Ella Social

This was an OK dining experience. I enjoy tapas, but I didn’t like the long time between receiving the first half of our tapas and the second. We had to wait about 20 minutes between our waiter taking our first plates away and bringing our new ones. It would have been better if they were more evenly spread. Food was just ok to me. The meatballs were dryer than expected, the shrimp were overcooked, and the croquettes were cold in the middle. Our waiter was great, though.

Has good food and nice for a large group. We tried a lot of items but we really liked the brussel sprouts, octopus, tuna tartar, and the cauliflower. Not pictured, lamb meatballs, mushrooms, mussels, and chicken. The chicken strips were literally thin chicken cutlets cut into strips which we didn't mind, I liked how thin they were. But any kid looking for chicken tenders would be disappointed. The sangria was really good, recommend getting a pitcher for the table. Overall for the price, it was good.

I came here with 2 family members one Saturday morning. We had a reservation. The food was absolutely delicious! The waiters were very polite & attentive. I liked the decor of the restaurant and the comfortable seating. Just be careful if you use the bathroom because the stairs leading down to them have varying heights. Besides that, I completely loved my experience here. My family & I will definitely be back!

Came for brunch! Norwegian eggs were good, but the sauce not so much. The steak of the Steak and eggs plate was a bit too tough and chewy. Buttermilk pancakes is the way to go here! So good. Service was kind and attentive. Overall a nice brunch.

Have eaten at Ella Social a handful of times. This restaurant is small inside but has nice outdoor space and is always packed as what seems is at every point throughout the day. They have great lunch and happy hour specials with reasonable pricing during both settings. The food is solid here. Ella Social is definitely a great neighborhood restaurant to visit.

First time trying Spanish food and I loved it. The service was great too and I will be back again.

Fantastic staff, super friendly and are truly so patient. The food was delicious and there were many options. This establishment is very clean and the decor is lovely. We found street parking near by. We’re seated right away even without a reservation. Our waitress was the best and we had the nicest interaction with her. We didn’t wait long for our food and checkout was a breeze. The French toast is amazing!

Staff kindly let us bring our bikes into the covered patio to enjoy a post ride burger. Burger was good but nothing amazing and for the price point (granted I know I am paying a lot by being in Lincoln square) I was expecting more. Pretty good all in all. We came at a quiet time, around 3 pm, so it was relaxed and a nice ambiance.

8 years later and the food is still good. Though I have to say I forgot I came all those years ago. This time I came for lunch. They have lunch special for $23 where you can chose a soup/salad, two sides, and an entree. Note the skirt steak is a $8 add on. Entree options for the lunch special were - Lemon chicken - Agave Glazed Salmon - Albondigas - sliced beef-lam meatballs in marina sauce - Skirt Steak The place was empty when we showed up around noon but it was packed by the time we left! I'm wondering (and so are the other guests), how everyone is out to lunch!

I went to this place a good while back as per most of my recent reviews. The staff were good giving recommendations such as wine and stuff and some others had some wine but I didn't have anything to drink. The inside is nice and the seats were comfortable. I got the Coliflor Con Almendras for $15 with roasted cauliflower, parmesan, thyme, olive oil, white wine, and marcona almonds to start which was pretty good. I would have preferred the cauliflower be roasted a bit more to more texture as in general I prefer cauliflower to be roasted almost to a burnt like texture instead of very lightly like here. There was a lot of parmesan also so it was a tad salty as well. I was surprised how many almonds were mixed in which added a satisfying crunch. Others liked it also. As I was in a group where everyone ordered separately, we did not share the rest of the dishes which probably would have worked better here as it's a tapas place but people gave bites of their appetizers. I remember trying the (Patatas) Bravas which are $13 which had hand-cut potatoes, salsa brava, and smoked paprika which was pretty tasty and doused with said sauce which had a good kick as expected. Another person had the Pa Amb Tomàquet which is the Catalonian name for Pan Con Tomate for $13 with tomato, oregano, and olive oil on white baguette which they liked. As I wanted something more substantial, my main dish was The MOAB or Mother of All Burgers for $25 consisting of 100% organic grass-fed sirloin, sumac, grilled red onion, cognac sauteed mushrooms, beef steak tomato, mozzarella, B&B pickles, and chipotle aioli served with French Fries. The burger had a good sized patty (I would say half a pound or so) and the toppings were nice from the cheese to the excellent mushrooms as well as the thick piece of tomato. I remember asking for medium rare and unfortunately it was a bit more on the medium well side but the cheese helped make it juicier. The fries were fine as they could have been more crispy but were well salted and the aioli was nice to dip the fries in. We didn't bother with dessert as people had to go. The food was alright. Everything was good enough but had faults with the best dish being the bravas with the burger falling a bit behind. Mid/low 3.

