Cravings Tapas Bistro
“Even the dessert zeppole tree and the chocolate bread pudding were excellent!”
“We then shared a lobster sandwich which contained a fried egg topped by arugula…”
“This time, we had the short ribs quesadilla, Hongos mushrooms, and chicken Milanese.”
Cravings Tapas Bistro
Takes Reservations: Yes
Take-out: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Good for Groups: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Has TV: Yes
Dogs Allowed: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$ Price range $11-30
8 reviews
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The Story:My company held their annual holiday party here this year. At first I was skeptical but I manage to leave the place pretty full. (Well this was second dinner for me)
Food: Tapas reminds me of dim sum, small platters served with drinks. It was never meant to be a meal. Certain items stood out to me…
1. Lobster Mac & Cheese
2. Octopus Salad
3. Short Ribs
4. Skirt steak.
Everything else didn't leave a deep impression on me. And their take of "shrimp dim sum" was just atrocious
Price: Since my boss paid for everything. It was free! but their price is pretty steep for the amount of food you get.
Decor: Very trendy place in downtown Ridgewood. Fits about… 50 people max.
Service: I'm a little confused about the service. I'll ask for something and the person would have to get the head waitress and i'll have to repeat myself again. She went above and beyond to accommodate my needs but having to repeat myself twice is not ideal.
Parking & Finding the Place: Located across the Ridgewood Train Station – plenty of metered parking. Free parking on Sundays.
Additional Thoughts: This place is BYOB – they make your sangria for you. I dont know if they charge though.
I have a permanent craving for Cravings. Tasty food, great service and classy atmosphere make this my new favorite spot in my beautiful hometown of Ridgewood.
Before Cravings, I had never actually been to a tapas restaurant. Considering my usual M.O. when I go out to eat is to get 2 or 3 small plates, I already loved the concept. The menu is so eclectic and innovative, you'll want to try a variety of things anyway.
I've only been here twice and I've tried most of their vegetarian options already. The food is unique, fresh, and always beautifully presented. My favorite is the warm brussel sprout salad. Grilled brussel sprouts over arugula, toasted almonds, caramelized onions and sharp blue cheese tossed in a tangy dressing. To die for! Another one of my favs is their onion rings. Freshly battered and fried onions are stacked high with a crisp radish coleslaw in the middle, then sprinkled with a tart mustard seed sauce. Definitely a far cry from the boring onion rings you're used to.
A tip: make sure you save room for dessert. If you know me, you know I'm not a big fan of sweets, but I can say without a doubt that their dessert is out of this world! My favorite: the churros. They're crispy and cinnamony with the perfect amount of sweetness. On the side comes a petite scoop of vanilla ice cream and a delectable homemade chocolate dipping sauce. The chocolate sauce is superb, you can really taste the cocoa and it's just the right consistency. The fact that I would come back just for that sauce alone should tell you something.
Sure, its a little on the pricy side. But this is Ridgewood we're talking about. Luckily, the last couple times I came here it was on my parents. (Thanks Mom and Dad!)
The atmosphere is warm and intimate. BYOB with a liquor store around the corner. The service was excellent on both of my visits.
I'm not sure why this place doesn't have better ratings. For me, its a solid 5 stars all around. Great place for a date, or an intimate meal with family or friends. I will definitely be back, and can't wait to try their newly opened sister store across the tracks.
The food is yummy here but like most trendy tapas places, you're paying regular price for a smaller portion. That being said, there were some tasty dishes I would go back for such as:
Short Rib Quesadilla
Ricotta Gnocci
The Elvis Empanada
My group shared several things and those were my favorites, everything else was just okay. I do think the inside of the restaurant is classy with new modern décor. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that you have to go downstairs and through a secluded hallway to get to the bathroom… Maybe I'm just paranoid, but it felt like I had to watch my back down there. Lastly, service was amazing! Very attentive and friendly. Not sure I'd go back though, if I'm going to pay $14-$20 for a dish I'd rather just have it be a regular size.
I love the concept of tapas; you get to experience a lot of different flavors and you don't have much to worry about if you don't like a dish or two. Trouble was, I only enjoyed one of the many dishes we ordered.
I was in a party of three on Thursday night. We made the mistake of not making a reservation and had to be seated at the bar. Our waitress was very kind and helpful and we soon got in our orders.
I ordered the mussels, gnocchi, and sea scallops. Apparently they ran out of mussels and, without telling me, subbed in an order of crab cakes. I wish they had brought it to my attention so I could quickly look over the menu myself and pick something I would've preferred more. The crab cakes were salty and not to my taste. I did really enjoy the gnocchi, but there's only so many starchy carbs you can take before you get tired of chewing. The scallops were surprisingly disappointing. The mushrooms taste way too strong and overpower the taste of scallop.
