Sala Bowery

Their seafood paella was just extremely delicious! We’re actually feeling somewhat hungry again right now while typing this review, just from thinking about their seafood paella! =)

I really enjoyed myself here. Came around 5:30 p.m. on a Wednesday night and we were the first table having dinner. The bar was already full with couples enjoying the happy hour, which is 2 for 1 beer, wine and sangria!
The happy hour is apparently only at the bar, but since we were the only table they let us get it too! Hello sangria. Here’s a rundown of what we ordered:
Fried Goat Cheese: Spectacular. The carmelized onions and the drizzled honey was the perfect combo. They were surprisingly filling as well.
Setas: Mushrooms and onions in a garlic sauce over toast. This was really good as well, though sort of difficult to eat without everything falling onto the plate.
Brie with Serrano Ham over toast: Not my favorite. It was a small slice of brie over thinly shaved ham. It was OK, but wouldn’t order it again.
Apple something dessert: This was basically a whole cooked apple that was then coated in a thin crispy pastry, drizzled in thick caramel sauce and whip cream, with strawberries on the side. HOLY CRAP. It was amazzinngg and perfect for fall. Really finished off the meal well and left us pleasantly full.
Our server was spectacular. She was super friendly, gave honest recommendations, was attentive and made the whole experience that much more enjoyable.
I’d definitely go back.

It started with the friendly and prompt return phone call from Rob to the reservation line.
«Yes, we’d happy to seat the 4 of you at 8:30 this friday».
And when we arrived at 8:30, guess what happened. We were promptly seated by Rob who cheerfuly remembered our conversation.
And when we told our very friendly waiter that one of us had a gluten allergy she was more than happy to accommodate us completely and communicate with the kitchen staff.
And when the food came out it was hot, lovely and delicious.
And when we left already satisfied, there was Rob again who said;
«Thank you Darcey, have a good night».
Rob doesn’t know it but he’s my new BFF!

Not full on a Saturday night at 9:45pm, it seemed like our table was the only two top, the other tables were large groups and everyone was pitchers of sangria.
Dates wrapped in bacon were fantastic. I’m not a big fan of dates but these were so good we ordered a second helping. Mussels were delish as well, comes with bread to sop up the plentiful broth.
Bf and I shared a seafood paella. At $ 19 per person it’s a big steep but it was loaded with seafood so it did not disappoint. There was seafood laid out on top: mussels, clams (only 2 though boo), calamari and two prawns with head and shells on. There was a ton more shrimp and calamari buried in the saucy rice (I love wet paella). The rice could’ve been a bit more cooked but the flavor was good and it was saucy! I’ve had tons of paella and most disappoint. Sala’s did not.
Saucy rice is my weakness. The dish was huuuuge, definitely recommended for more than two (you can just say it’s for 2 so you don’t need to pay for the extra person but 3+ can share) so we just dug through the rice and picked out all the yummy shrimp and calamari but I couldn’t resist the yummy saucy rice and kept eating forkfuls. Had to tell the waiter to take it away before I overloaded on saucy rice
Mmmm. Saucy rice…

My husband and I recommend the Sala 19 location to the Bowery location. We came to Sala Bowery because it’s a little closer to home but was hoping for a similar experience we had previously at Sala 19: great sangria special at 2 for 1, attentive and knowledgeable (Spanish) bartender, and tasty, well-​portioned tapas.
The biggest disappointment was, as we were curtly told by the bartender, that there was not a special tapas menu for happy hour. We attempted to explain to her that we recently ordered from it at Sala 19 but she wasn’t interested in listening to us since she had to get back to texting on her cell phone. We were further annoyed that she didn’t give us any olives, although everyone else at the bar had them. Normally it wouldn’t have been a big deal, but the bartender was already rude to us.
The sangria was good, though. We quickly drank our two drinks, interrupted the bartender’s texting for our check, and hopped in a cab to finish happy hour at Sala 19. Yup, we wanted the tapas from that menu at happy hour prices that badly that we up and left. And I’m glad we did, because we had other friends join us there, and they loved the menu, too.

