It would be 4 stars if it weren't for the hostess and waitress. It might be 5 stars if it weren't for the Texas Redfish. Dinner on Mother's Day: A spring composed salad with lots of veggies, a big variety. So pretty and whimsical, well thought out, each of the many ingredients carefully placed, including a singular pea and flower inside the cup of a singular leaf of brussel sprout. What a happy dish. Seared diver scallops. One with the red bell pepper/corn relish on top, the other with the relish on the bottom. Nice touch. Perfectly cooked scallops. But the corn/red bell pepper was kind of boring. Texas Redfish. This bottom feeder should not be served in a fine dining restaurant. I think it was my first time trying this fish, and like I said, it should not be served at a fine dining establishment. It was topped with morels, thankfully I could just pick up the morels and eat them by themselves. Dessert: two types of ice cream or sorbet, can't remember. With some sort of green tea cookie. Delicious. Every dish was beautifully executed and presented. The hostess seemed to be out of her element--knowing how to treat guests well at a high end restaurant seems to be contrary to her nature. Also, I had previously tried to make a reservation for another dinner here, made it on OpenTable, then had to call to see if they could accommodate a different time as it wasn't available on OT. Nope, no, they can't lift a finger. Ridiculous, every other good restaurant can help with this unless they are truly packed, which I knew The Raymond was not. Our waitress also seemed like she should not be working at a high end restaurant. Also, at one point, I asked her what I thought would be a quick question/answer about her prior experience, but she lingered and went on and on about herself. read more

Pretty nice place with interesting drinks. Happy Hour is 5-7pm and you'll get a $2 discount on food and a few cheaper drinks. They were super slow when I arrived at 5:15 and they were having a team meeting or something and working on dry ice, making a lot of noise and not really giving us that much attention. Kinda ruined the ambiance a little. Service overall was average. I had the brown derby and a smoker's jacket as drinks, both were good and the quality overall is above average. I'd recommend the brown derby. For food, I had the olives, pork belly and yellowtail coller. The pork belly was pretty good, but needed to be a little crispier. The olives were pretty spicy and seemed a little hard. The yellowtail was pretty good, no complaints. Overall, good drinks and pretty good food for not too much money. read more

This is truly a top notch dining experience. Located in a small but charming craftsmen home, you will be welcomed by a friendly staff, and treated to an amazing meal. I highly recommend it for a romantic occasion with its dark wood interior and low lit setting. Plan to make a night of it. The wait staff pace each course so you can savor every meal, and enjoy conversation with your date....something we here in the States should do more of. read more

Always great food & service! I love the lunch & dinner menus. Traditional food with pops of WOW! The ambience is great for groups. Our office loves coming here for Happy Hour & we have the best boss ever! read more

We were only there for brunch. The pancakes were drenched in syrup. Totally nasty. I felt like I was in a wealthy retirement home. read more

The "griddled cheese" is insane! Crispy, oozy, and the jalapeño jelly?!?...are you kidding? I'm in heaven! The things taste bud dreams are made of! read more

The Raymond 1886 - Oh. My. Gosh. Grilled cheese with house made jalapeño jelly...insane!!!! Crispy oozy love. - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

Delicious drinks and friendly baristas!!! Great place to go for drinks with speak easy music. Not too loud to have a convo. Great menu if you'd like some appetizers with your drinks. read more

The Raymond 1886 - The Jamaican Funk - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

