Elite Event: Happy Hour At Raval

Who doesn’t love a Unilocal event? Getting to try restaurants, hanging out with Unilocalers, and swag! So, obviously I was super excited when the Unilocal event was at Ravel, a favorite of mine.
We arrived and were greeted by Sara, who told us to head right on in. We were a little late getting there (work, and such), I got the sangria and my boyfriend got a beer. I’m not one to say, omg! sangria! But this sangria, delicious, right down to the fruit inside.
When we got downstairs for the food, there was a line, but it turns out the line was only for the sliders, the rest of the food was up for grabs. I was a little sad they didn’t have my favorite out, the goat cheese medallions, but, they had my second favorite, the mushroom croquettes. SO GOOD. Love this things. Got to try a couple of other things on the menu, everything was delightful. My boyfriend had never been to Ravel before and said we were totally going back. Yay!
Everything was prefect, from the staff (very nice and friendly) to the Unilocal crew (good job guys!). Thanks so a great night and good food!

This event was so much fun. So great catching up with Unilocalers felt like I hadn’t seen so many of you guys! The staff at Raval did such a great job hosting. That sangria was everything after a glass or two you really started to feel it. So delicious and refreshing tasted natural and not to juicy like others. Raval is beautifully decorated with some intimate seats for either 2 people or big enough for a group of friends.
The food was pretty great. Tapas can always get tricky I think, but Raval put on a great spread of food. It was delicious and flavorful. I wish I would have taken more photos but I just ended up chatting it up all night that I forgot lol. This place is so intimate and nice I can definitely see myself coming back.
Everything was so great! Thank you Raval, thank you Sara for a great night!
Cant wait for the next event.

I attended this Elite event as a +1. This event was so amazing, that it inspired me to become a Unilocal Elite as well! When we first stepped in, we were greeted by the Community Manager (Sarah) throwing the event. The atmosphere was super fun; all the tables had Unilocal gear on them. There were a few bartenders at Raval had a free open far for the entirety of the even (red/​white sangria, beer), which they honored even after the event ended! All the food was located downstairs– cheeses, aged meats, sliders, fried garlic kale (SO good). Everything they offered from their menu!
I had a great time overall, and even bumped into coworkers and college friends!

My first 2016 event was lovely! Decent weather, a lovely space, and a great introduction to Sara.
We were greeted and given (optional) name tags. I wanted to write «sleepy» on mine. but after a glass of sangria, things sure picked up! The team hosted a lovely event upstairs at the bar, then encouraged the masses to head downstairs and grab some sliders, croquettas, meats and cheese. The Patatas were delicious as always and that wile mushroom croquetta, in my opinion, was the star.
I enjoy Raval, but this eclectic variety of food (and the chickpea-​kale thing that Ive never had before!) was a special experience. It’s really fun to get introduced to some new Eliters, and we’re looking forward to hanging out with the group as the year progresses.
I would have really enjoyed talking with our Community Leader a bit more — but I understand it was a crazy event and jam-​packed, so Im just glad she took the time to introduce herself and leave us eager for more chats soon!

Many thanks to Sara for hosting a fun event! The croquettas and sangria were amazing! So were the patatas! Definitely a place friends and I will check out again. Cool location too!

Any event that you can bring a +1 to is awesome! Thanks for hosting Raval — i will be back for sure. I’m surprised that they shut down the entire place to host this event. Raval went far beyond my expectations for a Unilocal elite event. First the drinks — I just tried the Sangria in both the red and white. They were very strong and tasty. I saw that they add soda which probably adds to their sweetness.
The ambiance in this joint is very nice. It’s cozy with a nice basement area that would be great for events and catering events too. The staff were all very friendly.
The food was nice! I enjoyed the potatoes and the fried chic peas. The beef sliders are also very tasty. The olives, cheese, meats were very nice and always can’t go wrong with those.
overall this event gave me a yummy taste leaving me wanting more!
Thanks Sara for putting this together!

Another great Unilocal event. I’ve been in the neighborhood plenty of times, but have no come in to Raval. Knowing how good the food is, I will certainly come back. The complimentary Sangria for the event was great– both white and red. The tapas kept getting better. The potato croquettes with mushrooms were fabulous. The meat and cheese selections were fantastic and now I think all chick peas should be fried.
The one thing I would say is, lose the TVs. They are giant and they really intrude on the intimate feeling of the whole place. You are Tapas, not Sports. Embrace that.

This was such a great event! I had never been to this part of Jersey City and the area is so cute, so I will definitely be back!
I really enjoyed Raval, too! I loved the atmosphere, and all of the wine, sangria, and tapas we got to try were delicious. It reminded me of when I lived in Spain and made me miss it so much! Everything tasted just like the traditional Spanish cuisine there. My favorite was the fried chickpeas and kale. I need to learn how to make those!
It was awesome having the whole place to ourselves and getting to catch up with fellow Unilocalers. The service was great, too.
Thank you so much, Sara and Raval!

