Restaurant Review: Kokos At Pearl Alley

An island getaway that is only a subway ride away!

This summer, there is no better way to relax than with a drink in hand sitting by the New York City piers. And Kokos at Pearl Alley is the perfect spot to do just that! Located within The Seaport at Pier 17, this restaurant brings the setting of a tropical beachy resort to New York City. Guests can take in the gorgeous waterfront views while lounging in one of their cozy cabanas or sitting at their casual seating options in the dining room. And we had a chance to try out Kokos at Pearl Alley for ourselves.

The cocktail menu at Kokos at Pearl Alley continues with the tropical theme and features a variety of cocktails that highlight tropical fruits and ingredients. To start, we opted for the Tamarind and Habanero Mimosa. With the first sip, we were instantly refreshed. This drink was so light and bubbly while still maintaining the essence of the tamarind sweetness in it. The prosecco helps balance out the sweetness with the bubbly tartness as well. But what really makes this drink shine is the habanero addition where the ever so subtle heat helps accentuate the beautiful flavors of the tamarind and agave syrup.

The next drink we tried was the Spicy Watermelon Margarita which was made with Patron Silver, Ancho Reyes Verde, Cointreau, Watermelon, and Lime. This drink was so refreshing and bright and is definitely a perfect summer drink to have. The sweet watermelon is front and center here and the ancho reyes verde adds a nice subtle spice to it that plays perfectly with the watermelon. Both of these drinks are perfect cocktails to order if you are looking to cool down this summer and enjoy something light and refreshing.

Up next was the food menu which features a variety of meat and seafood items. We opted for a few selections and chose the Guacamole and Chips, the Gulf Shrimp Skewers, and the Bermuda Fish Cakes. The guacamole came out first and this was one of the best guac dishes we have had this summer. For us, we found that a lot of guac offerings come out under seasoned and are underwhelming. But this guac was perfectly seasoned with enough salt and lime that each bite was as good as the next. The guacamole itself was so creamy and bright that it lit up our palates with each bite. And there were spiced pepitas incorporated into the dish that added a nice heat and much needed texture to this guac that made us keep coming back for more.

The Gulf Shrimp Skewers were next and came with a cumin yogurt sauce on the side. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and seasoned so well. It has a nice grill on it that added a subtle smokiness to the dish. The shrimp itself was so tender and moist that it oozed with flavor and natural sweetness. And the addition of the yogurt sauce added a sumptuous creaminess to the dish that cooled down our palate and provided a nice balance to the dish.

Last up were the Bermuda Fish Cakes which were made of Fried Cod, a homemade Slaw, and served on top of Martins Potato Rolls. With the first bite, we noticed immediately how fluffy the buns were which provided a perfect vessel to absorb all the flavor from the cod and slaw. The slaw was crunchy and crisp with enough acidity to liven up our palate with each bite. But the star of the show were the fish cakes that were lightly fried with a crispy exterior but so moist and tender on the inside. The cod had a beautiful sweetness to it that married beautifully with the acidic and vinegar based slaw. And all of that paired with the pillowy starch from the potato rolls made for a perfect bite.

Our lasting impression of Kokos at Pearl Alley is that this spot is the perfect getaway for New Yorkers who want to be by the water and enjoy delicious food and drinks without going too far away from home.