AURA Tapas & Cocktail Bar

Found this gem through someone's recommendation and decided to check it out with a group of friends. We ended up pretty much trying most of the tapas and some entrees. Everything was spot on with presentation, preparation, taste and authenticity of the dishes. That figgy piggy bruschetta dish is something else....ended up literally ordering the same few times. Drinks are also something to mention about this place; large selection, well thought out composition and mixture. I was personally hooked on the Havana Sunset. Bottomline, I highly recommend this establishment for a causal night out with friends where you get Best of both worlds: food and drinks. Thumbs up to the chef.

The bartenders here are very friendly, especially the Turkish bartender. The vibe here is also really great. We didn’t make a reservation beforehand, but we were very lucky that they had a table for the four of us. However, I recommend booking in advance. I will definitely come back next time. This place is really great.

From the minute we walked in the door, we felt welcomed. The staff was very attentive, friendly and very happy to be there. We travel to nyc a lot as our daughter is a performer. Well, this gem in the East Village is high on the list of all the restaurants. The tapas menu was perfect for sharing. The Brussels sprouts were the best I ever had, along with the tuna and truffle fries. The experience was so lovely and food and wine so delicious that we just had to try dessert and it did not disappoint. They even threw in some Happy New Year lemon drop shots. I wish I took more pictures of the meal. I can’t recommend this place enough and definitely will be retuning!

I came here tonight craving an espresso martini and this place hit the spot in more ways than one! The espresso was amazing, nice and strong the hospitality… AMAZING! From the owner to the bartender to the hostess to the chef everyone was so amazing. I had the lemon chicken and OMG my tastebuds were so satisfied, vegetables were perfectly seasoned I had to take time out to thank the chef. I have full intentions on coming back again. Please visit if you have time. This cozy place exceeded my expectations and made my Sunday night AMAZING!

Amazing service from nikki, gabriel, and the bartender!! They were super kinda and friendly and helped us celebrate our friends birthday with such joy! Food and drinks were amazing.