Calle Ocho
“And it's location is perfect- what better post-boozy-brunch activity than strolling around Central Park?”
“- Paella – second best that I've had in NYC so far (best being Soccrat Paella bar, but i'm no expert).”
“For main courses, we shared the plantain-crusted talapia and the "vaca frita" skirt steak.”
Calle Ocho
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
PokéStop Nearby: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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There's no side entrance so you have to enter the hotel to get into the restaurant.
This is a nice brunch place, and it offers bottomless sangrias!
We were told by phone that reservations were fully booked and that there were first come first serve seating at the lounge and bar. They stated that brunch started at 11, so thinking that was correct we came early to ensure we would have a table by the lounge area. When we arrived, we found out the info provided was incorrect and that brunch actually started at 12. Luckily we were there early anyways, so we got our table way before it started getting crowded. One thing's for sure is that this is definitely a very popular brunch spot, and I can see why.
Food was alright, didn't stand out. I ordered the omelet but it was just ok. Perhaps I should have ordered something else? The bottomless sangrias was nice though, plus the ambience as well, which is why I'm giving this place 4 stars.
Went here for a happy hour and our group tried the Picada, an assortment of appetizers including calamary, shrimp, stuffed dates, something with beef, and something else I do not recall (as it was eaten before I touched it)! Drinks were made well, had just gin & tonic. Would love to come back for brunch and dinner.
We were spending the afternoon at the Natural History Museum and needed somewhere to go for dinner that evening that was pretty close by. I wish we had been a little more flexible and open to moving around, as this restaurant was kind of disappointing.
Honestly, the highlights of our meal were the bread basket and appetizer sampler. The bread came with this black bean spread that was delicious, and our appetizer sampler had 5 different items that were all delicious. None was memorable enough for me to remember exactly what it was, but still. Delicious.
My entree was definitely underwhelming. Again, I can't even remember what exactly it was, just that it had this potato hash stuff served with it and the potatoes were undercooked. I like my veggies firm, but potatoes kind of have to be cooked past where they're that weird starchy consistency, and these just were not. Considering the price point of this restaurant, I was sort of expecting things to be cooked properly. The rest of the entrees at the table got some "oh this is yummy"-s but nothing over-the-top great. We had the dulce de lece dessert (probs spelling that wrong, sorry) that was overwhelmed with coconut, of all things. One other dessert that was, you guessed it, not very memorable.
My sister got the sangria and it did pack a punch…but I hated the flavor. Luckily she liked it, and she was the one drinking it, so I guess that worked out.
PLUS…the service was so slow. This is the second review I've written in as many days complaining about slow service, and really, I try not to, but our meal took over 2 hours. 3 or 4 different servers came by over the course of our meal, so we didn't even really know who was "taking care of us," as they say, so it was hard to know who to look for when we needed something. Plus, we were behind this big pillar, on the other side of which was a register; you'd think this would increase foot traffic of servers to our area, but it certainly didn't help us get anything any faster. By the end of the meal, we were truly exhausted and just trying to get out of there and it took us 10 minutes to get anyone's attention. Also probably heightened by the fact that is was SUPER DARK and VERY LOUD. I could barely read the menu, I could barely hear anything my companions were saying even though there were only 5 of us.
The good reviews here seem to be from brunch or something, cause dinner was truly a disappointment.
Great place for a boozy sangria brunch but make sure to reserve far in advance!
Service – Waiter seemed new and unfamiliar with the menu, and that may have contributed to the slow service.
Bread – Freshly baked, and paired well with the strawberry cream cheese. Dough was nicely rolled, moist, and had a hint of sweet.
Ropa Vieja – Meat was tender, and paired well with the egg and avocado. Loved the finishing touches with the crispy sweet potato shreds.
Tacos – Great for sharing over sangrias!
I've been here before for their bottomless brunch and once in just a regular day and time. Both times were very much worth it. The food is definitely full of flavor and personality. The atmosphere is relaxing. Both times I've been it has been pretty crowded but the staff works fast to get you a table.
My favorite is the bread they serve with the pink spread!
Their brunch is great! We had ropa vieja and vaca fritas, and both were on point. We asked for a side of hot sauce, and I don't know what kind of hot sauce it was (house-made maybe?), but it was the cherry on top of our yummy meals.
The sangria is NO JOKE. It's tasty, but it really does pack a punch. It's disappointing that it comes in such large glasses, because I wanted to try them all, but I totally understand why. I was tipsy in no time, and all the mixing of different alcohol + sugar gave me a headache that lasted most of the day 🙁 that won't stop me from doing this again though – especially considering I live in the neighborhood!
On the way out, I asked the hostess if reservations are required for brunch, or if some tables are reserved for walk-in… and I was told that reservations are needed. Bummer. I was hoping to maybe pop in one day for an impromptu brunch, but looks like that probably won't happen. So… guess I'll have to plan a few months in advance, like everyone else!
One word: Delicious!
My colleague told about this place and he told me that it's one of his favorite brunch spots. He raved about this place and with 1,900+ reviews & 4-star ratings – I might as well check it out. So, I made reservations two months in advance for five people. This place is extremely popular for the unlimited sangria during weekend brunch and it's though to get a spot for large groups. It's probably easier to book a spot if it's just two people. You have to play around the Opentable app and check for availability. Dinner reservations could be easier but there's no unlimited sangria.
You'll get complementary mini buns, muffins, and croissant with strawberry butter on the side. Everything was warm and fresh. I thought the strawberry butter was alright. I would have preferred plain butter or just jam.
For the sangria, I picked the "Fresca" and it was a strong drink for me I had to dilute the sangria with a lot of ice. I tried my friend's "Tropical" sangria and it's was a light white sangria. I'll get this next time.
For the entree, I wanted to try four different entrees. But, I picked what the server recommended and it was also one of the four that I wanted to try. I had the "Maiz y Camarones" which is the shrimp and grits (for short). Interesting dish and I rarely eat anything like this too. I got sample my friend's dishes too and both dishes were also on my list. It was the "Vegetariano" and "Vaca Frita" and both were very good entrees as well.
Service was fine. The decor was nice and colorful with big bold colors on the walls. It was slightly loud too for weekend brunch. The only minor complaint I had was that our sangrias were not served in the fancy wine glasses except for the "Tropical" sangria. I thought was a bit odd and we saw that other tables had their sangria served in the wine glass. Ours sangrias were served in the cylinder drinking glass (just like the one where they served you water).
Not bad experience overall and will come back another time.
It was tough to nab a reservation for this place, but with delicious unlimited sangrias for the duration of your meal, it's easy to see why! They say your table reservation is for a two hour meal and that you can keep ordering sangrias until your party has finished eating the entree, but I don't think they enforce these policies strictly.
The sangrias come in a variety of flavors and are served in huge glasses – the coconut one is my favorite of the ones I tried. On the other hand, because of the large size of the drinks, you can't finish them as quickly or sample as many of the different drinks in the time allotted (so … drink fast). The food was pretty good, reasonably priced (especially so when you add in the free alcohol!) and very well portioned, though not out of this world. The bread basket in the beginning though, WAS a special assortment – I liked better than the entree and dessert.
Overall super bargain for a boozy brunch. Will definitely come again.