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Even if the food can be ok here, the place is so noisy that you have to shout to have a conversation and any connection to taste is completely lost. It's not even convivial noise. It's ugly noise. Only bearable if one is completely smashed, and even then, when smashed, the atmosphere can be too provocative.

The food is good, but not great. Seems to be less inspired than during the 1990's. Be careful if you plan to order a frozen marguerita... the portion is tiny and teh price is high, making the drink three times the price of going elsewhere for it.

just happened to be walking by and figured it would be decent fare as it is reviewed my michelin - ended up disappointed with the food. the fried oysters were mediocre and our entrees were nothing spectacular. we didnt even finish all our food. the salsa was fresh and had a good kick tho.

Not your typical Mexican fare. You'll find the usual fare of chicken, duck, lamb, seafood etc...but expect authetic flavors and tastes not found in your typical Mexican restaurant. Great margarittas...whether frozen or straight up. The specials are worth checking out as they offer even more different and flavorful dishes then one finds in other Mexican restaurants. There's always something different to eat so I and my friends do stop by often!

The food was good, but what a ripoff! Ordered fajitas- which don't come with rice, beans, cheese, or vegetables. Everything is a la carte. All you get is the meat, tortillas, and salsa for $24! Then to top it all off, we brought cupcakes with us for a friend's bday and were charged a $3.50 plate fee...per person! That's more than what we paid for the gourmet cupcakes! It was a quaint restaurant, yet we were even charged to check our coats. Beware of all of these ridiculous charges.

I recently ate at Zarela's and while enjoying delicious food and yummy margaritas, my wallet was stolen out of my purse. I had it when it came time to pay the check, but we decided to stay for another round of drinks. When the second check came, my wallet was gone. Needless to say, this was a very upsetting situation and the staff at Zarela's couldn't care less. The extent of their help was looking around with a flashlight for about 5 seconds, never offering to call the police, comp a drink, question a staff member, or even an apology. Basically, if you decide to go here, watch out for your stuff! Who knows if this place is regularly targeted or if it was an inside job, but either way, dont expect any sympathy or even a decent human social skill from the staff at Zarela if it happens to you!

Good guacamole is a fresh mix of chunky fruit, fresh tomatoes, and crisp red onion infused with lime you can tell what you can anticipate by its color. You will find here instead overblended and gelatinous green guacamole. Seeing this here does not bode well. The tortillas are made fresh and they're corn, but they're thick pancackes. The sauce for my trout was simply lime overwhelmed with some dry herb flake. The taste was not horrible, I suppose. The pibil is ok, too sweet with complexity, and this makes me fear (and never wish to order) the mole. The wine list is potable, and the margaritas scary-looking, but I'm told nothing special. And that perhaps sums up the quality of it all: Zarela is not as bad as most Mexican restaurants in NY but does not capture the complex, nutty, rich, balanced flavor of Mexican food. Those who swear by it must love it for its happening bar, not its food. I will go back, not because of the quality of its food, but for the lack of true Mexican spots in the city.