Malbec Argentinean Cuisine

Great cebiches, wonderful barramundi, excellent steak! We were nicely surprised by the quality of our experience at Malbec. The Argentinian wine paired nicely with the spices used in the dishes.

Fantastic food and ambiance. Great for family dining. They have rooms for private parties. The menu had a great variety and we were delighted with every dish.

Stopped by this place totally random. I was driving by and saw TV screens with NBA playoffs on. And it was not busy! Yay! Everything worked out perfectly for a bite and a glass of wine after work;) I really liked carpaccio, it was perfectly thin sliced, melting in your mouth, and seasoning was so flavorful! Capers, nice drizzle of olive oil, and Parmesan cheese felt really nice, together with tender beef. My husband ordered an entrée, and the meat was perfectly done, medium well. The side was really nice, was a great combination salad. The TV that they had on was Univision ESPN, and since subtitles were in Spanish, I asked if we can change that to English. I was told, they don’t know how to… I was fine, we get basketball with no subtitles, right ;) Anyhow, the answer threw me off a bit.

Amazing! We started with their empanadas then moved on to ceviche. They were both awesome. We then had their amazing sausage board from all over the world then on to steak with Brussels sprouts and wild mushrooms. Lastly, their dulce de leche crêpe was out of this world! Great place for large groups as well.

This restaurant was nice, slightly over priced tho for the food. I shared a decent steak and Ceviche with a friend and wasn’t impressed with either. Clean, upscale restaurant tho.

Came here with a small group for Happy Hour to give the place another try since changing the name and restaurant around a little bit since I now live in the close-​by area.
Arrived around 5:45 for Happy Hour and was very pleasantly surprised by everything this time: the service, food, and particularly drinks. Prices were great, too!
Between our group we sampled a number of items including the caipirinha, Maracuya sour to drink. Both were fantastic depending on your mood.
For food we got the meatballs, empenadas, brussels sprouts, and steaks, all on the HH menu (brussels were ~same price but on the main menu). Meatballs were tasty and came with two larger meatballs on a great polenta. Empenadas were good, brussels were too salty and soggy (they’re sauteed, not roasted), and the steaks were great given the $ 9 price point on that.
Will definitely return for drinks and the steaks, and maybe try the other foods if they rotate the items around a bit.
Still not sure I’ll return for a full dinner but I’ll keep this place in mind going forward!

Came here with a friend, ended the dinner with, «It’s so bad, let’s split.» — referring to the check, wouldn’t want one person to be saddled with the cost of a bad meal so we decided to split the pain.
Ordered 2 glasses of red wine (different wines), empanadas (chicken+ricotta), steak, dessert (crêpe).
Only the dessert was good — the rest of the food was just… Unimpressive and not particularly good/​memorable. The wine was weak and not tasteful enough as reds. Maybe our expectations were too high. Nothing stood out except the service, which did stand out in a bad way.
The server was ultra moody and almost never came by. It was difficult to do anything, I wanted to order more food but she took so long that at the end of the day, all I wanted to do was leave. Subpar food + atrocious service = bad combo.

As authentic as you can get! Had a wonderful dinner which included the classic empanadas, milanesa as main course and a wonderful panqueque de dulce de leche (crepes) for dessert. The service was impecable, Christian had an amazing demeanor and was very attentive to our needs. We had a chance to chat a great length and felt as if I was right in Buenos Aires.
I’ve gone to Malbec in Toluca Lake and had visited the Santa Monica location in the past, which was under the «Ushuaia» name — I’m glad that the owners decided to change to «Malbec,» and not compromise the menu to fit the mainstream tastebuds. Everything is as it should be and dishes are amazing.

This is a wonderful place if you are looking for the good food. I always love this restaurant for their stakes, but I tried on Tuesday night their seafood, because my niece does not eat meat. And we were all so impressed! Could not stop eating and ordering. Also they have amazing side dishes. Everything from soups and to desert was awesome! Gaspacho is best in town. Unfortunately I did not do ordering, that is why I do not remember the name of the dishes, but I am sure anything you pick will be good.
From wine list I took Malbec 2010 and it was so, so good. It was not this time, but 2 month ago where we had different type of meat fiesta. Was delicious as usual. Really recommend this place.

Excellent food… great prices. My husband and I came here for our anniversary dinner. We aren’t from the area and wanted to eat at a great steakhouse. We came here based on the reviews and it did not disappoint.
We had the mixed ceviche and it was excellent. The flavor, the freshness… delicious. We also tried the empanada sampler — the ham and cheese was definitely the best. I ordered the lamb ravioli which was the special for the night and it was to die for. Rich and flavorful and the lamb wasn’t too gamey. My husband seemed to enjoy his steak as well.
The best part of this place was it isn’t too expensive and the service we received was great as well. A little on the louder side for a date night because a lot of large groups come, but definitely worth the trip for the food.

