Starting about five years ago it seemed there was a hot new "tapas" restaurant on every other corner in New York. I tried many of them, and was disappointed with most, there was a sameness about them . . . this coupled with my vivid memories of wonderful tapas eating traveling Spain just made these places hard to get excited about.  So, with that said, I will not be focusing on the latest cutting-edge tapas place in NYC, but instead a traditional, no make that an "ORIGINAL" family-run Spanish restaurant that has been in the same location for forty-two years, and that is Cafe Riazor.  Located on West 16th in Manhattan, the restaurant specializes in food from Galicia, the north-west corner of Spain.

Cafe Riazor is not a trendy place, but would fall more under the heading of "a cozy little hide-away."  There is a wonderful quirkiness to Cafe Riazor, it is highly atmospheric. When you enter the restaurant you descend down steps, almost like entering a tomb. . . . But this is no cold tomb, but a warm gracious establishment. The white stucco low ceiling plays nicely against the red brick walls which are adorned with an array of "Spain-themed" images: Good sized bas relief sculptures of bronzed Conquistadors, colorful plates, the vibrant national flag of Spain hangs up in the corner, an ornate dark gate connects against the wall. There is nice spacing between the tables, about fifteen in all, and each sporting a little flickering candle with a small vase of fresh Freesia. A nice touch. There is an "old world" timeless feel about Cafe Riazor. It is the type of restaurant that is sadly fading out in New York, and should be cherished. 

Yes, they have paella, which is very good by New York standards, but I strongly encourage you to go with what the restaurant is especially recognized for, the special dishes from their home-land of Galicia. Spanish cuisine is heavily regionalized, and because of the of the restaurant's roots in Galicia, the lush green rugged state in the northwest corner on the Atlantic. Cafe Riazor does expertly these traditional dishes, many of them involving seafood. Such as the "Mariscada en Sala Verde" (Seafood platter of mussels, clams, shrimp, and lobster piece in thick parsley sauce.)

A very classic Galician appetizer is "Pulpo a la gallega" (warm octopus with potatoes, paprika, and olive oil) 

Cafe Riazor is owned by the Romero family. This is David, the charming and gracious manager and host of the restaurant. His father, David senior opened the restaurant forty-two years ago. David's sister Martha is also actively involved with the restaurant.

The menu is far from entirely fish/sea food based, as they prepare some outstanding meat dishes as  well. This is one of my favorites, "Ternera Riazor," (Veal cutlets sauteed in brown wine sauce with mushrooms and Spanish peppers.)

Back to the coast, and this is probably my single favorite dish of all, "Bocalao," (Cod stewed with potatoes, paprika, garlic and olive oil.) Wonderful taste! Beyond the high-quality of the food, Cafe Riazor offers an impressive wine list and special liquors of the region. Especially rare in New York is the liquor called "RuaVieja," and suggest you try this. Martha Romero informed that you can't buy this anywhere in the city and they literally "carry the bottles back" when they go home to Galicia. Cafe Riazor has a tiny dim-lit cool bar that is a terrific place for a drink.

Spanish language lesson - "Hello" (Hola)  "Thank you" (Gracias)  "Delicious" (Delicioso)

Interesting fact about Spain - Spain has more bars that any country in the Europe.

Address - 245 W. 16th Street  (212) 727-2131