The response to this from Yelper's is mixed ( well, no surprises there)
Both excellent reviews and this ends with one truculent woman who would not go there again if you paid her..
Well, what else is new
La Cava
Categories:
Italian,
Tapas/Small Plates,
Wine Bars
939 2nd Ave(between 50th St & 49th St)
New York, NY 10022
Neighborhood: Midtown East
(212) 223-1206
- Nearest Transit Station:
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Lexington Ave./53 St. (E, M)51 St. (4, 6, 6X)Grand Central - 42 St. (7, 7X)
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 4 pm - 3:30 amFri 4:30 pm - 3:30 amSat-Sun 11:30 am - 3:30 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
- $$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner, Late Night
- Music:
- Background
- Best Nights:
- Tue, Thu, Fri
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate, Romantic
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
106 reviews for La Cava
Review Highlights What's this?
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"Also, I'd highly recommend the cheese plate." In 13 reviews -
"Great wine list/great cheese and meats but best of all is Marko the..." In 3 reviews -
"I recommend the Malbec and the lamb chops are delicious." In 3 reviews
Rating Distribution | Trend
105 reviews in English
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Review from M P.
Maplewood, NJI went to La Cava last night with a group of girlfriends and I had a great experience. The place has the right amount of lighting, not too bright, not too dark, and simple decor. It's clean and easy to move, in spite of it being a small restaurant.
The staff was PERFECT. Friendly but not pushy, helpful, knowledgeable, fast, and attentive. We were a large group and we got frequent water refills, complimentary chips, and a really great waitress, Mariana, who was awesome at recommending wine.
I am picky when it comes to wine, and I am very partial to Argentine wines because I am from Argentina. Sadly, I've come to have bad experiences with Argentine wine in NYC. More often than not, bars and restaurants sell the cheapest wines from Mendoza at ridiculous prices. When I was looking at La Cava's wine menu, I was looking fro an Argentine wine, and I saw their Malbec was the Du Miguel Gascon from Mendoza, which is normally ok. I asked the waitress it it was any good and she recommended it, to my surprise, it was Exquisite.
Something else that I must write about is that we were around 15 girls, and each one of us was able to ask for the check SEPARATELY, and at different times. This is unheard off in NYC, and in my opinion, is key to a great service. Saved us from having the always awkward argument about tips, tax, and the eye roll when the first person leaves and the check has to be asked prematurely or there is discomfort as to how much money she leaves to pay her share...
I will DEFINITELY be back. -
Review from Rob B.
New York, NYI really want a great, authentic little tapas place in the neighborhood. Cava is kind of that - small plates and all, but doesn't quite fit what I'd really like. They are trying to appeal to a little more upscale crowd than the pubs down the street which attract all the twentysomething sloshes. This is definitely good for the area.
The food is good, as others note. Keep it simple, though. Get some cheese and some drinks. But if you've been to Spain and are really looking for that feel and those tastes that you experienced there, this will be ok, but won't quite hit the mark.
I want them to succeed because I want more places in the area that aspire to be more than just another stop on whatever pub crawl is stumbling up 2nd avenue this week. -
Review from Nicole T.
Manhattan, NYThis is a nice little place to drop in and get a glass of wine +/- a cheese plate before moving on with the rest of your day/evening. The place is small, but has a decent amount of seating. In the winter, it's warm and cozy. In the summer, they open up the windows so you get to enjoy the warm weather. They have a decent selection of wines. The cheese plate is OK - the selections of cheeses are okay but the servings are small.
I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but if I'm in the area I wouldn't mind dropping in for a drink. -
Review from Ninja M.
New York, NYInterior was descent. I ordered wine and it was good. Service - no complaints. I didn't try the food, there wasn't a wide selection. It seemed most people came for the wine and beer. It got busy after 7 pm. 3.5 stars. -
Review from Ildigo V.
WOODHAVEN, NYHighly recommend! Excellent food, excellent wine and beer selection, reasonable prices and great ambience!
Highly recommend! -
Review from Noa L.
Manhattan, NYI don't understand why this place doesn't have better reviews! I come here whenever I'm in midtown! For me, the ample selection of wines and cheeses at fair prices make for a great hang out spot. What more could you ask for? I also love the ambiance of the place, the tables are candlelit, its fairly crowded, and there is always fun music playing in the background (just loud enough so you can actually have a conversation). Make sure to try their cranberry walnut bread - it's included in the cheese plate and tastes amazing with it.-
Cheese plate - brie, goat & truffle
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Review from Mercedes G.
Brooklyn, NYLa cava is my neighborhood bar of choice. I am always treated like a princess without the drama of my own attitude. Food is great, wine is great. Music is good to great but usually just good. The staff is easy to talk to and rather fun. I recommend the Malbec and the lamb chops are delicious. They do not take reservations as far as I know but as a frequent visitor they always find a way to accommodate me and any guests. Enjoy for one night or repeat visits and reap the rewards. -
Review from Andrea P.
I must say that this review comes to you with the hopes that I will return to this wine bar and develop a more thorough opinion. Ironically it's a wine bar and I did not actually drink during my time here so this review is reflective of the food and the overall experience.
