Cantina Rooftop Restaurant & Lounge

Absolutely amazing food and drinks, I love this place. If you’re ever looking for a relaxed place to drink and unwind this is he place.

Came to Cantina for my birthday, waitress couldn’t recommend anything on the menu, food came out before drinks, had one round and happy hour was over because they took so long. asked for the check, took forever to come back and pick it up after they overcharged us for beers we didn’t even get to drink or see. Got frustrated and walked right up to the waitress and gave her the check to close.
I left with a very bad experience, and I won’t be returning, I will also not recommend to anyone.
Poor service, poor food and horrible drinks.

Pros: I do love a good rooftop that does both booze and food. Adorable décor, not the standard concrete slab with patio furniture. Food is actual FOOD, not bar food. Nice servers, friendly.
Cons: pivoting back to food and servers: the service is SLOW. if ordering drinks get two as by the time your second drink order arrives one could have gone back home and come back with a flask of your own. The food was good for a Mexican food joint, but nothing spectacular. The food took so long we thought the drinks would be our dinner.

I can’t even begin to write how awful the service is here. Aside from the view and my company, I don’t have anything good to say.
We were ignored several times and had to call for our waitress between each drink and course, probably totaling 4 – 5 times. We nearly went to the bar to order ourselves.
Our complaint to the manager resulted in «complementary» drinks on the house which were included on the tab which took 30 min to get because they were comping them. Ridiculous.
Left a shitty tip when we shouldn’t have even paid a dime for that experience. Food was pretty good. Drinks alright. Would NOT recommend to anyone. Absolutely ridiculous and I never complain or write reviews :) don’t bother.

The view here is
Spectacular! Came here for a bday everyones vegetarian. Not as many options as on the menu online but there were a few. The guacamole was good but they use max 2 avocados per 14 $ order. There was chicheron in the guac which is a pigs ear also not on the menu discription. I found all the drinks to be great tasting but weak compared to other places. We had: sangria, passion margharita, jalepeno margarita. They didn’t use fresh jalepenos like they should and the passion margharita had no tequila. The fish tacos were ok they lacked seasoning or spice. There was caviar and slaw not listed on the menu in the dish. The street corn was flavorful! The sea bass they were out of and they were out of bronzino. We didn’t have much options but enjoyed the night with friends.

The food is really, really good, when it actually shows up. We waited about 30 minutes to give our order to the waiter who didn’t even know we were seated for 30 minutes. When they finally took our order, they continuously «forgot» to check on us, gave us the wrong bill 2x, didn’t comp us or apologize at all. Overall, super disappointed. Too bad since we all had high hopes

This place sucks. Do not go here. It has 2 stars for a reason! Those with good service reviews must work there. Drinks suck, service sucks, food was ok.

I was looking forward to coming here for a while now. Figured it was a beautiful day during Memorial Day weekend, so I called beforehand to see if we needed reservations, was informed outdoor seating was first come first serve and did not need reservations only to come and be told there were no dinner tables available. Now I have been sitting here for 40min now. Only took the staff about 30min. to tell us they don’t have waiters in the inside lounge (which has actual tables unlike the outside lounge) and we have to go up to the bar to order anything (food, drinks, ext.) Service was horrible. Had to get up and get my own water.
As a hospitality major, I know you should be greeted and offered water within the first minute of being seated. Instead we were stared at by waited with a «what are you waiting for» look.
So disappointed and will not recommend to any of my friends. Had a girls day planned and will now move the reservations.
As we were leaving, restaurant was «so busy» with their 3 tables having dinner. The bartender came up to us since he notice we did not drink our drinks (which were EXTREMELY strong, and I tried to tell a waiter which ignored me as I called him). He was sweet and he was the only pro to this very anticipated and underwhelming dinner.

DO NOT COME HERE. Ever. Everyone is super nice. That’s it. Food is cold. Service is slow. Drinks are weak. View is great.
We ordered a martini and got a glass of warm vodka.
My tacos were refrigerator temperature. I complained. The server offered to get the manager. But the manager was too busy.
DO NOT COME HERE.

