Salud Restaurant & Bar

Trying to impress best friend. Ordered Sangria which turned out to be watery. Best friend's drink was garnished with human hair. They kept filling our glass with warm water on a hot day. Food was okay. Had rice pudding and that was a joke. Service okay. Bill was approximately $70+ for two people. If tab is that much, waitresses should not look like they just came in from the garden - little shorts with undershirt. Outdoor cafe a joke - try to picture tables set up on a narrow sidewalk! Photo of restaurant on internet made the place look spacious. Was seated in a crammed space in front of an electrical outlet, even though the restaurant was not crowded. Walked away annoyed, water logged and hungry! Best part? A little baby who kept saying, "Da, Da, Da, Da, Da!"

Pros: New definition of Prix Fixe means little Appetizers!

Cons: Internet write up was complete opposite of experience!

Posted 08/25/09

Serving a variety of Caribbean cuisine from Cuban to Puerto Rican to Dominican, Salud captures the true essence of each dished served. The portions are great and the food is phenominal bringing your taste buds alive with every bite. The deserts were great and the specialty drinks like Mojitos are second to none.

For entertainment the Trio playing background Cuban music was excellent. We had a party of 12 and we all gave Salud a solid thumbs up!

Pros: Best Tapas in all of Mahattan!

Cons: A bit small and tight

Posted 06/18/09

The appetizers were just the right portions, and the presentation was enticing and made you want to order everything. It was my first time there and my date and I found "Salud" to be a romantic, classy spot.

Pros: excellent tapas menu

Cons: wish it was bigger for live music

Posted 06/17/09

About 2 weekends ago my boyfriend and I took a walk down to the pier looking for a place to have a late brunch.
We have a favorite Italian place just across the street from Salud that we usually go to but decided to try something different. We decided to eat at Salud because of the outdoor seating - it was such a nice day! We ordered two tapas and shared - the cuban sandwich was so so so delicious!! And so were the fish tacos. We loved the food and the location and look forward to making it a regular spot for us. I can't wait to go there for dinner and drinks! The women sitting next to us had mojitos that looked great.

Pros: The food and outdoor seating

Posted 06/01/09

Feels like you stepped into an Ernest Hemingway novel, that great nautical/tropical feel and look. We were lucky to snag a seat by the bar . The Mango Martinis were delectable, not too sweet and just the right amount of alcohol; would have made Mr. Hemingway proud! Most of the staff was congregated by the bar area (chatting right across from us) and I still had to flag them down to ask about my drink and then again my food order! Come on guys it might look and feel tropical but this is still NYC! Still the Mango Martinis made up for it.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: place is tiny, service is slow

Posted 05/14/09

This restaurant is really the best place where You can eat in NY,try the food and You will remeber incredible taste for a long long time, like I do:) drinks are amazing and the is staff really cool!!
best regards for SALUD!!!!

Pros: best tapas in town!!!

Posted 04/16/09

The food was great and the staff was very attentive & friendly. I have referred family & friends who share the same sentiment and I definitely plan on going back every so often to show them some love.

Posted 01/05/09

We traveled all the way from Atlanta, Georgia to experience some of the best Dominican food in the USA!
We totally loved the entire visit.

Pros: decor; lovely staff; delicious food

Cons: none at all

Posted 10/16/08

This place is a little pricey, but not over the top, the portions are small but worth every penny!!! When I go out, I would rather have a few spectacular bites of food than a plate of something mediocre.... Plus the wine selection is excellent!

The staff is polished and knowledgeable, and despite being on Third and usually occupied by the "beautiful, it's unpretentious.

It's a cozy place, perfect for an intimate date

Posted 10/11/08

overall there is amazing food, great drinks....fun live music... out door seating...and just great staff along the way.. everyone is totally accomodating, and always ready to help.
the tapas are tasty and so nice to be right near the south street seaport

Pros: great food and service...and drinks

Posted 08/11/08

I am so saddened by this place - it was one of the standout excellent restaurants in my downtown neighborhood. I have to agree with the "thoroughly disappointed" review below. They have slipped. Food is supermarket bought standard with none of the old flair. The drinks are still tasty but not worth the premium. I have two nights set up to go to this place with friends. However, after our last 2 or 3 times we are finally done and can forgive the mediocrity no longer. I am going to find an alternative spanish/cuban to replace Salud and not go back again for a year at least.

