Matiz Latin Cuisine — Restaurant in New York

First of all, if you want Authentic, Fresh and mouth watering latin cuisine, look no further. Matiz is the place to go. I have been here several times during lunch and dinner and the food, ambiance and staff continue to impress me and every single person who I've come with. I've been to a TON of latin cusine restaurants and this one surpasses even the most expensive ones in Manhattan and beyond. The staff (especially Paula and Oscar who never stop moving and are always smiling) and the amazing owner take their jobs VERY seriously and go over and beyond to keep this establishment as perfect as it is.

Now on to the delicious food! Absolutely the BEST shrimp quesidilla I ever had, this is NOT a normal quesidilla! It comes with delicious guac, pico de gallo and a special sauce on the side, and its huge with fresh Large seasoned shrimp on the inside and a perfectly crispy tortilla shell! The steak fajitas were made perfectly, so juicy and the veggies were insanely fresh and perfectly seasoned. You MUST try the Cameron Mayas, its a shrimp dish in a light Chipotle sauce with green rice, its absolutely refreshing and leaves you feeling like you just lived life! The Portobello entree was also excellent, perfect for vegetarians, it was three HUGE portobello mushrooms, seasoned like I've never tasted before and tasted like a beautiful explosion of herbs and LIFE, also presented beautifully. We were so pleased. On other occasions I've had the Pollo Matiz, comes with a melted manchego (1st time I've tasted melted manchego) and it was heavenly. We also had the Fish tacos and guacamole, both also EXTREMELY fresh and light and completely different than the standard latin cuisine I've had in the past. This place goes over and beyond to be different, fresher, cleaner and unique in every single dish. Mark my words.

The drinks and the bartenders are simply wonderful. Try their sangria, it's above the rest put there, its fresh and so is the fruit. Their margaritas are also light but give you a BIG PUNCH. We also asked for special drinks and they once again went over and beyond to impress and delight our palates in every way.

The desserts are out of this world ! I never had tres leches like that, I had to get more because its soo light, comes with a PASSION FRUIT dollop that's caramel like on top and is presented like a piece of art. When we tasted the flan, we also couldn't believe how DIFFERENT and delectable it was! I'm a huge flan fan, but this is by far my favorite. Get these 2 desserts..PLEASE, and add their delicious coffee with it. You will be so satisfied and so astonished and how this restaurant is so different from all the others. Lastly, you will love the scenery inside, truly welcoming and pretty with beautiful art and an amazing staff. This is me and my friends new favorite...

I took my brother here for his 75th birthday, along with my wife and a friend. There were too steaks on the menu, one was $24.95, the other was $33.95. My brother ordered the Bistro steak for $24.95. He could barely cut the steak, let alone chew it, he ended up leaving half of it over. When the bill came, they charged me $33.95 for the steak. I complained that he ordered the cheaper steak and he did not enjoy it, either. I was sitting right across from my brother I clearly heard him say Bistro steak. But the waitress argued with me, back and forth. She said, no, he ordered the more expensive steak. I asked her to adjust the bill, she said, no, she could not but she would ask the manager. She came back and told us the manager said, "No.". She said, he should have complained when he received the plate. Of course, my brother had never been to this restaurant before. He did not know what the $24.95 steak was supposed to look like, and he did not know what the $33.95 steak was supposed to look like. Neither did anyone else at the table. So my brother had no way to know he had been given the wrong dish. Other problems were: 1. Even though the restaurant was 1/2 empty on Saturday night, we had to wait more than 45 minutes for our entrees and that is too long. 2. They automatically added an 18% tip to the bill without our permission. The tip should be at the discretion of the customer. The restaurant is not supposed to add a set amount automatically. Some other restaurants do this for large parties. Why? Let's say 10 people go out to dinner after work. At the end, everyone puts some money toward the bill, tax and tip and the total comes up short, the waitress is shortchanged. This is not something that is customary for a family gathering of 4 people. I'm sure some customers have a few drinks, don't check the bill and don't even notice that a tip has already been added. Then they add a second tip. This is called milking the customer. This restaurant practice is unfair and should be unlawful. 3. None of the other people at the table thought their dish was especially good either. My shrimp were supposed to come in a Mango sauce but it was bitter tasting, now sweet as expected. My wife's dish was not as good as she remembered it from a previous visit. I used to come to this restaurant a few years ago but I took it off my list because the bartender kept getting my drink wrong. I see the same bartender is now the manager. May the Lord have mercy on...

I recently dined at Matiz Latin Cuisine and had a great experience, thanks to the honesty and professionalism of the staff.

Before visiting, I wasn’t sure if the restaurant could convert some of their vegetarian dishes into vegan options. I also wanted to schedule a time to dine in so I wouldn’t have to wait. I called ahead, and a waiter, Francisco, answered. He kindly explained that vegan options were possible and asked the manager, Julio, if they could take my order in advance. At first, the answer was no, but once I offered to pay ahead using Apple Pay, they agreed—understandably cautious, since some customers place orders and don’t show up.

I ordered the Bandeja Vegetariana and paid in person using Apple Pay around 6:20 p.m. They confirmed my order, and when I returned around 7:10 p.m., the waitress, Dahiana, warmly welcomed me with utensils and napkins. That small gesture made me feel cared for.

Francisco brought the Bandeja Vegetariana to me—but I noticed it had an egg on top of the white rice, which confused me, as I had specifically requested a vegan meal. I asked Francisco about the difference between vegan and vegetarian, and he admitted he thought they were the same. I appreciated his honesty and asked him to speak with the manager. Julio quickly came over and kindly offered to replace the rice, as some egg yolk had dripped onto it. He also offered to remove the cheese from the rest of the dish.

Together, we found a solution, and I was impressed by how professionally and calmly they handled everything. Francisco later explained that he is still new and apologized for the confusion.

Despite the small mix-up, I really appreciated how the team took responsibility and responded with kindness and integrity. That’s why I’m giving this restaurant five stars. The food was delicious, and both Francisco and manager Julio handled the situation with...