Ignore the old reviews: there is new management now and this place now rocks.
Cool rooftop view, great margaritas, delicious food, attentive service, now under the new manager Marco: what more can you ask for?
Amazing fresh modern Mexican food by Chef Gonzalo Colin at Cantina Rooftop:
All the dishes we had were fantastic as executed by Chef Gonzalo: he puts the love, passion and spices he learned from Mexico (He’s from Mexico City but traveled all over Mexico to learn the flavors and regional cooking: that’s why he does the fresh crudos so well!) but executes with the precise detail of a French Chef which he has worked under.
Delicious Crudio: Had this one pictured: Cantina Oysters: Cucumber Salsa, Chipotle, Mangao Sangrita
also tried Afrodita Crudo: Scallops, Salmon Roe, Aguacile Chamoy, Watermelon Radish Curtido
Both crudos were fantastic.
I also had the Barbacao Tacos: you can tell the dish was made with patience and love: Braised Oxtail, Charred Poblano Peppers, Pico de Gallo
Dinner we had Lubina Chilena Pibil (Chilean Sea Bass, Achiote Americaine Sauce, White Rice, Curtido De Cebollin) and my boyfriend had Grilled Mulato Rubbed Hanger Steak (Yukon Potaoes, Charred Poblano Pepper, Grilled Asparagus)
The fish and steak were both done to perfection with an amazing blend of spices and flavors with to die for sauces.
Oh, and try the spicy margaritas. They rim glasses with Mexican chili seasoning. Very tasty.
Rooftop, the restaurant and lounge area are under a retractable roof so OK if it rains.
There is also a relax spot outside to have drinks and watch the skyline, very chill.
Late night it turns into a nightclub and has a different feel. Come around 5pm — 8 pm, sunset and you’ll enjoy great modern Mexican food, cool drinks and a NYC view.
I’ll be coming back here… very often :-)

Strange place… The manager was rude, totally unprofessional, only stayed for 10m after we got seated and then asked to move tables three times. Ended up going to Ink48 across the street: better view and much more organized. Will never come back thats for sure.

Came here for a co worker surprise party. When i got here they wasnt letting anyone in without a reservation. I never met my co worker’s boyfriend [he planned it 4 her] so i was unsure if he made a reservation. Security was giving me the hardest time to find out if there was reservations made. After arguing 4 10 minutes i happened to get lucky & run into her bf bringin in the cake. Once they realized their mistake. no apology was said. Oh well. They had one job & they act like they couldn’t do it. Well once i got inside everything was smooth sailing. I take the elevator to the 4^th floor & was shocked 2 see how small this place is. Its about 3 tables inside but outside is a lil bit bigger. Even has a smoking section. Our waiter was really nice but he was overwhelmed with the large party. The sangria is really strong. Its not as fruity as u expect it 2 be. The food is pretty decent too. The portions are on the smaller side. This place is a hit & miss 4 me. Idk if i would come back 2 be honest

I went for Cinco De Mayo and order chips & guacamole. I got sick, that’s all I’m going to say. about that.
It cost 10 bucks for a small plate (pictures attached) and in order to seat at this event you had to pay for a pitcher of alcohol, which was actually good.
For the overall experience, I wouldn’t go back.

Besides visiting this spot during the night life, it makes a decent place to have some dinner. The ambience is very welcoming, beautiful views of the many NYC buildings surrounding the rooftop. I always tend to have a great experience coming to this spot.
The drinks were ok. We all enjoyed the Paraiso & switched it up to a Sangria at the end. I was told the Sangria was frozen, it was no problem to me but arrived as a regular Sangria. The Paraiso was great, has a nice sweet yet sour taste to it’s cocktail, guaranteed a favorite for those sweet drink lovers; I was not a big fan of the Sangria on the other hand…
The food was great. I had the order of Pollo Campreste as my partner proceeded with his choice of the Grilled Mulato Steak. Both plates were good but I felt like the Steak was a better choice. We shared the Yellow Fin Tuna Tostaditas which were amazing so I’d recommend to try that while you’re there. It goes perfect as a little appetizer.
For the finale, the dessert! The cherry to our dining experience. The dessert menu has no more than 5 – 6 items but the best two were La Carreta & Pastel de Queso. My favorite? La Carreta, hands down. A perfect choice for chocolate lovers!

The drinks are OK. The food is OK. Their service was excellent (David). Other than that, not impressed.

