We were celebrating a special occasion with a total of 8 people, Mistake1 unfortunately we could not be seated at our reserved table until all 8 arrived, we would have started our well drink orders. Mistake 2, according to the manager, which we had to ask multiple times to speak with, we could only open 2 bottles of our own wine per table, even with the$25 corking fee. It didn't matter if it was 2 or 8 people, only the 2 bottles. The food was ok, our server was nice and was apologetic . With so many restaurants in the area we will not be back! A missed opportunity on their part! Hopefully they will update these ridiculous rules! read more

I came here because of the pictures and tried the Santorini Lamb Souvlaki oh my god. umami flavors as soon as i took the first bite. great place :) read more

Good food. Love the grilled octopus and babaganoush. The service was great. They were kind and attentive. I would come here again to try out the rest of the menu read more

This place is amazing. I'm a big fan of Mediterranean food and this place doesn't disappoint. They are have very big portions, so make sure your eyes are not bigger than your stomach. My table had an order of the grilled calamari - delicious. I'll admit, I'm a fan of fried, but the way they grilled it was perfect and well seasoned. I also had an order of their garlic fries and had the lamb kabob for the main dish. Don't worry about ordering hummus separately - it will come with the kabob plates. I would make a reservation and ask to be seated in the balcony on a nice day. read more

Cafe Santorini - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Excellent vibe and the food is absolutely delicious...5 stars on all categories of food, service and ambiance. My go to place for date night, birthday celebrations or just meeting friends. Love Café Santorini, keep up the excellent work. JT read more

The food here is just so damn delicious. Lol. We drive 35 miles each way so it must be good. My favorite is the grilled calamari, the red curry seafood risotto (ridiculously good), and the lamb that you can tell is cooked low and slow. I recently tried the shrimp capellini for the first time. Omg. I usually don't like a red sauce with shrimp, BUT, this dish is an exception. It's not really a sauce but fresh tomatoes. The slight heat from the pepper flakes puts this dish over the top. The salmon is a bit too. It will melt in your mouth. read more

Great food, people are amazing, drinks are super yummy! Can't wait to go back outside it ring is a must

Our birthday party had such a great time here. The food was on point and the service was excellent. I had no idea about this place. When I walked upstairs, I was surprised by how lovely the space is. It was crowded so definitely make a reservation. I was the last to arrive so I don't know what starters were ordered but I liked everything I tried. Definitely come with a large group so you can share more dishes. For my main, I got the GRILLED BEEF BROCHETTE. The medium rare kebobs of beef tenderloin were so tender and juicy. It came with rice pilaf, vegetables (grilled tomato, bell peppers and onion), hummus and pita. Generous portions all around. read more

Cafe Santorini - Grilled Beef Brochette - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

There are places that lend themselves to being a magical ambience. This is one of them, rows upon rows of Italian deck lights, an outdoor patio with a nice breeze, some sangria, I mean what else do you need except to say... Life is good It truly is, we were seated immediately upon arrival. I'm a glutton for outdoor seating so we went for the patio, it proved to be delightful. Our server was an older gentleman with an Italian accent I believe? He was quite possibly the most charismatic and inviting person I have dealt with in quite some time. His recommendations were amazing. My husband had the beef kabobs. The meat was tender and juicy, you could cut through it like butter. The meat was accompanied by hummus, rice, and grilled veggies. My favorite side has to be the hummus, the citrus note was strong but welcomed. On my end, I ordered the cioppino with linguine. Oh. My. God. It was amazing! The seafood was fresh and you could taste the salt of the sea infused and laced into the tomato sauce. It came topped with 2 large pieces of garlic herb butter bread. This I could do without (trying to watch my figure) but the taste was spot on. The best part about cioppino is letting the bread soak up the sauce and enjoying it afterwards. I love it but indulged very little in the bread. The main focus for me was the seafood! Besides that, my husband had a Greek beer and I ordered the white sangria. I'm not a fan of peach schnapps but this wasn't so bad. Typically I let the natural fruit infuse the wine versus adding to it, but no big deal. All in all.... 4 stars! read more

Although a little crowded, this place serves some great food. If you like seafood, definitely order the cioppino santorini! It was absolutely fantastic and would come back just to eat this dish! The seafood complements the linguine perfectly and my hunger was also very satisfied! read more

Cafe Santorini - Seafood Cioppino Over Linguine - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

I am not sure what risotto should taste like cuz i never had one but their risotto taste good in my opinion and their pistachio gelato is bomb, the ambience is good also. Me and my friends had a great time. read more

