Last night, at week-old paella-and-tapas joint Socarrat, the communal table was fully ocupado and dotted with bottles that BYOB-ers had purchased a couple of blocks away (the liquor license is pending). Owner Jesus Manso was in high spirits, insisting on scraping burnt food onto our dish (actually a good thing!). As we mentioned earlier today, George Mendes will soon bring another Spanish spot to Chelsea and Ilan Hall will bring one to the meatpacking, but the bad news for the neighborhood’s Iberia-philes is this: A tipster tells us that twenty-year-old standby and hidden gem El Cid closed last weekend; the phone is already disconnected. ¡Que lástima! If you’re looking for an old-school escape from the meatpacking madness, we’re now redirecting you to El Faro.

Related: Ilan Hall to Be Chef at Spanish Meatpacking-District Venture?
Tapas to Settle Into Chelsea and Williamsburg