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4 stars (for dinner) Being that there aren't too many good restaurants I would frequent in the Pasadena area for meals beyond casual dining, I was pretty impressed with the Raymond Restaurant. I went to have dinner here with a friend last Saturday. The last call for seating was at 8:45 pm. If you don't look out for this place, you will miss it completely when traveling on Fair Oaks. It is nestled between other residences and it actually looks like a house so lookout for the restaurant / house. There is complimentary valet so there should be no problem with parking. You have the option of sitting either indoors or outdoors. The indoor seating seemed nice, cozy, and quaint, but it was a warm evening and the outdoor seating seemed much more appealing to me. There are about 6-7 tables outside and each table had a candle lit. It looks as if you are sitting in someone's backyard but don't get me wrong- It was done tastefully, at least from what I could see through the darkness. Perhaps during the day when you can see more details, the outdoor seating may not be spectacular, but if it's during the late evening and the weather is good, go for the outdoors seating. It's a good date spot. My friend and I had the: Pan Seared Main Scallops ($15 for two) -- The scallops were fresh and juicy. I've had better elsewhere but the scallops here are prepared well and I was satisfied. Cup of the Soup of the Day which was Asparagus Soup ($6) -- This hit the spot but didn't hit "THE" spot. Still, it was tasty and I was still satisfied. 2 out of 2 that I liked so far... not bad. Free Range Jidori Chicken Breast ($24) -- When it comes to women, I'm more of a breast man first and foremost. When it comes to chicken, however, I'm wary of breasts because a lot can go wrong with chicken breast and I don't enjoy eating dry cardboard on a regular basis. The chicken here was tender and moist. Plus, it had goatcheese stuffed in different parts of the meat so I actually really enjoyed this dish. I didn't think the cheese overwhelmed the overall taste but I'm a cheese lover so I am obviously biased to this dish. Grilled Filet Mignon ($36) -- There was an accompanying sauce of mushrooms with a wine reduction neatly surrounding the meat. With or without this sauce, the filet was prepared well and I was pretty happy with this dish. However, at $36, you are nearing the price of a pretty decent Steak house petite filet and for that matter, the Filet at Raymond's would have lost. Obviously you cannot compare the two but the prices are similar so I wanted to make that quick comparison. Still, an enjoyable dish. Service-wise, it was terrific and the wait staff were very attentive. Overall, my experience at the Raymond was excellent. All around consistent food prepared well, a romantic setting, and wonderful service. If you want to take guests out and stay local, there aren't too many nice places to go to in the Pasadena area but this place qualifies in my book. I can't say how brunch or lunch is, but I'll definitely go back for dinner here. There is also a tasting menu which you can pair with wine or vodka FYI. read more

I would always pass this place whenever I would head out to visit my company's site in Pasadena. I never knew they had afternoon tea here until my friend took me here. The first time I came, they did afternoon tea presentation nice, putting the sandwiches on a tiered plate and the tea was prepped. The next time I came, they put the sandwiches on a regular plate and they brought out tea bags for tea....THE HORROR! If I am going to pay for afternoon tea, they should take the time to prep it for me since it is part of the high tea experience. Anywoo...I still give the place 4 stars because of the ambience. The interior is nice and feels like I am somewhere on the east coast. The exterior seating is in a garden area, so it is a cool place to enjoy the warm sun as you relax with a nice cup of tea and talk with friends. This is also a good place to take out guys for tea if they think they are too "macho" for tea. The decor is not girlie and they have a brunch menu, so they order a "manly" meal. read more

1886 is one of those places that you may pass by daily but not know it's there. That's the case with myself since Fair Oaks Ave is how I get to work often. After crossing my fingers to get one of the few spots behind the restaurant, the entry was pretty much like walking into someone's house. I even felt like I had to knock before opening that front door. Inside felt like an obvious converted house. The actual bar, 1886, is comprised of a small room and an outdoor patio in the back. Candlelight illuminates most of the dim interior so I suppose this could be a datey spot, but the large party in the corner making ruckus would prove this otherwise. -=-Smoking Jacket Cocktail-=- This was a presentation at the table side. While the basis of this cocktail is a sweetened whiskey, the allure comes in the form of smoke hovering above the well. Every sip was reminiscent of that Yosemite campfire I enjoyed a few months back. Maple wood never smelled so good and it drank nicely with my Irish whiskey sweetened with Tobacco bitters. I couldn't stop sniffing my fingernails afterwords either. Our waitress also suggested another drink that we might enjoy called Ambers and Embers. It's another whiskey based cocktail with a smokey flavoring. The night was turning us in early so we had to depart before we could try it. No other review has mentioned that cocktail yet, so maybe I'll be the first to write about it ...some other time perhaps. read more

Romantic breakfast anyone? Yep. Fellas, bring your girl here and woo her with a plate of breads and top her off with a mimosa. But don't come looking like a tool with your popped collar and jeans-so-broke-they-have-tassles. This is a classy establishment -- think Sunday brunch where the ladies wear hats. Tips: Located on a private road. Maybe confusing to find. read more

