the patio is beautiful and the sound & stage inside is great--an awesome place to see a show and hang out summer nights. Â I hadn't been there in awhile until a bartender I knew from another favorite east side hang started working there--Sam is the kind of bartender that makes a place feel like home (seriously, he's a great guy, you're going to love him) & I'm super excited to spend the rest of the summer out on that patio...
Review Source:I really like the atmosphere of this place. They have a lil outside patio/bar area where you can wait before the shows..
and the set-up for the stage is great. Nice tables - servers come to check on you the right amount of times.
 Depending on the act, sometimes they'll even take the tables out so it turns into a dance floor!/standing room type deal.
The tapas were great. I forget exactly what I got - but I remember there being lots of BEEF and 'TATERS! Â (southern for "potatoes" ) which I always love..
the empanadas were "meh" - also wasn't a fan of the sangria, but then again, I've recently come to the conclusion that I simply don't like sangria at all - Â not necessarily anything to do with El Cid's sangria
The sound was great too! Sometimes at music venues, they tend to have super shitty sound guys, but whoever was running the sound knew what he/she was doing on the 2 occasions I've been here.
Comedy/music!!!
I saw a great show at this place on Sunday night. The venue has a nice outside area and there are multiple bars. Service was good. Food came it quick and was tasty. I tried the carne asada and potatoes which I definitely recommend. Ask for extra red sauce!
Parking isn't too bad on the street, but I'm sure that it depends on the night so try not to come too late!
Bathrooms were clean.
My only complaint is that things we a little pricey. They could have shaved off two or three dollars from everything I ordered and it would have been more appropriate.
Checked out the Tuesday Tapas and Jazz night. Tapas selection was slim but delish. I tried the fresh tomato salad, and the steak and potato tapas, both were decent enough for a music venue. The Sangria was good too but the star drink of the night is something that I think is called a blackberry drop! Highly recommend the blackberry drop. The Tuesday band Sir Sultry was dope! If I had cash on me, I woul've bought the cd they were selling. The band blends jazz and flamenco together, very interesting. I definitely plan on spending more Tuesday nights @ El Cid.
Review Source:Wow. Â If you live in LA and don't go here every Sunday I don't know what else to say. Â Get the tickets for the paella on the patio...have some drinks while the paella is made for you...uh...on the patio. Â Delicious paella while you watch AMAZING dancers to follow. Â Seriously, just go. Â Get there early and park on the street.
Review Source:Place was out of entrees,was hopping to try the paella , we had to go with only tapas , the house sangria is really nice .... But the steak was cold and bold flavor , the tortilla española was weird taste with the rosemary , the only good about it was the cheese board and the ceviche ..... Total costs for dinner was $122 .... For the price I pay here I could have gone to better place and food with better flavor
Review Source:This place has taken a dive! It's so sad because this place was once super awesome. Of course the flamenco show is still amazing. But the restaurant side of things is just bad! Food is far from good and my table got our food cold...cold eggs are not what you ever want to taste. And service is below most standards. You have most people walking around doing nothing while your glass is empty. Sad to say...I will not be returning to a spot I once thought was a jewel.
Review Source:The experience we had at El Cid was Fabulous!!! We arrived for the Flamenco show and Brunch on a Sunday morning. Due to some scheduling conflicts regarding the morning show, we ate a fabulous brunch and then returned in the evening for dinner and the night show. The manager, waitress and chef went above and beyond to make sure we were very happy and made it a great day, despite the initial hiccup. The hand crafted cocktails were delicious....Laura Ann's Jams mixed with Hot Stoli & a whole lot of yumminess! The scallop salad, lobster ceviche, Â cheese plate, flan and every item we tried that day were deliciously on point! We were there long enough that day to sample a lot of tapas, dishes and drinks. Chef Olivia is amazing and truly cares about the food she presents to her guests. She adds a seriously unique touch and a lovely presentation to each dish. On to the show... we loved it! I've seen several Flamenco shows in Spain and El Cid's show, it's talented performers and costuming are authentic! Thank's Chef Olivia, Natasha & Lilly! What a fun day! Go check it out!!!
