La Palapa Reviews

We tried this place out and came away very happy. We were seated in the back dining room area which had a very nice setup. The service was great, and more importantly...the margaritas were even better! Their regular is very good, but they offer different flavors (try the mango) margaritas to choose from. We had duck breast quesadillas for our appetizer, and I had the carne asada enchiladas for my main course. Delicious. I don't live in NYC but I travel for work there very often; so I hate to go to the same place twice as the city has so many great dining options, but I'll try to make my way back to LA Palapa. Check it out if you want good Mexican and you are in the East Village.

I live right next to this place, and man are the enchiladas amazing. Additionally it usually isn't too difficult to get a table.

Had a great overall experience. A warm and inviting atmosphere - with outdoor dining in good weather. Very friendly service and very good food. In our party of 7, there was only one disappointment with our meals (overcooked shrimp - but the red mole sauce was outstanding and made up for the slightly dry shrimp). Everytning else ranged from good to outstanding. The highlight was their very creative selection of drinks (my blood orange margarita with chili salt on the rim was outstanding). I'll definitely return next time I'm in the east village.

good tex mex. Slightly fratboyish atmosphere, but the food is suprisingly delicious...

Stopped there for lunch. Despite not being busy service was quite slow. Food was VERY fat and not really tasty. Will not repeat.

The Brunch offered at La Palapa is extremely hard to beat. The price is standard for bottomless but the margs and variety are far from the usual in New York. Often places only offer champagne-based drinks due to the low alcohol % but La Palapa offers what boozy brunch should always look like.

situated in a food hall, this place offers good tacos and other mexican style food. Visited by locals mainly, which is a good sign. We had delicious tacos (for breakfast).

decent mexican food but nothing to write home about

I'm not typically a huge fan of Mexican food, but I love this place. Everything I've eaten there over the years has been good. On this recent visit, I had the enchiladas de hongos verdes. It was amazing. The real reason I love this restaurant, though, is the sangria. When you order a "glass," they bring you a small personal pitcher. It's awesome.

We went here for a brunch with some friends and really enjoyed the whole experience. The margaritas were sublime, and the food was very good. It is in such a great part of New York, good for people watching. I could have stayed here for a while longer and had more of everything. Well worth a visit.

I visited this resturant just a few days ago. It was a Friday night and even though we had a late reservation there was still a bit of a wait to sit down. With there being a larger group (about 10 people) we had the biggest table in the center of it at. The bar area was shoulder to shoulder but bartenders where very responsive and quick with service. The rest of the dining area was also crowded.. The table started with a few orders of both the guac and the calamari. Both where good. The portions where a good size and value for the price. You will not leave hungry. Very good size menu.. Enough to choose something but not to much to the point you can't make up your mind. At atmosphere is well decorated with pictures from Mexico and Mexico City. If you are in the mood for Mexican food this place should be visited. I would go back. They also had a whole bunch of great looking drinks.

I just go for the Sangria!

Nice atmosphere, great selection of drinks and varied menu perfect for dinner or just small dishes and sharing. Guacamole is a Mexican staple and you can't go wrong with it here. As something not really typical you can try the crepas de huitlacoche but for someone that loves Mexican food, I'd suggest sticking to something a little more typical (this dish didn't have enough punch for a 'wow - I'd pick it again' - I wouldn't). Great note - if you order a flavoured margarita that packs a punch and you'd like it tweaked, just ask your waiter - ours was happy to take the edge off.

My sister & I stopped in early afternoon on a weekday & had a fantastic lunch! Great vibe, excellent service, generous portions of delicious food. And the prices were reasonable, says my sister the New Yorker! Definitely a good choice for mexican if you're spending time in the East Village.

Have had many of the dishes here and they're all authentic. It's my favorite Mexican restaurant in NYC. I have introduced many friends to this restaurant and they have introduced others! Weekend brunch is a good value, the brunch special includes a cocktail for $16.

I really enjoyed my brunch here! Delightful service, delicious food and strong drinks! I’ll be back for sure.

I was in New York meeting up with my daughter who flew in from Los Angeles for business. We were staying at the Standard Hotel and she had a dinner engagement so I went on-line to find a Mexican restaurant. I was totally comfortable eating there alone and enjoyed the ambience of the place. The music and the lighting was perfect along with the service, a young man with a smile who understood the ingredients that went into the three salsa that he served. I lived in LA for three years and have always found it difficult to find a good Mexican restaurant here on the East coast. I highly recommend the La Palapa and also would say it is a bit romantic with candles on the tables and cloth napkins.

GREAT brunch -- try their Virgin Marias! Otherwise, go for Rosa Mexicano.

My friend Lisa took me to this amazing restaurant. We do not have a great culture in the UK of classy Mexican restaurants but, in truth, when we couldn't get into the first restaurant she wanted to take me to we went for this one. First off - never had a Margarita before! will do it again now although I suspect there will be a lot to live up to. As a lightweight alcohol-wise, I was pretty high by sip number two! We stuck to the vegetarian part of the menu but there is a lot of great stuff to chose from including fish and traditional taco type dishes. We went for something akin to a tasting plate. Far too much for me to eat but everything on there was stunning. The guacamole was exquisite - the fresh coriander and just a hint of chili was stunning. There was a sweet cerrano sauce to pour over the rice - which was seasoned to perfection - and the refried beans were perfectly tacky at the roof of the mouth. There was a slice of cactus that was imply divine and it had the texture of a portobello mushroom with just a twist of bitterness at the end of the palate. Everything was perfect - I couldn't finish everything but Lisa made a valiant effort. I would have loved to have tried the starters and the desserts but just no room at the inn! This was well worth the visit and although not expensive, it was not cheap either. Like the food - it was just right!

