Once again, Blackboard Eats alerted me to a winner. I hadn’t heard of this place, which is under the same management as Ofrenda and Black Ant (neither of which I’ve been to). A search of Chowhound turned up no information, so I had to resort to Yelp, where the reports were almost all positive.

The staff was very welcoming and service efficient. Portions are generous. We found that two appetizers and a main course were plenty of food for the two of us. We started with tuna tacos and grilled octopus. Both had wonderfully complex flavors, and the octopus was as tender as could be. The paella was perfectly cooked, nicely spiced, and had a good crust on the bottom. Mediterranean Sangria was a nice accompaniment. We couldn’t resist dessert, and the zucca violino (butternut squash) cake did not disappoint.  Not only was it delicious, it looked gorgeous on the plate. It  would not be out of place in a very high-end restaurant.

http://gardenianyc.com/