Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar

I hosted my father’s memorial at Bacchus Kitchen in Pasadena, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. My father was a jazz musician, so having great live music was important—and they absolutely delivered. The food, service, and atmosphere were all perfect. Claude, the owner, was incredibly hands-on and handled every detail with genuine care. He even showed up in person to make sure everything ran smoothly. I’m deeply grateful for the warmth and professionalism they showed during such an important event. Highly recommend.

Bacchus has a deep wine bar and can suggest food and wine pairing. Parking is free and abundant. The food is innovative I enjoyed the lamb.

It’s my first visit but this restaurant has been serving good food for more than six years. The interior is charming, intimate and dimly lit. The staff is friendly and helpful. They feature live performances but was none on our visit. The spaghetti squash and burrata appetizer needed a kick and the crab cakes needed more crab meat. The rest of our food was well plated, well seasoned and flavorful. We loved the seared scallops, grilled pork chop and steak frites. The chocolate terrine was dark and rich. I don’t usually like tres leches but this cake was rich and paired well with the guava sauce and berries. Brandon made our dining experience memorable.

Went for Valentine’s Day dinner… keep in mind that most “holiday” meals with a set menu are generally inflated in costs. But showcase the “best of…” the restaurants offerings. In this case the food was tasty…IF you have the stomach capacity of a 4 year old. You know those fancy restaurants that have one or two bites of food and some swirled sauces on the plate for presentation… welp, this was a version of that. Portions were ridiculously small almost angry worthy. The food quality and flavor is good but cmon, 4 pieces of tofu? In an Italian restaurant? Beet salad with literally one slice of beet and 1.5 bites of cabbage? It was like getting served after dinner mint sized portions for your actual meal. Server was nice, I’d give a 4 out of 5 since he did not follow up at all after the initial order or check on drinks. Oh and an automatic 20% gratuity on the check. All in all the food is tasty, service is good by today’s lower standards, but the price to value ratio is -5 stars But hey if you’re on a diet, this is the place to go!!! 5 bites and your whole meal is done!! Might be worth a chance to try again on a regular menu and dining evening…we’ll see

Excellent food, ambiance and service. Everything we ordered was great, but the street sprouts (a take on elote with brussels sprouts) and the Wagyu skirt steak really stood out. Also, the scallops were cooked, perfectly.

As first times go, no place has the right to be this amazing. Each part of the meal was beautifully plated, delicious, and uplifting. Made better by the care and professionalism of the staff. I can't wait for another night out at Bacchus.

One of the main reasons we moved to this area 10 years ago was due to having restaurants walking distance! Bacchus has been our go to date night spot ever since! The service is exceptional, the menu always offers amazing and delicious offerings, always changing it up! The weekly emails are hilarious, they host incredible music events and now offer a wine club. It feels like going to a friend’s house for dinner.

.Bacchus Kitchen & Bar in LA is a fantastic place for a relaxed dinner. The menu is full of flavorful, contemporary American dishes, and the wine list pairs perfectly with everything. I had the roasted chicken, and it was cooked to perfection—crispy skin and juicy meat. The ambiance is cozy but upscale, and the service is impeccable. It’s a great spot for a quiet evening out, whether it’s a date or a small gathering with friends

I'm so glad I came here! The food, service and atmosphere were excellent! I can't wait to bring my family and friends back! I had the most delicious dinner I've had in a long time. Bon appetite!

really wanted to like this place, but honestly, it just wasn't good. The service was slow and inattentive -- we waited way too long for everything, and our server barely checked on us. The duck taquitos were bad -- dry, flavorless, and almost cold. The steak came out lukewarm, the potato gratin was dry and tough, and the gnocchi was heavy and mushy. Everything looked fancy, but the taste just didn't match the presentation.Chesse platter was below average. The Cabernet Sauvignon was actually great -- smooth and full-bodied -- but sadly, that was the best part of the night. Beautiful patio, nice atmosphere... but with bad service and disappointing food, I just can't give more than 2 1/2 stars.

