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New Kid on the Block: Paros
Paros, which has become a definite hot spot (ahem, Taylor Swift) in the neighborhood, has a lot going for it but let me mention first its classic Tribeca features. In the way that old houses have “good bones,” this spot — the northeast corner of West Broadway and Franklin — has the best that the neighborhood has to offer when it comes to natural attributes: gorgeously high ceilings; a generous elevated loading dock for dining; a bar that looks out over a broad streetscape, allowing for a lot of natural light; a view of the cutest subway entrance in town.
And I think I know now why other restaurants have not lasted in that spot. This is the first substantial renovation in a long time, and the first renovation to brighten and lighten things up. The space is finally refreshed and beautiful. (I can do without the fake bougainvillea, but for me plants have to be real or not at all.) And surprise: it’s open for lunch.
Paros opened in October, the work of the Pagonis brothers — George, the chef, and Nick, who works the front of house — who grew up at their father’s diner in Maryland. George graduated from the CIA in Poughkeepsie and went on to work at Le Cirque, Aureole, Charlie Palmer — he opened Anassa in Astoria, the sister restaurant to ours in Battery Park City and was a Top Chef finalist in 2014. Nick went on to be the general manager of high-end restaurants; they worked together in DC for years, and eventually he was brought in to find dining concepts to airports for HMS Host. Their careers converged again at Kyma in Hudson Yards.
I would call the menu at Paros fine dining with a Greek twist — rather than straight-up Greek. There’s tuna tartare with a hint of citrus and bit of crunch; a huge beet salad that could easily feed four with pomegranate seeds piled on top; the chargrilled octopus comes on a bed of hummus — so rich and so good. I would go back for the haloumi ($18), grilled and deizzled with honey, and definitely the tuna tartare ($28).
You can’t really top the bar experience at Paros — though go early; it fills up quick. I ordered Jon Bon Jovi’s rosé ($17) in the middle of February and it did not disappoint. That plus their a selection of three dips ($22) from a list of six (don’t skip the fava) was dinner for me. (Ask for the pita — amazing — as well as the crudité.) Maybe it was the buzz in the room, but my pal and I were both feeling it: the crowd was friendly and lively, the bartender was excellent and responsive, and “the light is perfect,” my friend said. “I feel like I can see stuff but we still look good.” What more can you ask for?
Paros
211 West Broadway at Franklin
212 510 7453
info@parosnyc.com
Seven days, 11:30a to 10p
8 Comments
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Food is great but service is lacking in numerous areas:
1) Hostess telling people the whole party needs to be there in order to be seated is so old and tired. Do you not want people to start ordering drinks while waiting for the rest of the party to arrive? And no the bar is not always an option when it’s packed. If you have a table reserved at a set time, seat me whether it’s 1 person or all people from the party.
2) Wait staff don’t introduce themselves and just ask if you want drinks upon sitting. No hi I’m X, no how’s everyone doing, no here are tonight’s specials or recommendations. This is an upscale restaurant, act like one.
3) Stop allowing wait staff to touch cups when pouring water. It’s disgusting knowing how many other things they touch before touching your cup.
4) Stop forcing the table to order all at once. It DOES NOT help the chefs out, it only rushes the table out (you will lose out on additional orders by doing this).
Other than these issues that need correcting, it’s generally a good place, albeit a bit pricey.
Those prices are outrageous. I can’t believe people are actually eating there.
It’s family style, the portions are big.
They should make that more evident. We’re super interested in trying it but were scared off by the prices, especially for the main dishes.
The food and atmosphere are terrific, but the recent attitude of the management is unacceptable. The prices are high, but the portions are very large.
I have been many many times.. food is always consistent, but I believe to be successful it is imperative to take care of your regulars.
This place is a true gem. By far the best Greek in the neighborhood. If you cannot afford the regular prices, I suggest that you go during happy hour for the discounts. I personally do not find the pricing any different than the other fine dining choices in downtown NYC. Place is very tough to get in these days, so the prices certainly not keeping most people away.
The (generous) food offerings on their Happy Hour menu are a great way to experience Paros. The bartender made excellent recommendations and kindly asked us before Happy Hour pricing ended if we wanted to order more. Excellent first impressions! When I returned with reservations for a recent Sunday brunch, things were a bit hectic as they filled quickly due to the unseasonably warm weather. They seemed a bit caught off guard by the influx of people wanting tables, and they appeared understaffed. The food was still good and portions generous, but service was somewhat lacking (we had to flag down the manager to get drinks and no one checked to see if we wanted refills – we would have been happy to order another round or two of cocktails). Overall, they’re a great addition to the Tribeca dining scene even if the price point is on the higher side. I would just give them a little time to get their staffing levels to where they need to be for this type of restaurant. Yiasou, Paros – welcome to the neighborhood!
1. SPACE: really gorgeous, modern but warm, not too formal, floodlit during the day with its southwest exposure & (very) high
ceilings. The bar with the combination of tainted mirror and windows gives it a wow factor. HUGE plus is that that tables are mostly well-spaced, so you don’t feel like you are talking to your neighbor.
2. FOOD: overall delicious, with the original flavors as you would experience them in Greece, nicely presented, all ingredients are high quality, no question about that. (Some flavors are a little diluted compared to the original, e.g the superb tarama that has a spot-on flavor, but just not enough of it!)
3. BAR: produces excellent cocktails overall (although the house version of the white negroni was a tad too sweet /too vermoothy for our taste). Selection of wines is thoughtful and a great match for the food. The Greek wines are really worth a try.
4. SERVICE: warm, friendly, attentive but still discreet / not overly solicitous. Just on point.
5. PRICES: Some feel on-point for quality, space, & location, e.g. many of the meze, or the generous portion of grilled prawns, or the NY Strip, or the sides. Others seem a little excessive, even for Tribeca, eg the two lamb chops for almost $60 (accounting for tax & service).
Overall a really great experience and a lovely addition to the hood! I hope they make it here for the long term!