Eel Bar

At Eel Bar, that philosophy feels focused and refined. The interior alone makes a strong impression: dark-stained wood, mirrors, low lighting — restrained, European, and confident. It’s especially enjoyable to build a meal from pintxos and tapas, ideally seated at the U-shaped bar. The menu is concise, with standouts like the classic Gilda ($4) — olives, anchovies, and pickled chili on a skewer, named after the 1946 Rita Hayworth film. The spicy mussels are another highlight: breaded, fried, and returned to their shells instead of being steamed or grilled ($14). And then there’s the burger — a grass-fed beef burger with anchovies and Roquefort ($28): loud, aggressive, and unapologetically overloaded. In some bites the Roquefort overwhelms everything else; in others, it hits that perfect “t

The mussels weren’t the crispy cracker like bite everyone was talking about. Very musty and mushy. The fried fish was the best dish of the night. I liked the habanero hot sauce they brought out with it. The bamba rice was a very small serving. The burger with the anchovies and blue cheese was not great. The burger patty itself was dry and overcooked. The anchovies and blue cheese were hard to eat. Too funky for my taste. We were overall disappointed with the restaurant. We wanted to like it, but it just fell flat.

Perfect for drinks and shared plates outside or at the bar area. Cool interior design, friendly staff. Back room is great for dinner. Ordered fried black bass, bomba rice with shrimp, half chicken, meatballs and pea shoots with tonnato. Best bite was definitely the bomba rice. If there’s a wait, go to Somm Time next door for a drink before.

Amazing place. We registered and waited 45 mins close by at a bar. Got a call that are table was ready and it was worth the wait. Drinks were super good (great craft beer and really good vermouth), trout and bocadillo were amazing. Basque cheesecake was delicious.

Fitting LES cozy spot for tapas, moderately priced wine list. Favorites were Quail and beans con tomatoes and Pickled cucumbers with anchovies. Reservation strongly recommended or there might be a 2 hrs wait.