El Quinto Pino

El Quinto Pino is a beautiful space with a cozy and warm atmosphere. Perfect for a date night. The food was flavorful and well-​balance. The service wasn’t the best. Our waitress was a bit aloof, forgetting one of our orders, misplacing our bottle of wine, and bringing the wrong dessert. More details on our dishes below.
We had the following:
— Nuestras Bravas (Potatoes): Covered in a chipotle aoli and dusted with smoked paprika.
Definitely worth getting. If you love sauces, ask for a little extra on the side.
— Croquetas: Two, rather small, above average croquetas. I would get another dish if I could
do it over again.
— Fideúa (Valencian noodle paella): The best dish we had. Flavorful, complex, but only
contained a single piece of shrimp.
— Huevos Rellenos (Deviled eggs): Tasty, tasty, tasty
— Anchoa Campo dei Fiori (Anchovies with vanilla butter): A bit perplexing at first, but this dish
actually works really well. The saltiness of the fish compliments the sweetness of the vanilla
butter.
— Braised Pork Shoulder (Daily special): Lacked personality and was rather bland. I expect a lot
more from a $ 18 tapas dish. I wouldn’t recommend this one.
— Chocolate Bar (Dessert): The dark chocolate and olive oil are an odd pairing that works quite
well.

Great service. Such a cute place. The tapas are better than the run of the mill tapas you’d get at say Sala 19, but the portions are tiny not as flavorful as Tia Pol. It’s a very cute place though, so if you are in the mood for seemingly more molecular or deconstructed tapas that have a very light touch, it is a good date place. The food is very delicate so if you want in your face flavor, this is not for you. However, the food is very high quality — just a tad dainty. Go for drinks and dainty bites in a great setting.

I’ve been to different cities in Spain… a lot.
I’ve eaten at a bzillion tapas joints in Spain… a lot.
I like this tiny spot in Chelsea… a lot.
The menu changes pretty frequently so hopefully, they still have the tapas I delved into.
The squid was tender and flavorful.
The lamb was delicious and didn’t taste game-​y at all.
The star was, of course, the anchovies. This totally reminded me of my eating adventures in Barcelona, Madrid, Sevilla and Granada.
I can say this with the utmost confidence, this is the most authentic tapas bar/​resto I’ve been to in nyc, so far.

Some food items are above average but they are very no frills. However they charge a premium for their small tapas.
Almond cake is supper tiny and pricey. If you have leftovers they give you a plastic container and the night we were there they ran out of bags and ketchup
Also some of the tables reminded me of public school desks. Disappointed after seeing such good reviews. After looking at the their clientele maybe it’s good reviews are because they never ate in a really good place to compare it to.

WONDERFUL!
The best in NYC ‚& I lived in Spain!
the Croquetas are amazing!
The Bravas are great !
Tasty Sherry
Great staff!
Everything is good!
Olé!

Loud, uncreative tapas, and very little for what you pay.
The first thing I noticed about this restaurant was how loud it was. There are two sections, a bar section and a dining section. In the dining section where we sat, most tables were squished together, with one long table being shared by several groups of people. Some people may call it lively, but for me, it was just too noisy
When I looked at the menu, I was disappointed with the very plain normal tapas. Just the usual croquetas and types of pastes on bread. We ended up getting a shrimp wafer and a lamb skewer as tapas, and then an item from the Menu Turistico. I got a escargot and rabbit meat dish, and my friend, a hamburger type item.
When the food started to arrive, I was baffled by how small the portions were. While I know from experience tapas in New York are pricier than in Spain and that you pay more per amount than for other types of foods, food here at El Quinto Pino takes the cake. Our $ 5 shrimp wafers were literally two thin very salty slices, slightly larger than an MTA subway pass, and I could not taste any shrimp. The old man sitting next to us asked us how it was. «It’s… okay.» I lied.
Next came the $ 9 lamb skewers. There were two, and each had about the volume of two and a half cigarettes. As if it were some sort of consolation for the meagre portions served to us, the two skewers were stuck into a single piece of bread. Which reminded me: why weren’t we served any bread?
By the time I saw my rabbit and escargot plate, I had slumped into resignation that it too would be tiny, and my fears were justified. It was indeed tiny. While it had some sauce, and in fact, a waiter gracefully poured some extra sauce onto it in front of me, I would have much rather forgone this display of dexterity in favour of some sort of, or any sort of, filling food, maybe just some potatoes on the side. I ravenously ate it, being starved as I was, but got my teeth caught on a couple tiny bones in the rabbit, as well as some unidentified, hard anatomical part in the snail.
We quickly paid $ 25 each, and rushed over to Koreatown to eat the equivalent amount of food for about a fifth the cost. I’m still a little hungry as I type this.

Wonderful place — great food.
The tapas taste like real spanish tapas.
We will be back soon.

I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant to my worst enemy. Not in a million years. As a Spanish person I felt insulted for the kind of food they offered. That wasn’t Spanish at all. The lamb was badly cooked and like a chewing gum, also the sauce covering it, badly prepared. The blood sausage sandwich was testing horribly. Also, I know they are tapas, but one thing is to have a small portion and the other one not to have almost nothing at all for an expensive price. I paid $ 50 and left hungry. The service was good and attentive but that was the only good experience. If you want Spanish food don’t go for this one.