Cafe Santorini - RED CURRY SEAFOOD RISOTTO - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I took my girlfriend to this place for lunch as a thank you for being a great friend. Ordered eggplant pizza and green curry risotto with scallops. Complimentary cheesy bread. Yummy hot cheesy bread. We ate the bread in seconds. Eggplant pizza ($11.00): grilled eggplant, roasted red peppers, Kalamata olives, mozzarella & feta cheese. Green curry risotto with scallops ($20.00): seared diver scallops served over a green curry cilantro risotto with leeks and diced red bell pepper. Coke ($3.50): free refills for your soda. The pizza is good but not great. The ingredients are fresh; I like its olives and feta cheese. Not a fan of its risotto and the scallops have a weird aftertaste. We had a problem looking for this hidden restaurant. It is located near the entrance of IPic. My waiter was attentive and friendly. 3.5 stars!! Cafe Santorini is kinda yummylicious!! read more

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I came here right before a concert and I think everyone had the same idea, so it was insanely busy. Be mindful if you decide to come here if there's an event at the Rose Bowl. There's a shuttle that's conveniently located nearby to take you to the Rose Bowl for a small fee. I came here with a group of friends and thank god we made reservations. I shared my dish with my wife and we got the following: Farfalle al Pesto Pollo- This dish was delicious. The pesto was creamy, but not too rich and the chicken was flavorful over bowtie pasta. Santorini Pizza- Mediterranean beef sausage, tomatoes, onions, goat cheese, mozzarella and fresh mint. This pizza was delicious. The crust was crispy and the ingredient were fresh. I got to sample some of my friend's dishes and everything was so good. I thought the customer service was good considering how busy they were. The server was attentive to us. It took 20 minutes to get a drink, but again it was busy and the bartenders were working hard. Parking: If you could find street parking, then more power to you, but there's a parking garage nearby and that's probably your best bet or you could valet your car. read more

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Beautiful ambiance and delicious food. What a great find in Pasadena! The restaurant is on a second floor level with seating available in the bar area, in the restaurant, and in the patio. The patio seating is covered and super romantic. There is public parking available right across the street as well as valet parking near the restaurant. The food was all delicious and the portions were large and filling. We ordered: the shrimp saltado appetizer, the babaghanoush and pita mezze, the fried kubbe mezze, the braised lamb shank, and the grilled chicken kabob. The meal began with the house bread which was seasoned with Mediterranean spices and served warm. The shrimp saltado is black tiger shrimp baked with roasted potatoes and french bread and a creamy garlic parmesan sauce. This dish was so tasty. The flavors on the sauce soaking in the bread and the starchy potatoes was a great start to our meal. The shrimp was not overcooked and there was lots of it! The babaghanoush and pita is a blend of roasted eggplant, garlic, tahini, and lemon. The garlic and tahini were not overpowering in the dish and the flavors were enhanced by the acid in the lemon. The mezze was super creamy and had tons of flavor. The pita was warm and soft and paired well with the babaghanoush. The fried kubbe is a mix of ground beef and pine nuts that is dipped in bulgur wheat and fried. It is served with tzatziki sauce. The portion is a bit small compared to the pricing, but the flavors of the kubbe were on point. It is fried to a crisp and not oily or heavy. The tzatziki adds a surprising lightness to the dish as well. The braised lamb shank is served with a mushroom sun dried tomato wine sauce and garlic mashed potatoes. Just wow. Lamb is a difficult protein to cook. The lamb was cooked to perfection and fork tender. It was falling off the bone. The meat was so flavorful and had an amazing texture that was a great combination with the mashed potatoes and the beautiful sauce. The lamb was also served with fresh herbs on top. This was definitely my favorite dish of the night. The grilled chicken kabob is marinated chicken thigh meat served with rice, roasted tomato and bell pepper, hummus and pita. The chicken was tender! This is a rare statement as most restaurants typically overcook chicken that leads to that tough, stringy texture. The chicken was seasoned well and soft to the bite. The rice was cooked well and was a great combo with the chicken and roasted veggies. The hummus was tasty as well and added a nice bite to the chicken. Overall, I had a great experience in Café Santorini. I enjoyed all the plates I ordered and loved the atmosphere of the entire night. I will be back to try other appetizers and entrees on the menu. This little Mediterranean restaurant gets super busy on the weekends, so make sure you make reservations! read more

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Love to sit on the patio with a good drink and good food. Love to meet friends there.

