Casa Mono

Great little place for tapas. We had uni and scrambled eggs (so good!), salted cod fish sticks (can't go wrong with fried), razor clams in butter (love razor clams!), cashews and scallops (scallops were cooked perfectly), pork belly (delish!), lamb lengua (fab), and oxtail and peppers (excellent). Would definitely go back.

I was glad I had a chance to try this Michelin-starred mainstay, which is located amidst a bunch of buzzy and vibrant restaurants and businesses along Irving Place. We were seated in one of Casa Mono's two outdoor huts, which I was okay with, as I had read that the interior of the restaurant can be rather cramped and loud. I liked or loved almost everything I tried, but this was dampened a bit as I also thought that some of the dishes were very pricey for the amount of food served. We tried the following:

Setas (mushrooms) and garlic: such a delicious side. The mushrooms were flavorful and so meaty, they were almost like a main dish rather than a side. The sauce was sprightly and garlicky.

Scallops (serrano curry and minted cashews): the scallops themselves and the dish overall was on the smaller side, which was too bad, as they were cooked perfectly. The sauce was delectable: creamy, vegetal, and somewhat spicy.

Razor clams a la Plancha: this was my first time trying these robust, hearty clams and I enjoyed them a lot. They were served simply, I believe grilled and with olive oil, which allowed their natural briny flavor to shine.

Confit goat (avocado queso, scallion ash, and sicilian pistachios): this one was a surprise huge hit for me! It had these crispy bbq vibes, incredibly tender meat, and a dreamy, creamy avocado sauce as well as a nuttiness from the pistachios. Loved this dish!

Bone marrow (trout roe, horseradish crema, and everything bagel spice): Surprisingly, this dish didn't come together for me. The flavor combinations sounded intriguing, but nothing really popped, and I found the end result to be kind of bland. My husband liked it, though.

In general, I thought the service was very good. I will say that I felt that my exchange with the sommelier was kind of difficult because she was using jargon that the average consumer would in no way understand. I did my best to keep up, but I wish the conversation was more approachable and we didn't love the bottle that we ended up with.

I would give Casa Mono a 3.5 stars rounded up to a 4.

Wonderful dinner experience our first night in NYC. It's located on a corner with other restaurants at respective corners. We sat outside in the twinkle lights surrounded by brick and brownstone buildings. It was all so cute and quintessential New York. Highly recommend the outdoor seating option if weather is good!

As for food, it is pricey especially for tapas sized portions, but it's also Michelin-star rated, which is also why expectations were a bit higher. We ordered salad, razor clams, scallops, and skirt steak along with some wine recommended by their sommelier. The highlights were for sure the skirt steak and salad! The razor clams were good but a bit too chewy. The scallops were a bit dry and felt off because of the Thai curry-like taste of it. It didn't seem to fit the Spanish theme of the restaurant.

Overall we really enjoyed our meal here!

Came to Casa Mono for a Sunday evening dinner, made a reservation about 3 weeks prior. We were seated outdoors, where it was quieter and had more privacy, which was nice. Inside the restaurant seemed pretty crowded and pretty loud. Our server was very nice, but overall service was on the slow side. Not sure if this was bc they were giving us time to chat, or bc the kitchen was busy, either way would have preferred slightly faster service.

The food was amazing, every dish was delicious, my favorites were the foie gras and skirt steak. Every dish though, had their unique twist. We were recommended to order 12-16 dishes for 4 people. We ordered 12 but had more dishes on the main entree side so it was plenty enough and we were very full. I think the price overall was very worth the meal, I thought it would be more expensive than it is. Overall would recommend the food, very unique, worth the try. The ambiance may be a little loud for my liking, but if you are into the party scene, Casa Mono is perfect for a fancy bite!

Casa Mono excels as a Spanish tapas restaurant, rightfully earning its Michelin star for consistent excellence. The flavors in their dishes are nothing short of an explosion in your mouth, offering a culinary experience to remember. Highlights for me include the razor clams, confit goat, duck, and foie gras, but frankly, everything on the menu is exceptional.

