I was disappointed with how I was treated during my visit. I was with my client who met with friends and decided to just sit at the bar so they can have privacy. At first he ask if I will do a take out. While I was eating somebody called me and while I was briefly answering a phone call, the manager came up to me and asked if I had headphones because my phone was "too noisy." The approach felt unnecessary and unprofessional. It also gave me the impression that customers who don't place large orders aren't treated with the same level of respect. Overall, the experience made me feel uncomfortable and unwelcome. If you're not in a suit don't come here they will treat you like a trash. Tsk! read more

I recently had a disappointing experience at Bistango despite the restaurant's reputation for amazing food. My party spent over $200 expecting a pleasant dining experience, but we were met with unbearable conditions inside the restaurant. The temperature inside was a sweltering 80 degrees Fahrenheit, which made enjoying our meal nearly impossible. We politely brought this issue to the attention of multiple staff members, but unfortunately, nothing was done to resolve the situation. It was incredibly frustrating to spend such a significant amount of money only to feel uncomfortable throughout the entire meal. While the food itself was indeed delicious, the overall experience was marred by the oppressive heat inside the restaurant and the lack of concern from the staff. For these reasons, I cannot recommend Bistango to others until they address their climate control issues and improve their customer service responsiveness. Before writing this review I tried to send my concerns to their Instagram and was met with an automated response. read more

Bistango in Irvine - The actual temp inside. - American Near Me - Irvine, California

This is a nice restaurant in Irvine connecting to an office building. Service was good but the server liked to rush us to order. Presentation of food was an and taste was amazing. This is a great for a date night or for a gathering read more

Bistango in Irvine - Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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For a "fine dining" restaurant, the only thing fine about this place is its atmosphere; poor valet service, rude waiters, and unclean dishes. Receiving singular pieces of bread for each person dining while drinking tap water out of mildewy glasses isn't worth the outrageous prices of the food. I can say the young blonde lady up front who seated our group was extremely nice--she should be working for someplace much better. Party of six that left. read more

Celebrated my birthday here with my boyfriend. Had a beautiful intimate dinner while some live jazz playing in the background. This restaurant is perfect for date night or any celebration. The service was great, and so was the food. Make sure to check out their cool art all over the restaurant. read more

I've been coming to this amazing restaurant since they're opened in 1987. I can comfortably say their ambience. The staff the food the presentation is that's good as it was when it opened. I feel this restaurant is arguably the best restaurant in Orange County and I would highly recommend it, if you want to have quality food and ambience or you can actually talk to your friends as well as enjoy a great music read more

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Absolutely terrible Valentine's Day experience. Three Course Prix-Fix meal was terribly overpriced for cold mediocre food. The staff were inattentive and at times blatantly rude. The pacing of each course was dreadfully long, causing much dissatisfaction to my table, and visible dissatisfaction to the tables around me. When my main course had initially arrived to my table, It was undercooked to blood rare when i had asked for medium-rare. When I had asked for my food to be reheated due to all of being cold/ undercooked-- they served me an overcooked steak, with cold sides. Frustrated with the service and food not equating to its price, I asked for my final course to-go. Which staff had obliged to, however they would put our desserts smushed together in one take- out box. For over 290 dollars, what a rip-off-- on Valentine's Day of all nights too. I will never be coming back, absolutely awful experience. read more

Food was delicious, service Great!!!! Loved the Music, and the Ambiance was really nice. Will definitely come Back!!

You may need to take out a loan if you dine here. Just be aware that reasonable does not apply to this establishment. $62 for a piece of fish? Yes, indeed. Having said that, and knowing that there is something special here, prepare for a culinary and artistic experience unlike any other. If you appreciate modern art, and food with somewhat of an Argentine flair, you'll have a potentially positive experience. Our group of four celebrated Thanksgiving dinner here, and three of us had the price fixe turkey dinner special, one had the sea bass dinner with salad. Portions are very large, and desserts are sinfully good. Service was efficient and professional. In terms of taste, let's just say that pairing Brussels sprouts with cranberry sauce and somewhat soggy stuffing is an unsuccessful endeavor. The turkey portions were large, with an equal amount of dark and white meat. Overall reaction, meh. Total bill for four, including gratuity came to $442. Not your everyday middle of the week type eatery, by any means. read more

