Combina

Combina has a cozy yet chic atmosphere, the mural over the bar and bathroom wall is absolutely gorgeous as well. The windows provide a great openness and a beautiful view of the neighborhood.
Service was great, our server was well informed of their menu and wine list, and their wine list has several unique options so it was great to have someone so knowledgable to help me find something I would like.
The food was AMAZING. The salted cod donuts were fluffy and the Harissa aioli paired perfectly. The eggplant was fantastic as well, garlicky and fresh. My favorite was the lamb chops — they were cooked to perfection and seasoned delightfully. Everything we had was delicious.
I will absolutely be back, the staff was kind and knowledgable, the food was delicious and exciting, and the drinks went well with the menu and were really tasty as well. A+++

Still so hungry!
After sharing one big and two small plates as per recommended by our server, our stomach were still grumbling! $ 80 dollars «snacks» for two… My friend and I ended up having to go nearby for a second dinner afterward.
Salted cod donuts — my friend asked me if I ordered fried polenta after taking her initial bite. No salt, no cod — just a doughy donut. Did I mention they were tiny?
Pickled mussels — straight from a can. Actually it did come in a can. At least they didn’t try to hide that. Soaked in preservative? Oil? No idea but it was unappetizing.
Lamb chop and pork belly — the lamb chop although nicely flavored were lukewarm when served. Every part of the pork belly was burnt except for the fatty remnant.
Overall — couldn’t believe we wasted so much money at combina. Perhaps they have better drink menu? But if you are looking for good tapas, don’t even try.

Surprised this spot has only gotten 19 reviews thus far. The restaurant is in a weird location as maybe not much tourists really visit this street (though just one block off of Canal), I found it a bit hard to find on my first (probably cause I was misreading my map) l. In any case, 5 years in the city and I still don’t know all my streets or neighborhoods so this was great to come here and find some great sangrias.
Combina has not been open for too long, but it definitely deserves to be visited. The service is always very nice, and every time I have been they are usually busy but not packed, so I tend to find a spot to sit at the bar easily. While here, I have enjoyed their sangrias the most and then some cocktails. Hate to say it, but this is usually not the first spot I visit in the night, therefor, at this point, I am not as adventurous with mixing many drinks and I stick to what I know is good. For example, their sangrias are very interesting, made with very interesting flavored (each time different, which I like cause it keeps me coming to try whatever they come up with next). So no point in telling you what the flavor is, most probably, not the same one when you come. That Said, this last time, I tried a apple cider champagne made in NY which they carry. This was an amazing champagne, which captured the sweet and the tart of the apple yet it was dry. Amazing! I obviously had my sangria, and to tie all my drinks down, I had the cod donuts! God I needed these in my life! Will be back for more and from what Insee, it’s a favorite among other Unilocalers. I admit, I never noticed the item on the menu and only became aware as I was reading online reviews while at the restaurant. These are amazing, not too salty, but the cod really stands out and the sums ice is a great pairing.
The only reason I canny give this tapas style restaurant 5 stars is because the prices are a bit high. I can see the value in the taste and the amount of creativity, but it’s a bank buster so I can’t see myself making this a once a week spot. That said, if I could I would!
Keep up the great work Combina!
This is a great first date spot, again, one of those places that says a lot about the person that come here, sophisticated, creative, quaint and enjoyable. Noise level is low to medium and staff is attentive and pretty amazing!

I got assaulted at Combina… by good service! I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here. People say that you eat with your eyes, in this case the dining room is delicious. Asides from the cool ambiance, the food was amazing! If I could take a direct line IV of the eggplant escabeche I would.

We came here in early Dec when it opened not too long ago. Everything was A-​OK, hence the rating. Nothing amazing, nothing terrible.
The salted cod donut that everyone was raving about just tasted like salted donut, there’s no cod taste in it whatsoever. The restaurant should just call it salted donut, and it’s a very doughy one.
My favorite was the pickled mussels, that was the most flavorful dish of the night. Everything else we got (Tostada, eggplant escabeche, Paella) were all just a little bland. My least favorite was the tostada, crispy chips topped with eggplants and eggs. It lacked some serious flavor and eggplants were not tender enough to bite into. It was a mess.
Service was good when we went there, nothing to complain there. But the space was super small, when the table next to me were seated, I was practically cornered by the wall, the table, and someone next to me. I understand real estate in SOHO is expensive, but can you have some better interior designer to come in and revamp the layout? Everything feels very cramped and un-​cozy.

Many reviews on this page talked about the salted cod donut and it REALLY is that good. I also recommend the roasted squash and persimmon dishes. (The persimmons were sliced impressively thin.) If you plan to the the eggplant dish, make sure you bring a lot of gum. It is super garlicy. Didn’t try any desserts but espresso based drinks were great.

Excellent and inventive dishes. The salt cod donuts, lamb dish and the churros for dessert were the highlights. It’s a nice little space and the staff is attentive and friendly.

The food was good with mediocre service. However when my friend and I informed our waiter he forgot to include our food from the bill (a difference of 70 dollars) we weren’t comped anything. In a city where very few people tend to be honest, we were disappointed. We won’t be returning.

I cautiously decided to check out this new restaurant because I was drawn by the alluring menu. When I arrived I was greeted and brought to a warm table right by the window, where I got the full view of the intricate and colorful mural that spans the back wall. The server was friendly, well informed and even had me laughing at times.
I started with the Winter Squash and it melted into my mouth. Well portioned and seasoned to perfection. Then, I had the Lamb which totally reminded me why a well done lamb can change the trajectory of a stressful day. All the while I enjoying my 2 Saffron Fizz which was a well played symphony of taste.
I will be coming back to explore the seriously amazing tastes and experience of this amazing new place. I will be recommending this place to all my closest friends.