I concur. Quaint home, but a little stuffy. As in the people there are quite proper so you feel like you are in another country, not really in LA. The Lamb Curry was tasty with delicate little carrots, a crunchy baked goodie, lamb with bite, and rice. It's served with little petri dishes of coconut, raisins, and nuts so you can garnish as you like. The quiche was okay, maybe because I am not a fan of quiche. Desserts are beautiful and tasty. A romantic getaway or place to celebrate a special occasion. read more

The Raymond remains one of my favorite restaurants. Although it's right on Fair Oaks, which is quite a busy street, it's surprisingly quiet and quaint. It has the best ambiance around, with beautiful oak floors and furniture and a cozy fireplace. The grounds are a beautiful garden that fill your senses. The service is impeccable. Now for the food: I've eaten here almost a dozen times and every time I have been delighted. From the Raymond Salad to the Chocolate Souffle, and everything in between, the quality of food is superb. The Raymond is the perfect place for a romantic dinner or special event. You will love it. read more

Horrible Experience The Wife and I walked in last Friday at 7:00PM. We found a table at the bar and with no waitress in sight I got up to get a drink. I get a little tap on the shoulder and was snootily informed that if I sat down I would be served a drink. I did sit down and 10 minutes later we were asked what we would like to drink. 30 minutes later our drinks arrive. It gets even better. Our party of 12 is sat outside after being told we had a private table inside. Ordering the appetizers was a joke. They were out of this and that and the same for certain entrees. At one point they brought out squid that smelled like hot garbage. The entrees were OK but at that point it didn't matter. The service at this place will make you cringe. read more

Hubby treated me to Mother's Day brunch here and it was a treat! We enjoyed the food and the drinks are amazing. Even their Arnold palmers taste fresh! Can't wait to go again read more

Excellent service. I came here awhile back for Dine LA. The place was very hard to find, somewhat hidden. I drove past it at first b/c I didn't realize the restaurant was that of a house. The parking lot is a bit small, but thank goodness I found a parking spot on my way in. I was seated in the patio area since I preferred the outdoor lighting and scenery. The atmosphere was nice and cozy. I ordered the jidori chicken which was fantastic. I thought it was very interesting that popcorn was added to the chicken, put a whole different taste to the dish. I never had jidori chicken like that, great dish !!! For dessert I ordered the creme brulee which was very delish, not too sweet. Overall, the food here was fabulous so I'd definitely come back to try the other items on the menu !! read more

The Raymond 1886 - Jidori Chicken - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

I think what people are really missing here is that this bar or "speak easy" is more of an experience of a fine tuned craft cocktail and ambiance rather than going to get an average drink after dinner. I have been here 4 times all on separate special occasions and have yet to be disappointed. It's intimate, small and tucked away right behind the Raymond restaurant. I am a big fan of bourbon and whiskey, I always have difficulty picking a cocktail, and I just describe what I like and they blow my mind. The service was deemed "slow" because they take 15 minutes of muddling, mixing, extracting, and really personalizing every drink. These aren't your average preparations and if you stick around the bar area while their being made it adds to the experience!!! White oak barrel infused bourbon with hints of apricots peaches and then topped with actual wood chip smoke?(you'll have to go there).......Order a smoking jacket, you'll thank me later. So if it's a first date with someone special, your looking for a beautiful outside patio with lights and drinks and old school decor with nice laid back people, sharing an anniversary or birthday, this is a place for the eclectic, unique people with amazing taste. read more

yes the drinks are good!!!! yes maybe it takes 2-3 extra minutes to assemble them! And I understand that botanicals should be allowed time to blossom! But not even an enthusiastic cocktail lover should be kept waiting EONS for their drink to arrive! Tell me please why why does it take so agonizingly LONG to receive your drink-- when there are 2 bartenders plus a barback/runner.. and only 12 patrons sitting in 1886. To me, it is irritating. Maybe the restaurant is just too big for them to be making drinks for everyone else?.. Whatever it is, it definitely effects the service. read more

Thank you for lovely service, delicious drinks and yummy food! We will come back often. The bartender was charming and fun!

