Big, dark, and warm, Sala is the East Village tapas joint smart downtowners cherish—for both its hip, low-key atmosphere (you won’t see any drunken Wall Streeters reliving their JYAs in San Sebastian) and its well-executed little Spanish dishes. A sampler platter of tostas includes almond-stuffed, bacon-wrapped dates and pan tumaca (tomato, garlic, and Serrano ham on bread), and the slightly larger raciones gets more inventive, with dishes like fried goat cheese dabbed with honey. If you’ve still got room, lamb chops, and a paella await, not to mention Sala’s Spanish wines and sherries, most available by the glass. — Matt Gross
6.5
"Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10
Went for a birthday party and there was nothing special on the menu. Paella was served with the rice barely cooked and lacking of ingredients. Some of the tapas were over cooked and seemed like they had been sitting under a heat lamp a bit too long. Would not recommend.
A very pleasant surprise at first, but love at second sight