Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
It’s been a while since we wanted to go to Socarrat Paella Bar but I admit that I was a bit put off by the fact that they only serve paella for a minimum of two people. Between Jodi being vegetarian and me not wanting to try a non-vegetarian paella, it did not work. So we finally decided to go for their tapas, me, salivating each time I was seeing a large paella pan passing by, imagining I could dip my fork in it without people knowing.
Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
We went to the location in Chelsea that was busy at the beginning and then emptied out. Well, especially considering that the food took forever to come (20 minutes for a cheese plate seems an awful lot of time). Adding that we had to ask for bread because they totally forgot, you can add few more minutes before we started our meal. The cheese was just put on the table without any explanation as to what it was, but I could only recognize manchego.
Cheese plate at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Cheese plate at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
The wait was too bad because I wanted to eat a little something with the glass of sherry (Gobernador) I ordered.
Sherry at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Next was the patatas bravas, these crispy pieces of potato served with aioli and a spicy tomato sauce. I love this dish that is simple but comforting.
Patatas bravas at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
As is the tortilla espanola that is a must have when dining in a Spanish restaurant. It was served with pan con tomate or a tomato toast that was a good addition. This Spanish omelet was good but slightly overcooked for my taste. The one at Boqueria is way better, but still, this was good.
Tortilla española at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Tortilla española at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Another vegetarian dish was the Champinones Asados or Roasted seasonal mushrooms, mahon cheese and extra virgin olive oil.
Champinones asados at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Champinones asados at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
I also tried their calamari a la plancha that looked beautiful and was perfectly cooked, not rubbery at all. The only problem is that it was really oily...
Calamari at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Calamari at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Last was dessert. We could not resist ordering their churros and ended up with small miserable pieces that were too chewy and not good. Adding to that the tiny amount of condensed milk, we were really disappointed.
Churros at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
Churros at Socarrat Paella Bar in Chelsea
So yes, disappointed is a good word to describe how we felt about Socarrat in Chelsea. The food was not at the level of Boqueria or Tia Pol. Not sure I would go back for paella there but maybe going to another location I will have more chance.
Enjoy (...)!
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Socarrat - 259 West 19th Street, NY 10011
