Tasca

Tasca is such a great wine bar/​tapas option. It is an intimate environment, the food is great, and the owner is amazing. She has been there each time I have come in and makes each visit special. She always recommends wines to try based on your mood/​taste preferences and you can tell wine and food are her passion.
I have dined here for large celebrations (family style party of 12) and friend dates with a girlfriend at the bar— it’s perfect for both.
Only downside is that it is a little pricey, but worth it! They even make paella!

As much as I love/​loved Tasca. It appears the business has shut down. The number is no longer in service and the website has been removed. It’s a sad day… The food was great, the service and ambiance where amazing and I’m sorry the business is no loneger with us :-(RIP TASCA…

I called the number twice on Fri June 28^th to make a reservation for dinner that night. No answer. Having read the great reviews, my date and I decide to wing it and get a table when we get there since we were in the area. It was CLOSED, as in SHUTDOWN on a busy Fri night around 8pm, not sure if they went out of business. And it said «Open» on Unilocal,go figure!
Unilocal needs to do a better job with the logic that determines if a local business is Open or Closed, just because your (Current Time) falls within the Hours of Operation doesn’t necessarily mean its «Open» as was in this case. Send these local business a periodic email to see if they still exist and ask them to click on a link to confirm. There ya go Unilocal,send this to your Product team. You are welcome :)

Some things here shine, mostly because other things feel like fillers. We tried the arancini, calamari, beef tartare and short ribs. The truffle sauce for the arancini was amazing, we’d definitely go back for it. The short ribs were also good, but felt like something I could make at home. Calamari was eh, really small pieces, but at least it didn’t feel like something previously frozen. Beef tartare is usually my favorite thing to order when I go out, but this was covered in fennel so it was all you could taste. I’m not a fan, picked it all off, but then it just tasted like the smell of raw meat. A strong squeeze of lemon helped though.
All in all, nothing special. The search for a legitimately GOOD restaurant in LA continues…

I was here in February — Just getting around to approving my Unilocal review:
I’m not sure how this place has so many good reviews. After ordering our meal, our food came out out of order (entrees first, apps later) — both entrees weren’t even ours, which we realized after eating a bite of each of our meals. We told them this wasn’t our food and watched them proceed to take the food back and place it on a nearby tray. About 5 minutes later, they took one of the plates and delivered it to the table next to ours — gross! We let the waiter know that we saw what he did, and he proceeded to argue with us an deny that it happened — so we told the manager (Kristine? short hair…), who reassured us that it was okay because those were her friends at the next table (really? — still gross and I think illegal).
When our food finally did come, the fish was raw in the center. Finally a third round of entrees came out that was cooked as it should be (this was an hour and a half later).
The manager gave us free wine at the end of the dinner as an apology, and she is the only reason there’s an extra star on this review.

Tasca is a good looking, intimate, solid stop for vino and tapas on the crazy 3^rd Street strip.
Dropped by on a Tuesday at about 6 pm, hardly a soul in the place. It was starting to fill up by the team we exited at about 7:30, but there’s no rush — their great happy hour extends until 10 pm on Mondays and Tuesdays. And, speaking of their hour of happiness… it’s the main reason to go. Lots of fun food selections for $ 8/​pop. Our adventure brought us the risotto balls, jamon y burrata, crab and shrimp ravioli, tuna tartare, and speck wrapped dates. The ravioli and dates were, by far, the best, but all were tasting and quality.
The happy hour drink menu was the typical white wine, red wine and sangria. I had THREE sangrias as they were quite tasty and went down way too fast, my partner had the red wine — happy hour typical, but good.
The bartender /​waiter /​host (again it was so, so no problem) was amazing. Funny, attentive, helpful — couldn’t ask for much more from this guy.
All in all what we found was not a true «4 Star Restaurant,» but a really solid four star happy hour (that could easily keep us there for well past) and a fun hideaway for vino and a stolen smooch.

