Nai
Permanently Closed
Spanish tapas, flamenco shows, creative fusion dishes & sangria
Spanish tapas, flamenco shows, creative fusion dishes & sangria
"After moving across the street into larger quarters, Ruben Rodriguez's decade-old tapas bar continues to serve about twenty tapas and a mostly Spanish wine list, with a sibling Emilia by Nai slated to open soon." - Emma Orlow
"A New York tapas restaurant is leaning into global, nontraditional Thanksgiving fare by offering a Spanish-themed menu highlighted by a Catalan-style toasted paella as the centerpiece, reflecting the broader trend of restaurants providing multicultural and smaller-scale holiday takeout options." - Brenna Houck
"I observed that the East Village restaurant helmed by Galicia native Ruben Rodriguez is offering a six-course prix-fixe tapas menu at $85 per person (with a choice of dessert and sangria, red or white wine, or beer) featuring highlights like fideua (a Catalan-styled toasted paella with mussels, scallops, clams, seaweed, tobiko and aioli), gambas al ajillo (shrimp in garlic sauce), and rabog guisado (a tempranillo-braised oxtail); socially distanced indoor and outdoor dining reservations start at 5 p.m. on November 26 and there is no takeout available." - Charu Suri
"At Nai Tapas in the East Village, chef Ruben Rodriguez offers a culturally conscious Thanksgiving menu that features a Catalan-style fideuà — described as a paella made with rice and seafood — a dish introduced in 2017 that has made the menu popular with a wide range of customers, and Rodriguez says celebrating culture and diversity in New York City shaped that vision." - Charu Suri
"Framed as a Spanish fine‑dining spot, Nai Tapas is the source of chef Ruben Rodriguez’s sensibilities at Amigo by Nai: several tacos are informed by dishes and techniques from Nai, and Rodriguez’s sweet citrus gastrique from Nai is used to finish the collaborative Amigo taco." - Erika Adams