Posted 08/10/08

Big night - parents in town and relatives I hadn't seen in 15+ years. I picked Salud because I heard great things. Must've been when there was different management because last night's 6:30pm dinner was a big AND EXPENSIVE disappointment. Poor AC, flies, portions way too small (my $24 grilled seafood platter was a 10" round plate with ~ 6 small to medium shrimp you find at the grocers and ~ 6 small-med scallops on about 1/2 cup of field greens and ~ 8 glazed plantains on the side). Taste - mediocre. The plate of about 20 plantain chips was TASTELESS - think Communion wafers. Music too loud for a space with maybe 15 tables. The specialty drinks were really the only thing good but even with them, there were only 5 you could choose from for the happy hour prices - all others were $9/piece. My uncle took the bill and I felt just horrible for ever dragging them there. Of course no one said much, bad or good, but I will never ever go back. Looking at the reviews, this place had seen its heyday and it is long gone. The only thing good was our waitress. Good luck if you choose to go.

Posted 07/22/08

I have been to this restaurant on multiple occasions and the food and drinks are always good. The staff is very courteous and nice. The tapas are small but filling (I always order more than one). There are lots to choose from and the menu is always being updated. This restaurant is very small and simple, it reminds me of old school Miami with all the dark wood and clean walls. It is right down by the south street seaport, so it?s not really close to much. Everyone I bring to this restaurant falls in love with it and its food.

Pros: Food, Drinks, Service

Cons: Small Space, All the way downtown

Posted 12/08/07

I had lunch with a friend here and it was great.The service was prompt and quick and for only $20.00 we had a 3 course menue. The shrimp ceviche appetizer and also the skirt steak kabobs were delicious. Dessert was great, we ordered the rice pudding and also the coconut flan. Our waitress was great,the drinks came right away,I definately will go back for more!

Pros: great service and fantastic food

Posted 11/08/07

Beautiful calm clean setting. Perfect to go alone or with a date. Everybody worked together, from the bartenders to the waitresses to the busboys. They were helpful and honest in describing the size of the portions. The food was delicious and presented well on the plates.

Pros: Very attentive service. Very clean.

Cons: Good for someone who wants to taste different flavors, not for someone who wants to eat a whole cow.

Posted 08/16/07

My husband and I came here for a romantic evening to dine out and we had a superb time! Not only was the food delicious, but it was very affordable and the drinks were also very good, we really enjoyed the mojitos. The service was also great, efficient, friendly, and fast. We are def planning another night out here, I would highly recommend checking it out!

Posted 07/15/07

This restaurant is a magnificent place to dine at. The atmosphere is inviting, the food is great and the drinks are to die for! They make the best sangria's and flavored mojito's, ...I have to say. The tapas menu has so many great dishes to choose from, I couldn't make up my mind. The food was flavored with great spices, made fresh and also satisfying. I am absolutely in love!

Pros: Food, drinks

Cons: parking

Posted 05/10/07

Made a horrible mistake walking by. Made a bigger mistake walking in and sitting down. It wasn't that busy when we sat down on a Sat night so we were surprised the wait service was that long. It took 15 minutes for our drinks, another 20 minutes for the waitress to take out orders.For the start of dinner, they ran out of food already - were they NOT expecting people to come in? So for a choice prix fixe, we really didn't have much of a choice. The fun part is that after placing our orders, we were given over an hour of free time to wait. After a few frustrating cigarettes later and numerous attempts to pay for drinks and leave, the food came. It really didn't matter that we were starving, builds character ya know? I ordered the paellalita and it has got to be the saddest thing on earth. I really think they need to re-word their descriptions. Instead of "lobster meat" it should be "a fleck of GRATED lobster meat". That's really what I had, a tiny fleck of lobster meat that probably accidentally fell off the grater onto my plate...OH glory be! I didn't think things could get worse but at Salud, I am optimistic. My friend and I ordered side dishes, but they forgot to bring them! OOPS! During dessert, we asked for no syrup in flan/pudding...OOPS its mixed in. After all is done, we wait again, another 25 minutes for our check. Hell it's only a Sat night, we have nothing better to do, by the end of this, we already spent over 3 hours for a $110 meal we did NOT enjoy, felt utterly ripped off, disgracefully disappointed and NEVER AGAIN! Oh did I mention we weren't full- all those calories burnt from the waiting thank god for MCD.So a word of advice, if you are in a rush and do not have time or money to spare this is NOT the place to be, and even if you do, this is NOT the place to be! SALUD!

