Best French Restaurants in Pasadena

For full disclosure, we were already huge fans of their Tsubaki. With Camelia, Chef Charles Namba and the superb Courtney Kaplan have created a remarkable dining experience. The menu offers choices for everyone at the table. By offering small plates or larger communal options, Camelia allows you to enjoy an exciting and delicious dinner. My husband and I happily cruised through just a small part of the menu. Starting with Chef Charles' version of Uni toast and his spin on Dungeness crab on purple yam blini, we were primed for the elevated Chicken liver mousse toast that followed. These small bites each built flavors and tastes. Our meal was further enhanced with Courtney's perfect choice of sake. Her deep knowledge and instinct for what a guest will enjoy is unique. If there is any such thing as a "Sake Sommeiler," Courtney would be the grand master. We moved to larger plates with Scallops, dashi lime cream, maitake & king trumpet mushrooms, Tokyo negi, and chestnut date purée, a series of complex tastes. And the Abalone and Florida wild pink shrimp pot pie!!! A perfect sized bowl of magic! We finished up with the Koshihikari risotto, grilled Monterey Bay squid was a perfect ending, creamy with and rich with deep flavors. The grilled squid were lightly spiced, crisp, soft and with a bit of chew all at the same time. GM Kristen Dumandan leads a warm and welcoming staff. Everyone was knowledgeable and helpful guides through the menu. Happily, dinner was perfectly paced, without more plates arriving to distract from what we were enjoying or getting cold. We didn't leave room for dessert. But we're coming back because there is so much more we want to enjoy.

The food was really good, but I would prefer if they included coffee and tea with the brunch price. I was told there was a dress code but when we got there, everybody was very casual so I was confused. The staff was not very friendly, but the service was good and our food was good.

We have been coming to Shiro's for many years and, once again, they reminded us why this is our favorite "special occasion" restaurant. The food is always excellent -- tasty and beautifully presented. Last night we enjoyed 2 favorites, the salmon tartar tacos and the catfish. The staff is very friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is lovely including the soft jazz piano playing on the sound system.

I’ve been to Bar Chelou a few times but they have really hit their stride. The service was on point, the drinks were fun and delicious, and the food was incredible. Every dish had an unexpected twist, from the mini peperoncinis in the salad to the tang of peanut butter in the carrots to the umami in the tempura mushrooms, lovely surprises all around! And they coursed everything out beautifully and got us to the show at the Playhouse right on time, chef’s kiss!

Fantastic, beautiful venue. Service was top notch! We asked why they didn't have an item this year on the buffet as they had in the past, and they went and made that special dish for my wife.