Came with my gf without reservayion. Had a good spot and enjoyed the evening. Great food not too expensive and it looked really fresh.

Stop by for happy hour. Cheap beer and cocktails. The food isn't anything spectacular so go for the drinks from 4-7, have some finger food and then continue to other neighborhood places.

La Palapa is a cosy, , unpretentious place to have a good Mexican-style brunch. It's decorated like a Mexican cantina and draws a hip crowd from the Lower East Side of Manhattan. The brunch menu includes a frozen margarita or one of the standard brunch drinks (bloody mary, mimosa) or even a Mexican beer. Choices include French Toast Mexican style, which was the most popular with our group, or various Mexican-style omelets or scrambled eggs. Our server couldn't have been nicer or more helpful. For about fifteen dollars a person, this is really a good bet for brunch in Manhattan, especially if you like Mexican food. There is also a West Village branch on Sixth Avenue.

Came here on a Friday night around 5. We had reservations and they sat us right away. We were in the front area across from the bar. The restaurant had a nice atmosphere, but it is loud by the bar because everyone was there for happy hour. So between that and the music is was hard to hear my group at times. I got the tacos with Al pastor pork, barbacoa rez, and tinga de pollo. My favorite was the rez. My group enjoyed the meal, but my friends were disappointed with the pork. They expected better. Overall good food, but it gets loud.

Our family of 6 ate here on our last night in NYC. We were staying pretty close by and just went for a wander. We were lucky to spot it because it is down a side street but we saw the signs and popped in to see if a table was available on a Sunday night. We got a table straight away and the waitress was really helpful including adjusting a couple of meals for our kids. Food was fantastic and prices were pretty good. Definitely recommended!!

I love this place, but Suke's not craazy about it. I usually go for brunch.

My friend and I visited this cute place. We sat in the back patio due to Covid-19 but was really nice there. Staff were super friendly. Food was delicious! Had the steak Enchiladas, highly recommended!

Boozy brunch the best! Great food and great drinks! The waitress was pleasant explained the dishes and kept to drinks flowing! Great experience!

Delicious food.

We have expected much better everything from this place. The service was ok but not the food. Too pricy for stuff that not even close for Mexican good food. Disappointed. Never come back.

Every time we visit the city, we make a pilgrimage to La Palapa. The best deal is happy hour. 1/2 off margaritas and some seriously good noshes. I have yet to pick a favorite 'rita flavor, but am in love with the spicy salt! If you want something sinfully delish to soak up that tequilla I cannot recommend the QUESO FUNDIDO con CHORIZO CASERO and PLÁTANOS con CREM enough.

La Palapa is a reliable and relatively inexpensive Mexican restaurant in the heart of the East Village. Service is professional and friendly, food is good but not great, and the crowd is loud and young. A fun destination place for a group, but not a great place for a romantic dinner or when you are hoping for some serious conversation! The food highlight for me was the queso - very tasty!

We found La Palapa on the internet and it was just a coincidence that we chose it. Thanks god we did. The food was absolutely fantastic! The card is a bit confusing first but it’s not a problem at all. The atmosphere was lovely, the staff was friendly and kind. You get water for free and the other drinks are in between a normal price rate. My friend had a margarita which was double amount of a normal one for the same price! We will definitely go there again!!!

It's ah'ight.

Our first night back in New York in a year and this time staying in the East Village. My partner chose this restaurant amongst the many in the area. We arrived at 8pm with no reservation and were escorted to a seat easily, although within another 20 minutes the place was busier. Our waiter was very attentive and took our drinks order quickly - the usual for us - sangria and margarita. I ordered taco with brisket and quesadilla filled with pulled pork. My partner order a burrito which was cold in the middle so he sent it back to be reheated. Generally the food and drinks were served quickly so you could be in and out of here in an hour. Notes: service was great, wheelchair accessible (in the front of the restaurant), kid friendly, music and general noise is a little loud for my liking, generally a younger crowd on a Saturday night, atmosphere is pleasant. #thewanderingreviewer #lapaparestaurant #newyorkrestaurant #newyorkrestsurant #la_palapa @la_palapa #eaternyc @eaternyc #lapalapa #lapalapanyc #lapalapacocinamexicana #lapalapacocina

We had an early dinner here to celebrate a birthday and the food was great. The birthday boy was pleased! Would definitely recommend for Mexican food in NYC. Our service was great too. When we arrived, there were not many there as it was an early dinner, but by the time we left it was filling up quickly! I was a little nervous about ordering as I personally did not know what some of the things on the menu were, however our waitress went above and beyond to ensure we knew what we were ordering. She happily answered any and all questions with a smile.

My friend found the restaurant here on Trip Advisor and we decided to come and have some Mexican food. We weren't disappointed. The margaritas were amazing, the food was superb and dessert was sublime. The crepes with goats milk caramel was delicious. The service was great. Thank you

My husband and I just finished a bus tour and wanted to grab a quick bite before going to see STOMP around the corner. We had under an hour to get to the show and I asked the gentleman at the desk if there was any way we could get in and out in 45 minutes. He seated us right away and must have let our server know because he showed up with some chips and water, recommended what was good and quick and we made it to our show on time. The food was all delicious! And the service was amazing. I think the people sitting around us were a bit stunned at the speed but we were thrilled. Thanks for taking such great care of us! There was a huge blizzard after the show so thankfully this held us over til the next day;)

Cute place, mediocre food. WEAK WEAK WEAK sangria. Great service though.

