Malbec Argentinean Cuisine

I believe the price is very high by an extra 20-30% or so compared to what was received and the name of the place. I expected authentic Argentine style cuisine. It is more of an American style of Argentine food, intended for the blandest of palets. While the meats were tender and juicy, it is balanced with tiny portions. Normally that is automatically balanced with a side of something, but here that is an extra cost, or if you get a premium side, much more. I should mention that everything from the bar was mixed very well. I would give the bar mixes a B+. I went on a busy Saturday dinner rush, so getting the waiter's attention did require a bit more effort. Additional loss of value when you need to use the bathrooms. Hold your breath and ignore the worst designed bathroom on earth. Final thoughts are hard to find parking. Skip this place unless you have an expensive client to impress with you paying a large bill.

This was by far one of the best places I've had a meal at in a few years in all honesty. Wow The meat dish were awesome and the suggestion by the waiter was phenomenal. Lamb was amazing as well. I will make it back to California again. Just to eat here one day.

The service was excellent, and the atmosphere was wonderful! However, I had higher expectations for the food, especially the paella. Unfortunately, it didn’t live up to the reviews, so I can only give it 3 stars for the food. The steak was pleasant, but it lacked something special. It’s a great place for a celebration, but it might not be the best choice for a memorable food experience.

Loved celebrating my husband’s birthday here! It was our first time dining at Malbec and they did not disappoint. Every dish was so flavorful and their cocktails were spot on as well. The staff were all very thoughtful in their recommendations and very attentive throughout our experience. We will definitely be back and we highly recommend to anyone who has not yet had the opportunity to dine in.

One of our favorite restaurants. Delicious food, and amazing service. Always a great experience, and our favorite spot to celebrate when family comes to town! We have had almost all the dishes, and they have all been amazing! Even when it is an ingredient or flavor I don’t typically enjoy. Amazing and quite a tell of a great chef. The steaks are a hit. The filet, bone in rib eye are our favorites. The salmon and jidori chicken are killer. And paella is amazing. Everything is well prepared and well balanced in flavor. We usually get a plate each and then a paella for two order for the table. The desserts are great! We get a ton for the table, and always enjoy. Even the strawberry sobert hits the spot, and is a nice lighter option if you’re full from the mains. Green Street is one way, so I reco trying to be aware of where you are in relation to the restaurant, and try to park west of the restaurant. We usually have no issue finding spots. Only trick is the high curbs, so be careful opening the doors closest to the curve. The team here is warm, attentive, and makes each visit special. You feel seen, and spoiled. Highly reco this spot to all! We do reco res if you’re going during prime dining hours and Friday-Sunday.

Great food, great service. Very unique tasting meat but delicious. The gnocchi bologna is recommended.

Small portion for side dish, appetizer and desserts. Very disappointed with chimichuri which had no flavors (all 3). Steaks were just ok. Drinks were so-so. I don't think I'd go back.

Nice place for steak and seafood! Octopus leg is crunchy outside and tender inside , recommended.

As a French woman who had nothing to do on July 4, I randomly walked into that little spot and I am so so glad I did. Easily one of the best restaurants in the city and rivals with all the best steak houses. Service was wonderful and so is the ambience. Truly recommend.

I love this restaurant. In all the times I've come to eat, I have never had a bad experience. And I always love what I ordered. This time I did the dine LA menu and it was phenomenal. Salad with shrimp, then fried sole with spinach and the apple crepe with ice cream. Not only was this meal so satisfying, the service was top notch as well. They catered to us like we were VIPs even if this was all we ate. This is one of the best restaurants in LA, and it's why we'll keep on coming back. You seriously cannot go wrong with anything on the menu. Everything is fantastic.

Excellent Service, friendly knowledgable waiters, GREAT food including seafood and steak, great prices. Seriously a great restaurant in Pasadena.

Last night, took friend here for birthday dinner. Wasn't too impressed 20 years ago but they have obviously upped their game since then. Ambience, food, service -- all were great, and the prices are right. Arugula and beets salad very fresh, octopus and skirt steak both have a nice char and intense smoky flavor (can't easily replicate that at home). The only reason it's not 5 stars was the overcooked "medium" steak, I guess next time I should order "medium rare". Very friendly and attentive service.

