Pil Pil

After coming here a ton for the great ambiance and sangria, the attitude my friends and I received yesterday was so terrible that we cut our happy hour short and left for another bar.
1) The place was empty (like empty, empty) and my friend received attitude about requesting to sit in a corner.
2) The server proceeded to loudly complain about our party to a co-​worker and how we asked for a corner table. (Place was still empty.)
3) It took them forever to even come to our table for drink orders.
4) After a while, they ask «well are you guys going to order or what?» We expressed we were here only for drinks. The server nastily huffed and snatched our menus.
5) We got attitude for asking the check, including an eye roll.
I loved this place, but the rudeness and disdain was so palpable I will not be returning.

I found this place thanks to Unilocal and it really didn’t disappoint. The ambience is so nice with the mood lighting and candles. The staff was very polite and helpful but didn’t bother us much. Perfect for a date or getting together with a few friends. I don’t think they had liquor, but I just wanted sangria anyway. We ordered the mac and cheese balls as they came highly recommended, and they were SO good. The truffle oil pizza and beef kabobs were great, too. Can’t wait to come back here again sometime!

This is the perfect spot for a chilled Sunday evening dinner and happy hour. The tapas are well priced and generously portioned and the Sangria (red or white) is delicious! The tres leches dessert is light, delicuous and just sweet enough to make you seriously consider a second slice.

Saturday evening happy hour was crowded, loud and very warm. Many tables were «reserved». BFF and I decided to go elsewhere.
We were hoping for wine, tapas and conversation.
Maybe next time.
Maybe not. The seats without backs are uncomfortable to me.

I kept reading reviews about happy hour but due to my busy schedule, I unfortunately had to come AFTER happy hour. But that’s ok, that means there was far more space!
This is a really cute spot in the upper east side. The tables are long, so you will likely have to share a table with some strangers. The good thing is there is more than enough space between you and the strangers so you get some personal space. The wines come in 8 oz carafes if you don’t want to drink too much. We tried the sangria which was good.
Make sure you check out the board on the wall for specials. We had the mac n cheese croquettas with chorizo, and oh, they were heavenly. Imagine eating a deep fried ball of cheesy pasta with some chorizo… yum.
We also had the mini hamburgers (you get 2) which come with a side of fries. I really liked the stuffed calamari (also a special). The calamari came with 2 slices of bread which you could dip in the sauce. The waiter brought us extra bread which was nice. The patatas bravas were good, you really can’t go wrong.
Price wise its really reasonable. This is a good date spot too!

Stopped in for some Sangria and tapas. My friend and I ordered 4 dishes btwn the 2 of us and we were comfortably full.
Ambiance is nice, dimly lit so good for a date. Nice hum to the restaurant without being overly noisy.
All the dishes were very good, with the highlight being the mac and cheese puffs (cant remember the Spanish name for them)…
Food is very reasonably priced. Highly recommend this place if ur in the nabe.

Loved to see a happy hour on a Saturday (4pm-​6pm)! $ 3 sangria and beer was more than enough to pull me in on a Saturday afternoon for a snack before dinner. My friends and I opted for the sangria, which was served in mason jars. We also ordered a couple of apps, which had exceeded our expectations — we had the grilled octopus and eggplant empanadas. The octopus was super tasty and not too chewy or soft — thumbs up!

Stopped in for a light ~snack~. The inside is very very cool. It’s super ~romantic~, the decorations are so fun and different, its like being inside a wine forest, which tbh sounds like a place I’d like to go.
We ordered a steak/​fries mini tapas plate (i think the whole place is tapas), and the food was GREAT… really well done. The menu also looked very extensive. Many of the tables are long with stools so its more of a communal table. This is a great place to stop by with a few friends, etc. Would definitely like to return!
Only downside was the service was a tad slow, but when they came by they were all very friendly and gave great suggestions.

This is a foodie haven on the UES. Seriously delicious stuff happening here. It’s a really dimly lit, cozy, sexy vibe with a stellar wine list and an onslaught of delicious dishes. The tapas are extremely flavorful. Great portion sizes to share and get enough of each dish so you don’t feel skimped. The service was awesome as they helped us make sure we got enough food as well as a variety of dishes that scaled various areas of the menu, from vegetables and fruits, to meats and cheeses to some more heartier fare. I can’t wait to visit here again. I’m just so happy there is such a great gem sitting just blocks from my apt.

