Manana

I don’t really know who to blame for the boring 3 stars (3-​, really, but you can’t do that): Mañana or Living Social Deals. I, too, had the tequila tasting and appetizers for two, which was barely enough to feed one. I won’t go too deep into that, though, that because it is not part of the normal menu.
The tequilas were good, with a set of Patron, Mezcal, jalapeño-​infused, coffee-​infused, and chocolate-​infused.
The food, to their credit, was really tasty. I don’t really expect the type of homey Mexican food that I am used to in this city anymore (for that, read my review of Lolita’s). So in terms of fancyMex, Mañana did well.
–The flavors were beautifully balanced in the Veggie Quesadilla, which included potato for a heartier and smoother texture.
–The Tuna Ceviche was interesting, with watermelon instead of the usual citrus pieces.
–The appetizers (even though I only was served one bite of each) were unique: Elote was delicious, salty, and a tiny bit spicy. And the Avocado de Mañana was cool.
The ambiance was fun, with bold Mexican art on the walls and lounge-​like lights that changed colors throughout the night.
Service began well, but when we were all done it took about 10 minutes to be offered a dessert menu and 10 minutes to get our check.
I wouldn’t really recommend Mañana, but it was fine.

My girlfriend and I visited this restaurant to cash in a $ 35 LivingSocial coupon that included a tequila flight tasting and appetizers for two. First of all, what we received was not even close to being valued at $ 35 let alone the quoted $ 95 value listed in the coupon ad (something LivingSocial was non-​responsive when contacted). We literally received 6 bottom/​mid-​shelf tequila «shots» which barely covered the bottom of the shot glass and of each of the appetizers we selected we received virtually one morsel (literally 4 rings of tiny calamari and a single nacho chip?). We were pretty much more hungry when we left than when we came in. Second and lastly, after reviewing the menu we also concluded that this restaurant is extremely overpriced.
Caveat emptor.

Nice place to have drinks after work, lot of little dishes located in a nice neighborhood upper East Side, nothing to special about this place, typical NYC Mexican restaurant

I would only recommend this place if you meet the following requirements: 1) You do not know what Mexican food tastes like, 2) you do not care how much food costs, and 3) you aren’t very hungry.
Growing up in Texas and living in Southern California, I thought I knew what Mexican food was. From my Grandma’s cooking to «business lunch» Tex-​Mex to taco stands, I thought I was quite familiar with all aspects of authentic Mexican cuisine. Mañana basically took all of that and smashed it into tiny bits and set it on fire.
My perception of Mexican food did not include pomegranate seeds and green olives. Does yours? Well then give their stuffed pepper a try, it costs $ 20 and tastes more like a mushy Greek salad than a «chile relleno», which is what they didn’t call it for some reason. Terrible.
Want a small quesadilla that, for some reason, includes grilled zucchini? It’s the cheapest thing on the menu, will leave you hungry, and tastes gritty. Only $ 10!
Best thing about the restaurant, besides a nice atmosphere and comfortable setting, was easily the chips and salsa. The salsa was slightly watery and not at all spicy, but the chips were warm and fresh and awesome. I also think they were free, which is good since the bill for three of us, without alcohol, came to $ 55+. We spent most of the meal debating whether we’d give this place two or three stars on Unilocal,and the price tag definitely settled that debate.

Went in at 2pm on a Sat, wasn’t very crowded so we gave it a shot. The short of it is decent food, absolutely awful service. The hostess didn’t acknowledge us the entire time (a waiter seated us) and didn’t even give a goodbye on our way out– meanwhile she was wining and dining the table next to us the whole time. We asked about a kids menu and were told there wasnt one– on our way out saw another table with one. Our waiter was okay but the food took forever to come and they proceeded to pull our plates put from under us while we were still eating (still not crowded at this point). The food was pretty authentic mexican, but very small portions for the priceness of it. I’d probably skip this place and opt for another mexican place in the area for a better whole dining experience.

