Rayuela

It's hard to find a great dining experience that's equally amazing in food, drinks, atmosphere and service. Most establishments on the Lower East Side are so concerned with portraying their venues as ""hip"" they comprimise on food and service. Great for dates on weeknights, and large groups on weekends. I've been back at least a handful of times and the experience has not differed. I even went there for sunday Brunch and it was relaxing and just wonderful. (Must try their special Bloody Mary!) The managers are active on the scene and are actually concerned with each patron's dining experience. Fabulous Fabulous and Fabulous! Pros: Service, Food and Drinks. Cons: Can get crowded Thur-Sat Nights. Make Reservations. more

I could not wait until next Friday to go to Rayuela and decided to go today to see what the fuzz is all about. We got there at 5:00pm, 30 minutes before they started taking orders for dinner. We sat at the bar and had a few drinks. For what I've read so far their drinks and ceviches are pretty good and they did not disappoint. I had a cocktail based on Quetzal, a Mexican drink made out of Agave leaves (Agave is where tequila comes from); it was infused with several citrus juices giving it a rather tropical twist. I loved it. Pros: Great inventive pan Latin menu Cons: So far so good more

I could not wait until next Friday to go to Rayuela and decided to go today to see what the fuzz is all about. We got there at 5:00pm, 30 minutes before they started taking orders for dinner. We sat at the bar and had a few drinks. For what I've read so far their drinks and ceviches are pretty good and they did not disappoint. I had a cocktail based on Quetzal, a Mexican drink made out of Agave leaves (Agave is where tequila comes from); it was infused with several citrus juices giving it a rather tropical twist. I loved it. We shared a Siete Potencia ceviche which contains seven different delicacies from the sea (lobster, shrimp, scallop, crab, clams, mussels and octopus). When I had it I had flashbacks of a sunny day at the beach with good friends and great music :) I guess It is safe to say that the bar alone is a destination. At dinner I had an appetizer called Mofongo Ball; Mofongo is a typical Puerto Rican and Dominican dish made out of mashed plantains and some spices; they took Mofongo a step further by making a little ball with it, stuffing it with meat and frying it. They serve three of them per order. The flavors deconstructed in my mouth like a down tempo salsa song that works up a danceable beat after a few minutes...amazing! My entree was the Ribeye a la Parrilla, with was pretty juicy and served with truffle trumpet pollenta and a salad. The meat was so tender and its juices so well contained and balanced that I decided right then and there to start celebrating my birthday which is still a week away :) My wife had the Crispy Pork which by far was the best I have ever tasted. It came with what we call Moro (rice and guandules cooked together). It was simply delicious! I was a little bit deflated with the desserts though. I had a layered chocolate cake with was rather dry and lacked moisture; None of the desserts stood out from the menu...I think I am going to skip them altogether next Friday when I return :) Pros: Great inventive pan Latin menu Cons: So far so good more

food was pretty good. very stylish ambiance. friendly service. don't miss the various sipping tequilas they... more

food was pretty good. very stylish ambiance. friendly service. don't miss the various sipping tequilas they... more

food was pretty good. very stylish ambiance. friendly service. don't miss the various sipping tequilas they offer. more

food was pretty good. very stylish ambiance. friendly service. don't miss the various sipping tequilas they offer. more

The flavors in this restaurant are phenomenal. Unique but accessible dishes. Great and unique cocktails and reasonably priced wine list. The space is beyond beautiful. The service, however left a lot to be desired. I really hope this place turns the service around because it detracts from what was otherwise a great experience. Feel free to pass on desserts. Pros: Food, Cocktails Cons: Service, Dessert more

The flavors in this restaurant are phenomenal. Unique but accessible dishes. Great and unique cocktails and reasonably priced wine list. The space is beyond beautiful. The service, however left a lot to be desired. I really hope this place turns the service around because it detracts from what was otherwise a great experience. Feel free to pass on desserts. Pros: Food, Cocktails Cons: Service, Dessert more

I have dined at Rayuela twice in the last week and each time was incredibly impressed! From the unique and inviting decor, to the DELICIOUS drinks (I love the ""vodka"" cocktail, pina partida and watermelon lemongrass mojito), innovative and tasty food (especially the amazing bread, ceviches and the veggie empanada) and great service (Scott is a fabulous waiter) Rayuela delivers on all fronts! Pros: Vodka cocktail, unique bread, complimentary gourmet guacamole, interesting decor. Cons: Portions a bit small from the price, took a long time for us to get our bill at the end. more

I have dined at Rayuela twice in the last week and each time was incredibly impressed! From the unique and inviting decor, to the DELICIOUS drinks (I love the "vodka" cocktail, pina partida and watermelon lemongrass mojito), innovative and tasty food (especially the amazing bread, ceviches and the veggie empanada) and great service (Scott is a fabulous waiter) Rayuela delivers on all fronts! A much needed spot in this hood! Pros: Vodka cocktail, unique bread, complimentary gourmet guacamole, interesting decor. Cons: Portions a bit small from the price, took a long time for us to get our bill at the end. more

