Tiffaney Higashi

From Los Angeles, but I’d say I’ve had my fair share of paella. Hands down one of the best dishes I’ve ever had. Service was amazing! Food was phenomenal. Thank you Dylan! Thanks Chef for such a great experience on our last night in NYC. We ordered the burrata, beet salad, paella and Tiramisu. 10/10 for each. Red sangria was also delicious! Would come again and recommend this to all my friends and family

Malisa Durongphant

If you want tapas… this is the place to go! The paella was IMPECCABLE!!! One of the best that I have had!! The sangrias were amazing!!!! Reminds me of the sangrias from California at Do Over lol #ifykyk!!! Not just that, but the service was above and beyond!!! Thank you so much to Dylan and Jose for making us feel like family!! I recommend anyone who loves tapas and a good time… AND a family atmosphere!!!!

Mhasa H

10/10 in service, food and ambiance!!! Make sure to make reservations beforehand; great place to have drinks, eat and bringing in a date. Everything we have was phenomenal!! We had the seafood paella (10/10) which honestly I thought was better than the paella I had in Spain. The beet salad and buratta was so good and fresh!!!

Etienne Blumberg

This is such a cute and amazing spot. One of my new favorite places to eat. The atmosphere was adorable, good music, lovely decoration, and good company. The service was absolutely superb, the kindest and most joyous people ever. Will be coming back next week. Bets vodka pasta ever, the closest thing to perfect:)

Marina

This place saved our night!! We stopped by here late Saturday night and had the most amazing penne vodka ever. The owner is so welcoming and he made sure we were always happy. I will definitely be coming here again!!! The drinks were strong, the food was great, and the service was amazing!

Jia Sun

A tucked away mediterranean restaurant on Ave B offering incredibly discounted happy hour tapas and wine. Through the deceptivly small store front opens to a large covered backyard seating area. Service is a bit slow and relaxed. Calamari, octopus, meatballs, eggplants, charcuterie, arancine were all delicious along with refreshing sangrias. Even got a round of shots on the house at the end. Would definitely visit more often if not for the remote location.

+27

Tierney Masterson

Sitting on the back patio is such a cute and fun experience. It felt so lively and friendly back there, an environment that is fostered by the owner and his upbeat attitude. There were two birthday celebrations happening that got special treats and the whole patio was singing for them. Food was very good. Drinks were very strong.

adam lyons

Jose is an exceptional and charming host, the service here was superb. Happy hour is a great deal and the sangrias are delicious. But the real star of the show is the paella which is the best I’ve had in the city. Definitely stop by here to get your seafood fix, can’t praise this place enough.

Davin Hong

Eggplant parmesan changed lives. The octopus and calamari tapas dishes were also really yummy. The tastiness alone makes this restaurant deserve a five star rating.

Christina Colon

Everything was incredible! 10/10!! The paella is a must-try! The octopus and sautéed garlic shrimp are juicy and so flavorful!

+1

Joanna

This spot is amazing, and I can’t believe I just tried it! I’ve passed by it so many times. The paella is a must—it’s one of the best I’ve ever had. The chicken was perfectly seasoned, tender, and surprisingly juicy for a chicken breast. They also have great half-off tapa deals and $5 drink specials. Plus, the owner is super sweet! I definitely need to come back to try more dishes, and I’ll be ordering the paella again for sure!

+3

Alexia Huang

We had a great time on the back patio for happy hour. Very calm vibes that are great for conversation with friends. We ordered cocktails that were strong but good and the food was great. The squid was my personal favorite and 3 apps with a single portion of paella were just enough for 3 people to stay full.

BIBO EBUEN

I had an amazing experience at Jose Luis restaurant in East Village when I visited for my friend's birthday. The ambiance was perfect, the service was top-notch, and the food was exquisite. The menu offered a wide variety of delicious options, and every dish we ordered was a delight to our taste buds. The staff was attentive and made our celebration even more special. I highly recommend Jose Luis for any occasion; it's a five-star dining experience!