Unlimited sangria at brunch and $ 3 sangria during happy hour. You can’t beat that. I think it’s awesome that they have HH 7 days a week including Saturdays 4 to 6. Last night I was here and forgotten I had been here years before. I will definitely never forget this place. The sangria was tasty and complimented the tapas well. I spent $ 35 including 20% tip for 3 drinks and 2 small plates. Not bad at all, especially for this neighborhood. Cute seating, great lighting, definitely cozy. We had 3 different servers while we were there, but they all helped us out and kept the drinks flowing for the most part. There was really loud group (much louder than the NYC standard) that was disturbing everyone so a server had to tell them to quiet down. Of course, after a while, the volume was back up, but I didn’t care by that point because I had sangria helping me through it. The bacon wrapped dates and patatas were scrumptious. Great cheese platter too. Can’t wait to go back to try more food.

I normally get FOMO going to the same place twice in NYC, but I have no problem going back to Pil Pil. I actually stumbled upon this gem while strolling around the block waiting for a reservation at a restaurant down the street. We decided to check out the menu just because, and ended up canceling the former reservation and waiting just 5 minutes for a table at Pil Pil.
5 stars for the atmosphere. They did an amazing job turning this tiny space into a rustic yet futuristic vibe. There are wooden family style tables, exposed brick walls, and vines covering the ceiling that also run from ceiling to table. But the bar section also offers glowing wine bottles in various colors the give off the perfect amount of light.
5 stars for the food, especially the selection. Whenever I see «small plates» my eyes tend to expand to 3 times the size of stomach, but my boyfriend convinced me to start with just two small plates, and thankfully I did. We ordered one from the specials menu: a plate of mac n’ cheese chorizo croquettes as well as the pollo picante from the regular menu. Both were unbelievable. Combine both menus and there were over 40 options, all of which I plan on going back and trying.
I was a bit disappointed in the wine selection, as this is known as a wine bar. I settled for a carafe of pinot grigio, but was hopeful that a Spanish restaurant would have a Malbec on the menu. I did notice that they have a few blends however, so I will have to give those a try.
I should note that this was at 7 on a Saturday night, but I’ve heard only amazing things about their happy hour! Many people around us had the sangria which looked delicious.

I’ve probably come here over three hundred times. The place is very romantic, good music, and wonderful waiters/​servers/​cooks.
The wine isn’t just delivered to their door here either. I found out recently that they send their staff to Spain to choose their reds and whites from family owned vineyards.
The food is consistent and fantastic and I highly recommended this place over any bar on second avenue because it’s perfect for a date or for friends to eat and get drunk at.

With a name and menu that speaks Spanish all over the place I have to admit certain fear settled on my mind as I first stepped in. Nothing wrong, but the interior and vibe didn’t speak Spain as loud as I anticipated. Pil Pil could have been all rustic with the wooden communal tables, wood pillars, exposed brick wall and a ceiling covered by grape wine branches like the ones we like to have in the outdoor patios back in the homeland. The lighting however, broke the magic as the colorful display of wines bottles behind the bar together with loud music transformed it in a more club-​like scenario.
On a Saturday evening the place was full but not uncomfortable crowded and we could spot two seats by the bar. Just keep on mind that you can reserve a table in advance only for large parties (8 or more). We were offered to be seated on the shared tables but it felt somehow too tight with others. At the bar at least, the service was excellent. We had enough space and the drinks and food came quickly. There is other features that you may like very much like happy hour that includes Saturdays or live guitar plays on Wednesdays (as advertised in their website).
I think the wine menu is rather weak. The wines are mostly from Spain but considering the excellent Spanish wines available, I think the menu could have been better. At the same time and logically, prices are actually cheaper. The food however was a pleasant surprise. You will notice differences with the food served in Spain, the recipes may not be by «the Spanish book» if such a thing could ever exist. However, you can recognize the taste. Similar to when I adventure myself and cook something. It is not perfect, yet it is Spanish. After having a taste, I had to ask and the chef happen to be someone from East Europe who joined the team just a year ago. See? unexpected, right? I wonder then what others well known celebrities make in their kitchens when they claim Spain but can’t get it right.
We had Tortilla Española (Spanish style omelet), Pan Tomaca (grilled bread with tomato and garlic, like bruschetta), Arroz meloso con Mariscos (risotto-​like rice with seafood) and Bacalao al Pil Pil (Basque style cod). Everything is served tapas style but be aware serving size is larger than we are use to in NY. That was too much for the two of us and three tapas would have been enough. Everything was tasty, well cooked and nicely dressed. Even when the Pil PIl among other details was not completely right, again, on their own style, the food spoke Spain.