This was an unexpected find this past weekend! Parking for $7 flat fee across the street (Union). There's a nice pink neon side off of Union to show you where the entrance is. Watch out walking up that long flight of stairs! We wanted to hit up B&N to check out travel plans for potential honeymoon locations. Boy toy wanted some eats so I was like uhm MiPiace (quality has dropped over the years), Cheesecake Factory (packed & you can get this chain everywhere)...gotta check out Yelp! for something new. First thing that popped up was Katie B's phenom review from 2009 - THREE YEARS AGO & since then, a whole slew of you gave ranges of 1 to 4 stars (majority on the 4 stars end). So we decided to give it a try. They're on Open Table so make sure to reserve to get your 100 points! This past weekend was super hot so we decided to sit indoors. It was a little stuffy & then got breezy as the servers opened the doors to go out to the patio & I got a whiff of a/c here and there. Overall it wasn't too bad. It was pretty busy for a Sunday early evening around 6 p.m. I see some past Yelper reviews of poor service. They were busy & whizzing around inside & out but they always swung by to check on us & a hand raised never went unanswered - so excellent service! Started off with a Mediterranean Appetizer BABAGHANOUSH SPREAD (roasted eggplant puree with spices (garlic/tahini) & covered in olive oil to be paired with flat pita breads). I ended up using the house bread (more like a garlic/parsley flat focaccia). DELICIOUS! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?userid=exIZyA7e9dukrjPP_X8xEw#BX21AVfNTwAmkFfKE9dcRQ Then boy toy & I shared the RED CURRY RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD (clams, black mussels, shrimp, spinach & red onions on a deliciously flavorful risotto bed - don't forget to mix it as there was all this additional extra sauce at the bottom!) http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?userid=exIZyA7e9dukrjPP_X8xEw#pkz6d49m6r5BH3bO-3_zcg & MOUSSAKA (ground beef with eggplant mix on top of potato slices covered with a white Bechamel sauce that even had a thin layer of cheese on top (?). I thought this wouldn't have cheese on top...but there was something cheesy & gooey and oh so delicious! http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?userid=exIZyA7e9dukrjPP_X8xEw#RD3tb4fg3m8DJ65DSatHAA We stuffed ourselves so much, when our waiter Genaro brought out the dessert menu, I about cried. The 1st item was a chocolate & espresso pot de creme and I had no room in my tummy. I HEART POT DE CREME! Definitely a place to come back to. I even saw a wedding reception going on downstairs in The Rococo Room. I would have loved to have our wedding reception here but we've already put down a deposit elsewhere. If you haven't gone, please, give this restaurant a try! read more

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This place is pretty cool food is OK it's kind of overhyped the ambience is nice the location is awesome but I always go there for the food and I wish you blew me away but it was OK read more

A 3.5 star rounded up for good behavior for this lovely looking restaurant. With a patio overlooking the charming cobblestone-clad marketplace in Old Town, and a cutsie-wootsie inside seating with upscale bar -- I like the feel Cafe Santorini exudes. It's not Greek, and the same eludes to. It's Mediterranean with foods from Italy, Lebanese, Greek -- but nothing seems to resonate. Wine menu, good. Service was friendly and responsive. Ambiance is great, but that aside, the food I ordered was satisfying but really not good. Let me elaborate: 1. Baba ghanoush ($8) -- Roasted eggplant spread with garlic, tahini, & lemon served with fresh pita. Tasty, but loaded with olive oil and not enough garlic. (4.0 stars) 2. Grilled Chicken Kebob ($15) -- Menu reads "Marinated chicken thigh meat served with rice pilaf, roasted vegetables & hummus." Didn't see "thigh" meat, so when received I questioned. Really, who serves dark meat kebob? Server offered to remake it, and the plate was brought back with 2 small chicken breast, or 1 fileted. Good, but didn't seem very authentic and far from great. Served with hummus, pilaf, roasted tomato, and the one nice touch -- grilled red & green peppers. (3.0 stars) In summary, it's a great afternoon spot or date place. It's casual, but has something romantic about it, and a comfortable hang for 2 or a party of 12. read more

For all the hype this restaurant gets in Pasadena, I'm trying to understand why? The wine is good. The seating area is little confusing, the food I assumed would've tasted great but it lacked flavor to me, I ordered the chicken kabob plate with brown rice and grilled veggies with a side of pita bread, which the bread was hard and cold, and a side of hummus. Chicken was good but everything else lacked flavor. The only thing I did enjoy out of my experience there was the wine and the bread bowl they serve you in the beginning. It was pricy and not that good. read more