I came here with my boyfriend for Valentine's Day, and they had a fixed price menu (135/person). Unfortunately, overall, we did not have a good experience. When we sat down, our server came to us with menus quickly (food and wine list). He did not ask us for our drink orders, or provide a non-alcoholic beverage list--just straight into the food. After that, we waited for a while to get our starters (we both ordered the lobster ravioli). The plate was warm, but the food was lukewarm at best. My boyfriend sent back his food, and the waiter brought back a "hot one," but this was cold too. The flavor was fine. Next up was the main course, which we waited about half an hour for after the starter. He got the ribeye and I got the surf and turf (lobster and filet mignon). Like the starter, the plates were warm but the food was not. It felt like they were keeping all of the plates under a heat lamp for hours on end before they got delivered to the table. He thought the ribeye was about average in taste, highly fatty, and no bone--although it was cooked to his preferred taste. I thought that the lobster was nice, but lukewarm, and my filet mignon seemed to be a different cut of meat. The flavor was nice, and so were the potatoes with it, but the fact that it was not hot and did not seem freshly prepared detracted from the experience. The dessert was a raspberry chocolate mousse cake, which tasted a bit stale (perhaps from the fridge). While the food was underwhelming, and so was the service, I can say that the atmosphere was nice (a great live band was playing). Our server was also very nice, but seemed to be super stressed the entire evening and the staff as a whole was spread thin. I'm sure this restaurant is good under normal circumstances, but I wouldn't recommend it for Valentine's Day. read more

Food was so so. Really enjoyed the garlic soup. Staff was nice and attentive. Live music and some dancing. Atmosphere is well worth the trip. read more

Proscuitto, fig, burrata 9.28/10- this was so fire, everything was incredibly fresh. I absolutely loved this combination as it went together perfectly. I really liked how the figs were smaller as it made to craft the perfect bite. I wish there was more balsamic and olive oil as it really added flavor to the dish. Wasn't a huge fan of the arugula as it overpowered the dish Filet mignon 9.63/10- this was so good, the meat was perfectly tender and juicy. The mashed potatoes were also incredible, they had the perfect hint of garlic and melt in your mouth- great complement to the steak Garlic soup 9.68/10- this was so good, their best starter hands down. It's incredibly creamy and made with chives. Comfort food vibes Chocolate soufflé 9.88/10- literally a chocolate lovers dream omg. Incredibly gooey and warm on the inside with the perfect outer edge. The waiter also cracks the top and pours dark chocolate sauce in the middle which seeps through the cake. Grand Mariner Soufflé 1000/10- the absolute best dessert, it's incredible. I'm a huge chocolate fan however this was even more nuanced than the chocolate soufflé, and had a hint of lemon citrus as well as vanilla bean. Literally the best, we ordered 2. Our server cracked the top open and poured an orange licquor sauce that was floral which complemented it perfectly. Icecream Pastry 9.54/10- delicious, they gave this for my moms birthday and it was incredibly good. Tasted like an Icecream cream puff. So good but incomparable to the soufflés. Make sure you order the soufflés while you eat your entree as it takes 30 min for them to make! Absolutely love Bistangos for their remarkable soufflés, changing artwork, and amazing live music that made my moms birthday so special tonight Instagram: @hungrytamale read more

Always love coming here. Used to work in the building and it was always a treat to come here for work lunches. I was able to stop in today and without fail I cannot seem to get myself to order anything but the bacon wrapped shrimp risotto no matter what. It is fantastic. The type of risotto changes on occasion and today it was butternut squash. My personal favorite is the sweet corn risotto but I really enjoyed the butternut squash today. They have fantastic desserts and used to do soufflés for dinner (not sure if still available) and those were fantastic too! My boss loves the octopus salad. Service is always super friendly. The missing star is due to service being slow at times. It was great today but having been here over the years it can be super quick or slow. The missing star would not stop me from recommending! read more

Bistango in Irvine - Risotto - bacon wrapped shrimp - American Near Me - Irvine, California

The food is good, they have a combo band, haven't been there in a while, maybe it is more crowded these days now that Covid over. Great ambiance too. read more

Very nice, classy place. Great food, service and a live jazz trio at dinnertime. We just avoided the valet parking & walked a little, from the last open spot in the back of the lot. read more