Neighborhood gem with great tapas selection and delicious sangrias. Cute, cozy ambiance. Great for intimate dinners. Good service from waitstaff the many times we have been here. Can’t wait to take visitors and friends here.

Happy Hour Review only:
If I remember correctly, happy hour is from 4 – 7 on weekdays, 4 – 6 on Saturdays, and I forgot what time on Sunday. But $ 3 Beer and Sangria is pretty awesome! I really like how the inside is decorated with what looks like tree vines and I love the colorful backlight wine holders by the bar.
My cousins tried out the foods afterward and they said it wasn’t all that great. Specifically, they said the mussels were ok and don’t bother ordering the empanadas. I personally didn’t stay for dinner, so I’m leaving my 4 stars for drinks only.

Nice little tapas spot in a great neighborhood. We ordered about 8 plates for three of us and had MORE than enough food. The servings are bigger than you expect them!
The menu has a ton of selections and is very vegetarian friendly. They have an extensive wine selection as well. We tried the sangria — it was extremely sweet but good. Next time, I would try something different. Only issue I had was the seating arrangements. They have the large shared tables that sometimes you must share with other parties. But the food makes it worth it!
Worth the stop!

It was pretty good! The tapas portion was good. For girls, I was full eating one and half tapas. I had the chorizo albondigas in mushroom cream sauce. Not bad. My friend had the seafood rice and pork empanadas. Also generous portions for girls. There were about 5 empanadas. My friend also ordered tres leches but it was so sweet. Happy hour sangria and beer was $ 3 each. Very good-​Fruity but had a kick of wine flavor. The décor was so cute.

Pil Pil, wow what a gem! Such a great and cozy place to chill with friends and unwind after a long day, plus the happy hour is super sick! $ 3 beers and sangrias every day from 4−7pm, and you get a decent selection too. I really enjoyed the sangria — it wasn’t too sweet or overpowering, and came in a cute mason jar. It seemed to be the popular choice. Every other person there had a jar of sangria sitting in front of them!
We wanted to munch on some finger food while having the happy hour drinks, so we ended up getting 2 veggie dishes — the Pimientos de Padrón (blistered shishito peppers with sea salt and Spanish paprika; $ 8) and Espárragos Remesco (grilled asparagus and garlic served with almond piquillo pepper sauce; $ 7). They were both good, although a bit on the pricier side for the portion size (especially the asparagus). The cheap happy hour drinks more than made up for it though!
I’m really glad I found this place, and will definitely be back again for their happy hour! Also, not very relevant, but the whole atmosphere of the place (right down to the tree branches «growing» on the ceiling) made me feel like I was hanging out in a forest in Middle Earth. *geek mode on*

There was one very friendly and nice server, but the others (I don’t know why three different people were taking care of us) were prickly and didn’t make us feel like they wanted to wait on us at all. They were not bad servers and they did come back to make sure our drinks stayed full, but their attitude was just kind of snotty.
The sangria was too sweet but the wine selection was good. They have Spanish beer which was nice.
I liked the stuffed squid, though there were only two pieces. The broth they came in was tasty. The cheese plate had some good selections and I really liked the honey mustard concoction that it came with. The stuffed eggplant tasted good, but it could have been smothered in a little less cheese.
All in all, I liked the décor of the little side room we sat in, but the service really put a damper on the visit.

Cute atmosphere– low playing jazz and mostly couples.
I had The flank steak $ 15-​About the size of a deck of cards– ordered med– got it med well which made it a lil chewy.
The fries with spicy ketchup had a nice kick though I’m liking the creamy aglio sauce.
Red sangria — very acidic with a bite behind it. The white sangria– a bit smoother, no bite but still blah. Maybe next time I’ll try wine by the glass. Wouldn’t come back for sangria alone. Great service !
Atmosphere is for a date/​intimate. The ceilings are adorned with wine vines– pretty.
Dessert: tres leche cake! My fave dessert of all time and …
Drumroll… It was good!
Very good! So good that I would come back strictly for tres leche cake and a glass of white wine.
Best part of the visit was really the cake. (pic)

The tapas are average at most. The croquetas were bland, the tortilla was more an omelette than a tortilla española, and the patatas bravas were homefries with spicy ketchup (very dissapointing). Secondly, the service was subpar. And finally, the price was exhorbitant, especially for the serving sizes. The wine prices were also crazy. 43 dollars for a bottle you can buy for 9.99 at a wine store is disrespectful. To sum it up, we ended at the pizza place two blocks down, because after spending 150 dollars worth of food we were still hungry. There are far better places for tapas in manhattan.