Tia Pol

205 10th Ave., Chelsea, NY

7.8

map & more

Neighborhood
Chelsea

Cuisine
Spanish

Nearby
Highline Ballroom
Hiro
The Highline

212-675-8805

Official Website

By Andrew Steinthal
November 9, 2009

Tia Pol is an ultimate Infatuation First/Early In The Game Date spot. Take the edge off, have a couple of glasses of wine, and maybe some sangria while you’re at it too. Conversation will be flowing freely, you’ll be sharing quality small plates, and before you know it, you’ll wind up back in her apartment listening to Lady GaGa while you play grab-ass on the couch. Just beware, there’s pretty much a standard thirty minute wait at Tia Pol. I suppose that might come in handy, should you need some time to realize that the person you brought is a snooze, and you need to bail after one drink.

If dating is not your game, come here with a large group and share everything on the menu. The small dishes are a good excuse to sample the entire menu and not feel like a fat ass. Note: don’t even attempt coming in with a group larger than three without a reservation.

Food Rundown:

Patatas Bravas
Rough cut potatoes doused in an awesome smoky, spicy aioli. This is a must order.

Jamon Serrano, Artichoke, Manchego
An artichoke and manchego puree wrapped up inside a blanket of serrano ham. The crispiness of the bacon goes perfectly with the smooth, creaminess of the artichoke. We definitely recommend.

Tortilla Espanol
Eh. Pretty standard. We’ve had better.

Croquetas de Jamón
These ham croquettes are a Tia Pol Infatuation go-to. Also, if they have the cod croquetas as a special, those are even better.

Lamb Skewers
Three tender pieces of lamb come steaming out of the kitchen all kinds of hot and juicy. A nice lemony flavor makes this a good option, but not a must order.

Squid
Served in its ink, with rice. Although it was cooked well, consensus was that this squid was a little too fishy and a little too salty.

Chorizo con Chocolate
Three thin slices of chorizo served over a crostini, spread with gooey, melted chocolate goodness and sprinkled with coarse salt. Girls freak out over this one. Something about the sweet mixed with the savory drives them crazy every time (all you “Early In the Game” daters take note).