Service was very good. Casual. Sitting arrangements in the restaurant could be improved with more banquettes and more comfortable chairs.
Food was excellent. From the different chorizos and empanadas we had to start as appetizers all the way through including milanesas for the kids, pollo and churrasco. Papas al Horne were specially good.
The mousse and the flan as well as the obligatory espresso were also excellent.
I will certainly return and recommend it to friends and colleagues.

Whenever I’m craving a little bit of steak, I come here for their happy hour. They’ve got a nicely cooked little steak with some solid gravy and peppercorn. Not a huge portion, but certainly big enough to do the job.
Not a ton of beer options, but the Argentine brew, Quilme, isn’t too bad for a standard local country’s beer. I’ve had better, but I’ve certainly had worse.

Nach vielen Tagen mit vornehmlich Fisch, gab es heute Abend ein hervorragendes Steak (New York). 14OZ mit deutlich Röstaromen, also perfekt gegrillt. Auch das Gemüse war bissfest, so wie wir es mögen. Sehr freundliche Bedienung. Der Preis liegt eher im oberen Bereich, aber das ist noch Okay.
Können es also gerne weiter empfehlen.

Not really a huge fan, We went there for LA restaurant week and we could not find any steak on the their especial menu. However our food ended up being tasty.

Excelentes empanadas! Sin duda las de Espinaca y Queso son las mejores, irresistibles!
El ambiente del restaurant es muy agradable y la atención muy buena también…

My expectations were high for this Argentinian steak house. Having grown up with an Argentinian best friend, my standards for food quality and authenticity at restaurants is high. Malbec did not disappoint!
Prices seem high for the simplicity of the food. But for the quality of food, chicness of the restaurant and prime location, they are average and fair. Definitely start with the empanadas! The chicken and beef are both delicious, and you can get one of each per order. I love the sole with lemon caper sauce. The cut of fish is huge and the sauce is decadent yet fresh and well seasoned. I like that it comes with a generous side of mashed potatoes and steamed spinach. On a good night I can polish my plate, but those with lesser appetites would likely have enough for leftovers. I’ve also tried the grilled skirt steak, cooked medium rare. The accompanying chimichurri sauce is really what sets their meat apart from other similarly priced steak houses. They offer a nice selection of desserts. The dulcle de leche crêpe is always a winner.
Malbec offers a full bar and decent wine list. I am surprised with how few malbec wines are available, considering the namesake, but they have a nice variety of other choices. This place can get packed on the weekends, I highly recommend making a reservation ahead of time on Open Table to avoid a long wait. Although waiting is not too bad since you can get drinks at the bar, though it can be a bit cramped.
Valet is available, though there is usually parking on the residential side streets.

The food was absolutely amazing, and we got seated right away even though they were packed on a Friday night. The food came quickly and the waiters were attentive. One of my new favorites for sure! Low lighting, exposed brick in places, hip music, great place for a date night.

Decided to stop by randomly for the first time. We ordered skirt steak, salmon, and empanadas. Steak was juicy and perfectly cooked, salmon was flavorful, tender, and smokey. The beef empanada was one of the best empanadas I’ve had. Will definitely be coming back.

So, every other month my friends and I try a new restaurant in L.A. This month, it was Malbec! I saw the good ratings on Unilocal and decided we should try it out! Let’s just say, they did not disappoint. From the moment I walked in the door, I loved it. The atmosphere was definitely soft, intimate and sexy. You could definitely come here for a date. And the eye candy on the men that work there is quite lovely! But I digress…
The food was so delectably delicious. For an appetizer, I had the Costa Patagonia. That sauce was so good! it tasted like some type of wine sauce; just Yum! Then for my main course, I had the Flat Grilled Pacific Sole with a side of fries. I was beyond pleased with my choices. My girlfriends all loved their food. Now, one of them wasn’t a fan of the Gorgonzola compote that came with the prime beef tenderloin. I tried it and that sauce is THE BEST!!! So, I took it and added to my fish… YES!!! EVeryone’s palate does not like everything, but I loved it! And for my drink, I had the White Sangria. 5 Stars on everything!
Chris was our server and he was amazing. We had lots of questions in the beginning and he as well as other staff answered all and was very helpful in suggestions. Everyone that worked there was just awesome! I don’t know about anybody else, but I felt special.
We had a superb time! Definitely want to go back again. Thank you for your service and the great food!