The best seat in the house is sitting at the bar in front of the kitchen to see the chefs at work.

Long story short, I love Casa Mono but please don't order Pan con tomate here.... I've visited Casa Mono for several times, and I enjoyed most dishes. I had never ordered Pan con tomate here before until my most recent visit last week. Pan con tomate is one of my favorite thing in Spanish foods, but the Pan con tomate here is a disaster. I think the quality of tomato was not good. It was just very very bland and basic type of tomato..
But besides of the Pan con tomate, the general experience was nice. My favorite was the Bone Marrow. It was super delicious. And also, the ensalada was also my favorite. As of my memory, I think it is within top 3 salad in Manhattan.
The service was okay. But the space was a bit too small.

Truly one of the best restaurants I've been to in the city by far, though Spanish tapas have a special place in my heart so maybe I'm biased.

Every bite of every dish was incredible! We didn't have enough room in our stomachs to order everything we wanted to try on the menu. The standouts were the Jamon Iberico, razor clams, and confit goat.

Service was also on point and very timely. Cute little restaurant with a very cozy and intimate feel. Perfect for a date.

We'll be back to try more of the menu for sure! Well-deserved Michelin star.

Great service. Great food.

A little tight seating inside. Very cozy to the next table or the staff walking by.

Enjoyed everything we had. My favorites were the fluke crudo, razor clams(just a bit of sand) and the scallops(cooked to perfection!).

Didn't have room for dessert. We had 11 items plus the free bread. They recommend for a party of 3 to order 6-9 dishes.

(Overall: C) - Casa Mono peaked interest to me as a Michelin Star Spanish restaurant in NYC, and I visited while family was in town. While I found the menu to be conceptually interesting for the most part, I felt like some parts of the dishes just fell a bit short in execution. The staff were attentive and accommodating, but the atmosphere was a bit too tight for my liking. Overall, I felt that Casa Mono fell a bit short of impressing me for a $50+/pp meal.

(Razor Clams: C) - The razor clams were tender and paired well with the garlic, parsley, and olive oil. However, given that this is a michelin star restaurant, I felt that that it was missing its innovating take from both the flavor and presentation front.

(Octopus: C) - The octopus is tender and pairs well with the shaved fennel salad. I found the grapefruit chunks to be a bit large and would've been better more spread out throughout the salad though, to both improve the twste and presentation.

(Mussels with Chorizo: D) - While this dish sounded conceptually interesting, it was quite difficult to eat as we did not have a separate set of smaller silverware. Further, the chorizo was minced, making it even more difficult as it was mixed with the shells and not necessarily in the mussell shells. Finally, even though tomato and mussells work well, I'm not convinced that chorizo actually makes the dish taste better.

(Calamari: B) - This dish is conceptually interesting as it differs from most other calamari dishes; it pairs with a squid ink puree that adds immense earthiness to the dish and looks vibrant. I felt that the raisins added a good bit of sweetness which was also smart. Perhaps a squeeze of lemon would add some final touches of acidity to help lift the dish. In terms of presentation, some herbs could help add some green and freshness as well.

(Duck: A) - This duck tastes as good as it looks -- it was perfectly cooked and hit most of the right notes. The paired root vegetables were also pleasant and added some refreshing sweetness. This dish could be further elevated had the duck had crispy skin though.

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Food: E
Presentation: E
Price: E
Atmosphere: -1
Service: +1
Menu: +1
Overall: +1 C

Insta/Beli: @amei_eats

We all really enjoyed our experience here. The four of us shared a selection of tapas with everyone's favorite being pork belly and least favorite creamy eggs with sea urchin.

The sommelier was very helpful with the wine selection and it was overall a nice touch to have.

Super cute and cozy atmosphere too.

Tapas was good overall. They gave a generous portion of wine. The atmosphere was very lovely. It's a smaller space so it's not the quietest, but it adds to the vibe!