La Vara

La Vara is a neighborhood gem. Food is amazing! My salad was so colorful it could have been a photo for Food and Wine magazine. Servers are welcoming, friendly, and attentive. It’s always busy but you never feel rushed.

Great food, wine and ambience. Service was a little slow at times and we did have to wait a while for our table even though we had a reservation. Overall great experience.

Honestly was so so so delicious. it’s all the things you like in new and interesting ways. and every dish we had was surprising. highly recommend!

Recently got to try this Brooklyn gem. And went back the following week! Kudos to the chefs for the flavor palette they have created. Food is amazing. Looking forward to warmer weather to checkout their backyard dining space (unfortunately had view of an ugly blue tarp thru the backdoor all evening. A pretty lace panel on that door would have improved the ambiance!)

Fantastic and food was delicious! Preferred tapas style vs entrees. Lots of flavor in ever plate

I had a wonderful experience at La Vara last night. The food was exceptional, and well-priced for the high caliber dishes. We had the Faeuda and two specials which were phenomenal. The Albaicin cocktail didn't wow me, and my view at the back table wasn't ideal—however, the service was top-notch and I felt very well taken care of and informed about the dishes. I'm sure I'll be back!

Friendly and knowledgeable servers. Portions were perfect for a first date.

The service staff was extremely helpful, polite and knowledgeable of the menu. The drinks were just right and the food was quiet unique, tasted delicious and priced fairly. They even took note that it was out anniversary and gave us complimentary drinks to that.

Terrific basque cuisine and service was impeccable. It is located in a quiet spot of Brooklyn and reasonably priced. All around great experience.

This was one of the most creatively delicious meals I’ve ever had. Everything was amazing, and the lamb was mind-blowing.

Great food, knowledgeable service and good atmosphere - thanks!

La Vara is always exceptional. One of our favorite places in Brooklyn.

It was awesome.

Most of the dishes we had needed more seasoning, seafood and roasted pork was bland

It's impossible to choose the right thing because there isn't a bad one on the existing menu, and any special they suggest you should get to. Plan on going more than once!

Before we were even asked about ordering dessert, my table of three was told rather directly that we had to vacate our table because of an upcoming reservation. With dessert menus in our hands, I asked if we could at least order and eat dessert, the waiter looked at his watch and said the next reservation is in 10 minutes, so if you order right now, I can do it, otherwise we can move you to the bar (which actually filled up in the next five minutes). This was my birthday dinner, and ruined by a horrible policy.

Management should reconsider such an obnoxious policy and instead 1) just let the table know that you have a full night and that we should take our time (which almost everyone would take a hint and hurry up a bit), 2) offer the incoming guests a free drink while they wait, 3) offer to buy us dessert if we could move to the bar, 4) speed up your service, 5) etc., 6) etc.

There are SO many ways this could have been handled better. It ruined my birthday dinner, and I've made sure to tell everyone I know of the experience, warning them away from both this place, and the rest of the restaurant group. Restaurants come and go in a flash in this town...just because you're hot today, don't think it'll last. So pretentious...

It is a hidden treasure with a cozy ambiance , attentive staff to help you with choices of food or wine, and delicious tapas that , although small , eventually satiate you.
We had the Croquetas, Fideuá, Pipirrana con Grano, Lamb meatballs, and Deviled eggs and all very very tasty . Our knowledgeable waitress suggested a wine that had less tannins bc of my allergy and it too was very crisp and dry as I like it.
Looking forward to our next meal at La Vara.

This restaurant was outstanding! I had discovered it via Michelin and OpenTable and made a reservation for one of my trips to NYC. I was staying in Midtown East and took the train to Brooklyn to dine at LaVara. It was worth the time to get there. The servers were wonderful and helpful, the food was hands-down the best meal I've had in NY in years!

We’ve been a few times and always love our time there. The food is outstanding and very unique. The ambiance was romantic and intimate which is what we were going for. Just always feels like a special experience. Love it!

The service staff are incredibly helpful. If any diner has an allergy, every dish will be explained in detail as it comes to the table, assuring the diner s/he can enjoy the food without concern. The food is fabulous! Every dish arrives with a burst of unique flavors. We are already looking forward to returning for another memorable meal.

Most unique, amazing dining experiences! Everything was absolutely delicious and so flavorful. We will definitely be back to try more. Also, the staff was so kind and helpful.

Everything was amazing from start to finish plus the service was great and authentic. All the staff was extremely friendly. All the food was made with quality ingredients and extreme care. Great price point. 10/10 would recommend.

Avoid the long shared table for 10. Too small. Too close.

This is easily my new favorite restaurant: the food is unique and incredible, and the service was perfect. The dishes came out one after another in a steady but well-timed stream.

Loved the unexpected food combinations and delicious flavors. Will come back! Our server was a bit inattentive but overall the experience was great.

Amazing food and service in a beautiful restaurant, but on the pricey side -- especially given how many dishes it takes to get full.

Cute neighborhood restaurant with excellent food! It maintains a relaxed and friendly vibe while delivering food with the quality of a fancy high-end restaurant. I wish it wasn’t so popular so we could just pop in without a reservation (it was packed on a Tuesday in the winter).

Delicious and creative food choices that was fun sharing between 4 of us. The wait staff was friendly and attentive. We will definitely go back the next time we are in Brooklyn.

3/5 of our dishes were pretty tasteless... not what I was expecting with so many vibrant ingredients!

We went to La Vara for a celebratory dinner and made a reservation for two. When we arrived, we were told by the wait staff that we wouldn't be able to sit at an individual table for two, but rather a table directly between two other parties. This was a disappointment to us, so we asked to sit at the bar instead and enjoyed our meal there. The food was delicious and the serving sizes were larger than we anticipated (still small, sharing plates). In addition to the food, the drinks menu is large. We enjoyed the sangria.

Lovely and wonderful food but too loud. Great service.

This is a charming restaurant that clearly takes pride in its food and service. Celebrated my sons birthday there and everyone has a wonderful time

Celebrating friends returning to us

Service was outstanding. Each dish was well crafted, plated, and tasted amazing. Cocktails were delicious.

La Vara is consistently terrific. Highlights are always the nut-milk based gazpacho (special and not every night - it's absolutely to die for), anchovies, fried artichokes, roast pork belly. Come hungry and share everything.

This is one of my favorite places to eat. Being tapas, it’s make fore sharing and the food is excellent. It’s a fair price, so I feel like I’m able to try lots of different things on the menu. The drinks/wine selection is good, I don’t think you can order the wrong thing. The staff is great. Everyone is very knowledgeable about everything that was served, I could ask anyone what ingredients made up the dish and they were able to tell me immediately.

Always solid.

La Vara is an absolutely excellent neighborhood gem in Cobble Hill, Brooklyn. Worth the drive from the city or suburbs. A must try on your list!

Great tapas and very well paced meal allowing us to enjoy superior food with some good drinks and fun conversations!

My husband and I went for dinner on New Year’s Eve- the food was amazing but their was no prefix menu which is pretty typical on NYE. And they really didn’t do anything special- music list was all over the place and lighting was really bright. Just didn’t feel like a special occasion.