How many times can I possibly say WOW??? From the decor to the music to the warm fuzzy feeling to the food....I have been there 3 times and have been thrilled with each experience. I am a long time worshiper of Chef Maximo and this new venue just cements his status. I loved the choices of sangria and though I am a health conscious diner, the Jalea (their version of calamari) won me over. The ceviches rocked (try the tiradito de scallop) and I loved the variety of textures in my salmon salad. The churrasco was tender and juicy and the paella was not only visually beautiful, but soooo yummy! What a great spot for dates, friends, parties!!! The service was top notch and having been a bartender for 4 years in NYC, my standards are quite high. My waiter explained the entire concept to my guests and happily answered any questions. My water glass was full all night (I likes me my water). Even the bathrooms are stunning. Rayuela certainly lives up to it's concept with it's variety of flavors and textures. HUGE fan! Pros: Decor/Atmosphere, Service, FOOD more

How many times can I possibly say WOW??? From the decor to the music to the warm fuzzy feeling to the food....I have been there 3 times and have been thrilled with each experience. I am a long time worshiper of Chef Maximo and this new venue just cements his status. I loved the choices of sangria and though I am a health conscious diner, the Jalea (their version of calamari) won me over. The ceviches rocked (try the tiradito de scallop) and I loved the variety of textures in my salmon salad. The churrasco was tender and juicy and the paella was not only visually beautiful, but soooo yummy! What a great spot for dates, friends, parties!!! The service was top notch and having been a bartender for 4 years in NYC, my standards are quite high. My waiter explained the entire concept to my guests and happily answered any questions. My water glass was full all night (I likes me my water). Even the bathrooms are stunning. Rayuela certainly lives up to it's concept with it's variety of flavors and textures. HUGE fan! Pros: Decor/Atmosphere, Service, FOOD more

Rayuela has maintained its high level. The food remains amazing, the drinks great and the staff very firendly and professional. Pros: Food, Cocktails, Decor Cons: Make reservations as the place fills up fast more

Rayuela has maintained its high level. The food remains amazing, the drinks great and the staff very firendly and professional. Pros: Food, Cocktails, Decor Cons: Make reservations as the place fills up fast more

I was so delighted to experience a great meal and best mojiots in this exciting establishment. It is a great spot for a group of friends or for a romantic dinner. The staff is courtious and fun. I can't wait to go back there with some friends that are visiting from overseas. Pros: Ambience, food, drinks Cons: Parking more

I was so delighted to experience a great meal and best mojiots in this exciting establishment. It is a great spot for a group of friends or for a romantic dinner. The staff is courtious and fun. I can't wait to go back there with some friends that are visiting from overseas. Pros: Ambience, food, drinks Cons: Parking more

Dinner at rayuela on a Wednesday night; 4 friends and myself. The ambiance is great, and our meal began nicely with drinks and an offer for ?some guacamole?. We all thought that sounded good and looked forward to something to take the edge off our appetites. We then all tried some different things from the menu, everything except for the crispy vegetables was pretty good. We were all ready to go so we requested the check. When the bill came, we noticed that we were charged for the guacamole. Some of the party of 5 were slightly surprised by this, some disappointed. So we spoke with our waiter who said he would speak with the maiterd? (Victor Morales). He then returned with all of our credit cards and told us he had asked the maiterd? to remove it from the almost $300 bill but our request was denied. We then asked to speak with him ourselves to which we were initially turned down and had to place a 2nd request. He came over to our table explained that he was very sorry for the confusion but there was nothing he could do. We left incredibly disappointed, and of course it was a matter of principle and service above all else. 2 words of warning: the guacamole offer will set you back $17 and the maiterd? and service is sub par. Cons: Service, Service, Service more

Dinner at rayuela on a Wednesday night; 4 friends and myself. The ambiance is great, and our meal began nicely with drinks and an offer for ?some guacamole?. We all thought that sounded good and looked forward to something to take the edge off our appetites. We then all tried some different things from the menu, everything except for the crispy vegetables was pretty good. We were all ready to go so we requested the check. When the bill came, we noticed that we were charged for the guacamole. Some of the party of 5 were slightly surprised by this, some disappointed. So we spoke with our waiter who said he would speak with the maiterd? (Victor Morales). He then returned with all of our credit cards and told us he had asked the maiterd? to remove it from the almost $300 bill but our request was denied. We then asked to speak with him ourselves to which we were initially turned down and had to place a 2nd request. He came over to our table explained that he was very sorry for the confusion but there was nothing he could do. We left incredibly disappointed, and of course it was a matter of principle and service above all else. 2 words of warning: the guacamole offer will set you back $17 and the maiterd? and service is sub par. Cons: Service, Service, Service more

We had very high hopes for this place. Really nice inside, cool crowd, great decor. The limited food we ate had was also good. The civiche was excellent, some of the best I've ever had. The empanadas were so-so. The problem was that we never got past the first course. When we ordered our drinks it took about 15 minutes to get them. We then waited 45 minutes from the time our appetizer was taken away to the time we just got up and left due to hunger. We spent 2 hours there eating one course! The worst part was not a single waiter came over and asked if they could buy us a drink while we were waiting. Service gets an F. If your thinking of this place I would give them a couple weeks to figure out their kitchen. I have a feeling it may be too small for the dining room. Pros: Nice decor Cons: Service more