Leitao Reviews

Amazing dinner, cozy and welcoming vibe and the staff was incredibly attentive, helpful and friendly!! Our server, Dario was exceptional!

Sat outside & loved the piri piri chicken & Camarao shrimp. Great bread. & nice cocktails. Excellent service from Frank. We’d definitely go back

Having spent a glorious week in Portugal earlier this month, my wife and I were happy to be "back" in Lisbon, transported by the delicious meal and the wonderful music. Several times a month, Leitao hosts a special event in their downstairs space featuring a four-course, wine-paired meal combined with four "courses" of fado music. Last night's music featured the usual combination of Portuguese (12-string) guitar plus a regular guitar, only this time the regular guitar was a 7-string (adding a richness of the lower notes); in addition, there was a wonderful violin player, and her violin had an extra string, too! The two singers (one of whom was the player of the 12-string) were wonderful and emotive, just as you would expect, and were lovely to chat with between sets. Our favorite item from the menu was probably the tuna crudo, but all of the food was delicious. The dessert, a port-marinated pear featuring cinnamon and pepper with a side of mascarpone, was a rich and zingy surprise and delight to the mouth. As soon as we sat down -- even before the first wine was poured -- I knew we'd be making plans to return soon. What a wonderful evening!

Having gone to Portugal last year, we were excited to find a Portuguese restaurant that at least appeared to be the real deal when we visited NYC. We loved the food when in Porto and Lisboa, so we had high hopes. Apparently, they weren't high enough...Leitao was EXCELLENT! The menu was a list of much of what we'd tried and loved in Portugal, and they were just as good here. We enjoyed selections from a surprisingly complete Portuguese wine menu. For our entrees, we had piri piri chicken (good kick/flavor) and a francesinha, the Portuguese national sandwich. It was particularly excellent. And, to finish it off, pasteis da nata with a 20-year-old port. Service was perhaps a bit slow by American standards, but right in line with what we experienced (and enjoyed) in Portugal. Go, get the francesinha and pastel da nata. You will not be disappointed!

Excellent meal. The Ameijoas em Caldeirada appetizer was particularly great. Patio seating was comfortable.

Staff was very kind and this was good, We expected a real Portuguese cuisine, but it was not the case. We ordered bolinhos de bacalhau, 4 pieces but we felt more taste of potato than bacalhau. Under the bolinhos there was mayonnaise and slices of parmesan (really??). The second was kind of capraccio of octopuss , well it was a Spanish style and it was delicious, but Spanish style. the third was bacalhau that was not good: without salt. The dessert was pear with Porto wine, a disaster, heavy with cream (greasy), no Port wine , but a thick syrup without taste. Finally today at 2:30AM I had a severe diarrhea, but my did not have it.

PROS Easy, simple, extremely well-oriented Excellent food, excellent service, excellent bar Genuine Portuguese Kitchen Not expansive and well positioned CONS Actually big deal in New York City, no cons Highly recommended

Really impressed with Leitao. Not many Portuguese restaurants in the city, but even so, Leitao does not disappoint. The Bacalhau, both renditions of it, are delicious. The Portuguese sausage and the seafood rice were on point. The escargot and meatballs were nice accompaniments as well. The only slight letdown was the pasteis de nata.