Every couple months or so my wife and I like to go out and splurge on a nice date night type dinner. We have ran across so many places we have loved over the years but are always looking for more and taking suggestions from friends, family members and just reviews in general. This past trip brought us to Bistango which I had never heard of but found through Open Table and quickly snatched up so weekend reservations. Bistango is located at the corner of an industrial style complex and has valet parking onsite or you can use the parking structure around the corner (validation inside for weekdays - weekends appear to be free without validation). Despite the industrial complex vibe outside as soon a you walk in the restaurant changes and you immediately see the upscale ambiance. We had reservations and arrived a few minutes early and were quickly seated at a nearby table. Our server for the evening was tremendous and gave us the rundown on the specials and really stayed on top of things throughout our dining experience. He quickly brought complimentary bread and butter to the table and took our drink order, the strawberry lychee for my wife and the forbidden sour for myself and both were quite strong yet refreshing. For starters, I went with the wedge salad and it was delicious and quite large but at $18 was a tough pill to swallow. My wife went with the sweet garlic soup and seemed to really enjoy it. I had a bite of it as well and it was delicious and something I would definitely go with on a future visit. For our main dishes we went with a half portion of lamb chops and the 12oz Prime Angus New York Steak with green peppercorn sauce. My steak was cooked to perfection for me and the peppercorn sauce was amazingly flavorful and the lamb seemed like a great size portion for my wife as well. We both enjoyed the dishes and also had dessert coming. The server had taken our dessert order of a Grand Marnier Souffle at the same time as our meals to get it into the kitchen as this takes around 30 minutes to prepare and he wanted to have it in early to mitigate any possible wait. The souffle was quite good although not my favorite but definitely something I would opt for again although I would also like to try the chocolate variety as well. Overall this was a pricey but great dining experience for both of us. I almost lowered this to a 4 just due to the pricing as this had also just gone up apparently from the posted website pricing by almost $2 an item from the time I made the reservation to the time we dined in but the taste, service and overall experience more than made up for it. I absolutely enjoyed my experience and will definitely be back again down the road for another date night or special celebration. read more

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If you're looking for an intimate vibe this is the spot. Not your typical steakhouse plating, more of a fine dining plating style. We got a fish plate and lamb chops, the lamb was perfectly cooked still pink inside and not dry. The fish plate was decent needed a tad bit more seasoning. Overall it was a good dining experience, good for date night. read more

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Super disappointed in service at the bar. Came in early for our dinner to have a cocktail. Watched three servers tend to the opposite side of the bar, watched a server eat and drink, and no one paid attention to us. Finally someone brought us water, and then we had to flag someone down to place an order. read more

This place is outstanding, great sitting and beautiful band performance and a full bar. The food is amazing and delicious. Service was super. We cant wait to be back. read more

Great food. Lovely ambiance. Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass (4/5) - Served with a mushroom risotto, asparagus, truffle essence, and concord grape reduction. I don't really recall the truffle essence or the concord grape reduction, but I do know the sea bass was melt-in-your-mouth, flaky and generously portioned. Chocolate souffle (4/5) - Order this before you dig into your entree! These babies require a 30-minute lead time, so let your server know if you're interested so that your dessert will follow promptly after your dinner. The souffle was like a pillowy cloud in the best kind of way. Having the server crack open the top and dress it up with whipped cream and chocolate sauce was a treat. Grand Marnier souffle (5/5) - Same rules apply here - order early if you know you'll be committing to this freshly-baked dessert! I'm a self-proclaimed chocolate fanatic, but truthfully, the Grand Marnier souffle took the cake. It was way more nuanced than its chocolate brethren and was paired with a floral orange liqeuer sauce. It was so good that I forgot to take photos, sigh. For some reason, the souffles aren't on the menu, but do ask your servers about it if interested! My favorite part of the evening (besides the food) was being able to sit in this pseudo-patio space while still being indoors! The space offers modestly upscale vibes, but without the stuffiness. I'll be back for the Grand Marnier souffle! read more

Bistango in Irvine - Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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Went here for a holiday party luncheon so had a private room in the back. Room was very spacious and was beautifully decorated. Staff were all very friendly and attentive. Since we had a set menu with choices for a soup or salad, entree and dessert it was easy to pick my dishes. The beef fettuccini pasta was creamy without being too heavy and there were hearty portions of beef in the pasta. Overall very good food and great service read more

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Very pleasantly surprised with my meal here! It was a business lunch, so no pics and no dessert, but the food was quite good. They offer free parking as well as valet parking with validation, which was nice. The service from all the staff was friendly and efficient, slightly formal, but not obsequious. We arrived at opening for lunch and I expected it to stay empty, but quickly filled up with diners. I will say that the guests, with the exception of us, we're mostly very homogeneous. After getting our drink order, they came by with a bread basket and offered us fresh, hot bread; it was good. We each ordered a fish dish and they were all quite good; each fish was cooked perfectly (salmon, cod, and halibut). The sides accompanying the fish were similar, but each had its own sauce. I will say it was a bit pricey for the food, but given it's filled with folks having a business lunch, the pricing makes sense. I'd definitely go back if I was looking for a place in the area. read more