Tasca’s one of those hip LA joints that screams DATE NIGHT! Dim-​lit with a banquette of 2-​tops flanking a sexy little side bar… chic patio dining right on 3^rd, arguably the best people/​celebrity-​watching street on the West Side… tapas style menu with a venerable wine list to boot. Too bad we came with a group and rushed through the meal as we were trying to catch a show at the Asian American Film Festival (more on that next week) before I could even sample the desserts. Although I can attest that you MUST TRY the house made fettucine with champignon mushrooms and white truffle oil… and of course add some freshed shaved black truffles if ya nasty!
*Insider’s tip: Happy Hour menu’s the ISH! Soooo many samplers, all at $ 8 a pop! Best times to dine are Mon/​Tues when HH runs all the way to 10pm. The freaks come out at night, yo! Budget dining never looked so good!*
Bön Appétit my beauties!

Wow.
That’s all I can say after visiting this place. I’ve never had tapas before so this was a first for me.
My date and I started off with a sangria and Prosecco, and the latter was good for me, but I’ve had better.
Our waiter was the nicest and sweetest server I’ve had with a cute El Salvadorian accent. He seated us in a corner round table (I love when I get to have all that room for just two people) so it was very intimate. He recommended the tuna tartare with truffle oil potato chips and the wild mushroom risotto arancini in a truffle sauce. He admittedly had a truffle addiction, and I’d usually think it was overrated but I was just taken aback by how much I loved everything.
I don’t usually eat tuna sashimi, but the bits of tuna were dancing on my tongue with the perfect amount of flavor. The truffle oil chips were nicely done– not too heavy on the oil and just the right crispiness.
The arancini was AMAZING! When I see arancini, the rice always looks so dry inside so I don’t end up getting it. My goodness, this knocked my socks off! I LOVE MUSHROOM, so I was already a happy camper, but this was melty and gooey and the risotto was cooked PERFECTLY. I’ve only had perfect risotto one other time in my life and it was in Italy. Crispy on the outside with a creamy risotto inside on a bed of truffle sauce? HELL YES!
I had to try the braised short ribs because when it’s made right, it’s simply delightful. Tasca, you got this right. The meat was tender, flavorful and not too light or heavy in a lick-​your-​plate sauce with a filled pasta that contrasted because it was sweet. I was so stuffed after everything that I couldn’t believe that this was a tapas place!
Service here was top of the line, no matter who I talked to, even when I needed change to tip the valet service outside after a nice evening walk, I was still greeted by warm smiles.
Tasca, you’ve won me over.

Ok I think «tapas» is a misleading term for Tasca. Portions are HUGE. BF and I usually order at least half a dozen plates and still have room for dessert. We got 3 tapas, 1 appetizer and 1 entrée and were both deathly stuffed!
Pitcher of sangria — delicious thirst quencher!
Ceviche — too many cilantro leaves and too little fish, but yes the flavor is decent.
Burrata cheese — damn that’s a big ball of burrata and the dish is made soo prettily, I had to take a picture! Comes with the fail proof combo of watercress, prosciutto and balsamic reduction.
Moule frites — I have no idea what they put in the fries but they are the BOMB. Mussels were also fantastic and the broth was so great, I just drank it all as a soup.
Braised short ribs with butternut squash agnolitti — OMG looove the short ribs. So tender it just falls apart when you poke it with your fork and full of flavor. Had I known, I would have gotten double of this dish and got rid of 1 of the others. The agnolitti was also super good with a truffle infused sauce, yummyyy.
Branzino — looks like it was baked in wax paper and loaded with mushrooms, tomatoes and spinach. Wasn’t my favorite but it definitely made me get in my daily serving of vegetables!
Very enjoyable meal and we will definitely be back!

