Cantina Latina

Upload your photo »

While it certainly had its share of fans, downtown yakitori spot Mr. Jones never quite caught on. So owner Lesly Bernard decided to scrap the whole thing, and start from scratch with a south of the border concept, saying "[It] just wasn't working, but the area was in need of a great Latin restaurant." Gone is the polished, slightly Asian decor, and in its place is a lively space "modeled after an old Latin cantina." As befits the surroundings, expect pitchers of mojitos, margaritas, sangrias and a wide variety of tequila, mezcal and rum cocktails. To help steady your gait, the kitchen turns out comforting Latin small plates like roasted prawns with ajillo salsa, tacos and tortas, plus entree-sized ropa vieja and grilled whole fish. Only time will tell if the quick switch from Japanese pub grub to Latin finger food is what East Village eaters have been waiting for.

See more:

East Village restaurants, New York restaurants, Brazilian restaurants, Latin american restaurants, Puerto rican restaurants