Review Source:El Cid has put on an impressive flamenco show every time I've been here. The dancers and the singer, Antonio, who sounds just like the Gypsy Kings singer, transport their audience to the flamenco motherland with their rhythmic sounds and emotionally intense foot stomps. Truly authentic!
The food, on the other hand, is quite a different story. The Portobello Relleno didn't taste like anything but lemon juice, it was too overpowering. The Patatas Bravas were cold, one-dimensional, and bland. Luckily, the chef came by our table to introduce herself and offer us a taste of her Artichoke Boursin Cheese Beignets, which was quite generous. It was a deep-fried artichoke cheese ball and ended up being the best thing we had all night.
Overall, I love the place, enjoy the show, and the true authentic Spanish feel of El Cid, but the food could use a little work!
I visited El Cid last night for the first time with a Meet Up group to see the "Captured Aural Phantasy Theater" group perform. I'm the sort of person who's big on ambience, so I loved the environment - prior to the doors opening for the show, there was an outdoor patio area with a bar and a small fountain, and the dining area itself is intimate and cozy with a very old-world feel to it.
The menu was small, but enjoyable - my boyfriend and I shared the lamb sliders, the tortilla, and the Spanish cheese plate. I'm not crazy about egg dishes, so the tortilla didn't impress me very much, but the lamb sliders were tasty and the cheese plate was very good, although it would have been nice to have some crackers or bread to pair with the cheeses. (I'm not terribly familiar with Spanish cuisine, so maybe this just isn't how it's done.)
The one thing that really disappointed me was the service. I was with a large group, and I can completely understand how that must be somewhat taxing for a server, but overall the waitress just didn't seem to know what she was doing. She would take person A's order and disappear for a few minutes, return to take B's order, disappear for several minutes, reappear with A's food, disappear before C could place an order, etc. It was like pulling teeth to flag her down to request something, and she even tried to take someone's plate away before she was finished eating (later, she also absconded with someone's unfinished drink when they got up from the table for a minute). Finally, about halfway through the show, she came around with the checks, not bothering to give anyone the chance to request an additional drink or even a glass of water. That left us sitting through the rest of the show either going thirsty or having to get up (and miss part of the show) to order a drink from the bar in the next room. As I was seated in the middle of a long table against the wall, my getting up would require disrupting half the other people at the table, so that wasn't really a viable option for me.
Overall, we had a pleasant evening at El Cid, and while I wasn't impressed with the service at all, the food, the atmosphere, and the entertainment were good enough that I might be willing to give it another chance.
I've got to say that I've experienced better in terms of the food. We came here on a living social deal and I was expecting a variety of items on the menu. The awesome thing about this was that there was a flamenco show and bottomless mimosas. In terms of the food, it was little cold for one, and secondly, there isn't much on the menu. There are like five things max that you can choose from. I don't know if this is the case because we were there for brunch but I would have expected more of a variety. We had the chilaquiles and Lilly's Special. The chilaquiles were waaaayyy to spicy for me and Lilly's Special would have been better if it were warmer.
Also, since I came on a living social deal, I didn't know they charged $15 for the flamenco show. Now I don't know if that is per person or not (it was two of us and only one living social deal) but that was unexpected.
One thing though: our server was pleasant which was nice.
Oh my god, I just Cid my pants! :)
The skinny:
1)
An elegant spanish venue with a consistently spicy theme from the stairs to the floors, walls, patios, and the outdoor movie screen.
2)
A service that is further south of satisfactory, a dichotomy of dining and dance performance that is better suited if the stage was a healthy few yards away from the touched-by-sweat tables.
3)
A once moist hen dish whose tenure in the kitchen presented itself as an artifact of the mojave desert upon arrival to my table.
4)
A delicious hangar steak (requested to be cooked "medium") despite having a near-full continuum of temperature--from rare on one end to well-done on the other. Still yummy.