We came here for the first time on balloon night (the night before thanksgiving), a night where most restaurants in this area were very busy! We ordered the octopus, ceviche, burger, chicken soup, skirt steak, and the chicken dish for my children and everything was amazing! Leonardo was our server and he was amazing! Regardless of him being busy he was very attentive and gave the best recommendations. We enjoyed our meal and experience so much! Can't wait to be back.

Has good food and nice for a large group. We tried a lot of items but we really liked the brussel sprouts, octopus, tuna tartar, and the cauliflower. Not pictured, lamb meatballs, mushrooms, mussels, and chicken. The chicken strips were literally thin chicken cutlets cut into strips which we didn't mind, I liked how thin they were. But any kid looking for chicken tenders would be disappointed. The sangria was really good, recommend getting a pitcher for the table. Overall for the price, location and service, it was good.

Great lunch specials here. Dishes were creatively prepared and plentifully plated. Very nice service too.

Good place for tapas with friends, we were able to try various options. Also a cute dining area outside that's protected from the weather. The bravas were so good with the sauce over them, cauliflower was okay as it wasn't super flavorful. They also accidentally sent out two cauliflower when we only ordered one so I hope they didn't charge us extra but I didn't pay the bill. We also got the octopus which was cooked well. We were a group of 6 so most portions worked out for us. Drinks were quite strong with the espresso martini being a bit large volume.

Fantastic spot!!! Cozy, incredible food, fantastic service, and great variety of menu and drink options. The service was fast and attentive, yet allowed us to have a leisurely brunch. They came out with the coffee super fast (which is always major points in my book), and the food came out quickly as well! This place is a neighborhood treasure!!

Really great tapas place in Upper West Side. I came close to closing time since I was coming from the airport so the place was empty but the waiter was really nice about it. All the food we got was delicious. We got mostly a mix of seafood items, the arroz, shrimp, and octopus. The tomato bread was also good. The sangria was yummy too and not too sweet.

3.5 stars rounded down to 3. I frequent Columbus Avenue around 72nd street a lot and this restaurant always looked super crowded. I finally decided to satisfy my curiosity by coming here for brunch while I was in the area doing errands. I was able to get a table by myself immediately and ordered the Norwegians benedict. When it came out, I must say I was pleasantly surprised with the portion size for $23 in Manhattan. Like I was expecting it to be less food, but instead I felt like they gave more food than I was expecting, which I was so happy about. The dish itself tasted great, I loved the gooeyness of the poached eggs (I think I got mild food poisoning from this though so maybe it was too gooey lol). I liked that their ketchup bottles are kept refrigerated before use. Also, this restaurant has TWO bathrooms that have toilet seat covers! A rarity in NYC. Overall it has a great location and good bang for your buck in terms of quelling your hunger. However, I wasn't impressed enough to the point where I would be eager to come back anytime soon. But at the very least I am glad that I tried it to see what's up.

Great service, warm environment, tasty brunch items and actually good coffee! Pleased with our experience here after AMNH, and best of all, it didn't break the bank.

