Carlitos Gardel Restaurant

I have to say this is the most professional Argentinean restaurant I have been to in the States. The maitre d and sommelier are suited and there is a serious attempt to present the country's wines, to good effect.

The appetizer salads were nice, and the fried calamari greaseless. A special of sweetbreads in a ragout of mushrooms, peppers and onions was tasty but the vegtables overwhelmed the organs.

A parillada (mixed grill) for two was well-prepared if not overly generous, one each of the chorizo and morcilla. I did not think the marination improved the flavor of my ribeye, which otherwise was a nicely sized, suitably tender cut. Next time I will try a bife de chorizo, My son's gnocchi were tiny like spaetzle, a bit disappointing. The star item is the french fries. For dietary reasons we did not order any, so the maitre d comped us Well seasoned and complimented with sauteed peppers, they are worthy of a trip all by themselves.

If I were you, I would start wih salad, have the parillada for two, and maybe, just maybe, have room for dessert. Don't skip the fries.

Try it!

The music was nice, the restaurant was crowded, and the fish was terrible. It was the "fishiest' fish I have ever had. I could only manage to get down a few bites. I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone who has working taste buds.

Well... I just returned from Argentina from a 10 day expedition to experience the country that everyone seems to be talking about. The wines, the people, the club scenes, the restaurants... it's all true!!! Buenos Aires is truly an amazing place, with a countless things to see and do. After returning back home, I got together with a group of friends to share with them my experiences and the Malbecs I was daring enough to smuggle out of the country. One of my friends mentioned that there was an Argentine restaurant in town that he always loved to go to. I thought he went one of the Gaucho chains, and immedietly discarded his comment, but then he mentioned that the restaurant was named after a tango singer, and I realized we weren't talking about the same place. I was intruiged and decided that on my next night out I would check the place out. It turned out to be Carlitos Gardel restaurant on Melrose Ave! The ambiance was just like that of Buenos Aires, which was a wonderful surprise. I expected to run into the usual "LA" vibe. But the part that delighted my friends and I most was the food. From our appetizers to the steaks that arrived at our table, the dinner was outstanding and impressive. The steaks most of all had nothing to envy the best ones I had in Buenos Aires, and the wines that were paired with our dinner were more than impressive, some of which I do remember drinking in Argentina. For dessert we were offered some unique cakes and tarts created by the owner herself. They also were delicious and with enough dulce de leche to satisfy just about any Argentinian I'm sure. Overall I highly recommend this place for anyone interested in Argentina and it's food.

We had dinner there last week after reading good reviews, is highly recommended to make a reservation because it is a small place, the service was good and the food was above average.

The fried calamari was a little bit over-cooked 15$, the skirt steak was OK 25$ and the filet mignon was good but nothing special 30$.

If you crave a good steak go to a steak house like wood ranch at the grove or stinking rose on la Cienega which are better values, although I would recommend trying Carlitos Gardel at least once.

Hchenle ms ganas muchachos!

Well...since I'm from the old country (Argentina) it's hard not to fall in comparisons. But I have to agree that Carlitos is slightly better than many places around town that claim argentinian cusine as its own. Food is ok (nothing out of the ordinary for a guy born and raised in Buenos Aires). The wine selection althought is outstanding and the service is very polite and not pushy. Now, when it comes to price, Carlitos is not your average restaurant. Keep than in mind and get ready to cough up some serious money if you're picking up the tab for a party of 4 or more. In short, for those whom don't have an in-depth knowledge of the argentinian food it may well be an awesome restaurant but not for me.