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Ernesto’s is the first solo project from Chef Ryan Bartlow. Located in Two Bridges, the restaurant showcases Ryan’s time as a young cook at the Michelin starred Akelarre located in the Basque region of Spain mixed with his last 12 years working in some of New York City’s greatest dining institutions. Ernesto’s is open for dinner Monday 5:30-9:30pm and Tues-Wed 5pm-9:30pm with the kitchen closing at 9:45pm, and Thurs-Sat 5pm-10pm with the kitchen closing at 10:30pm
A daily-changing menu of pintxos, mains & desserts is served in a relaxed space with globe lights.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 259 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
Phone: (646) 692-8300
Website: http://www.ernestosnyc.com/
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Ernesto’s NYC
Ernesto’s. A Basque Taverna located at 259 East Broadway New York City 10002.
Ernesto’s (@ernestosnyc) · New York, NY – Instagram
Basque restaurant in the LES @bartolonyc @ernieswine. M 530-930p. T-TH 5-930p. FRI- SAT 5-10p. Need a home for your next big event?
Ernesto’s Restaurant – New York, NY | OpenTable
Ernesto’s hours are: Monday 5:30–9:30 pm; Tuesday–Thursday 5:00–9:30 pm; Friday and Saturday 5:00–10:00 pm. The kitchen closes a bit later (kitchen closes 9:45 …
Reviews
Glenn C
Side notes- Prices aren’t online, and the menu changes frequently. In general, as of a few months ago, the pintxos/bites are $14 to $16, the entradas/appetizers are mostly in the low or mid-$20s, and the platos/entrees are mostly in the $30s and $40s.
Anyway, I was at this dimly lit Basque restaurant a while back with a small group. The place got pretty loud eventually, and the service was friendly. As we were waiting, I had some time to kill and ordered a tasty vermut. In this case, it was the Lustao Blanco for $16 on the rocks with an olive. In terms of small bites/Pintxos, someone ordered the Gildas for $14 while waiting, and another person enjoyed the similarly tiny Croquetas de Jamón for the same price point. Speaking of prices, I am unsure exactly how much everything cost, and I can’t find descriptions of everything I ate, so I’m approximating, which is why you’ll see the “~” before each price point.
My entrada, or appetizer, was the Salmorejo de Atún for ~$25. Salmorejo is essentially a much thicker version of gazpacho, with olive oil, tomato, bread, and a few other ingredients. In this case, it was topped with plenty of raw tuna, cucumbers, and other greens. The cold soup worked surprisingly well with the high-quality fatty tuna, and I would order this again if I came back here. Another person ordered one of the appetizers as their entree, the Bikini Hemingway, which is a type of sandwich. In this case, it was ~$25 and was filled with txistorra, queso, shrimp, and pan de cristal. They seemed to like it but not love it.
My main dish/plato was, unfortunately, the Magret de Pato for ~$40, with grilled magret duck breast, port and foie sauce, and pomme purée. Unfortunately, a few pieces of the duck were a little chewy, especially the ones with more fat. The sauce was alright, tasting like a slightly above-average red wine demi-glace with a touch more richness and sweetness than usual. The pomme purée was good, being rich with a nice texture. Overall, I think a bit of acid would have helped as well. This was alright, and I would have appreciated some bread to mop up the remaining sauce. Another person thought the Bacalao for ~$35, which was topped with two shrimp in this presentation, was pretty good.
This place reminded me of Txikito in many ways. Both are a bit too pricey for the quality, with comparable food. For spending around $100, there are many other spots I would prefer, such as Casa Mono, El Pote, or a few others. If I were to go back, I’d probably just order appetizers. I’ll leave the same score as the other restaurant, a bare 4/upper 3, and I would give a 3.5 if available.
