Casa Mono, New York NY

Very very disappointing… does a Michelin Star mean anything? Apparently not. Ate in the outside cabin. The table wobbled and the menu book had no menu. The tapas were average or less: the pulpo was rubbery, the patatas greasy (most tapas were oily and greasy). The waiter was not friendly or attentive. It was as if we were at a below average fried, greasy tapas on the Rambla in Barcelona, touristy and never dreaming of a Michelin Star. I was expecting elevated tapas (perhaps not greasy or fried), elevated service and ambiance. It is strange that the reviews are very poor or glowing? Just as you find on some questionable Amazon products…

I am not one to post reviews, but I recently dined at a supposedly Michelin-starred Tapas restaurant, and the experience was so bad for a Michelin starred restaurant i feel compelled to warn others. The food, though priced at a premium, was disappointingly average, and the presentation of dishes was downright sloppy. The sommelier's rudeness extended to neglecting to offer us a taste before pouring, highlighting a lack of hospitality.

To add insult to injury, the initial menus we received were blank, showcasing a concerning lack of attention to detail. The staff's demeanor was consistently cold and subtly rude, creating an unwelcoming atmosphere. Being seated near a perpetually open door in 20-degree weather only amplified the discomfort.

The pacing of the meal was disrupted by substantial gaps between dishes, further contributing to the overall dissatisfaction. The staff's apparent lack of experience in food service was evident, with awkward reaches over guests and an overall unprofessional demeanor.

Given these numerous shortcomings, it is my strong opinion that Michelin should reevaluate and rescind the star awarded to this establishment. Upholding such standards damages Michelin's reputation and does a disservice to discerning diners seeking a genuinely exceptional culinary experience.

Food Allergies - BEWARE

Extremely disappointed - reservation for 3 for my son's birthday celebration. He and his wife have dined at Casa Mono as NYC residents and I came in from NM for the dinner. We were very clear that my son has a severe nut allergy, server noted it on his pad. We ordered and went 1 by 1 through each dish asked if they were nut free and were told we were safe. We received 2 dishes no problem and the 3rd of 7 arrived. The shishito peppers. I enjoyed them immensely and asked the server what was in the sauce. A compliment as it was delicious. He mentioned manchego & WALNUTS! I quickly questioned him and started to panic as I just had my son taste it.

The dinner was completely ruined by this lack of care! We carry emergency provisions for this kind of thing and got my son out quickly. The manager did comp what we had eaten and said they would check in on us today.

No call- my son was not harmed thank GOD, just very distressed and uncomfortable.

Anyone with serious food allergies beware, they are not cautious. I expected much better service and not to be negligently served.

Note: menu does not indicate which dishes have nuts. It really should! Kitchen staff should have been more attentive and server also missed it.

Super upset.

What an outstanding tapas place.three of us had ten (10) small plates, everyone better than the one before!

We’ve been here several times most recently on New Year’s Day. Never been disappointed. I believe it deserves the one Michelin star. The Ensalada was crisp and fresh and the pimenton almonds added a distinct flavor. Well, at least it took the guilt out of rest of the food we were about to eat. The patatas bravas was saucy with a kick and fortunately wasn’t deep fried, like most places. My favorite here was the stuffed lamb belly. It was tender and meaty and the fat made it all the more juicy. It was presented very well too, covered with the almond mole (not too spicy) and tomatoes. Also ordered the mussels. The broth was amazing and had a certain zing to it from the pimenton and chopped chorizo. The grilled octopus was good as well. In fact, there was nothing really that we didn’t like. Reservations are tough but we’ll be back again soon.

Came here some good food and a relaxing night with a friend from out of town.

The Service: Exceptional.
Everyone was very friendly and down to earth.

The Food: very good.
We ordered a variety of food to get a nice sampling of their menu.

ARROZ Negro with fluke - declicious. It's a little on the spicy side and if you like spicy, you would love this. Rice was done well, the fluke was nice and flaky. Overall, delicious and an amazing sauce.

SCALLOP w/ pepper & curry sauce - delicious. Flavor was on point. Scallops were tender and juicy. Really good pairing of flavors.
The sauce was amazing!