I have had an apartment in New York City for almost 25 years and love to try new places. LivingSocial advertised a tequila tasting and appetizers for two people. The cost was $ 35 (a $ 95 value). It was a joke. I would have described it more as six sips of tequila and four single Hors d’œuvres (a $ 15 value).
The hostess was OK but made more noise while sitting with friends at the front of the restaurant than any of the patrons. From the food I tasted, it seemed quite good. The waiter was nice enough, apologized for the lack of any real substance to the the offering but then blamed it on
. I ordered two more drinks @$ 14 a piece, paid the bill and left. We had dinner someplace else.
My total bill including the «special», drinks and tips was $ 70. I don’t mind paying for good food but hate to get ripped off. This is not the way to get new customers. From looking around, it appears this restaurant is more like a nightclub bar. I think they serve food for the lunch crowd to help pay the rent, but it is obviously not how they want to make their money. Why they even bothered is beyond me.

This review is of a LivingSocial deal I recently purchased — tequila tasting and appetizers for two people. It was listed as $ 95 retail, but the sale price was $ 35.
The waiter started off by dropping off six different tequila samples, but I think «sample» is being generous. They tasted great, but there was only enough of each for my friend and I to get two tiny sips.
We had the option of ordering four out of six appetizers on the menu. We made our selections, but then we got served the wrong appetizers. One of the dishes served in error was a nacho appetizer, which was literally just one chip with a few toppings. We eventually got the dishes we ordered, and they were also very small. I guess they tasted good, but it was tough to tell because of the diminutive sizes of each.
I understand that this was just supposed to be a teaser to the actual menu, with the aim of getting us to buy actual entrees, but we decided not to continue our meal here because we felt a little cheated. I have no idea how this deal could be remotely close to $ 95 in value, or even $ 35.
Don’t get me wrong, the atmosphere is pretty cool and the tequila collection is very extensive. Based on a perusal through the menu, though, I think you can get food that is just as good (or better) for more affordable prices.

I like the idea of Mañana — a mexican restaurant/​lounge that lets you linger over guacamole and margaritas in a casual-​cool environment. Unfortunately, there is not much lingering to be had over the ungenerous portions of the appetizers on M’s menu, guacamole or otherwise. Our mini-​bowl of guac was quickly demolished (what’s there is tasty) and the tropical tuna ceviche (which surprisingly combines mango, pomegranate, and passion fruit with tuna, onion and cilantro) was equally skimpy for the price.
Our server was friendly and attentive until the bar started to fill up around 9 (we were left without plates for the ceviche). Still hungry we decided to go for an order of churros, which really were delicious and came with both a caramel and a chocolate sauce (equally good). Perhaps we should have come with smaller appetites… perhaps Mañana should become more liberal with their food.
The layout is a little awkward — it is basically a long rectangle and you have to walk through the main restaurant to get to the bar in the rear. I’m also not sure what I think of the heavily mirrored red and orange décor (fun? frenetic?). Not to mention that I found the generally unflushed unisex bathrooms a little unnerving.

Our Cinco de Mayo celebration at work called for something a little better than Chipotle and Happy Taco. We chose Mañana because the food looked good on the website and they are part of the Serafina Restaurant Group. We are fans of Serafina and Geisha so we figured it could not be horribly bad.
The food is on the pricey side. For $ 10 tacos, I was expecting a serving enough to fill. On first glance, I was a bit scared. «We might be a little hungry,» I told my team. Each serving of tacos was 2 tiny baby tortillas. The kind not bigger than a coaster. Luckily for the Tacos De Costilla (short ribs with cilantro chimichurri & avocado) they were heaping with shredded short ribs. That made up for the more like appetizer sized tacos. The beef was soft and flavorful. It was an awesome taco. If you get it, just be sure to eat it fast. You really don’t want to see what the grease looks like once it solidifies. The other tacos got good reviews as well. One person ordered the Tostada De Tinga De Pollo (crispy tortilla, black beans purée, chicken in tomato chipotle sauce, lettuce & crema). We were all under the impression that it would arrive as some sort of salad. Wrong. It’s a taco which looks almost identical to the Tacos De Pollo (chicken breast adobado with cheese & pico de gallo). We also ordered chicken burritos. Those looked more like the ideal lunch. Frankly, it reminded me of Baja Fresh.
With guacamole, chips, and salsa, we had a satisfying lunch. For the price, I would say it is just okay. The overall group review is glowing. We still talk about it today how we crave the short rib tacos and salty chips. They’re addicting and a guilty pleasure.
Delivery is quick and the food arrives presentable and in one piece. My office lunches are always suspicious but in this case Mañana was well received. Sure, they disguised the real reason as Cinco de Mayo but I’ll take what I can get. Mañana was better than the $ 5 hamburgers they barely want to foot the bill for. Go here on company dime.

