Casa Mono

Excellent service! Great wine & tapas! Still dreaming of the coconut fluke crudo! Small & intimate spot. I can't stress how great the service was including the fabulous sommelier!

I would've given them an extra star if they had better outdoor seating. Even though they say the outdoor space is enclosed and heated, it is still COLD. Especially on a cold winter night in NYC, the little heater isn't going to do much. We were all bundled in our coats and we could see our breath as we were talking and eating. If they added some stronger heaters towards the corners and ends of the area, it would've maybe helped. But it was pretty miserable out there lol. Otherwise, the food was really good. My absolute favourite dish was the arroz negro -- highly recommend. Since it's a tapas style place, each dish is small, so you have to order a lot, so it definitely adds up in terms of price. Stand out was the wine and sommelier. He was so incredibly helpful and recommended an amazing bottle of wine that we all really liked! He was so great and I would go back just to try more wine.

This was my first Michelin star dining experience. Food was delicious but you can still send your kids to college after the check arrives. Got reservations on a Saturday night and the place was packed. Cozy but nobody was sitting on top of each other. Great date night and we got 5 plates to share:1. Patata Bravas - potatoes in some magical sauce. This was surprisingly the best dish of the night. We literally needed a carb to go with all the tapas and I can't eat gluten so the potatoes were supposed to be the filler. But if the place wasn't so full, I would have licked that plate clean. It was delicious. I might order two next time so that I don't have to share. 2. Scallops - very tasty even if I prefer them to be a little more done. The curry sauce complemented nicely. 3. Skirt steak - it comes out medium rare but I prefer medium well so they were happy to take it back and cook it again. Tender, juicy, and the onions and romesco gave a great flavor and texture profile. 4. Bacalao - codfish fritters - honestly I was expecting it to be salty fish but it wasn't. Still tasty but less flavorful than the rest of the dishes5. Brussels sprouts- delicious tangy sweet and a little char without being burnt or mushy. Rounded out the dinner nicely. 6. Orange infused Carrot cake - I'm not supposed to have gluten but I took a bite of this and don't regret it. The pistachio whipped cream was heavenly and the ice cream by itself could have been its own dish. Everything mellowed out the flavors of the cake nicely, which may have been too tangy and sweet by itself. My only regret was not getting wine or sangria but I opted to eat more food instead and I am very happy with that decision.

Casa Mono is a charming restaurant that will whisk you and your taste buds away to Spain. We arrived just as lunch was opening and were promptly seated. Although the restaurant, along with its tables and chairs, is compact, it fosters an intimate atmosphere. The open kitchen concept allows you to witness the culinary magic unfold.What truly sets Casa Mono apart is the service. From the moment your coat is checked to the expert guidance through the menu, the service is exceptional. My girlfriend and I, not exactly sommeliers, were expertly led to the perfect bottle of wine by the maître d'. I've already attempted to have it delivered to my home.The tapas, though small, are bursting with flavor. The pork meatballs were a standout dish for me, and I can guarantee you'll be savoring every last drop of that sauce.Overall, Casa Mono was just as delightful the second time as the first. It embodies quality cooking and service.The only caveat I'll offer is to manage your appetite beforehand if you're not prepared to spend generously; the dishes are small.The pleasure? It was all mine.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at Casa Mono, a Michelin-starred Spanish restaurant, to celebrate my Baba's birthday. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that every detail was thoughtfully considered. While the restaurant is small and intimate, the food and service reflected the level of sophistication and care you would expect from a Michelin-starred establishment.I had requested a nice seat for this special occasion, and we were warmly welcomed and seated in a lovely, private area tucked in beside the restaurant's wine display. It felt like our own little corner of the world, offering an intimate and cozy atmosphere perfect for a celebratory meal. The space may be tight, but the layout makes it feel inviting and personal without sacrificing comfort.Our server Susan D. was exceptional, guiding us through the menu with expertise and suggesting we order everything at once so that the chef could curate our meal across four beautifully crafted courses. The small plates were perfect for our party of three, and though we were stuffed by the end, each dish was packed with flavor.The food was absolutely incredible. Standouts included the Bacalao Croquetas with Orange Alioli, Sardinas Fritas with Endive Ensalada, Pulpo With Fennel & Grapefruit and the Skirt Steak with Romesco and Onion Mermelada. The Arroz Negro with Sepia & Calabrian Chili was another favorite, with a perfect balance of heat and depth. The Pig Ears with Pickled Serrano Peppers & White Grape Vinaigrette was unexpectedly delightful, offering a bold and unique flavor combination.Despite the multi-course meal, we never felt rushed. The pacing of the courses was perfect--this was one of the most leisurely and enjoyable dining experiences we've ever had. For a celebratory touch, we ordered dessert, and they added a candle to it, which was a lovely gesture for the occasion. It wasn't a complimentary cake, but it added a nice personal touch to the end of our meal.As for the price, it was completely reasonable for the quality of the food and the Michelin-starred experience. Given the high level of cuisine and service, I found the value to be more than fair.We finished the evening with the Crema Catalana with Buñuelos and the burnt vanilla custard with deep-fried bay leaves--both indulgent and delectable desserts that wrapped up the meal perfectly.The service was impeccable--attentive without being overbearing, knowledgeable, and friendly. Casa Mono truly lives up to its Michelin star, offering an elevated yet approachable dining experience. I'm already looking forward to returning to explore more of their amazing menu.