So… where do I start? I’ve been coming here for a number of years. Ambiance is great, food is great, and wine is great!
I did have a bad experience with one bartender here once. He was not happy with the tip I left. I’m sure he was just having a bad night, it happens to all of us. Anyway, I called the restaurant later and the manager followed up and then the owners followed up! Extremely kind of them. They really care about how their customers are treated, they offered to make it up to me if I’d come back again. I would chalk this up to an isolated incident.
In general I’d really recommend this restaurant! It’s a great neighborhood spot, especially perfect for after gallery openings on Thursdays.

Lets just start with this. If your only interest is the food then you will like this place as its quite yummy. However if you have an interest in competence by the staff then go someplace else. I have eaten here twice in a week. In total i dropped about 500 bucks and it was not a party of 10. On Saturday night as we are finishing our dinner and enjoying drinks when this totally tweaked out man walks up to our table and belligerently engages while taking bump after bump of coke from the bag in his hand. To be honest i thought the clown owned the place the way he was walking around and engaging each. It was so awkward we just quickly paid our bill, left our still full drinks and got the hell out of there. Oh guess what? Turns out he was some random fool who walked in off the street and the restaurant staff did nothing about it!
Now for last night. I wanted something close to home to have a few drinks and conversation with a friend possibly a small bite or two. Well as is the case with friends one drink turned into quite a few. I had three separate checks. Now we have all done this. «One more please and then the check»…ok no this is the last one… then the check! Well both times i paid the check 150 the first time and another 30 the second time and both times i added a hefty tip. Then i ordered one more glass of wine (8 bucks) and my friend had nothing. He also began to not feel so well so i walked him outside to flag a cab and while doing that the bartender comes running out to me and forcibly points out that i still owe for the glass of wine and demands i come back in and pay all the while i am dealing with my friend. I hand him 10 bucks and point out «dude are u effing serious with this? I have not only been paying my bill but tipping you heavy all night! Where the hell am i running to on a 9 buck glass of wine.» Well his response to me was. «People inside have 500 dollar bills no one gets something for free.» Ah who the hell asked you for something free you jack wagon.
I wont ever be back

Food was amazing! I just back from Barcelona and this is the closest to authentic tapas I’ve had in New York City.
Nuestras Bravas were crunchy and delicious.
The torreznos was great as well.
The CROQUETTAS we’re fantastic. Yes they’re $ 5 for 2 but quality is tops. I’d rather have two good Jamon croquettas than 5 ok ones.
The Picos y taquitos was also a great dish. The Lomp sandwich was to die for.
This place is my top tapas place. Staff was friendly and helpful.

From the moment you walk through the door you are just swept away into the romance of another place. The décor of the bar area certainly sets the mood for the Spanish Tapas food you will be eating with a light and airy feel. The service in the intimate bar area by both the bartender and the hostess were welcoming and very pleasant and we started out with a beautiful bottle of sparkling wine.
When we moved into the dining room again everything seemed to be seamless. We ordered a few tapas dishes and then just kept adding to them as we needed more food through the evening. The octopus dish was absolutely delicious and I am such a fan of the potatoes bravas. and then we had a dish with tongue that was simply delectable!
Such a nice neighborhood place and a great destination restaurant for those not from the area!

We came here for an intimate girls’ dinner and am I sure glad we did. Such a quaint, humble, but chic and comfortable restaurant. We truly had a good time!
First the restaurant is actually split into two — the bar area is what you see as soon as you walk in. Then through the hallway on your right is the little dining area. Small groups or dates are really what this place is for, as they have more two-​and four-​tops and just one longer running table that can work as a table for a large party or shared among many small ones. Candles on each table add to the romantic appeal.
What really shined were their dishes — and we shared at least 6 plates that night so that we could try as many as possible. The favorite of the night: the Fideua — toasted noodle paella, shrimp, squid and aioli was absolutely delicious. Hot, crispy, just the right amount of salty. Gambas were also on point. You can never go wrong with the Lengua either — soft, tender, delicate.
Great ambiance, good service, awesome food. I will be bringing my BF back here for a special occasion!

My brother took me here, he’s been trying to for sometime. I really like the layout here, it’s very comfortable and everything is pretty solid. I’ve come back several times and I’ve had most of the menu here. I’ll list my favorites below.
Nuestras bravas — Potatoes bravas, awesome. The spicy aioli has a nice balance of richness and spice.
Torreznos — As the menu says, a bag of bacon. Can get a bit oily but again, it is bacon.
Calamari a la plancha** — The reason for the double «*» is because this is incredible. Perfectly cooked, the black garlic and cheese; MMM! This might be one of my favorite calamaris anywhere.
Queso fundido — The bread, the anchovies, the peppers, the spice. I’ve had many versions of this dish but this one is just a party when you eat it. It is on the saltier side though, so if you’re sensitive to that; you may not enjoy as much.

