Socarrat Bar de Vinos

I didn’t try the food — I just sampled the wine and the ambiance. It’s pricey, but if you accept that going in, it’s a warm and classy, but still casual environment. Not too loud, friendly servers.
Surprisingly busy on weeknights.

Lovely unique spot for small plates and cheese. Service was great and very knowledgeable. Great spot for a quiet date. Similar to, but much more intimate than Boqueria

Great little tapas place in Chelsea. Charming décor and service, but a bit expensive for what it is. The little tapas can really add up and make for a hefty bill. That said, the spicy shrimp dish was fantastic! I would go again just for that dish.

Only had one tapas plate to start, which was fantastic. We had the carne paella and it was amazing. Sangria (red) was light and refreshing, not overly sweet. Great date spot.

According to Bourdain «professional cooking is about consistency, mindless and repetition”* he was complaining specifically about this being the reason because novel chefs can’t develop their skills as creativity is a sin in a kitchen governed by another experienced chef. I’m not gonna argue that, however no matter what is the secret behind Socarrat’s kitchen it has been always consistently good, repeatedly a pleasure and a devotion for their Tapas and Paellas is a fact.
Consider this review applicable not only to Bar de Vinos but Socarrat Paella Bar as well. As is exactly the same. They are actually located next door each other. When I first hear about Bar de Vinos I kept on mind that the idea was to create an space just for wines and tapas in some cases as a way to kill the extensive waiting time to taste the paellas at the «real» restaurant. It was a surprise when we find out that the menus are available in both spaces and the kitchen is shared. Food, wines, the people behind… all the same. But the ambiance is different. I love the idea of the communal tables like the one at Paella bar but I’d choose this option only for 2 maybe 4 people. Other than that and also for intimacy, I prefer Bar de Vinos. Both share also the same reservation policy. There is any. And the same waiting time to be accommodated.
Among the Paellas, Arroz Negro (Black Rice) is mandatory. The seafood Paella is another favorite and I finally taste the their Fideua too, where short and thin noodles instead of rice are used. The noodles are dry, there is no broth and is made with fish, large shrimps, mussels and cuttle fish. The seafood festival in this one in particular reach epic proportions.
Tapas are fantastic as well. I have already try many of them but the ones that I’ll keep ordering include
Pork Belly. This delicacy is under the name Tocino. You will receive 2 blocks of braised pork belly and will enjoy a progression in flavor and texture from the top to the bottom as follow: crispy skin then the juicy and soft as butter layer of fat to reach the thickest layer, the meat. Juicy and soft as well, but separate in layers and very tasty. Love. Devotion. And talking about sins. I love the Mediterranean side in Spanish cuisine. As simple as sauteed meat, seafood, or veggies in olive oil and garlic. Riazor clams when are available, and grilled squid. Please order. Another one for squid is the one served in his own ink. I wasn’t crazy about the sardines once and the Pan Tomaca (bread with tomato, the version of bruschetta) has been random in their execution which bring me to the next, as consistency is mandatory …
Hope you get to read through here as will not be reflected in the rating, but I can’t skip the fact that once the experience wasn’t exceptional, still great but they can do it better. And so I’d have rate it that time as a 4. We loved all the dishes we had but the pork belly lacked the crispiness, the Paellas was a bit salty with the socarrat (the burn rice layer in the bottom) a bit too much and the sangria wasn’t as good as other times. I have the idea that this is related with the day, how busy they are that can reflect as well the cook/​cooks in the kitchen. As that differences shows to me variability in hands. I’ll try to skip weekends. Socarrat will be a destination on weekdays. A 4.5 in real, a 5 for the overall experience a few times.
For dessert, if you are offered the Almond cake don’t think anymore. Ok, the flan is good, the small bites of fried dough dipped in dark chocolate are great and their warm lemon cheesecake is amazing. But this is not about a Spanish restaurant or not. This is just about one of the best cakes I have taste and is not even chocolate. The essence of marcona almonds is concentrated in this pieces of a cold soft cake, like marzipan but without the extra sugar, and cover with almond pieces soaked in cocoa powder in a crazy abundance to add more flavor and texture. My next visit will be out of hours for a wine and a piece of this cake. The pleasure will reach the maximum level that day. Well, I’ll need pork belly too. But also because the wine list deserve a large talk as this one. But no worries, this is done.
«When you get to know me, you will love me» was my headline for Socarrat a few months ago. A few times back later I ask myself: Love already? Sure.
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* Kitchen Confidential p56

Socarrat is most authentic and officially my favorite Spanish restaurant in Manhattan. Laura A introduced me to Socarrat last night. We sat at the Bar de Vinos — it’s a very narrow and small space but I loved the chic décor of the restaurant.
We shared a number of tapas, among which my favorites were baby squid and sardines. Pork belly was very nice also. Now the paella — after several horrible experiences at other Spanish restaurants in Manhattan, I had decided never to order a paella. I find it shameful what most restaurants call paella — a mountain of yellow-​colored mushy rice in a casserole. But at Socarrat, finally, I was served the paella that was not mushy but crispy in the bottom. We shared seafood paella, one with traditional flavor with saffron and another with squid ink. I really loved the saffron paella, which had the real paella flavor I was longing for for many years. The black paella was also good but it was a bit salty for me.
To drink I had cava and red wine sangria. I realized I missed cava so much and that I like it much more than champagne. Sangria too was almost perfect — it’s not sweet wine juice you get in most places.
I will be definitely going back, both for more traditional tapas, and more paella.
24 points on Zagat 2011.

this place is veryyy cute… definitely go on a date here. they have great wine, good tapas… it is a bit pricey though. i recommend just getting a drink here and going next door to the paella bar for dinner.

We sat at the bar, sipping on white sangria, munching on yummy tapas while we waited for a table at the paella bar. Great Jamon Iberico, worth every hard earned penny. Their Gambas al Ajillo were outstanding. It was a great «wait» I might add, I’ve never been this happy waiting for a table. For pics and full reviews, please visit my blog.

One Friday night, my Extraordinary D. invited me to this out-​of-​the-​way lil jewel.
When I walked in, I saw it was crowded. A woman appeared & warmly invited me to come in to the bar where my friend may be waiting. Sure enuff,. there he was — having a glass of ruby red.
There would be a wait if we wanted a table, so we decided to stay at the bar & have tapas.
I left the ordering to him this time — I had no idea what to have & he hasn’t let me down.
OMG!!! I thought my tastebuds died & went to visit Elysium!
I didn’t even register what he ordered! lol
I can’t BEGIN to describe how pleasantly surprised I was –err,. at first bite! lol
The dishes were so fresh, steamy hot & ohh! the plethora of delicate flavours just danced around my palate!
My brain was just a little muddled from the rich wine and conversation!
Well,. I remember something with slivers of serrano, corn something that was so moist, a hush-​puppy like SomeThing that was so creamy,. Ohh don’t read this!
GO! Explore some flavours in this warm, lovely treasure!
The atmosphere was lively, our server was very friendly, and our bartender was attentive without being overbearing!