We were very disappointed about our experience here. Beginning with the server. He had a very bad attitude and arrogant demeanour. As we were placing our order with him, he told us to order more dishes and how many minimum we should get.From this point on, there was no engagement. The restaurant had only about 3 groups when we were there. 4 of the staff were all behind the bar, seemingly like they were gossiping in their own world and ignored the fact that there were customers in the restaurant. It was the guy who was working in the kitchen who helped us change cutlery sets, served our food, introduced each dish, and made us feel welcomed. The 1 star is for him, otherwise we would give 0.We were amazed we were served the food we did for the price we paid. They are supposedly asian-market inspired but as asians, we were not new to all the ingredients and cooking styles. We felt extremely ripped off.We regret trying this restaurant. They hype it up like it's impossible to get a reservation but it is truly not worth the hype. We are amazed restaurants like this can afford to run their operations as such.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
loic queffelec
To flee ! I have never seen such disrespectful staff, a scandal!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Mauricio Ferreira
Out of 10 service, the oysters are very good, all the dishes have a very interesting concept, it's a good experience.(don't expect to eat huge dishes)It's a steep price for us Brazilians who have such a devalued currency, but those who convert don't have fun ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nina Y.
always a favorite! endive salad, dumplings and arroz are classics but has the duck this time and it was one of the best best duck dishes i've had. so good will always come back when here
Andrew Wingert
The joke is on you if you eat here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
Robert D.
10 out of 10. The food, service, and ambiance were all spot on. Everything pictured below was amazing. We also had, not pictured, the Ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and pecorino Sardo which were one of my favorites. The Endive salad was my number 1 favorite dish of the day. The Charcuterie and the sourdough bread , though basic sounding, really was delicious as well. The Executive Chef stopped at our table to see how we liked everything and that was such a pleasant personal touch. We tried both the Chocolate cake and the Panna Cotta and both were amazing as well. Really great experience and will definitley be back.
Ginger Queen
Estela left a bad taste in our mouths. Our experience was ruined by overly salty dishes that drowned out any hint of flavor. The Beef Tartare lacked the promised beefy essence, and the oysters were swimming in salt and garlic, making them nearly inedible. To make matters worse, the outrageous prices for tiny portions, like the $52 2oz Wagyu beef steak, felt like a rip-off. Even the supposedly delicate crab dish was ruined by too much salt, masking any subtle flavors. The monkfish, which was supposed to be a highlight, fell short, lacking any noticeable seasoning or creativity.On top of all that, the service was a mess. Despite having a reservation, we waited for half an hour to be seated, only to watch servers stumble around with our dishes, not sure where they were supposed to go. The fact that they didn't offer espresso or serve regular coffee properly only highlighted their shortcomings. And serving scalding hot coffee in a handle-less glass cup was just ridiculous.With over 1500 four-star reviews, I really hope this was a one-time experience, but unfortunately, our visit fell far short of expectations.The only good thing was the sourdough bread, which was the only thing worth eating. But even that couldn't make up for the terrible dining experience. For a bill of $700 for four people, the sky-high cost was not justified by the mediocre food and service. Despite its one-star Michelin rating, our disappointing visit to Estela has us doubting the credibility of such accolades.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
joao crepaldi
I must have exaggerated my expectations.Absolutely nothing very good or great.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Stella J.
Estela left a bad taste in our mouths. Our experience was ruined by overly salty dishes that drowned out any hint of flavor. The Beef Tartare lacked the promised beefy essence, and the oysters were swimming in salt and garlic, making them nearly inedible. To make matters worse, the outrageous prices for tiny portions, like the $52 2oz Wagyu beef steak, felt like a rip-off. Even the supposedly delicate crab dish was ruined by too much salt, masking any subtle flavors. The monkfish, which was supposed to be a highlight, fell short, lacking any noticeable seasoning or creativity. On top of all that, the service was a mess. Despite having a reservation, we waited for half an hour to be seated, only to watch servers stumble around with our dishes, not sure where they were supposed to go. The fact that they didn't offer espresso or serve regular coffee properly only highlighted their shortcomings. And serving scalding hot coffee in a handle-less glass cup was just ridiculous. With over 1500 four-star reviews, I really hope this was a one-time experience, but unfortunately, our visit fell far short of expectations. The only good thing was the sourdough bread, which was the only thing worth eating, for a bill of $700 for four people. Despite its one-star Michelin rating, our disappointing visit to Estela has us doubting the credibility of such accolades.
