There is plenty of terrific Latin fare to be found in New York CIty and sadly, none of it is here at Salud. The atmosphere is great, the space adorable, and the service seemed top-notch when we walked in, so my husband and I expected a treat. The first let-down came along with the drinks. The $9 a glass sangria was bright screaming red, tasted like koolaid, and had no booze in it. Then we discovered that the prix fixe is a scam. Anyone else feel that two tapas dishes qualifiy as appetizer and entree? Entrees are supposed to be bigger than appetizers -- not so at Salud. We felt that were lured in to the restaurant under false pretenses (bargain dinnner) and were not pleased. However, we were starving and it was Saturday night (places around were pretty packed) so we opted to stay, skip the prix fixe (who in their right mind would order two bite-sized dishes and a thimble of flan for $20?) and see if this place was worth the price of admission. We ordered a bunch of tapas dishes, all of which were fair to middling, especially in light of the fact that the prices were completely off the hook. $12-17 a plate for tapas? It had better be loaded with lobster or caviar or the work of a gastronomic genius. They're charging these prices for tiny tacos and chicken wings, friends. And the paella was small, dry, and tasteless. Ahem, this is their signature dish. The lobster was so skimpy (half a scrawny claw for two people) and tasted as if it has been frozen or fished out of the East River. If we wanted to spend $150 on dinner, we would have gone to a place we know is worth it. This place is joke. We were both hungry, sober, and steamed (unlike the reheated lobster) when we got home. Never again.
Pros: Ambience
Cons: Everything else
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