Photo by Ryan Emberley
On a hot summer night in the city, you might be hungry, but don’t want to necessarily eat a heavy meal. Reyna New York in Union Square serves up a feast for the eyes as well as palate, specializing in craft cocktails and tapas. Reyna (Spanish for Queen) offers Mediterranean fare rich on flavor but won’t leave you feeling like you overdid it.
Reyna New York owner Nick Laborie.
Owner Nicki Laborie opened her first location, Bar Reyna, in Toronto back in 2016; success led her to expand, opening additional locations in Toronto-Reyna Assembly at Chef’s Hall (2017), Reyna on King (2019), and finally Reyna New York in 2022.
Reyna New York offers a lovely range of craft cocktails.
The elegant cocktail bar with high ceilings, is softly lit in shades of gold and white, with teal seating. Although we began with classic cocktails such as espresso martinis, other playful choices on the cocktail menu worth noting include Sbagliato (Negroni ‘mistakenly’ swapping gin for champagne) , Last Word (gin, green chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, lime juice, bourbon cherry), and the Caesar (vodka, lemon juice, clamato juice, olive juice, fresh horseradish, tabasco, Worcestershire, manchego, prosciutto, wrapped date, pickle, and olive.)
Executive Chef Yarisis Jacobo. Photo by Amy Peppercorn
Reyna’s Executive Chef Yarisis Jacobo, is a culinary luminary with more than a decade of expertise. Her culinary journey boasts significant contributions, from crafting fresh pastas and delectable desserts at Sorella Restaurant, to revolutionizing gelato at Stellina Gelato Shop & Bakery.
To start with Meze (appetizers), we tried the Crispy Artichokes with Charred Lemon Aioli, that were deliciously addictive. We also enjoyed flatbread with veggies with housemade beet tzatziki (there are other choices, such as muhammara, or green chickpea hummus), among others. The menu also offers a variety of Raw options (Salmon Tartare, Scallop Crudo Panipuri, Oysters, and more.)
Delicious and healthy: flatbreads with beet tzatziki and crudites, and Manchego & Cauliflower Croquettes.
For tapas, we devoured Chicken and Lamb Meatballs, and Gambas a la Plancha, with salsa verde, piri piri oil, and lemon. We also enjoyed a tasty and refreshing Watermelon & Feta salad, served with both yellow and pink watermelon, pistachio, and basil, and scarfed down the melt-in-your-mouth Manchego & Cauliflower Croquettes, served with Spanish aioli. There are plenty of options to choose from, whether you enjoy meat, or are a vegan.
If you’re craving comfort food, Reyna offers a variety of shoestring fries, from Greek Fries, Arabic Fries spiced and served with date ketchup, Spanish Fries with shaved Manchego, chorizo, and Spanish aioli, and Italian Fries, with shaved grana padano, and truffle aioli.
We finished the evening off sharing Ice Cream Sammies, with hazelnut & praline gelato, kataifi, and chocolate. It was a perfect way to cool off just a little more, before heading back into the summer heat.
Reyna New York also offers Weekend Brunch, served on Saturday and Sunday, from 11:30am – 4pm
Reyna is located at 11 East 13th Street. For more information and reservations, visit reynanewyork.com