Antara Mukherjee Trillingsgaard
Surprising that a restaurant that has a line up of reservations and ensures that you feel lucky to have booked a table way in advance here, doesn’t really deliver on that anticipation. The food was good but definitely not the hype and the price tag. The service had so many faults. We got our wine after almost 60% of the dishes for the evening were served, when asked about it the sommelier didn’t have the most friendly tone. The food is served randomly so there is no telling when you start and when you are done. Packed small place with servers hovering over your shoulders almost throughout dinner.I will not recommend. NYC has many other amazing options and for this price range, it’s better you find a place worth the money.
James, our guide for the evening, took us on a magical journey. We had a wonderful meal, peppered with food and drink recommendations that hit just right. We left satiated but not overdone. Thank you for the beautiful evening, James!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
S Guerrero
Hands down one of the best dinning experiences in the city. Everything is awesome in this place. Incredible food, service, place. Love the fact that the dishes are always different, depending on the season. One of the best restaurants I’ve been too.
Martiño Prada
Amazing experience at Estela, service was on point, food was excellent, creative but not extravagant, the scallops with that sweet topping were incredible, very good fried black rice, delicious ricotta dumplings… Everything very good in general. Also loved the Galician white wine, Ribeiro, what a treat! Expensive as any good food in NY but not too crazy. Get the bread and butter, filling and delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Claus Trillingsgaard
The service was shockingly bad - food is good
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Eva
A good restaurant. The food was of the best quality and tasted excellent. The recommended drinks were great. The service was always present without being intrusive, very friendly and accommodating. We had a very nice afternoon.
We were very disappointed about our experience here. Beginning with the server. He had a very bad attitude and arrogant demeanour. As we were placing our order with him, he told us to order more dishes and how many minimum we should get.From this point on, there was no engagement. The restaurant had only about 3 groups when we were there. 4 of the staff were all behind the bar, seemingly like they were gossiping in their own world and ignored the fact that there were customers in the restaurant. It was the guy who was working in the kitchen who helped us change cutlery sets, served our food, introduced each dish, and made us feel welcomed. The 1 star is for him, otherwise we would give 0.We were amazed we were served the food we did for the price we paid. They are supposedly asian-market inspired but as asians, we were not new to all the ingredients and cooking styles. We felt extremely ripped off.We regret trying this restaurant. They hype it up like it's impossible to get a reservation but it is truly not worth the hype. We are amazed restaurants like this can afford to run their operations as such.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
To flee ! I have never seen such disrespectful staff, a scandal!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Out of 10 service, the oysters are very good, all the dishes have a very interesting concept, it's a good experience.(don't expect to eat huge dishes)It's a steep price for us Brazilians who have such a devalued currency, but those who convert don't have fun ??
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
always a favorite! endive salad, dumplings and arroz are classics but has the duck this time and it was one of the best best duck dishes i've had. so good will always come back when here
The joke is on you if you eat here.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 4
10 out of 10. The food, service, and ambiance were all spot on. Everything pictured below was amazing. We also had, not pictured, the Ricotta dumplings with mushrooms and pecorino Sardo which were one of my favorites. The Endive salad was my number 1 favorite dish of the day. The Charcuterie and the sourdough bread , though basic sounding, really was delicious as well. The Executive Chef stopped at our table to see how we liked everything and that was such a pleasant personal touch. We tried both the Chocolate cake and the Panna Cotta and both were amazing as well. Really great experience and will definitley be back.