Today while meandering about the West Village we had the amazing fortune to happen upon Leitao! We had no idea of the culinary masterpiece that would ensue! The space is welcoming, sultry and well-appointed. The traditional Portuguese menu is replete with amazing selections to suit every taste and one is instantly aware of the deliciousness to come by the phenomenal aromas wafting through the space We began our meal with the Cucumber Margarita and a Gin and Seltzer with cucumber and lime. We then ordered the Shrimp in Lobster Sauce accompanied by the truly PERFECT Portuguese bread. The shrimp were tender, skillfully prepared and enveloped in a complex, silky, slightly smokey, lobster sauce. A really spectacular start!! Next we ordered the Piri Piri Chicken and the Bacalao. Beyond the gorgeous presentation of these dishes, the flavors outperformed all expectations!! The ample portion of chicken was layered with authentic smoky, spicy and bright flavor..juicy and falling off the bone! The Bacalao, which I am not always a fan of, was OUTRAGEOUSLY DELICIOUS!! This beautiful fish was tender and flaky with a perfect sear on top. It is served over a bed of sauteed spinach, elegantly dressed in a bright lemony sauce and topped with crispy and crave-able fried onions I could have eaten by the bowl-full!!! And just when we thought it could not get better…our amazing attendant,..delighted us with an order of the Pasteis de Nata for dessert. I've never tried it before but can assure you if I ever see this on a menu it is a priority order!!! The delicate custard tart is subtly sweet and sprinkled with cinnamon and a dusting of powdered sugar. The texture is smooth and creamy and the taste is warm, soft and unbelievably satisfying. Leitao deserves more than 5 stars in my honest opinion. The atmosphere, service and food are truly TOP NOTCH. Run, do not walk, because this should be on top of your must-try list!!

Fantastic restaurant. Very friendly and kind Staff, amazing Portuguese food with a sophisticated twist and high quality ingredients. You can’t loose it!

When you've visited Portugal and have a hankering for that "taste", this is the place to go to scratch that itch. During our whirlwind weekend, we followed Ziggy's suggestions for the best of NYC, and when we saw this gem, we immediately made reservations. Arriving early, we took a seat at the bar and enjoyed the people watching and generously poured mixed drinks. Once our table was ready, we had to have octopus two ways-- cold in a tasty salad and warm with a flavorful sauce that went well with bread for dipping. From there we had the lamb roulette which came in a rich sauce. Of course, full or not, we finished with the famous custard pastry.

It was an amazing dining experience. I had never seen or tried Portuguese food like this before and was only blown away with all the flavors. Definitely have bookmarked this wonderful restaurant for my next trip to the Big Apple. The service was outstanding as well. Our server was Franko (sorry if I misspelled!) who was a true gem, and all other employees were all so friendly. Mahalo to everyone who made our dinner so memorable.

On Christmas Eve, I went out for dinner at Restaurante Leitão in New York. We started with an octopus salad as an appetizer, served with an incredible little bread. For the main dishes, we had codfish and a francesinha — honestly, one of the best francesinhas I’ve ever had in my life, absolutely amazing. We were warmly welcomed by the owner, Nuno, who quickly realized we were Portuguese and made us feel right at home. We were served by Juliana, who was extremely kind and recommended the octopus salad, which turned out to be an excellent choice. To make the night even more special, they surprised us with two incredible desserts: a chocolate mousse with crumble and CRF Reserva, and a cinnamon-infused pear dessert that was absolutely delicious. I was also offered a glass of CRF Reserva, which was a fantastic touch and perfectly complemented the experience. A truly memorable dining experience and a place I would highly recommend.

We went to dinner on December 24. We had to score for the 21:30 shift and we went to Metro from Times Square. It's all calm. We ate at the entrance roasted chourice which was very good and a wonderful dust salad. My children ate Francesinha which is much better than some renowned places in Porto. We ordered a cod in the oven, which we thought could be improved. There was a shrimp sauce that was clearly too much. We tried to give the chef the suggestion, but they told us he was very busy. It was a pity. The space is very rough, has Super Bock and was almost always passing Portuguese music.

Wow! Eat here! I picked Leitao for a lunch get together with friends, based on reviews and a quick look at the online menu. Leitao has a decor that is a cross between repurposing and gentle industrial (comfortable and interesting to look at), a team that is friendly and attentive, and food and beverages that will knock your socks off. Their portions are appropriate for the richness they deliver, and they have enough variety to easily satisfy my pescetarian friends, as well as my carnivore self. I've lived in NYC over 40 years and Leitao just joined my top 10 userestaurants list.

The food was amazing, and I enjoyed every dish—from the salad to the Portuguese Assado and the Iberian pork neck with clams. The service was equally impressive; the staff were friendly, helpful, and quick. A special shout-out to Joli, who was the best!

We had a fantastic meal, shared a number of plates and were thoroughly impressed with the food and service. Would absolutely recommend this restaurant, if you enjoy Portuguese food.