Pros: You get a lot of time to go run errands, smoke and make calls- you get at least one free hour wait time per meal.

Cons: Long wait for everything, prix fixe menu is a scam, waitress forgetful, horrible service and attitude

Posted 04/28/07

This is a fantastic little find in the Seaport. The atmosphere is so inviting and warm, the food is almost always consistently delicous! The service is good and the prices are reasonable. Make sure to ask for the garlic olive oil to eat with your bread. It is only served by request and it is a necessary part of the experience. Enjoy!

Posted 03/29/07

There is plenty of terrific Latin fare to be found in New York CIty and sadly, none of it is here at Salud. The atmosphere is great, the space adorable, and the service seemed top-notch when we walked in, so my husband and I expected a treat. The first let-down came along with the drinks. The $9 a glass sangria was bright screaming red, tasted like koolaid, and had no booze in it. Then we discovered that the prix fixe is a scam. Anyone else feel that two tapas dishes qualifiy as appetizer and entree? Entrees are supposed to be bigger than appetizers -- not so at Salud. We felt that were lured in to the restaurant under false pretenses (bargain dinnner) and were not pleased. However, we were starving and it was Saturday night (places around were pretty packed) so we opted to stay, skip the prix fixe (who in their right mind would order two bite-sized dishes and a thimble of flan for $20?) and see if this place was worth the price of admission. We ordered a bunch of tapas dishes, all of which were fair to middling, especially in light of the fact that the prices were completely off the hook. $12-17 a plate for tapas? It had better be loaded with lobster or caviar or the work of a gastronomic genius. They're charging these prices for tiny tacos and chicken wings, friends. And the paella was small, dry, and tasteless. Ahem, this is their signature dish. The lobster was so skimpy (half a scrawny claw for two people) and tasted as if it has been frozen or fished out of the East River. If we wanted to spend $150 on dinner, we would have gone to a place we know is worth it. This place is joke. We were both hungry, sober, and steamed (unlike the reheated lobster) when we got home. Never again.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Everything else

Posted 02/27/07

My husband and I went here last thursday night. Service was gracious and the food was excellent. They had a live latin band playing which added a nice touch to our diner. We thought the entire experience was wonderful. This place is really great.

Pros: Delicious Food, Great Ambiance, Wonderful Service

Posted 07/15/06

So much good food! So little time! This joint's gonna make me fat. The Ensalda de Camarones is amazing....addictive, even. Their ceviche is different than anyone else's, and better for it. And the beef-stuffed plaintains are sweet on the outside and savory on the inside.

I'm a coconut fan, so the Coconut Margarita blew my mind, and for desert I followed it up with a Chocolate Coconut Martini. You can't really go wrong with drink like these.

Salud!

Pros: food, food, food

Cons: price

Posted 07/10/06

If you like to eat good food, do not stop by this restaurant. The "latin" food is not latin at all, and this is coming from a latina and her party who attended this place! The pre-fix menu is misleading....the entree and appetizers are the same size! Chicharones de pollo are chicken wings? since when...wrong name on the menu! The food took forever to arrive! "Its all made from scratch" and thats why it takes soo long...? well then hire more chef's...duh. NOT RECOMMENDED. oh and the food is overpriced.

Pros: Decor, Sangria was ok

Cons: Food, High Price

Posted 05/18/06

Great food, great sevice. A great place to escape NYC. We felt like we had taken a vacation to Cuba. Highly recommended.

Posted 04/26/06

Ambience, service & staff were great. Food is not worth writting about. The happy hour till 7pm is great. Mojito for $5 w/ a sugar cane & mint was worth the trip there.

Pros: nice ambience, happy hour

Cons: small dining area, small bar

Posted 04/02/06

I have been reading the reviews and was very shocked to hear that many complaints are due to the long wait. I have been there 3 times and have a reservation for April 7. Yes the food takes a little long to get to the table, but it its always fresh and piping hot! I understand that the food is made to order. It is well worth the wait!! sip on a nice drink, relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The service is average, but the food speaks for itself. whoever is cooking these meals puts a whole lot of work into the taste and the presentation. So if you are in a rush DONT GO!! but if you wanna relax and have good time with frinds..its a MUST that you check this place out!!!