Good tasting Tex-​Mex. Very expensive for what you get on the trendy dishes.

Tried this place out. Salsa and chips okay. Wine, okay. Enchilada de Mole, okay. Price vs quality equation doesn’t add up unfortunately. It tries to pull off a «swanky» feel but falls short. Meh…

been here 3 times for lunch with my co-​workers in the last 2 months. Services and food are kept consistent with each visit. Guacamole is a must to order. They do not skim on ingredients here with the chunky creamy avocado + nicely diced up tomato all serve with toasty warm crispy tortilla chips. I am also a fan of the fish tacos here. The fish is nicely done on the inside with lightly battered exterior which other places tend to overdone with flour.

Been here three times and had a blast each time. The first time was Halloween last year. After a friend and I braved the rain to watch the parade we escaped to the Upper East Side to meet up with friends who had a table. The Margaritas were amazing and the staff was super friendly. The music was pretty good, although I remember they did not play the song I requested. Overall it turned out to be a great place to avoid the Halloween over-​crowdedness. There were just the right amount of people.
The second time I had a dinner there. Not sure about the prices because I wasn’t paying. Once again I ordered both the frozen and on the rocks margaritas and was very happy. Our server brought out a couple appetizers, including very delicious guacamole and chips! I also tried their salad, chicken enchiladas and the Churros Mexicano for dessert. Everything I tasted was AMAZING.
I also went here for a photoshoot for my friend’s handbag line. Definitely feels different in the morning/​afternoon but it turned out to be a great space with nice décor.

We had a company party here… small cozy place… music was good… service was great… food was yummy… cant ask for more…

Decent Mexican food for new York. It’s a bit pricey but it is the upper east side. La mañana is an ues hotspot. It turns into a total party in the evenings, not just a restaurant. The margaritas are unbelievably tasty and STRONG! The crowd is a mix of young and middle aged upper east siders. People go here more for the crowd and drinks rather than the food but the food is good, portions are a bit small for what they cost but it’s not your typical taco and burrito joint so it was expected. If you’re in the area and your craving Mexican I wouldn’t recommend any other place.

A boy gets hungry after spending an entire morning and partial afternoon shopping – or, rather, window-​shopping – on Madison Ave. at some of the best designer clothing stores in the world. So, enter Mañana, an adorable little Mexican restaurant tucked away on 61^st, right between Madison and Park Ave. My nose led me to its doorstep for a rather impromptu lunch visit. Now, I must confess that I was a bit wary about dabbling in New York’s version of Mexican food. I had heard reports that this is one cuisine that just falls short within the confines of the Big Apple. Moreover, let’s be honest; living next to the border and all, we San Diegans can be snobs when it comes to our Mexican food. Therefore, Mañana had a lot of hoops to jump through to please this particular outsider.
The interior is beautiful, tastefully painted in a cozy, subdued red that makes for an inviting and comforting setting. Red can be a tricky color to pull off without looking gaudy, but it works wonderfully in the space in conjunction with the beautiful chairs. tables, and mirrors.
After being seated, I immediately ordered a margarita and was then given both a regular menu and a special Lunch Pre-​Fixe Menu to peruse. Because my tummy was lobbing out spirited accusations of neglect, I opted for Mañana’s three-​course pre-​fixe option. I chose the following combinations: First Course — Tasting Size of Guacamole with Salsa, Second Course — Enchiladas de Pollo, and Third Course — Churros Mexicanos.
The guacamole was thick and chunky, just the way I like it. The salsa that was mixed in was fresh and tangy, but not spicy. Surprisingly, the lack of heat did not disappoint me; I was so impressed by the guacamole that I didn’t even care. Realizing that I was alone, I became aware that I had to put the brakes on the guacamole/​salsa lovefest, otherwise I would have embarrassingly devoured the entire bowl and basket of chips.
The Enchiladas de Pollo then arrived. Smothered in a delightful green tomatillo sauce, queso fresco, red onions and sour cream, this was a piece of heaven. The chicken was tender, and when combined with the marriage of other flavors in the dish, this was a true symphony on a plate. Again, though, there was no spice or heat, an element that would have provided the ummmph to elevate the dish to perfection.
Finally, the most enjoyable part of the meal was the third course, the churros. These pieces of joy were served with two different dipping sauces, dulce de leche (milk caramel) and chocolate. The cinnamon-​dusted churros found their way bathing in the dulce de leche more than its counterpart. In fact, I even considered licking the dulce de leche ramekin clean, until I, once again, became cognizant that I was sitting in a public place and that I had to maintain some sense of decorum.
Truly, Mañana is a delight. It’s a clean, fresh, satisfying Mexican interpretation that I found to be pleasing. If you want a nice quiet lunch away from the crowds, this place is the ticket.