BEST MEXICAN COUSINE IN TOWN..ASK FOR MICHELADA, SO DELICIOUS..hmm

We were delighted to be introduced to this cozy little restaurant, which is within a short walk of the Public Theater. The food was fresh & tasty & service was also very good. The only surprise was that the guacamole & chips - easy staples, were not as good & home made tasting as everything else.

The food was average, nothing impressive. Had two different types of enchiladas between the two of us but I've had way better for the same price. Not worth the price tag or the sweltering heat inside. The waiter was not very attentive, we ordered an appetizer before our entrees that never came, he completely forgot about it. Took around an hour to get our entrees so it would've been nice to have been served the appetizer we ordered.

This was a 'destination' restaurant on the advise of East Village locals, so while the Uber-enabled trek from Midtown was a bit of an ordeal, the drive was worthwhile for an NYC still-newbie. Spicy margaritas to start, loved the bite of jalapeno, but switched to mango -- delicious and still in the house-made, perfect marg zone. Guac was surprisingly bland, and next time, I'll order the creme fraiche-topped chicken enchiladas verde, which dining mates said was awesome. The pablano pepper relleno was a bit disappointing - not served very hot, so cheese was not molten as it should be,but the corn-peppered stuffing was quite tasty. Tres leches cake for desert had a great flavor but texture was coarse, not melt-in-your-mouth like this kind of calorie overload should be,

Where else can you get a Mexican vegetarian platter with grilled nopalitos? All excellent. Loved the slightly raucous EV atmosphere, too. Excellent, friendly service. Try the crepas for a not-too-sweet dessert. St Mark's Theater is right across the street, so they understand about curtain times.

it was yummy! great drinks! little bit pricey for Mexican food, but i had a great time.

My group of 5 friends had brunch at La Palapa 77 St Mark's Place this past Saturday, 12/8/12 and we all loved it! There was a great selection of food and it was all delicious! There was a special brunch menu with good prices and even better Margarita that came with it. Most of us ordered off the regular menu and everyone ordered something different yet we all thought it was great and would definitely return. The one thing that wasn't so pleasant was how loud it got during our time there. When we first sat down at 1PM it was fine but by 2PM we could barely hear each other. Our waitress was a doll too! Very nice experience before a 3PM Off-Broadway play right around the block (Stomp).

This place was highly recommended by our host, so we stopped here for our last meal in NYC, having eaten superbly all week. We were not disappointed. The salsas were some of the best we have had anywhere; the queso fundido con chorizo - made entirely in-house - was truly excellent. And the margueritas are indeed worthy of their great reputation. On top of that, the service was beyond friendly. We felt entirely at home here.

My Company had La Palapa come to us for an in office event. It was wonderful. The appetizers supplied were great and plentiful. They also supplied the mixers for margaritas and gave us suggestions for tequila to purchase. Judy and her staff went out of their way to make this a memorable event. I will definitely be traveling down to see them soon!

Finally, a mexican restaurant in NYC that actually serves authentic mexican (as opposed to Tex-Mex) food! (spoilers: No Burritos in the menu!). The Chef was born and raised in Mexico, and you can tell right away; the flavours are right, the combinations are correct, and you can find things on the menu that you will find nowhere else in this city (e.g. Cochinita Pibil, Arrachera al Tequila). Their Barbacoa meat is particularly good. Great selection of Mexican beers and delicious margaritas! Their brunch is a must: there's no better way to survive a hangover than with their chilaquiles verdes with eggs and a michelada! You won't regret it!

This place was recommended by the guys at 'McSorleys Old Ale House' and I'm so glad they did. We went on a Tuesday evening and found it was frozen Margarita night - not just little glasses either, big ones for $5. The food was delicious. We started with the nachos to share between the three of us. The mains were absolutely fantastic, we had the special of steak, duck and prawn; a very well cooked steak and the tacos - all agreed that it was the best Mexican meal we had ever had. Great atmosphere, great staff and good venue - it was nice and busy when we were there too - a great sign that this place is liked by others.

This place is fantastic, try to sit in the window area for excellent people watching. Great drinks, awesome food. Perfect amount of bustling crowd without feeling crowded on a Saturday night. The owner is great and friendly, we keep coming back for the food.

This place is where you want to grab some proper Mexican flavours near Grand Central. Get the 3 tacos which you can mix and match. I got the pork and barbacoa and my only regret is not having enough time to go there again. A side of guacamole and you are set! Worth going if you are in the area.

La Palapa's menu features some unique dishes like Mexico City style tacos and lamb with mole sauce that, on the surface, help to elevate it above the generic NYC Mexican restaurant where you go for the margaritas and the guacamole over the food. Regrettably though, the food falls flat, with tiny portions, rushed service (inexplicable given that at 9PM on a Saturday evening, the restaurant wasn't all that full), and a setting that feels like a dive. Not worth going out of your way for at all. Just passable.

My daughter, recently moved to NYC, is, like her parents, very good at finding quality restaurants with reasonable prices. La Palapa, in the East Village, certainly fits the bill. We began our meal with fresh, made-to-order guacamole. Salsa was provided in mild, medium and hot varieties. We followed up with entrees ranging from Carne Asada, to Shrimp Mole, to a variety of tacos. Everything was wll-prepared, tasty and authentic in flavor. Portions were large, and the traditional sides complemented the entrees. For those with room, there is a nice selection of desserts. We finished off with two varieties of chocolate: a Belgian-Mexican chocolate pudding, and a brownie with dulce de leche ice cream. Both were delicious. We will certainly return to this slice of Mexico in the East Village.