Best skirt steak! Beet salad was Devine with yellow and red beets, arugula, blue cheese, pears, almonds! They even have seafood down! Filet of sole with lemons and capers was so light and delicious! Service was perfect! Ambiance is better than any pictures on yelp. Nice candle lighting and loved the nice open kitchen. Will be back! Gracias!

Updating the review to include an appetizer you must try - grilled octopus! I've had octopus before but it never made me want to make octopus a go to item. Well, this dish changed my mind! The octopus was grilled to perfection and accompanied by roasted potatoes and an aioli sauce. All of the flavors complimented each other and I will definitely be reordering this item again. Also, for those of you who grew up with your mom making you flan out of a box, you must try the flan here. This isn't a diss but a compliment as it is nostalgic. IFYKYK. I did ask if they used the box mix and I was told it was made fresh daily but not from a box lolz. I had to know. This flan is perfect, it is not too heavy like some versions are. The bonus is it comes with some cajeta.

It had been a while that we had gone there. Why did we wait that long? Everything was very nice. We were a larger group but they arranged a nice table for us. The staff was very attentive. The food was very delicious, at least on my plate with a medium-rare steak which was wonderful and looked with awe at a steak on another plate that per that patron's request had been done more than well-done ... But they really fulfill any reasonable wish - even against better knowledge. I enjoyed every single dish. PREVIOUS REVIEW I did like this Malbec place a lot! For many reasons such as the waiter's friendliness, the food - but I guess the most charming aspect was the touch of Non-American relaxedness where sitting down for dinner does serve more than just filling the stomach. Where there is no push to devour by the clock and pull out the credit card before the last bite is down. But let's face it, the food was great: Spinach Empanada and Empanada Dinner, Mollejas Champagne, Entrana al Chimichurri, Brochette, Ojo de bife, and for the table to share some Mushrooms Provenzal, Creamed Spinach and Cebiche Trio ... Everything was to the point, nicely presented and definitely not shabby. And just to make that point: I have plenty of dishes to choose from, but even a vegetarian can find excellent noncarnivore choices.

I've never eaten Argentinean food before. Went to their Dine LA. Was able to get street parking. As a group, one wouldn't necessarily order four appetizers and four desserts. But it was a chance to try a lot on the menu. The best main was the pasta. The sweetbread had a soft texture, the clams had a dill flavor. It's fairly easy to get reservations. The ambiance was standard. The server was nice! Probably good for big groups!

We had two drinks at the bar before the dinner. The drinks are really good. I like their whiskey drink. It doesn't taste alcohols. The overall environment is great. They have the open kitchen so you can kinda smell the cooking. Their sausages are special to me. The flavor is really good. Not too salty or sweet. Plus the pepper oil sauce made it really tasty. We ordered salad , rib eyes, sausage , and pasta to share. The portion is decent. We end up had Togo. The rib eyes we ordered was medium rare but it came a bit toward medium but still fine for us. The pasta we had is really good , I thought it might be salty when it came but it end up really good. Love the flavor. Overall we will come back again. Saw they have happy hour drink and snack. We would like to come back and try those.

Love their all day happy hour. If you done with kids the kids steak is awesome! $5 beers, cocktails are a little pricey. You have to sit at the bar seating area for happy hour so confirm you are in the right area. Make sure you flag your server when you want to order.

We celebrated New Years Eve here at Malbec and it was also our first time dining here after hearing so many great things about the food! We had a party of six for 9:15 pm which is a pretty late dinner, but I snagged a reservation earlier that day. When we arrived, there was a small crowd outside of the restaurant and we wait about 15 mins before getting seated. The inside ambience was very cozy, romantic, and classy. Maybe also since it was NYE, guests were dressed very nice. We ordered the Espresso Martini and two of the NYE special drinks - French 75 and a festive mojito. The Espresso Martini was one of the best we've had! Very good balanced drink with foam. I loved my French 75 too, which was perfectly light. Our favorite part of the meal were the apps. We got the mussels, calamari, octopus which were all delicious. The girls split the arroz con mariscos for two (which fed way more than two people), and was their version of paella. It was a wetter consistency that we actually liked. The boys all got steaks, but their steaks were either overdone or too raw, except for one which was perfect. I think this was because the evening was very busy so I'd give it a pass. The waiter took my bfs steak back to cook a bit more and re-plated it very nicely. For dessert, we got the crepes and they were delicious with the vanilla ice cream. All in all, we had a very good experience here! Would return and try other dishes.