3.5 stars:
I’ve been here for happy hour twice. The drinks are 2-​for-​1, which makes beers $ 3 and sangria $ 4 each. They give you a little dish of olives if you sit at the bar. The tapas are pretty good. I like the bacon-​wrapped dates. Their toasts are also good. The food is a little too expensive for the quantity and quality, thus I can’t give them 4 stars. I get a bad feeling from the staff. They’re not friendly or very fast, but they’re efficient enough. I might go here again, but considering everything, I think I’d rather try another place. At least the drinks are a good deal at happy hour. Final note– the décor inside is really beautiful. The kitchen and dining room are really nice and earthy.

It was good, but it didn’t blow me away. First, the nitpicks: the patatas bravas were not what I expected — the sauce was more tomato-​ey than remoulade-​like, and though it tasted very good, I prefer the potato pieces to be smaller and crispier. The lamb shank was fall-​off-​the-​bone tender, and the greens served with it were delicious, but I would have preferred that the dish not be swimming in a quarter inch of liquid/​sauce, because it made for a very messy eating experience. I also have a nitpick with the toasts — I would prefer a bread that is sturdier and crustier, which would stand up better to the toppings. The sangria and service were great, and the bacon-​wrapped dates were drool-​worthy. The atmosphere is dark and romantic. I would return and give them another shot to wow me.

Everything I ordered is shown in Exhibit 1 below.

Exhibit 1:
Tortilla Espanola — Spanish omelette with potatoes
Baked brie melted on top of loads of portabello over toast
Sauteed shrimp with almonds on toast
Duck breast and onions over toast
Sangria
Executive Summary:
For tapas, the portion size here is quite large. Everyone knows that tiny tapas can ruin a perfectly good evening. Luckily that crisis was averted. They loaded those toasts with large chunks of meat /​mushrooms. Muy Bueno. One can easily make a meal from these tapas. Each one was very flavorful and distinct.
Also, huge plus to Sala because not many tapas places have a large number of non-​pork dishes. Can’t wait to go back.

Great place for a date or a small group. Rustic décor with low lighting, high and exposed ceilings, and low key ambiance.
The tapas were great. As other reviews mentioned, the bacon-​wrapped dates were to die for. My friend doesn’t like dates, and I don’t like bacon, but we both ended up devouring the tapa within 5 minutes. The shrimp and duck were also really good.
I wasn’t impressed by the honey goat cheese. We got it based on other Unilocaler’s recommendations but we thought it was just very heavy and too much cheese.
Overall, I would come here again. They also have
coupons.

Great place for a bit of food and wine/​or sangrias.
I will re-​iterate what had been said before. Goat cheese in honey is the best plate out there!!! You think it’s good? No! It’s grandelicioabulous! The rest, dates in bacon, shrimps, potatoes are all right.
I should mention, that the place is good enough to recommend it to your boss…

«Sala» is both the term my mom uses to refer to the living room and to a mistake. In the case of our time at Sala, it was definitely a right decision and we felt like we are in a friend’s living room. I
We ordered gambas al ajillo (shrimp in gralic and olive oil), jamon serrano 18 meses (18 month old aged Serrano ham), queso de cabra con miel (fried goat cheese with honey), tortilla espanola (egg.potato and onion omelet). The gambas tasted fresh and garlic-​ky, exactly how gambas should taste. II thought the jamon serrano was fantastic!
Although the place was packed even at 10 p.m., the host informed us that there was a group leaving soon and indeed after ten minutes, we were able to get a table. Sala was brimming with people and there was music playing in the background but it was not loud and it’s a great place to share a meal and have a conversation. It turns out that I’ve been to Sala 19 twice and i remember both visits to be enjoyable. I’d really want to go back to Sala and try other items on the menu or the Sunday brunch. –_–

I just had pangs of outrage… but I’m over it now. I know not everyone can enjoy what I enjoy and in the way I enjoy it… but the thought of a negative review of Sala just really shocked my system there for a sec.
Phew!
Stopped into Sala one night with no reservation. Called as I was walking in their direction and asked if there was a table in the bar area we could snag. Luckily YES!
What a fun tour we did! We had lamb chops that had cute little appropriate dollops of pesto on them. We had the grilled calamari that was good and spicy due to the marinade of hot red pepper and garlic. All that and an inexpensive bottle of Garnacha.
SO GOOD!
The four of us had two bottles of wine, shared four tapas, and and were very pleased, full, and buzzed up for under $ 200 including tip! Neat!