My favorite restaurant in Pasadena. It's tucked away in a little cottage off Fair Oaks, and easy to miss. Once you eat there, though, you'll never forget. There's valet parking, and no other real parking option, so lock up your glove box, and throw him the keys. The menu is classic. The food is delicious. This is food to be savored, not devoured. If you want coma-inducing engorgement, go to the all-u-can-eat Indian buffet. Of note, I much prefer this place than Arroyo Chophouse or Parkway Grill. Be prepared though to rack up those points on your Starwood AMEX card, because things get a little pricey. Also, bring your portable Automatic External Defibrillator - lots of old money, white haired Pasadenites in their red sweaters talking about their private equity investments. read more

Excellent craft drinks. Slow service from bar and staff. Totally disappointing. Where's the manager? I love the location but when I drop coin like that and have to provide a credit card at my first round of drinks I want at least decent, attentive service. And it wasn't even busy you need to read the reviews for your spot people read more

Sashimi appetizer: it was amazing how NOT fresh the fish was. I and my GF had one piece each and that was it. The server didn't even ask when he was picking up the plate if we didn't like it since there were several pieces left. Duck: this was very good, tendon, not to stinky as an usual Chinese style. Scallop: simply great!! When we were leaving, the servers and one Latin man(button up shirt with name tag) were talking out loud, didn't care if everything was good or not, no "bye". Brunch experience: Finally a friendly man was serving us. He was the most kind server ever. I didn't like my soup so I only had a spoon of it, but it was my personal taste, nothing was wrong with the soup. I just didn't read the menu for the ingredient carefully. The server took out the soup from my bill even though I didn't complain or ask, he just knew I didn't like it. So on the bill, there was a description: "Customer didn't like the soup" read more

Three stars sums up the mediocre service experience we just had at brunch. I convinced a friend to go to the Raymond because of the incredibly pleasant patio experience I'd had the last time. Unfortunately, we didn't think to make a reservation and evidently that proved fatal. It felt like we were children being punished for our poor pre-planning skills. Not exactly the brunch spirit. It was busy when we got there, but there were many open tables outdoors. When we checked in with our host, he was curt and then confusion ensued. It seems like they'd overbooked their reservations, but no one ever really give us a straight answer. We proceeded to wait 10 minutes only to be approached and told that the wait for outside seating would be another 10-15 minutes. And then we were just sort of ignored. At one point, a helpful woman who I assume was the manager noticed us lingering awkwardly outside and checked in on us. Only once she got involved did things seem to start moving. Ultimately though they couldn't seem to figure out how to fit in another table for two. But the worst part was the host wasn't even trying. At one point he literally leaned against the railing, shrugged and said "yeah I don't know." Professional. We were ready to go somewhere else, but the manager graciously offered us a solution: sitting indoors until a table opened up with a gratis fruit plate to keep us company during the wait. Not ideal, but good service on her part. End of story right? If only. Once we were seated indoors, no one ever checked back in on us to move. When our server came at the end of the meal, my friend mentioned we were disappointed that we hadn't made it outdoors and we got a pretty "yeah tough" response: "those women sitting at your table still haven't left, but the fruit plates on us." In short, we wanted to have a mellow brunch on a nice patio on a nice day, and that could've happened at server all great restaurants in the area. Clearly, we should've done it somewhere else. All that patience despite a service mess and all we got was a $6 fruit plate. read more

What a terrific restaurant for a lovely meal! Enjoyed a Mt Wilson Mule and Gin Gimlet before the meal. The octopus appetizer is a must! Enjoyed the evening!!! read more

The entre's are so delicious! Pork, chicken and ribeye entre's are definitely worth a visit. We always use Uber so not sure about parking.

