Cava Wine Bar

nice place, a bit pricey for what you get, but great atmosphere.
Crappy beer selection. Even though it’s a wine bar, three beers is kinda poor.

Good service, excellent wine choices. Dark seating for intimate dates and nights out. Worth a visit.

Cozy, warm, and friendly wine bar. Good for a date or drinks with friends. A little pricey, but not more so than any other wine bar on the UWS.

Atmosphere was spot on for a wine bar — quiet, but lively if that makes sense. When you walk in it’s not so quiet you can hear a pin drop, but not super loud. You just hear a nice flow of conversation which is what I look for in wine bars when I first walk in. You want a quieter place but not a place that is dead. The salsa music in the background definitely helps.
Service — The service was really good. We sat at the bar and our server was very attentive and helpful. She really knew her wine and was thoughtful about her food recommendations.
Food — I thought the food was just OK.
Empanadas (chicken, pork, beef) were definitely the best out of everything we ordered. Would up getting two orders of them. They were a good size, the meat was well seasoned, and they were cooked to perfection. When you bit into one you got the crunch as well as the juices from the meat. Nice job.
Cheese platter (forgot which one we got) but it was fine. Comes with small slices of toasted bread with olive oil drizzled on top. We also ordered Prosciutto but that was very disappointing because it was tough and very thickly cut.
Ropa vieja — It was good. I thought the meat could have been cooked a little better. It didn’t really fall apart in your mouth but did not lack flavor by any means. I also had the rice and beans to accompany it and that was very good.
Wine — I forgot what we had but it was a very good full body red. We told the server what we liked and she nailed it with the selection.
Service was very good. Food was fine with the exception of the empanadas which were also really good. Nice atmosphere so could go back if in the area.

A very unique place with great food, great wine, and the best staff. Next time I go back to NY I will visit this place again.

Great atmosphere and service. Drinks were a little on the high side ($ 13 for Makers, and $ 13 for Malbec), but otherwise a good spot for casual drinks and a date.

In love with this UWS hidden gem. Came here for a date night with my man friend and were pleasantly surprised to walk into this cute place slightly off the beaten path. THe tables are really crammed in there, we sat at a corner table to one side of the restaurant pressed against the window and my back over my head was s shelf. had to be careful getting up :) We had no problem getting a table although the small bar area and the rest of the place was pretty packed. We decided to order wines by the glass — we had the most tasty cabarnet sauvignon here. as well as a few small plates to share. We loved the empanadas… could have (and maybe should have) ordered more of them! SO good! Serving sizes were fair for the prices as well.

Cava really is a beautiful wine bar. The hostess was so friendly and welcoming! Service was wonderful. The Sangria is absolutely delicious! We ordered 4 pitchers and still wanted more! The guacamole was also great. I definitely recommend this wen bar for a quiet date or a relaxing time with friends.

Our whole party was happy with their meals. The crab on tostones with guacamole was so delicious.

Cava is amazing! Their empanadas are excellent, as is their ropa vieja.
I discovered my new favorite wine here — Veedha Douro
ALSO, the service is perfect. Everyone is incredibly friendly, helpful, and all-​around fantastic people.

Walked in here at around 8:30, only to be greeted by this beautiful Waitress with curly hair. I was seated immediately and their where plenty of tables available. First thing first, drinks! I decided to order a red sangria, which by the way was delicious. I wasn’t to hungry so I order a «Canoa de platano» which is a sweet plantain boat filled with your choice of beef, vegetable or crab. I also got a side of the rice and beans. It was all so yummy, like your Dominican mama made it. Def will be returning!

A Dominican Tapas establishment :)
This is a darling little place. I came here last night after an afternoon of gallery hoping in the rain. It was quiet the experience and very romantic.
What I had:
–Ceviche with Chilean Sea Bass
–Monfongito Del Mar: mashed green plantains stuffed with crab meat and topped with shrimp
Everything was appropriately sized and served in a visually stimulating way. The servers were very attentive but I would have liked more attention placed on refilling my water as it was very humid outside.
The food is very good here if you are in the area definitely worth a visit! lso local artwork is delicately placed on the walls.

Lovely ambiance, great prices for the neighborhood. They forgot my order but were accommodating in amending for that. Worked with our large party to get us all seated which was good. When good arrived it was fresh, but I’ve definitely have had better. Still, excellent cozy location. I’ll be back. Shots on the house, can’t say no to that!

Solid place to take a date, the bar tender was very cool and helpful.

My favorite thing about this bar is that it’s 3 doors down from where I live. Other than that it has an awesome wine selection and even some pretty good beer by the bottle.
The tapas are good but not great. The empanadas are solid and bite sized. There are around 5 different options to choose from alone. There is shellfish, steak, and wonderful fried finger foods. Everything is good but pricey.
The staff is always super friendly and engaging. My favorite bartender Ivan recently left, unfortunately, but there are some other great folks still working there. It’s a solid date spot or a nice pre-​theater place.

Great wine selection and nice atmosphere. My boyfriend and I have come here several times this summer and we have a good experience every time!
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. They frequently make recommendations and offer samples if I am unsure of what to order.
In the summer time there’s nothing more relaxing than sipping on some fantastic sangria/​wine and sitting by the open French windows.
Great happy hour deals too!

Nice little date spot.
I met a gf here to catch up, and it definitely had a warm cozy atmosphere, but dark and sexy enough to bring a romantic date.
Food was decent, nothing special, small portions and pricey, but its a nice place to chat with a friend or date over a drink.

This used to be one of my favorite restaurants on the UWS, but they hired a new chef, and things really went downhill.
The shrimp empanadas used to have big chunks of shrimp in them… but no longer. And the guava dipping sauce is now watered down, and nearly flavorless… Lamb chops were a disappointment, as well.
The staff is really nice, as is the vibe… but a restaurant is only as good as its chef.

I am definitely a fan of Cava Wine Bar. They have a great selection of wines and cocktails and a fun, cozy atmosphere.
I ordered a Sangria and was surpised that it was basically just a glass of wine with ice. It had only a few shavings of fresh orange. I usually order sangria because I love all that fruit. After all, if I just wanted a glass of wine with ice, I could have just ordered a glass of wine with ice. I don’t ever like to complain at a restaurant or send food back, so I just casually asked the waiter about the fruit. He said that usually people ask for MORE wine and LESS fruit but that he would be happy to bring me out my favorite fruit. Within seconds he brought out a bowl of freshly sliced grapes and it was a delicious addition to my sangria. What amazing service!
We didn’t try any of the food, but we’ll definitely be back because it looked very good.

Great neighborhood bar. Lots of foreign wines and a good cocktail selection. They have food but I can’t speak for it as I’ve never ordered anything. It seemed to manage to pull off casual/​classy without being snobby during the times I was there. The ambiance is a cozy and dim with lots of front windows and many tables for 2 (some for 4). They often have a Happy Hour until 6 sign outside although I don’t always see it advertised.
I went on a Friday and it was packed but went back earlier on a Wednesday and it was nice and quiet and felt off the beaten path. .. if that’s possible in this city.