A solid 4.5

A solid 4.5

I have been wanting to try this place for awhile, and finally came here with a friend for her (belated) birthday celebration. I called on a Monday to make a reservation for Wednesday and was surprised that the only times available for 2 people were at 6pm or 10pm! I ended up making a reservation for the bar (full menu available) for 8pm. Once I got there I wasn't surprised. The space is somewhat small, so it would fill up quickly. Sitting at the bar was perfectly fine though.

They have a coat check - which is nice in a small place, especially in the winter with all of the bulky attire. The decor was great, the ambience lively and the music, kind of old timey and fun. While it was somewhat loud due to the compact nature of the place, and the number of people it wasn't so loud that you had to scream at your dinner mate.

In terms of service, I would have to say that this is probably the best staffed restaurant I've been too. Everybody that passes by acknowledges you, says hello or goodnight, asks you if you need anything, fills up your water, brings your food or takes your plates and helps you with your check. You don't have to wait for anything (except your food, which comes out as it's made). The staff were not only friendly but incredibly knowledgeable about the food, the wine and pairings. I was thoroughly impressed.

Now the part you've all be waiting for, the food! While I was generally impressed with the food, there was a bit of room for improvement. We ordered the rib-eye which came out a little cooler than I expected and while I know rib-eyes have marbled fat, there was a massive piece of fat on one of the slices. The cheese plate was delicious (they let you pick the cheeses). The patatas were a good suggestion from our waiter to go with the steak. The sourdough bread and olive oil, simple yet delicious. And the croquettes were tasty, but a bit mushier inside than I expected. The ones I've had in Spain had more jambon chopped up inside. The dessert, I forget what it was called but it was recommended by one of the servers since it has been on the menu since day 1. It's some sort of buttery cake, almost like shortbread with warm sherry cream. It was to die for. I wish I had 10 of them. No wonder it's been on the menu for so long! The only other complaint would be that I wish there were a few more options on the menu (especially if you don't like seafood). That being said, I know it can be hard to have a humongous menu for the kitchen, so perhaps it's a tactical thing.

I would absolutely come back here again and cannot wait until I do.