Dim lighting, free fancy baked cheese bread, glorious meal.. someone was obviously trying to show his classy side =p and boy did he hit the jackpot. This place has it all, the rude waiters, the cramped area...it sounds bad but those factors usually mean you're in for an amazing meal. Why? Despite the mediocre service, people keep coming back for the food and ambiance, cuz that's where the treasure lay folks. Lamb Souvlaki- best lamb the date and I have ever tasted. I completely ignored the tzatziki sauce cuz the lamb by itself was so tender and juicy; it was glorious. The grilled vegetables and rice accompanying the dish did not disappoint, they were the perfect compliment. The hummus and pita however were a flop. Think store-bought hummus and pitas i.e. no flavor. Red Curry Risotto with Seafood- First 10 bites, amazing, glorious. I loved it so much I sucked the seasoning off the clams. It wasn't later on till my stomach protested that I found it a bit too rich to eat in one sitting so I protectively saved half of it for lunch. Would I get it again? Probably not. My tastebuds were in love, but my stomach couldn't handle the pain. This must be what people with allergies feel like. It's sad. Free Birthday/Anniversary Dessert- Chocolate fudge cake, too thick for my taste. The strawberries it came with were divine. Tip: If you're into talking comfortably with your date, ask for patio seating, trust me, it's more romantic out there too. The dining room was too loud to hear the date, I was almost tempted to tell him to text me what he was saying. Happy Eating! read more

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I have to admit this is one of the best Greek establishments in Pasadena. The meats are so good, tender, and well seasoned. I have celebrated tons of special ocassions here and the staff are always happy and accommodating. It gets really busy, and basically the way it works is you simply make a reservation to sit on the door patio which is nice at night. The grilled tenderloin beef is just to die for since it really melts in your mouth. All of the sides are also flavorful such as the grilled Calamari. Trying to find parking here sucks since it is nesteled smack in the middle of old town Pasadena. read more

Good food, great atmosphere. Cafe Santorini is located on the third floor on a busy street in Old Town and is a great place to have a casual lunch or a romantic dinner. There's ample seating at the bar, a spacious indoor dining room, and a really beautiful outdoor patio for clear days. I was starving and so thankful for the house bread. It was brushed with olive oil and generously topped with garlic, oregano, and parmesan-- if not particularly soft, it was definitely flavorful. We ordered the Insalata Frutti di Mare to start and it was easily one of my favorite dishes. It was a huge entree-size salad chock-full of succulent bay scallops, salmon, shrimp, and calamari. Served on a bed of mixed greens, the seafood was fresh and dressed lightly in a delicious lemon butter sauce. The sauce itself was creamy and kind of rich, but it was cut with some good acidity and the flavor was surprisingly light. My other favorite dish was the Red Curry Risotto with Seafood. The rice was perfectly cooked and the pungent red curry sauce had a wonderfully tart bite. The shrimp, clams, and black mussels were great and the fresh onions provided a crisp, sweet bite. The dish was so large that I had enough leftovers for two meals the next day-- no complaints! The Margherita Pizza was not bad, but I've had much better. The tomato sauce was bright and the milky mozzarella tasted clean, but there was nothing particularly memorable about it. I also wish I'd passed on the poached Bosc Pear dessert. Bathed in a red wine reduction with macerated cherries, it looked and sounded beautiful, but the pear was too hard and the flavor just didn't hold up to its promise. The best part about it was the whipped mascarpone filling, but there wasn't enough of it :( Service was jovial and the ambiance added a lot to the dining experience. All-day parking is $7 at the public parking garage located across the street-- a little pricey for the area, but you can always spend some extra time indulging in quality retail therapy after your meal. read more

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...3.5 stars.. The very first time I visited Cafe Santorini was for lunch. And i said I'll probably won't go back to the restaurant for awhile. I had the risotto con porcini, it had porcini mushroom, onions, tomatoes, and grilled tuscan chicken sausage- boy, it was rich, i had 4 bites and i was stuffed! I was able to try my friends' dishes and they were alright..i was not a fan of their pizza. And then not long after I attended a wedding reception here at their Roccoco Room. It's a nice and cozy banquet room for a small party. During their reception, i was able to try Cafe Santorini's steak. It was just okay. I thought the meat was too tough. Though it was cooked perfectly, the meat quality was not so good. And then when I thought I was done w/ Cafe Santorini, I was back here again for an engagement dinner. They gave us the mezzanine room for our party of 25. I really like this private room. And the food for the night tasted the best out of the three visits I've been to. I ordered the Fricassee of Seafood Linguine, the portion was perfect. but i've had better seafood linguine before. My friends' paella tasted much better. I wouldn't mind coming back here again. And when I do, i'll get the paella dish. read more