The meaty:
1)
A vigorous stage of dancers, most of whom had apparent training in flamenco dancing, yet perhaps lost sight of the wise application of "less is more"--concentrated hand gestures and swift strides can paint a graceful flower whereas flailing flicks of the wrist and mish-mashed though talented tapping paint pieces akin to brown and fertile sidewalk smudge by the beach.
2)
A vegetable purée, topped with a heart, found my table--it stills brings a smile to my face. And yet, bland it was, perhaps by design, and though polite to plate it as such, my table was devoid of good ol' salt and pepper. Halfway into the purée, I found the dish to resemble a dream I had, a dream of a troll whose task to make a purée resulted in mush, perhaps the product of his gentle hands that smushed the veggies.
3)
The noble hen arrives on a round bed of similarly troll-hand-smushed veggie mush. With similar personality that night, the troll must have drawn his mighty fury by throwing salt and pepper shakers against kitchen walls, for no sprinkle of either was enjoyed in the centenarian hen.
4)
Friendly service, and regarding one particularly friendly gesture, the passionate singer (Ole!) takes her voice to her feet with her hands swinging her skirt upwards as she dances, only to present in clear view, the more than a silhouette image of her womanhood.
5)
Fear not! Dessert arrives, and where spices were lost in gourmet troll-made purée (or mush), the chocolate cake was laced with hints of chili. I liked it. Noble hen, you've much to learn from the dessert, though you were just as dry.
Still, I am grateful.
I give this restaurant 5 stars due to the amazing flamenco show and super friendly service. The food was ok but once you start watching the show you become entranced by the beautiful voices, lovely dancing and amazing instruments in the show. To me there was no need for the food anyway! FYI we had a Living Social deal !
Review Source:I am a little late at reviewing this but couldn't forget. Last month my daughter had a premier here and so the hype was all about her and the wave she is riding. Not so much on judging the place that showcased her talents. But you know me... always a reviewer. The cover charge is $8 to get in. It was well worth it I heard that there was a line wrapped around the building and they had to turn some people away so get there early!
I loved the spirit. It was filled with a bunch of young talented hopefuls from the industry. It almost reminded me of a story. El Cid is going to be a place in all their memories where they first began. And who knows, maybe someday, the next clip will be nearer to the Red Carpet. El Cid is definitely iconic for everyone that goes there. Whether as a supporter of someone in the industry or the film makers and stars themselves. Ya gotta appreciate the place for what it is.
Okay now I have to give ya my observations. I didn't stop to read the other reviews but someone has gotta mention PARKING! Unless you are the first handful of people that get there early, be prepared to walk more than a block!
The food was interesting. It looked weird and smelled weird. My husband said he thought it looked kind of good himself. Hmmm to each his own. There was a guy who came by a few times to take orders that I missed by going to the restroom so I can't complain ... I just didn't sit and wait for the guy to come back. Which he did because by the time I got back food and drinks had been served so maybe if I had stayed put I would have gotten my drink order.
I finally ended up going to the bar. After waiting 15 mins. a girl behind the bar, told the guy standing next to me that we were on the service side. It was busy but not too busy to have seen us standing there. How were we to know? She should have told us right away, before we waited. So I asked for a beer and she begrudgingly almost shoved one at me. (she cost this review one star) I am sorry but I have been in customer service and she knows that she works at a busy place, I'm thinking..... if she can't handle it on a busy night then go work some where else. Her attitude sucked before I ever asked her for a beer. And she was obviously, not going to ask me what I wanted. I smiled and thanked her and even tipped her but she did not hide the fact that she would rather be anywhere but there that night!
Other than that... my baby was a success and it was a good time had by all!
I have been to the brunch here twice with the living social deal. The ambiance is great, the performers are talented and put on a great show. I would suggest a few popular spanish/ flamenco songs just to keep it lively- people enjoy songs they know - but all in all the show is good.
The brunch menu is just shocking to me. The food is good but there is nothing to choose from. 6 to 7 dishes that really dont seem like meals. Where's the meat? They need one safe dish like a chicken and rice or steak and eggs, something like that. I'm not a picky eater and I couldnt find anything I actually wanted to eat. I ended up ordering a ham sandwich and I dont eat pork, I just got it for the potatoes. The first time I was there, I had the chorizo and egg which was good and seemed like the only legitimate brunch-appropriate meal on the menu, but that was removed from the menu this time around.
