Txikito
“3) TXIPIRON "ENCEBOLLADO": squid ribbons a la plantxa
w/ sweet onion and pine nuts —
DELICATE!”
“Try a few pintxoak; order the classic pulpo carpaccio or another seasonal ingredient like mushrooms, and a few beroak.”
“I cannot wait to take my husband there for a delicious grand tour of Spain's Basque region, in less than a 20 minute subway ride.”
Txikito
Takes Reservations: Yes
Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
Bike Parking: Yes
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
Outdoor Seating: Yes
Waiter Service: Yes
Caters: Yes
Price range.
$$$ Price range $31-60
8 reviews
Rate and write a review Cancel reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.
Well, the food is certainly delicious here. I can't comment on the authenticity since I've never been to the Basque country. The food does resemble some of the food I had in Spain – close enough for a non-picky American looking for some light tapas.
Speaking of light tapas, this is the place to come for small plates NOT when you are starving and would have been satisfied with a slice of dollar pizza. Also be prepared to pay high price for small amount of food. Is the economical and good value? No. Is it tasty? Sure.
Tapas in the city are a ripoff, and Txikito is no exception. Drinks are meh, with cocktails such as "gin and tonic" being on their renowned drink list. Sangria was confusingly "absent" until we asked about a drink served by the pitcher on the menu and was instructed that it was, indeed, sangria.
The overwhelming consensus from my table was the tapas were OK but not worth the money.
The foie gras was the one of the best, consisting of rich, hearty slabs of foie gras, but my dining companion (a self-proclaimed "expert" of foie gras) deemed it "spam-like" and "terrible" compared to the other foie gras that he had experienced before. I attributed it to the gray, oxidized edges that made it unappealing, even though this usually has little to no difference in actual taste.
The server was surprisingly confused over the difference between the sardine appetizer and the anchovy appetizer, and only when it arrived did we understand what we had gotten into. But the sardine was tasty, with all its iodine-y goodness and salinity, and its adornments made it better. Anchovy was merely one bite and tasty as well, albeit a little too much olive pickleness. The bottom line was that even I felt that I could've done a better job at pretending to know how the dishes differed than the server we had did.
As for mains, the almejas y navajas (razor clams and cockles) caught my eye, but when I eagerly inquired about them, our server informed me that they were not available. Fine then. Salt cod (pil pil) was tasty, but nothing to write home about, a tragedy as most salt cods from Spain often push me to do. The best thing I ate all night was the desnudos, Ibérico ham and shrimp ñoquis, gnocchi style dumplings served atop squid ink and mushroom pil pil sauce. Delicious, and a rare respite from the rest of the menu, I could order and eat them over and over again.
To round out the evening, we had txistorro casera, a homemade Navarran sausage rope with charred bread, an unremarkable dish that I had wish I hadn't ordered as soon as I tasted it.
Drinks are on the ungenerous side, especially wine pours. But sangria is tasty and inexpensive.
Service consists of servers who seemed as if they had recently graduated from Applebee's, more visibly interested in going home at 11 pm than making sure that their guests with almost full glasses of wine could finish their remaining drinks in happiness and quietude.
We came here after eating ramen across the street haha, so could only stomach a little bit more food! We sat in a corner where there was ample space for our stroller to fit next to our table, yay.
We had the braised spare ribs which were pretty good, as well as the grilled cheese, which was super cute and delicious!! YUM. The portions here are quite small, so it's fun to share in different dishes.
We also had the white sangria and navarrico cocktail, which were both tasty drinks!
This little place was not what I expected and I did not expect to order what I did. After a quick review of the menu online I assumed I would order a handful of some of the interesting tapas. Wrong. Instead I enjoyed a unique mix of avocado almonds and Basque Bleu Cheese salad followed by Milk Poached Veal with radishes and peas. Both were specials. The lemon scented torte was on the menu and also tasty and enjoyable.
Visually this is am unassuming spot but a half hour after opening it was abuzz with regulators and novices, the staff happily defining the options. I enjoyed this place and plan on recommending it to my traveling friends.
If you dine here on a Saturday night, prepare to be surrounded by Date Night Central. First dates, blind dates, dates-to-figure-out-if-we're-going-to-be-exclusive dates–they all happen here. As probably the only person NOT on a date, but who was dining with a close male friend, I felt kind of like an invisible spy. It was delightful.
Anyway, you're not here to read about my personal life. You're here to read about the food. And the food is delicious–a lovely blend of Spanish and Basque flavors. Here's a breakdown:
Patatak Mentaiko: crisp fries with spicy cod roe mayo
– Rich and satisfying. The mayo is great.
Albondigas: lamb meatballs in minted broth
– If you hate lamb, don't get this because its flavor permeates everything. If you like/love lamb, you'll want to swim in the minted broth.
Esparragos: Navarran white asparagus, celery-black truffle vinaigrette, chopped egg
– A cold dish, but a deliciously unique one with the perfect blend of flavors and textures.
Cordero: roasted lamb leg, cumin, garlic, anchovy, hot peppers
– Skip this one, it's just meh
Bocata: warm sandwich of unsmoked bacon, melted cheese
– I'm glad I tried this, but I wouldn't order it again, as it tasted just like ordinary ham 'n' cheese.
Pastel: lemon curd cake with creme fraiche
– Citrus-y joy. Favorited.
Pair your meal with a Sparkling Rioja, and you're set. As previously mentioned, this is the place where dates happen, so not surprisingly, the service is efficient and unobtrusive, and the ambience is dark and candlelit.
Delicious tapas in a cozy space. We enjoyed everything we ordered and service was excellent. Plates are small and pricey but we expected it walking in. Get the shishito peppers!
Fantastic tapas joint that stays true to all things Basque. I've tried others in the group – Tia Pol (well formerly in the group), La Vara in BK and all of them are great. Tia Pol is more traditional Spain, La Vara moorish and this one- basque.
Bf and I walked in casually at 930 on a Saturday night and were ale to sit at the bar immediately. We had a fantastic waitress / bartender that was great with recommendations and water refills. She also checked up on us a lot. Granted, It was not hugely crowded so that was possible. I had a grassy, crisp yet citrus white wine whose name I unfortunately forget. Bf had a great quality, well bodied but still spicy tempernillo.
We started off with chorizo bits with quail egg on toast. This dish came recommended and it was good, though I wish the chorizo came out a bit more. It wasn't as spicy as I was expecting but still good. We were going to otherwise do the chorizo hash sandwich. We then tried the delicious special salad, which was a toss up of really good Spanish blue cheese, turnip, butter lettuce, snap peas, toasted nuts, olives and something else…tangy and orange. It sounds like a lot is going on and it is but it's such a perfect balance of flavors, textures, with the right amount of freshness and salt for a salad.. highly recommend.
We then shared the pulpo and the lamb meatballs as our main/meaty stuff. The pulpo was served room temp/lukewarm and was a beautiful presentation. It was citrus-y, well cooked and perfect on toast. The lamb meatballs were well stuffed with breadcrumbs and thus spongy, and were soaked in a meaty, cumin-y broth. Yum.
Highly recommend the food here- not sure why the reviews are lukewarm. Both tapas, and wine are great and so is the ambiance and service! $100 for two.
No wifi
Came for a friend's birthday on a Saturday night.
The restaurant was fully booked so people without a reservation were turned away.
The food was delicious but expensive. All those small plates add up!
The cocktails add up as well.
I didn't put exact names of what we ordered in the photo descriptions, will try to come back and do that later when I'm near a computer.