Synopsis: Trendy Mediterranean style restaurant with decent food and a nice elevated covered patio that is particularly nice when the weather is nice. Within the brick lined confines of an architecturally old building, the ambiance of this hidden second story gem is romantic, but casual. You can get pretty full just from the selection of starters and appetizers, but the menu is varied enough to offer things that I don't normally look for in a Mediterranean restaurant like pasta, pizzas, and seafood. They have a full bar with a fairly extensive wine list; their sangria was good, but not great. This place fills up quickly around meal time for the happy hour but also subsides just as quickly beyond that. If you didn't come for the HH, then I would recommend a reservation at 800pm or later to avoid the rush... I came with my wife and sister on a Friday evening after calling ahead to make reservations at 730pm. We arrived 10 minutes late and the place was packed, probably a happy hour echo which ended at 700pm where most things are $5. I was a bit irritated with the hostesses when I thought that they had already given our table away, so after stepping past all of the other people waiting, I gave them my best "you gave away our table?" irritated look. I don't know if it really made a difference but we were seated 10 minutes later when the next table opened up... Our waiter that evening was attentive and once we settled in with a glass of Merlot and a couple of red sangria's http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=mS8h8fHcK8zWyw6xVu-wBw, he helped us decide upon a couple of starter plates... The Shrimp Saltado http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=vB8VslgaRDmIiDUYqN-hGQ had plenty of melted Parmesan cheese over roasted potatoes and grilled Tiger shrimp, the bottom was lined with garlicky toast. This is a really hardy dish for a starter, sort of like a grilled shrimp and potato French bread white pizza, and I couldn't stop picking at all the potatoes covered with baked cheesy goodness... The Manila Clams http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=E7R2vBX380ac9vw2kwoehw were steamed with smoked Spanish sausages, chopped leeks, orange segments, and sweet vermouth. I generally like steamed clams but this is the first time I had it prepared this way. I found the citrus to be refreshing, but I didn't care for the flavor of the smoked sausage with the clams; the sausages had a strong flavor that dominated the dish, one that I didn't personally care for. In the preparation, most of the clam meat had fallen out of shells, perhaps indicating that they were just a touch overcooked. The clam liquor with the vermouth was slightly on the salty side... I don't eat Stuffed Grape Leaves http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=f_iTb5HDNDdPFSvHPvFI4w but the girls ordered it and ate it up; I suppose it was good... I can't resist ordering a Braised Lamb Shank http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=ZMDwSVMPgpTpZgHE7ZE7Rw whenever I see it on a menu. The shank was braised perfectly and the meat was fork tender and coming off the bone easily. The flavor was so savory and went so well with the garlic mashed potatoes, like comfort food. It was topped with earthy sliced crimini (?) mushrooms sauteed and reduced in a red wine sauce with sun dried tomatoes -- so gooood!... The Green Risotto with Pan Seared Scallops http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=P3EOA4Thv4dY4PLkStpuew was not very creamy as I had expected out of a curry, rather it had a more gritty texture and taste of cilantro, which I don't always like, especially since I don't regularly have it in my risotto. There was also suppose to be chopped leeks and red peppers which added to the rough texture. The scallops were fine, they had nice size, good sear and color, tasty but a little past succulent but I stop short of saying they were dry... The toasted pita bread http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/seBTUb95ax1DJ7SdHeBbUw?select=m53DERfTqdlU11MEwgyWCA that they serve here is marvelous... We were tempted to stay and look at the dessert but we really needed to walk off our meal first so we declined. The lamb shank was terrific, and so was the Shrimp Saltado, but I though the green curry risotto was not for me. I can see myself coming back during HH for a $5 sangria, but I probably wouldn't order it again at full price ($9)... read more

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Of course I love Café Santorini when dining is at the top of the roof, just like dining at the hills of Santorini, Greece! It's exceptionally romantic & the decor of streaming lights, white tables, and close has me feeling like I'm back in Santorini all over again. Santorini is supposed to be a Greek restaurant, but it happens to be an infinite Italian influence as well. Just a little history note, Italy invaded Greece in the year 1940, so for any guests who are a little confused of the menu, well there you go! The menu is quite abundant, but don't let it scare you. I was feeling salmon, so I got their fresh salmon of the day that was accompanied by mashers, and a vegetable medley of young carrots, italian squash, and broccoli! The presentation was so pretty and smelled so hot; I knew I was going to be satisfied tonight. The salmon was clearly fresh; it did not have the pungent fish flavour that the salmon here is by far one of hte freshest salmons I've ever had. My guest went for the ribeye with fresh asparagus tips and roasted Greek potatoes. I did not try his dish, but had noted that he was satisfied during each bite. Although I was too full for dessert, everyone on the list looked phenomenal. I ended my evening with a cup of fresh Lavazza, mm! I think their salmon was far more than outstanding; it was so fresh that I want it again! Café Santorini is very date-worthy that will bring memories for your evening along with a fantastic meal. I highly recommend this establishment for any occasion, they even have Brunch Sundays too! x read more

Cafe Santorini - Salmon + ribeye yum x - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Great little place, great food, and great service. Took my lovely wife here for our anniversary dinner and she loved it. Our waiter recommended the Kabobs, delicious! Thank you, thank you!! read more

Cafe Santorini - Happy 32nd anniversary!!! - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Great vibe. Great food. Order French fries even though they aren't on the menu. Sit at the bar or on the outdoor patio.