I was searching for a place to hang out with friends " girls night out" type of thing and came across this place. The place was really cute, not too big but it was comfortable. We ordered the appetizer : boquerones (white sardines), croquetas as well as the burger for savory food and for dessert we tried the cream catalana and flourless chocolate cake. The food was ok in general with pretty presentation. I found that the price was a bit expensive considering the portion of the food. The service was good though, everyone was super nice and friendly.

Food was good. Service was excellent. It was so loud that I ate as fast as I could so I could leave.

Really liked our dinner. Among 4 of us we shared 6 plates. It was perfect and quite tasty. The wine was descent albeit a bit over priced for a Chilean Chardonnay.

Had our dinner at Ella's before the show at LCT and we weren't disappointed. Great service and nice eclectic atmosphere. Tables have enough space between them so you don't feel squeezed. Both of us had MOAB and it was fresh, juicy and delicious. Definitely worth a try. I don't recommend their veggies soup, it was watery with some chickpeas from the can just floating around, absolutely no taste and for $9 bucks it seems like overcharge.

Ella is an amazing experience. It is a great place that does Tapas proper. We discovered Ella on accident but will return every trip to New York. The croquettes and Gambas Ajillio are in the top #3 we have had all over the world. We have been to hundreds of spots throughout Spain but Ella has some of the best we have experienced. The service was wonderful and we were well taken care of and the level was very attentive. Ella is a magical spot that does their quisine perfect.

We have been going to Ella Social for years and it has become one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood. The food actually keeps getting better each time we go back. Our favorites include the ham croquettes, smoky sprouts, crispy chicken, and empanadas. The Amelia makes for a refreshing cocktail as well. This is a great spot to sit outside watching the city perform while enjoying great food on a mild evening.

Ella's is within walking distance of Lincoln Center. Keep that in mind if you're attending a concert! If you're going at a busy time, get a reservation. The seating is comfortable, but it's not a large place. It's jumpin with the bar serving, waiters picking foodbup from the kitchen, people eating and plates being served and cleared. But you still can have a conversation and hear other people. The food is consistently first- rate. You have two options - all tapas or tapas and dinner. I've done both and both work, but, and here's an unusual problem for a NYC restaurant, the portions for the Tapas are to be shared, but they are surprisingly large, so there's a lot of food. It's easy to over order. Some items have been on the menu for years - the smoky sprouts, the roasted cauliflower, the wild market mushrooms, the Kofte sliders, the handcut French fries and the soups. All excellent. But for two people, three really suffice, four maybe if you don't have the soup, so bring more people. Since I tend to go "all tapas," I am not as familiar with the main courses, but the skirt steak, fried chicken and burgers are all very good. I just like the "tapas" experience. Great options, great good, great ambiance.

Me and my friends came here for a light dinner so we split the bravas and brussel sprouts. Both were super good but we all absolutely loved the bravas. The potatoes were so crispy and fluffy and the aioli drizzled on top had such a good flavor. We got cosmos and they were good but honestly overpriced. The restaurant was super cute and dimly lit, would be great for a date night and the service was great!

We visited wanting to sit at the patio but they didn't have anymore space. Inside was cute as well. Food had a big portion! Servers were attentive and made sure to refill our water and bring our food on time. Nothing special but would come back when craving brunch food in the future

An absolute gem on the UWS, we are regular diners and occasional imbibers there and just love it. The service is always prompt, and friendly and the food is excellent. The soups are very tasty - the chicken soup is delicious! Our favorite time to visit is brunch. The Shakshuka Andaluz is my staple, however the omelet's are excellent, as are the pancakes and challah french toast. If you like a burger, their Mother of all Burgers is a great choice. And their french fries - wow!! You really cannot go wrong - I have yet to be disappointed over the years. Also, they get the food out quickly, but you don't feel rushed, which is a pet peeve of mine. LOVE!

