Tapas eatery Boqueria debuts its third New York City location tonight, now delivering tasty plates of Spanish eats to the Upper East Side. Barcelona native Chef Marc Vidal continues his nuanced execution of classic small plates at the new outpost, which offers intimate seating for 70 in the cozy dining room awash in golds and beiges. For our money, we'll be sitting at the chefs counter, where you can watch the kitchen slice Jamon Iberico to order.
Patatas Bravas doused in salsa brava and roasted garlic aioli, Pan con Tomate rubbed with garlic and olive oil and Paella de Mariscos bursting with seafood and saffron are holdovers from the other two locations in Soho and the Flatiron. A few UES-specific dishes include Cojonudo (fried qual eggs with chorizo on toast), Pulpo a la Gallega (grilled octopus, olive oil mashed potatoes, fennel, smoked pimenton) and Fideua Negra, a toasted noodle paella brimming with shrimp, clams, cuttlefish, squid ink and creamy garlic aioli.
This being a Spanish operation, look for an extensive selection of sherries, a drink undeserving of its fussy, grandmotherly reputation. Wines by the glass—Spanish, naturally—sangrias and specialty cocktails round out the beverage program.
1460 Second Avenue, 212-343-2227; website