Very delicious Mediterranean cuisine to indulge with family and friends for lunch or dinner.

My 200th Yelp Review! I had to make it a special one! :D I just had my wedding reception in the Rococo Room in Cafe Santorini and there are really no words to describe what a wonderful experience it was having my event there. Let me start off by saying that when I first started to plan my wedding I went through a mini breakdown and wanted to cut the list to 20 people because I didn't think I would be able to find a nice venue at an affordable price. In the midst of my wedding planning meltdown, I stumbled upon Cafe Santorini (THANK YOU YELP I OWE YOU MAJOR). I walked in on a random Tuesday about 5 months before my wedding and pretty much fell in love with the Rococo Room. To top it all off they had the exact wedding date that I was looking for free (it was only Fri/Sat/Sun left in June) and at a price that fit my budget. It was pretty much a wedding miracle for me. On the day that I dropped in, unannounced might I add, I was lucky enough to meet Barbi, pretty much the most amazing event coordinator in the world. She is so upbeat, helpful, attentive, responsive, and honest. After going through some of the basics, minimums, time frames, etc., I knew it was the place for us. After booking the date, Barbi helped us with everything from the tasting (the best experience ever!! They pretty much put on a whole reception for you to see what yours will be like with other groups going to host events in their facilities. It was EPIC), to vendors for linens, to arranging the floor plan, to helping me organize the events of the night. On the day of the event, Barbi was nice enough to let my friends come in an hour earlier than stated in our contract to help set up the reception. And during the event our main point of contact was Matt. He too was great! He was full of energy and so on top of everything from my guests who needed special meals to making sure we had cake cutting utensils, to sparkling cider in my toast glass because champagne gives me a headache. Now to the best part of the venue!! THE FOOD!!! Seriously, it was banquet food I have ever had! I even had other guests come up to me all throughout the night telling me how much they enjoyed the food too. They even won my father over...and that is a super hard task to do when it comes to steak. Appetizers: Curry Butter Shrimp Skewers - I went in blind with this appetizer. It was the only one I didn't try at the tasting, but it was a huge hit Mini Beef Empanadas - My personal favorite of the three. Such a flavor packed two bit empanada ever! Grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters - Most fun and cutest of the night and I loved the comfort feeling of it Entrees: Grilled Rib Eye - My favorite of the night. It was such an amazing cut of meat and it was cooked to perfection. It was by far the favorite of the night. If you are not vegetarian and down with red meat I'm telling you this is a MUST. You will not be disappointed Lobster Ravioli - Always popular and also yummy dish. There were very healthy portions of lobster in my ravioli. I great seafood options for your guests and it won't bust your wallet Mushroom Risotto - My vegetarian option for the night. Now I'm personally not a Risotto person, but I like their Risotto. My non meat eaters, as well as a couple meat eaters, really enjoyed this dish Dessert: Crème Brulee - Classic and fun. Mini Disclaimer: I won't lie though most of the dessert attention was focused on my Candy Bar Table that they let us create. My friends helped bake nerdy themed cookies, cupcakes, and candy and Cafe Santorini was nice enough to let us bring those treats in without any fee. Thank you Cafe Santorini for making my wedding reception so special. It was a perfect night and I could not have done it without your amazing staff and beautiful venue. read more