This place is jumping. Its got a great bar and a nice atmosphere. There is window seating. This is the vantage point you want on a summers night. The food is just as good with a multitude of choices for snacking , brunching or sharing dinner. The duck breast with mole sauce is particularly good but so are the fish tacos and any of the share plates Skip the house jug of Margaritas its pretty ordinary for 25.0. Go for a choice of tequilla for more money and more flavour. Overall worth nabbing a table here

The service was excellent. I am from Texas and I was not enthusiastic when my NYC friends suggested (?actually insisted) on going to a Mexican restaurant while in NYC. I eat at at Mexican restaurants in Houston at least twice a week. However La Palapa was fantastic(but with one major flaw) and I will return on my next trip to NYC. The guacamole was outstanding. The chips were great and the accompanying sauces were first class. Hearts of palm salad was delicious. I ordered the duck and mole entree. The mole was one of the best I have ever eaten . The combination with duck was inspired but the restaurant should change the vendor who supplied the duck. The duck was almost inedible. There were a few good pieces of duck and they were great but most of it was gristly and extremely difficult to chew. It was also served at a lukewarm temperature. The sides were wonderful and were warm. I will go back and I will order the duck mole again. The flavor was great.

I love La Palapa and have eaten there many dozens of times over the years. Fortunately, the rest of my family agrees that it's our favorite place to eat out. The food immediately transcends generic Mexican dishes: the fresh salsas, the rice and beans--the basics--are superb. The simple street food like tacos and quesadillas are perfectly executed with details like house-pickled onions and excellent tortillas. The dishes you might find at lots of places, like enchiladas with salsa verde or mole, are so beautifully prepared you will no longer stand for the customary good-enough versions found around the corner. And the special dishes turned out by the kitchen, the ones you might find only at the best Mexico City restaurants or in some regional home kitchens, are so fresh and inventive you will congratulate yourself for paying La Palapa's reasonable prices rather than going to one of those fancy "artisanal" locavore places that charge a 50% premium for the right to be au courant. The owner of La Palapa travels frequently to Mexico in search of recipes and ingredients so the nightly specials are sometimes surprising and worth the adventure. The bar serves great cocktails; usually there are several nightly specials that augment the usual menu of fresh fruit and premium liquor-based drinks. Kids are welcome and accomodated. The kids menu is very reasonably priced and with any luck your kids will use those dishes, like tacos and quesadillas, as stepping stones to a more varied palate of Mexican cuisine.

While the place was packed on a Tuesday night our first choice was Empellon Taco down the street but they had a private party going. We were seeking authentic Tacos Al Pastor. La Palapa serves Al Pastor but they are not on the spit as they should be. The tacos Baratta were very bland as were the pastor. For $7 a pop I expected some flavor at best. The guacamole served in a 4 oz cup for $9 was a joke. And did I mention the noise? It was so loud it was literally impossible to hear myself think. Our server was very pleasant and professional but seriously the food falls far short in a neighborhood that is loaded with great Mexican restaurants

so hard not to get wasted on those margaritas! great tacos, too.

I ate here last night for the 1st time and will be back. I love when Mexican food is crisp and clean and just good. Our server was very attentive and the ambiance was also very nice. We had the guacamole (yum!) and some appetizers and drinks. The skirt steak/pablano quesadilla was perfect. Not greasy or fried feeling. We also had some tacos that were very refreshing and calamari that was cooked perfectly. All of the salsas and sauces they gave us were also excellent. We ordered a pitcher of the white Sangria which was good but not my favorite. Their margaritas, however were excellent. The prices are average but the food and service were great. I highly recommend!

I was taken to this restaurant a few years ago by a friend and I instantly loved it! The food is superb, the tortilla chips (mixed yellow and blue corn) are crispy, the various types of guacamole are HEAVENLY, the various types of salsa are lusciously good, the drinks menu is amazing (my favourite is the hibiscus margarita), the toilet is clean, the staff are extremely polite, helpful and pleasant, the patio is a treat if you can get a table there... I have even brought friends from Texas here and guess what? they LOVED it! Highly recommended.

We had brunch for 35 people to celebrate our daughter's upcoming nuptials. Fabulous friendly service. Great food. Heartily recommend.

We just arrived in NY and walking by we saw this place. The place is really cute and it was full, so we thought it must be good. We got a table easy and we ordered. The menu looks interesting. Here comes the food, nice presentation but NO TASTE. A huge disappointment. It was disgusting and tasteless. We order the Enchilada de Carne and the duck breast dish, awful, beside that it's extremely overpriced. Bottom line, bad and expensive! I believe that the only reason people go are for the drinks, not the food.

great brunch special. huevos rancheros = yum!

Had a delicious dinner here in the bustling East Village. Amazing menu with lots of very interesting Mexican dishes. It’s quite a scene so I suggest making reservations and it can be a little noisy but I highly recommend it. Service was really good and friendly. Food was delicious. It’s pricey but to be expected in New York City.

When all the other East Village spots had that Sunday brunch wait, my friend and I ended up at La Palapa. For $18, you can get an entree, drink, and a little fruit plate. One of the cheaper brunches I've had! The huevos rancheros were standard, but the Mexican French toast was something special. The toast was almost like a churro, and it was coated in a delicious syrup and topped with mounds of fruit. It was perfectly gooey and definitely a step above your average French toast. A great spot to stumble upon!