Total 180 from the last place we tried (Gaucho grill ). Amazing service from the second we walked in. Ambience was perfect. Special shoutout to our server (Rosa). She was warm, attentive, and just genuinely on it. Her recommendations were perfect. We had the skirt steak, arugula salad, and mushroom risotto, all paired with a bottle of Malbec. Everything hit. That risotto hit the spot. Definitely coming back to try the other steak options. This place gets it.

I was there this past Friday. Great service great food. This restaurant is in Pasadena and it's really really good. I recommend that 100% if you are a meat lover get a bottle of red wine and you will enjoy this place

I hadn't been to Malbec in years, so I was excited when our friend suggested it for dinner on a Friday night. We made a reservation for the four of us ahead of time, so getting a table was no problem. Our friends, who are from Argentina, mentioned that Malbec is their favorite restaurant--and it's easy to see why. We started with the beef empanadas, which were juicy, flavorful, and generously filled with ground beef. For my main dish, I ordered the skirt steak Entraña a la Parrilla cooked medium-well, paired with a side of grilled vegetables. My husband opted for the Ravioles Scarparo spinach ravioli. While I'm not typically a steak person, I figured you can't go wrong at Malbec--and I was right. The steak was incredibly tender and full of flavor. The ravioli was also a delightful surprise, just as tasty and well-prepared. Both dishes paired perfectly with the grilled veggies. The atmosphere is ideal for a date night or a small gathering, with its dim lighting and cozy vibe. Our server was friendly, attentive, and checked in on us multiple times throughout the meal. I hope it won't be too long before we visit Malbec again.

A wonderful culinary experience. The waiter was so attentive and offered suggestions. The location and ambiance added to the meal. The portions were appropriate and I walked away satisfied and full.

I enjoy rack of lamb & the lamb chops. I ordered the same & they were tender, juicy with good flavor. I couldn't finish them & took them home. My wife agreed they were top rate. Also relatively reasonable.

Malbec in my opinion is one of the best steakhouses here in the SGV. Their wood fire steaks are a great quality. Tender and juicy. I love ribeye steaks, but have to go leaner as I'm hitting that 60 mark! It's ok, I recently had the 16oz New York cut cooked medium rare and it was excellent. The service is always great and attentive and never disappoint with their knowledge of their menu. The ambience and vibe is that of an upscale steakhouse. I love sitting by the window as it reminds me so much of a Manhattan NYC/Boston feel. I also love the fact that the restaurant is an independent small business that I can support. If you love great quality steaks, look no farther than Malbec's Pasadena!

We celebrated my friend's bday for lunch and she loved it. We had the salmon and the entrana (skirt stake?) with a side salad. Everything was cooked to perfection, juicy and tasty! We also tried the chocolate mouse which was over the top and very sharable. To drink, one cup of delicious coffee...No wine :( as we were both driving with long distances to cover. Splurge birthday :)

Clean spot that isn't overly formal but still great for a gathering or date night. We came for the Dine LA lunch menu and ordered: + Camarones con proscuitto: The shrimp was a bit too salty with the prosciutto wrap but thankfully the salad had citrus bits to balance it out. The dressing leaned more acidic than I would've liked so I didn't completely finish this. + Mejillones: Small bowl with lots of sauce. My boyfriend liked to dip the complimentary bread with this. + Burrata: This was the fave dish for our table out of all the appetizers. Not overly rich but good amount of creaminess. + Lenguado: Large filling plate. Everything was well balanced so it's a good choice for those not wanting an overly heavy dish. + Manicotti de Carne: Very rich and flavorful. Good but will leave you stuffed. Note the Dine LA desserts didn't match their online menu. I don't remember the Spanish name for these but here's what we chose. Both were very sweet though, so we couldn't fully finish because we aren't those with a sweet tooth; Pear: Cooked in some kind of sweet syrup. Interesting concept but the syrup was very sweet too. Chocolate/caramel cake: Rich and THICK. As soon as you cut into this with a fork, you'll know what you're in for. It's dense with lots of flavor. Good if you're looking for a sweet cake. Neat decorations with more chocolate and caramel. Overall, I liked this place and the Dine LA lunch menu met the price point as a good deal. But the seasoning/sweetness on some of the dishes leaned heavier than I liked, so 4 stars for me. I could still see myself back and service was great. Note parking is street but the side streets aren't too busy to where you could still find spaces not too far.

