With its blond wood and moss-green tiles, Lola’s in Nomad feels like the kind of summery cafe you go to for a pleasant, not-too-challenging meal. But the menu doesn’t quite tally with that impression: Naan is followed by tuna tataki, roasted oysters come with scallion kimchi, and there’s a salad topped with pretzels. It could easily be a chaotic mishmash. Yet the food consistently comes together in unexpectedly satisfying ways.

Lola’s excels at fresh, light cooking with surprisingly deep flavors—a contrast that’s tough to pull off. A rice bowl that looks as composed as a bouquet—with delicately sliced tsukemono-style cucumbers, fluke, and pops of roe—still feels as comforting as an afterschool snack. Indulgently thick, al dente noodles, coated with Japanese curry, unfurl with layer after layer of umami. 

photo credit: Liz Clayman

photo credit: Sonal Shah

photo credit: Sonal Shah

For a casual but memorable dinner, Lola’s is a great meet-up option near the Flatiron. It's easy to get a reservation, and there’s a little something for everyone. Each season brings small changes to the menu, but every meal should end on the high note of their excellent desserts.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Liz Clayman

Tilefish Wrap

These wraps offer all the hot, flaky fish satisfaction of a Filet-O-Fish, but with pickled onions and crisp buttery lettuce. Get this.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Fried Chicken

Excellent, crunchy battered fried chicken served with fermented hot honey that we’d gladly take shots of. The vinegar—a nod to the chef’s Filipino heritage—is green and peppery-tasting: a nice contrast.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Beet Salad

Lola’s chef used to work at Gramercy Tavern, and this feels like the kind of Union Square Greenmarket-adjacent dish you might find there. It’s a nice little salad, with ingredients that vary seasonally, though not as interesting as other things here.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Noodles

These wide egg noodles come with chopsticks, and they’re intensely satisfying to slurp: slippery, garlicky, and topped with pungent mustard greens.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Carolina Rice Bowl

The grains and fish in this bowl vary, but whether it’s lemongrass-cured Montauk fluke with cucumber, trout roe, and tiny rounds of Japanese omelet, or some other combination of seafood and vegetables, you’ll find a mix of crunchy and soft textures and subtle, citrusy flavors, all in a pretty-to-look-at package.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Southern Chopped Heritage Pork

We’ve had a version of this dish with excellent, dill-infused beans, though the current version comes with sweet potato and collard greens. Either way, the pork will be chewy but not tough.

photo credit: Sonal Shah

Warm Buckwheat Chocolate Chip Cookie

A riff on Gramercy Tavern’s milk and cookie dessert, and a perfect treat for just making it through the day. It’s not too sweet, there’s a crisp crunch on top, and enough chocolate to create a bit of a joyful mess. The large cookie served with milk that has a sweet oolong tea aftertaste.

Flan

Tomago-like in its richness and density, this block of borderline gelatinous flan is nice to share, if available. If not, you’ll likely be pleased with any other seasonal dessert.