Pros: great appetizers, good sangria

Cons: parking, long wait for food, average wait staff

Posted 03/21/06

It's cold outside. You slip into a dimly lit corner with your partner. It's a night that starts with mouth watering mojitos and the best sangria ever! You begin with a plate of plantain chips with 2 dips as you let your eyes take in the menu. So many sinful choices. May I reccommend the lobster tacos and the payella? Three or 4 tapas are perfect for 2 people. Then you can share an entree. I love the grilled seafood platter. The desserts are limited but the sweet fried plantains served warm and carmelized should satisfy. This place is amazing! The service may be slow with the water glass refills but you will not leave hungry... just happy and maybe a little tipsy off of the pitcher of sangria!

Pros: food, sangria, atmosphere

Cons: desserts limited

Posted 02/18/06

On Feb 17th, at 12:45pm we went to celebrate a farewell lunch for a high level colleague. At the tail end of waiting for 1 hour we got our appetizers, and the waitress then told us "oops" sorry, we ran out your item. Then we waited another 40 minutes for the entrees, and were told "oops" we dont have any steak left so 4 of you can re-order. Instead of telling us earlier, she waited till the last possible minute to tell us. Then the manager said, hey we'll give you shrimp instead, which would have taken another hour. We then were charged for the appetizers and drinks, at regular price, not the lesser pre-fix menu price we ordered from. PLEASE SAVE YOUR SELF FROM THIS HORRIBLE PLACE. The food we did eat was way below average, very hard and fishy fritters.

Pros: NONE, None

Cons: Service, Management, Noisy

Posted 02/16/06

These people have no business running a restaurant. I don't think I've ever had a worst service than the one I got in this place. It took at least 1 hour before we started getting our appetizers and even then did not come together. Some of us didnt even get what we ordered.
For the main course we waited another hour only to be told that restaurant had ran out food. They would not even bother to apologizing for the unbelievably bad service and went ahead and charged us in full for what we had ordered.
Horrible service, horrible attitude by the staff.

Pros: Location

Cons: Service, Staff, food

Posted 02/16/06

I was a bit disappointed relative to the hype of the previous citysearch writeups...I mean everyone except one person rated it Excellent or 5stars and the one guy who didn't received a owner's response (something I've never seen elsewhere on this site). Anyway, restaurant was not bad, food was above par, music was too loud and service was excellent. It is quaint and romantic. The steak choice was great. The wine by the glass was lacking (1/3 full). In sum, a bit above par.....but not so good it's worth traveling to this odd, lonely spot of the city.

Pros: Service, Meat Dish, Romantic

Cons: Location, Loud

Posted 02/07/06

Although, I do not venture down to the seaport often. this place is worth it.
The help was extremely helpful in answering questions i had about the menu. Also, the food was delicious. They have some of the best Sangria outside of Spain.
I would def be going back!!!

Posted 12/27/05

Be warned-worst dining experience in 7 years in Manhattan.
I went to Salud a year ago, since it is located in the Financial District one would assume they could eat in an hour. It took us and hour and half from the time we ordered the food to get it. The waitress was clueless. A man at the table next to us was so mad that he yelled at her and left. My friend asked if there was something they could do, i.e., offer an apeteizer or compensation. The waitress said no and unlike any other restaurant in Manhattan did not offer to bring her manager over.
A year later I gave Salud a second chance, maybe the management had changed or maybe that was just a bad day. I was WRONG and had a worse experience. I am boggled by the outstanding reviews it has received on citysearch.

Cons: Unprofessional, Very slow

Posted 12/14/05

Great Tapa plates, but even for tapas they are way too small amount, and way too noisy to have any kind of conversations at all......

Posted 11/01/05

Salud is a great restaurant that I recommend to everyone who asks me. The ambience is great. On our first visit, the wall street crowd during happy hour was a little too loud, but the food overall has been consistently great the couple of times I have been there. I have tried at least half of the appetizer/tapas menu and every single one has been well presented and had me wanting more.

