Great food, light music, comfortable candle lighting, great service and beautiful décor. 1810 Argentinean Restaurant has it all. And they offer it for a fairly reasonable price.

1810 is located in Old Town Pasadena. It’s perfect for a first or second date or even a 15th or 20th wedding anniversary. It’s a great restaurant for couples, a night out with the family or just a place to dine with friends. 1810 welcomes all ages.

I went with my family on a Saturday night, around 7 p.m. We had the choice of indoor and outdoor seating. Because it wasn’t too busy, we choose to sit indoors. However, it does get pretty packed around 8 p.m., so reservations are recommended.

1810 is open for lunch, dinner and happy hour. They also feature a dessert and wine menu, with catering available.

I found their Prix Fixe menu interesting, which I will try next time. The Prix Fixe meals consist of a first course (appetizer-like dishes), second course (the actual entrée) and a third course (dessert),  for a total $23.
This was my first time eating at an Argentinean restaurant, so I didn’t know what to expect.

Stereotypically, Argentineans are big meat eaters, so I expected the entire menu to consist of meat. To my surprise, there was a variety of everything including pasta, seafood, poultry, meat and appetizers.
Overall, the menu was simple; it consisted of only two pages, so the selection process  was not difficult.

A dish of bread with garlic, oil, lemon and parsley spread was a delight to try as we chose our entrees.

My brother tried a grilled beef tenderloin sandwich (Lomito), while my sister had the salmon (Salmon Atlantico) with a glass of Sangria – one of the best I have ever tried at a restaurant. My mom tried the Pollo Champignon which consisted of a breast of chicken with champignon mushroom sauce. My dad tried the Pollo al ajo which is a breast of chicken with caramelized onions and garlic sauce  and a bowl of chicken and vegetable soup. I decided on the ravioli.

The portions were perfect, to say the least. We all finished our plates with ease and didn’t feel as if we were about the burst with the amount of food we ate.

Their location on Colorado Boulevard in Old Town Pasadena is ideal. Colorado Boulevard is the perfect place for  shopping and entertainment to enjoy before dining, with a variety of different clothing, jewelry and shoe stores.

It is also the perfect place to grab ice cream, frozen yogurt or coffee after dinner – if you didn’t eat it at 1810, that is.

The restaurant was named after a meeting in Buenos Aires, Argentina from May 22-25 in the year 1810.

The meeting was called “Cabildo abierto” or “open meeting,” a custom in Hispanic cities in case of emergencies or disasters. The Cabildo abierto represented the beginning of the May Revolution in Argentina against the Spanish rule, which eventually gave the country its independence.

In commemoration of this, 1810 Argentinean Restaurant celebrates every May 25 by preparing traditional “criollo” dishes, a patriotic dish.

With all the different elements of food, location and ambience, 1810 is definitely worth trying. You won’t be disappointed.