I tried to take photos of the dishes, but they don't do justice to the goodness of what we ate. My favorite dish was definitely the ceviche. The beans and plantains are also very good. The place is fantastic, very particular, it feels like entering a speakeasy. The music was very cheerful, perhaps a little too loud for my tastes, but still acceptable. I would definitely come back and recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marina B.
This is the kind of restaurant that makes me love being in New York City. Its speakeasy vibe, the service, and the exquisite food are a big YES for me. A personal favorite were the platanos, but literally everything was fantastic. They were able to easily accommodate my vegan friend which is ofc a plus :)
Onur İşcan
Highly overrated place. ??
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
NY chinchilla
Love this place. A true NYCity icon! Food is great and drinks are great.
My sister got a table here and we invited friends. We had a few more people show up than RSVP'd. Went to get them up at the front but the bouncer wouldn't let them through. I tried to tell him it was for a birthday event and it was only two more people and he threw me against the wall very aggressively. We will never be going back here again. The music wasn't good and the bartenders were very rude and I watched them pour pre made margaritas from a plastic container. Also, the dining area we sat in smelled like raw sewage. There were buckets and tin foil all over the pipes and ceiling. Not worth it, spend your money elsewhere!
Maurisa I.
We went here for a girls dinner on a Friday night as a group of 4. The vibe of the restaurant is very lively - half bar/half sit down restaurant with a DJ & very good music. Not a place to go if your looking for a quiet night w/ deep conversation, but could be a good spot to start your night if you're planning to bar/club hop. The food was really good - we started with guac, queso, and elote & everything was very good and flavorful. I had the pescado tacos which were excellent but very small (2 small tacos) - perfect for a lighter bite after heavier apps, but if you're really hungry you may need to order more. The drinks were ok - we had the blood orange margarita, la piña fuerte, and the pepino Diablo. The blood orange & pineapple were ok but the flavors were a bit too strong, but the others in my group loved the pepino Diablo & ordered multiple rounds. The reason for the 2 star review is the service. We got to the restaurant for a 9 pm reservation and were not seated until almost 1030pm. We were forced to wait in the crowded, club-like bar section with no seats & there was little communication from the host. They told us multiple times we were the next to be seated, only to have other tables be seated before us. Overall, the food was good but doesn't warrant a 1.5 hour wait imo.
Alexis Furnans
I am sorry to say, but this was the worst torta I've ever had. The menu described the Torta De Agucate Con Queso as "Avocado, Queso Fresco, Black Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Chipotle Mayo." However I received a torta with avocado, queso fresco, lettuce, and tomato. The overwhelming flavor was lettuce. There was maybe a quarter of a teaspoon of chipotle mayo and black beans (and that is a generous estimate). For a $14 sandwich ($17 with tip) I expected so much more. And strangely the side of greens came with balsamic vinaigrette?? How I wish this place didn't disappoint.The only positives were a nice staff and atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Raoul
Great food, great atmosphere. We were seated in the basement which has a great vibe. Little bit too crowded for me though, it felt like we basically shared a table with our neighbors even though we had separate tables. The music is a bit too loud as well, which makes it kinda hard to talk. The food compensates a lot though. We had cauliflower tacos, brisket tacos, plantains, guacamole and ceviche.Vegetarian options: Cauliflower tacos, guacamole
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Maira Bondre
Have never been so scared/treated more rudely on a night out. The man at the door, I don’t even know if I should call him a bouncer cause there was no indication whatsoever that he was working there, ruined mine and my friend groups (3girls) evening by slamming the door in our face MULTIPLE times without saying anything. Will not be going back,simply traumatized
Service: 1
Nala The Shiba
Super nice atmosphere. The food is ok, but not exceptional. It is advisable to reserve early.
Nestled within a vintage bodega in the heart of SoHo, New York City, La Esquina blends old-school charm with a trendy twist. The cool ambiance sets the stage for a promising dining experience. While the appetizers arrived promptly, the service took a nosedive thereafter, with long waits and a lack of attentiveness. The absence of offers for second round drinks further dampened the overall experience, overshadowing the delicious food offerings. Despite the enticing flavors, the disappointing service shortcomings at La Esquina warrant a 3-star rating.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Katelyn Dobranski
I don’t usually leave reviews, but the margarita pitchers were so bad that I felt I needed to leave one. They tasted like salt water. Really disappointing, couldn’t drink them. Already on the hook for the bottomless margaritas, paying 220 dollars for the evening of un-drinkable drinks.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Rafa Subi
Curious place that you enter through a taqueria and a small door that goes down to the restaurant.Good atmosphere with desire to have a good time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
LeVey Fan
Been going here for 17 years. Good food, tasty cocktails, live music/DJ downstairs. All the tacos, soup , chicken , salad dishes are flavorful and delicious. Both the taqueria/bar/restaurant are unique/ one of the first walk through kitchen concepts / dining experiences. Would love to rent a room for my birthday. Interesting crowd, you never know who you’ll see here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Avital Abramov
We received many recommendations for this restaurant and decided to make a reservation for a table of 8 on Saturday eve. We arrived on time but had to wait for an hour as the restaurant had forgotten to keep the table reserved for us. Instead of apologizing, they blamed us for the mistake. The service was terrible and the heat inside the restaurant was unbearable due to the overcrowded seating.Despite all of this, the food was good. We believe that if we had received our table on time, we would have had a great evening there.
