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Home > Restaurants > El Cocotero

El Cocotero

228 W. 18th St., New York, NY 10011
nr. Seventh Ave.  See Map | Subway Directions Hopstop Popup
212-206-8930 Send to Phone

  • Price Range: $$

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  • Reader Rating:

    9.0 out of 10

      |  

    5 Reviews | Write a Review

  • Cuisine: South American
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Photo by Gavin Thomas

Official Website

cocotero-restaurant.com

Hours

Mon-Wed, 11am-10pm; Thu-Sat, 11am-11pm; Sun, noon-9pm

Nearby Subway Stops

1 at 18th St.

Prices

$9.95-$19.95

Payment Methods

American Express, Diners Club, Discover, MasterCard, Visa

Special Features

  • Brunch - Weekend
  • Delivery
  • Good for Groups
  • Lunch
  • Outdoor Dining
  • Take-Out

Alcohol

  • Beer and Wine Only

Reservations

Not Accepted

Delivery Area

14th St. to 34th St., Fifth Ave. to West Side Hwy.

Profile

El Cocotero is a bright, cheerful café specializing in arepas, the delectably dense, spongy corn-flour cakes stuffed with everything from chicken and avocado to soft farmer's-style cheese. The small, affordable menu lists a few fresh, vaguely tropical salads enlivened with lime and orange vinaigrettes, pressed sandwiches, and spears of fried yuca meant to be dunked into rich, thick Venezuelan sour cream. (Or, even better: the oily, herby version of guacamole called guasacaca.) There are now nine entrées, and one is a nap-inducing doozy: pabellon criollo, a heaping platter of slightly chewy stewed flank steak bolstered by mounds of white rice and black beans and decked with fried plantains. The fact that it's dished out unceremoniously from a spotless steam table doesn't diminish the room's homey appeal, with its sky-blue walls and palm trees, colorful ceramic plates, and disarmingly friendly service.

Brunch

Sat.―Sun., 11:30 a.m.―3:30 p.m.

Recommended Dishes

Arepas, $5.50-$7.95; pabellon criollo, $16.95

9.0 "Highly Recommended"
Average Reader Rating
on a Scale of 10		 Write Your Own Review
80% Would you go back?
80% Would you take a date?
60% Would you take kids?
20% Would you go on business?
80% Would you go on a special occasion?
Food: 9.2
Service: 8.6
Décor: 8.6
Value: 8.8

Oh-So-Good

rjebaum from 10002 | Posted on 3/21/09

Overall Rating: 9 (Highly Recommended)
Food: 10
Service: 9
Décor: 8
Value: 8

When my friend suggested this restaurant and I looked up the menu online, I expected heavy, greasy arepas with cheese (like the ones you get at The Fair), and a bright, tacky decor. However, I was pleasantly surprised to find that El Cocotero was a dimly lit, intimate little restaurant, tucked into 18th street with a visible kitchen so you can see them preparing all of the delicious foods. We ordered a pitcher of Sangria from our friendly waiter and although it wasn't exactly cheap at about $30, we ended up getting at least 6 glasses out of it. The Atun arepa was so good and fresh, marinated in citrus with tomato and onion like a ceviche. We decided not to get dessert but they sounded oh-so-good. Will definitely go back!

I guess good place if you look iike the plumber from Desperate Housewives

douleurexquise from 10001 | Posted on 8/30/08

Overall Rating: 6 (Mixed Reviews)
Food: 6
Service: 5
Décor: 7
Value: 6

We always meant to try El Cocotero, especially since it's a neighborhood that makes arepas (we usually trek to Caracas in the East Village). The decor is cute and the food was good enough for lunch. I certainly wasn't blown away by anything. It was annoying that the service was a bit unattentive.

Read All 5 Reviews >>

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