+3

Jan-Kristòf Louis-Mansano

Nice and cozy with a great staff. My husband and I went there today for our wedding anniversary and it was a great time. The host was so friendly that he made us feel like we were home. I really recommend the champagne and sangria mix.

Cyrus Wong

Jose Luis is a place that is relatively easy to miss, but thanks to its slow scenery near the park, you might come to find it anyway. However, that is not how I discovered this place—Google Maps does wonders for discovery. My partner and I went here for our anniversary dinner. Here is what we ordered on 4/17/25 Polpettine Paella Negra (single serving) The total came out to around $70, tax and tip included. You might ask, why order so little? Well, we were just coming off of a brunch and decided we weren't all too hungry by 7:15 PM but rest assured, it was enough for us. Your mileage may vary. Here's what I think of it: Atmosphere: 4/5 I was hard debating on whether to drop this to a 3.5/5 instead of a 4/5, and I believe it barely ekes out its rightful spot in my eyes. A part of it was definitely the fact that Google Reviews doesn't provide a half-star, but I digress. For starters, I believe that the restaurant has its charm, somewhere between "cozy" and "mechanical order." I would say that this establishment would lean more towards the "cozy" were it not overshadowed by the sort of lighting that restaurants seem to be following the trend of lately: dim enough to make sure your photos aren't crisp. Couple that with the blue hue that permeates the interior? Not for me. As an aside, two notes: 1) The green glowing sphere at the door isn't doing any favors; 2) The party (3-4) sat across from us were rambunctious and, frankly, rude. But rest assured, that won't be factored into point deductions; it's unavoidable. Service: 5/5 The service was great and near-perfect. I felt that there were small hiccups at times where we were left unnoticed, considering we entered when there weren't many people aside from us and the aforementioned party. For added context, people did come in after we sat down for a bit. Bread service was satisfactory, we were provided a bowl for shells present in our Paella Negra, and even received a digestif—one shot each of Licor 43 on the house. I am not a big drinker and still I found it quite delicious. Very hospitable and much appreciated. Perhaps I will consider buying a bottle for myself as a homage. Food: 3.5/5 The big thing that makes or breaks a restaurant and, after all the high ratings, why a 3.5/5? First, consider that of the many menu items, only two were ordered. Maybe we should've ordered something else, maybe it was a bad day, who knows? That said, if an item is on the menu, it must be good enough to be on the menu and representative of a restaurant's quality. For example, the Polpettine. We received two meatballs in our order. Luckily, as a party of two, there was plenty to go around and certain faults could be overlooked. But for the price? In fairness, they were quite big—still wouldn't order again. They weren't as juicy as I might have hoped, the tomato sauce was nothing noteworthy (not jar-worthy, though), and the flavor was... average. Average all around, I'm afraid. What about our big star, the Paella Negra? Unfortunately, also not a showstopper and uninspiring. Not all food needs to be inspiring! But again, for the price? Taste-wise, salty and lacking the seafood flavor that it was (hopefully) cooked in. The shrimp was by far the best. The marker of a good shrimp is always a good snap on the first bite, followed by a meaty chew of crunchy-tender thereafter. Lastly, the squid, clams, and mussels—the three mollusks—are grouped together not just by phylum, but by quality. Nothing again to write home about except existing for consumption, lacking flavor besides salt and a hint of seafood. If only the clams weren't so small. For my first ever time trying a paella, disappointed I'm sorry to say. I simply don't see what 600 other reviewers see in it but again, maybe others are better. All in all, what would Jose Luis be placed? The numbers would dictate it to be just below the cuff of a 4.25/5. My gut-feeling X-factor dictates it be a 4/5 in finality. Would I come here again? No, not really. But did I regret my stay? No, not really. Edit: 9/2/25 Dropped to 3/5 on further thought.

+2

judy

Tapas were great, and so were the paellas! The combo paella could use some more seafood flavor.