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Category: Tapas Bars [Edit]
Neighborhood: LakeviewAddison (Red)
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I think I'm becoming a tapas snob.
I think Arco De Cucheilleros is going to help me accomplish it.
I have now been to a fair few tapas places (BaBaReeBa, Emilio's, BuehlADias, Iberico, and a few others), and have tried some of what I consider to be "staple dishes" - smoked salmon, garlic potatoes, bacon wrapped dates, and queso al horno.
Three of the four, at Arco (hi, we're going to be on a first name basis now because I keep writing "Chucharillos" by accident.), were the best I'd ever had.
I didn't try the bacon wrapped dates because I recently learned to make them at home and now have trouble justifying paying for them.
But my other staples?
Garlic potatoes - cold, creamy, aoli-drenched and perfectly seasoned. Mmm.
Smoked Salmon - they serve it with creme frache and TONS of capers, just like I dig it.
Queso al Horno - Okay, so you know how most places float a little cylander of goat cheese in the middle of a sea of tomato sauce? Arco replaces the goat cheese with a mix of blue cheese and homemade cream cheese (way better than Philly, sorry Philadelphians) and covers the tomato sauce with it. It's richer and more flavorful and just plain better.
Seriously folks, I think it depends for each individual what their own "staple dishes" are, and, by extension, which tapas spot does them best, but for right now, Arco is taking a strong lead in the race to my affections.
I'm sorry...I came to eat here during Market Days and forgot to yelp it, but the food was not that great, over priced for the taste, and the service was awful. I can't blame it on Market Days making it too busy because there were 5 of us and we were seated right away.
The tapas were mostly bland. I might've had one semi-tasty one and unfortunately I can't recall which one it was...might've been a mushroom one.
Not going back, sorry.
What a disappointment! We ordered bacon wrapped dates, gambas al ajillo, one pork dish with garlic / tomato sauce and grilled calamari. The bacon+date dish was good but everything else was just blah. I don't think it is worth returning, just for the dates. Cafe Ba Ba Reeba is so much better.
After reading many positive reviews, I was looking forward to trying this place. In fact, I overwrote all of other restaurant suggestions given by my local Chicago friend because I was in a mood for tapas. Such a jerk I can be.....
Tapas are always a favorite because of the variety of foods you get to try so it always gives a good feel for the restaurant. This place was very good with its dishes, though nothing stood out compared to the other places I have been. We had the chorizo sauteed with peppers, pork loin in white wine sauce, chicken in a red wine/cured ham sauce, and the meatballs in red wine sauce. It was all very good, but once again nothing spectacular. Would go again, but wont go out of my way to head back.
This is actually a 3.5 rating...
I like to think of myself as an opeminded person. Despite my love affair with another Halsted tapas bar, I wantef to give Arco a try. The service was terrific! Their menu was thourough and familiar. However they have one item that puts everything else to shame, mussells! Damn it! My sis and I easily went through five baskets of bread! That sauce is in a word sinnful! That dish alone saved Arco! Yes, I will be back, for more of that mussell stew!
I always love trying new Tapas restaurants. This is now up there on my list when the wife and I need our Tapas fix. It has a great homey feel and the kitchen is right in the middle of the restaurant. Two chefs hammer out some truly delicious small plates. Everything we had, minus the stuffed mushrooms that were on special, was delicious.
Recommendations:
1. Blue Cheese and homemade Cream cheese and marinara dip.
2. Patatas Bravas
3. Smoked salmon with creme fraiche and capers
4. Mussels with wine and cream sauce
5. Bacon wrapped dates
This is definitely worth checking out.
This place was close to home and was pretty empty on a Tuesday night when we couldn't get into Angelina's (it was a Elton John/Billy Joel concert night at Wrigley). We had high hopes but the best we could say was, OK. Our waiter was friendly and attentive enough, we just weren't really impressed with the food.
Bacon wrapped dates hit the spot but it went down hill from there. Seared tuna was OK tasty but just OK. We also had the sauteed mushrooms, artichoke salad, and marinated olives. Everything came in a very similar presentation of shredded iceburg lettuce, a tomato, few slices of cucumber. So not a great variety of tastes and flavors that we're expecting to get with a good tapas place. We probably won't be back with twist nearby and us not having any qualms about traveling the several blocks south to Ba-ba-re-ba.