… moreAnyway, I was at this dimly lit Basque restaurant a while back with a small group. The place got pretty loud eventually, and the service was friendly. As we were waiting, I had some time to kill and ordered a tasty vermut. In this case, it was the Lustao Blanco for $16 on the rocks with an olive. In terms of small bites/Pintxos, someone ordered the Gildas for $14 while waiting, and another person enjoyed the similarly tiny Croquetas de Jamón for the same price point. Speaking of prices, I am unsure exactly how much everything cost, and I can’t find descriptions of everything I ate, so I’m approximating, which is why you’ll see the “~” before each price point.
My entrada, or appetizer, was the Salmorejo de Atún for ~$25. Salmorejo is essentially a much thicker version of gazpacho, with olive oil, tomato, bread, and a few other ingredients. In this case, it was topped with plenty of raw tuna, cucumbers, and other greens. The cold soup worked surprisingly well with the high-quality fatty tuna, and I would order this again if I came back here. Another person ordered one of the appetizers as their entree, the Bikini Hemingway, which is a type of sandwich. In this case, it was ~$25 and was filled with txistorra, queso, shrimp, and pan de cristal. They seemed to like it but not love it.
My main dish/plato was, unfortunately, the Magret de Pato for ~$40, with grilled magret duck breast, port and foie sauce, and pomme purée. Unfortunately, a few pieces of the duck were a little chewy, especially the ones with more fat. The sauce was alright, tasting like a slightly above-average red wine demi-glace with a touch more richness and sweetness than usual. The pomme purée was good, being rich with a nice texture. Overall, I think a bit of acid would have helped as well. This was alright, and I would have appreciated some bread to mop up the remaining sauce. Another person thought the Bacalao for ~$35, which was topped with two shrimp in this presentation, was pretty good.
This place reminded me of Txikito in many ways. Both are a bit too pricey for the quality, with comparable food. For spending around $100, there are many other spots I would prefer, such as Casa Mono, El Pote, or a few others. If I were to go back, I’d probably just order appetizers. I’ll leave the same score as the other restaurant, a bare 4/upper 3, and I would give a 3.5 if available.
michael rabiner
This is a typical trendy Manhattan restaurant. Charming interior, great mixed drinks, delicious food but like all Manhattan restaurants expensive. You’ll drop $100 per person if you include drinks.
That being said the food and mixed drinks were delicious so absolutely no complaints. We walked in early and had no problems getting seating but I would recommend getting a reservation if you plan to eat later. The restaurant was quickly filling up.
… moreThat being said the food and mixed drinks were delicious so absolutely no complaints. We walked in early and had no problems getting seating but I would recommend getting a reservation if you plan to eat later. The restaurant was quickly filling up.
C. G.
had the chance to sit down at the chef’s counter for a great meal last night. service was spectacular. tried most of the menu and cant recommend the counter experience more. favorites included the short rib stuffed peppers, jamon croquetas, pintxo matrimonio (!!!!), bikini hemingway, and the duck confit.
… moreSun Pal
All style, no substance” describes this place best. The service has some great aspects—attentive water refills, napkin folding, smiling food delivery—but the true Basque hospitality is missing. You have to flag down the indifferent waitress, and their policy of ordering everything at once for immediate coursing screams “get ’em in and out.”
Some dishes were rushed, like the crab tarts that went soggy quickly. The standout dishes were the incredible octopus with crispy peppers and tender meat, and the simple yet elevated artichokes with almond sauce (highly recommend getting bread to mop it up). The bland morcilla was disappointing, but they did graciously take it off the bill. Overall, a “meh” experience in a city with far better options.
… moreSome dishes were rushed, like the crab tarts that went soggy quickly. The standout dishes were the incredible octopus with crispy peppers and tender meat, and the simple yet elevated artichokes with almond sauce (highly recommend getting bread to mop it up). The bland morcilla was disappointing, but they did graciously take it off the bill. Overall, a “meh” experience in a city with far better options.
Maria Yu
Sat at the Chef’s counter in the smaller dining room. Very large and interesting wine menu with lots of Spanish wines! Love the smaller bites, I think the traditional options to start such as the tortilla, croquetas, and jamón are the best options over the mains. I would definitely come back to sit outside and enjoy some wine and smaller bites!
