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Last night a girlfriend and I stopped in for dinner. We were told there would be a 20-30 min wait so we sat at the bar. There is a big wooden sign above the bar with about 10 drinks listed out and their prices. We decided on Patron Guava Margarita's for $10 each. The bill came and they added on $1 per drink for the Patron and tax of $1.95. I'm not cheap but that's not what the sign said. I asked the bartender and he said "Oh that sign has nothing to do with the restaurant" How on earth do they post a drink menu over the bar then claim its completely unrelated to the bar it's hanging over?? Mind boggling.Anyway we were done wiht drinks so I went to check on our table and the woman who took our names could not be bothered with me. Then when she finally acknowledged my question snapped "LIKE I SAID you have to wait 30-40 minutes" We high tailed out of there. I think the collagen in her lips has damaged her brain.

We just had the most wonderful brazilian experience at Esperanto's terrace. The food is delicious - especially the tuna ceviche, marinated in lime and coconut milk with lots of cilantro, a must have - drinks are great (although a bit overpriced), and service is very nice (even if the place is quite crowded and we had to wait outside for 10 minutes). Great address in the East Village !

we cruised up to Esperanto on the first 70+ degree spring morning of the year around noon. we were immediately seated (only a party of two but still it was sunny and we sat outside and this place should have been packed) and the waitress just couldn't have been sweeter. drawbacks: no iced coffee; only limited kosher for passover options the brunch was delightful! huevos rancheros were a dream with refreshing chunky pico, beans, and home fries (the real kind, not hash browns masquerading as home fries). and the value was awesome--coffee, mimosa, and food for $11. i doc'ed the food quality half a point for somewhat bland beans. but compared to other brunch options in the area, the flavor profile at esperanto was fantastic. not the kind of brunch where you sit down and are completely nonplussed (which is everywhere in the east village except westville east and belcourt). i doc'ed the service half a point because the place was clearly slammed and the waitress was busy. she was great, though--very attentive, very helpful, very nice--just obviously busy and running around and a little distracted.

Great appetizers! mussels, crab in banana leaf and excellent host ... love this place top 5!

Without a doubt some of the worst service I have ever experienced. Went with a group of people. We were seated at our table, and did not see a waiter for 45 minutes. After placing drink orders the manager made our group move tables. We were not asked, we were forced. For 6 people we were given a tiny loaf of bread. When asked if they were short staffed, the waiter replied "NO" and was confused. We just assumed since he was MIA for the entire meal. Food took forever, and when we asked for more bread it took another eternity to get it. Food came, most was delicious, some were just okay. When finished the check took a while. Assuming since we were troubled and had to move tables we would be comped our drinks. Nope. We then asked for the manager, who finally came over after speaking to 3 employees. She had a whole list of excuses and blamed us for our issues. Last I checked the customer is always right. She was too defensive and should have understood that sometimes service is not always the best. I do not recommend this place. If you are in the E. Vil you have a million other options. Do not go here.

I went to Esperanto with a group of seven last night. Understandably there was a wait, but simple appetizers and entrees turned into a two hour ordeal. 45 minutes to get appetizers, 30 more minutes to get entrees. Fortunately, they provided us three slices of bread for the entire table to hold us over. Twenty minutes after we asked for our check our waitress was nowhere to be found. I finally went looking for her and there she was, chilling outside, enjoying the evening. The food is good, but the service is an abomination. and ps: no air conditioning, so be prepared for a nice rolling sweat through your meal. enjoy.

This is a truly a hidden treasure on the LES. After coming here on a Friday night with a group of girlfriends for the first time we were all pleasantly surprised. We had a reservation but had to wait for a bit before being seated. However, once we were seated our server was with us immediately. We ordered a bunch of appetizers which were IMPECCABLE and so tasty. Esperanto is truly an authentic south american restaurant. The vibe is also a great place to have fun with friends on a weekend night. We also ordered 3 pitchers of sangria and were very full and satisfied from only sharing appetizers. The check ended up being about 30 dollars each which is great for a fun and delicious place like this on the les! I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to have a casual yet fun experience. This could also be a great place for a first date since the food would be a great conversation starter.