The entrance is very unassuming and easy to miss. Once you step in, it's sort of confusing. Go there, and you'll see what I mean. In all honesty, the atmosphere isn't very inviting, but at the same time, I didn't care because I actually felt like I had stepped back into Spain. Madrid has a very soft spot in my heart because I spent a summer there, and La Nacional literally felt like a typical Spanish restaurant/tapas bar in Spain. People are just chillin' there, eating, drinking, or just sitting there watching soccer on tv. Because of the fact that I appreciate anything that makes me feel like I've gone back to Spain, I actually loved the fact that the atmosphere at La Nacional was what it was.
We were given bread, olive oil, and olives to start. Out of the many Spanish restaurants I've been to in NY, this was the only one that gave complimentary olives. We also ordered a small pitcher of Sangria - this was by far the best sangria I've had in the States. It wasn't watered down, not too fruity, not too strong, and not too much ice and fruit pieces. A small pitcher ($18) served 6 glasses which was pretty good.
We started with the Sardinas Plancha. Just the right amount of crispiness and saltiness. This was something we haven't had at a Spanish restaurant before, so it was a nice change from the things we tend to order again and again. The Sardinas were actually more like what I ate when in Greece. This was definitely a good choice though, and pretty well priced at $8 for 3 decently sized sardines.
Next we were given the Gambas al Ajillo ($9). I actually sort of liked this better than all the other ones I've had elsewhere because of the sauce it came in. Sure it didn't come in a clay bowl with the olive oil still sizzling, but the sauce was so perfect for dipping the bread in. I would highly recommend this as well.
Finally we got what we were wanting the most - Paella de la Casa ($18/person). This was a very well-sized portion for two people, and as tradition, it came in a big paella pan. The rice was perfectly al dente and not too dry nor too wet. It came with clams, chicken, shrimp, and mussels. The taste was perfect. It was by far the best paella I've had in the city (Sala's version is on par), and definitely as good if not better than anything I had while in Spain. Unless all you want is tapas, you can't go to La Nacional without some of their paella.
We were so full that we decided not to get dessert, however our waitress gave us a complimentary glass of dessert wine each! I'm all for anything gratis, and this was definitely a nice treat. I'm not sure if they always do that or if she gave it to us because it was Valentine's Day and we didn't order dessert. But hey, it tasted good, and it was a nice ending to our meal. In fact, it was ideal because after tapas and paella, sometimes you just can't eat anything else after that, yet you want that sweet taste in your mouth. So the free dessert wine was a plus.
If you want traditional Spanish food in a traditional Spanish atmosphere, go to La Nacional!
14th Street, btwn 7th and 8th ave.
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