My twin brother and I threw a killer private birthday party here at Cantina Rooftop this past weekend and it was so perfect. Cantina’s event planner Ryan helped us coordinate the whole thing. They opened early for our party (at 3pm), had a full staff to make sure our guests (around 75pple) were happy and having a great time. Best part was that the space was closed to the public.
The weather was amazing for mid-​April, so we were lucky in the fact that we got to have the rooftop fully open and the sun shining down. The margaritas and Coronas were flowing, and the giants party bowls of guac were a huge hit! Cantina had a staff behind the bar, at coat check, plenty of busboys cleaning up from our appetizers and drinks. Everything was really on point. Ryan checked in with us throughout the afternoon and made sure we were having a good time.
The space was fairly big, had some great couches to chill out on and soak up the sun! Our party was mainly here to drink, but we had pre-​ordered just some platters and passed appetizers and what I had was good! We were even able to bring our own friends to DJ the party which was really a huge plus. They had the ability for us to put on their house music too.
They need to re-​do the elevator that takes you to the rooftop, or at least get it fixed! Each time I rode it was a little scary, since it jumped when it started and stopped! It’s only on the 5^th floor or so, so it’s not like you get this killer view of the skyline, especially being West of 11^th Ave, you’re not looking at much, but hey, rooftops in NYC are hard to come-​by, so you take what you get!
I think you should open earlier on weekends for some day drinking festivities!

Came here for the spring launch in which we were able to taste the full menu including drinks. We weren’t charged, so I can’t attest to the previous reviews which state that water is $ 5.
Service:
All staff members were very friendly.
Food:
Had the guacamole trio. All of hem were good, but my favorite was the guac with charred habanero pepper. So good! I’d comeback just for that!
The appetizer with tuna and avocado was delicious!
The corn with cheese, spices, and lime was scrumptious. The corn was juicy and came right off. The only thing about eating corn is that you really need floss handy because it sticks in between your teeth :)
I had a mushroom empanada with corn and cheese. It was really good!
The grilled squid was one of my favorites.
Drinks:
I had gin and soda with lime juice. It was good (and strong). My friends had the cocktails off the menu which were sweet but they enjoyed them.
Location:
The open roof is really nice. There’s a great view and you can breathe in fresh air.
I’ll be back, even if it’s just for that habanero guacamole :)

The Quick: Fairly large rooftop with delicious margaritas and a fun Mexican flair. Not overly convenient to get to.
The Details: I enjoyed a networking happy hour at Cantina that featured great drink specials and good company. We didn’t eat sadly so I cannot comment on the food but the margaritas with fresh jalapeños (on request) were good and HOT.
The rooftop was large and semi covered for bad weather which was nice. It was fairly out of the way from the subway so I likely wouldn’t return unless there was another event.
The Damage: Our happy hour specials included $ 5-​$ 8 drinks for wine, liquor, and margs

my review is solely for my lounge/​nightclub experience at Cantina.
Came on a beautiful and clear night, so the view was nice. Under the stars, dim lighting it made for a cool setting. I like the décor, there was room for dancing although it wasn’t really needed. (Will get to that shortly)
Although, the bouncers and staff at the front door were all friendly (and that’s extremely rare for NYC front door personnel) they were asking for $ 20 at the door. We simply told them out group was on a guest list, gave the name and promptly let in.
The trek up the four flights of stairs in heels for the lounge was not cool. Going up you pass the entrances to other parties separate from Cantina. The less than friendly personnel were made to man those entrances to make sure people weren’t sneaking in.
Now with all that out the way. This place lost three stars because the music was just bad! The DJ sucked. I don’t know who he was but I hope to never attend another party or event he is DJing for. I was highly disappointed, the energy was never fully there. I think I actually dozed off a few times. Had I paid $ 20 for that I would’ve demanded a refund. Almost as sucky as the DJ was the drinks from the bar but I fully expected that going in.

I had a friend who worked here who always let us in for free and gave us free drinks! Already like that very much :) The business of this place really varies though because the first time I came, the place was so packed it took 30 minutes to get a drink. But the second time, it was so empty that we just walked up to the bar!
I recommend the Tequila Sunset which is a mango tequila drink that tastes very good. My friend (who’s a chef) loved my drink so much that he made his own variation on it! But the second time we went, not only did the bartender give our drinks to another set of Asians but it just tasted so weird :(Go with the guy bartender when asking for this drink! I’ve also tried their tacos and guacamole here. Their guac comes with a bucket of chips and two banana crisps. The banana crisps were honestly the best. I think I’m eating my guac with banana crisps from now on! The tacos were also great. They look small but they are very very filling. I shared three taco orders with my friend and we were struggling by the end.
There is only a slight view here but because it’s only like 6 floors up, there are gonna be buildings in the way :(It’s also half bar half restaurant so you can dance awkwardly while watching the people dine HAHAee