Service is 5. Super warm, friendly and attentive.
I am constantly looking for a restaurant with flemenco music and I would make the drive from OC to LA every weekend if they just had a legitimate brunch menu and threw in a famous lively song at the end of their show. This place has a lot of potential. I've heard the regular menu is great, but the brunch menu needs an upgrade.
El Cid has a new executive chef, Olivia Hernandez. Heard great things about the food and she definitely did not disappoint!!! I feel like I'm in Spain. :) Chef Hernandez even made an appearance at our table. We felt very honored that she took the time to greet her patrons. The Paella is definitely yummy! Great place for entertainment. Where else can you see Flamenco dancers while sitting down to a nice dinner? Late nights, they bring in live bands. Definitely coming back for the outdoor patio area! Bonus that they have valet too! Valet is a little on the spendy side, $10 or $20 if you want to leave your car at the curb.
Review Source:New menu at el cid is amazing and great for big groups or intimate delicious dinners!!!! I was there with friends for dinner and drinks right before subsuelo night. Â Literally everything we ordered was delicious. Â I'm really picky about good calamari and their calamari was seasoned and cooked perfectly. The legumbres blancas was so tasty and vegan too. Â The scallop ceviche was so fresh and tasty. Patatas bravas are deliciously cooked potatoes with a nice spicy sauce. Paella was sooooo good from the perfect flavors to texture to everything in it. Â The music and vibe was awesome with a cool mixed crowd. Definitely go for dinner and drinks here, it'll be memorable! Coming back soon!
Review Source:Last weekend a private event brought me here to celebrate a friend. Bonus, it renewed my intrigue with El Cid's rich history. While sitting at dusk on the patio, sipping a most amazing sangria, looking to the treetops, waxing moon rising, I couldn't help but wonder if D. W. Griffith, who built El Cid in 1905, Ã la 16th century Spanish tavern, was looking down...
A buffet menu was created exclusively for this party - guacamole, salsa, housemade tortilla chips (said, most delicious chips are served with El Cid's Ceviche <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elcidla.com%2Fmenu%2F&s=1f774c6dd3cde800d018267750375d3d66f0aa05faf368dfcda810e5f89669ff" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.elcidla.com/m…</a>) plus pork, beef, chicken and vegetable tacos. Proteins were each distinctly seasoned, especially the pork and beef, as tender as if cooked sous vide. Veggies added to my chicken taco, perhaps not traditional, were appropriately fresh, al dente. Â
Waitrons and staff were seamlessly spot on. So was the valet attendant. If memory serves, parking costs $10 but oh so worth it (do tip generously). Â Â Â Â
Years ago (pre-Yelp) I came for the Flamenco and I must say, El Cid's character, atmosphere remains the same. What has changed is the management, for the good <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.voiceplaces.com%2Fel-cid-los-angeles-2434934-l%2F&s=af25e704c94c8274f30c464acb6b37aa73f66554e04207b7a7c652c85fc18065" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.voiceplaces.c…</a>
Yay, I'm a fan, 4.5 stars! I'll be back for more Flamenco, and perhaps some dinner theater, comedy or live music.
Just a few comments about The Sultry Sunday Burlesque show at El Cid on 9/30/2012
"You guys really took me back and made me feel like I was back in the time of burlesque. Â Everything was so theatrical and the acts were amazing! Â I had a great time from beginning to end."
"This show was so unique. Where do you perform next???"
"This is the best burlesque in LA...and I've seen a lot."
"This show was so tight, sounded, looked, and felt absolutely amazing."
This place is pretty run down, the service is terrible, the food average at best. Â $35 is too expensive for what you get. Â The 3 course meal is a very meager soup and salad, then entree. Â We had to flag down the waiter each time we needed something, including when we first sat down and wanted water. Â There is an automatic 18% gratuity added so I am sure that is why the servers don't work that hard. Â The flamenco show was entertaining. Â It is not the best in the world by any means, but it was okay. Â We had fun but I think that was mostly b/c of the people we went with. Â I would NOT bring a date here. Â This place is sort of a novelty. Â Fun once, too much money for what you get. Â Did it...crossed off the list...once was enough.