What an amazing evening, the food was spectacular The ambience was great and Loren made the evening perfect. Service was so accommodating and the only thing I would suggest is that the risotto be just a tad bit warmer But I have to say, I think our favorite part of the evening was Loren and just kindness. Thank you Malbec for such a decadent meal

Food was very unseasoned and bland, which was shocking because this place has great reviews. Didn't have an "Argentinean" flavor or flare at all. Tasted like frozen food from Vons, very disappointed. However, staff was great!!

Was so happy they were open on Christmas. Had a lovely dinner here with friends. Loved not having to cook or do dishes. Rosa was our server and she was super attentive despite how incredibly busy they were. The steaks are great and the short rib pasta was stellar.

Located near the South Lake District, plenty on street parking but there is structure parking about a block away. The decor is ice but importantly, it felt inviting. Great service and our server was extremely knowledgeable about the menu and had great suggestions including the wine. The empanadas were great, decided on 2 orders for 5 people, the spinach and cheese was the winner. Several dishes were ordered and shared family style. The ribeye steak was excellent. The rice with seafood and chorizo (Argentinian version of paella) was tasty plus everything was tender including the octopus. The risotto with mushrooms won the evening especially you get it with scallops. Everything was great and will definitely return. The 5 stars is for the food but I have to say this place knows how to treat guests.

Waitress Ruth was rather inattentive. Took forever too give me my bill. Kept walking around and ignoring me. I sat at my table over and hour. Wont come back.

So so good. Food, ambiance, service all great. I've been to another Argentinian place here in Pasadena and Malbec is still my fave. Although it's Argentinian I feel like there are some Peruvian overlaps. Either way it's really good!

Going back to my roots... My hometown of Buenos Aires and its wonderful Argentinian dishes; in USA. Ordered my favorite empanadas and Beef Ribs Steak. Love the aroma and taste of the meat. We were sat on the other side of the restaurant ( I believe its a newly expanded room of the dining room ) The decor was beautiful, elegant, simple, yet sophisticated. To end our meal, we ordered their Flan with Dulce de Leche. Outstanding.

This place was absolutely classy & delicious! Great to celebrate all events and bdays& work events . You feel like you are in an another country. The service was top notch . They made our bday celebration super memorable and so enjoahle

Food was great. The service is excellent. I loved the salmon and was specially surprised with the Arroz Con Mariscos. Very flavorful. I would go back here just for this one. The place is also cozy.

Excellent food and warm customer service. The salmon was juicy and the steak was cooked perfectly. We got lucky with window seating and and a wonderful ambience. Beautiful birthday experience too! So want to return soon! Gilberto our server was amazing and made it wonderful.

Service was pretty great and food was amazing. Loved the sweetbreads and mushroom risotto. Recommend sitting outdoor when the sun is down.

The staff at Malbec are absolutely wonderful. There were changes with my party and staff accommodated us and were so gracious. The service was impecable and we had 9 people in our party. Our waiter was outstanding, he was so busy all night long and i'm sure he must have crashed exhausted by close of day. All our food was hot, delicious, arrived quickly as well as our cocktails. I only have two suggestions for improvement. We were seated in the back room towards the left of the entrance. It was so very hot that we all kept fanning ourselves with our napkins. We didn't ask to be moved because we knew it would be difficult to move such a large party. I would reconsider dining here with a large party as it seems that the air circulation for the larger rooms is not very good. Second suggestion: the cocktail pours, we have been here many times and absolutely love the cocktails they are crafted perfectly. However, tonight our Old Fashions , which were 8 at $16 each, barely covered the ice in the glass. We got the impression that there may be a novice bartender or management had strict orders to measure down rather that up. again, at $16 a cocktail you expect a "normal" pour. Hopefully this will be resolved. Take always: Great food , great service, may not be good for large parties, and may want to me sure you receive a drink worthy of $16. We will be back but only as a party of two.