Raval closed their doors for 1.5 hours for Elite Unilocalers, so cool! We had the entire place to ourselves. Ravals atmosphere is so perfect and I love the layout of the space as well. So many cool little booths and smaller tables, the set up is sweet.
There was a variety of booze offered; sangria, beers, mixed drinks, and wine. I had the red wine, which was Spanish. I never usually indulge in Spanish wine, so the first few sips I was getting used to the taste… but by the end of the glass I liked it and got a second! The downstairs space is where the tapas was set up, everything was so delicious but my favorites were the sliders and meat/​cheese spread! YUMMM.
Thank you Raval for opening your doors to us and thank you to Sara for hosting a fun Elite event!

My first event as a 2016 elite and what an awesome event it was!
Brought one of my best girl friends as my +1 and she had a blast as well!
Thanks to all the staff and GM at Raval and our dope CM Sara for this event!
Raval’s space has a nice set up and they did a great job organizing the event to have drinks upstairs and food served downstairs. Upstairs bar and seating accommodates a good amount of people. As for drinks they provided us with a good selection of beers on tap, house wines, white and red sangria options, and well drinks. I stuck with their house red and red sangria, both spot on!
As you make your way downstairs you can’t help but be stunned at the awesome floor to ceiling artwork.
And Raval DID NOT skimp on the food! And I loved it all! From olives to crispy chickpeas, cheeses and cured meats, tortilla espanola and their crispy potatoes. My fave was definitely their Hamburguesitas (beef sliders). The meat was cooked perfectly and the garlic aioli sauce was excellent!
Much love to the NJ Unilocal community! It was great to see so many familiar faces and always love meeting new ones at every event!
Gotta give it to Raval for letting us Unilocalers take over their space! Definitely another great spot to hit up on Newark Ave.
Sara M, you rocked it! Heart you lots!!!

I would like to thank Raval and Sara for putting together an amazing Unilocal event. Being that is was my first time at Raval I wasn’t sure what to expect. But soon as you walk into Raval you feel a great ambiance. It’s a cozy spot with a bar upstairs and downstairs as well as tables for intimate dining. My cousin and I both enjoyed the décor of Raval.
The staff at Raval were so amazing. So warm and welcoming from beginning to end.
There was an open bar for the Unilocalers, beer wine, sangria and mixed well drinks. I started off with the red sangria, way too sweet for my taste buds so I then switched to vodka and seltzer with 2 lemons. I stuck with that all night. There was also a nice selection of beers on tap. The bartenders were very nice and attentive towards the Unilocalers, who we all know love their alcohol!!! Lol.
As for the food it is a tapas bar so the little bites accompanied the drinks very well. The prosciutto was delicious not too salty I put that on the perfectly toasted crostini with a piece of cheese. I also tried the croquettes which were fried nicely crispy outer shell and gooey inside. Also tried the fried chickpeas with kale. And the slider had a nice little spin with the chorizo ketchup. There was other items I couldn’t try. But the food I tasted had lots of flavor.
All in all this place was good an attentive staff, flavorful food and strong drinks. I will be back to try other menu items. Thanks again Raval and Sara and of course to all my Unilocal family. You are the people that make these events enjoyable.

Thanks to Sara M. and Raval ownership for organizing this event, I now know this exists! And now I miss living in JC :(
The owner put out a great spread for us and I did not leave the least bit hungry.
Looking at the menu online and comparing it to what we had, I’d say we got to try about 50% of Raval has to offer, including, but not limited to:
— Olives (orange, herb and chili marinated olives)
— Hamburguesitas (beef sliders, chorizo ketchup, garlic aioli, saron pickles). As an aside, I wished I remembered what kind of bread they used because the bun was bangin’!
— Tortilla española (omelette of onion and garlic)
— Crispy chickpeas & kale
— Dried berkshire chorizo
— Patatas) crispy potatoes, pimenton, toasted cumin aioli and scallions)
— Manchego al trigal (12 month aged firm sheep’s milk cheese)
I’m sure there was more but some of my fellow Unilocalers were savages and may have beaten me to the punch on a few dishes :(
About the only thing I didn’t care for was the house red (the Rivarey Tempranillo), but the sangria, on the other hand, was delicious and packed some serious booze.
I spent a semester in Spain. Raval’s cuisine brought back great memories of that experience, but the quality of its cuisine far exceeded anything I ever had in Spain itself. Bravo!
The owner has two other restaurants in JC, one of which is Satis Bistro, a place I HIGHLY recommend as well.

What a great event, big props to Sara and Raval team for putting it together.
Unilocalers and their +1’s were in for a great treat as they closed the entire restaurant for this event. The place is huge, spread across two levels. We had Raval for ourselves for 1.5 hours. Though the place has a narrow entrance it is actually quite spacious.
There was quite a spread when it came to food and drinks. I tried the Red sangria which was really good and they had plenty of other drink options (beer, well drinks etc.). Liked how the food was properly laid out downstairs and I got to try a couple of things but my favorite was the mushroom croquetas, they were just super delish.
It was catching up with regular Unilocalers and also got a chance to meet a bunch of new elites.
Everybody from the bar staff and the staff downstairs made sure we had a great time.
They have a solid happy hour and will definitely stop by very soon!

