Don Quijote is the famous misguided idealist, the aging knight who tilted with windmills, and journeyed through the Spanish countryside, a man with a good heart, integrity and a dose of magic. The 60-plus-year-old El Quijote restaurant on West 23rd Street lives up to its namesake, with a menu of traditional Spanish dishes, heavy on the seafood, that aims to please, and (unlike the famous Cervantes hero) meets its mark.
Celebrity Choice Review
Donna Marie Asbury (June in Chicago) chooses: El Quijote
Cervantes would feel at home, since El Quijote is a tribute to Don Quijote. The bar has every imaginable Quijote and Sancho Panza knickknack. Prices haven’t changed in five years, nor have quantity or quality. Regulars don’t need menus. They know El Quijote is famed for lobster: 2,200 pounds of 11⁄4, 2, 3 and 4 pounders arrive weekly (caught in Maine by boats under contract). Still hungry? There’s the Daily Double, two 11⁄4 pounders. Almost as renowned is the paella, available four different ways. Chef Nava also prides himself on the cuts of steak and chops and seafood. El Quijote boasts 60 tapas selections. There’s a full bar and over 100 Spanish and international wines, several by the glass.
