La Cava

I’ve experienced La Cava on 2 different occasions: lunch and take-​out.
Their menu selection is simple, but taste is not compromised. The restaurant is not too big but you don’t feel cramped. Service for both dining and take out was great.
For lunch I had the duck pâté and tossed tuna salad. I paired it with blush wine — Very good.
On another occasion, I had ordered take-​out for catering purposes. It was a big order, so I had called in advance to avoid any issues during their dinner time.
I had ordered Di Parma and Parisienne paninis, along with the tossed tuna salads as well as arugula salads. My order wasn’t quite ready when I got there, so I just waited at the bar. They were kind enough to give me a glass of complimentary wine as I waited.
I loved their warm service and hospitality. I look forward to coming back when I’m in town.

I stop by from time to time before/​after dinner when I’m in midtown. Bartenders are usually very friendly and attentive, and they have a good selection of wine. As long as you get a seat at the bar, it’s a great place to come have a quiet drink.
They have HH deals now, and I’ve been going to grab a decently priced glass of wine more often now.

This is a chill place to grab a glass of wine and some snacks. We felt leisurely here, fun music, good service, decent wine options. All good.

Awesome, social atmosphere and great deals! They have happy hour until 8pm for wines, drafts, etc. Lots of high top tables for group seating and at the bar. They have an extensive selection of wines, as well as cool displays. I would recommend trying to salmon tartare, it has capers and avocado; and comes with about 6 pieces of a sliced loaf.

If I could give a zero star rating I would. This place is awful in every aspect, and literally has no redeeming qualities.
The food is mediocre at best. The salmon tartare was very fishy tasting, to the point where me and my friends thought we were going to get sick. We told our waitress and she smirked and said «but you’ve eaten almost all of it». This was not true. Me and my friends each took a bite so we could all try and then we all decided against eating anymore. At least 2/​3rds was still on the plate. We were eating and drinking a lot of other things, so there is no reason we would make this up. Also, just read other reviews where people said the same exact thing about the salmon tartare.
We were not offered anything to make up for the bad dish. No extra round of drinks or different dish on the house. They have no idea what the word service means, and definitely do NOT ever go to this restaurant is you like being treated with respect and dignity.
And this is to the brunette east european pathetic excuse for a «waitress»: If you don’t want to serve people, and think its beneath you, a piece of advice, do not get a job in the service industry and especially not as a waitress. She needs to be fired.
We will never return purely because of this one «waitress» and the bad food quality. I will make sure to tell everyone to never set foot in this pathetic bar EVER.

Terrible service, they cant treat their customers with class. They do not have good service.

I am not typically one to write very negative reviews, but La Cava was disappointing.
I came across this place after leaving Sofia Wine Bar (they were crowded and had a wait for dinner). I was surprised I could be seated outside right away on such a nice night.
My boyfriend and I started with a meat and cheese platter. They gave us 3 pieces of each meat and two small pieces of each cheese — the platter was almost comical. While the actual cheese was good, we couldn’t believe how little we got for the price.
Next I had the chicken. The «tomato paste» on top was cold. It looked like something I could have made, and I’m not the best cook. Something in my side of broccoli was hard.
My boyfriend had a panini. It was sub-​par — worse than what I would expect from a deli (and for $ 14 you would think it would be better and more gourmet!)
On a positive note, they do have good drink happy hour deals and a nice atmosphere.
I will not be back. There are much better options in the area.

A great place for a date — nice bar, nice drinks, and also has a good selection. I’ve been here many times.

I hate leaving bad reviews like this, but I had such a bad experience here I have to. Went for a Friday night dinner with my girlfriend. The space was nice and the wine was good, but that’s about where the positives end.
We started with the meat and cheese platter. Pitifully small. 3 prices of prosciutto and 2 of salami. Slightly more than enough cheese to pair with the meat. I understand you don’t order this to stuff your face, but you expect more than a couple bites.
For the main course I had a panini and she had the chicken dish. The chicken was just a piece of chicken breast with cheese and a pepper paste which tasted like something that comes in a jar. My panini was also really disappointing.
All in all, the meal cost nearly 100 dollars (3 drinks) — could have had a number of better meals for a lower price just on that block, let alone the whole neighborhood or city.
Don’t think I’ll ever go back. It’s a shame too because the place itself is really nice and inviting.

Long waiting time… Food was not that good, price fair but not worthy. I would not recommend, there are many places in NYC to go and have a nice time with more flavour and rapidness.