I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this place. The food is just fantastic and the service is very friendly. It reminds me in many ways of the tapas places in Spain. In fact, the owners are actually from the same area one of my friends is from in Spain, and they make almost all the food themselves. Very friendly people, and now you know it's truly authentic.
The price is a little higher than other tapas places in the city, but the atmosphere and the quality of the food are worth it. If you go there in the summer, sit out in the patio, it's so lovely.
If I had to pick one good dish, I really can't. Obviously, make sure you get sangria. Also, anything with potatoes is delicious. The bacon-wrapped dates are to die for, as is the baked cheese dish. Sometimes the food takes a long time to get to you, but it's worth the wait.
Tapas here are small and $$$. So if you want to have dinner and leave full bring your wallet! The food in general is good.
Their sangria is good and I like the pitchers they use to serve it. The size of the pitcher seems small but it can get two people drunk in no time!
Service is good and friendly. I still have to try their patio sometime this summer... Stay tuned!
This is one of my favorite restaurants. I LOVE the sangria. It is not too sweet and a pitcher can get you and friend happy pretty quickly. Ivan, my favorite waiter, is always so attentive and very funny.
It is in a very convenient location in Boystown (Lakeview) and has a great patio in the back. The food is more pricey than most tapas bars, but I think it is worth it.
The mussels in a green sauce is my friends favorite. The pollo a al pimienta negra is mine.
It's nice to have a Spanish tapas option on the northside of Chicago other than the overrated Babareebas down the way. What makes Arco worth a visit, when the weather's pleasant of course, is the backyard patio. I will warn you though that Halsted's next door cause quite the ruckus. The ambiance in the restaurant is decorated just like a taverna from the streets of Madrid (minus the bull heads and bullfighter pictures thankfully). I really enjoy having the small kitchen within the main eating area so you can watch the cooks prepare the tapas and paella.
As for the food, simply mediocre with fairly high prices for what you get (and yes I'm aware that tapas are purposely small in size for communal eating). They did have most of my favorites: Croquetas de pollo, Albondigas de pollo [recommendable] Champiñones, Aguacate relleno, Gambas al ajillo, Datiles [recommendable]. Don't forget to pair them up with Sangria.
Oh and are they really stuck in the prehistoric days by not having a business website?? Relying on MenuPages is so lame. ;)
Ate here last night. While I prefer Cafe Iberico on LaSalle, Arco De Cuchilleros is a great tapas option in Lakeview.
Try to snag a patio table - it's charming and hidden, like eating in someone's backyard. Sangria was very good, although I think you get more bang for your buck at Iberico. Same goes for the olives - good, but pretty small portion for the money.
The bacon-wrapped dates, however, were delicious! Brandy cream sauce? Say no more. I'd be tempted to order two plates next time. We also tried the mussels, which were brought to us bubbling-hot. Very tasty. Plus, the white wine cream sauce that comes with them is great for dipping. I would, however, skip the Queso Al Horno; it's a blue cheese/cream cheese dip. Waay too cheesy for my taste. But there were a lot of other menu options that looked delicious - I was just too full at that point - and I'd love to try them next time I go.
I called on Friday at 7 and the bartender put in a reservation for the patio at 7:15. I was so ecstatic. We got there and sat at the bar while we waited for our table. The bartender was fantastic!
You have to sit on the patio if you eat here. It's the best. I felt like I was on vacation!
Our waiter suggested a fantastic wine and he was super attentive.
The food was okay, however the service, wine & ambience of the patio were TOP NOTCH! We've been to a lot of tapas restaurants and this was far and away one of my favorites.
We will surely be back!
We had:
Chorizo Con Pimientos chorizo sauteed with sweet peppers and flambeed in brandy -- probably would have been good, but my sister blew out the flambe and not enough of the brandy had burned off. 3 stars
Gambas Al Ajillo shrimp sauteed with garlic, white wine and cayenne -- pretty good 4 1/2 stars
Datiles Con Bacon bacon wrapped dates in a brandy cream sauce -- yeah, I loved them.. 5 stars for me, my sister and husband didn't like them, but they don't like dates.