Casa Mono is an outstanding Michelin-starred restaurant that delivers a truly exceptional dining experience. I celebrated my birthday here, and the staff went above and beyond to make it private and intimate, adding a personal touch that made the occasion unforgettable.The staff are warm, attentive, and provide excellent customer service. They maintain impeccable attention to detail, ensuring the table is always neat and tidy with every plate served. Frequent, thoughtful check-ins ensure that all your needs are met without ever feeling intrusive.The restaurant itself is cozy and intimate, with an ambiance that invites you to relax and savor every moment. Despite its smaller size, the space feels inviting rather than cramped. One of the most commendable aspects is how the staff allows you to enjoy your meal at your own pace, never rushing you, which elevates the overall experience.From start to finish, Casa Mono excels in creating a memorable dining atmosphere, paired with remarkable service and a beautifully curated menu. I highly recommend this gem to anyone seeking an unforgettable meal or a special place to celebrate.

Really really really overpriced. Portion sizes are tiny, and they're charging almost $40-50 for protein. A table of 7 would require 14-16 plates, and even then, a lot of my party left feeling really hungry. I just don't think this restaurant has any incredibly stand-out dishes, and that's saying a lot considering we tried almost the entire menu. I do think that service is good, and the sommelier was very knowledgeable about the wine, so he picked a really good bottle for us. I recommend the black arroz, scallops, pork belly... I think everything else was really just okay.

This was my first time trying tapas and it was definitely a good introduction to the concept! I was a bit hesitant at first because I typically like big portions but honestly the portions here were fairly generous for the dishes we got.We started the night with sardines and endive salad, and I was surprised by how large the sardines were. The sardines had a nice pan fried flavor but the endive salad was just ok, although the cheese had a nice nuttiness to it.Next up was my favorite dish of the night, the pig ear. It had a really sweet and tangy sauce which cut through the unctuousness of the pig ear quite nicely. The portion on this was also monstrous, there were at least 30 strips of pig ear on the plate.The two main dishes we got (if that's a thing in tapas) were the confit goat with avocado sauce and the oxtail with piquillo peppers. The goat was incredibly tender and had a nice mix of savory flavor and freshness from the sauce. The oxtail was also fairly tender although I don't think there was all that much since it was mostly pepper and sauce.We ended the night with a chocolate ganache dessert that was pretty good but nothing too special. Overall would definitely recommend this place as a nice experience with good food, friendly service, and a nice open kitchen setting, although it is on the pricier side.

I came here to celebrate my birthday with high expectations, but unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to them. We ordered plenty of dishes, so we got a good sense of the menu.Starting with the $52 Jamón Ibérico -- while I understand it's a premium item, the portion was small and overly fatty, definitely not worth it even if it's flown in directly from Spain! The duck egg and truffle potatoes were better. As a big fan of truffles, I enjoyed the flavor, but the potatoes were far too oily.Next, we tried the fried pig ears, served with fresh peaches and tomatoes. Don't skip this one! It was refreshing, crispy, and unique. We also had the Fideos, which is a fried pasta dish with clams and a dollop of aioli. It was unusual but worth a try if you're looking for something different.The bone marrow was decent, though the addition of cream and fish roe made it overly salty. The pork belly, while crispy, was too dry, and the chimichurri was almost non-existent. However, the star of the meal was the braised oxtail stuffed in piquillo peppers. It was incredibly tender, juicy, and hands down the highlight of the night.On the drinks front, they don't offer cocktails--only wine, which was fine but limiting. For dessert, we had the sorbet (coconut, raspberry, and mango), which was refreshing, and the Crema Catalana, which was nice but felt a little too similar to crème brûlée.To end the night, we were promptly given the check, and the hostess asked us to leave because of another reservation, even though there were plenty of empty tables around. We spent over $500 for two people, and while parts of the experience were enjoyable, the overall value didn't match the price tag. Many of the menu items listed online were not available on the regular menu.

This cozy Spanish tapas restaurant in the East Village has a good assortment of small plates and Iberian wines. Atmosphere is lively, i.e., loud, but romantic (dark!). We had a party of 6*, and my Spanish co-worker ordered ~20+ small plates which were enjoyed by all. *The only ding is that their max capacity per table is 6 and they would not add an extra seat for our 7th co-worker, so the poor guy had to eat at the bar by himself.