We were able to sit outside as it was a nice evening, where they had 4 tables arranged. Started off with the bruschetta appetizer which was quite good. We then ordered the salmon entree which was slightly different than what I had expected but still decent. It was more like a salmon tar tar as it was seared, accompanied by some pickled asparagus a small salad and a hard boiled egg. Seems like an odd pairing but everything was tasty. The waitress was attentive even though we were sitting outside and slightly out of the way. I'd say this was a nice place, again I would like to explore the menu further as well as the wine list, so I do plan on updating this review in the future. -
Review from Carolyn D.
Chicago, ILDont come here. The bartender yells and gets very aggressive with customers. Some of the other staff members put there hands on customers while shoving them out the door. The bartender is short and small with a creepy look in his eyes.
Seriously, how crazy is it that the staff yells, bullies, & fights with customers and gets physically aggressive at the same time. i felt very bothered at what i saw happen to a customer at la cava. it's alarming as to what kind of people are out there and you never know how far people will go. How does the owner allow this sort of treatment? I do not trust this establishment in all levels. -
Review from Chris L.
Manhattan, NYThe best wine bar ever!
The staff are cool. The owner is very kind and generous. This is a very nice spot to hang out with friends, coworker or mini party. They do have a great deal for happy hour between 4-7pm. I don't remember all of it. But definitely only $5 for German beer. The bartender is a great one. No matter you have any problem before you stop by, I can guarantee you will get a big smile by him before you get out!!! The sweeties waitress, named by T. Thanks for JAMESON shot!
Thank you to you all to give me a great time always. I definitely will continue come back here.-
Happy Hour!!!
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Review from Elizabeth W.
New York, NYThis place is kind of awful in my opinion. The only reason I'm not giving it one star is that I think that if it marketed itself for what it really is, rather than as a wine bar with tapas, it could be fine.
Music:
It's VERY loud, and the music selection is unimaginative, pretty much top hits, etc. I think that's disappointing for a wine bar, and more what I expect to find at the other divey bars in the area. It's also played so loudly that it completely destroys any kind of intimate conversation you'd like to have at such a spot.
Food:
I don't think they have an actual full kitchen? Stuff tastes kind of thrown together at the last minute, just heated, etc. The menu is far too large, and I don't think they've done much to really pair the food with the wine.
Wine:
The bar tenders are bar tenders - that's fine, but they just weren't as knowledgeable about the product as they could be. Also, the refrigeration for the wine isn't done all that carefully. Picky, maybe, but again, it's a wine bar, so....
Decor:
Like the music, rather unimaginative and lacks intimacy and warmth.
If you're looking for a nice wine bar, I would HIGHLY recommend Sofia, which is right around the corner on 50th St - walk towards 3rd Ave. It's beautiful, the wine selection is great, the food is wonderful, and they have a lovely garden in the back. Cozy and intimate, but lively and equally good for friends as well as for a date. -
Review from Ebony C.
I came here on a lovely saturday evening. It's definitely a nice date spot....fyi ;-)
We sat at the bar and shared a formaggi plate w/ goat cheese & brie.. definitely tasty!
They have a pretty good wine list. I am not good at picking which wine should go with what. The riesling wasn't sweet enough for my taste buds. So I stuck to the cava cocktail. My friend just got the hard liquor...LOL!
A very cute spot. -
Review from Yola M.
Bath Beach, Brooklyn, NYThis is one place I suggest to everyone who wants to have a great social time. The crowd is great; the food is just as good as it looks like; the drinks are delicious and the staff are very friendly and go beyond to accommodate their clients. I am so happy I finally got to try this neighborhood gem! I went here last night with my girlfriends and had such a great time.
Marco, one of the bartenders is the funniest and most delightful person I've met. He sure enough made our night a great night, served us the best drinks and amused us with great music as we requested.
Great times, thank you Marco !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I cannot wait to be back! -
Review from Alex D.
Decent place for a glass of wine, but stay away from the food.
Was able to get a seat right away at the bar, and I had a coouple glasses of pinot. The prosciutto melon was good, but the salmon tartare (supposedly their signature dish) was disappointing, as was the panini.
Might go back, but I would stick to drinks. Lively place for a small group, and reasonable prices. -
Review from Carolyn C.
New York, NYIf you want them to give away your table and your food, and have the manager/bartender Marko come over and yell at you, this is the place for you.
When we arrived, the server told us it would be a 10-minute wait. After 45 minutes, a few tables were finally getting ready to leave, and two different servers told us we were getting a particular table. Apparently another server had given it to another group, so we were left waiting again. After finally being seated an hour later and ordering, we waited another 30 minutes with no apps showing up at our table. Apparently they gave our apps away to another table, who promptly ate our food that they did not order. On and on the meal went like this.
Our server at least had the decency to feel bad about our lousy experience and offered a round on the house. When it came time to get our check, I could see her talking to Marko, explaining why she was trying to comp us some drinks. Marko proceeded to waltz over to our table and began yelling at us: "Why should I give you free drinks? Nobody's perfect!" We explained the situation to him and expressed our disappointment - to which he encouraged us to "tell all your friends I don't care!"
It is truly a wonder this place is in business. There is no management whatsoever, and evidently no communication between staff members either.
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