Had a great time here. Thank you Sara for organizing this! And Hi to all the new friends I made :)
The red sangria was fantastic. I was drunk after only one drink. And I am NOT a lightweight.
I love that Raval closed the bar down for the hour and a half that we were there. It was very personal. One thing I was surprised about was how big this place was. Upstairs and a downstairs.
The food was delicious. My plus one doesn’t like mushrooms but she loved the mushroom croquette things anyway! Didn’t get a chance to try the sliders but I saw everyone waiting online for them so they must have been good. Loved all the meats, cheeses and olives. I would love to come back here again for another meal.

Well the best NJ Elite event I have ever been too also happened to be the one I was waitlisted for. I ended up going as a plus one. The Unilocaler I came with was only there for 20 minutes lol
Anyhow on to the event. From the moment you walk in and absorb the vibe of the place, you realize it’s all good ;). The music was smooth, not too loud and not too low. The lighting and décor was awesome, it made me feel like I was at a lounge. The food was plentiful, a bunch of appetizers, I didnt hear any complaints. The drinks were awesome free sangrias, well drinks, etc etc. The staff was phenomenal especially the bartenders.
Most of all the Unilocalers rock, everyone seemed to be having a great time and smiles all around or maybe it was just me lol.
I definitely will come back here, maybe even throw a uye at this spot!

This is the 2^nd amazing event in less than week’s time. Both of which allowed a +1! How are you not exhausted Sara?
And how was this place not on my radar? Beautiful space. Great bartenders and servers. Excellent food.
Choice of beer, house wine, sangria and well drinks. Of course we kept going for the sangria because it tasted amazing and of course the spectacle. Love seeing the mixing of wine, fruit, peach nectar and club soda.
I could nosh on those sliders all night.
Service was great. They kept the food coming and the tables clean. And just the fact we had the entire place to ourselves was a VERY nice touch.
We enjoyed the place so much, my friends and I stayed for another couple hours.
Can’t wait to go back!

Raval is such an awesome spot! Last weekend my boyfriend moved to Jersey City, pretty much around the corner, so this was a great introduction to the community. And it was a +1 event, which was even better. I loved the entire event, from the drinks upstairs to the artwork that led us to the food downstairs. The drink choices were varied and unlimited: sangria, well drinks, draft beers, and house wine. The bartenders were extremely attentive and helpful. Downstairs, there was an array of food, from home-​fries to flavorful chickpeas and more. Unfortunately I did not get to try the sliders, but they looked absolutely delicious!
Sometimes events can get packed, so it was nice that the event space was reserved for Unilocal members only. I happened to randomly run into someone I knew (a +1) that I haven’t seen in years, so that was also fun! As always, Sara did a fantastic job organizing this event. I will definitely be back here again. Jersey City is a great hotspot, and I’m looking forward to exploring all it has to offer!

«What a spread!» That was the first thing that came out of my mouth when I saw the long bar covered in mouth-​watering tapas style offerings. The Raval folks really went all out on this event which, all told, was a smashing success. From the cozy and stylish décor, to the should-​be-​award-​winning Sangria to the afore mentioned food.
My personal favorite «bite» was the slider, which melted in my mouth and held the perfect amount of sweet and savory inside. Given the speed at which they evaporated off the buffet table, I’m guessing my fellow Unilocalers agree.
The staff were gracious, attentive and friendly. This place is everything you want in a night out. Right down to the little details, including a hallway to hang up your bulky winter coat.

Short & sweet Elite Event at Raval: Loved the vibe and layout of this place. Closed for 1.5 hr for the elite :), we had the entire space and I loved it. A lot of bar space, booths, and smaller tables to grab your +1 and mingle.
The cocktails offered were– sangria, beers, mixed drinks, and house wine. I had the white sangria, which was made a little different compared to the traditional Spanish restaurants but hey they were still good. The downstairs area was set up for the food, which was a great idea because CM Sara M. had a packed house! The charcuterie was delicious, home-​fries, and of course the sliders that we ran down for. I got lucky and was able to snatch one.
Thank you Raval and Sara for hosting a great event on Thirsty Thursday!

Where do I start?! The delicious food?! the intoxicating drinks?! The friendly bat staff?! The Elite Unilocalers sharing great times?!
Raval knows how to throw a Unilocal event, that’s for sure! The sangria, local beer, wines, and mixers were flowing. The food was delectable, from charcuterie to croquettes to sliders to Spanish grilled cheese. Everything was perfect. Thanks so much Raval!
I have had some great times at elite events, and this was no exception. As always, Sara put together a fantastic event! Thanks for having me.
My wife and I have been planning to come to Raval for some time, but just haven’t got there yet. This was a great intro to the food, service and ambience, and we will definitely be dining here soon!