Room 18

My boyfriend and I went here for his b-day since it was rated as one of the top 10 most romantic restaurants on citysearch. Since I really appreciate citysearch and have found the site to be very useful i thought it was necessary to report this since this place is so well reviewed. As we began eating, we saw a r*ach on the wall. I jumped (I'm so scared of creepy crawlies) and then my boyfriend let me know that he had already taken care of a r*ach running by his plate on our table but didn't tell me at first b/c he knew I'd be so upset. Then about 30 sec later we saw a r*ach crawling on our menu sitting on the table! So we saw three X's in a matter of a few minutes - on our table or an arms length from our table! Food was nothing special. Service was nice and the place is cute but make sure they get rid of the r*ach problem before going!

Posted 01/20/09

Great and cozy place to catch up with friends, excellent place to bring a date, and food is really good. The fish wrap was so fresh and tasty. The fried shrimp/crab roll was crunchy on the outside, but melted in your mouth in the inside. The service was excellent. Nice and friendly staff. Overall a great experience and highly recommended. I will definitely be back!

Pros: Ambience, food

Posted 05/04/08

My friends and I love this little place - friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Good value for the quality and cost. Friends are astounded that I found the place before them. I have taken friends visiting from out of town for a SOHO experience and they loved it. We had tended to order the same things all the time, and then recently started branching out more into other menu selections. Everything I've eaten was tasty. Even the grape martini! Definitely a recommendation.

Pros: I liked the ambiance and the food

Cons: Sometimes service can be a bit slow

Posted 10/18/07

My husband and I stopped in for a post-shopping drink one afternoon and were pleasantly surprised. The pomegranate mojitos are fantastic, and the salads we ordered were pretty good. The bartender was friendly, if bored, and served everything promptly once we got his attention. This bar is kind of stuffy looking but don't be fooled--it's very casual and the music (Clap Your Hands Say Yeah!, Bloc Party, etc.) is not for the geriatric crowd.

Pros: Pomegranate mojitos, laid-back ambience

Cons: None that I can recall

Posted 02/08/07

Had dinner here a few days ago. It was our 4th choice, since the other restaurants nearby were packed. The place looked nice enough. We were able to sit anywhere since the place wasn't busy. We ordered a bottle of wine, the Bodegas Palacio, Castillo Rioja at $30. Our waitress brought the bottle over, opened it and poured our two glasses, then walked away, without even letting us try it first. Fortunately it was okay.

We ordered the ropa vieja and coconut chicken. The food wasn't hot, especially the yellow rice that came with both entrees. It seemed almost cold. The beef in the ropa vieja was a bit dry. The coconut chicken should have been called 'chicken breast with a bit of white gravy'. I could not taste a bit of coconut at all. I don't care for beans so I didn't try the beans that came with the beef, and the peppers that came with the chicken seemed okay enough, it was just a few slices anyway.

It's true that we only write reviews when we have a great experience or a poor one, and I have to say that this was a terrible experience, with the waitress seeming cold and unattentive. Or is it inattentive? Either way, she was both! Unfortunately I try to always tip twice the tax amount, or else she would have gotten much less. When you click on some of the positive reviews, you'll see that the writer has written a review only on this restaurant, which has to make you wonder if they're writing it themselves. Please don't go!

Cons: awful food, awful service

Posted 01/28/07

Room 18 is by far the coziest lounge/bar/restaurant you can find in the neighborhood or even the whole downtown. The service is always warm, drinks are always made perfectly, good wine selection, and tasty tapas. I really rather keep this jewel to myself to prevent overflow, but yet couldn't resist raving about this place!

Pros: great ambiance, food, service

Posted 10/08/06

Found this place by accident when looking for a pre-Sweet & Vicious visit. Nicely done drinks. Casual Chic Atmosphere. Service was ok. Almost seemed like they didn't care. Tapas dishes were fine but not good enough to order again. I have only gone back here for the cocktails.

Pros: Good cocktails

Cons: cocktails better than food

Posted 09/24/06

My friends and I were wandering around looking for a nice chill place to grab some drinks, and we passed by Room 18 which was outstandingly cute. Even though it was small, we were seated right away, and the waiter was very friendly and knowledgeable about their wine selection. When we saw there was an opening by the window and asked to be moved to the front, he was very nice and accomodating. Their bottles of wine and drinks are very fairly priced, will test out the food next time. Even though it was a calm crowd, the music was upbeat and lively. Definitely coming back here for another fun night!

Pros: Atmosphere, price, service

Cons: Small so you may have to wait if crowded

Posted 09/22/06

I went to Room 18 for my bday, and they said that they could accomodate a group of 20+ people. I went there a few minutes early to see how they set it up, but they did not set up yet even though the restaurant was empty. When I asked them where we would sit, the person in charge ignored me. Once they did set it up, they said that their table arrangement could accomodate 20 people. But it could not. A chunk of the evening was spent playing musical chairs and rearranging the tables so that everyone could find a place to sit. Some of my friends were not comfortable,and they did very little to make sure that they were.
On the flip side, good food, good ambiance and the service got better once we had a different waiter.

Pros: food, ambiance

Cons: service, accomodation, sangria

Posted 06/04/06

The food is amazing. Service was average, but still decent. Go there for tapas, there are unique tastes you don't get other places in the city. This place has character and really good food.

Pros: Unique food, Good Wine list, cozy environment

Cons: slow service

Posted 11/20/05

contrary to a few of the reviews found here, i find the service to be extremely warm and friendly. room 18 has been a great addition to this neighborhood and fits right in. the regular crowd consists mostly of locals and we enjoy the inviting and cozy atmosphere that room 18 provides thanks in large part to the wonderful owners who are always on duty.

the delicious tapas and wine selection is just the cherry on top!