Estela left a bad taste in our mouths. Our experience was ruined by overly salty dishes that drowned out any hint of flavor. The Beef Tartare lacked the promised beefy essence, and the oysters were swimming in salt and garlic, making them nearly inedible. To make matters worse, the outrageous prices for tiny portions, like the $52 2oz Wagyu beef steak, felt like a rip-off. Even the supposedly delicate crab dish was ruined by too much salt, masking any subtle flavors. The monkfish, which was supposed to be a highlight, fell short, lacking any noticeable seasoning or creativity.On top of all that, the service was a mess. Despite having a reservation, we waited for half an hour to be seated, only to watch servers stumble around with our dishes, not sure where they were supposed to go. The fact that they didn't offer espresso or serve regular coffee properly only highlighted their shortcomings. And serving scalding hot coffee in a handle-less glass cup was just ridiculous.With over 1500 four-star reviews, I really hope this was a one-time experience, but unfortunately, our visit fell far short of expectations.The only good thing was the sourdough bread, which was the only thing worth eating. But even that couldn't make up for the terrible dining experience. For a bill of $700 for four people, the sky-high cost was not justified by the mediocre food and service. Despite its one-star Michelin rating, our disappointing visit to Estela has us doubting the credibility of such accolades.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
I must have exaggerated my expectations.Absolutely nothing very good or great.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 3
Estela left a bad taste in our mouths. Our experience was ruined by overly salty dishes that drowned out any hint of flavor. The Beef Tartare lacked the promised beefy essence, and the oysters were swimming in salt and garlic, making them nearly inedible. To make matters worse, the outrageous prices for tiny portions, like the $52 2oz Wagyu beef steak, felt like a rip-off. Even the supposedly delicate crab dish was ruined by too much salt, masking any subtle flavors. The monkfish, which was supposed to be a highlight, fell short, lacking any noticeable seasoning or creativity. On top of all that, the service was a mess. Despite having a reservation, we waited for half an hour to be seated, only to watch servers stumble around with our dishes, not sure where they were supposed to go. The fact that they didn't offer espresso or serve regular coffee properly only highlighted their shortcomings. And serving scalding hot coffee in a handle-less glass cup was just ridiculous. With over 1500 four-star reviews, I really hope this was a one-time experience, but unfortunately, our visit fell far short of expectations. The only good thing was the sourdough bread, which was the only thing worth eating, for a bill of $700 for four people. Despite its one-star Michelin rating, our disappointing visit to Estela has us doubting the credibility of such accolades.
Surprising that a restaurant that has a line up of reservations and ensures that you feel lucky to have booked a table way in advance here, doesn’t really deliver on that anticipation. The food was good but definitely not the hype and the price tag. The service had so many faults. We got our wine after almost 60% of the dishes for the evening were served, when asked about it the sommelier didn’t have the most friendly tone. The food is served randomly so there is no telling when you start and when you are done. Packed small place with servers hovering over your shoulders almost throughout dinner.I will not recommend. NYC has many other amazing options and for this price range, it’s better you find a place worth the money.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
James, our guide for the evening, took us on a magical journey. We had a wonderful meal, peppered with food and drink recommendations that hit just right. We left satiated but not overdone. Thank you for the beautiful evening, James!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Hands down one of the best dinning experiences in the city. Everything is awesome in this place. Incredible food, service, place. Love the fact that the dishes are always different, depending on the season. One of the best restaurants I’ve been too.
Amazing experience at Estela, service was on point, food was excellent, creative but not extravagant, the scallops with that sweet topping were incredible, very good fried black rice, delicious ricotta dumplings… Everything very good in general. Also loved the Galician white wine, Ribeiro, what a treat! Expensive as any good food in NY but not too crazy. Get the bread and butter, filling and delicious!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The service was shockingly bad - food is good
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
A good restaurant. The food was of the best quality and tasted excellent. The recommended drinks were great. The service was always present without being intrusive, very friendly and accommodating. We had a very nice afternoon.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5