Review Source:Pro: Nice patio area and bar outside.
Con: there was no one in the patio area because the bar was closed? Â The stage area and bar inside was okay. Had to pay $7.58 for stale chips/salsa/guacamole.
Again, like all my reviews there are these really great places in LA with amazing architecture, open patios, and authentic feel. Â This place is a potential for a great venue, But really horrible food and service so there would be no reason to go back!
Your place is really very nice but everything else needs to be better. Â Pull it together!
I absolutely love the ambiance of this whole place. You descend down steps, past a nice outdoor seating area, and through the doorway which leads you to the host booth. It's all feels very secretive, like you're finding a hidden spot. The restaurant is really dimly lit and very romantic. The stage is right in front and tables are situated so you have a clear view from any seat.
The flamenco! I loved the singing and the music accompaniment. The dancers get really into the performance and it really shows. They had the entire restaurant Ole!-ing all throughout dinner and even came to mingle with patrons after the show. Loved it!
The food! Pitcher of house sangria was perfect for 2. You can get a deal for dinner+show which I think was $35/person. Boyfriend got pork, very nicely cooked but honestly all I can remember is how much we loved the sauce. So much in fact that we asked for extra.
The seafood paella comes out in the skillet it was prepared in (or looks like it) and is very good with tons of shrimp, clams, mussels, etc. I kept finding piece after piece of yummy-ness. That and it was huuuuuuuge so no room for dessert. /cry
Our server hit all the checks. Knowledgeable, friendly, quick, intuitive, and genuinely seemed to like working there.
Another perfect date, hope to be back =]
Flamenco was entertaining, the food not so much... Â I highly recommend this place for it's drinks and late night entertainment, but don't waste your money on their food.
Came here with friends on valentines. Â We had a blast, made the best of it (because we're awesome), but were all highly disappointed in the overpriced set meal. Â Chicken was dry, veggies were cooked until all the nutrients and flavor were nowhere to be found. Â The Paella was the worst we've ever had-no saffron, no flavor. Â And from reading other reviews, it was no fluke (even t hough the manager insisted it was). Â Thinking the meal could be salvaged, we boxed up the multiple paella's and brought them home. Â I simply threw it all in a pan with olive oil, saffron, sweet paprika and some lemon, and the dish was fantastic. Â That's all it took! Â A little more attention would have gone a long way!!!
I'll come back for drinks, but I'll never eat there again.
CLIFFS NOTES RECAP: We had a good time and felt it was a decent value because of the LivingSocial deal we had. I ALMOST only gave this 2 stars, but ultimately that was too harsh. Despite a wonderful space, El Cid is not the transformative experience it can be and I can only recommend it if you want to try something totally different from the typical LA scene for a night.
AMBIANCE: 5+ stars! LOVE THE SPACE! It has sooooo much charm...great historic building that makes transports you to an old underground Flamenco spot in Spain. The 100 year old brick walls, the giant bull fighting posters, the incredible patio area...it is all great! It oozes the vibe that years ago this was the center of a vibrant Flamenco scene in LA. LOVED IT!
THE SHOW: 3.5 stars. It was nothing special, but it was fun and definitely different than every other restaurant in LA. What was really odd is that none of the performers are Spanish.
FOOD: 2 stars. Unfortunately, this was the low point. We got the 4 course set menu. The starter soup was fine. The salad was WAY overdressed. We then got the "house specialty" paella which was the WORST paella I have EVER had. I seriously don't think they used any saffron in it whatsoever. While the seafood in it tasted good, the rice had no flavor and was dry on top and wet but still plain tasting on the bottom and the chicken was crazy dry. Â UGH. The bread pudding dessert tasted good too, but the bad paella overshadowed everything else. The sangria was good, but not great and at $35/pitcher was too pricy. Â
COST: We had a LivingSocial deal that brought down the price of the fixed meal to $21...at that price it is worth it. However, if we didn't have that deal we would have felt it was way too pricy!
