Isobel P.
Yelp
We came here in 2019 for a flamenco show and were excited to come back. Unfortunately, things have gone completely downhill since then whether due to COVID, management, or something else entirely. For starters, we paid $175 total for the Prix Fixe experience at a VIP table. I'm sad to say this was a complete waste of money. Only the table was accurate, since it was very close to the stage and provided a good view.
The food, sadly, was nowhere near worth the money we paid. The appetizer, a chorizo tapas thing, was literally ONE BALL of fried dough. Our salads, which were underdressed and wilted, only came out when we mentioned it to the server. All the other tables had received their salads despite ours being one of the most visible tables in the whole place. Then, the entree, a basque chicken thing, arrived in its tiny (and cold) dish. We were under the impression that we would be eating our meal ALONG WITH the performance, since that is what we did in 2019 and that's what a tablao experience should be. Nope, not even close.
Instead, we had to arrive at 6:30 p.m., sit at our table until 7 when dinner service started, and then finish the meal before 8 when the show began. That's an hour and a half of sitting around and waiting, and you can't even order anything else off the menu since it's Prix Fixe. On top of that, service is unpredictable and spotty so we only were able to order one round of drinks. Good thing we ordered a pitcher of sangria since that's the only thing we got the whole night long. Our attempt to order another pitcher was for nothing since it never came. The response? "Oh, sorry about that." The proper response would have been to comp our first round. Especially given the missing salad.
While all this was happening, we were informed that the guitarist for the flamenco group was running behind due to car problems. We assumed they would play for longer to make up for the time. But no--despite being 20 minutes late, they only played an extra 5 minutes. How does this make any sense? The dancers, the singer, and the guitarist were all great, by the way. But it was the shortest concert I have ever been to, especially given the two hours spent in a cramped room with poor ventilation waiting for the show to start. I understand that the performers had to wear masks, so that's a factor in the shorter performance. But this wasn't explained at all beforehand. On our tickets it said the show would be an hour and 15 minutes long. Instead, there was an intermission that was never mentioned, so really the show was only about 45 minutes long.
Probably the biggest issue I had with the show tonight, however, was the poor safety practices followed regarding COVID. I understand not everywhere is requiring proof of vaccination or a negative test result (although there's no reason not to) but I was told the garage door would be opened to allow for air flow. We were also told that "masks would be encouraged." Well, neither thing happened...my partner had to get up and go ask the hostess to open the garage door and only then did she open it by only a crack. It was a warm night and there was literally no reason not to open it further. Then, staff made zero effort to ask customers to put on masks when walking around the room. That's the least they should have done. One of the waiters had his mask below his nose the entire evening. Super disappointing.
In short, nothing about this evening resembled what we experienced two years ago. I wouldn't waste my time or money here. They need to do better.