I had lunch here and the food was delicious. Small portions but just enough. The flavors were fantastic and well defined.
That being said our server (Melissa I believe) was terrible. First off she had a bit of an argument with the manager in the front of house, when told to hush (as it is completely unacceptable behavior in front of customers) she kept on. She spent more time looking at herself in the mirrors than paying attention to her only table (ours, the the restaurant was nearly empty). She pulled her long hair down and put it back up into a bun right over a tray of glasswear, complaining the entire time. She asked if I was done with my lunch, literally while my fork was in my hand. And not once did she ask how our lunch was.
I understand having a bad day at work, I’ve worked in bars and restaurants for 13 years, her behavior was ridiculous. For the second time in my adult life I didn’t leave a tip.
All that being said, I’d return as long as she wasn’t my server.

Coworkers in tow, we found a couple of seats at the bar. I wanted to celebrate our hard work these past few months; we deserved this. After meeting the chef, we made some choices and placed the order. When the food was served it smelled great, tasted just as good and was presented nicely. The drinks were reasonable and service at the bar was better then average. Mañana is a new favorite, a good spot for lunch, a drink after work or a full blown meal with all the courses.

Mañana is right across the street from my office and likely to become the scene of many business dinners to come. I had a very pleasant experience here, but I have yet to be totally blown away.
The highlight of the visit was a margarita, spiked with just enough cilantro and jalapeño to earn its name, «El Fuego.» It was a nice, balanced drink that tastefully incorporated the Mexican flavors I love without beating me over the head with them.
The guac didn’t disappoint, but then it never does — I must be some kinda guac fiend. Mañana’s were maybe the crunchiest totopos I’ve ever encountered. Some of my associates’ entrees looked somewhat meager, but my plate of four filet mignon tacos (with a side of rice and silky black beans) filled me up.
Mañana gets a provisional 3 stars instead of four because I managed to walk out of there without still fantasizing about the grub as I usually do at Mexican places. Our waiter and hostess were warm and welcoming, though, and there were plenty more interesting items on the menu, so I’ll be back again.

The drinks here catch up with you — and then the restaurant becomes a spinning room of fun and lively people.
What I do remember during my meal and only margarita #1 and #2 was that the Queso Fundido (with white truffle oil) was amazing. The squash blossom quesadilla was crispy and tasty, and the lobster tacos were decadent and stuffed with large chunks of lobster. Margarita’s #3 and was it 4 (?) left the rest of the meal and little blurry. Carlos our waiter confessed that he made the dessert (a sponge cake soaked in milk, topped with papaya and whipped cream)… This at the time was so impressive that we had to compliment the manager on his pastry prowess.
Overall, it’s a much better use of the space than Lollipop was. Just be careful of the drinks, they are expensive and pack a punch.
PS. I think this qualifies as a First to Review.