… moreMatthew Roulan
Long time fan but finally visited for the first time on my birthday.
The staff was amazing and made for a really really fun dining experience, especially our server Matt and (please forgive me for not remembering) our beverage director who helped us pick out some lovely wine.
I was cranky when I came in and left extremely happy.
Delicious food, great vibe, and exceptional hospitality. I’ll be back for it all very soon.
… moreThe staff was amazing and made for a really really fun dining experience, especially our server Matt and (please forgive me for not remembering) our beverage director who helped us pick out some lovely wine.
I was cranky when I came in and left extremely happy.
Delicious food, great vibe, and exceptional hospitality. I’ll be back for it all very soon.
Spencer Nord
We sat at the Chef’s Counter overlooking the back kitchen and had one of our better meals in recent memory. Super friendly, attentive staff with good knowledge of the menu. We started with cocktails, which were a step above the usual manhattan fare and designed to fit within the food menu. We started with the jamon croquettes that had a light, crispy batter and enjoyed the crab tarts as a compliment from the kitchen — a must get when we return. The Bikini Hemingway is simple yet refined with a perfect balance of sweet and savory and hits you with a perfect balance of textures. The Galician octopus is reminiscent of a classic pulperia in basque. The sauce work on the cannelloni was sublime, but the pasta was a bit under for my liking — only critique on an otherwise amazing meal. Nice dessert selection too!
… moreLily Yang (#99)
Great service, good ambience, okay food that did not justify the price tag. Tables were too small for the size of the plates they like to use, I felt like I was playing a maze minigame every time I wanted to pick up my wine glass for a sip. Food doesn’t really match up to some other fine dining experiences in the same price range, some things could be improved, or maybe I just have a palate that is ill-suited to Basque style eating. The option to order some bland crusty bread or crackers as a side to accompany certain dishes would be nice but at what they’re charging, they should have figured out all the fine details of balancing the flavors. I think the chefs need to try eating their own dishes as a whole meal sometimes to figure out if it stands alone or needs something else.
>Tartaletas de Txangurro. Tart dish crumbled too easily and didn’t really hold up, but the flavor of the minced crab was good.
>Txistorra Sausage. Was good, but I felt like it needed something bland to accompany its saltiness.
>Salpicon de pulpo. Octopus. Was a nice dish. Very flavorful.
>cinco jotas iberico con patatas chips. Good dish. Bland house-made chips that go well with the salted ham that melts in your mouth. The chips felt a bit too greasey though, could’ve been drained a bit better since the ham is already very fatty.
>Bacalao en Salsa verde. Generous serving of salt cod fish in a well seasoned sauce, but I wish there was something bland to balance the saltiness of it.
>bistec a la brasa. Steak with some flakey salt on it. Accompanying fries and roasted piquillos were nice. Good for people who really just want the pure taste of beef, but unlike the other dishes, this was actually too bland for me.
>concord grape sorbet. Delicious, very sweet.
For a place charging premium prices for food, I think it can afford to hire someone to pour water for all the tables and keep everyone topped up. I don’t mind pouring my own water, but the problem here is the tables barely have space for the enormous plates, and the big glass bottle of water does not help.
… more>Tartaletas de Txangurro. Tart dish crumbled too easily and didn’t really hold up, but the flavor of the minced crab was good.
>Txistorra Sausage. Was good, but I felt like it needed something bland to accompany its saltiness.
>Salpicon de pulpo. Octopus. Was a nice dish. Very flavorful.
>cinco jotas iberico con patatas chips. Good dish. Bland house-made chips that go well with the salted ham that melts in your mouth. The chips felt a bit too greasey though, could’ve been drained a bit better since the ham is already very fatty.
>Bacalao en Salsa verde. Generous serving of salt cod fish in a well seasoned sauce, but I wish there was something bland to balance the saltiness of it.