Really good Mexican food, nice atmosphere, good service. Well worth a visit. The Steak Enchiladas were really good. The salad was really fresh and the 3 salsas (mild, medium, hot) were fantastic. A good find in the East Village.

Went here on a Friday for happy hour with a group of 7. Shared several appetizers and main dishes. The mango and watermelon margaritas were excellent however I thought the pitchers were on the smaller side for $28.

La Palapa is consistently excellent. The food is always delicious, the specials always keep it interesting, and the staff is always polite and attentive. It's a NYC gem :)

Good place, with good food and service. Contrary to many restaurants in New York City, this one had the music low enough that you can actually carry a conversation without screaming. They could have more variety though, 2 hours of Reaguetton is a bit too much! My Cochinita (pork) dish from Yucatan was excelent, I recommend it. Our waitress was awesome, made us feel welcome, answered our questions and was very efficient at it. Great experience I recommend. Can't tell you about the Margaritas since I don't drink!

What a gem! La Palapa was great - cute outdoor seating and inside the atmosphere is even better. We both had tacos - and they were great. Also enjoyed their drinks - bartender saw one of us ordered a 'specialty' beer and came over with a small sample for us to try to make sure we liked it. As it turns out, it was totally not what my friend thought she was ordering and was very appreciative that the staff gave her a sample to try.

This is a very authentic Mexican restaurant. The food, the recipes and the people in the kitchen are the real deal. If you've ever been to Oaxaca you will recognize the high quality of what's being served. Yes it can be noisy and not every server is as helpful as they should be but overall this is a great place.

Visited here for dinner one evening only a short walk away from where we were staying in East Village. Wonderful enchiladas. Great homely atmosphere as well. Would recommend

I was craving some tacos and stopped by to check this place out. The food and atmosphere is fantastic and the tacos are everything I was looking for. Excellent!

Extensive menu which our server helped us to work through and to make some great suggestions or combos of what would work or thought we would like. Along the way she brought out some additional condiments/accompaniments to try with our selections which were great. Overall we thought the food was tasty, fresh and seems very authentic. There really is good Mexican food in NYC.

This restaurant was perfect in every sense of the word. Since we walk in for our reservation, till the moment we walk out. The servers and the owners were awesome and the service was outstanding. Drinks and food were perfect. They made our wedding perfect. Thank you.

A favorite!! Our place to go for Valentines, anniversaries, or just to indulge

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal here. Admittedly we're not much used to Mexican food- there isn't a Mexican restaurant in the city we live in- but in our uneducated opinions, the food here was wonderful.... The staff were pleasant- especially the maitre d. If we lived in the East Village, we'd be regulars....

A friend was treating us to dinner in her neighbourhood while I was in the city and she choose this place because she’s never had a disappointing meal in the past, and she was right! We started with a marguerita, salted glass included and it was delicious! Followed by vegetables dips with salas and main courses - duck with plantain, a spicy chicken and lamb for our friend. All served in a timely manner, all piping hot (and spicy) and all with a lovely service from the ‘new first week on the job guy’ The venue matches the neighbourhood so well as well - authentic, bohemian and true to its original. Good job La Palapa!

Have been here for dinner with girlfriends, have held lunch meetings here and have also dined here on dates and have always had a great time full of deliciousness that's both savory and sweet. The service is also very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend! Expect to have authentic food with regional dishes carefully thought up by Mexico native Barbara Sibley.

This restaurant has the best huevos rancheros verses I have ever eaten and I have been all over the western and southwestern states. All of the food is genuine Mexican fare, and the restaurant feels like a nice local Mexican hang out. The tables are fairly close together so you can have a conversation with other guests if the spirit moves you, but you do not feel you must. The noise level is reasonable for a high energy place. The servers are friendly but the service is very slow and it could use the talents of a service systems manager big time. The energy is there but it needs guidance. You cannot go wrong here.

Way too expensive for what it is.

LOVE IT! Will trek over the island just to eat here.

This small and intimate space in the East Village is a delight! The flavors were authentic and made us feel like we were back in the Yucatán. The baked mahi mahi was amazing with a side dish of saffron rice and sautéed spinach. The homemade chili sauces were spicy and one was really hot! So great with the perfect guacamole and salsa. Prices are reasonable and menu has a great selection.

Tasteful food, top shelf margaritas, unique rose ice cream, and the better one of the two Palapas

Expectations were high once we entered this place. Sadly, we left the place very disappointed. I mean, there nothing especially wrong with the food (tacos with three different toppings), but the problem was, there was no taste either. It was nothing. And that's not good enough. Perhaps May 7th a night before had something to do with their performance?

Wow, what a great restaurant! Don't go here if you need quiet. But, absolutely do go if you are looking for some great Mexican food in a friendly, boisterous atmosphere. I had the Arrachera al Tequila con Jalapenos Torreados (skirt steak marinated in tequila and lime) and my dining companion had the soft corn tortilla tacos. We also ordered the tortilla chips with salsa and guacamole as an appetizer and split a frozen margarita. Everything was delicious and we will be back!