CRISPY pig ears - fried to a really nice crisp. Seasoning was just right. This would go great with a bear or some wine.

PORK sabrasa w/Quince and honeycomb was very salty. You definitely need to eat it with the honeycomb. When you do the combo, it was delicious.

DUCK breast was also very flavorful. Loved the plum sauce. One piece of the duck was just a teeny tiny bit on the chewy side. Was also really good.

Dessert: we had the creme Brule with fried dough on bay leaves. The dough was so soft like a cloud with a nice crisp. The creme Brule flavor was delicious.

The atmosphere:
We sat outdoors. The space is nicely done, but then the heater must have slowed down. It got a bit chilly as the night went on.

It looked pretty cozy inside and noise level is a big loud, but nice ambiance.

We also ordered a bottle of wine shown in the photos. One of the staff's recommendations. The wine was a nice, smooth dry white wine. It went well with most of our meal. I think red wine may have been a better pairing considering our menu, btlut my friend wanted the white. Definitely recommend this wine.

I would recommend Casa Mono to anyone looking for a nice night out with beautifully prepared tapas. The ambience was intimate and warm, like your grandma's kitchen. Everyone we met upon entering the space was welcoming and inviting which was a great addition to the outstanding dishes.
The duck breast was cooked to perfection and melted in our mouths with a burst of savoury freshness.
The lamb belly was beautifully seasoned and extremely juicy.
The chopitos was similar to calamari with a perfect crisp on the outside.
The general manager helped us pick out an amazing bottle of wine to pair with our dishes. I have to say they were all very knowledgeable and welcoming with all of our questions.
We will definitely be returning.

Incredible. Every single dish we ordered was fresh and delicious. The goat and scallop dishes changed my life. Excellent wine selection as well. Highly recommend

Easy the worst Michelin star restaurant I have been to.
The bread was so chewy and dry, it was shocking. The waitress said they don't make it themselves - fair enough - but please at least go to the bakery and don't serve supermarket-level baguette.
My friend asked for a heavy, merlot like wine - the waiter brought a semi-dry white wine (and didn't even get it when we told him this isn't close to a merlot!)
The fish and prawns were overcooked. The risotto had too much lemon and salt.
The "specialty salad" was nice but also just like any other salad.
Makes no sense how this place has a star.

We had an incredible time at casa monos! I love their wine collection! Their tapas are great as well! The atmosphere was a little loud and the place we were seated was cramped. Other than that we enjoyed our night and the service was excellent! Our server damian was warm and friendly.we will definitely come again to try other tapas and we recommend!

The food was really tasty! Extensive wine list too.
We all really enjoyed our meal.
The only thing to note is that this is not a great choice for vegans or vegetarians!

Absolutely incredible experience dining at Casa Mono. The service was flawless, everything we ordered was totally delicious. I don’t think there’s one thing on the menu that is anything below really good, but a few standouts for us were the duck breast, the goat confit, the lamb tongue, and the scallops. Casa Mono turns out serious food and offers outstanding wine at a modest price. I could eat here everyday. In my view, this is a perfect restaurant.

Great food and selection of tapas options! The portions were healthy for tapas. Went for a business lunch and got good, speedy service!

A really wonderful restaurant with excellent food. The tapas were excellent. All the employees were very friendly and accommodating. We really enjoyed it and we'll definitely be back soon.

I booked a lunch at this joint because it had a nice review online. I met my friend there. It’s an upscale restaurant on Irving Place. The menu had some shocking prices. The waiter who was very nice told us that they recommend that we order 4 to 6 plates Between us and that we must order everything at once and not do it sequentially.
We did not need five plates …we needed two plates. Two decent sized entrées were sufficient. But we already ordering five plates including a tiny cup of potato‘s Fritos that cost $15.
The lunch tab came to $175. As a hardened New Yorker I was embarrassed by the foolishness of allowing myself to participate in such an expensive lunch.
The whole model of serving small plates to share, and then telling people how much to order, so that it adds up to a price that is more than triple what any reasonable lunch cost is offputting.
Amazingly my friend is one of those people who doesn’t like to share …so we did not even have that advantage. I would suggest that unless you’re made out of money and don’t mind squandering it on multiple plates with tiny portions to find somewhere else to eat.

