Tapas Shmatahs and Home

I was looking to make a purchase of a chandelier and an antique style mirror when would you guess it… I found a really great tapas bar.

Tapas bar? ABC Carpet and Home had the idea of combining a tapas bar with their insanely large showroom. Pipa Tapas Y Mas, like a Spanish version of Bad Bath and Beyond, but the food…way beyond the goods at BB&B. I still can’t decide if the idea was genius, or just derived from a really large surplus of free space. The first time I passed by this eatery on a Thursday night, it was claiming an hour long wait, and this was at around 8:30pm.

I am really glad I found my way back here. Espanola salads and Spanish tortillas on the menu gave the feel of Barcelonan authenticity, while the mix of flamenco and Ricky Martin grounded us back in New York. The menu items were all prepared in simple yet elegant ways and then added a flare of flavor to make the dish really taste worthy.

A few favorites: Catalan Spinach with garlic, effortless and elegant, but add figs to the mix and suddenly the dish gets a burst of sweetness. Wild mushrooms served in a croc cooked with oil and garlic – simple and utterly delicious. The garlic cooked to an intensity that produced a sharp bite while the mushrooms transformed in a texture masking itself as a fine escargot. For a meal composed of olives, goat cheese croquettes, and other assorted vegetables on flatbread, I left fully satisfied, ready to book my flight to Spain.

At Pipa, a wide range of flavors from the sweet to savory are always accompanied by an option of a reasonably priced wine pairing. I could go on describing more of the endless plates, but I think you are just going to need to checkout this chandelier showroom for yourself.

Pipa Tapas Bar

38 E 19th St, New York, NY‎

(212) 677-2233‎