A little gem of a restaurant. Stopped in by chance. A great little tapas restaurant. Began w the empanadas, which are an absolute must-try. Lunch special includes choice of a salad or soup -- selected the chicken soup and two choices - cocucous, fries and mixed vegetables. Picked the lamb meatballs with chicken soup. couscous, and mixed vegetables. Couscous had a nutty flavor with a hint of cinnamon - so good. Portion sizes were generous. Soup looked bland, but was tasty. Meatballs were tender. Only complaint was that the water glasses are probably 7 oz. -- multiple times we had to ask for a refill only to wait and wait and wait. We finally picked up the pitcher from the hostess stand to refill our glasses.

Only had happy hour drinks and a snack but enjoyed our experience! Monday afternoon & most places were closed or dead-Ella had some people so we popped in. Our bartertender, Rosie, was lovely and did a great job even though it was her very first day behind the bar! Want to come back again. They have a popular lunch special but no vegetarian options on the special. They do have quite a few vegetarian appetizers and a few entrees.

I had reserved a table in advance for Saturday brunch. We got seated immediately after arriving (a little bit early). My husband had the "SHAKSHUKA ANDALUZ," my grown-up kids both had the "LEMON CHICKEN" sandwich, and I had the Norwegian eggs. My daughter exchanged her regular fries for truffle fries. We were all pleased with our choices. The atmosphere is nice and cozy--fast and busy pace with great service. People range from young to old. Highly recommended. We'll be back.

Ella Social is an UWS gem. I love getting a selection of goodies to share. We enjoyed the smoky Brussels, mushroom croquettes, bravas, pan con tomate, and lamb sliders. The sangria was also nice. Plus, we are grateful for their dog-friendly outdoor seating area now that we have a little puppy.

Came here on a Monday night with a friend, and overall had a lovely experience. I arrived first and perused the menu, and was instantly disappointed because they only had natural wines (yes, I'm a snob and have never met a remotely decent natural wine). When my friend arrived, we both decided to try a splash of one of their reds and were shocked to find we didn't hate it (that's meant to be a compliment). As for the food, my friend had been here before so he went ahead and ordered: *Boquerones - I love me a good sardine! *Croquettes - possibly the highlight, as these were absolutely delicious! *Sprouts - these were fine *Chorizos - delicious! this had a nice sweetness to it *Empanadas - yummy *Puplo - this was pretty darn good and cooked well! We also had the chocolate cake for dessert, which was fine. Overall, delicious food and overall a nice intimate atmosphere.

Really quick service and turn around time from ordering and food arriving to your table. But that's about as much as the good stuff goes. Besides the shrimp ajillo, most dishes fall fairly flat. Avoid the croquettes, filling does not have enough ham or mushroom (you get to choose what you want). It's a decent croquettes but not enough of what you'd want inside it. Drink menu is fairly expansive if you're looking for a bar vibe but their wine list falls short as most are by the bottle only.

We were pleasantly surprised! The empanadas were amazing perfect size and flavor. The burger was outstanding we ordered one to go! The seafood rice was just ok however we would totally go back again!

Great service and good food. I enjoyed my server Leonardo attention to details. The dessert was so good I didn't get a picture of it, crema catalana was awesome.

I insisted on treating my friend out here for dinner, because he was hosting my boyfriend and me in his apartment while we were spending a week in NYC. Ella Social was a bit of a trek from his apartment from Upper West Side, but one thing that stood out to me immediately was their service. Our hostess was incredibly friendly and approachable, and she made sure we felt comfortable throughout the night. All 3 of us shared a charcuterie board, calamari and octopus, and arroz (rice). We were fans of all the dishes! The charcuterie board, which came first, was a nice start to our dinner to whet our appetites. Next was the calamari and octopus. I didn't expect the dish to be mixed in with seared lemon and diced avocado, but both these ingredients added a nice balance to the dish overall. Finally, the arroz was my highlight of the whole dinner. The rice was cooked beautifully, and we had generous portions of clam and prawn with this dish. While full of flavor, I thought the food at Ella Social was really satisfying. And there was just enough in my stomach after dinner for some Van Leeuwen next door!

