tapas TAPAS tapas ... first at Casaville

Photos from my Canon SD880 IS

Who doesn't love TAPAS?

If you don't have the time to travel to Spain, but want a good taste of the food, I welcome you to try Casaville in Murray Hill (2nd avenue between 34th and 33rd street). Though its a French-Moroccan restaurant, a friend and I decided to try the tapas here... We shared the Mixed Tapa plate, which had a good assortment of the typical spanish tapa dishes you'd normally order (tortilla espanola, grilled calamari, olives, etc) and a side order of seafood paella. This along with a small pitcher of sangria was more than enough to satisfy two people.

The food was better than what I would have expected from a local eatery in a residential area; however, the prices were similar to many other tapas restaurants ($7-$10 per plate) that I've tried, which was surprising since the decor was average and service mediocre. Though it sounds like its a negative review of the place, its not. I think Casaville has something desirable, especially for a neighborhood locale. The menu has a variety of items to cater to the French, Moroccan and Spanish flavors you may be craving.

Though I enjoyed the food, I still rank Casa Mono, Boqueria and Mercat as my favorite tapa joints in the city. However, if you need that quick fix and are in the Murray Hill area -- Casaville is a good enough place to satisfy your appetite.