We were chasing the high we got during our week in the Andalucia region of Spain, where we had the best churros, paella, tapas, and the best trip with my sister and her husband. The closest we could get to replicating our time in Spain was to make our own paella, or to find a close enough comparison.

Fortunately we had a Gilt City deal waiting when we got back and although we were skeptical that Ventanas would satisfy our Spanish cravings, we were happy to not be so disappointed.

A                      A waiter’s recommendation of shrimp stuffed mushrooms was tasty, but not that memorable.

The pulpo ala gallega though was the best we’ve had outside Spain, with the octopus cooked perfectly (tender and flavorful) surrounded by the fresh flavors of acid and tomato.

We also enjoyed the seafood salad which was composed of baby squid, olives and lemon.

In Malaga, we kept planning to sample the arroz negro but never got the chance. This plate satisfied those cravings with al dente black wild rice, prawns and squid. I put it on my list of things to replicate in my kitchen 🙂

The waiter did warn us that their house churros would fail miserably compared to what we had in Malaga, but we insisted. It wasn’t completely sad, but definitely nothing close to our beloved Casa Aranda. In the meantime, Ventanas had to be close enough.

Ventanas NYC
100 10th Ave New York, NY 10011
(212) 366-1640