Cafe Santorini - 1/2 portion of Red Curry with Seafood - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I love Cafe Santorini. I had Yelped & bookmarked this place for a couple months and finally had the opportunity to dine here. After reading my friends' reviews, it was definitely a winner for dinner!... I made a reservation at 8PM and they were very accommodating in letting me choose the patio area at the last minute. The entrance to the restaurant is in the same little courtyard as the backdoor of Juicy Couture or this Gold Theater. When you walk up the stairs, you're greeted by a magical looking restaurant. The place is accompanied with white christmas lights and soothing music. We were taken to the patio where it was barricaded by plastic coverings, which was nice since it was freezing outside. Immediately after we were seated, the waiter set a basket of DELICIOUS GARLC & PARMESAN BREAD, which we definitely got seconds of... My boyfriend ordered a glass of Pinot Noir Mac Murray ($8); it wasn't too bad but I'm not a huge fan of red Anywho, in effort to finish our main dishes, we skipped the appetizer section and went straight to the entrees. I order the RED CURRY RISOTTO WITH SEAFOOD ($22; Black mussels, shrimp and clams over risotto with spinach, red onions and a creamy red curry sauce). It was effing amazing. The mussels, clams, and shrimp were so moist and delicious and.... currently drooling as I'm typing this. The waiter said it was his favorite and he would definitely not sway my choice! My boyfriend got the SANTORINI LAMB SOUVLAKI ($26; Grilled marinated lamb served with rice, vegetables, tzatziki, hummus and pit). The meat was so tender and juicy; I felt like I was eating steak. It was very well flavored and had the right amount of saltiness. Overall, I had a very pleasant experience at Cafe Santorini & I can't wait to go back soon!!! read more

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This Mediterranean eatery gets a lot of press on Yelp and I must say, it's well deserved. I've had the Lamb Shank plate and the Boneless Half Chicken, both were good. The Lamb Shank was fall off the bone tender and came with mushrooma, sun-dried tomatoes while having been braised in a reduced wine sauce and accompanied by garlic mash potatoes. For my second visit, I had the Roasted Bonless Half Chicken which is an oven roasted chicken topped with porcini mushrooms in a Marsala cream sauce and served with roasted potatoes and sautéed vegetables. These are both very satisfying plates. The ambiance is better outside on the patio than inside. The last time, they had a plastic cover over the patio due to the colder temperatures but it's really nice to dine outdoors in warmer weather which I did on my first visit. I know this place is categorized as a Mediteranean/Greek place, but I think they could add Italian too because they seem to have a lot of pasta and pizza dishes on the menu. Whatever the case, the food here is pretty tasty and I would heartily agree to eat here again given the opportunity. read more

Cafe Santorini - Half Boneless Chicken - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

Cafe Santorini looked very exquisite from the pictures on Yelp & though the atmosphere is nice, I'm not too fond of close seating. After you walk up a heap of stairs, our hostess greeted us with no smile-- Perfection, no? Nah. Here's the breakdown: GRILLED Calamari- It comes with a bed of fresh greens and their dressing. Presentation is nice & the squid is nice and tender. Wasn't gummy & you almost don't miss the crust. CHICKEN SAUSAGE RISOTTO- Not bad at all but the chicken sausage itself didn't impress me much & it seemed like such a bad meat to risotto ratio. The risotto is pretty flavorful but it's kind of "mushy" as my friend would describe & not as grainy as she'd hope. CHICKEN KABOB- This wasn't bad either, comes with grilled chicken, grilled tomato, peppers and pilaf rice. My only gripe about this is that I can make it. I wasn't too impressed but it's not bad. Also comes w. pita bread & a side of hummus which was delicious. WHITE SANGRIA- $9 & pretty delicious. It'll get u goin HOUSE BREAD- Best part of the meal. Warm, flavorful yum! Service wasn't bad, they came around to bring us water often but didn't ask how we were. They were also quite slow when it came to things like getting the check...and it was hard to get their attention. Seating should be spaced out more for less social people like my friend. =( Oh & they don't have falafels here NOOOOO! Wouldn't mind coming back here but I don't think I'd crave anything I can make myself. Just sayin`! (I'm on a quest to find bomb things I can't make better) read more

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After going to school, living and working in Pasadena for years, I finally made it out to Cafe Santorini. We didn't get to sit out on the balcony/patio but we still had a great meal with friends. The mezze platter and white and red sangrias to start were good and the entrees were very good. The salmon, the beef kabobs and the chioppino were all enjoyed. On the more expensive side for Mediterranean fare but a very nice dining experience overall which makes Cafe Santorini more than worth a visit. It may have taken me a while to get there, but the next visit won't take nearly as long. read more

Food and service were impeccable. My favorite restaurant in Pasadena and have been recommending it years. read more

If you're a foodie looking for a solid happy hour in Old Town Pasadena, then this is your stop. For happy hour, you can get $5 sangrias and appetizers. You really can't go wrong with their happy hour menu, but my favorites are their Santorini fries (garlic fries with feta), grilled calamari with lemon dressing, their curry shrimp, and their mini flatbread with soujouk sausage, mint, and goat cheese. Their sangrias are also pretty strong, which is great for $5. Happy hour runs at the bar from 3p-9p on Monday and 3p-7p on Tuesday through Friday. The ambiance is nice, the food is great, and the service is friendly. The happy hour menu is likely a good representation of their menu. And my impression is that they serve Mediterranean food with inspirations from other regions. I would really love to come back for their dinner menu, but I'm saving it for a special occasion (they have an outdoor patio that seems perfect for first dates). It's definitely a great find in Old Town Pasadena! read more