Went here last night at 730 with a group of girls. There are so many restaurants on 3^rd, so i was expecting the place to be packed, but it was empty. Im not sure why, though, because they food was very good as was the service.
We had the:
Tuna tartare with homeade chips — B
Calamari — not that crispy, maybe over seasoned — C
Arugala — A perfect
Artichoke heart salad — A
Branzino — B
Short rib with agnolotti — B
Profiteroles — YUM
I would definitely go back!

Tasca has always treated me right but had a VERY so-​so experience there on Friday night. There I was, all ready to get my weekend on with a few glasses of vino and some tasty small plates, when this happens:
1) Mussels — literally bad. So unfresh, had to send the whole dish back
2) Short Ribs — Stringy, small, and too smothered in sauces. I had the very same dish at Primativo the night before and Prima dominated.
3) Branzino — It’s on half of the dishes in LA. This one was below average. Forgettable.
4) Brussel sprouts (with pancetta) — Brussel sprouts & bacon is pretty much the simplest thing in cooking. It was too brothy, leaving no crisp for either the sprouts or the bacon. Avoid.
5) Ceviche — This was the one good dish of the night, to be fair.
6) 6 glasses of wine between two of us (I know, I know), but only 2 memorable. Nothing quite hit the mark. This is a wine bar after all. The 2 Argentine wines including the Malbec were best, for the record.
I will say the service was great. Server was very educated, amiable and attentive. Unfortunately it made the meal even more awkward as he could clearly tell we were not digging the grub, he was very embarrassed by the mussels. If it were not for previous great experiences here, honestly this would be a two star review.
What should my new wine & small place be? Cleo? Lou’s?

Apparently the table next to us is the designated «first date» table. Good thing we weren’t on a first date. We also were not aware of the HH deals so we may have really overpaid a bit, oh well.
For dinner we ordered:
Arancini (wild mushroom risotto fritters) — Delicious but a bit on the heavy side. 4*
Beef Tartare — This was on the list of specials. I loved the runny egg on top. 5*
Boquerones (white anchovies, tomato, boiled egg on crostini) — Tasty and a little messy. 4*
Braised Short Ribs (with butternut squash agnolotti) — The ribs are 3* but the agnolotti were 5*. I’ve had much more tender short ribs before.
Calamares Frittos — Pretty standard calamari dish. Solid 4*
The service was extra attentive. I think my water was refilled every 3 minutes. Overall, the food was pretty good and it didn’t cost as much as I expected it to. There aren’t very many choices in LA for Spanish-​style tapas so if that’s what you’re craving, go to Tasca.

I guess you could say it was a Pretty Woman moment. After dinner at Burger Kitchen, we wandered into El Carmen down the street for some post-​meal drinks. It was fairly full, but not to the brim. When we told the hostess that we wanted to sit and just have some cocktails, they said that the open tables were being saved for those who were getting food. Sadly, we were turned away and we walked back up the street to Tasca. They welcomed us with open arms and moved two tables together to make room for our large group. They set us up right away with waters all around and two pitchers of sangria. I felt like going back to El Carmen with my favorite movie line: «Big mistake. Huge!»
Besides their welcoming attitude and friendly service, I also loved the sangria itself… it was a nice touch that they put little fresh fruit slices in each glass before pouring the sangria in there. The lighting in the place was phenomenal, from the votive candles on the tables to the pendant lanterns in the patio. I even loved the bathroom (something I strangely pay a lot of attention to), with its raspberry painted walls and clean white subway tiles.
The only thing I didn’t like: the prices. The not-​so-​huge pitchers of sangria were $ 28 each, which just seemed a bit too high. But I will definitely be returning as I very much enjoyed my experience there! And maybe there will be a Richard Gere type to pick up the tab next time.