And two items I didn't see on the menu - pork tenderloin and chicken breast both sauted in the same sauce -- the meat was a little overcooked, but the sauce was good. 3 1/2 stars
OMG! Fabulous, tasty, friendly, local, quaint, inexpensive....it's a perfect place. Went with a friend to view the Pride Parade at the open sidewalk windows in front. We ordered just a few things b/c we were more in the spot for the location than we were hungary, BUT all I remember (in fact) is the Pollo a la pimienta negra tapas we ordered....WONderful. The sangria was perfectly quenching on the hot day, without being too alchoholic - not too sweet as some rias can be. Really friendly sweet euro-staff let us just sit there all afternoon - no pressure to order as we took in the perfect view of the parade. Can't wait to re-visit for a proper foodie evening.
Somehow everything we ordered (4 items) were fried. This our fault, but also seems like a lot of fried food at a tapas place.
Pros - The sangria, the prices, the flavors, the service, and most everything was fresh.
Cons - Nothing really jumped out at me to make me want to return, maybe the sangria. I guess I'll probably go back to try the mussels.
As far as losing one's virginity goes and in this case my tapas virginity things went well. Actually better than well. Things went mind blowingly, orgasm induced, toes curling GREAT. Yes! Yes! Yes! OMG! Yes!
I've never done tapas before but had always wanted to. I like the idea of it - small plates that you share. But I always stayed away because I am a picky eater. I decided to go at this with an open mind and I am glad I did. I tried many different things and found out I liked them. The salad with the shrimp, rice and avocado was so good it amazed me. All in all it was knee buckling experience.
In the name of everything good I think I'm going to go again!
Excellent tapas! Best tapas I've had in Chicago. Everything was very delicious and well presented. The dishes were recommendations by our server who provided great service. We had Montaditos De Queso with cured ham, Atun Marinado, Berenjena Formentor and Mejillones En Salsa Verde. All of these dishes were excellent. Great patio too! Can't wait to go back.
Best tapas in Chicago so far. I've lived in Spain, so I know what I'm talking about.
Yes, the portions are small - but that is what authentic is!!!! Go to Spain and you will see what I mean. These are supposed to be tapas, not entrees.
Great food, great service.
My wife and I used to live across the street from this place and it was my favorite for tapas in chicago. Great atmosphere, espcially out back in the summer, and the sangria makes it even funner. I would go here if you want to avoid that insanity the Cafe babareeba can be. Inside, I dig the intimate atmosphere with the cook right there.
The only thing that was pretty good was the bacon dates. We ordered 10 tapas and they all sucked but the dates. The tortiila tasted like fried chicken.
I won't be back. That's for sure.
So...while I can't pronounce this name for the life of me, it's great. The one thing I have to say is if you go there, something that EXCEEDED the bacon wrapped dates, which were fantastic, was the albondigas de pollo, there is nothing I can say about this but it's a fantasy in your mouth! The staff was so friendly that alone made me want the food to be as good as it was to come back again!
I would not however get the shrimp, it was tasty but it's not even a snack- like 5 lil shrimpys for 10 dollars...
The 2 stars are for the service which was very attentive since we were 1 of only 2 tables present. We had a large party so we tried many things. Only one dish had any flavor, the mussels, although they used the smallest mussels I have ever eaten before. Sauteed Mushrooms should never be paired with garlic, mushrooms taste is very subtle and delicious but never when overpowered by chunks of garlic. Fried potatoes with tomato sauce for 6.50, what are they thinking. We tried at least 12 dishes but none really stood out. I would never return and I don't know what restaurant these other reviewers are eating at but it isn't Arco. After reading these reviews I have lost any respect for the site. This owner must have alot of friends on here
This place was GREAT.
my boyfriend and i were looking for traditional spanish tapas and we walked away from several before we found this one b/c the other tapas bars in the area were literally places with all kinds of food served in small portions.
when i go to a tapas bar i don't want pad thai or gnocchi i want something traditional.
anyway this place was very welcoming and even though it's a small restaurant we were seated right away. it's the kind of place that people go to because they specifically want to be there so there are no obnoxious people at the next table because everyone is enjoying themselves.
the waiter made great drink recomendations, the sangria is delicious, and so is the spanish beer.
all around great experience. we will be going again.