Pros: friendly service, fun crowd, tasty tapas

Posted 10/03/05

Came here with my girl, and it was okay at best. The place may be romantic, but we were the only people in the place. Great place to be if you want to be by yourselves. Food was okay- typical bar food... greasy. Food is better next door.

Pros: quiet

Cons: quiet

Posted 09/15/05

Rm. 18 has a cozy romantic atmosphere that's very comfortable to enjoy myself in; whether I want to have a drink at the bar or get together with a group of friends for dinner, suitable accomodations are available.

Their food is great! And the drinks are very unique + fresh...
Best of all, their service is excellent!!

Posted 09/14/05

I love this place, the food is excellent and the employees there are just wonderful and sweet. I visited NY during the summer, and found myself becoming another regular. A really relaxing place to chill after a long days work or to hang out and mingle with your friends/family. The next time I come back, that'll be the first place I hit up and the last place to finish off the visit.

on a last note: I LOVE YOU PETER AND JILL!!!!!

Pros: Excellent servers, Reasonably Priced, Good Crowd

Cons: NONE!

Posted 09/12/05

Happened to stumble into Room 18 as it's tucked away between Cafe Lebowitz and Bread when a few girlfriends flew in for fashion week. A must go if you're looking for an atmosphere that's warm and sangria that's COLD!!

Packed when we arrived but the gracious owner, attentive staff, awesome drinks and delicious tapas made the wait worthwhile!!

Pros: Attentive Staff, Delicious tapas, DIRT CHEAP!

Posted 09/09/05

discreet and cozy lounge. the french windows and banquette area in the front are the prize seats in the house. tin ceilings, hardwood floors and many other details provide a sexy and romantic ambience. tapas with an asian flare and a wonderful wine selection is satisfying and complete.

Pros: sexy ambience, warm friendly service, tasty tapas

Posted 09/09/05

Celebrated my 32nd birthday at Room 18 this year and couldn't ask for more. The tasty tapas, signature cocktails and wine selection was excellent. The atmosphere and ambience was perfect for an intimate evening with a large group of friends.

Most importantly, the staff and owners were warm and accommodating.

Pros: atmosphere & ambienc, wine selection, friendly service

Posted 09/09/05

This place is a huge hit for me and my friends. Super cozy with from its lighting and atmosphere. Definitely love the brick walls! Food was great, a fusion in every little dish. A great sense of style. Not to noisy, its was great night for me and the girls. Girl talk all night! If you like a romantic date or just a plain night out, this is the place.

Pros: comfy and cozy, good food

Posted 09/09/05

This review is really just for service and atmosphere- we went with a group one Sunday night for drinks after Pizza after Lombardi's- wonderful atmosphere- comfortable and warm. Our bartender/server was charming as can be. All we did was have cocktails, but it was a very pleasant experience. I'm sorry to see all of the negative reviews as we had a very nice relaxed time.

Pros: service, atmosphere

Posted 12/13/04

The sangria was so bad that they exchanged it 4 times. The food is ok but not really tapas. Even with reservation it took them 25 mintues to seat us.

Posted 07/19/04

Let me start out by saying, we heard great things about this place. But beginning with the attitude of the first waiter, things slid from there. The attitude was followed by inattention and continued attitude (slamming drinks down, not checking on us, tone of voice), the evening deteriorated and we simply paid for our drinks and skipped dinner. I had to seek reassurance from my friends that we had done nothing wrong.

The place was not crowded and there was no other apparent reason for the horrible service for I would have loved to eat some of the cuisine others rave about.

Pros: comfortable seating

Posted 06/24/04

First, must mention that this is a perfect "date" bar. Candle lit/brick walled/cushy stooled atmosphere, combined with great food at a VERY reasonable prices. A perfect fit between neighboring Bread and Cafe Lebowitz. Tasty, beautifully presented tapas-style dishes that are pimarily asian-latin flavored make for easy sharing with whoever you're with. I tried crab croquettes, chorizo wontons, and coconut milk chicken....all GREAT. Try to get the pillowed bench seating by the open window for maximum effect....more utilitarian seating/tables are loacated in the back for groups exceeding 4-6 people.

Pros: food, romantic, price

Posted 05/12/04

I'm afraid the word is going to get out that this place is phenomenal. Everything is just about perfect - from the atmosphere to the food - I can't recommend it highly enough. The food is outrageous - everything just about melts in your mouth (try the crispy crab roll and the teryaki calamari salad). Best of all, the prices are extremely reasonable. I assure you nothing here will disappoint.

Pros: reasonably priced, great for a date

Posted 05/05/04

Everything from the soup to the dessert was amazing. Extremely reasonable. Great atmosphere. The only problem was spotty service, because it seems the chef does everything tapas-style (ie. one dish at a time) even when you've chosen the entrees. No big deal, since it's very comfortable and the small wine list is excellent. A great addition to the neighborhood.

Pros: Incredible food, Great atmosphere, Very reasonable

Posted 05/04/04

This is the greatest little bar - it's the perfect combination, trendy but not pretentious. The food is amazing. I am definitely going to become a regular at this place.

Pros: Small, Not too crowded, Nice People

Posted 04/19/04

I must admit, I'm pretty keen on this place. The seats by the windows with the pillows are really comfortable and the atmosphere is really chill. Must try the crab croquetas, the beef empenadas, and the deep fried crab rolls. If you like tapas and asian food, you'll love this place.

Pros: inexpensive, good scene, great food

Posted 04/09/04