Met a friend in the area for a drink and figured we’d get some food as well. She’s a big wine drinker so we decided this was the place to go based off their wine selection. We walked in and sat right down at the bar around 10pm. I don’t know about you but this is ultimately one of my favorite places to sit.
The bartender came right over and we ordered a few glasses of wine, then decided on some apps. Went with the buratta, asparagus and the salmon tartare (the bar tenders suggestion). I myself am a big seafood fan so I was particularly excited about the salmon tartare because I’d never had it before.
I let my friend order the wine and was not disappointed one bit. We went with a pinot nior and it was delicious. All the food arrived pretty quickly. The salmon tartare was plated with some small pieces of what appeared to be french bread, the asparagus was plated in a simple manner and the buratta was drizzled with some olive oil and balsamic (my favorite).
I dug into the salmon tartare and to my dismay was pretty disappointed. It was extremely fishy tasting. What that tells me is that it’s not fresh. While I don’t expect it to come right out of the water because that’s not realistic, this is NYC and we have the opportunity to get some of the freshest ingredients in the world. It was a bummer.
Overall, the rest of the food was average. Nothing special, maybe it was just the apps we ordered. I wasn’t really interested in getting a meal so I guess i’ll try that next time. I’d definitely recommend this place for wine drinkers, just don’t get the salmon tartare.

This is my family’s go-​to place for brunch on weekends. Usually the staff provides great service and decent food/​drinks. I am only giving 3 stars and not a full 5 because of a new waitress they hired. She must be sniffing something, this brunette:
–She slammed cutlery
–Flipped her hair with attitude when called
–Spoke inappropriately loud
–Barely checked on us/​cleared the table
–Treated us like second class citizens (VERY impatient) She rushed orders and we heard her ask other people if they’ve «finished yet» Hello! You are the waiter/​waitress hold YOUR horses
–She slammed decorations onto tables WHILE we were eating
Usually a very chill, quiet, and pleasant spot to have brunch and relax. However, we will have to find a new go-​to spot because this place seems to hire anyone these days!

Fun lively atmosphere — by end of night people were dancing to Latin music … The bartender was fun, had a fantastic friendly personality and made an amazing manhattan and old fashioned.

This place is a great happy hour and date spot. They have a great selection of wine and their cocktails are good too. The service is also always really friendly and helpful in deciding what to order.
The food isn’t anything to write home about– I would stick to the small plates if you’re hungry. The interior is cute and the open windows and outdoor seating are great in the warm weather. One of the first places I went to in NYC and has been a fairly regular hangout since.

I used to live across the street from La Cava, and it was definitely one of my roommate’s and my regular spots. The staff is really great and attentive and their wine selection and drinks are amazing. It gets a bit loud at times, but the management is great about switching up songs, or even turning down the volume if suggested.
The atmosphere and ambiance is amazing. The bar has a very warm, cozy feel and the décor is very great. I’ve been here with just my roommate, and also with larger groups. If you’re with a larger group I do recommend getting there a bit early so that you can put some tables together.
Definitely a go-​to place!

La Cava has a very cozy and cute atmosphere, with brick walls, high top tables and wooden beams with wine bottles sticking out. I enjoyed a glass of rose, which wasn’t overly sweet. For dinner I had the margherita panini with mozzarella, tomato and basil, served on crispy rosemary bread with a side salad and homemade potato chips. The food menu is on the expensive side, but the paninis are reasonably priced and come with a generous amount of food. I can’t recommend La Cava for happy hour though — the HH drinks list is short and the wine was still $ 7 a glass. I’d go here for a date night or more of a special occasion though.

This place has a lot of potential, but unfortunately they don’t really seem to know what they’re doing. We got seated inside immediately (this was 7:30 pm on a Thursday and it was pretty busy), but unfortunately both the music and the people were unbearably loud.
We asked how long the wait would be for three of us to sit outside and were told there was no wait… only to be taken to a two person table with less than a foot between tables. We had to repeatedly ask for a third chair and only after the 5^th time were we brought out a STOOL that had to be placed in between our table and the one next to it. My back was literally up against our neighbor’s table.
The meal proceeded in that way the entire night. We had to repeatedly ask for a 3^rd menu, repeatedly ask for bread (that didn’t come until after our food did), repeatedly ask for water, repeatedly ask for olive oil etc.
The food itself wasn’t great either. Two of us got the steak tartare which was fine but had very little flavor. The filet mignon was pretty good.
Ended off repeatedly having to ask for the check (our waitress was nowhere to be found once we got our food) and then had to get up to give it to her to run our cards (she again disappeared).
Would not waste my time coming back.

Cute spot —
Top 40 playing and atmosphere is LOUD from conversations. Good for group of four or less. Sidewalk seating and a long narrow bar that can seat close to 20ppl.
Peach martini is strong– mango martini is strong with a kiss of sweetness.
Cheese board– fresh with grapes, warm raisin bread and preserves. Nice place/​space just a bit loud for a first date!

Great place for a first date or a catch up with old friends. I love going to La Cava for 3 things:
1. Salmon Crudo
2. Cheese Plate — nom nom
3. Chocolate Cake
Many good memories at La Cava. Since it’s so close by and I’m lazy to move about from my area, I’m a regular here :)

Great bar for after-​work drinks, intimate meals or even business get-​togethers. Great vino, GREAT bartenders who remember you and treat regulars extra nice, and free bread and oil with your drinks!
Happy hour specials are on point.