My husband and I had a valentine dinner reservation. It was3 course meal. Steal was salty and over cooked Request for medium rare Sea bass was ok But portion was small than last visit. Price is per person $130.00 We ending pay with tips$400. It is not worthy of money. Will not coming back for sure read more

please fire your hostess bella. waited over an hour for a reservation. took over an hour for our main course to come out. overbooked and they did not care whatsoever. they chose people who had later reservations which is so stupid. not even worth the wait. will never come back here again. ridiculous. the host was extremely rude and gave terrible attitude. the restaurant itself is located inside a business building and is so so badly decorated. worst dining experience ever. if i'm paying over 300 dollars for a dinner ... im expecting a better experience. i understand that restaurant get busy but this was terrible. read more

Bistango in Irvine - inside business building. fluorescent light poorly covered up poorly by tarp. - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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I went for an event so my review is based on that. I ordered the tuna tartare, filet mignon, and tiramisu. None of the food was especially good. The filet was raw. The tiramisu was just lacking something. Just not great. Service was top notch. There was a band playing which was a bit distracting for the event. But would have been great for a nice cocktail. read more

Bistango in Irvine - Tuna tartare - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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So first of all, the food sucks. Our server constantly brought us bread every 5 minutes because I think he knows that...the food sucks too. Secondly, I wouldn't recommend coming here on a weekend actually I wouldn't recommend coming here at all because guess what? Yes. The food sucks. Lastly to bring it home..don't come here. Why you ask? THE FOOD SUCKS. Live music was nice, but the food sucked. read more

Attended Bistango for their Valentine's day dinner event. All I can say is this was complete Chaos. When we arrived there was a long line of couples waiting to be seated and it was very apparent that they had lost control of the reservations process, as there was a full restaurant of people from a prior seating. We waited 45 minutes past our reservations time to be seated. Everything from that point forward went down hill. It took the serving staff 30 minutes before they even acknowledged our presence, and an addition 15 minutes before there was water on our plates. The server simply did t care. Food was ok, but by this point, our special evening was ruined. We have dined here before on a regular evening, but they are clearly not equipped on many levels to handle a special fixed holiday menu event. I would not return unless they compensated us. It was a terrible experience. read more

We had a party of 9 dine here for lunch which all but one was trying it for the very first time. The restaurant dining area was beautiful! It was decorated beautifully for the Christmas holiday. Our server Eddie was awesome, he tended to our entire table and helped those of us unsure about what to order. My wife ordered a Caesar salad with salmon, and I ordered a chicken sandwich with fries. The food was delicious! The restaurant hit all the right points (food*service*ambiance)! There were no leftovers to take home, at least from our orders. It was a great time! Eddie was also just as good a photographer as he was a server. He took several photos of our group, from all angles of the table. Coffee was good, restrooms were clean, food was reasonably priced for the quality, and their parking was plenty. We had no negatives to report. We look forward to dining here again whenever we're in the Irvine area again. read more

Bistango in Irvine - Caesar Salad w/ Salmon - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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The food, service, and ambiance was awesome. The restaurant is in the business complex but dinner at night is very peaceful and relaxing.

This is the second year my boss has treated our small office to lunch at Bistango. We each loved our items from last year, and were pleased to see the same menu offered this year. My Chilean sea bass was exactly as I remembered, deliciously seasoned, and cooked to perfection. Our table also ordered the fettuccine with filet, pasta puttanesca, spaghetti bolognese, and mixed green salads with apples and pears. The food was spectacular. The only issue I had with our experience was with the service. Upon walking into the outside dining area, my boss asked if we could be seated at a booth. The gentleman seating us snootily informed us the booths were only for reservations (which we had) even though it was a Thursday afternoon and there were several booths empty. Also, for a more upscale establishment, I was turned off by my bread plate having visible food remnants on it. read more

Bistango in Irvine - Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass - American Near Me - Irvine, California

I love the live music in the lounge and the gorgeous artwork to admire. The food is amazing I usually order the Sea Bass that's cooked to perfection it is served with Risotto and asparagus. The lamb chops are delicious cooked to perfection. Order the Grand Mariner Soufflé meet when you order your meal they make it fresh. Their Chocolate Martini is the best one I have ever tasted. It's always a great evening out the service is fantastic. Great for a date night. read more

