Basque seafood & Basque classics with a unique vibe. Great for bottle of orange wine, fried mussels, bay scallop skewers & mandarins with grilled squid. Don't miss their caneles, Basque classics and dirty martinis.
Eel Bar, a sister restaurant to Hart's, The Fly, and Cervo's, offers pintxos and fried mussels in a cool, basement-like setting on the Lower East Side.
This Lower East Side gem offers a unique take on New American cuisine with a strong Basque and Southern French influence. Reviewers rave about the perfectly cooked dishes, particularly highlighting their ability to elevate simple ingredients into complex flavors. The ambiance is described as a cool, basement-like vibe with knowledgeable staff ready to guide you through their extensive wine and vermouth selection.
The food at Eel Bar is a standout, with customers consistently praising the Basque and Southern French-inspired cuisine. Standout dishes include fried mussels, bay scallop skewers, and mandarins with grilled squid. The Bomba rice appetizer with raw red shrimp was specifically called the best dish of the year by one reviewer. While most dishes are highly recommended, the burger has received mixed reviews, with some advising to skip it.
"Highly recommended dishes include the orange wine, fried mussels, bay scallop skewers, mandarins with grilled squid, and the caneles. The Basque classics and dirty martinis also receive strong endorsements."
Customers overwhelmingly praise the restaurant for its exceptional food and unique flavor profiles, often calling it the best meal of the year. The ambiance and service also receive high marks, contributing to a highly recommended dining experience.
"This commenter recommended Eel Bar, stating it offers a vibe where one can dress up a bit more."
Positive"The original poster secured a reservation at The Eel, which is related to Cervo's, after Cervo's was fully booked."
Neutral"Eel Bar is suggested as a fitting choice for the user's situation."
Positive"Eel bar is listed as a recommended restaurant."
Positive"The user mentioned they have been really into Eel Bar lately."
Positive"Eel Bar is suggested as a potential dining option."
Neutral"Eel bar is mentioned as a place for 'elevated seafood'."
Positive"Eel Bar, a sister restaurant to Cervo's, has a chilled vibe and good drink selection. Many dishes have Southern French or Basque influences, and they offer great steak and burger options."
Positive"The commenter had a positive solo dining experience at the bar at eel bar."
Positive"Eel Bar in LES is recommended for its great bar seating, underrated food and drinks, and good atmosphere for solo diners."
Positive"Eel Bar is described as a 'good time'."
Positive"The author declared Eel Bar as their favorite Spanish restaurant in NYC, stating everything is excellent ('slaps'), particularly praising its Basque classics and dirty martinis but advising against the burger."
Positive"The commenter lists Eel bar as a recommendation."
Neutral"Listed as a restaurant suggestion."
Neutral"The caneles were very good, better than bouloud cafe, served with poached pairs."
Positive"It was so good that I ended up drinking the orange wine by myself haha, all the dishes were great."
Positive"Really great bottle of orange wine, filthy martini was just okay. Fried mussels, bay scallop skewers, mandarins with grilled squid were standouts but honestly it was all very good, no misses."
Positive"Upstairs bathroom is the most beautiful."
Positive