We ate here randomly after looking around our neighborhood for a new spot. Surprisingly on a Friday night at around 8:30 we were seated with no wait. Parking was not possible but we valeted the car for a reasonable fee. Our server was a really sweet lady who was very attentive and friendly.
We ordered a spicy chicken, the queso, garlicky shrimp, bacon wrapped dates, mushrooms and the spinach quiche. The food was all awesome, hot and fresh. My one recommendation would have been to space the food out as it all came out at around the same time but one of my friends liked this and thought it was a good thing.
I thought it was reasonably priced, the portions were probably perfect and we each paid about $30 for food, sangria, a shared desert and tip which is more than reasonable for a Friday night dinner.
I would definitely come back here. It was very traditional Spanish food and the flavors were awesome.
I hate to be Debbie Downer here ...and maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes, but after last night's dinner, it got the "most expensive shitty dinner ever" award. Not that it was any more expensive than any other tapas place, but it definitely was shittier. The atmosphere was nice, we opted for inside as it was a bit chilly last night, but i was oh so bummed about the food. Had it not been for the bread we stuffed ourselves with, we probably would have stopped somewhere to eat after. Between four of us, we got nine dishes, and we liked maybe three or four of them. Some highlights below:
Marinated tuna -- Seriously? I can't believe they even put this on a plate. Not only did it look like something that should be served to a cat, but it tasted like i was eating tuna out of the can (and i probably was).
Boneless duck leg (a special) -- not too bad, the duck itself was good, but kind of tasted like it had aunt jemima maple syrup poured on top. the apricots with it were delicious.
Grilled prawns (also a special) -- definitely the best dish we had.
Pork tenderloin -- this looked like an early bird dinner special at the golden nugget. Flavor was not bad, but I certainly was not in any way enticed by the presentation. Random black olives in the sauce had no real purpose other than to get in my way.
Pork loin -- This looked like some kind of beef stew concoction your mother made you sit at the dinner for three hours until you finished it. I didnt taste any of this, but based on the ripping, tearing and gnawing i saw across the table, the meat was pretty tough.
Scallops in saffron sauce -- not too bad, the scallops were pretty mushy and didn't taste all that fresh, but the sauce was good.
If I ever go back ...oh who i am kidding, I would not (knowingly) waste my boyfriend's money like that ever again. Sorry "arch of little spoons."
I will defend this place to the death against any nay sayers. I need to smack myself for giving it a review sooner! We've been eating here for 6 years and I gotta admit-I kind of take it for granted considering it's been such a staple in our diet. It's called "arch of the little spoons" so how can you go wrong??
If you don't know what you're looking for on Halsted, it does tend to get passed up easily what with it's tiny storefront and unassuming display. The decor is classic and lined with plates and pictures from the owner's family and home back in Spain. Now see-that's what I don't understand about other places like Ba-Ba-Reeba. They're a Lettuce Entertain You company so what do they know about authentic tapas?
Here are the recommendations of a long time fan in English:
1. Dates with bacon: The sweet and rich flavor combined together is an excellent jump start to the meal.
2. Cold selection of olives: Between olives and olive oil with bread, it almost cleanses the palate for when the hot tapas dishes come out.
3. Salmon cured with capers: Oh my goodness, the Jew in me want to kiss this man. With a very light oil, the intense flavor of the salmon comes through, only to be sparked by the capers.
4. The fried eggplant with Spanish sausage: Not deep fried thank goodness and a nice change up from all the brandy cream sauce floating in your stomach by now.
5. Hot cheese dip in a earthern casserole: Now I'm lactose intolerant but I'll dig into this no problem because of the combo of baked tomatoes and basil reminds me of the best part of having pasta.
I could go on forever and I usually do about my favorite foods but I do recommend trying the server's favorites' because they always know what's good that day and have some sangria-it's better than most.
P.S. They do participate in the http://restaurant.com certificates most nights if you just want to give it a try but you're not sure.
