A hidden West Village gem w/ a speakeasy vibe & exceptional cocktails. Elevated Mexican seafood, perfect for spontaneous visits.
Bryan Kim reviews Quique Crudo, a hidden West Village gem serving Mexican seafood with a speakeasy vibe and exceptional cocktails. Perfect for spontaneous visits, this intimate spot offers high-quality small plates like crab tostadas.
Nestled in the West Village, Quique Crudo offers a unique speakeasy-like dining experience with an intimate setting and an impressive cocktail list. This Mexican seafood spot elevates familiar dishes with high-quality ingredients and expert execution, drawing comparisons to its sister restaurant, Casa Enrique. It's a great choice for spontaneous visits, offering standout small plates like the crab tostada and scallop aguachile.
Quique Crudo specializes in elevated Mexican seafood, with crudo dishes like fluke ceviche and scallop aguachile receiving high marks for their intense and fresh flavors. The crab tostada is a standout, praised for its generous portion and flavorful masa. The Enmoladas, featuring a complex mole sauce, is a recommended non-seafood option. While the food is largely lauded, some users have noted exceptionally loud acoustics.
"Standout dishes include the crab tostada, scallop aguachile, fluke ceviche, and enmoladas with mole. The lobster ceviche and razor clams are also highly recommended."
Customers generally praise the fresh and visually appealing food, with particular highlights being the crudo and mole dishes. However, some have experienced significant wait times due to a policy of reserving seats, which has led to negative experiences.
Important Note
The restaurant is walk-in only and can be very loud. There have been reports of patrons experiencing long waits due to a policy of reserving a significant portion of seats for friends.
"The user mentioned Quique as a place they have already eaten fluke crudo."
Neutral"The original poster thanked the commenter for the suggestion and noted that Quique Crudo was not previously on their radar."
Neutral"This restaurant was suggested as a good option for a birthday dinner."
Positive"The user highly recommends the scallops and "everything" from Quique Crudo, stating they are currently focused on crudo dishes."
Positive"The commenter reacted positively to a picture of the food, describing it as very good."
Positive"This commenter emphatically praised the lobster ceviche, calling it unreal and challenging others to find a better dish."
Positive"This commenter loves the restaurant, noting it's walk-in only and highlighting their favorite dish as razor clams and their favorite drink as the 'coco loco'."
Positive"The commenter confirmed that the mole at Quique Crudo is the same as at Casa Enrique, called Piaxtla, and found it excellent. They also mentioned Mama Lupita's in Sunset Park as having a favorite mole."
Positive"This commenter stated that the food is excellent but also highlighted that the restaurant is very loud, measuring sound levels up to 95dB."
Neutral"The commenter recently visited the restaurant and found the food to be delicious."
Positive"The commenter expressed strong positive feelings about the appearance of the food."
Positive"This commenter considers Quique Crudo their favorite restaurant in the city, praising the mole as divine and describing its flavors as complex and beautiful."
Positive"The commenter found the food to be fresh and visually appealing."
Positive"The commenter provided details about their wait time experience, mentioning that arriving with someone already on the waitlist and finding open seats minimized their wait. They also noted that waits might be longer on busier days."
Neutral"Responding to a price query, the commenter clarified that the lobster dish was around $50 and that the photo shown was not the complete dish."
Neutral"The commenter inquired about the price of the lobster dish and later thanked for the clarification."
Neutral"Quique Crudo is listed as one of the top picks for a birthday dinner, suggesting it meets the user's requirements."
Neutral"Quique Crudo is recommended for its excellent food, specifically mentioning its crudo as a highlight."
Positive"A user recommends Quique Crudo."
Positive"A user recommends Quique Crudo in the West Village."
Neutral