I’m wild about trying out new places to drink in SoHo. Moreover, When my friend recommend Combina, I thought «Why not?». In case you’re wondering, I’m ever so glad I did. I really wanted to get a feel for the cocktails so I sat at the bar and was whisked away on a taste adventure by my new favorite New York Bartender Johannes.
I started with the Saffron Fizz (Which is incredible) then got primal with a Brown Butter Flip which was the most creative combination of bourbon, cardamom cold brew coffee, brown butter syrup, whole egg and angostura bitters. The whole time Johannes described the cocktails giving me some great ideas for my own dinner parties.
Of course no bar view would be complete without some snacks, enter Za’atar Popcorn and Marinated Oliver. If life gets better than this I might not be able to handle it. All I can say is my little trip left me wanting a lot more. I’d give this place 6 stars if it were an option.

This was the most I’ve ever loved a new restaurant, perhaps in my whole 28 years of life on planet earth. I love how warm and spacious the places is. And how can you not love high ceils. My server was the perfect Sherpa up the mountain of this scintillating fusion of Spanish and Israeli food. I had a smooth glass of well balanced red wine and started with the cheese plate which I would talk about in greater detail if I don’t demolish it upon arrive. Safe to say I’ll be eating that on my next trip as well. For my main I had Sabich Tostada, which is a crispy corn tostada, Japanese eggplant fried, sliced hard boiled egg and pickled mango. I would eat this everyday given the chance, no lies.
I can’t tell you what a pleasure a smooth and well orchestrated meal can be. I would have to say that is was worth every penny and maybe even more.

I hate that we feel compelled enough to take time out of our day to write a crappy Unilocal review. This place is just a gigantic waste of money.
The service was fine, but the food quality and quantity does not match its price point. The only star was the salted cod donuts. Had we known, we would have opted for four orders of those and called it a night.
Just a gigantic waste of money. To think that we could have spent the same amount of money and gone to La Grenouille is just absolutely heartbreaking.

Great space, very cool ambiance and wonderful staff. The menu is inventive, but a lot of the items just don’t quite work. Pickled mussels with matzo and the lamb burger were just okay, and the persimmon carpaccio was good, but tiny. In fact, all of the dishes we had were pretty tiny for the price, and the menu is quite limited. I like the idea of this place better than the reality. It’s relatively new and I hope it makes some changes because it has a great deal of potential.

We had a great time. Menu while a little limiting, is
Composed of very inventive creations. Opens the door to tasting the exotic flavors of the region. Sexy and fun ambience, great service and impressive wine selections. Perfect for both date and group dining. Must try!!!

I had a wonderful time at Combina when I came in with my boyfriend for his birthday. The staff were friendly, knowledgeable and attentive and our server did a great job answering any questions we had about some of the more unusual items on the menu. The dishes were a really interesting mix of both classic Israeli and Spanish foods — we loved the eggplant escabeche and the lamb. They had a great wine selection as well!
In terms of prices, you end up spending what you would at a nice restaurant in NYC with the added bonus of trying more dishes than you normally would when going out to eat.

The worst experience that I had in restaurant ever.
The tapas are ok but the value for money is absolutely ridiculous, and we love fancy restaurants!
we had the eggplant dish with a tiny tiny tiny 1 piece of bread. You should eat this kind of dish with bread. We asked for more bread (in the menu there is no category of bread) they gave us 2 little pieces of the bread and didn’t let us know they will charge us for that. It is not about the money it’s the principle of service!
We love tapas places and a good food but this place was outrages!

Really nothing to talk about here. Most of the food we ate was… meh. Some underseasoned and tasteless, some overseasoned and dry, but all forgettable… And far from cheap. Lo Tov/​No Bueno.

I am actually not sure why there is any food press related attention around Combina. We sat at the bar and received pretty adequate, if not really inattentive service while our bartender chatted up other sets of guests. The food was fine but doesn’t fall into the innovative category of most new restaurants in NYC. A fine place to be close to a hotel for a bite… but not something beyond that in which you would want to frequent as a NYer.

After a #shoppingmarathon and bleeding out my wallet on #blackfriday, I badly need food and drinks to recharge. Combina, a sister restaurant to Balabosta and bar bolonat, just opened couple blocks from me in #soho. I popped in without much thinking. And I am glad I did!
The menu consist of mostly small plates with #Israeli and #Spanish influence. Everything on the menu is very #appetizing. So is the inspiring wine list. The space is low lit and very chill with a mix of locals and tourists. Service is impeccable.
I opted for the roasted #wintersquash with peanuts picada, pickled mussels in a can, salted cod donuts with smokey spicy aioli. All are amazing bites. Would be good to share among two to three person.
I especially love the pickled mussels, which brings me back to Madrid where I fell in love with preserved seafood in a can. I bought a dozen of them before boarding the flight back to NYC! Now I can have them right at my doorstep sans the air tickets! Priceless.
My only pet peeve is the salted cod donuts — more doughy than j imagined; I would prefer just cod fritters. Being said that, the aioli Is to die for.
If you come here def try out the sangria which mixed with Spanish brandy or brandy de Jerez. It is not to sweet, super fruity and refreshing.
Would def be back to try the lam belly soon.

Really great atmosphere, great bartenders. They’ve not been open long but I’d really say come check it out!