Up there with some of the worst mistreatment and neglect that I have ever befallen victim to in my entire life. As a two-person party we were seated up in the rafters at 7:05 p.m. -- and if don't think there is such a thing as being up in the rafters in a Los Angeles restaurant club then you are mistaken -- and we didn't receive complimentary water until 8:10 p.m. Yes, you read that right. No, we weren't timid little sheep. We complained, "Could you at least get us started on water?" Everyone down below was onto their second course before we got water. By 7:45 we at least got the attention... of the hostess who was doubling as a waitress although no experience. We had asked for Mojitos alcohol and Rib-Eyed Steak around a quarter to 8, receiving the Mojito finally at 8:15 p.m.
The show had already begun. I was under too much distress and famished to enjoy the four amigas entertainment. Down below, everyone was either onto the second course or main course, and onto second drinks. I bellowed down below for waiter's attention, but I was the one deemed rude.
So, to jump ahead, we finally got our soup and main course together at the same time at 8:40 p.m. (the twelve of us patrons up in the rafters were the only ones not to get bread). I was busy chewing and stuffing my face for the next twenty minutes, and before I knew it, the flamenco show was over. They immediately closed the stage, as if to punch the hint, go home. To backtrack, "Do you have everything you need?" we were asked at 8:45 p.m. "Uh, I'm speechless. But we're ok now that everything's here." I underplayed it politely. Anyway, clean-up around us was more important than anything else about our exit.
Hit funny and useful if you think this story is sad, but please don't hit cool since this is not.
Reservation (noun) - an arrangement to secure accommodations at a restaurant or hotel, on a boat or plane, etc.
Got that El Cid? Not that hard of a concept. Â 99.9% of the service industry companies I've dealt with understand this concept, but whoever was answering your phone last Wednesday at 3:30pm clearly did not. Â
Also, telling us we're not the only ones this happened to only confirms your incompetence. Â And no, offering us seats outside (on one of LA's rare cold nights) is not a very good solution. Â
You may have been in business for 50 years, but I would have guessed 50 seconds based on the way you were operating last week.
RESERVATION:
We called to make a reservation and were informed that show started at 8PM, so we made the reservation at 7:30. Of course, I lied to my friends and said it was at 7:00 so that everyone was on time (ironically, I was the one late- got lost).  Yesterday, the day of the reservation, the restaurant  staff called my friend informing her that the show started at 7:30PM and to make sure everyone was going to be there on time because we all needed to order at the same time. IF people were late, we were supposed to order for them. WTF?!!! I called them back, and I'm like seriously what kind of bull is that? They said fine, we can wait 15 more minutes.
FOOD:
- They start you off with a potato soup: it's good, a little bland, but I'd give that 3 stars ***
-Salad: 5***** I really liked the salad
-Entre*e: Steak & Mash potato- it was bland, but nothing out of the ordinary. It was not even great steak. I'd give it 3 stars. I also, tried the my friend's paella dish: disgusting! It's not a matter of wanting the real thing, it's a matter of getting decent rice and that shit was nasty to a point that I cannot even describe it! TO top it off, they forgot to add the shrimp to it and took like 20min to bring her the shrimp. Whatever you do, DON't GET THE PAELLA!!
-Dessert: Â Everyone got a dessert, and they got me a cheap ass cupcake because I was the bday girl. I did not want the cupcake, because the dessert looked so good and it was :). I have no clue what that was, but it was delicious! Btw: I still ate the frosting of the 99c cupcake.
SHOW:
- It was a decent show, but I was not blown away.
CLUB:
If you like techno, a place with diversity, and by that I mean: a place where a guy is making out with a girl and turns around and starts making out with the guy behind him, a place where your girl-friends can't go to the restroom because they get hit on by another girl, a place where you see 2 guys making out everywhere, a place where the girl next to you has a fucking lit up neon shark helmet on, a place with trannies, a place with people dress like if they stole their clothes from 80s Madonna, homeless, and a gogo dancer.. and a place where you are trying to dance and smells like weed everywhere... IF YOU want all that, this place is for you!
