Had the most insane meal here last night. Every dish was unbelievable, genuinely could not pick a favorite. We sat at the bar with Taylor and she made our night so special. Impeccable service and amazing food… I don’t say this often because NYC has so many places to hit but we will definitely be back.

A great dining experience. The food is all excellent and very well seasoned. (We almost found the chicory salad over-seasoned if anything). But otherwise everything was delicious. Highlights for us were the squid ink rice and the chocolate cake. The ricotta dumplings were also delicious. And the dishes were all unique. Service was good. There's a nice vibe, small and intimate. And cocktails were great. Service was a bit slow on drinks.

1 Michelin ⭐️ Fantastic selection of wine, and great tasting cocktails. Food tastes better than it looks. We thought that lobster was on the small side but man, it was so rich in flavours - definitely try it. Oysters were so fresh, my friend had ‘em all in a seating. The pannacotta with vinegar and honey was so interesting, didn’t look like much but every bite was infused with vanilla beans. Highly recommend!

What's not to love? My husband and I recently enjoyed lunch at Estela and we enjoyed everything about our meal. The restaurant is stylish and inviting and we cozied up to the bar for an exquisite dining experience. The staff is unpretentious and extremely well versed in the food menu and wine list. We had a crusty artisan sourdough bread and grilled lobster to start. My husband thought it was the best lobster he's ever had. The spring pea salad was delightful and the duck to die for. We were both so happy we made a last minute reservation to this culinary gem.

Definitely in my top 10 nyc restaurants, and that says a looot, there are too many amazing places. Food is amazing, music, atmosphere, vine, wines, just great. Do not skip on the endive salad, they will recommend it because it is really worth it.

Just the best! Truly one of my top favorites in NYC. Never disappoints year after year. Perfectly curated menu where absolutely everything looks good. Hard to make a decision! Most recently came for my wedding anniversary. Special spot for things like that without feeling overly pretentious. We also had a fantastic waitress who was lovely and very helpful. Don’t skip the endive salad.

The spot: The restaurant is on the smaller side. As a party of two, we were seated in a cozy little nook in the back of the restaurant. Larger groups were seated in the narrow space between us and the bar seating at the front. The drinks: The cocktail program here is great and perhaps even rivals the food. I tried the Halo Spritz, an elevated spritz comprising Tximista Blanco, Sirene Canto Amaro, lemon, salted lime, and cava, and the Tomato Never Dies (cute), a martini riff that reminds one of a caprese in beverage form. I think the spritz, with its lively Spanish vermouth, citrus notes, and depth of flavor, was actually my favorite, but the martini was so refreshing and had really strong basil notes. The only thing that would've made this better would've been a mozzarella and tomato skewer garnish. The food: If you're a sourdough lover, definitely start your meal with the delicious bread. It's a filling option and only $5 and the butter is heavenly. As we were first-timers at Estela, we largely stuck with their classic dishes, including the endive salad, fried arroz negro, and ricotta dumplings. We got one rotating dish, the Crab (celeriac and dulse) which was fantastic in its simplicity. I mostly just tasted sweet, fresh crab and butter, and honestly that was perfect. I only wished that the dish was a bit larger. The endive salad was presented as a little foraging adventure, with the vinegar-dressed endives on top of a bed of ubriaco rosso (cheese), walnuts, and anchovies. It was great and not a light salad, but pricey at $28. Ricotta dumplings were also very good; the best part was the umami-bomb mushroom broth. This was a hearty dish. The fried arroz negro, served with squid and romesco*, was a delightful surprise for us. We don't always automatically go for dishes dressed in squid ink, but this was very good. I loved the crispy element to the rice, seafood-flecked bites, and the lively but delicate savory sauce that pulled it all together. Finally, we saved a bit of room for dessert and tried the panna cotta. Good but not my favorite version, and I wouldn't probably try a different sweet to end our meal next time.

A singular experience. Everything is delicious and original. If it's your first time, ask for guidance and get the "classic" items including the endive salad and the crab. The drinks and wine list are really interesting and well chosen. I've noticed people complaining about the noise or tight space, but those are not unusual for Manhattan and we didn't find them particularly bad anyway. Relax, you will get accustomed to it. The only negative point is that by this point in the restaurant's successful run, the staff are somewhat jaded, which is understandable. Smiles are in short supply. We ate at the bar and the bartender, while highly skilled, was brusque, bordering on rude. She also cleared our cocktails before we'd finished them--repeatedly.

Came for a special occasion and was not disappointed. We sat at the bar initially as we were early for the reservation. There was some disconnect amongst the hostesses about how/when to transfer to a table. - Started with the beef tartare. This was an excellent flavor-profile and texture. We debated ordering bread but luckily this came with it, as a tip! - It seems like every single table orders the endive dish. The aesthetic is super interesting. It's a skosh difficult to eat but there was a good amount of the filling below the endives themselves. - The crab dish with the celeriac was a highlight of the night. We almost didn't get this but it was just so perfectly executed so highly recommend. - Fried arroz negro with the squid was the other highlight. The fried-ness of this was perfect. The squid doesn't stand-out but I truly didn't mind. - The ricotta dumplings were fine. Essentially just a lump of ricotta formed into a dumpling. Probably could skip next time. - The wagyu steak was well-executed. I appreciated the potato puree it came with and the cooking of the steak was exactly what I wanted. The biggest downfall of the meal, however, is the space itself. There are just too many tables packed into the space and it is extraordinarily loud, both from the conversations and the music. The service is great but the servers are truly battling amongst themselves for traffic.

Estela is all around a very balanced restaurant: good food, good atmosphere, and good staff. I would highly recommend the arroz and the endive salad. We also enjoyed the scallop (looks odd but works)! Kolrabi was good, but not a must. Skip the bread. We got a table but honestly I would've enjoyed sitting at the bar. Definitely not a res I'd die to get. Can probably just walk in. I'd like to go back to try their cocktails and dessert.