The Way of a New York Spaniard: Bartolo & Ernesto’s

In the fall of 2025, Chef Ryan Bartlow opened up Bartolo, a love letter to tavernas of Madrid, and making his mark in the West Village. Chef Bartlow is far from a new face in the NYC dining scene — his restaurant Ernesto’s, in the Lower East Side has been an industry favorite for it’s Basque dishes ever since it opened in 2020.

Bartolo- 310-312 W 4th St, New York, NY 10014

Over the course of the same week, the NABI tastemakers tried both places to see how the two compare and report back to you all with some of our highlights, favorites and misses.

What We Loved about Bartolo’s

The Ambiance and Vibe: Bartolo’s has that extra special touch when it comes to ambiance. From the beautiful terrazzo-patterned floors and its deep pops of crimson, there’s a sense of that West Village luxury with small nods to humble beginnings, from small details like the intricately painted beams on the ceiling. From the moment we walked in, it felt like we were transported to a different era and had walked onto a movie set. If you want to make a great first impression, Bartolo’s has got you.

The Drinks: The first thing that you see when you enter the space is the bar. It’s a small, intimate bar, and it would truly be a pity if you skipped over the drinks, because that would be our number one recommendation here. From the cocktails to the wine,  you can tell that the sommelier and bartender really know their stuff.

We ordered a Rioja in addition to two of their signature cocktails, the Melon Margarita and the Martini de Bartolo, which were both an absolute delight.

The Food: If you do a brief scan on any social media platform, you’ll know that the pintxos (small plates) are the way to go there — and I think that reigned true for the entire evening. Some of the highlights that we got were: the Croquetas de Jamón, which are these Spanish fried fritters with an absolutely creamy bechamel sauce and some cured ham inside — hard to go wrong! The Anchoa Y Mantequilla, a anchovy toast with a slab of butter, is an absolute must. If you’re familiar with Hong Kong cuisine, it reminded me a lot of a pineapple bun with cold butter, where that butter essentially turns into a custardy element. Lastly, another crowd favorite was the Huevos Fritos Con Patatas Y Gambas, fried eggs, potatoes, and shrimp. Again, an audience-pleasing combo, but it was just done well. The potatoes were nice and seasoned, and the shrimps were cooked really well. All of this paired so well with the wine that we got, so again — order a glass for yourself!

For dessert, we opted for the Tocino de Cielo, which was a flan with a couple of pairings — some almond cookies, whipped cream, and kumquats soaked in sugar. Delicious! No notes.

We were really hoping to come for their signature cheesecake (since it’s made with blue cheese— a unique take), but after the meal we had, it seemed a bit of a heavy way to end the evening.

What We Loved from Ernesto’s

The Ambiance and Vibe: There’s something that feels so iconically New York about Ernesto’s. I’m not sure if it’s because it’s located on a corner, the floor-to-ceiling windows, or the soft glow from the globe lights. It felt like a scene you’d see of friends catching up on a Friday night — and that’s exactly what we wanted. Something to note is how spacious Ernesto’s is! You really can go with groups of multiple sizes, which is nice.

Ernestos’s - 259 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002

The Drinks: We opted for a bottle of wine, a beautiful Rioja, that we all loved! Also, shoutout to the sommelier at Ernesto, because they really brought the energy with the recommendations, and it made all the difference.

The Food:

From the Entradas list, we ordered the Cinco Jonas Iberico Con Patatas Chips, which were thinly sliced Iberico with their house-made potato chips.

We almost didn’t get this because it seemed a bit too simple, but we absolutely devoured this and highly recommend it. The super-finely sliced potato chips were really, really delicious, and a salty, crispy snack was the perfect way to start off the meal.

We also got the Croquetas de jamon again, and they felt almost identical to the ones from Bartolo, except these were piping hot, which made them a bit more enjoyable.

Another highlight was the Tartaletas de Txangurro, which were these seafood tartlets with an impressively thin and crispy shell, and filled to the brim with fresh seafood. A must-get if you’re a seafood lover.

Of course, we had to try the anchovy toast at both locations, and while it’s really hard to pick a place since they’re both so good, I preferred Ernesto’s slightly more, but honestly, both so good!

We also read some positive reviews about the Bikini Hemingway, a shrimp cheese and cured sausage toast, and we were so glad we got it! It had a nice balance of cheesy savoriness with hints of sweetness.

From the Platos Principales section, we got the Magret de Pato, aka the duck breast over a pomme purée, and it was perfection! Tender, flavorful duck breast over a bed of creamy potatoes — what more can you ask for?

We finished off the evening with an order of Crème Caramel, Ernesto’s flan and a Tarta de Queso, aka cheesecake, which we absolutely devoured. The flan was one of my favorite things on the menu — creamy and nutty, it had a great balance that’s hard to achieve in this dessert.

Overall Thoughts:

One of the things that we got at both places that didn’t quite hit for us was the arroz. At Bartolo, we got the Arroz del Dia, the “Rice of the Day,” which happened to be rooster and mushrooms. At Ernesto’s, we got the Arroz de Congo (“Rice with Rabbit”).

In theory, it sounded like everything we wanted, and we envisioned it would come out on a tray, almost paella style. In reality, it was closer to an Asian porridge, a juk (for both Chinese and Korean cultures).

First of all, we love rice. Everyone on the NABI team is Asian — we have it regularly. The seasonings and flavors were all there, but with our cultural background, having rice as a main dish felt a little bit like a letdown. I think texturally it also wasn’t quite like textured like risotto or soupy like juk. Instead, it felt a little in between, and my brain had a harder time trying to categorize it. It was by no means a terrible dish, but for all the excitement after the small bites leading up to the main dishes, it just fell flat. Plus, with that price point, I felt like I was craving a bit more from the dish. That being said, I’d stick to the small bites!

All in all, for Ernesto’s, it’s the perfect place to catch up with friends or have a nice night out with a loved one. The ambiance is nice but not pretentious, and it’s wide and spacious, perfect for people watching.

For Bartolo, we’d recommend going on a special night out or even suggesting it as a first date spot — especially if you’re trying to make a good impression! It’s chic, luxe, cozy, and intimate.

Let us know if you end up going to Bartolo or Ernesto’s and which one you like!