La Palapa is an east coast rarity — superb, authentic Mexican cuisine. I had the shrimp mole, and it was marvelous. The mole was rich and spicy hot, but did not overwhelm the dish. We also enjoyed frozen fresh lime margaritas, one without any salt, two with spicy salt, which I hadn’t seen offered before. The spicy red salt was really nice with the fresh lime flavor, and the drink was a good one — definitely NOT a virgin. Finally, the avocado pie for dessert was to die for along with an excellent espresso. If you’re a CSC member, the margaritas are comped with dinner. The other two meals at the table were also exceptional.

Food was amazing, good service, affordable price, nice and cosy ambiance and please try absolutely the avocado pie as a dessert it's very very succulent !!!

I've been going to La Palapa since it opened about fifteen years ago. I've celebrated a birthday here, been with a big group of friends, with my partner, with my mom, alone. Every time I'm back in New York, I come here. And I'm Mexican. Well, an American of Mexican descent who grew up on Mexican food. When I first moved to New York back in the mid/late 90s, I was unhappy with the choice of Mexican restaurants. Most of them were just bad. I grew up in South Texas and had traveled to Mexico City often so I was familiar with interior Mexican cuisine and Tex-Mex. Then La Palapa opened. They even serve a favorite of mine, huitlacoche. Their chile relleno is delicious, their chilaquiles are amazing and the frozen ritas are among the best I've ever tasted. I've never had a bad meal here. Never. I'd say their menu is mostly inspired by interior Mexican food. There is a focus on deep sauces, complex spices and earthy flavors. You won't get anything smothered in cheese or deep fried into the next century. They wouldn't think of doing that here. It's best to make a reservation for dinner if you are going on Friday or Saturday and weekend brunch but you can stroll in and grab a seat at lunch. I'd skip an order of guacamole unless you are with a group of at least four people. The plates are substantial and you don't want to fill yourself up with chips. And if you happen to save room, get dessert. Now if only they'd open a La Palapa in London.

Love the selection of food and drinks specially the tacos . . .

I ate at the one on the west side. Definitely, not the best mexican I have ever had. But okay. The sangria was really good and when you order a glass they actually give you a mini pitcher.

I have to admit this came as quite a shock. The NYT review and the amount of people inside the restaurant and queuing to get in it all signaled this was going to be a memorable meal but everything we ate at La Palapa (with the exception of the fish tacos) was below average bordering on inedible. The Guacamole was so off (never a good sign) that we had to finish its seasoning ourselves at the table. In pure contrast the queso fundido con chorizo was so salty that no one touched it after trying it. My friend couldn't finish his main, the chilaquiles verdes. Definitely won't be coming back.

What a find! This little gem of a place served up the most delicious food from one course to the next. Nothing was "the usual", rather the range of ingredients as noted on the menu was absolutely intriguing. The dishes lived up to the billing. The menu was also very vegetarian friendly...even a vegan platter.! the service as well was terrific!

I had a brunch with my friends in here Very nice and sweet place, don’t sit next to door cold comes inside and not comfortable when people in and out. Try to go inside and sit inside. Drinks are good , food is authentic Service is fast and also everybody is polite Just something was missing coffee, they didn’t have a good coffee and their machine was broken, they tried to do something for me but it wasn’t good as a original coffee. Beside that everything was good

We had our first meal of the holiday here & it was definitely the best! We got there quite early so got a table ok but it was busy when we left so I would book if you can. Great service as well!!

We had wandered around looking for somewhere to eat and stumbled across this great looking Mexican. We were not disappointed. The service was great and the food excellent. The only complaint I had was that as I wasn't too hungry I opted fro 2 starters instead of a main. BIG mistake. HUGE!! The SOPA de la CASA: POZOLE ROJO was amazing, but a meal in itself. Lots of flavour and lots ingredients. WOW. I also ordered CALAMARES FRITOS, thinking I would receive half a dozen rings, the plate groaned under the weight. I kid you not there was about 60 rings on the plate. Very tasty and tender but far too much. It would serve four people as a starter or just to have to snack on. I would definitely go back.

This restaurant was chosen by friends we were staying with in NY. We were all for going to a real Mexican restaurant that's not just Tex-Mex. We sat in the back, where the walls had illuminated cutouts with pottery displays and festively colored papercut banners strung across the ceilings. Overall lighting was dim and low, intimate ambience, good for romantic outings. The pistachio encrusted fish was delicious. The caramel custard light and fluffy, although not the best I'd had (not creamy enough). While the food wasn't quite as good as what you could get in Mexico City (and more expensive too of course), it was probably the best we've had so far this side of the border.

We stopped in for lunch on a weekday. Didn't expect to be the only ones in the place but it didn't matter the staff was nice and the food was great! We thought we would get full meals like enchiladas etc but after seeing the list of street food tacos and the price of $3 each, we both ordered 3 each. Unbelievable taste of all of them! My favorite is el pastor but they were all great! The three salsas that come to the table to put over the tacos were also great, each one better than the first. Rice and beans were also fresh and flavorful. Compared to other good Mexican restaurants this one is real good stuff.

I have been here three times. We were able to get a table but reservations are recommended especially for brunch. The place is nicely decorated and clean with courteous service. The brunch special is good. We had the eggs ranchero verde. It comes with a small fruit salad and a choice of bloody Marry or Maria ( made with Tequila or mammas. You can have the virgin marry which is pretty good but plenty plenty spicy. The fruit salad had mellon and berries. Not just apples and grapes. Entrees average 22 bucks.