I tried to take photos of the dishes, but they don't do justice to the goodness of what we ate. My favorite dish was definitely the ceviche. The beans and plantains are also very good. The place is fantastic, very particular, it feels like entering a speakeasy. The music was very cheerful, perhaps a little too loud for my tastes, but still acceptable. I would definitely come back and recommend it.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the kind of restaurant that makes me love being in New York City. Its speakeasy vibe, the service, and the exquisite food are a big YES for me. A personal favorite were the platanos, but literally everything was fantastic. They were able to easily accommodate my vegan friend which is ofc a plus :)
Highly overrated place. ??
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 3
Love this place. A true NYCity icon! Food is great and drinks are great.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Queso Fundido, Market Ceviche, Ribs
My sister got a table here and we invited friends. We had a few more people show up than RSVP'd. Went to get them up at the front but the bouncer wouldn't let them through. I tried to tell him it was for a birthday event and it was only two more people and he threw me against the wall very aggressively. We will never be going back here again. The music wasn't good and the bartenders were very rude and I watched them pour pre made margaritas from a plastic container. Also, the dining area we sat in smelled like raw sewage. There were buckets and tin foil all over the pipes and ceiling. Not worth it, spend your money elsewhere!
We went here for a girls dinner on a Friday night as a group of 4. The vibe of the restaurant is very lively - half bar/half sit down restaurant with a DJ & very good music. Not a place to go if your looking for a quiet night w/ deep conversation, but could be a good spot to start your night if you're planning to bar/club hop. The food was really good - we started with guac, queso, and elote & everything was very good and flavorful. I had the pescado tacos which were excellent but very small (2 small tacos) - perfect for a lighter bite after heavier apps, but if you're really hungry you may need to order more. The drinks were ok - we had the blood orange margarita, la piña fuerte, and the pepino Diablo. The blood orange & pineapple were ok but the flavors were a bit too strong, but the others in my group loved the pepino Diablo & ordered multiple rounds. The reason for the 2 star review is the service. We got to the restaurant for a 9 pm reservation and were not seated until almost 1030pm. We were forced to wait in the crowded, club-like bar section with no seats & there was little communication from the host. They told us multiple times we were the next to be seated, only to have other tables be seated before us. Overall, the food was good but doesn't warrant a 1.5 hour wait imo.
I am sorry to say, but this was the worst torta I've ever had. The menu described the Torta De Agucate Con Queso as "Avocado, Queso Fresco, Black Beans, Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Chipotle Mayo." However I received a torta with avocado, queso fresco, lettuce, and tomato. The overwhelming flavor was lettuce. There was maybe a quarter of a teaspoon of chipotle mayo and black beans (and that is a generous estimate). For a $14 sandwich ($17 with tip) I expected so much more. And strangely the side of greens came with balsamic vinaigrette?? How I wish this place didn't disappoint.The only positives were a nice staff and atmosphere.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Great food, great atmosphere. We were seated in the basement which has a great vibe. Little bit too crowded for me though, it felt like we basically shared a table with our neighbors even though we had separate tables. The music is a bit too loud as well, which makes it kinda hard to talk. The food compensates a lot though. We had cauliflower tacos, brisket tacos, plantains, guacamole and ceviche.Vegetarian options: Cauliflower tacos, guacamole
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Have never been so scared/treated more rudely on a night out. The man at the door, I don’t even know if I should call him a bouncer cause there was no indication whatsoever that he was working there, ruined mine and my friend groups (3girls) evening by slamming the door in our face MULTIPLE times without saying anything. Will not be going back,simply traumatized
Service: 1
Super nice atmosphere. The food is ok, but not exceptional. It is advisable to reserve early.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
Nestled within a vintage bodega in the heart of SoHo, New York City, La Esquina blends old-school charm with a trendy twist. The cool ambiance sets the stage for a promising dining experience. While the appetizers arrived promptly, the service took a nosedive thereafter, with long waits and a lack of attentiveness. The absence of offers for second round drinks further dampened the overall experience, overshadowing the delicious food offerings. Despite the enticing flavors, the disappointing service shortcomings at La Esquina warrant a 3-star rating.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
I don’t usually leave reviews, but the margarita pitchers were so bad that I felt I needed to leave one. They tasted like salt water. Really disappointing, couldn’t drink them. Already on the hook for the bottomless margaritas, paying 220 dollars for the evening of un-drinkable drinks.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 2
Curious place that you enter through a taqueria and a small door that goes down to the restaurant.Good atmosphere with desire to have a good time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Been going here for 17 years. Good food, tasty cocktails, live music/DJ downstairs. All the tacos, soup , chicken , salad dishes are flavorful and delicious. Both the taqueria/bar/restaurant are unique/ one of the first walk through kitchen concepts / dining experiences. Would love to rent a room for my birthday. Interesting crowd, you never know who you’ll see here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We received many recommendations for this restaurant and decided to make a reservation for a table of 8 on Saturday eve. We arrived on time but had to wait for an hour as the restaurant had forgotten to keep the table reserved for us. Instead of apologizing, they blamed us for the mistake. The service was terrible and the heat inside the restaurant was unbearable due to the overcrowded seating.Despite all of this, the food was good. We believe that if we had received our table on time, we would have had a great evening there.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 4
Service: 1
Recommended dishes: Chips Salsa & Guacamole