My table also ordered tuna tartare, grilled pulpo, traditional empanadas, and clams (on special). My mom did enjoy the pulpo, but the other dishes didn't impress.
The restaurant itself was cute, though. I found myself wishing that I liked the food more because tapas, wine, and that environment would be perfect for a cute date night.
First the servers were friendly and attentive, very helpful by pointing out their specials and what they are known for.
The tapas was ok, not out of this world but tasty but a little pricy. We had pretty much most of their specials and what our server recommended. A little bit surf and turf but would suggest avoiding the hummus as we had way better. I would also avoid the lobster sandwich which was like the Chinese shrimp toast. Lobster in the middle of bread and deep fried, didn't really taste the lobster.
Grilled squid, short ribs, shank steak were pretty good. So was the shrimp dumplings in a sweet and spicy sauce. We also had the Soriano ham which I was all that impressed. The mozzarella cheese was interesting, very soft and enjoyable. The best dish of the night I had was the lobster bisque soup. Didn't have any chunks of lobster but the flavor was there.
I would have given it 4 stars except for the fact that it was a loud and noisy place. It was packed and everyone was trying to talk over the music and each other. Some wouldn't mind the noise but I think you shouldn't have to almost shout at each other during dinner.
It is a bit pricy pricy for dinner averaging $50.00 per person including soft drinks. The soft drinks are not free refills but we only had 2 rounds. Interesting and worth trying at least once for Spanish tapas.
I visited this place with my brother and mother over the summer and I wasn't really impressed. I'm not really into the whole small plates thing so that might be why.
We tried several small dishes, empanadas, creamed spinach, French fries and a few others, overall it wasn't anything remarkable.
It was byob which is why it earned a second star, my main issue was the service and staff attitude.
We walked in and were the only table in the restaurant, this was about 430. We were told that we can eat but had to be out by 530 as they "sold out the restaurant", we thought this was okay but we didn't like being rushed. Fast forward to when we left, there still was plenty of seating available.
I didn't really like that aspect of the restaurant, I don't think I'd go back due to the way we were treated, not necessarily bad, but rushed, making us feel undervalued as a customer.
Two part review. First part is via my father who hates every new restaurant opened since 1976. He's not big on trying new things or new cooking styles. He loved Cravings last night. Better than a brick and mortar review, this says more about the place than anything. He even wants to go back later in the week.
I have food ADD. I lose interest very quickly and want to move on to something different; different taste, different texture, different whatever. For me and my palate, tapas is the perfect answer. It's also a hell of a lot easier than asking your dining compatriots, "can I have a bite of that?" The meatballs, lobster sandwich, mussels and fresh mozzarella (thanks to my friend Nick I pronounce it, mootserelle) were all delicious. Dessert empanadas stuffed with apples or Nutella were a modern and delicious twist on the traditional Spanish fare. They also made one hell of a sangria using BYO wine since they have no liquor license. Prices are reasonable.
All in all, Cravings is a solid choice, especially if, like me, you crave variety in your meal. I'm anxious to try their sister restaurant La Finca which I hope is identical in flavor and variety simply in a different location. One of the problems with restaurants in Ridgewood is that they rarely last. Plagued with sky high rents, crushing competition and crappy parking, remaining profitable is a major issue. Judging from the crowd and the enthusiasm of other diners last evening, I have a feeling they'll be there for quite a while. Great news for them AND for us.
The 5 stars is for the service and the food. I would ding it only for the small portions, even for tapas standards. We got here for an early dinner, and it was pretty empty, but I have no doubt that it fills up especially on Friday and Saturday nights.
So again, the food was delicious. We got the five meatballs ($11), which had great texture, sauce, and a little bit of cheese on top. For two people, the portion didn't leave a whole lot to be desired. The special was the lobster tacos, which came in a pair and had large pieces of lobster ($18) in it, which was a nice surprise. It was fresh and one more taco would have done the trick! The gnocchi was also creamy, rich and delicious; I usually don't like lamb but this was great. Because of the intensity of flavors, the portion was enough for two people. The portion of the beet salad was pretty small; it was light and fresh but was the least unique dish that we ordered. They didn't have the lobster mac and cheese today but several other offerings caught the eye. I remember not liking the croquettes all that much last time so we stayed away from it this time.
The service was delightful, though they did seem eager to clear away the plates. The food also came out at a good pace.
I will definitely return! I've been here one other time and enjoyed the experience both times.