Review is for Happy Hour only. 4-7 is BOGO at the bar for margs. Be aware it is ONLY if you sit at the bar and the bar gets packed. Drinks are very good and they were strong which was nice because you'd expect otherwise for such a nice deal. We ended up sitting at a table and also ordering some food. I skipped this dinner but had a bite of my husbands taco which was really good. Service very slow at the beginning but otherwise no major issues. If you're looking for a good happy hour for some margs this is a good stop but arrive early!

A very pleasant atmosphere. A variety of interesting brunch entrees such as eggs with chorizo sausage, or avocado or plantains with various sauces. Great margaritas and coffee! Want to go back and try other dishes.

Great place, both for food and service. The only problem was eating too much! We were so stuffed by the end that it kind of impacted the rest of the evening.

A cut above other Mexican, this takes it to 'cuisine' levels.

Please, please, please do yourself a favor and try this place! The outdoor seating area is perfect, but the food and drinks are even better. DRINKS The bartenders really know what they're doing. The specialty drinks are really fun to try and we have yet to find one we don't love. Chile salt on the rim of the glass, jalapeno muddling, etc. A pitcher of the regular margaritas for $28 is a must (to share, of course). Do go in with a little patience, though. The bar is very busy and drinks usually take 10-12 minutes... order your first round as soon as you sit down! FOOD Poblano pepper queso fundido. Yes. Amazing. Think cheese and poblano pepper soft tacos! Corn quesadillas rock! Sweet corn and cheese. Delicious. Least favorite taco is the steak taco (a little dry), but the chicken, corn, fish, etc. tacos are all amazing! Enjoy!

My niece made us reservations and we were ever happy! The service was spot on from the time we were brought hot towels to clean our hands when we sat down to the last morsel of food! I'm not a fan of Mexican food, but everyone else was and I didn't mind trying it out. I had the most amazing Mexican meal of my life. I ordered the grilled duck breast with mole and it came with red tomato rice and swiss chard. Wow, just wow! The duck was soft and tender, the rice was flavorful and the swiss chard cooked to perfection. Who knew Mexican food could be this creative? Everyone's meal was mouth watering and excellent! Did I mention the Margarita's? BIG and delish! Make a night of it and give it a try!!!!

The food was really stellar- definitely the best Mexican food I've had in NYC. I particularly recommend the barbacoa and mole dishes. Serving sizes are pretty massive, so it's actually not a bad deal for a night out. I also thought the basic margaritas were pretty good for happy hour. Overall, I would definitely go back. Next time, I would get a reservation, as the restaurant is fairly small and packed. The staff was really pleasant, however, and managed to squeeze us in on a Saturday night without a reservation.

Best Margaritas in Manhattan. I recommend the Peach. Plus you're on St. Marks Pl which is great to people watch and get a feel for the real NYC. It's not very touristy.

The whole St Marks area has been in rapid decline for the last few years. The departure of Trash & Vaudeville probably makes it terminal, this whole area is now just a tourist trap to avoid. La Palapa exemplifies everything that has gone wrong with this area. Having been visiting for many years, it used to be the sort of place where even with a reservation you were still going to wait 20 minutes for your table, but the food made it worth it. Now a few days before Christmas the place was half empty all night and with good reason. Although the guacamole is still great the rest is just average. Sad to see a once great restaurant dying.

La Palapa's has the BEST frozen Margaritas!!! Try the Blood Orange. They coat the rim with hot chilli powder! Amazing!!!!

Stumbled in here for happy hour and quickly found ourselves truly stumbling. The bartender must have been heavy handed with the margaritas - which came in oh so many flavors. Avoid the coconut one; it tasted a bit funky. We also enjoyed a couple tapas (mushroom tacos, grilled corn, and guacamole). All were good, but the portions were small for the price - even at happy hour. Overall pleasant experience, but there are certainly a multitude of better establishments in the city to satiate your cravings for Mexican.

This place is a gem. Excellent kitchen serving authentic Mexican cuisine. Kind of heavy on the enchiladas, tacos etc but they do them well, Nice housemade guac and housemade corn tortillas. Had their 3 tacos combo - in my case, charred chiles, tongue and pork al pastor. All great, all fresh, all different. What was really impressive was the front of the house - extremely quick and unobtrusive table service all night. Noise level tolerable. And very affordable pricing.

We came here after a show to have a drink and a nosh. The service was not so much bad as non-existent. From placing the order to getting our drinks, there was a gap of nearly 25 minutes. Getting an order guacamole clearly involved growing the avocados as, again, it was the better part of half an hour for this to be delivered. We ordered Cadillac Margaritas which are, essentially, the standard Margarita with a Grand Marnier float which gives them a distinctive amber look. When they arrived, they were clearly a standard margarita made with bottled mix and lacking a proper pour of tequila and missing the Grand Marnier. We asked that the Grand Marnier be added and the waiter came with one shot (!!?!) which he divided between 3 glasses saying that the bartender had already added this which, of course, was not true. Even without tasting them you could see by the color that this ingredient (which adds a lot to the cost) was omitted. So, as we knew we were getting short changed, for the second and final round we ordered a standard margarita which, unsurprisingly enough, was EXACTLY the same color and taste as what La Palapa sells as a "Cadillac". In short - begrudging, indifferent, glacially slow service with sub-standard drinks, most notable for their lack of ingredients... such as Tequila and Grand Marnier. The folks get one star as the Guacamole was OK. Such a disappointment as we had made a real effort to get here and were looking forward to a good drink after a great show. Never again.

Have eaten at La Palapa on multiple occasions and always enjoy the food. Service is top notch. Happy Hour provides 1/2 priced appetizers if you sit at the bar.