This is a great little hideout well worth trying. As people have already noted, it is dimly lit and has a romantic feel, so feel free to bring that special someone.
Came here with a group of two close friends. Ordered Tapas to share for the table (sorry, I’m blanking on exactly what we got, I know we got some Ravioli… yeah, just can’t remember). Generally, the food ranged from pretty good to amazing (those ravioli seem to pop into my head).
The service was extremely slow, but that’s because, as the waiter warned us, one of the other waiters called in sick and he was the only one on duty that night. So you can chalk that up to a fluke.
The price was spot-​on. We got enough food to satiate three people (though we didn’t leave stuffed) and got a bottle of wine, all for under $ 40 per person.
Oh, and don’t forget to order the… nope, still can’t remember.

The Scene: A patio near Beverly Hills at a small tapas bar. The air is warm and the sun is just beginning to set in the west.
The Crowd: A gaggle of girls, some already slightly intoxicated, are dressed to the nines and settling in for a 3 hour, 5 course dinner on the patio.
The Food: Simply an experience. Our Prix Fixe dinner included sangria and wine selected to accompany our food, and there was plenty to go around. We (in a very ladylike fashion) noshed on our antipasti plates while Al, our server and sommelier, went over the menu. The antipasti included meats, cheeses, peppers — the works. Our second course continued to warm us up with Garlic Shrimp, Tuna Tartare, Arancini and Pincos. The third course gave us a small break and let us digest some of our food while more wine was poured. A palate cleanser, the third course offered Beet Carpaccio and Arugula Salad.
I couldn’t believe the size of the Seafood Paella when it arrived at our table! This dish and the Risotto Balls in a mushroom cream sauce were such excellent tasting experiences. I was less impressed with the quality of the shrimp.
Just when I thought I couldn’t hold another bite or take another deliciously intoxicating sip, our night rounded out with sinfully decadent dessert. I’m fairly certain I grabbed a Chocolate Pot de Crème and devoured it by myself.
The Staff: Excellent. Incredibly attentive and willing to please. Pleasant, humorous and eager to entertain a dozen or so (very drunk by the end) girls. Al was our hero!
Conclusion: Five stars! Two thumbs up! Recommended to any group of friends wanting to make a delicious and memorable evening.

My friend and I decided that we’d try a new restaurant every two weeks, and the first on our list was Tasca, a place I’ve had bookmarked for over a year. Shame on me for putting it off for so long!
Our dinner was amazing, but not just because everything we ordered tasted delicious, though it all did. (On that note, I highly recommend the black truffle tuna tartare.) It’s not even because the restaurant itself is the perfect mix of trendy and cozy. What really made the experience a 5-​star one was the super-​friendly staff, especially our server, Dave, who was both helpful and hilarious.
When I think back to that dinner, the first word that comes to mind is «fun», and that’s pretty rare for dining experiences. I guess I have to give partial credit to my friend for that, but the yummy tapas, the bottle of Vouvray, and the friendly staff at Tasca definitely did their parts!
P.S.
I must also thank Dave for directing us to El Carmen (see review below) and, consequently, to our demise.

After reading the reviews, I was psyched about coming here. Should have known something’s up when it’s 8pm on a Saturday night and the place is half empty. I want to be jostling for a table, you know what I mean?
Here’s the rundown on food:
–Bread basket — very forgettable.
–Sangria — way watered down.
–Baby Artichoke Hearts Salad — Your typical salad that you would find in a fancy tapas place.
–Tuna Tartare — My #2 favorite dish, but I’m a sucker for avocado.
–Gambas al ajillo — Just shrimp in paprika sauce. Smokey taste. 6 Shrimps.
–Boquerones — This was recommended by the waiter. Wish we didn’t get it.
Arancini — Fried ball of risotto. Loved this dish. You can convince me to come back to Tasca only if this is still on the menu.
–Moules Frites — Gorgeous meaty mussels in a light broth. Fries were all limp and sad.
–Braised short ribs — the butternut squash ravioli were delicious and I would have liked just those on a plate! The short ribs were a bit dry and stringy on the inside.
–Rack of lamb — Not gamey and tender. I don’t usually like lamb, but I liked this large plate.