Deplorable tapas in a cute setting.
If you don’t know tapas very well, you might like it here. It’s cute, and the tapas are passable, but nothing compared to the various other tapas places in the city (Las Ramblas, Tia Pol, etc).
We got three tapas:
–Patatas bravas (overdrowned in a weird sauce, should have been crispier, and the sauce was tomato based, which is not traditional)
–Gambas al ajillo (overlly oily, rubbery gambas, and I believe they use that pre-​cut garlic that’s in oil rather than fresh garlic)
–Goat cheese with caramelized onion and honey (goat cheese was not hot enough in the middle, overly fried, but this was probably the best).
Eh, for the hefty prices, it’s not really worth the sad food. It’s cute but I would go just for happy hour, I believe 5 – 7, when they have happy hour. You can also get the
coupon.

Nice tapas joint, as pricey as tapas places tend to be. I really enjoyed the cozy and dark atmosphere. It was right up my alley on a cold winter’s day. We sat in the dining area upstairs but when I went to the bathroom I saw that there’s a downstairs area as well which is perfect for small parties.
The service is really good too, we never had to wait long to order something extra and the waiter constantly brought us new bread and olive oil. We must have gone through four of them.
The food itself was pretty tasty. I enjoyed the green salad, the patatas bravas were excellent and were gone in seconds and I also had this egg on toast thing that was pretty good. Luckily I foresaw myself getting full on the tapas and didn’t order a main entrée. With a glass of red wine and a cup of tea and flan for dessert this was a perfect meal. Well almost perfect, I kind of wish the tapas menu was longer and had a few more options. I also wish the 4 girls who sat at the table behind us and whose shrill laughter got louder and louder with each drink sat a little further.

I’ve tried just about everything on Sala’s menu after visiting there multiple times, and I can say this — I either hate or love everything on their menu. There seems to be no in between.
The goat cheese croquettes are amazing, as are the shirmp and chorizo sausage dishes. However, both times that I have tried the paella, it has been very bland, rubbery and over cooked.
The last time I was here we sat downstairs in the lounge area. Nothing fancy by any means but very nice if you have a large group and want to get away from the din of the upstairs.
Service has always been great. Overall highly recommended.

Pro: Huge servings. Each order of tapas could easily be shared by 3 – 4 people (as tapas, of course, not as meals).
Con: Sangria tasted very watered down and everything we ordered was covered in oil.
We had the artichoke hearts with jamon serrano, the brie fundido over mushroom tosta and the fried goat cheese with caramelized onions and honey.
The goat cheese was quite good… honestly you cannot screw up anything fried. The honey had a wonderful flavor. buckwheat maybe? Now you expect a fried item to be covered in oil, that’s not a problem.
But the artichoke hearts, though I know they should be marinated in olive oil, were just greasy. I don’t know quite how to describe it, but though it tasted good, it was unpleasant to eat what with oil covering half your face every time you took a bite. The jamon was crispy, which theoretically is a good idea, but for some reason they just tasted like slivers of salt. Maybe Serrano is not meant to be cooked?
The brie on the tosta was not fundido’d at all and was cut in these awkward pieces, like it was the last little chunk of brie and they were trying to get enough slices for the tosta. Presentation-​wise, it was really sad looking. Add to that the sauteed mushrooms. I ADORE sauteed mushrooms, we all do. But what I at first took to be the glistening of demi-​glacé or sherry was, of course, oil. The toasted bread underneath was translucent with oil.
If you are in the neighborhood at around happy hour and just want a place to meet with friends and don’t need awesome picapica with your drinks, come here and then go elsewhere for better eats. If you are already 3 sheets to the wind, a little (lot) of oil here may do you good!

