A Puerto Rican restaurant that’s been affectionately dubbed “Latin Cheers” for its next-level hospitality, a Chelsea restaurant that makes top-notch versions of Argentinian staples like empanadas and steak, and a Mexican restaurant that’s just the latest from a chef who got his start at a taco cart in East Harlem. These Hispanic restaurants in NYC are a reflection of the depth of the Hispanic community in the city.
For Hispanic Heritage Month, which runs from September 15 to October 15, we’re taking a look at these beloved spots, along with a couple of others, showing you why New Yorkers keep wanting to return to these restaurants.
Read on for what makes these Hispanic restaurants in NYC stand out, and make a booking on OpenTable.
Casa Bond (NoHo)
Casa Bond chef Rodrigo Abrajan left Mexico for New York in 1990, and just three years later began operating a successful taco cart in East Harlem. The cart was so popular that he eventually opened three sit-down restaurants in the neighborhood and has continued building on his growing Mexican restaurant empire since.
Casa Bond, which opened late 2023, is his latest, and this one’s a pan-Mexican celebration. “The culture at Casa Bond is all about Mexico,” managing partner Luis Villanueva says. “Our menu covers the whole country.”
Don’t miss the aguachile, a dish of octopus, razor clams, cooked and raw shrimp, and seven different kinds of dried and fresh chiles, which originates from Mexico’s Sinaloa coast. Eater critic Robert Sietsema says the “fiery and complex” aguachile is “memorable in every way.”
Pair that with the mixiote de cordero, slow-braised lamb shank that’s cooked Hidalgo-style encased in leaves for extra-tender meat. “It’s all about the traditions converted in a modern version in New York City,” Villanueva says.
K’antu (Forest Hills)
K’antu refers to a dance that represents happiness in Quechua, an Incan language from Peru, and you’ll see that translated all over the menu and interiors at this Forest Hills Peruvian restaurant. “We have put so much heart into each detail of the decoration, the food, and drink menu,” restaurant partner Renzo Chumbiauca says.
The refreshing Pisco sour cocktail spotlights the beloved Peruvian brandy along with lime and egg whites, while the lomo saltado is a nod to the Chinese-Peruvian dish that came to be in the 19th century when indentured Chinese workers arrived to work on railroads and mines in Peru. Today, the beef stir-fry is a Peruvian staple and one of K’antu’s most popular dishes.
And you can’t leave a Peruvian restaurant without getting the ceviche. K’antu’s ceviche pescado is a take on the traditional dish that’s said to have originated in Peru more than 2,000 years ago. A light-filled dining room decorated with landscape paintings by Peruvian artists and hanging textiles will make you feel like you’re on a night out in the South American country.
Porteño (Chelsea)
If you visit Argentina, it won’t take long to know that empanadas and steak are local favorites. Chelsea’s Porteño is tapping into that popularity with a Northern Argentina-inspired menu of housemade empanadas and juicy ribeye steak.
Go for the fugazzeta stuffed with mozzarella and red and white onions and follow that up with the 16-ounce steak that comes with a side of creamy Russian potato salad. “We have a very familiar style of food that we represent,” Porteño co-owner Jorge Albarracin says.
This is the kind of restaurant where lingering is encouraged: The cozy space has 36 seats, including at the bar, and there’s a bookshelf lined with books from Argentina. “There are only 12 of us working here, and we want that family-oriented feeling to translate to our customers,” Albarracin says.
Los Dos Hermanos (Fort Greene)
Brothers Oscar and John Rodriguez opened Los Dos Hermanos in 2020 on a charming, tree-lined stretch of Fort Greene so they could share some of their homey Mexican favorites with fellow Brooklynites.
So it’s no surprise that dishes like enchiladas and fajitas are among the most popular dishes here. Go for the cheesy chicken enchiladas drenched in housemade mole and served with rice and beans on the side. Or try the fajitas mixtas that come on a sizzling cast-iron pan piled high with steak, shrimp, and chicken.
With red curtains, a wooden bar, and low lighting in a small and cozy space, this is the kind of place you’ll want to make your date-night go-to.
Counter & Bodega (Chelsea)
Many Puerto Ricans in New York know to head to Counter & Bodega when they’re missing a taste of their grandmother’s kitchen. That’s because the restaurant excels at arroz con gandules (rice with pigeon peas) and pernil. “Both dishes are like the national dish of Puerto Rico,” owner Sophie Serrano says.
There are plenty of other nostalgic throwbacks, too. The restaurant’s name nods to bodegas from the 1970s to the late ’90s, when many in the city were owned by Puerto Ricans. There’s a mural of a bodega in the dining room. Drinks take inspiration from bodega staples like Hawaiian Punch. And some regulars even affectionately refer to the restaurant as “Latin Cheers,” Serrano says, because staffers remember their names and know their orders. “Those who become regulars are considered our extended family,” she adds.
Alexis Benveniste is a big fan of Persian food, sushi, and finding hidden gems she can recommend to her friends. Her work has appeared in The New York Times, The MICHELIN Guide, Bloomberg, and New York Magazine. You can find her on Instagram at @apbenven.