(& don't get me wrong, I love Gay People, but for that I know my other spots in WeHo like the Abby, Fiesta Cantina, Rage, Â BUt that's not what I wanted for my birthday!!!).
El CID is not what used to be, where they had "normal crowd" with Spanish Music & other variety. Who would have thought that they had a dinner/flamenco show before all those creeps went in there!
I think I needed to be super drunk for this kind of experience but I couldn't drink because of my medication.
BOTTOM LINE: IF YOU are not paying $20 for all this, don't even bother.
I have the best memories at this place. Being a dancer for pretty much my entire life definitely helped with this review. I was fascinated by the flamenco show because of the women. They were so passionate.. and I've read into flamenco dancing and how you LITERALLY lose yourself in the beat and the stomping and basically transcend into the dance... and that is what I experienced from watching them.
I have seen REAL flamenco dancers in spain... and I felt more emotion from the dancers at el CId. I wish I told them personally... but I was so drunk from the sangria... I don't think I cared to.
The pitcher was pretty expensive.. I'm not going to lie... but it was my birthday so I didn't have to pay. HAH. No wonder I loved this place.. I had the greatest experience... on my own birthday.. what more can a girl ask for?!
:) :) go see the dancers... you don't have to drink the sangria... except that sangria rox everyones sox.
:p
I wanted to give this 2-stars, but I only paid the LS price, so if I had paid full price, I'd only give it 1 star. Â The only redeeming factors were the ambiance and the dancing.
First issue: We call and are told to arrive at 5:30. Â So like a good little girl, I'm there at 5:15. Â Luckily we don't wait too long until being served, however the show didn't start until 7:15. Â So we were done with our disgusting food and ready to go home by the time the dancing even started. Â And maybe I'm just nitpicking because I know the style...they were good, but not impressive.
Second issue: Food was completely hit-or-miss. Â The salad was a burden to eat because it was so bland. Â The soup was delicious and I wish I could've gotten refills! Â And then my salmon entree was so awful, I couldn't even eat it. Â The salmon was hard and rubbery and would've been more effective to slap my friends with than ingest.
Third issue: We were initially told we had a choice of desserts, including flan, which of course got me all flustered. Â Then we were told that we were having tiramisu instead. Â WTF? Â Umm, okay, sure. Â Then our waiter brings us baklava. Â *headdesk* Our waiter didn't even know the difference between tiramisu and baklava. Â My friend spent about 5 minutes educating him. Â And the baklava, after all this bullshit, was completely inedible. Â No honey, not flakey, too hard to eat. Â It was awful.
Fourth issue: Â And this is the most unforgivable in my book. Â Both toilets were clogged and filled to the brim with piss and toilet paper. Â One even had something else in it that I'm not even going to begin to guess about. Â Even the sink was clogged. Â How is this even happening at a place that charges so much??
I was glad to be headed home. Â I wouldn't go again even if it was free.
Through Groupon my Yelp friends Erin & Andrea V. (knowing I'm Spanish/Argentine) sent me a shout out for The Three course Dinner and Flamenco Show at El Cid. Also, being with the two of them all day and night was the only good thing.
This event is normally $36 but I booked my reservation within the time window on Groupon and the cost was only $15!
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The food:
3 stars
I ordered Pollo Madrid which basically consisted of a garlic buttered sauce with mushrooms over a chicken breast a top mashed potato's and asparagus. This dish satisfied my hunger but I have no idea in the land of OZ what the hell it has to do with Spain or any of Spain's culinary traditional dishes.
The Flamenco Show:
-100 stars
A muddled, horribly executed disrespectful display towards myself, my mother's culture, 2 tias,1 tio and 1 primo (living in Valencia) and 1 prima (a Flamenco dancer on weekends living in Buerro).