This review is long overdue but better late than never. My friend and I planned our joint birthday dinner here just about a year ago (which reminds me… it’s time to plan another dinner).
Here’s a re-​cap…
1. Reservations: Easy. Table for 8 on a Friday night, no problem.
2. Bar: Happy Hour Special. 2-​for-​1 drink specials made the wait for others to arrive a pleasant one.
3. Dinner: Uneventful, smooth.
4. Service: The waitress was friendly, answered our questions.
5. Food: Decent. We all split dishes — orders of seafood paella and some tapas — which were more than enough for us.
6. Check + payment: POOR! Apparent misunderstanding regarding cost of the seafood paella.
We were charged ~$ 20 per person for the paella, even though we only ordered 3 or 4 of them. That’s when the waitress took the time to explain the $ 20 is not for the entire dish of paella, but rather it’s a per person charge. Granted, I’ve since learned that this is a typical way to charge for paella, but none of us knew that at the time, so it would have been nice if the waitress had explained this to us BEFORE we ordered. It felt like we were duped — like she knew we were confused when we ordered, especially since we ordered so many — and she did not say a word. I suspect this has happened to other clueless patrons since you don’t normally see per person charges for a dish.
So at the end of the day we each ended up owing $ 40+ and I felt horrible. Yes, I know it’s not a huge sum but I wanted the dinner to be low key and affordable and I thought Sala Bowery was a good place to do it. I did not want my friends to have to shell out that much money to help celebrate my birthday — and the fact that the paella was not that great and we had so much left over did not help the situation. So that’s when I took matters into my own hands and asked for the manager. I explained the situation and though he argued back that we should have carefully read the menu, he agreed to shave off half the cost of the paellas and our individual bills were reduced to $ 30 pp.
VERDICT: While I am grateful to have reached a compromise, I wish the unpleasant situation could have been avoided altogether. Unfortunately the bill dispute is what I remember most about this particular experience so I’m unable to really comment about the food or atmosphere.
So yes, the misunderstanding left a bad taste in my mouth but we subsequently moved onto Alphabet Lounge (my first visit of many, see my review) and my worries from the Sala Bowery incident were quickly washed away…

Knowing that;
1-​My BFF’s bachelorette dinner had 18 guests
2-​The bride-​to-​be adores tapas
3-​All 18 of us (including her mom) love booze,
…I was happy to find Sala Bowery. $ 70 p/​p (before tax & tip) got us a 3 course tapas dinner; the first 2 courses gave us 4 dishes each, and the last was 3 kinds of paella (seafood, veggie, and chicken) PLUS, unlimited beer, wine, cocktails, and sangria.
Unfortunately, I took advantage of all that unlimited booze and have to use my facebook pictures to remember everything we ate… but hands down; the bacon wrapped dates, veggies with romescu, and fried goat cheese dishes were TO DIE FOR. So much so, that I plan on going back just to gorge on these dishes. I only ate the veggie paella (because I was too drunk to head to the other ends of the table where the seafood and chicken were) and though it was good, the rice should have been cooked a lil more.
The resto was dominated by groups of women; most were bachelorette/​birthday parties, which makes me think this place is popular because of its capacity for large parties.
–1 star just because I’m not sure if I’d come back for an intimate dinner; another party/​large group affair, sure… but I wasn’t completely feeling your vibe (faux Spanish rustic.)
–1 star for this; the bride-​to-​be ordered a round of Tequila Sunrise shots for the table. Apparently, shots are not a part of our ‘package’ and would have been $ 10 per shot. However, we were able to order several rounds of Tequila Sunrises as *drinks*, which were included in our package. How the f*ck does that work; don’t drinks usually contain more alcohol than shots anyway?

Sala is pretty good. The magret de pato (duck) was the winner. I was not a fan of the patatas bravas – soaked and not crispy. The shrimp was swimming in butter, which is fine if that is your thing. The cheese/​meat plate was good.
Service was standard-​good. The atmosphere is pretty nice, and the prices aren’t too bad. But for the same amount of money I would choose Las Ramblas (WV) or Euzkadi (EV) over Sala anyday.

This place is a great find in the Bowery area — lively with great service and the most interesting décor. Our waiter Tony (or Antonio) in the basement was very nice, friendly, and helpful. Sometimes due to them being super busy they may not be super attentive, but most of the time my group and I were too busy enjoying the funky modern Spanish music coupled with the scrumptious food we were diving into. There are very few things here that don’t taste good and a little sampling of everything on the menu in a large group can do wonders. Beware, its pricey and can really run up a serious tab but the appetizers/​tapas special that runs on the weekdays features a 50% discount and is only good for the basement level. Upstairs the drinks are 2 for 1 near the bar. They’re smart not to combine the deal, though secretly I wish they would.
Some very recommended items are the Chorizo platter, Spanish Omelette (Tortilla Espanola), the Goat Cheese (Queso de Cabra con Miel) and the DATES (Datil). I was impressed at the variety this place had and was a bit taken back by their extremely contemporary ambiance. It can be a bit cramped for bit groups, but is a great place to enjoy great food in an intimate setting while enjoying good conversation.