I had been hearing and seeing things about a restaurant in Irvine called “Bistango,” for quite awhile, before I actually did my research. I had no idea that I would find such a large, beautiful, and historic spot! Yes, Bistango originally opened back in 1986 in Irvine- which blew my mind. Located in one of Irvine’s business-heavy areas, it is tucked away in the “Atrium” building, at 19100 Von Karman Ave #100, Irvine, CA 92612. Inside, you will find a gorgeous patio, a full bar that reminded me of being back in Europe, a main dining room, and plenty of private dining facilities. In fact, Bistango is very well-known for hosting large business events, holiday parties, and more. When I first entered, I was shocked that I had never been here before.

My guest and I were seated, and our server joined us shortly. He was one of the best servers I have ever had, and this is really one of the aspects that stood out about Bistango. Having a memorable dining experience always relies on a friendly, attentive, and personable server; at least in my books.

The meal commenced with, drinks, of course! I had the signature Mojito, and I could tell right away this was no cheap-bar drink. Our appetites were then teased as the first couple dishes came out. We knew we had to pace ourselves through each item, because we had a lot coming for us! The entire meal consisted of the following dishes…:

• Ahi Tuna Tartare Appetizer – one of the most memorable dishes we had, particularly since it was one I did not want to order. Because our server spoke so highly of this dish, and my guest wanted to try it, we decided we had to try it. I am not typically a fan of ahi tartare…UNLESS it is GOOD ahi tartare. To me, this is defined by a good ahi-to-avocado ratio and a perfect ahi texture: not too firm, but not too mushy. And the ahi can NOT taste overly fish-y. Bistango puts out an incredible, possibly even the best, ahi tuna tartare dish that I recommend every one try.
• Roasted Baby Beets Salad – a nice, light, flavorful salad to balance out the meal. Exactly what I love.
• (The Famous) Garlic Soup – the garlic soup is supposedly a signature dish for Bistango. It is just known for being, well, phenomenal. So, naturally, we had to try it. We ordered one bowl and had it split into two bowls… Bad decision. We regretted not ordering a whole bowl for each, because, boy, what a delicacy… We had both been sick that week, so nothing tasted better than that warm, luxurious, creamy, garlic-y soup. It was not overly rich, though, which made it even more perfect. I think Bistango should sell this exquisite soup by the quart…
• Oven Roasted Chilean Sea Bass – according to our server and hundreds of reviews that I read beforehand, this was another dish you MUST order. I was so glad we did. A beautiful piece of fish was presented to us with an “Exotic Mushroom Risotto, Truffle Essence, and Concord Grape Reduction.” We were left pretty speechless, other than “yum.”
• Prime Angus Flat Iron Steak Petit Entree – for someone that does not typically live beef or steak, I have to admit that this was heavenly. Something about the red wine reduction and onion marmalade paired with the red meat was just so tasty. The steak was served over a bed of wilted spinach, carrots, and “Potato au Gratin.” You had me at potato.
• Vanilla Soufflé Cake – another Bistango staple: they claim that they have the best soufflé cakes ever (or so I hear). I have not had enough soufflé cakes to judge, but I can say that this fluffy, warm cake with house-made whipped cream hit the spot.

  

• Pumpkin Cheesecake – yes, I saved the BEST for last. My guest and I were SO full, yet it was extremely hard to resist from devouring the entire slice. I have had a LOT of cheesecake in my life, but it is VERY rare to find one that actually was THIS memorable. I would spend any amount of money on another slice of this little gift from Heaven. It was just so perfectly well-balanced: the ratio of pumpkin, to sugar, to cream cheese… No words. But amazing.

 

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Yes, we did end up taking home quite a few leftovers, and a newfound love for Bistango. It was such a memorable night, and I am looking forward to my next visit.