The BEST food ever. Such a good restaurant, atmosphere, and always amazing service. Love this place and go here for special occasions!

They are open for lunch! It's been years since I've had Malbec and I decided to take a friend here for a birthday lunch celebration. Edwin was our server and he was fantastic. He also makes a reallllly good espresso martini. I had the tagliolini for my entree and it was yummy and filling. We ordered the grilled octopus which is called pulpo al rolesco and that was okay. I love a good grilled octopus but I felt like their grilling can be a little more charred. My friend had the skirt steak which is also called entrana a la parrilla with a side of mashed potatoes. He loved it and said the steak was juicy and the mash was tasty. Overall, great experience. They also take reservations on open table.

restaurant is cute and cozy and quiet - big clean windows and restrooms. Service was great, server was very attentive and came around quick and was extra diligent with us helping make our food selections easier. Perfect date type of spot to make your significant other feel extra special! Food was delicious, meats were perfectly cooked, octopus wasn't as tender as we like but the sauce made up for that- salad had all fresh ingredients and paired up really nice. Dessert had to be indulged after such a good feast, and the flan and coffee were an absolute delight. Place was almost perfect/ only downside is the street parking situation- over all this is a place that deserves all the stars!

Fantastic food selection prepared with great ingredients. Caring and friendly professional staff delivering timely and attentive to details. Portions are good and prices are reasonable. Parking easy . Definitely recommended.

We love this local place we are always repeat diners we love their steaks & bone marrow & tuna tartare & their salad with avocado was delicious

I have been dining at Malbec for several times. I came here for business dinner, girls night out dinner and a romantic date night. In all occasions, their services were great. The food is really good. My fave is the seafood paella, it was very flavorful. I also enjoyed the skirt steak with the chimichurri sauce. The wine selection is great and offers good pairing for all the dishes. I'd definitely come back for more fun and delicious meals.

We ordered the beef and spinach and cheese and empanadas, skirt, steak, and ribeye, ham stuffed pasta with cheese, a side of veggies and a side of yucca. Service overall was great, the server was attentive. Ambience is nice with dim lights and open kitchen concept. Will come back again

Great service. It's a classy place without the attitude. All are welcome. No rush, take your time, ease through your meal. The entire menu looks great. So hard to decide. Only decision I made is that I'll be back to try something different. We ordered 2 steaks. Cuts like butter. Mushrooms...amazing. Paella for me could have used a bit more spice but still delicious!!! Malbec wine was perfect with my meal. Walk in, relax and enjoy a great meal in a relaxed environment. Now it's dessert time and as before, hard to decide on just 1 so we picked 3.

There are probably four restaurants in all of Los Angeles County that I don't have a complaint about, but this is one of them. Just amazing food also the nicest customers so friendly also weight stuff excellent. Their wine list is to die over and their prices are still unchanged. If I had a criticism, I'd say they use tiny little French martini glasses and they really don't make a great martini no matter how much you instruct them. But don't have a martini when you come here.

Environment very clean and neat. The service was extremely friendly and extremely quick. We didn't have to wait long to get seated or to receive our meals which were also very amazing! We had the entraña and the tartare and the frito mixto. All worth trying, you won't be disappointed

Now now let's talk Malbec. I've heard some mixed things about Malbec, so I was a little skeptical at first. I got whatever the bone marrow pasta was called. My first bite smacked me all the way to Argentina. It was amazing. It's a little on the pricey end, but you really get what you paid for. I've been back multiple times now. Even taking my Argentinian girlfriend. She very much approves. The first bite of the empanada my god, gave her a whole ass ratatouille moment. It reminded her of the ones her mom used to make her. The service was also really good. Shoutout to my girl Rosa she was the best. Slinging out my Diet Pepsi's (I drank 4) with a fat smile every time. The ambiance is also really nice. Definitely date worthy, for sure will get some extra points on a first date. Overall really good food, good service, notable place definitely will be back.

