Bolo
23 East 22nd Street (between Park & Broadway)

As I have said many times in the past, New York is a great repository for Spanish restaurants. Overall, Italian restaurants play too much by the formula and are so "Italian-American" and not genuine. But Spanish places tend to be more adventurous, and Bolo is one of them. I recently had a private Christmas celebration with my girlfriend and the restaurant did not disappoint.

It was a quiet Sunday evening and the restaurant was not too crowded, which made it easier to talk. The environment is nice, not overdone but not simple either. Pleasing to the eye and condusive to all sorts of moods. We enjoyed some sangria to start and a wonderful time ensued.

I enjoyed grilled octopus for a starter. I must say it was a bit sour (almost like a ceviche) and the piece of tentacle was quite rubbery...but that's the joys of eating seafood on a Sunday. My girlfriend's salad was apparently quite good. That was the only hiccup to the entire meal, and rather minor.

The main course was a very nicely done black squid ink risotto with seafood. It was magical, with an excellent mixture of ink with lobster, shrimp and other seafood. The flavours all combined well, and it was one of the better arroz negro I've had in New York. My girlfriend's sea bass was also apparently quite delicious.

For dessert we split a "tapas" selection of various desserts, from the flan to the baklava. It was a nice combination, not too sweet, but perfect. With a bit of espresso, this topped of an excellent meal.

It was a wonderful evening, with good food (despite the rubbery octopus) in a nice restaurant environment. I would recommend Bolo to all enthusiasts of Spanish food and good seafood.

Food: A-
Atmosphere: B+
For Lone Diners: B+ (*)