If you’ve been to Barcelona, enjoy tapas, or have experienced/heard of Toro Boston (one of Boston’s most popular restaurants) then you are sure to fall in love with Toro NYC. Toro was one of the most anticipated restaurant openings in New York City this year, and now I see why. Located on the same block as Colicchio and Sons and Del Posto, Toro capitalizes on NYCs hottest real estate and brings a taste of Barcelona to NYC. Not only is the food delicious at Toro, but the menu is HUGE and many of the most popular dishes offered are suitable for the nobread crowd…
The food at Toro is so good I don’t know where to begin! Nobread approved orders you have to try: the erizios con caviar (caviar, sea urchin, quail egg spoon with ham), tortilla Española (egg, potato, and onion omelet), spicy shishito peppers, grilled corn (dressed in aioli, lime, and cheese) shredded eggs with shrimp and shaved white truffles, roasted bone marrow, chicken and potato empanada (made with corn flour), marinated skirt steak, pulpo, patatas bravas, traditional paella, grilled octopus with potatoes and charred onions, grilled garlic shrimp, blowfish tails, and the cauliflower and kohlrabi (pine nuts, golden raisins). Of these choices, you MUST order the empanadas, cauliflower and kohlrabi, shredded eggs, paella and erizios con caviar. The empanadas are coated in CORN flour and therefore gluten free; I can’t remember the last time I’ve had an empanada! Also the cauliflower side order was ridiculous. I almost feel bad raving about a dish that doesn’t necessarily play into the Spanish vibe of Toro, but it’s one of the best cauliflowers I’ve had at a restaurant. In regards to the paella, rice is naturally gluten free; however, marinades and sauces typically used in paella dishes make the rice gluten UNfriendly. This isn’t the case at Toro, and the paella rice is safe to eat!
What impressed me about Toro, even more than the food, was how knowledgeable the servers were about the ingredients used in the entrees. At my table there was a gluten allergy, shellfish allergy, and dairy allergy. As we rapid-fire ordered items off the menu, our waitress kept up and for each dish commented who the dish was suitable for. I was impressed at how much she knew and trusted that I was able to eat everything I was being served. I was even more amazed when the food was brought to the table; the servers explained which dish was being served and which allergens were in the dish. Shockingly, the majority of items we ordered were already nobread friendly. I noticed that dairy was a common culprit, but that is because dairy is used in the sauces, or added to the dish in the form of cheese. Not to worry- you can easily ask for nosauce or nodairy.
Knowledgeable service, great bar scene for an after dinner drink, perfect ambiance for a girls night out/client dinner/date/dinner with the boys, and incredible tapas and Spanish infused food. Toro meets all my dining criteria and lived up to its hype! I am looking forward to going back.