Pil Pil

If you’re looking for a well-rounded dining experience, look no more. This place eludes passion from the food to the dimly lit ambience. We stopped in on a whim. We were instantly drawn in from the music and the array of colors. We tried 90% of the tapas menu and each dish was simple yet boasted so much flavor. I also appreciate when small businesses offer a organic wine selection. No wonder this place has managed stick around the upper east side!

We went for late lunch to PIL PIL on a Saturday, inside was a bit crowded but the weather is nice to seat outside. The staff is considerate and they'll turn the heaters if you ask them. We had one of my favourite beers, ALHAMBRA which is nice to found in NYC. Then, we had some tapas including GAMBAS AL AJILLO, SPINACH CROQUETTES, PATATAS BRAVAS , ALBONDIGAS with MASHED POTATOES. I recommend the CROQUETTES AND THE BRAVAS, really good flavor, both were crunchy outside and creamy or tender inside, really well done. Then, the bravas were not spicy at all. ESPAÑOL: Fuimos para comer un sábado un poco tarde a PIL PIL, dentro estaba bastante lleno pero el tiempo estaba bien para sentarse fuera. Los camareros son amables y encienden los calefactores si se lo pides. Tomamos una de mis cervezas favoritas, ALHAMBRA, que es bueno encontrar un sitio donde la sirven en NYC. Luego tomamos algunas tapas de GAMBAS AL AJILLO, CROQUETAS DE ESPINACAS, PATATAS BRAVAS , ALBONDIGAS con PURE DE PATATAS. En especial, recomiento las CROQUETAS y las PATATAS BRAVAS, muy ricas, ambas crujientes por fuera y tiernas o cremosas por dentro, muy bien cocinadas. Las bravas no eran picantes.

Pros: I called a few hours before my reservation to see if I could come in an hour earlier than scheduled and was easily accommodated in a very friendly way. My partner and I sat in their additional seating area with low-top tables and we really liked the cozy atmosphere. My partner really enjoyed the ribeye steak skewers and we liked the cauliflower with romanesco salsa. Cons: However, I ordered the arroz meloso which was never brought out until I addressed it with the waiter (nearly 40 minutes after the other food was brought to our table). My dish clearly got lost in the shuffle, but our waiter was very apologetic, brought it as soon as it was done, and gave us 25% off our bill. The wait for this entree was not worth it. I typically order this dish when going out for Spanish fare, but this fish was very chewy (specifically the muscles and squid) and the overall taste was mildly off putting with a strange fishy flavor. More importantly, later that evening, I ended up getting very nauseous and was throwing up for hours. Overall, while the ambiance was great for a romantic evening and the waiter really attempted to remediate the issue of forgetting my dish, the quality of my food mixed with what I assume is food poisoning (or something being under cooked) is what brought down this overall rating. I will say that this issue seems to be in the minority of previous reviews as I read many of them prior to dining here. Edit: The owner of the restaurant reached out after reading this review and refunded our entire bill. Nik was very apologetic and assured me that all the items were checked this morning for freshness.

Excellent tapas in a comfortable, relaxing atmosphere. The happy hour deals are especially great!

I always enjoy dining here! Food is fantastic!!

Very okay food - nothing special or standout about the experience. It was easy to get a table on a Friday night (which was nice for us although maybe not the best sign). There are two sides of the restaurant and we were seated on the quieter side, it may have been a more fun experience on the other half. Chorizo was probably my favorite although I’ve had much better in the city. Also iPads as the menus really hurts the vibe at a restaurant that is looking to go for a swanky/ darker experience which it seems like Pil Pil was trying for. Overall it was fine but I wouldn’t go back or recommend it