This popular, reliable and consistently good casual Spanish Tapas/Pintxos eatery has been our perennial NYC favorite for years. Offering a diverse range of creative and exotic ‘tough-to-decide’ dishes from a compact menu, reaching a decision could be quite a challenge. After some gargantuan effort and debate, our party of ‘famished’ 4 finally settled on the following:

Ensalada mone Manchego & pimenton marcona almonds

Razor Clams a la Plancha

Bacalao Croquetas

Fideos, Chorizo, Clams & garlic sherry aioli

Sweet Bread, fennel al mone and marcona almond vinaigrette

Lamb Belly marcona mole and sungold tomatoes

Piquillo Peppers braised oxtail and Jamon Iberico

Foie Gras cino cebollas

Crema Catalana Bunuelos de Laurel (Bay leaves fritters)

Overall, the food was still very tasty and good, though I did detect a slight slippage in quality and execution (result of staff attrition caused by Covid?). Case in point, the slightly overcooked Razor Clams and Croquettas. However, there were more than enough lip-smacking goodies to offset these short-falls… the salad with ’ one-of-the-best-tasting dressing ’ was such an example. As in the past, the gorgeously sauced, huge slab of seared Foie Gras was another stand-out…as was the crispy Sweet Bread…

A most enjoyable first meal. For me, the most important factor was that, I got to enjoy and share such delectable food with my loving family!

Great little tapas place. However, reservation is required. The food is unique and delicious, and the service and atmosphere are great.

This restaurant is incredible, like being in Spain. The best thing is to sit at the bar and order many appetizers accompanied by a good Rioja or Ribera del Duero. Everything exquisite, it had been there five years ago and it has been the same or better since then.

Very delicious tapa place. We ordered 9 course for 4 people, and we finished everything! My favorites are the clams and pork belly. The wine pairing is also pretty good too!
The only problem with this place is that the space is very tiny. It’s very crowded inside and we sat outside. The outside cabin smelled a little bit moldy on a rainy day like this.

This was my Spanish spot before Hudson Yards opened up. Yet I still come back to my first Spanish love in NYC. It’s a little piece of Spain tucked away in the Big Apple. This place has a way of throwing you right into the heart of a bustling Madrid tapas bar. Crowded, loud, and oh-so-delicious.

Here are a few suggestions:

1. **Duck Egg with Mojama**: This is no ordinary egg, my friends. A decadent, rich yolk pairs with cured tuna in a dance of flavors that leaves you somewhere between Barcelona and a Brooklyn sunrise.

2. **Confit Goat with Curried Almonds**: Just reading it sounds like a Hemingway story waiting to be told. The goat, tender and robust, finds an unexpected partner in those curried almonds. It’s a twist, a surprise, a story in every bite.

3. **Fideos with Chorizo and Clams**: This dish? It's like a sultry Spanish guitar riff in food form. The smoky chorizo, the briny clams, all tangled in those fine, toasted noodles. A serenade for your taste buds.

4. **Razor Clams a la Plancha**: They're simple, they're elegant. Grilled to perfection, these slender beauties are a testament to the beauty of the sea, kissed with just a hint of garlic.

5. **Pork Belly with Sunchoke**: Oh, man. If there's a richer, more sinful pleasure than perfectly rendered pork belly, I haven’t found it. Paired with the earthiness of sunchoke? It’s like a velvet painting come to life – kitschy to some, pure art to others.

6. **Sepia with Salsa Verde**: This is not your run-of-the-mill seafood dish. The sepia, or cuttlefish, has a depth, a mystery to it. With that vibrant salsa verde? It’s like a flamenco dancer on your plate, bold and unapologetically passionate.

7. **Flan with Kumquats**: End your gastronomic journey with this. A classic Spanish dessert, that custardy, caramel magic, heightened with the tart burst of kumquats.

Salud!