We had our holiday party at Ella Social this year and it was fantastic! We had 60 people and they were truly amazing. The food was amazing (some of the stand outs were the mushroom croquettes, potatos bravos, and garlic shrimp). All the staff members were amazing and the service was really great. We had the whole space and it was also very reasonable pricing. Laura the event coordinator was amazing to work with. Thanks Ella Social!

Wow this place is great! Phenomenal tasting small plates full of flavor. Service was awesome and for being in the city, it is very clean/spacious. Cannot wait to go again and try some more fantastic dishes!

An enjoyable meal at Ella Social with my dog. Friendly service in a relaxing atmosphere.

We went to Ella Social on a Sunday night around 19:30 and it was very nice, the atmosphere was good, very spacious and confortable, there was not much people. Thus, it fetl they were pretty fast with the food. I liked their wines, tried the VEGAS ALTAS (sparkling from Extremadura, Spain) and the CHATEAU L'ESCART (Merlot Cab, France). But I would appreciate a larger variety of wines by the glass. Then shared tapas for two. We had the BRAVAS (fried potatos), SERRANO (ham) CROQUETTES (x4), CAZUELA DE HONGOS (mushrooms), PULPO A LA GALLEGA (Octopus). I would say I enjoyed a lot the mushrooms and the octopus, they were very tender and flavourful. The croquettes were good too but just a bit scarce on the ham, come with a chimichurri-like sauce. ESPAÑOL: Fuimos a Ella Social un Domingo noches sobre las 19:30 y estaba muy bien, buen ambiente, espacioso y cómodo, no había mucha gente. Así fueron bastante rápidos con la comida. Me gustó su vino, probé el VEGAS ALTAS (espumoso Extremadura, Spain) y el CHATEAU L'ESCART (Merlot Cab, France). Pero apreciaría una mayor variedad de vinos por copa en la carta. Luego compartimos tapas para dos. Tomamos las BRAVAS, CROQUETAS DE JAMÓN SERRANO (×4), CAZUELA DE HONGOS, PULPO A LA GALLEGA (Octopus). Diría que lo que más me gustó fueron las setas y el pulpo, muy tiernos y con buen sabor. Las croquetas estaban buenas pero tenían poco jamón dentro. Vienen con una especie de chimichurri.

I had a solo day in Central Park and decided to pop in here to have a cocktail. It was a block away from Central Park, a short and sweet walk. The place itself had great ambiance. It had both outdoor deck and indoor seating. I sat at the bar overlooking the restaurant. The bartender was nice and attentive. I got the Gabriela. It contained mezcal, cilantro, mint and fresh flavors. It was definitely the perfect drink on a hot day, made very well! Def check this place out if you're near Central Park. It's quaint and has a lot of character.

Came on a Fri around 6 and we were able to grab a seat at the bar for me and my friend. The drinks, food and service was great. We started off with two cocktails, the Amelia (grapefruit flavored) and the secreto (hibiscus flavored). Both were delicious! Not too strong though. We got the coliflor com almendras, fries (with garlic and parsley) and mushroom croquettes. The cauliflower was the standout. Perfectly roasted and nicely spiced with the savoriness from the parmesan and the crunch from the almonds. The fries were the right thickness and crispy, with the garlic adding a nice bite. The croquettes were pretty good, although pricey for just four small pieces.

Food and wine very nice. Beautiful room at lunchtime. Server failed to honor my Yelp check-in discount so that was a bummer.

What a fun, delicious culinary experience! Our waiter and all the staff was so friendly. Everything was cooked perfectly. The croquetas were by far my favorite though and so unique being served over a garlic aioli, two in green sauce and two with a pimento sauce. The sangria to go with it all was perfection. I need to come back here next time I'm in the area!