Forget whatever food you may have had at one of the national chains and instead enjoy authentic Mexican at this pleasant neighborhood restaurant in the East Village. Even the mundane “chips and salsa/guacamole” is a bit out of the ordinary here, with a tasty trio of mild, medium, and hot sauces presented alongside the excellent guacamole and tomato/chile salsa. My companion and I munched on these along with a couple of fruit-based margaritas—watermelon for me, mango for my companion. With the fruit purees made onsite, the freshness really comes through. Our dinner entrees were winners, too. I had the grilled duck breast with black mole, rice, and sautéed chard. The multiple layers of flavors in the mole suggest a talented chef in the kitchen. My companion’s shrimp with red mole was equally satisfying. Combining outstanding food and drinks with friendly, prompt service from the bartender and wait staff, this is definitely worth repeat visits.

We went to La Palapa hoping for a better than average Mexican brunch, but came away feeling like it was pretty ordinary. The huevos rancheros verde was sort of soupy. The mexican french toast (oxymoron?) had little Mexican about it. The special was the best item. The portions are huge, but similar food could be found at pretty much any other Mexican restaurant. The outdoor dining on St Marks Place is always entertaining, but only because of the street scene, not the La Palapa decor. Go for good basic Mexican, but don't expect creatively presented food.

We always enjoy a meal at La Palapa - flavors are clean and prices are good.

probably the best mexican food in the village; definitely the most upscale...margaritas

La Palapa is a real gem tucked away in the East Village - delicious Mexican food in a character-filled restaurant. A couple of courses are worthy of note: the battered calamari, with an assortment of Mexican dips, was delicious, as were the different tacos we had - particularly the spiced chicken. Portion sizes were large but not overbearing, and the margarita pitchers very good value (the passion fruit one highly recommended). Two things that weren't quite so good: the service, while efficient, wasn't massively friendly on the evening we dined at La Palapa, and the restaurant - under the cover of darkness - was almost pitch black bar the candlelight at the tables, meaning you had to look quite hard to be sure what you were eating. However this doesn't take away from the quality of the food, which was of a very high standard.

A bit pricey for the Food, but super quality food. Server a bit busy, but OK and friendly.

I've been there couple of weeks ago. I must say I really liked this place. I cannot say if it's really Mexican or not but the important thing - it's good. The staff was friendly and we really enjoyed having a dinner in La Palapa.

Ate here recently and just not very good. Feels like everything is just a variation of the same thing. Bland and souless food in my opinion. I had quesadillas, one with tongue and the other with chicken. They came with no condiments. Seriously underwhelming. I feel sorry for the staff here. They were amazing, but as I say, the food is just not good. I'd avoid in the future.

We went here for dinner. The food was decent. The Steak with lime was good. The sangria was good. I liked the white sangria was better than red. The tres leches cake wasn't good. The rose ice cream was OK.

This place is, kinda, the epitome of the NYC "Mexican Food" experience. - The margeritas are big and boozy - the food is a mish-mosh of, well, everything Mexican - mind you, the food isn't particularly good. It ain't bad either, but it certainly isn't all that good - the peoples/environs are nice They're almost interchangeable really, which is kinda sad. Oh well...

Decent Small Mexican place. Good Margaritas. Easy to make reservations

The food is excellent, the service is good...the place is a bit noisy but well worth going! Will definitely go back!

Was visiting the city with a group of 12 friends, and made a reservation here because prices were reasonable and most of us love Mexican food. We definitely weren't disappointed. The server did a great job remembering everyone's orders and providing solid service. Drinks were delicious (had a pitcher of white sangria, and a pitcher of blood orange margaritas). Tried the Chalupa appetizer, which was stellar. The calamari was also some of the best I've had. For dinner I went with the skirt steak, which was flavorful but not too hot. What's nice is that the food is more 'bistro Mexican', and doesn't come covered in cheese, rice, and beans. The rice and beans come on the side if you want them, so you don't feel the need to eat a massive pile of food that will just make you feel weighed down afterward. A couple friends got fish tacos, which was just the right amount of spicy. Portions are excellent considering the prices for NYC. The restaurant itself isn't very large...and has a frenetic feel. It's not a spot to have quiet conversations. We couldn't talk more than 2 people away because of the noise. But it was festive, and no one in our group seemed to mind much. The bar has about 7 stools at it, again not a ton of space.

Margaritas are good, food is not fab--but good. Best thing is the location. Still a great place to hang out and and stare out the window, or hang in back and be with people from the hood. No wait, best thing is the staff. Everyone is very cool. A friend's dog was well treated and accepted by all. Service is excellent--with or without furry guests.

We stopped by the Urbanspace Vanderbilt for breakfast and it turns out not many of the places are serving breakfast. Had the breakfast tacos here and they are amazing - they serve them to go and the bag weighs at least a pound. They give you 3 salsas plus 2 very overstuffed tacos - we picked the one with chorizo. It was disappointing that you had to get both the same kind iinstead of being able to do one of each. They were very good - ended up only being able to eat one and took the other back to the hotel and had it the next day! Good value with the amount of food you get! Very friendly service as well.

Stumbled in on a Saturday for lunch and onto the best quesadilla I've ever had. Al pastor de pork had a great flavor and just the right amount of kick. Overall a nice, quaint place with it's own atmosphere. Will definitely come back again to try an entree.

Stumbled across this place and they just happened to have a table free. The food was fantastic and the staff extremely helpful and attentive. Would definitely recommend.