>bistec a la brasa. Steak with some flakey salt on it. Accompanying fries and roasted piquillos were nice. Good for people who really just want the pure taste of beef, but unlike the other dishes, this was actually too bland for me.
>concord grape sorbet. Delicious, very sweet.
For a place charging premium prices for food, I think it can afford to hire someone to pour water for all the tables and keep everyone topped up. I don’t mind pouring my own water, but the problem here is the tables barely have space for the enormous plates, and the big glass bottle of water does not help.
Sintra Martins
Fine if you’re looking to burn good money on underwhelming food.
For the price, I was disappointed.
The sommelier was nice but a bit too casual, called me a few pet names which was sweet but also inappropriate. The waitress also kept trying to upsell us, and was similarly casual in her demeanor. We were a party of three and the waitress offered to add a 3rd serving, which added an additional 50% to the price of the dish we found out when we got the bill.
Nearly everything had way too much salt in it. We got the ham croquettes, which were the highlight of the meal for me, were so salty I had to take breaks eating. The iberico ham steak was good but the dish doesn’t come with batatas bravas as promised, but instead french fries topped with roasted bell pepper. Unclear whether the chefs have actually been to Spain. The salt cod was drowning in an overly starchy, herby yet flavorless roux and came with 3 sandy clams and seemed like it hadn’t been soaked for long enough to osmosis enough salt out. I asked for bread and they never brought it. The octopus salad was mushy and the onion and bell pepper in it were completely raw. It tasted like liquid smoke to me, and the sherry vinaigrette was very strong. The octopus was cold, too.
I also told staff that I was celebrating my birthday and they didn’t offer any kind of celebratory gesture – usually restaurants will give a comped dessert or a small amuse bouche but after our meal, the waitress came to tell us that they were sold out of all their desserts except for their grape sorbet. Not complaining that I didn’t get something free, but for $90 a head, I think it would have been a nice gesture.
I don’t know if this is customary for this restaurant but I’ve dined at some decently nice establishments and comparatively, this one did not meet my expectations.
… moreFor the price, I was disappointed.
The sommelier was nice but a bit too casual, called me a few pet names which was sweet but also inappropriate. The waitress also kept trying to upsell us, and was similarly casual in her demeanor. We were a party of three and the waitress offered to add a 3rd serving, which added an additional 50% to the price of the dish we found out when we got the bill.
Nearly everything had way too much salt in it. We got the ham croquettes, which were the highlight of the meal for me, were so salty I had to take breaks eating. The iberico ham steak was good but the dish doesn’t come with batatas bravas as promised, but instead french fries topped with roasted bell pepper. Unclear whether the chefs have actually been to Spain. The salt cod was drowning in an overly starchy, herby yet flavorless roux and came with 3 sandy clams and seemed like it hadn’t been soaked for long enough to osmosis enough salt out. I asked for bread and they never brought it. The octopus salad was mushy and the onion and bell pepper in it were completely raw. It tasted like liquid smoke to me, and the sherry vinaigrette was very strong. The octopus was cold, too.
I also told staff that I was celebrating my birthday and they didn’t offer any kind of celebratory gesture – usually restaurants will give a comped dessert or a small amuse bouche but after our meal, the waitress came to tell us that they were sold out of all their desserts except for their grape sorbet. Not complaining that I didn’t get something free, but for $90 a head, I think it would have been a nice gesture.
I don’t know if this is customary for this restaurant but I’ve dined at some decently nice establishments and comparatively, this one did not meet my expectations.
Diane Fulvio
This was my husband and my second time at Ernesto’s. We were in the neighborhood and decided to stop in without a reservation. We happily sat at the bar (we prefer it anyway!) Our second time was better than the first! Our food was delicious, our bartender Ernesto (no— not the namesake) was attentive, and our wine was delicious. Make sure you ask for Jake the sommelier— we love wine but don’t know too much about Spanish wine. He was able to match us with the perfect bottle (he also had us laughing the entire meal.) Cannot recommend this restaurant enough. We’ll see you at Bartolo soon! -Diane
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