First and foremost… thank you Rafael for such an amazing dinner.
I came in with my girlfriends. One of them sales wine for a living and this is one of her (hopefully) soon to be accounts.
We started the night with some tapas!
Ceviche– The mixture of flavors was excellent. Really fresh dish. I could have eaten a whole bucket of it!!!
Arancini– Fried mushroom like a «croqueta» but so tasty! Once again… a whole bucket of these would have been great!!!
Spanish Tortilla!- I was born and raised in Spain so I have very high standards when it comes to spanish dishes. Once it hit the table, I smelled it and my mind drifted to my grandmas house… delicious! Although I do have to say, I like it a little juicier.
Beat Salad Special– I almost died and went to heaven on this one. Cabrales cheese? Really? I was born on the part of Spain that makes this cheese!!! Boy oh boy did I enjoy that!!!
Gambas Al Ajillo– Totally nailed the garlic sauce. Once again, a little taste of home.
Boquerones– I haven’t had boquerones in 10 years. Sooo good!!!
Braised Short Ribs– The meat just melted in your mouth and it paired so well with the tortellini! YUM!
To end the most amazing dinner I have ever had… the very kind owner brought us some dessert!
Profiterole filled with vanilla ice cream with a dulce de leche sauce were to die for!!!
And the chocolate/​mocha (not sure exactly what it was) cup was out of this world.
In other words… you SHALL come try this place out.
I’ll be back, REALLY soon!!!

We ended up going to Tasca for Valentine’s day dinner. Ended up wishing we went to Olive Garden instead.
Two main factors played a part in the demise of our evening;
1. The music — They were bumping Euro-​Techno all night, in a dimly lit wine bar. It didn’t work for us.
2. The food — It just wasn’t very good.
We decided to start off with things we love, a cheese plate, a pâté plate, steak tartare, and mussels. One after another, our hearts sank deeper and deeper.
Cheese plate came first and it was a bit of a letdown since two of the three cheeses tasted almost identical, we want variety!
Next were the meats, with only the chicken liver mousse really shining. The other two lumps were on the bland side and needed a good dash of salt.
Then came more bland. The steak tartare was flavorless and mushy. What I hoped was an egg on top, ended up just being mustard, boo.
Lastly were the mussels, big juicy delicious mussels! These were some of the best mussels we’ve ever had! So nice and plump! I wish we had gotten four plates of mussels instead of everything else.
We skipped dessert, fearing it would be like the rest of the meal. But a short drive to Milk provided us with some very nice sweets.

I thought it would be bigger.
I thought it would be better.
Expectations can really eff you up!
I paid a total of $ 68 for my dining experience and I can honestly tell you the cheapest thing I had was the best: $ 3 Happy Hour price sangria.
The arancini balls (a pair is $ 10) were highly recommended. I had just gone into Kiss My Bundt a few stores down and even the owner told me to get it. The mushroom risotto fried balls with melted cheese inside were quite satisfying, especially in their truffle sauce, however not very photogenic.
The boston lettuce salad with stilton cheese, pistachios and heirloom tomatoes was OK — you can’t really screw this up unless you are a complete dumb f***.
The Halibut en papillote was quite moist and had a few tomatoes and kalamata olives steamed inside. Still, a little boring and the potatoes that came with it were a close runner up for the yawn of the century. I tasted a bit of the hangar steak which was quite succulent.
I had the Chocolate pot de crème with cardamon crème for dessert, which tasted more like coffee than cardamon. The whole dessert actually tasted like pudding with whip cream on it, add chocolate shavings. I was expecting something a bit richer and more decadent than this. My friend got the panna cotta which was also gelatinous. Bill Cosby must have been in the back having a J-​E-​L-​L-​O party with the sous chefs.
I also had two glasses of their non merlot red happy hour wine, a very good wine. The first glass was $ 5 and the second was post happy hour so it was $ 10.
Would I come back? Yes, but only if someone else is footing the bill.