1886 is old school bar nestled at the rear of The Raymond Restaurant. It's a bit tough to find from the main street. The restaurant is bit hidden from the street as the overpass covers up part of the building. Built in 1886, which the bar is named after, the restaurant is reminiscent of single family home with craftsman architecture. The bar is a bit snug with a few benches and tables. There's also a gorgeous outside patio covered with vines. Really cool spot to chill and have a decent conversation. We came here for drinks only. Their drink menu consist of old school late 1800's cocktails. We tried the Honeymoon cocktail which was just okay and the Reunion Island cocktail which was a bit overpowering. Not so good. Drinks here take a while since the bartendenders put care into their drinks just as they do at Villains Tavern. So, the wait is quite a bit long. Hoping to come back again another time to try other drinks and provide a better review in the near future. read more

The Raymond 1886 - New American Near Me - Pasadena, California

this restaurant is hard to find and very hard to get to as it's only accessible by the 110 or a long drive on local. thank goodness for the advancement of technology and the invention of the smartphone and gps. parking here is valet only, but it's easy to find parking on the street, so long as you read the signs on time limits. i came here a while back for a birthday dinner. we got here a little early, so we waited in the bar area. the bar is really small, and the tables in the seating area are uncomfortably close to one another and too high for the cushioned bench seats. it's also a bit TOO dark, which i imagine could be a terrible predicament for those that get a little too tipsy -- an easy situation to fall prey to because the drinks are good and the prices moderate. our party of 14 was seated in a private room, separated from the rest of restaurant by a set of curtains. our waiter was extremely cordial and courteous, nothing short of our expectations. history lesson from our waiter: the raymond, named after the original owner, used to be the raymond hotel that stood in this location in the 19th century. after it burned down at the turn of the century, mr. raymond rebuilt the hotel in the same location. unfortunately, the great depression resulted in the demolition of the hotel to make room for residential houses. mr. raymond ended up moving into one of the cottages, which has now been converted into the raymond restaurant, retaining all the quaint features of the original cottage. anyways, back to the food. it was perfect! i didn't hear a single complaint out of any of my friends throughout the night. i had the moroccan lamb, consisting of braised lamb shank and roasted rack of lamb. the meat was extremely tender and a perfectly reddish-pink medium rare. portions were larger than what i expected, given the price range and tier status of this restaurant. would i come back? definitely... if someone drove me. read more

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Perfect place for a secret rendezvous... not that I ever need to be incognito ;) My friend took me here for my month long birthday celebration and I just loved it. The patio area is lit up, perfect for a romantic dinner on a summer night. We, being platonic best friends, sat inside. :) Along with being oh so charming, the food's pretty good too. To start we had two generously sized pieces of foie gras paired with pieces of mango. It was a perfect match. For our entree, my friend went for the lamb. I broke my regular pattern of ordering fish (b/c they only had ahi tuna) and ordered fillet mignon, medium rare. His lamb was grilled to perfection. I was a bit disappointed at my undercooked piece. I like it pink, but this one was almost red. Overall, I enjoyed my dining experience there. I may have been just a tad biased because I had good company and was willing to overlook the undercooked fillet mignon. Or perhaps I was still smitten by the fois gras... I'd definitely recommend trying this place. Make reservations and have your navi ready - it's easy to miss. read more

3.5 stars... Came here last night for Dine LA with two other couples and enjoyed our experience. Better than A-OK, but not quite deserving of 4 stars. I had heard nothing but great things about this place, and there's a good chance that I would have rated it higher, had I just stumbled across it. I was expecting Valet service, but none was offered on this particular night. Parking was limited, so after a couple circles, we ended up parking on the adjacent main street (the restaurant itself is tucked away on a small side street). We checked in right on time for our reservation, and were seated about 5 minutes after. The first thing I ordered was their Honey Nut Old Fashioned. The drink alone was easily worthy of 4.5-5 stars, and was the only thing that met my extremely high, and probably slightly unfair, expectations. The rest of the night consisted strictly of their DineLA options. My wife and I had our minds set on the duck, but sadly, their online menu was inaccurate and it was not offered. We ended up ordering the following: Firsts - Pork Belly and Sashimi Seconds - Braised Short Rib and Hanger Steak Thirds - Banana Rama and Apples & Oats Other than the Hanger Steak - which was exceptional - everything else was just good, not great. The other 4 people in our party said they loved their food (and basically ordered the same things), but nothing really stood out as a must have for me. Again, the steak was great, but not anything I couldn't have somewhere else. The pork belly was a huge hit amongst our friends, but wasn't any better than a filipino dish I have had at home, countless times in my life. The service was good, but not what I expected... The staff was professional and courteous, but we had to ask for more water on multiple occasions. It might sound picky to some, but I never have to ask for more water at my favorite restaurants (at least the nicer ones). I think the best restaurants are good at knowing and giving their customers what they want, without having to be asked. Overall, I can't say that I highly recommend this restaurant, but wouldn't fault anyone for giving it a shot. Again, the other members of our party seemed to enjoy their food tremendously... It was my fault for expecting so much. I would not be opposed to coming back, but don't think I would ever be the one to suggest it. read more

