZZ. WOHHHHHHHHHHH.
One star deducted because you are not going to get good service here, that being because it’s packed. But with this food (and fun atmosphere) I let them slide…

I picked Alta for my quad date with my girlfriends and all of our boyfriends. It was the perfect choice.
Alta has a very unassuming front with no signage. Upon entering is the long, narrow bustling bar area. Past the bar, you’re transported to a quaint and rustic two story restaurant that is just so romantic and warm, perfect ambiance for a date. The chandelier centerpiece is also quite gorgeous.
I’d been to Alta once years ago and did have a great meal. Since there were 8 of us tonight though, we decided on the whole shebang. Priced at $ 450, you receive one of everything on the menu — all 40 tapas! It was definitely a well-​balanced meal and more than enough food. Some of the tapas were smaller than the others and only allowed each person a bite but everyone got to taste everything. Overall, everything was solid! A few notable favorites –
fried chickpeas — these were so simple but so delicious!
paella — the crispy saffron rice was incredible soaked in the black garlic aioli
foie gras torchon — so rich and yum spread atop the allspice crisps with a smear of grape jelly
braised short rib — the ribs were extremely tender but I much enjoyed the beet spaghetti that this dish came with.
chestnut fettuccine — delicate, subtle flavor but hearty and delicious
grilled calamari and grilled octopus — both of these dishes were grilled to perfection
For drinks, everyone had their choice of beers and cocktails. We also ordered a white for the table, a Trapet Riesling ‘Riquewihr’ — it was so smooth, mildly sweet and perfect that we ended up ordering 2 more bottles.
Service was fine. The tapas just kept coming one after another.
The bill for 3 bottles of wine ($ 43 each), a handful of beers, few cocktails, the whole shebang + tax and tip (auto 20% I think?) came to $ 804.
Great evening with great company. Will be back again and I’ll know exactly what to order.

We came here with a 5:30 pm dinner reservation eagerly anticipating a nice dinner prior to a show in the city. The place is a little hard to find, as there is no sign out front. Very unassuming, which is kind of cool. You make your way inside past the long bar to a very cozy, inviting and intimate space. You feel as though you’ve just entered an underground club. We were seated in the maining dining room, kind of smack dab in the middle of the room. I would have preferred to sit upstairs in one of the tables overlooking the main dining room. No luck, as the maitre d told us those were reserved. Ok, fine. On to the menu. We started with 2 huge glasses of red sangria (which they only sell by the glass, no pitchers), which was really tasty and strong.
We sampled the following dishes, which on the whole, I was a little underwhelmed by:

— lavender goat cheese (I had heard so much about. Was good, but nothing spectacular, IMO).
— calamari (not fried, but fresh with a sort of black ink sauce, with red peppers. Very good).
— trumpet mushrooms (ok, but not my favorite)
— lamb meatballs (ok, but tasted like they were missing something)
— scallops (just ok, I think I make better ones at home)
— pulled pork empanadas (my boyfriend seemed to enjoy, I don’t eat pork)
— beef sliders (served in a puff pastry, I think this was my fav thing that we ordered)
We were by no means full, so before we racked up a $ 250 bill trying to get full on two bite plates, we decided to try a dessert (apple crostada) which the server said was pretty much full size, and move on with our night. Bill ended up being $ 130 with 2 glasses of sangria. Not horrible, for dinner in NY. However, we got to the show and ordered a pizza as we were both still hungry when we arrived.

I LOVE THIS PLACE! Alta is a lovely, charming restaurant with an elegant, yet homey feel, in a converted townhouse in the West Village area. The place is easy to miss because there is no sign out front, so you have to be looking for it.
My friends and I were seated downstairs near the fireplace and we ordered 5 dishes to share.
First came the bacon wrapped dates and olives (I requested only dates since I don’t like olives) which were stuffed with almonds. This was amazing! The bacon was perfectly crispy, full of flavor and the dates were sweet, chewy, wonderful. The roasted almond added a bit of crunch and wonderful taste.
Then, the brussel sprouts, mixed with granny smith apple, crème fraîche and pistachio. The brussel sprouts tasted so good and were juicy, with great seasoning. I would have liked more apple in the dish though.
The lamb meatballs had a charred red pepper sauce and some sort of white cheese. They were pretty good, but not particularly memorable for me.
Roasted salmon came on top a summer vegetable salad of squash, corn, tomatoes and string beans. I enjoyed this dish a lot. The salmon was charred just a bit with the skin still on it and was slightly flaky, not fishy at all and was just delicious. And the salad was nice and fresh.
We also ordered the roasted trumpet mushrooms, consisting of porcini caramel and breadcrumbs. This was quite good with a very savory, appetizing sauce with the best tasting breadcrumbs I have ever had!
As for dessert, we tried two different ones: First one was the Chocolate Peanut butter Napoleon, which consisted of chocolate cream, peanut butter ganache and malted milk chocolate ice cream. This was delectable with perfectly flaky cake with layers of yummy chocolate and peanut butter. And the ice cream was creamy and sweet.
The other dessert we had was the Georgia Julep Parfait, which came with roasted peaches, bourbon ice cream, mint granita and pecan praline. I really enjoyed this. The bourbon ice cream was superb, with amazing rich bourbon flavor and paired perfectly with the refreshing peaches and roasted/​sugary pecans.
The service was top notch and since one of my friends knew the host, our drinks and desserts were free! We weren’t expecting that special treatment, so were pleasantly surprised. And I would absolutely come back to try other dishes and that’s saying a lot, because I normally don’t like dine in the same restaurant twice.

Came here for date night and we were not disappointed. The sangria was sweet, filled with fruit and generous portions. We got a variety of the small plates
Food
–beef tartar was great, sometimes the flavor is overwhelming but this wasn’t too meaty
— beef short rib with beet noodles. The noodles had a flavor I’ve never tried before but it was delicious. The short rib was slightly sweet and tender
–fried goat cheese was unreal. The lavender essence in the honey really topped it off well
Unfortunately they’re cash only so be sure to bring enough money with you
Can’t wait to try their other location, Cata