This was the first time I’ve had Argentinean food and I have to say it wasn’t bad. I wasn’t overly impressed, but wasn’t disappointed either.
For Appetizers I ordered the empanadas it was $ 8.95. They offer Beef, spinach and cheese, corn and queso fresco, chicken, ham and cheese, mushroom, basil and cherry tomato. I ended up ordering the chicken and beef. The beef was a little too salty, but he chicken was good.
For Entrees I got the Chimichurri and it came with grilled vegetables $ 25.95. Overall I thought it was a cooked really well, but as far as flavoring it was just a little to simple. Even with the sauce it just seemed like the main flavor component was salt. It would have been nice to have another flavor component such as spice.
My girlfriend got the Churrasco $ 26.95 with the sautéed spinach $ 5.95. Her overall feeling was the same as mine. It was a great cut of meat and cooked perfectly, but the flavoring was too one dimensional for her. Salty.
The service was amazing though ⁵⁄₅.
Overall the meats were of high quality and cooked well, but we both wished their was more flavors to the steak and sauces besides salt.

Do you like meat? Do you LOVE meat? Do you love BEEF? Steak? You found the place. You have a choice of steak, and other MEAT dishes. Come hungry, as the steaks are huge.

Omg it is such a good restaurant! The food is delicious and the staff very nice! I highly recommend this restaurant and on top of that it’s very affordable!

New Year’s Eve superb dinner with Michael. We shared first the Tablita de Campo and then the mixed cuts with two sides of pure de papas and Humita. Each beef cut was perfectly cooked and tasty: amazing! Unfortunately there was no space left for dessert! Great excuse to go back!

Fantastic!
Great food, the service was personal and in the standard of a South American pace and tempo. Not in a hurry. Attention to detail a little loose.
Brought a Greek girl to diner, my ex wife who is very picky. The compliment from her is a metal of honor for the restaurant.

Their steak, side dishes, and the beef carpaccio have all been consistently good every time we come here.
Minus one star for borderline cheesy ambience, a la fake candles, fake plants and room dividers?!

Went for Christmas Eve and have to downgrade to three stars because two of the meat dishes were served way undercooked which the resolved but it took too long and ruined the flow of the meal. The service was very friendly but spotty. A bit disappointed, but we still had a nice time.

Pretty loud restaurant, below average service, and only decent food + drinks for the price and location.
I ordered the 14oz ribeye a la carte with the complimentary side sauces and was fairly disappointed. While the cook throughout was a good medium rare as asked, there was neither much sear nor flavor to the meat in addition to the salt. I thought the chimichurri and pepper sauces were too mild/​unnecessary and while the egg-​based sauce was nice, didn’t really add anything to the meat at all. The diabla sauce was essentially a pepper aioli which was too mayonnaise-​y and again didn’t compliment the steak at all in my opinion
I was really excited about the cocktails as the flavors and combinations seemed really exciting, but I was let down but a mediocre final product. Amongst the table, I tried the chili pineapple caiphrihana which didn’t have anything going on other than an overload of chili, the blackberry martini which was too sweet and licorice-​y for me, and the maracuya sour which had the potential to have a wow-​factor but fell a little flat.
I also tried the salmon tartare and lobster bisque, both of which were nice but shouldn’t have been better than the steak at a steakhouse.
I don’t think I’d come back given the extent of other options in the area at this price point. The menu really does look fantastic and the restaurant on paper adds a breath of fresh air in terms of the cuisine’s influence, but I was really hoping for a better experience.

I’m not a big meat eater but when I come here I can’t resist the steak! The drinks are amazing too. We can’t forget the dessert «Crema Catalana» is to die for!

Wow wow, very nice (in borat voice).
Had the Ushuaia salad to start and WOW, triple mega boom holy smokes! Same with the beef carpaccio like BOOM an ICBM of flavor straight into your mouth!
And the steak — OY VAY, an explosion of unfortunate cow carcass but wow, so good to eat.
And the FLAN, my God, the flan… Best restaurant flan I ever had.
You WILL break the bank here, mind you. My only detraction here is with the sides, which I didn’t love. Vegetables were good though…
But yeah, get all the stuff I mentioned, and see my pics. Re-​DONK-​u-​lous.