Wow a little gem of a restaurant that I tried and can say I will be back. Nice, dark, feel, great for a romantic dinner. I found Modern Times beer here and some excellent dishes for appetizers and dinner. I had the short rib dish and pork belly and was surprised with the vast amount of flavor. Once I got another $180 to drop on dinner I am going here. Yes my dinner tab was a little high with drinks and food, but this place was worth it. read more

I have now been here a few times. The food is always good. The decor and ambiance is wonderful. I highly recommend trying this place out.

I'd like to love this place. The actual restaurant, nestled in a tiny historical craftsman home in Pasadena, is an awesome concept. The service is great, and the waitstaff is very attentive to detail (they even sent out a complimentary birthday dessert because the waiter OVERHEARD it was my birthday from a brief conversation at the table. Awesome.) The garden is lovely! But the food. Meh. I went for brunch, and the sides were great. Fantastic potatoes, great veggies, even the little salad I ordered was delish. But then my main meal came out, a poached egg/potato and salmon cake. SO DRY. I couldn't even finish it. For such a swanky restaurant, I'd expect better. But stick to classics that are hard to mess up, and this little gem buried deep in Pasadena is a good bet for a light meal. read more

Nice little hidden treasure that is part of the Raymond Restaurant. I never been to the Raymond and thus had never known about 1886. First off, its kind of hidden, so hopefully you have a good gps to find it. You can park in the 4 dollar valet, but if you want to save money or don't care about impressing your date you can park on Fair Oaks or by the gate past the valet. After parking you have to follow a trail to the back of the restaurant where theres both an indoor/outdoor area where there is not enough room for a small intimate date or a large group (which we were). Drinks are on the pricey side, but a real good size and mixed well. Just ordered your regular black and cokes. They also have specialty drinks which my friends said are good, but I wasn't feeling too adventurous nor too fruity. Also had their tots, which can be quite addicting, because you cant just have one. Anyways want to try it again, maybe impress a lady friend and such. read more

In town for a training conference just happen to find this place while driving over the bridge. The environment is wonderful, love the patios but the restaurant was small/confined, place was hoping right around 4:30 on a Friday. We had some happy hour food and drinks. Service was great from the valet to the server. read more

I had a darn good Ahi Sandwiches for brunch at the Raymond. The sandwich is more like a burger, with a big Tuna Steak in between two rounds shape patties. The Ahi was ordered to grill of your choice, I ordered the medium, wished that I had ordered medium rare. Still the fish is seasoned well with wasabi aioli and served with soy-sauce marinated cucumber, gives a nice kick, Asian touch to the sandwiches. The sweet potato fries comes with it are really good too. The size of the burger is huge, I couldn't finish the whole thing. For such a high quality burger/sandwich, $16 is not expensive at all. My coworkers ordered the Raymond Burger and chicken curry, they both liked their food. Although we didn't get to sit outside because of the weather as we planned too, but it is still an enjoyable meal. Definitely should go back there to have brunch outside on a breezy sunny day. read more