Nice location, great food and service!! Nice music some evenings also!! Menu variety is seasonally with fresh ingredients!! read more

Cutest spot! The patio feels like a little garden escape! The botanical garden was lovely! I went on a Monday and they had live jazz playing, which made the night feel extra special. Drinks were great, the food was super tasty, and the whole vibe was just wonderful. Can't wait to go back! read more

My husband and I love this place for date nights. The food is consistently great. The music and dancing is romantic. And Frankie and the bar staff always provide top notch service. My favorite drink is the Irish-O and my husband likes the old fashioned. Guacamole and chips is a great appetizer. And we usually order the steak and chicken entrees. I am never disappointed at Bistango. read more

Bistango in Irvine - Irish-O - American Near Me - Irvine, California

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Came here for a business dinner with a big group. The food had a pre-prepared taste to it, steaks were raw and rubbery. Service is questionable and rushing you to place you to order. Wouldn't recommend read more

I was with a group of friends and this was the first time I was at Bistango. Great atmosphere, nice little trio of musicians etc, The first thing they give you is some bread/rolls and butter. They must have been sitting around for a while...I dunno who makes these rolls but the crust outside is like a thin piece of leather...wow I couldn't believe it but so be It. I ordered the BLT hanburger $38...I thought this must be really some burger...NOT. It was over done, I guess the chef's idea of meadium w/a pink center was not what my idea of that condition of finished burger, the beacon was very flat thin and lifeless, same for the tomato. I didn't want my friends which I had just met, to think I was a trouble maker so I didn't send it back. MY wife's dish of pasta and steak was really good, the meat was cooked just right and we should have that dish and shared it. I am a burger cook and I know if you don't keep a close eye on that paddy and take it off earilier than you think is necessary, if you want a pink center... it's way too done. To say this place is "Pricey" is an understatement, so I know I should have sent it back, but "Say la vie" read more

major rip off! I would give zero starts for the food if I could. Mediocre service, terrible quality ingredients. $90 prefix Christmas dinner gets you A salad or A butternut squash soup which was ok A very chewy New York strip steak, 3 small scallops or a slice of dry salmon For dessert there were no options, just a slice of store bought pecan pie Ordered crab cakes, got one small crab cake. The bill was $450 for 3 people, which in my opinion was ridicules considering the fact that the dishes were Applebee's quality at best. Honestly, that was one of the my worst culinary experiences here in OC. read more

For my Dad's surprise birthday party, I decided on Bistango and the "Studio" area! It was one of the best decisions I've ever made for a surprise event at a restaurant. Professionalism I started speaking with event coordinator Tamara for my dad's birthday and then Karyn took over. Both had excellent communication skills, very informative, and made setting up the event very, very easy! I was so impressed that Karyn even asked me if I wanted a "fake reservation" just in case my Dad got to the restaurant early and found out we had a larger group than he was told would be there. Service We had our own dedicated server named Mike in the "Studio" area. He was the best server I've ever had at a restaurant hands down! All my friends were also impressed with his service. We brought our own wines from Frisby Winery! Mike always made sure our glasses were full and changed out the glasses as we went from one wine to another! Mike did not rush anything! He made sure we finished our appetizers and then made sure we were ready to order dinner when we wanted. We brought two homemade pies which he put the candles on for us and then sliced the pies up after we sang "Happy Birthday" to my Dad. Mike's support staff also did a great job too! The hostesses (Olivia and Delany) were also very friendly. I believe it was Olivia that was aware of the surprise birthday party. While walking us towards the studio she actually to us to different areas of the restaurant to delay the surprise. It worked perfectly. The manager, Ray, was also very professional and made sure everything was to our standards. He checked in often. We all decided to finish the night at the bar and the bartenders were also great! The live music at the bar was a plus! Food The food was amazing! The Octopus for appetizers was very tasty! Everyone loved the Clam Chowder and Sweet Garlic soup. Among the main entrees ordered were the Sea Bass, Filet Mignon, Rib- Eyes, Salmon and the Pork Chops... all were beyond delicious! Studio (Dining Area) Awesome semi-private area of the restaurant. It's perfect for parties under 20 or so. I highly recommend! Hopefully you get Mike! You can see how impressed I was with every aspect of Bistango! Highly recommend! read more

First time I there I went with my girlfriend we both love it will be back again the food was very delicious the ambiance and the service was on point read more

The place is dead. I wait about 30 minutes to get my food and it arrives cold. Not to mention my drink was terrible. Last time here. read more