I am really surprised that I have not reviewed Arco De Cuchilleros yet! I've been a fan since I moved to Chicago - it was one of my first tapas "experiences." The food is delicious; it is everything good tapas should be. The staff is friendly and "bend over backwards" to enhance your dining experience. The sangria is good and the outside space is a plus!
Some of the must-try dishes are:
Mejillones en salsa verde - Mussels in a white wine and cream sauce (Hold onto some bread for dipping!),
Datiles con bacon - bacon-wrapped dates,
and of course, their Sangria!
Phenomenal. A friend and I chose tihs place randomly, and I think it will become our regular spot! We had a pitcher of delicious sangria, which was reasonably priced (much cheaper than other tapas restaurants). We ordered 4 tapas for the 2 of us and all of them were absolutely amazing. The queso al horno was creamy and flavorful, and the mussels were cooked perfectly. The gambas en gabardina (batter dipped shrimp) were SO delicious and the patatas a la brava were perfectly spicy potatoes.
Our server was extremely attentive and gave us a great recommendation on the dessert menu. I will definitely be coming back here again - the food and service is just too good to pass up!
My wife and I went to this place with some friends and really enjoyed the food. However it was a little bit pricey and it wasn't near enough food for me to eat. I was still kinda starving afterwards. Ill be honest though, it was my first tapas bar so they may all be like that. The food itself though is very tasty.
I was absolutely unimpressed with Arco De Cuchilleros. My boyfriend and I went here for dinner one night when it was storming outside. We thought once we got inside we would be safe from the rain and wind. We were not. They kept their huge windows open even though it was insane outside! I was freezing the whole time and just wanted the meal to be over with as soon as possible.
We ordered the patatas ali-oli, queso al horno, and some chicken dish that my boyfriend ate. The patatas ali-oli were flavorless. I actually had to put salt and pepper on them, which I never do. The queso al horno had way too much blue cheese and no cream cheese. I could only have a few bites of it because I'm not the biggest blue cheese fan.
The worst part of the dining experience was that there were four shrill ladies at the bar getting really drunk off sangria. I don't mind people having a good time, but we were the only other people in the restaurant and it was distracting. I know this isn't the restaurant's fault, but it's something to be aware of if you want to eat in the happy hour range.
I give this place two stars because our server was very attentive to my soda needs.
What a fun time I had here for dinner last Friday night. A small group of us stumbled in around 9ish after going to an art opening down the street at the Center on Halsted. Though this place is small we were seated right away. At first I thought "Great...we are gonna be stuffed into a small table like a bunch of sardines in a can. " well we were but it was actually pretty cozy and the 2 pitches of yummy Sangria went along way to smooth my mood.
We each ordered 2 types of tapas so by the time it was all said and done we had tasted a good part of the menu. Well not really because their menu is probably the most extensive tapas menu I've ever come across in Chicago but we still managed to put a good dent in it. Each tapa that came out managed to be even yummier than the one before.
The service was excellent and very friendly. They were totally on top of bringing out dishes and clearing off dishes, refilling our sangria and water glasses...they were great. I actually am looking forward to going back and trying out more of their menu and having some more of that sangria!
It's always nice to have a new options for tapas.
My youngest son and I came here last week for dinner. We ordered several dishes and a paella, which I have never been a fan of paella's but this one was pretty tasty and my son LOVED it. It had chicken, pork, chorizo, squid, shrimp, mussels and clams. My son tired the clams for the first time and is a huge fan now.
We also had the batata's brava's which were awesome. The croquetas were ok. Oh the Gorgonzola cheese with cream cheese dip was really good too.
The only dish we did not like at all was the squid, it seamed like it was drenched in oil....yuck! The waiter was super nice and took it off our tap which I thought was super cool.
The dessert was also really good.
I would def. come back!
O.K. I hear what you all are saying about the food but the service here is worth the return. I thought I was cursed with bad service, I dine out about six times a week. I came in near closing and felt a little guilty for doing so. No one gave me the cold shoulder or any king of look. They where welcoming and attentive. I commend the owners of this place. I felt like my server Ivan really cared and was grateful I came in.
