Circulo Español — Restaurant in New York

This place was recommended to us and I'm very happy that we followed up on the recommendation. The food was 😋. I had the Madrid Strew (Chickpeas and Tripe with Chorizo), my Mom had Mussels, Scampi style and our friend had Fried Calamari. We were all very happy with our appetizers. Then for our entrées, we all had Merluza which in English is Hake. We each had it in a different preparation. There was grilled, stewed and breaded. Mine was Grilled and it came with vegetables and a choice of a side. I chose Boiled Potatoes. My Mom chose to have it in Stew which is served in sauce and with Potatoes and our friend chose the Breaded version with a choice of a side. She had the French Fries. We were all happy with the preparation we chose. The servings were large. We all took food home. We all had Flan for dessert and it was very good. My Mom had Wine, our friend had Sangria and I had Estrella, a beer from Spain. The prices are very good here. The service is excellent. We came in the afternoon but in the evenings they have entertainment. I don't know if it's every evening or only on certain evenings. I have to look into that. The space reminds me of a small scale Supper Club. There is also a area off to the side with a Bar, t.v.'s and seats. We will definitely go back, maybe when they have a show. I also have to say, we've been to Spain on several occasions and the food here is as good and even better than in some Restaurants in Spain. Forgot to mention that we each got a Bailey's, on the house. It's very rare for restaurants to do...

My mother and a group of her friends made a reservation at the place for their monthly birthday gathering. Upon arrival they were greeted by a female that was less than pleasant. All 10 older women were seated down.and were asked what they wanted to drink. Upon asking for water, the waitress delivered a pitcher of water and didn't even serve it for them. Then it came time to order; When the reservation was made, there was a variety of items available for the group. This included entrees and two sides. When it came to placing the food order, they were told that each meal only came with one side not two. They also ordered pork chops which was one of the menu items that was available to them and they were then told that they didnt have any pork chops. Then they ordered sangria and once again it was delivered to the table and not served. When they requested to speak to the manager, they were told that the manager was at the register and that if they needed to speak to him, they had to go up to him. Upon speaking to the manager he just stated that those were the restaurant policies and that if the group didnt like it, they could leave... at that point the bill was paid for what had been delivered and they all left... Very poor service, attention to detail, horrible waitress attention. This was a very unpleasant experience for them and I can assure that they will not be getting my business in the future. I DO NOT recommend this...

SPAIN 🇪🇸 Eat the World NYC review: Now just two years shy of their 50th anniversary, the Centro Español de Queens has lived in its current Astoria home since 1985. Originally called the Circulo Español when formed in 1971, the organization has always had the mission of preserving the Spanish culture of its members and their children. The third major wave of Spanish immigration to the United States that took place during the 60's, 70's and 80's created strong communities here in New York City, always one of the major destinations.

Nowadays many of the members have been here for decades and multiple generations of descendants have grown up in this country, but the center acts as a hub to return to with family for celebrations and comradery. While run separately from the Centro, the restaurant is an important part of the daily operations. Walking up to the bar not only brings you a transition into Spanish culture, but also seems like a bubble away from the rapidly changing streets of Astoria.

Nothing served here in the Circulo Español is intended to knock your socks off, but it all gives a deep feeling of being homestyle. Meals seem like they are served by your aunt and uncle who farm in the countryside after you drove two hours to get to their home. The views out the window lack the vistas of rolling hills like Galicia, but as each new dish hits the table it is not hard to imagine them...