La Pulperia, a Latin restaurant, and bar on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, is a gem I recently had the pleasure of visiting! This spot serves quite the array of cocktails and cuisine, and also offers Brazillian Jazz on Monday’s, Ladies Night on Tuesday’s, Drag Brunch at the Hells Kitchen location, and also a great happy hour at all three locations. 

I decided to check out La Pulperia on the Upper East Side, on 2nd Avenue. It’s stylish and inviting with bright decor, dark wood finishes, and a friendly vibe. I started off with the La Pulperia Cocktail, which was a tequila-based cocktail with English cucumber, shiso leaf, yuzu, and house-made pop rocks on the rim. It was a refreshing way to start the meal and easily paired with the Lobster Taquitos appetizer. These lobster filled bites of heaven look more like a taco and come in a crispy wonton shell with pineapple, avocado cream, and spicy mayo. Alongside the lobster appetizer, was The Upper East Side Lady Cocktail with 24k gold leaf, strawberry infused gin and elderflower liqueur. This also paired nicely with the seafood, as well as a few more appetizers including the Beef and Pork Empanadas, and Queso Fundido with Chihuahua cheese, Spanish chorizo, caramelized onion, and toasted bread. Also, wanting to try something from the raw bar, I decided on one of the most popular raw bar options, El Salmon Brulee. This dish is Verlasso Salmon tartar, topped with fromage brulee, strawberry & ginger leche de tigre, and micro bull blood greens. It’s a beautiful dish with lots of flavor and creativity.

” I was very pleased while here, at the plating and presentation of each and every dish. It’s such a nice touch when restaurants take into consideration eye appeal as much as they do flavor, service, and ambiance. Here you will enjoy it all “. 

After all those appetizers, it was time to move onto some of La Pulperia’s delicious entree options! After looking over the menu, I decided it was best that I try the Sangria Braised Short Ribs as well as the Pacu Fish Ribs. The short ribs were out of this world and are warm, comforting, and flavorful! They come with a creamy truffle polenta and mushroom ragu that really sets this dish apart from anything that I have had in NYC so far in the short ribs category.  The Pacu Fish Ribs were an interesting option and fun to eat since I never really thought about fish having that much meat on their ribs, but this fish does! They’re grilled Brazillian fish ribs with orange chipotle bbq sauce and coconut rice. The flavors and textures in this dish are amazing, and if you like to try new things, this dish is definitely it.

If you have room, the desserts here at La Pulperia are certainly something your sweet tooth will thank you for. Even though I was so full from all the above, I could not resist the Spice Chocolate Mousse and the Mango and Lychee Tres Leches. The mousse is made with Herradura Anejo tequila and topped with espresso crumbs, popcorn toffee, and 24k gold edible leaf. The tres leches, however, is something fun for everyone, with citrus sponge cake, coconut mousse, coconut and sake soak, vanilla whipped cream, chocolate shavings, and a mango and lychee pico de gallo. 

Overall, if you are looking for a lovely bar and restaurant that serves delicious Latin cuisine and has Brazillian Jazz on Monday’s, La Pulperia is for you. It’s a spot I would absolutely want to frequent due to its lively energy, creative menu, and great cocktail selection!