It is a little more pricey than other tapas places like Iberico but I think it is the price you pay for a better atmosphere and more intimate setting. Martinis where wonderful and a good size for nine bucks.
This place is very nostalgic for me, as it reminds me of my friend Danny. Not only did he introduce me to this place, but we have some great memories there. It will be always liked to the fond memories of eating there during summer Pride as well as Halloween Pride. The food is excellent. Some of the best Spanish food I've tasted. I've never been disappointed. They also have a really nice outdoor patio which is really nice and relaxing in the summer. You feel a little distant from the real world...almost like you are in Spain...well as close as you are going to get being in Chicago!
Great place for tapas. The service was a bit slow initially as they only had one waiter there...which didnt make a whole lot of sense. But once things got moving, it was excellent. The only reason I am giving it a 4 vs. a 5 is that, even for tapas, the portions are pretty small for the price. Very Chicagoish in the sense it is definitely a neighborhood place without attitude. Cool mix of folks.
If I had one suggestion, it would be that the decor needs updated, even if it means just painting the place. It is starting to look a bit worn...
But the food was great. Yum
Named after one of the entryways into Plaza Mayor in Madrid. One of my favorite restaurants in Chicago. Better than most of restaurants I've been to in Spain! I've been to Madrid twice and Barcelona once. Of course it could be just pleasant memories I associate with it. I've been coming here since the 90's and I've never lived in Chicago. My favorites are the steamed mussels, fish cheeks (if they have them), and the shrimp. I don't even like mussels but dipping the bread in the sauce is excellent.
Five stars for the soup alone. I can't remember the name of it is a tomato garlic chicken egg soup. It is perfection in a bowl. I want to marry the soup and have soup babies. The rest of the food is outstanding as well. You have to try the monk fish entree, buttery tomotoey garlicky goodness. Bacon wrapped dates, shrimp, chicken fritters, all so good. You can't go wrong with Arco De Cuchilleros.
Sit at the bar and have a blast with the bartender Chris.
I love love love this place. I've been going here since I was 18 and still love it! Though I'll also be the first to admit it's really not what it used to be.
It's got a great atmosphere. Inside is warm and cozy. The outside patio is great during the summer/fall.
The food is top notch. I could drink the sangria all day. Service is good (if eating inside it's very attentive, if outside it's usually more relaxed). Some of the waiters and staff have been there for years and years, which is a good sign for the restaurant.
The daily Tapas specials are often unique and sometimes outstanding.
I much prefer this place over some of the other more popular places in Chicago (BaBa... Iberico, etc)
Being used to Cafe Iberico's ridiculously inexpensive tapas, I was a little dismayed by Arco's prices (average 9-10 for a tapas dish). However, the taste and quality of 2 out of the 3 tapas we ordered were worth the price tag.
- Mejillones en salsa verde - I've eaten mussels from hole-in-the-wall places to some of the world's best restaurants, and I have to say, with the exception of a seaside restaurant in Vernazza, these are the best mussels I've had in my life. Plump, delicious, and creamy.
- Chorizo con pimtentos - Chorizo and sweet peppers, flambeed in brandy - This dish come out spouting flames. As a result, there are a whole lot of ooooo and ahhhs! from other diners. It was certainly impressive to see a pyro flame show on my dinner table, but the actual chorizo and sweet peppers were nothing too special. Let's just say the chorizo was on the bland side.
- The Eggplant Dish - Oh God! Oh God! The eggplant is so good! It's battered, fried, warm, moist, and melts like butter.
The sangria was great. Not too sweet, and after a pitcher per person, I was incredibly happy. And by happy I mean drunk.
One star off for being slightly overpriced in my mind. But hey, I'm moving apartments now, and so I'm probably too price sensitive... All in all, it was a great experience.
Pros: Sangria, garlic potato salad. Cute little place, very intimate with good service, and rarely too crowded.
Cons: Paella was a bit bland, and the night we went there was not a single dish with red meat on the menu, which seemed a bit odd to me.
Not a bad place for quick, inexpensive tapas, but food is lacking in comparison to the larger, more popular spots like Emilio's and Cafe Ba Ba Reeba.
Neighborhood: Lakeview
Category: Tapas Bars
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