Ella Social on the Upper West Side is a Spanish tapas bar serving Mediterranean and latin fare. We had dinner here and opted to share tapas amongst the group. We started off strong with the cheesy ham croquettes balanced by the refreshing Pa amb Tomaquet that came next. For vegetables we had the grilled zucchini and squash and superbly crisp patatas bravas. We ended tapas with the empanadas argentinas and pulpo a la gallega. For dessert we had a rich flourless chocolate cake and bread pudding with walnuts. Both desserts were great and as someone who doesn't like bread pudding, I was impressed with the bread pudding. Ella Social is a great place to enjoy a dinner with friends or a first date

Great cocktail, excellent service, and delicious food! Stopped in lured by the $21 lunch special which was very filling. So happy I stumbled on this neighborhood gem.

Had dinner here last night. Great food with even better service. Ordered fish, sliders and had a bread dish. We were so impressed by everything.

Great food, fresh and beautifully prepared. The service was friendly. The price was right. I will definitely go back.

Monday afternoon, not crowded. Perfect for some chorizo's. The Margarita was amazing.

I was visiting a friend in the area and we decided to stop by for food and drinks, our waiter was the mustache guy, he was so nice and attentive and suggested the most delicious tapas and cocktails, I really enjoyed the potatoes bravas, the sprouts and grilled octopus, as for drinks we were recommended the margaritas(yummy) and sangria, we had an excellent evening, thank you mustache guy, we will be coming back soon!

Really loved my lunch of arugula salad, which included avocado, red onion, sliced almonds and shaved Manchego cheese. I added salmon, and it was perfection! Hubby ordered the MOAB, mother of all burgers, and it certainly was. Only thing was he ordered it medium and it came pretty much cooked through. But it was very juicy. Came with wedge fries and a salad. Our waitress was friendly and on top of things. We really liked our choice.

We came here at 3 on a Saturday and were pleasantly surprised that they were still serving a late brunch. The highlights: The sangria was phenomenal; we would come back just for that. The baked eggs really were the star of the brunch for us. Other notes: The arugula salad was beautiful but not particularly notable; similar thoughts on the chorizo. If helpful for making your ordering decisions, the French press coffee option serves maybe 2.5 cups of coffee. Takeaway: While the chorizo wasn't standout, the rest of the meal has convinced us to come back soon to try out the tapas.

Excellent food & service. Sometimes un even though. I asked for a medium rare burger and it arrived well done. Previous visits were better experienced. Staff is courteous and professional. Ambience is comforting. The owner has two other restaurants on the uws that are better.

Came for a Wednesday dinner. Such a cute little spot. We ordered the croquettes, market wild mushrooms, shrimp ajillo, charred calamari & octopus, chorizos and spiced beef-lamb meatballs. We felt like we needed to roll out of there since we were so stuffed. Everything was good but nothing was memorable. Solid spot for a quick weeknight dinner. I did love the staff. They were super friendly and helpful. My friend brought her new pup and this was his first outdoor dining experience. They were super understanding and helpful.

Deliciously ice cream shop!!! The variety of flavors are exquisitely good, their vegan options even better. It's unusual to find vegan options on regular ice cream shops, unfortunately, but the ones that include them on their menus it's comforting. I had the mango and chocolate ( which was AMAZING ) sorbet flavors. We stopped here from a spontaneous crave after a late dinner, best option ever.

Ella is my absolute favorite restaurant on the UWS. The consistently delicious fare, great happy hour, and cozy, but elevated ambiance are reasons enough to keep me coming back often. However, it's the wonderful people that endear this gem to me. From the friendly faces of the talented kitchen staff through the pass, to the incomparable front of house staff, to the dynamic and passionate owner, when you are here, you are in great company. Treat yourself to a special respite at Ella Social asap!