We tried this place for the first time last night and were very pleased. The place has a great atmosphere — dim lighting and a modern, artsy feel. Perfect for a date night. Bar seating and a decent amount of dining area also.
We started off with the empanadas — the appetizer comes with two and you can mix, we chose the two most popular — beef and chicken, but they have vegetarian options also. Best empanadas I’ve ever had. Perfect crispy crust on the outside with savory moist filling. Most empanadas I order from restaurants taste frozen and re-​heated. These taste home made. I ordered the Fettuccines Del Puerto — homemade fettuccine noodles with saffron tomato sauce, mussels, clams, shrimp, baby octopus, calamari and sole. Yes, all of this delightful seafood was in included! So delicious and comforting. All the seafood was perfectly cooked and not chewy at all. No sand either — well done, Ushuaia! The dish is a decent portion and I was planning to eat half and take the other half home, but before I knew it the whole portion was gone — oops! Seafood is not that great reheated anyway I told myself.
My fiancé ordered the rib eye, which was cooked to perfection and had a great flavor and so tender. It was a good size piece of meat also. All the steaks are served with three sauces — the chimichurri, criolla rustica and the salsa mia. There’s an assortment of sauces you can add also, but the ones included complicated the steak nicely. He also ordered a side of mixed mushrooms «Hongos Provenzal» cooked with garlic, parsley and white wine — served in a mini cast iron skillet — mm mm!
We didn’t have dessert, but will look forward to trying something sweet the next time we go. Great food, great service, great ambience. We will be back.

The boyfriend took me for a staycation in LA and he booked a reservation at Ushuaia. He’d never had Argentinean steak… and I have. SO GOOD. Anyway I’m getting ahead of myself. We got to the restaurant and were seated right away (we had reservations but I’m not sure if you really need one? But, it’s always great to have one… as least it is in my opinion.
Anyway we were seated in the smaller enclosed room. Our server was super attentive and he too was from Argentina, we ordered some bottle of wine (some wine from Argentina… I was not paying attention). They give you bread with Chimichurri sauce… my favorite! For our starter we ordered the Almejas Y Mejillones which is the mussels & clams. SOOO GOOD! Everything about it was delicious… the broth was rich and salty… overall great! For our entrée we did the Tabla Mixta with the Bife Angosto & the Lomo. These items are sliced and placed on a super hot skillet… i would suggest if you order this. order your beef on the rare side… because we ordered it medium rare… and it came out basically medium well. The sauces that came with it were not bad… but i prefer to eat my steaks with the regular chimichurri sauce so i asked for extra! :) The lomo is the beef tenderloin wrapped in bacon… i liked this meat because it was tender… it was just a little disappointing that the beef tasted JUST LIKE BACON. So bacon lovers… order this! For our side dish we ordered the Mandioca en Mojo de Ajo which is yuca in a citrus sauce. This was my least favorite dish… I just did not make the best decision on that side… oh well. NEXT TIME i’ll choose another veggie/​carb.
For dessert we ordered the Flan al Caramelo. but they accidentally gave us the lemon tart or something… we finished it… i didn’t complain but i was very confused as to why a flan was so sour… (LOL). When we got the check, they let us know they were going to take off the flan because they served us the wrong dessert. #lovefreefood.
We both had a great time. Great service and the food was pretty good.

I have limited experience here. With that caveat, I was happy with my spinach and cheese empanadas and the chimichurri sauce that came with the bread. Bread was bleh, but it was the vessel for my sauce. I also had the soup of the day which was a mushroom soup, which was a little undersalted and watery and only OK. I’m also not a huge fan of pureed soups. My coworker had the Estancia salad (Prime strip loin steak with boston lettuce, baby frisse radicchio, cucumber, tomato, avocado, goat cheese, and special dressing), and my other worker had the Entrana a Caballo (Grill skirt steak, fried eggs, French fries provenzal). They both seemed to enjoy their food. Fries were crispy but a little greasy.
Nice atmosphere, although pretty pricey. I would like to try their paella at some point in the future. Also, check in on Unilocal for free glass of wine, who can say no to that? Except that I had to since I was still working.

Happy hour review.
Happy hour is M-​F from 4−7PM in the bar area only.
They have select beer, wine, and cocktails for $ 4 – 7. Their happy hour food menu features several appetizers from $ 7 – 10.
The cocktails are interesting, but there was something strange tasting in the chili pineapple caipirinha that reminded me of saccharin. However, their well martinis were good. This is one of the few places that I know of that serves martinis on the happy hour menu.
parking — metered until 8PM on Wilshire or until 6PM on the street just east of the restaurant. Then free.

This place is great but I have no idea how to pronounce it!
I came here with a date on a Thursday night, no reservations. It wasn’t that busy or crowded so we got seated right away.
The waitress was super friendly and helpful. We had these empanadas to start, as well as cocktails. Both very yummy!
I ordered the seafood paella and my date got a steak dish. My paella was bomb and full of seafood — calamari, shrimp, clams, you name it! I tried a piece of my date’s steak and it was juicy and delicious.
Overall a great place to dine. Gotta come back and try the happy hour!

Wir waren 6 Personen alles war sehr gut, nach dem Essen gab es wie in Amerika üblich nicht gleich due Rechnung man könnte noch gemütlich sitzen und ein wenig miteinander reden! Service Top!

Great churrasco al Malbec