No castanets, fans or the proper dance prop (always a very, very large round table top). Also, one of the dancers wasn't Spanish (major taboo and would never be allowed EVER!), the male singer who's voice was so terrible I was barely able to understand anything he was singing (and I'm fluent in the language) because he was chain smoking out on the patio like an expectant father in a maternity waiting room in the 1950s.
The other female dancer (I came to find out later was not Spanish either but from a country Cortez conquered (which is blasphemy to the Spanish Flamenco dancing genre). The only person with any authenticity was the man playing the guitar, using his fingers playing at the base and not sliding but walking up and down the strings of the guitar's arm to create a very authentic Castillian sound for the Flamenco.
Erin (what a Love goes down stairs and begins to question the so called Spanish dancer about the other non Spanish dancer, the lack of castanets, fans etc., She said "Oh it doesn't matter but this is about your passion for the music" " This is the new Flamenco and it isn't essential to have all of those castanets and fans"
WRONG PENDEJA- Flamenco is a style of music and dance which is considered part of the culture of Spain a dance while using props such as castanets, shawls and fans". Also, with Spanish individuals not your serving suggestions!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.elcidla.net%2Fflamenco.html&s=addb675d5462f87d69451ad3e7546739592af9eaad2137ed7d5bbff7ec7ab104" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.elcidla.net/f…</a>
Erin told me the this non Spanish dancer was very defensive which tells me she was a liar and had no idea what the hell she was talking about.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.red2000.com%2Fspain%2Fflamenco%2Fhistory.html&s=cd801de117fe3b3ba90173e5c2a5535191f82e5f05e5c0458ef25fb9235dbea4" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.red2000.com/s…</a>
So, after this disappointing shameful display I called my tia Rosie in Colorado and left here a message of what I just experienced. My mom, my aunt Rosie and aunt Alicia said that if that had been done at a [real] Spanish restaurant they would have been booed off the stage (in Spain they throw food for such disgraces).
Final note, it was so 'effin hot in this place that a man downstairs had to be taken out by paramedics from heat stroke; we were up stairs the only two booths and even though we would get a breeze from the open window and an AC vent, my underwear was soaking wet (for all the wrong reasons) and my T-shirt was soaked too. By the end of the night when we stayed for what was supposed to be a venue for Gino's GF to sing (the disco Cumbias started first...WTF!) I was falling asleep on the patio in the booth like I'd been smoking Boy all day.
QUE LASTIMA!!!!
This is how Flamenco is done!
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D7FDXPYE0nVw%26feature%3DPlayList%26p%3D71518744796C5A42%26playnext_from%3DPL%26playnext%3D1%26index%3D17&s=04ce73e7ab6defc884ed6a733aba239ce317be711b4a8aad9badb668e5a038ba" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.youtube.com/w…</a>
El Cid is definitely a unique find in Los Angeles. Â Although it's set on Sunset Blvd., there's nothing LA about this place. To enter, you have to walk down a flight of stairs. Â This gives it a cool vibe before even entering. Â I liked that.
The night we went flamenco dancers performed. The show was better than I thought it would be. I would definitely see it again. Â What I really liked about it was that it wasn't a whole bunch of wanna-be dancers working here at night while they go on auditions during the day. Â Nope, these dancers were the real deal. Â My favorite was the older man on the guitar.
As for the food, it was also better than I thought it would be. Â I had the pork tenderloin. It was very good. My friend had the Carne a la Chimichurri, which is a filet mignon with chimichurri sauce. Â That was excellent. I think I'll order that next time.
As for the prices, they are great. Â For the show and the 3-course meal, it is only $35. (And you can also find better prices through <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fgoldstar.com&s=b6950a2709804d536369ae4230f19e9fee5434ba02e8e56be5b9018064279249" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://goldstar.com</a>). Now you can see the show without having dinner, but it's $25 plus a two drink minimum. Â Why not just get the dinner then, right!? You guys can't trick this blond! ;-)
Now if you look at their website, they do have a variety of different shows such as the Spazmatics who play on Friday nights. Â Well, I like the Spazmatics, but here??? Â Mmm.. I'd prefer the authentic Spanish dancers.
El Cid is definitely a great and different place for a date night.
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