Tapas are outrageously over-​priced in the U.S. compared to Spain.
The five star rating is for the spicy calamari sandwich.

The host was extremely friendly and welcoming; it was a great first impression.
Our waitress was friendly but not particularly attentive towards the end of the meal; we waited more than ten minutes after finishing our last tapas for her to check back so we could ask for the check (which I would have understood if they were slammed, but it was pretty late and not crowded at that point).
The tapas themselves were okay, but not worth a repeat given the prices (most of the tapas are in the $ 12 range). The pimientos ($ 9) were yummy, as was the tortilla espanola, which comes as a slice (and would be better served hot). The charcuterie/​cheese plate comes with «breadsticks» that are teeny tiny. The cheese and meats were pretty good, but the vehicle to transport them into your mouth leaves something to be desired.

Let’s get the obvious out of the way before I begin the review: Tapas, which are not at all pricey in Spain, are outrageously overpriced in the US, and especially in big cities like NYC. You must go in expecting to pay more than you think you should for tiny portions.
Now that we have that out of the way, everything at El Quinto Pino is great, and the closest to the actual Spanish dishes intended to be mimicked that I’ve had in the US.
The pimientos, salted grilled peppers, are a great approximation of pimientos de padron from Santiago in northern Spain. The fried chickpeas are another great appetizer to start with.
For hot tapas, you can’t go wrong with the gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp) and the calamares a la plancha (grilled calamari). For something different, try the queso fundido (melted cheese with red peppers and pieces of anchovy served to dip bread into).
They also have classic desserts from various regions of Spain. The Tarta de Santiago is a great choice.
Overall great ambiance, service, and food. Go in knowing that cheap Spanish tapas have been turned into something pricier in the US.

The place was nice. I lugged my luggage in because I was just getting into the city. They were very accommodating to that. The staff is very friendly and made a lot of great recommendations. I didn’t like the community tables but the place is kind of small and they need to take whatever space they can get.
The tapas were good. A little smaller than I was expecting but good. I really enjoyed the panini’s. The bag of bacon was also really good. My favorite though was the custard for dessert. I really enjoyed that.
This was a great place to hang with some good friends. Good food. Good wine. I will differently remember this place next time I come into the city.

Went to catch up with friends and was definitely struck by how inviting it was. The décor is pretty simple, the bar menu written in chalk above the curved, large bar area, and the tables adorned with single candles. It was a good place to go if you like trying a little bit of everything. For three people we got a pitcher of sangria, which held extremely generous portions and enough for all of us to have refills. We also got six plates to share.
I have to say — it was a little pricy for the portions. I know how tapas works, and you definitely don’t get a lot with your order, but it was still a little unreal. Food quality was high, but prepare to spend more than you bargain for.
If you like being adventurous with seafood, this is the place for you — I was surprised that the first few things on the menu had items like sea urchin, sea anemone, and the like. We had to order the uni panini because of how much Unilocalers loved it, and even though it was three times smaller than the normal sandwich (don’t let the pictures fool you), it was one of the best things on the menu. It’s a hard yes.
My favorite items would have to be your basic nuestras bravas (the sauce was to die for) and the calamarala plancha. We also ordered the lamb skewers, which we were a little disappointed with since it only came with 2 skewers (no one told us that!)
I’m giving it 3.5 stars because it’s not really my cup of tea, and I wasn’t prepared for how small the portions would be. But the friendly server and the ambiance won me over.

KenScale: 8.0÷10
Chelsea is already crowded with Spanish tapas bars, with some very solid ones like Salinas and Tia Pol. I recently visited El Quinto Pino, a multi-​regional tapas restaurant from husband-​wife duo Alex Raij and Eder Montero which recently expanded from a tiny bar to a full-​scale restaurant, and found a lot to like about the place, from the ambiance to the quality of food.
The restaurant only has small plates that are easily shareable. Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp, ginger and jalapeño) was fresh and the broth delightful, and the restaurant dish’s signature dish, Uni Panini, was excellent. While I found Xato (Catalan salad raw salt cod, grated tomato, omesco, anchovy and chicory) to be a little too intense to my taste, Revuelto de Ortiguilla (soft scrambled eggs and imported sea anemone) was certainly pleasant. Fideúa (Valencian toasted noodle paella, shrimp, squid and aioli) was also a solid dish for carb intake. I also was a big fan of both desserts. Crema Catalana, which resembles the texture of crème brulee, was wonderful, literally melting in my mouth, and I really liked that Pa amb Xocolata that you can spread on the toasts was not overly sweet.
The restaurant has a front dining area with the bar and a back dining area that has more tables. I came in at late night and had no problem getting a seat for three people at the bar (it seems like the back dining area is closed after certain hour). The restaurant doesn’t have a full bar, but I suggest going for sangria. I really loved the ambiance of the dining area, which has that vibe of neighborhood spot that is both charming and hip, perfect for a date night or an informal get-​together with friends. I’m really glad I found El Quinto Pino and can’t wait to go back to try more bites along with a glass of sangria.