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Estela

American Restaurant, Spanish Restaurant, and Wine Bar$$$$

NoLita, New York

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Estela

8.5^/10

906

ratings

Ranked #3 for seafood in NoLita
The folks at Bon Appetit Magazine and Eater like this place. Would you agree?
"Loved the ricotta dumplings too--a delicious and beautiful dish."(40 Tips)
"Beef tartare, lamb ribs, oysters, endive salad were all excellent."(50 Tips)
"burrata but the steak tartare with sunchoke was a stand out dish!"(48 Tips)
"Scallops, sea bream, muscles, ibérico ham, lamb ribs, endive salad"(19 Tips)

250 Tips and reviews

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burrata cheese
beef tartare
good for dates
endive salad
trendy
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healthy food
chocolate cake
bar
breakfast sandwiches
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blood sausage
eggs
rice
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Noah WeissNovember 3, 2015
Ask to sit at the tables in the back where Obama dined -- it's quieter and great for people watching. Fried arroz negro, burrata with salsa verde, the beef tartare, and the celery negroni.
EaterAugust 18, 2014
Bill Addison's review: The creation that made us keel in delight was a riff on bacon, egg, and cheese sandwiches. Mattos layered avocado, pancetta, & poached egg onto a Danish pastry called a tebirke. Read more
AlAnoud A AlGhunaimNovember 5, 2021
Loud, candlelit, crowded but all in all splendid! Welcoming staff, they took their time to answer our questions. Burrata, oysters, ricotta dumplings and lamb ribs were amazing! Definitely coming back✨
Upvoted Oct 1
EaterApril 6, 2016
Ignacio Mattos serves rustic, market-driven dishes that don't easily fit into any one classification. Standouts include mussels escabeche, ricotta dumplings, and excellent beef tartare with sunchokes. Read more
L. Q.April 15, 2018
Just...wow. Long time since I don’t leave a place already planning to go back. Super fresh ingredients, super coherent menu. The burrata, the black rice and the dumplings were just perfect.
AmateurConciergeFebruary 28, 2015
Can't get in for dinner? Come by, walk right in and sit down for brunch and try some of the best dinner menu items. Plus the Danish pastry breakfast sandwich is fantastic!
Miche ZenMay 2, 2019
The ham was excellent , the crispy rice was decadent and the best was the ricotta dumplings ... friendly knowledgeable staff and cozy atmosphere
TomOctober 15, 2016
Newest comer to the The World's 50 Best Restaurant list. Love everything about this place. Innovative simple small dishes, very original, helpful and friendly services, and casual cafe ambience.
EaterSeptember 12, 2017
Estela is the ideal restaurant with reasonable portions. It serves tartare in a tapas-sized bowl and a hanger steak that just involves a few bites of flesh and won't mess up a palate. Read more
EaterAugust 24, 2017
Listed on the menu as "egg, pancetta, and avocado sandwich," Estela fails to mention arguably the best part: that the sandwich is served on a tebirke (Danish poppyseed pastry). Read more
Kiwi WangNovember 13, 2019
INCREDIBLE meal. Creative, deeply thoughtful, composed dishes. The foie and red shrimp were amazing, the arroz negro blew our minds though. It’s hard to impress a Chinese person with rice, but WOW. 🖤
Meg FarmerAugust 12, 2015
The hype is real. Beef tartare is perfect- just the right amount of saltiness & a little bit of crunch. Ricotta dumplings were the fav of the night. We also enjoyed the octopus & the burrata.
Mike the ElderApril 16, 2017
What a place! Everything is delicious. We had to order twice the arroz negro frito!!! Ricotta dumplings, burrata and lamb ribs are also to die for. Friendly staff and a interesting wine menu.
Caroline SchulweisNovember 11, 2014
Ricotta dumplings, mussel toast, the squid rice, scallops, and steak tartare were all amazing. Order dishes to share, and then order a 2nd round of favs. Was too busy eating to document 😊
EaterMarch 16, 2016
With exceptional poise, Estela demonstrates how a restaurant in the world's most closely observed dining scene can evolve from a flavor-of-the-month to a haven for its community. Read more
Josephine SonAugust 29, 2014
Yes yes yes it's worth all the hype! Must tries: lamb ribs, burrata, scallops, beef tartare, panna cotta...basically everything. Start off with a Rosemary Society. Get yourself there!
Jon SteinbackSeptember 25, 2014
If you want your date night to match President Obama and the first lady's (who were here on Sept 24, 2014), you should order burrata with salsa verde, endive salad, cherry tomatoes, and croquettes. Read more
Wilson ZhouSeptember 8, 2014
Their cocktail is great value, two types of liquor with 14 bucks, and it is delicious as this chabacano fizz, egg white based tequila and apricot brandy. I also had mussels and it was great!
Honghui YuNovember 20, 2017
It's hard to go wrong with the menu here but my personal favorites are the lamb ribs, kohlrabi and burrata. Also be sure to try one of their desserts. The panna cotta, especially, was a revelation.
Elizabeth IrizFebruary 5, 2014
Stellar flavors and presentation. Highly recommend the charred calamari, mussels, burrata but the steak tartare with sunchoke was a stand out dish!
Morgan McKeeOctober 29, 2017
Each dish is visually indistinguishable, but each bite is packed with flavor that leaves you wanting more. Ricotta dumplings and squid ink rice are a must. Dessert should not be passed either.
EaterJanuary 19, 2015
Eater National 38 member: Even brunch haters venture out on weekends for the smash-hit sandwich of egg, avocado, and pancetta stacked atop Danish tea pastry. Read more
Zac ZellersNovember 18, 2014
