Al-Andalus

Jiro dreamed of sushi. I dream of tapas—at least the affordable kind you find in Spain. Lucky for me, an authentic tapas experience can now be found in the East Village—with most small plates flying under the $10 mark.

Al-Andalus follows a simple Arabic proverb: “There is salt and bread between us." And they certainly make good on that promise as tables fill nightly with vegan, Andalusian-inspired tapas, served in a space fit for Moroccan royalty—think beautiful rugs and brass lanterns from Cairo, which emanate a soft-yellow glow.

To order, guests receive a paper menu and red golf pencils—ticking off a bread dish here, a grill item there. Everything is under $10 except for the shareable plates and veggie paella, including the cocktails, beer and wine, which arrive in ornamental tea cups with gold trim. Start with the crostini, ladled with creamy butter beans, heirloom tomatoes and bits of bitter kale to cut through the richness. Then try not to shovel the charred, blackened mushroom skewers too fast. Or, if you can't help it, ensure each bite has a tear of mint and pickled red onions, plus a swoop of the generously garlicky toum.

Meat substitutes will make you miss the real thing here. The shakshuka's scrambled bits of fake egg weren't enough to give the dish the heartiness it needed, making for seasoned spoonfuls of thick tomato sauce and not much else. The golden, braided simit bread, crusted with black and white sesame seeds, was a bit dry and could’ve been helped by tangy feta cheese (the faux feta dip, sadly, did not). Cocktails, while well-priced at $10, also missed the mark. The Amira tasted cloyingly sweet and simultaneously bitter, while the Na'na Mint Iced Tea's refreshing, herbaceous start finished with an artificial lemon aftertaste.

Some of the dishes need a bit of work to make them a knockout, but Al-Andalus’ price point and warmth can't be overlooked. The restaurant is an easy choice for an approachable date night or an affordable group gathering.