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Rosa Mexicano on First Avenue

1063 First Avenue, New York City, NY 10022-2903
(212) 753-7407
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Ranked #583 of 7,383 restaurants in New York City
4.0 of 5 stars 67 Reviews
Price range: 32 AUD - 46 AUD
Cuisines: Mexican
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Restaurant details
Good for: Bar Scene, Groups
Dining options: Breakfast/Brunch, Dinner, Reservations, Delivery
Dining style: Casual Elegant
Neighbourhood: Midtown
Cross street: 58th Street
Transit: 4,5,6, N,R, W to 59th Street/ Lexington, M15 to 57th + 1st
Description: Our flagship location opened its doors on First Avenue in 1984. From the moment you arrive, old world charm permeates your dining experience through authentic Mexican colors and rustic folk art. Traditional amate gods greet you at the front entrance and brightly colored papel picado hangs from the ceiling. Corn tortillas are made on site and an exposition grill further seduces your senses. With its warm ambiance and outstanding cuisine, this Rosa Mexicano location has remained a perennial New York favorite for over 25 years.
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67 reviews from our community

75% Recommend
    27
    24
    9
    3
    4
Rating summary
    Food
    Service
    Value
    Atmosphere
Date Rating
NYC
Senior Contributor
23 reviews 23 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
8 helpful votes 8 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 11 May 2012

We live in the neighborhood and this place has become a favorite standby. We all love the guacamole served with both soft tortillas as well as the chips. The sangria is great. They have a good kids menu, my younger son loves the quesadillas. I have to say I've tried several of their entrees and don't find them as great... More

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See 2 more reviews by Guaiguai for New York City
Greensboro, North Carolina
Senior Reviewer
6 reviews 6 reviews
Reviews in 2 cities Reviews in 2 cities
5 helpful votes 5 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 10 May 2012

This is my go-to restaurant in NYC. I love this location, tucked away in a neighborhood. Its always busy and energetic, the food is always amazing and the drinks are incredible. The service is always excellent, too. I've never had a bad experience here and continue to return on every trip to the city. Definitely give it a try. More

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See 3 more reviews by ginaing for New York City
Sydney, Australia
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 8 cities Reviews in 8 cities
36 helpful votes 36 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 26 April 2012

We didn't have a reservation but within 10 minutes of our arrival we had a table and enjoyed a fabulous meal. The service was first class. Prices are reasonable. More

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Melbourne, Australia
Senior Contributor
40 reviews 40 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
12 helpful votes 12 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 16 April 2012

I was little concerned about trying this place given some of the reviews on trip advisor. But I was pleasantly surprised. You must try the guacamole which is made in front of you and served with fresh corn chips and house-made tortillas. Jonathan Waxman is currently the chef in residence and his influence on the menu is evident. The modern... More

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See 5 more reviews by AngelaSch for New York City
New York City, New York
Top Contributor
222 reviews 222 reviews
Reviews in 32 cities Reviews in 32 cities
80 helpful votes 80 helpful votes
2 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 April 2012

As noted by a number of other TripAdvisor reviews I too was shocked by the very small portions in relation to pricing. When the main dish, Amabre a la Mexican was delivered it consisted of one very short wood stick with several pieces of meat, two chiles, a couple of pieces of Mexican sausage. it was small and for $26.75... More

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See 70 more reviews by GlennLittle for New York City
London
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
15 helpful votes 15 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 March 2012

I had heard good things about this place and wanted to check it out. Mexican food in London (or the UK for that matter) is not very good and so wanted to try something better on this side of the Atlantic. The food was alright but they gave really tiny portions. For a restaurant in the USA that came as... More

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Corralejo, Spain
Contributor
15 reviews 15 reviews
Reviews in 6 cities Reviews in 6 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
3 of 5 stars Reviewed 23 March 2012

This place had great staff and within minutes we were sitting at a table with one of the staff coming over to make us extraordinary guacamole right by our table. However beside the fact that the guacamole was amazing, the rest of the food was not the usual mexican one would expect (all way too fancy to my liking) and... More

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See 7 more reviews by 7IslandSurfschool for New York City
New York City, New York
Senior Contributor
35 reviews 35 reviews
Reviews in 10 cities Reviews in 10 cities
20 helpful votes 20 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 21 March 2012

This is the best of the three Rosas in New York, by far. The others just don't get it quite right. More

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See 12 more reviews by George817 for New York City
Palo Alto, CA area
Senior Contributor
32 reviews 32 reviews
Reviews in 13 cities Reviews in 13 cities
13 helpful votes 13 helpful votes
5 of 5 stars Reviewed 6 March 2012

I first visited Rosa Mexicano in April 1986, after reading about it in the United in-flight magazine. I've been back well over 100 times, including 3 times in January 2012 on two trips to NYC. It's not cheap -- no top restaurant is in Manhattan -- but it is always an excellent experience. I've been here many time with family... More

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New York City, New York
Top Contributor
54 reviews 54 reviews
Reviews in 11 cities Reviews in 11 cities
7 helpful votes 7 helpful votes
4 of 5 stars Reviewed 1 March 2012

Terrific food, special margaritas and solid (albeit sales culture) wait staff. Hola! More

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See 32 more reviews by iScout4U for New York City

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