Pros: good food, decor

Cons: a little expensive

Posted 09/21/05

Salud is a coxy nook that takes you away from the madness of the workday. We usually get there for a late lunch, but early or late, the staff is always eager to greet you and food is always excellent. Salud may be a small plates favorite, but there is nothing small about there attention to detail, even down to the "spotless" glasses the drinks are served in!

Posted 06/27/05

Food is excellent, highly recommended....I eat at Salud at least once every 2-3 weeks....

Pros: convenient area, not crowded, salsa music while din

Cons: by the fish mkt, no park until aft 7p

Posted 06/16/05

Dependant on your mood and day of the week you can sit at this location to enjoy a fun filled evening with great food and great people. But when your with someone special you want the place all to yourself, go on a weekday, as I do, and you'll see what I mean. A cozy little table set off to the corner. A bottle of wine and the paella will remind you of the old country. The aroma fills the small space, ask them to light the candle and enjoy a private dinner for 2. A little live music adds to the charm of my new favorite place in the Financial District. Best Wishes and Good Luck Eddie.

Pros: Food, Atmoshpere, Location

Cons: None

Posted 06/15/05

service was exellent. food couldnt get any better. decor was verry inviting. i will definately e there many more times!

Pros: food, price, service

Cons: none, none, none

Posted 06/15/05

This place is a true gem-I felt as though I had been whisked into the movie "Casablanca." The mojitos are the best I ever tasted!

Posted 06/14/05

My first time at salud restaurant was for our christmas party and i have been there atleast seven times after that. The food is great the staff is friendly. i enjoyed a romantic dinner with my boyfriend,enjoyed a night out with friends and have also celebrated my parents 30th anniversary at salud. The drinks are especially great.

Posted 06/07/05

What a pleasant surprise! A wonderful place to sit, enjoy delicious food, dance, and enjoy good company. The food was awesome, the service top notch, and the ambience lovely. A new favorite place for me.

Pros: parking available, classy

Posted 06/05/05

Salud is one place that makes you feel at home. Their great service and relaxing ambience makes me want to come back everytime. I try to make it out there atleast once a month. The people are great, and if you like salsa, this is the place to enjoy your meal with a classic tropical sound.

I give it two thumbs up!
Suzely 060305

Pros: Romantic, Relaxing, Good Music

Cons: Small, By Fish Market, More Staff

Posted 06/02/05

Great ambience, phenomenal drinks, and the bartender was absolutely amazing.

Posted 06/01/05

I have never tasted anything better than Salud's Langostacos and Paellita. Even my sister said that their Paellita is tastier than the ones she had in Spain. Plus, their coco mojito rocks!

Posted 06/01/05

On a rainy V-Day in 2005, Salud created a sunny and romantic atmosphere for my girlfriend and me. Thoughts of that dreary night disappeared in the face of the staffs pleasant manner and attention to detail. The beautiful ambiance was augmented by relaxing and invigorating music. After dinning there on prior occasions, I have come to appreciate the excellent food and service. I recommend Salud to anyone who values the exceptional things in life!

Pros: Food, Service, Music

Cons: None, None, None

Posted 05/31/05

that day i was walking by this restaurant suddendly i decide to walk in , place seem busy and good i told my self let me give it a try, i tried but food was too oily and pricey, listen people think twice before u walk in.. !

Posted 05/16/05

I have dined 3 times at Salud and all the meals have been wonderful. The staff is very friendly and the food has consistently been great. I have to agree with the previous reviews, the mojitos are amazing. They put a strip of sugar cane in them which I thought was a nice touch. Although the South Street Seaport is very quite during the weeknights and on weekend, you can't miss out on experiencing this great spot.

Pros: value

Posted 04/15/05

My wife and I happened to be the South Street Seaport area the other night and stumbled across Salud while looking for a place to eat dinner. Although slightly on the pricey side, we would definately return here again. The food was terrific. Everything we had was great. Our waiter was excellent. I have nothing bad to say. The place was pretty empty when we were there (there were 2 other tables occupied), but it was a weeknight, so maybe that had something to do with it.

Posted 01/13/05

This place is cozy and serves DELICIOUS food! I loved everything I ate! Great variety to please anyone who goes. The presentation of the food is just as exquisite as the flavors. Great value for the quantity and quality of food. I loved this place.

Pros: FOOD, Value, Atmosphere

Posted 01/07/05