La Barra - Mercado Little Spain

Friday at 6:30pm . With close proximity to my job , Mercado little Spain has been my go to for happy hour . It wasn't until a cold Friday night did I have the opportunity to explore and try the food at La Barra . They offered the restaurant menu which we tried . Everything was delicious and all the tapas I've tried were the elevated version of the classics in Spain .The starters included the salmorejo ( a tomato soup ) which came with cherry tomatoes and anchovies , chistorras ( small sausages ) wrapped in potatoes ( think potato chips ), calamari ( basic but good ) and cebolla asada ( for the onion lovers) . The main we shared were the gambas ajillo ( shrimp in garlic sauce - how can a simple classes taste so good ! And the baguette That came with it , yum !) and the albodingas ( meatballs with mushroom ). All were washed down with some Albariño ( we thought one bottle was enough but the $30 deals it easy to order the 2nd). We skipped dessert but will definitely have to try next time ! We sat at the bar, always my preference for a more casual and social feel . It was surprising that it wasn't as busy as usual . It's a place that has a good vibe , busy and perfect venue to socialize with a group! It's a great place to try all things spanish !

Had a lovely tapas dinner on Saturday - since the restaurant was full, 5 of us sat around the bar and did have to wait a bit for our counters were cleaned & server showed up. Although we only ordered 3 orders of bread and 7 tapas plates, we left very satisfied and full. FOOD1. ACEITUNAS ALIÑADAS - Spanish marinated olives ($7, 4/5). Can't go wrong. Order right away with bread ($4/per ~5" loaf) & olive oil. Ask the server for black pepper and rouse your appetite!2. ANCHOAS DE SANTONA PUJADO SOLANO - Anchovies served with pan con tomate ($25, 3/5). This one was rather expensive for what it was. Anchovies are savory and goes well with the slightly sweet acidity he of the tomato sauce on the bread, but it's mainly bread... 3. GAMBAS AL AJILLO - Red shrimps w/ EVOO, garlic, chili, bay leaf and oloroso wine ($19.50, 5/5) A darkhorse. Shrimp itself is pretty decent, but it's the garlicky wine sauce infused w/ a chili that steals the show. Dip that bread, enough said. 4. PULPO A LA GALLEGA - Boiled Spanish octopus w/ olive oil mashed potatoes ($25, 5/5) The famous octopus. It is not at all tough or rubbery but is just a pleasure in your mouth. Surprisingly filling with the creamy mashed potatoes. We ordered 2 and we licked the plate clean5. CROQUETAS DE POLLO - Chicken croquet w/ bechamel sauce (4/5, $14) Hard not to like. Yes, it is a bit heavy being creamy but really enjoyable because it's not dry and the skin is very light and crispy. Kids will love this. 6. PATATAS BRAVAS - Fried potatoes w/ salsa brava and alioli (5/5, $14) The famous. Your french fries on steroids. It's like meatier version of Shake Shack fries but with addictive ketchup-y sauce that keeps you going back for more. It's Little Spain market place so the vibe is great. I enjoyed the above with a glass of white but everyone else with table water did just fine. Our waiter was attentive (as much as he could) and we'd come back again for more... except we might just dine at the other stalls so that we can just sit in the general seating area.

My friend and I came here the other night after a movie screening. The space itself is huge, with lots of seating both at the wrap around bar and inside the seating area. Our server was excellent and provided us with recommendations on the menu. We ordered a number of items including the gazpacho, the pan con tomate, the gambas al ajillo, the patatas bravas and the grilled octopus. Everything was very good, and fresh. The standouts to me were the gazpacho and the garlic shrimp. I thought the pan con tomate could have used a little bit more flavor. I would definitely come back here again for dinner or to try additional items on the menu.

I was super disappointed in the Pulpo a la Gallega (potatoes and octopus). Do not come here for the food, come here if you just want a spot to sit and talk with friends. The octopus was barely there for an $18 dish and it was super oily. It felt like they drenched the potatoes in olive oil and that's basically all I could taste.

Came here for their $45 restaurant week deal which brought four courses. You can add dessert for $6 and we also caught their sangria happy hour deal which was until 8pm. Surprisingly happy with everything we got! The only thing that was lacking was the churros that tasted too much of the oil they fries them in and the chocolate wasn't thick enough. Both the spinach and potato salads were delicious, the patatas bravas and tortilla surprisingly good. The calamares could've came with an aioli sauce as is the traditional way of serving them. The sangria was super tasty too! Despite being low staff, our waiter was very patient, knowledgeable, and helpful. The atmosphere in the mercado was so nice and enjoyable! Great restaurant week deal, worth the visit.

We tried oysters, tomato bread & the Croquetas chicken. Everything tasted great. It's tapas and great with drink. This place has speakeasy vibe with vibrant colors decor. I love this little food court.

This place was a vibe! I loved it and wasn't too packed. Definitely Spanish food, not americanized which makes it authentic. The portions are small aka tapas. My favorite was probably the octopus and pollo croquettes. Least liked was pork meatballs. You have to save room for the cheesecake. It's on the fluffier side than dense. I still enjoyed it. Wish it was lunch instead so I'd pair it with a nice coffee. Walk around and enjoy the different stores/food they have! I want to go back already!! Minus a star because my mom didn't enjoy it as much

Popped in with a friend after an exhibit at the shed and was pleasantly surprised. We decided to grab some Sangria at La Barra and the most delicious Pan Con Tomate. I highly recommend the cava sangria. I could drink these all day, especially in the summer when it's warm outside.

I have some mixed feels about this. Maybe it's inflation and the fact that just eating basic meals can make us all feel broke right now, but I probably would not have sat down for a meal if I didn't have the InKind App discount on my side to help cut that bill down significantly, plus a friend to share the remaining cost with.On a Wednesday night, you have the choice of benefiting from splitting a normally $60 bottle of wine for half price at $30, or perhaps taking part in the Happy Hour menu of drinks... or so I thought. I spotted that Wednesday wine deal and happy hour menu elsewhere in the market, but somehow it never made its way into La Barra on my table, nor onto the Red Sangria order on my bill. Sometimes this feels like a common waiter/manager practice in NYC, to not disclose that happy hour drinks are actually available to you as stated on their website and marketing materials in the space, but I didn't fight back this time since I was already getting a nice deal with InKind. Just note that you may have to ask and clarify that these deals are available before ordering so they don't try to avoid giving them to you.Other than that, the Iberico Meatballs, Garlic Shrimp, and Marinara Mussels were absolutely tasty and a perfect set of three tapas to feel like a complete meal for two people when paired with a glass of wine or sangria.The mussels and shrimp were gluten-free but the meatballs have some breading along with the gravy having flour. The inner market atmosphere was a bit more calm and chill than the half indoor/outdoor Spanish Diner setting, and instead of ordering dessert at the table, you can wander the market for churros or flan or pastries afterward for a more budget friendly way to finish with a sweet.

Quick service at the counter. The gazpacho was excellent. The Gambas Al Ajilo could have used a bit more flavor. Will try the papayas bra as next time