Came back a 2nd time in the same week, and I gotta update the review because SERVICE THIS TIME WAS AMAZING! SO 5 STARS FOR YOU CAFE SANTORINI you go Cafe Santorini. Our server BARRY deserves some credit because he was awesome, attentive, and extremely personable and friendly. He made sure our sangria glasses never fell below the halfway level. It was the near perfect experience for a Girls Night Out. So two of my girls and I walked in around 8pm on a Saturday night. We tried calling in for a RSVP but was told they were booked for the entire night, the hostess, however, advised us that should we walk in, we would probably get seated easily. SO WE DID SO. And we walked in and got seated immediately :) So this time, between 3 girls we ordered the following: --GRILLED CALAMARI: This dish is BOMB. FIVE STARS, NO TEN STARS. Enough said. The calamari was perfect and on top of a bed of greens tossed in a DELICIOUS garlic sauce. It was heaven. Might possibly my favorite dish our of their entire menu. --BEEF KABOB: I'VE HAD BETTER BUT STILL this was SOOO GOOD AND TASTY. The taziki sauce was perfect and the hummus was delectable. If you're looking for something light, then this is perfect. The rice pilaf was perfectly fluffy and flavorful. --SEAFOOD CIOPPINO: I've reviewed this in my prior review. But with that said, it was so good we had to get it again. It was amazing and a crowd pleaser. --PITCHER OF SANGRIA: DELICIOUSSSS. It was so huge, came with 8 glasses. As much as we tried, we were so stuffed and couldn't even finish it. TIP: Don't be shy in asking for balsamic and olive oil to dip your bread in. Pro-tip: rip your bread in half to expose the soft inner part to dip in for maximum flavor soakage. I always tell myself, not to fill up on the bread, but it's so addictive and good.. it was hard not to. No wonder we couldn't finish our wine.. read more

Cafe Santorini - PERFECTION. My favorite of all time.. Grilled calamari with garlic sauce. - Italian Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I'm only giving this one star because zero stars wasn't an option. I went there with my girlfriend on the evening of Friday, May 19th. We ordered a glass of wine each, a baba ganoush appetizer, a salmon entree, and a lamb shank entree. Everything we had was awful. My girlfriend works in a restaurant and knows food and wine well. She said her wine tasted like it was from a bottle that had been open too long. The baba ganoush we had was sour and smoky. It tasted like someone ashed a cigarette on my tongue. She said her salmon entree was "foul". I didn't taste it, but I did notice the fish came with the skin on, which I thought was interesting for a fillet. My lamb shank was gross. Very gamey, not flavorful at all, it tasted like blood, like i was swishing a dirty penny around in my mouth. Our waiter brought us the bill. He didn't even ask us how our food was which we thought was rude. The bill was $137, not worth it at all. We didn't like a single thing we had. I don't like blasting restaurants on Yelp, but I tried reaching out to the restaurant via email and the link on their website is broken, so I had to take it to Yelp. I will update this review if Cafe Santorini contacts me and makes this right, but I'm not a happy customer. The place was cute, but the food was foul, and the service was sub par at best. Save your money and go somewhere else. read more

Yummy ! Arrived in town for my birthday and had heard about this Café. We made our reservation and I am glad we did. We arrived and were seated on the patio, to my surprise there were 2 other ladies celebrating a birthday as well. Our waiter was bubbly, sweet and made excellent suggestions. We ordered, had a glass of wine and waiting about 15 minutes or so for our food. It was very tasty and we shared our plates. After the meal was done, to my surprise our waiter brought a piece of cake with a candle. What a nice and sweet touch to end the night. Thank you for such a nice night !! read more

Roasted butternut squash is out of this world!!! I have had their risotto and that is amazing as well. I had their green curry risotto with scallops and their wild mushroom one. However on this last visit I was limited to vegetarian items and decided to try the squash as oppose to the vegetable platter. I was amazed at the flavors. A must order if you are a vegetarian! If you love bread you will love the bread here. Chewy, soft and bursting with flavors from the herbs. I was happy there was no cheese in there since not all cheese are vegetarian. The staff here are really friendly. They constantly came by to fill up our water glasses. The atmosphere is fun. Good for lunch and dinner. They have outside seating which is nice on a cool day. read more

The hummus! The chicken kebab! The ambience! YES YES YES! It's a great date night spot