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***Review is for bar in the rear of the restaurant , Bar 1886*** I'm not originally from Los Angeles so Pasadena doesn't carry the same overall attitude of distaste and reluctance that it seems to have with my local counterparts. I'm fine with Pasadena and I certainly prefer it to Culver City. (yuck) I'm always on the hunt for a delicious classic cocktail, so when urban daddy gave me the heads up about Bar 1886, I took a road trip to Pasadena. Several reviewers have commented on the subtle location of the place. They're not exaggerating. The restaurant front looks like a pretty, relatively typical, craftsman style house. The only clues you're granted that you've arrived are white Christmas lights strung up on the patio and a subtle earth-toned sign hanging out front. After finding it, I congratulated myself and promptly entered the restaurant/house/bar through the incorrect door and busted in on a few couples attempting a bit of fine dining,...quite a faux pas. I was quickly helped and redirected to the rear of the restaurant in search of a common-looking door that opens into Bar 1886. I felt very cool for knowing about the place and being led through a restaurant to finally find it, even if I was in Pasadena. It's advertised as "bringing the past to the present." I can agree with that. It's a small room, dimly lit, with a pretty and petite bar to your right with a very brightly lit wall behind it filled with alcohol. There are multiple high tops spread out before you for your seating pleasure. The feel inside the bar is, not surprisingly, more lively, more relaxed, than that in the dining area. We grabbed stools at a high top and were quickly greeted and helped. As other websites have noted, Bar 1886 is all about the simple yet classy cocktail (pre-Prohibition era is what the websites are saying, not that I have any idea what the means). What I do know is that it was the 2nd best cucumber gimlet I've had (1st going to Bar Lubitsch believe it or not) and the 2nd best cable car I've had (1st going to The Varnish). The bartenders were very careful with each cocktail and checked in to ensure that we were enjoying them.They were fantastic and I stopped at one each simply because I was in Pasadena and had to take another road trip to get home. We had a fantastic time sitting around, sipping on cocktails and chatting. They were playing quite a mix of music; older punk rock, The Cure, Interpol. The place slowly filled up with guys coming in for a after work drink, loosening their ties and ordering whiskey and friends of the wait staff, hanging around the bar and talking about their bands or their scripts-in-progress, a few dates....everyone seemed to be having a good time. The ambiance is great, the bartenders and wait staff are wwaaayyy above average and the cocktails are so, so yummy. You get to hang out in a cottage style Craftsman style house too. read more

Came in for brunch and our server Jesus P. was excellent. He knew all the specials, he was very attentive and had great service. We had a great time. read more

My husband and I came here for DineLA this past August for brunch. Was really looking forward to it because we have been to 1886 for their mixology drinks. I guess I shouldn't associate and group them all together because it's different. First impressions - very warm and cozy since this place was a lot like going to someone's house. However, once we got seated, I noticed the service was not very friendly. The person who served us was very aloof and the plates seemed pre-done. I guess I shouldn't expect much since it's pre-fixe dine LA... but still kind of expected it to be better than what they gave us. read more

A group of about 7 of us decided to go this Sunday for lunch. Although our meal was great, service was a different story. We waited for our bill for so long it was really frustrating. It was also wrong when we finally got our credit cards back. But, about the food! The corned beef eggs benedict were great! I loved the potatoes that came with it. My husband had the steak and fries. The steak was good, but the fries were more like chips. read more

The food and service here is great. The atmosphere is very classy. In the two times that I have been here it has not failed to amaze. I can't speak on the regular menu because each time I have gone we have done something special (dine LA and christmas eve), but the chef clearly knows how to choose a menu. Now I do have to ding this place a bit. On our most recent visit it was for Christmas Eve. When I made my initial reservation I was told that they had a strict cancelation policy and that they would need my credit card in case I was a no show or canceled. I was fine with this. They called 48 hours ahead just to confirm and told me that it would be a $90 per person charge to cancel from here on out. I thought odd that they knew how much each person would spend, but went with it. I checked their website too to see if there was a special menu for christmas, but nothing. We show up to dinner and to my shock it was a prefixed menu that cost $90 a pop. I felt so bad because my parents had promised to treat me, and I was not expecting that. I was also sad because all I wanted was their fried pork belly. We all ended up happy with our meals (granted I didn't eat the shrimp cocktail, and desert was lack luster) but we were happy none the less. The food was good (not $90 a plate good) and we got a table with no one near us. What frustrated me was that no one said that it was a prefixed $90 per person menu. Had I known that I would have changed my mind. Granted I understand the logic behind it, I still would have liked to known. The Raymond is a good place for a nice dinner, but it wouldn't top my list. read more