Cafe Frida - Columbus Ave, New York

RIP OFF!!!! The dishonest use of SPECIAL OF THE DAY would have made Frida Kahlo`s unibrow split in two and slap the owner in the mouth. The waiter neglected to mention some important information about the SPECIAL pitcher of blood orange margarita. They charged $85. Dear reader, this is not a misprint. We could have enjoyed a great bottle of wine instead. We were vocally horrified when the bill arrived with a line item for $85. We relayed our distaste at the table and the following day over the phone. The manager justified the price by saying they normally charge $65-70. Our first and last time at Cafe Frida on Amsterdam. It felt like the great anal invasion of 2012!

I was shocked to see the negative reviews for Cafe Frida. It is in my estimation the best hi-end Mexican in New York. It offers better food and drinks than Rosa Mexicano or Dos Caminos and does so at a better price. I can understand some complaints about flaky service or smaller portions and the bill with drinks can add up quickly but for NYC (and yes the Mex is better in Calf. or Tex.) this place is as good as it gets and offers a cool, tropical room. My wife and I journey there from SoHo regularly. Have the tableside guac and enjoy a trip to tropical Mexico. Also they carry Siembre Azul, the finest small batch tequila available.

Just went there last week and will never go back again! The food was not good at all. It didn't taste good, the portions were small, and everyting was overpriced. The service was also absolutely terrible. They were so slow with everything. Then, they tacked on a mandatory 20% gratuity because we had 6 people in our party, except that one of the people in our party didn't even eat.

I completely agree with the prior review. Overpriced, mediocre food. We were visiting the Museum of Natural History but wanted to grab something to eat before going in. Thus, we walked around the block and Cafe Frida was the only thing open due to it being New Years day. Terrible choice, should of walked out of the restaurant. $13 for 3 pieces of empanada? Are you kidding me? And my pork burrito was sweet. Way overpriced and the portion was ridiculously small. If I can give it a zero on the star rating, I would. They don't even deserve 1 star. And the other reviewer who said the food is authentic? Are you kidding me? Their food is FAR from being authentic. You want authentic Mexican food, come to California. DON'T GO THERE!!! IT'S TERRIBLE!!!

Don't make the same mistake we did. The service was poor, the waiter seemed unwilling to stay at our table long enough to answer questions about the menu. As we left the restaurant, a waiter came after us and asked for a tip, which according to the menu was added to the bill for larger groups. The prices were extremely high for the quality and portion of the food we received. Cafe Frida's location on Columbus Ave. makes it an expensive tourist trap for unsuspecting visitors to the Upper West Side.

Creative dishes. Well prepared and tasty! Hip atmosphere & music.