A New York on Tap pick

Xicala

151 Elizabeth St. · At Kenmare
NoLita, Manhattan

In 2026

Closed; now Tashca

Later here: Peix (licensed 2013–15), Egg Shop (licensed 2024–26).

Checked October 15, 2026.

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Overview

Warm and cozy wine and tapas bar, small enough and far enough off the beaten track that you feel like you've uncovered a hidden treasure.

History

A waiting room that became the destination

Xicala began as a waiting room: the owners of Cafe el Portal, a tiny Mexican restaurant with long lines, opened it as a wine bar a block away¹. Its tapas, papas con chorizo among them, made it a destination of its own¹. By April 2013 it was on its way to becoming Peix Bar de Mariscos, a seafood restaurant, and from 2014 the space was Egg Shop, whose original location closed there in August 2025 after 11 years^{2, 3, 4}. Now it is Tashca, a Portuguese restaurant built on family recipes from Lisbon, open to the public on Thursdays and the occasional Friday^{5, 6}.

Sources

Researched October 2026.

What's nearby

The Vig Bar under 0.1 mi Still pouring
Shebeen under 0.1 mi Closed; now Balzem
Sweet and Vicious 0.1 mi Closed; now Delta Charlie Tavern
Epistrophy 0.1 mi Still pouring
BLVD 0.1 mi Closed; now The Ainslie
Crash Mansion 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Ainslie, Ainslie Bowery, Cosmo
Oro Bakery and Bar 0.1 mi A different business is licensed at this address: Quan Sushi Japanese Restaurant
The Randolph at Broome 0.1 mi Closed; now The Garret Nolita
Bowery Ballroom 0.1 mi Still pouring
Peasant Wine Bar 0.1 mi Still pouring