Loved this restaurant, especially the Seafood paella dish: loved how each bite of the al dente Spanish rice was infused full of seafood flavor - did not taste like rice at all. Even left overs tasted good. The arugula salad was a hit with all the salad lovers. Dressing was not too overpowering but light and refreshing. The proveleta left me wondering how did they cook the bottom to have just the right amount of caramelization and still keep the middle and top gooey and stretchy to smear over the thinly sliced and crispy baguette? The prime rib was as tender (wet aged for 21 days they said, meaning it soaks in its own juices instead of hanged. It had a South American twist by pairing it with 3 chutneys (one was a parsley, another tasted lightly of a Cole slaw and another of bell peppers). There was a couple making out at the bar during the late lunch hour but other than that the place looked classy and clean inside, staff was nice and nothing to complain about.

DineLA 2023 Review & Experience FOOD We tried almost every combination of appetizer, entree and dessert under their DineLA menu. Every dish was flavorful and delicious. My favorite was their ceviche as the seafood was fresh and it had a tangy spicy kick. It paired well with their complimentary bread. The restaurant is known for their red meat, and both beef and lamb dishes did not disappoint. If you are not a sauce person, you can ask if they can put their special (looks like BBQ) sauce on the side. Their fish was fresh and delicious, and I would actually order their seafood again the next time I dine here! Warning: you'll be so full with the appetizer and entrees, but try to make room for dessert as it is delicious! I regret not finishing my dessert. AMBIANCE Romantic and dark, perfect place for date place! They also have separate room for private parties and reservations. There was a 20-person party next to us when we were dining. Caution: it can get loud. PARKING My reservation was 7pm on a weekday so there was free street parking. Plenty of parking is available on the one way street. If you park on the side where the restaurant, be careful getting out. I have a Prius and the sidewalk was too high for me on the driver side so I had to be creative in my parking to get out.

I'd had a perfectly fine lunch here once, so I thought an early 4:45 PM birthday dinner would be smooth sailing. When my friend and I arrived, only four tables were occupied across the three dining rooms--it wasn't busy yet, which is exactly why I'd booked so early. I asked the host if we could take the empty corner booth in the main dining room. He curtly refused--"reserved," he said--even though it stayed empty for the next two hours. Instead, he led us to a tight spot squeezed between two other tables with diners, which made for a noisy, uncomfortable experience given how many tables sat completely vacant. I mentioned this to our waiter, hoping for a better seat. He checked with the host and returned with only one "alternative": a table right next to the bathroom entrance in the other room--despite many better seats just steps away. With no other option, I begrudgingly took it, since I didn't want to derail my own birthday plans. From there, the indifference only deepened. Both the host and our server treated every concern like a nuisance, responding with sighs and curt shrugs. They seemed far more invested in defending their seating choices than in actually serving paying guests.

Me and my bf went here on a date and we absolutely loved it, food was amazing RibEye was by far the best we've had at any restaurant. Service was incredible our server was Lauren he was absolutely fantastic. Also the wine selection is really good we had the Humberto Canale Malbec and it was really good. We went on a Thursday evening around 5pm and ambience was nice and quiet. Will definitely go back again

Went for a birthday dinner celebration on Monday. The meat is the best I've had in Pasadena area, sorry Fogo De Chao but the meat quality here is waaaay better. Need to go back for a plate of lamb chops just for myself. Service was great as well.

Great service ...very attentive! The food was awesome...atmosphere very relaxing. Don't park next to Citibank. They hire someone to make sure you don't cross the line. They must have quite the profit margin to hire a watch dog.

The food and ambiance was great (5/5 for food!!!). The steak was delicious and cooked perfectly, tasted even better without the sauce in my opinion. The paella was very flavorful and had a good amount of various seafoods in the dish. My favorite was the grilled octopus under the appetizer menu. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside and the sauce paired well with it. I also enjoyed the beets and burrata appetizer. I lowered the overall rating though because service was okay. I asked for water multiple times and a setting plate/napkin but didn't get it for a while. Had to wave down the server multiple times before they came over. Unfortunately that kind of downgraded the overall experience throughout the meal. Although they did look very busy so maybe they just need more servers. There's a good amount of street parking, might be busier on Fridays or Saturdays but can find a spot probably in one of the secondary streets.