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Socarrat Paella Bar
259 W. 19th St., New York, NY, 10011
nr. Seventh Ave.
212-462-1000
| 7.7 | "Recommended" Average Reader Rating on a Scale of 10 |  |
It's all about service
JohnFall from 07003 | Posted on 12/14/09
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WHAT A SHAME. I am amazed at how easy it is to ruin a good dining experience. On Sunday night, as a party of four we enjoyed a good meal with excellent paella. Soccarat is a small restaurant and during the meal we noticed numerous subtle (or not so subtle) hints that we were being rushed; the waitress giving us about a minute before returning to the table and asking if we were ready to order, plates being removed from our table before we were finished with them etc.. But we were stunned when the waitress came to our table in the middle of our dessert and informed us that people were waiting for our table and we would have to finish our dessert and leave. They only would have had to allow us five more minutes and we would have been finished and happy to leave. We will never return.
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Best Paella in NY
ceicil from 10002 | Posted on 8/22/09
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Don't be afraid about the long wait, your experience will be amazing. We order 3 tapas: the Gambas al Ajillo, the Cazuelita de Chorizos (incredible) and the Toscino and they were all delicious. But don't leave without having a paella. They are just the best Paella I've ever had. Crunchy rice in the bottom, lot of flavor, nice quantity. It feels like Spain. I recommend the Paella de Carne and the Arroz Negro. Also very good Sangria!
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Awesome Restaurant
LydiaB from 95247 | Posted on 8/5/09
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We arrived on a Saturday at 6:30pm (Aug Â’09), and only had to wait 45 minutes. While we were waiting, they offered us the menu to glance at and offered to start our paella while we waited, so that we could dine soon after we were seated. We opted for the Tapas menu: choosing Bravas en Dos Salsas (crispy potatoes w/ a spicy sauce), Menestra de Verduras (fava beans w/ mix vegetables), Gambas al Ajillo (garlic shrimp), & The Special (Roasted Pork Loin on a bed of spinach). We ordered Sangeria with our meal which was fantastic! However, the wine list was very intriguing and I regret having not tried the Verdejo. The Tapas were wonderful and artfully prepared with the freshest ingredients, but we soon learned by observing our neighbors at the communal dining table that we should have invited more friends so that we could have enjoyed a paella also. The couple seated next to us was very nice and offered us a sample of their Paella de Carne which was heavenly! Desserts were brought to us accompanied with a small glass of the most delicious Garvey Cream Sherry! Mucho Gusto!
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Service & Wait
nycdoctor from 10011 | Posted on 7/26/09
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The hostess said there was a 20 minute wait and offered to take our name and cell phone # to call us when our seats were available. We went around the corner to a bar to wait for her call. After nearly an hour, we called the bar only find out that they had crossed our name off the list and seated numerous people ahead of us. When we went back, they made us wait another 20 minutes. They offered us each a free glass of Sangria.... however, they poured us a half glass each of sangria while the people sitting right next to us were given a full glass of sangria. It was a slap in the face. To top it off, the food was greasy and did not live up to the hype! Not worth the price and poor service!
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Heavenly
NYCedie from 10021 | Posted on 7/23/09
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I have now been to Socarrat twice, and let me warn you: it is utterly addictive. You have not had real, authentic paella in the states until you have tasted this. If you go before 7pm (as early as that sounds) you will most likely not have any wait (and keep in mind that the paella takes a little over 30 minutes to prepare). In the event that you do have to wait- the first time I went I waited an hour- it would greatly benefit you TO JUST WAIT. It is beyond worth it. The atmosphere, service, paella... absolutely wonderful. My new favorite NYC joint by far.
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Aethentic Paella
foodieQ from 10011 | Posted on 7/12/09
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My partner and I shared the Socarrat Paella of beef, chicken and seafood. At first, I couldn't imagine what it would taste like to have two different kinds of meat and seafood being cooked together in a single dish, but surprisingly the flavors blended pretty well. As we were finishing the plate, the waiter came with a big spoon and scraped off all the crust at the bottom of the paella pan and mixed it with the remaining rice. The result was a crunchy and chewy caramelized rice full of flavor.
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WOW!
grubstreetqueen from 10012 | Posted on 7/1/09
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Excellent paella, excellent service, charm, ambiance, Socarrat has it all! It is worth the wait! Just when you think you are done with the paella, you are not. The staff will come over and scrape the pan, leaving the crunchy and caramelized bits of rice that are so savory and delicious, I cannot stop thinking about it. Lolo, the owner I think (?), is charming, friendly and makes certain his guests are taken care of. There was a bit of wait but he took our paella order while we waited and it arrived shortly after we were seated. I love this place and cannot wait to go back!
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Excellent Spanish food in a hidden Chelsea gem
anotherjuan from 07304 | Posted on 4/24/09
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Four words: My new favorite restaurant. Hands down. Lived in Spain for years and I've tried just about every Spanish restaurant in the city. The food is excellent. The paella of my dreams! Tight quarters and communal table feel like you're at the owner's intimate dinner party. Yes, there's always a line. There's a reason.
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I've heard only raves about the food...
SlateNYC from 10023 | Posted on 3/2/09
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....but I'll be giving this place a miss. To me, the two most dispiriting words in the English language are "communal seating."
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Why so pushy?
Hermes from 10001 | Posted on 1/17/09
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Socarrat is a cute place with great food, but small portions and a pushy in-and-out attitude made the experience on a recent Friday night less than pleasant. The paella is probably one of the best I've ever had, but it is also the first time ever I still felt hungry after having had one. Especially with the check presented on the table before we had barely finished the meal.
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