besides the food, where everything i had was amazing, there are some truly great cocktails here. particularly the todo mortal. also the fried arroz negro squid dish was something else!
J LSeptember 21, 2015
Solid resto that puts out a great buratta and arroz negro with squid. The wine list is a little outrageous but the wines by glass are outstanding in terms of selection.
Diana BrodySeptember 20, 2021
WOW. The scallop squash blossoms were unexpectedly the most incredible thing we've eaten in a long, long time, and the endive salad was also fabulous. It's definitely a splurge, but it was amazing.
Bitches Who BrunchDecember 16, 2016
The Bitches say: A+. There’s a reason Estela is on the 50 Best Restaurants list, and they haven’t given any less attention to their brunch. Their unique, shareable items will last in your memory. Read more
Solène MaîtreDecember 13, 2014
The food is amazing. My favorite americanised European food in NY so far. Order plates and share them: beef tartare, monkfish and burrata are my faborite!
F. BastardApril 13, 2016
Superb cooking: unfussy, original, delicious. Not a dud dish among the seven we ordered. Standouts: burrata/salsa verde; ricotta dumplings; black rice/squid, lamb ribs; steak. When does that happen?
Alexa ScordatoAugust 1, 2016
The hype is well deserved. If you can't get a reservation, try sitting at the bar. Steak tartar, burrata, mussels... You really can't go wrong with anything on the menu. Share it all!
Seth TerpstraJanuary 27, 2015
The Mountaineer (gin cocktail) is super good and unique with a fresh sorrel puree in it. The Mussels were great, all the dishes had light, flavorful sauces. Ask for extra bread to soak them up!
LucieferNovember 9, 2014
Been here 5+ times
Endive/walnut/anchovy, beef tartare and sunchoke, mussels escabeche, arroz negro w/ squid, and pana cotta. Food is great, fantastic wine selection, intimate and cozy, a little noisy. Frequented spot.
EpicuriousAugust 3, 2014
A simple, spare restaurant where co-owner Thomas Carter's stellar wine list—full of obscure, producer-driven bottles—matches chef and co-owner Ignacio Mattos' refined, almost elemental food. Read more
Rose AhnAugust 28, 2014
There is a reason why Estela is Bon App's 2014 Best New Restaurant. The setting is cozy and intimate. And the food is amazeballs! Get the ricotta dumplings, tartare, arroz negro, and the fluke!
Masha IovevaMay 6, 2015
whipped ricotta with citrus and coconut, a yogurt-parfait update; a fish-sauce-spiked Bloody Mary; and Bien Cuit tebirke layered with a sunny-side-up egg, crispy pancetta and aioli-topped avocado
jennifer hanMarch 10, 2015
delicious food and a wonderfully charming staff. we enjoyed everything we ordered, but the fried arroz negro with squid and romesco...so good, me wants to cry. two thumbs, way the eff up.
CITY GRITAugust 5, 2014
Beef Tartare and Mussels Escabeche are out of this world! The only thing we don’t love about this spot is the wines by the glass selection. However, the bottle list is tight - go in that direction!
Yogita MathurDecember 13, 2014
Grab a walk-in bar seat and order up the mushroom ricotta dumplings, the burrata toast w/salsa verde, and flavorful beef tartare. (Will be back for the croquettes and lamb ribs!)
DinaApril 24, 2014
New, devilishly trendy wine bar with great food (though not cheap for small portions) Tender and delicious ricotta dumplings. Huge wine list with great options under $50. Reservations essential.
Oscar LastraApril 20, 2015
The burrata was to die for. The ricotta dumplings were amazing. The arroz frito negro was the best thing I've had since a cronut!!!!!!!!!!
Layla Khoury-HanoldJuly 27, 2013
Loved the vibe, service & small plates. Standouts include P'tit Piaf rose, ricotta dumplings, zucchini w hazelnuts, tomato melon salad, burrata & blueberry sorbet. Get there early for a quieter bite.
Zayed KhanAugust 29, 2014
Charming, innovative, delicious, one of the best places in the city for an intimate dinner. Burrata w/ salsa verde, beef tartare, lamb ribs, it's hard to go wrong here.
refinery29August 3, 2014
Sidle up solo to the bar for a glass of rose and a plate of razor clams, or pack in with a crew to one of the intimate tables for bottles and burrata. Read more
Ruby NFebruary 14, 2016
So good. Steak tar tar, burrata, mussels, and steak were unreal. The ricotta dumplings and panna cotta are good, but don't get the hype. Need to try black rice next time.
Journey City GuidesAugust 3, 2017
A small NoLita hotspot serving a creative Mediterranean-influenced cuisine in a low-lit and relaxed atmosphere
julia tApril 22, 2015
Best meal in a long time. Celery salad, fluke with uni, pork dish that tasted of steak, burrata. All delicious and interesting. Easy, nice, helpful service. Love.
Renaud #August 28, 2016
The Brunch options offer tasty alternatives to the classic brunch dishes: for example "Eggs with beans, harissa, and mojama"
SabrinaJune 21, 2015
Been here 5+ times
I dream about the ricotta dumplings and they keep me coming back. Tables are super close so your experience varies based on the crowd. Drinks are a bit pricey with small pours.
jon ferrerAugust 23, 2014
I love this damn place. Not a bad dish here, but def don't miss the steak tartare, ricotta dumplings, burrata with salsa verde, or their delicious panna cotta.
Lindsay CMarch 8, 2016
Intimate setting with delicious shareable plates. The spiced almonds and pickled carrots are awesome! For larger plates try the swordfish, monkfish and chicken.
Xx XxSeptember 3, 2022
A high-end TGIF’s. Excellent menu obscured by indifferent service, cheek-by-jowl seating and a meal pace that’d make a Formula1 team blush. Four courses, 40 mins, 250 bucks.

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Estela

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