General info

Travel Info

What to do

People&Culture

New York City’s Best Mexican Restaurants

Maya

High-end Mexican that ranks among the city's best.

Prompt seating - yes
Make reservations - yes
Romantic - yes
Good for kids - no
Good for groups - no
Recommended – yes

The Scene

Pastel walls decorated with folk art and glass shelves lined with silverware create a tastefully festive atmosphere. The dining room feels intimate but is actually quite large--nooks and crannies are dotted about everywhere. Service is variable: sometimes excellent, sometimes merely adequate.

The Food

Richard Sandoval creates haute takes on familiar standbys, and invents a few of his own creamy confections, too. In the former category, quesadillas stuffed with cheese and zucchini blossom are soft and crunchy, while mole poblano features unusually complex sauce and boneless chicken tenders spiralled around plantains. In the latter, baked oysters swamped with goat cheese, habaneros and crispy bacon are a gooey treat and perfectly seared scallops chime with halibut, lemon, chiptole, avocado and cilantro to wonderfully tangy effect. Off notes--like tuna ceviche overwhelmed by a citrus juice--are few and far between.

1191 1st Ave
New York, NY 10021
Phone: (212) 585-1818
Fax: (212) 734-6579