We drove around Pasadena on a Thursday night and randomly found ourselves at Bacchus. It's converted from a HIIT studio that I used to go to, high ceilings, plenty of seating, and also has an outdoor patio! The wine selection is broad and inexpensive, the pour is generous. We also learned that they have live music on Friday nights which we would love to check out one of these days.

I've been here a few times. The wine selection is small but has good options in every section. The food is delicious. The service is hit or miss, they are always friendly but don't come by often.

Food was excellent and worth the long drive. Good variety and we will be back to try something new.

The atmosphere is nice, and I love the idea of going there to see live music. That's the good part. We were running a few minutes late and called to ensure this would be fine. We had been told it was not a problem but we would need to order everything when we sat down, then they would pace the meal out in a normal relaxed manner. That worked perfectly for us. We picked 5 dishes to share, 4 of which had been recommended by our server. Sadly within minutes of ordering we received 4 of our items. We asked them to please not make our final dish yet and they seemed hesitant but did respect our wishes. We were their last table, and felt bad for being late... so this would all have been fine if the quality of food was better. Sadly it was among the worst meals I've ever eaten. Everything was wayyy over salted, and really we struggled to finish anything. The worst by far was the halibut which was texturally awful, over seasoned, and overcooked. The steak was cooked perfectly, but was a tiny medallion for $34 (if I remember right) and was the saltiest meat I've ever eaten... like so much salt that it was a struggle to consume. The duck taquitos were mediocre for a restaurant. Maybe what you'd expect if sold at Trader Joe's, then cooked a bit too long in your home toaster oven. The Caesar salad was bizarre. It contained a ton of these massive 1.5" browned cubes of super salty grated cheese. Perhaps if they were melted/gooey inside, it would have at least been texturally pleasing to eat. But even then the flavor was just like a bomb of salt. The burrata salad was the least offensive dish we ordered, but still a slog to get through... especially because the cheese was so cold in the center I almost expected there to be ice particles. We have dined at numerous Claud Beltran restaurants in the past, always been huge fans. Honestly didn't know this was his restaurant until after the fact. I can only guess that he was not cooking the night we were there... but I'm still surprised that he conceived of these dishes. Given the rave reviews overall, we must have had a spectacular miss. I was really struggling with whether or not to write this review. Ultimately if our meal is a rare exception then it will not hurt the business. And maybe it can be taken as constructive feedback for them to make adjustments, if they think our comments are valid. If not, no hard feelings! I should add, our waitress was super friendly... she noticed we didn't really touch the fish, and decided to comp it. We would have been happy to pay for the food, and told her so. Didn't complain once. She was just a very observant and kind person. She said we should not pay for food we didn't eat. So we gave a 40% tip, essentially adding the fish back on plus a standard tip. The staff all work hard and should not be punished for our experience.

The food was excellent, and the servers were very professional! The only unpleasant moment was with the very unwelcoming woman at the entrance. When we arrived, she asked us what we were doing there--it felt very cold, almost like a hostile welcome. She was also cold and unfriendly when we left. I don't understand why someone like that is working there.

I was curious about this place since we moved in nearby in Bungalow Heaven so when my girlfriend asked where we should go for dinner I suggested we give it a try. We had a lovely dinner and it has since become "our" restaurant. We since went back with my son and daughter in law after a trip through the Enchanted Forest at Descanso Gardens and more recently enjoyed their Valentines Day prix fixe dinner and jazz concert. Good food, great service, and a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere was enjoyed by all.

Had dinner there last night.. the woman that sat us.. was not very friendly.. she ended up being our waitress...she did not seem interested .. she hardly came to the table... the menu was strange.. the cheese platter was good..the fries were good.. the curry ketchup was ick... asked for aioli... she said she could make some.. she forgot to bring it.. we reminded her..she brought it and it was like a side of mayo...we ordered a bottle of water.. we drank it and she never came to see if we needed more water.. WE DID NEED MORE WATER They only have wine and beer.. :( We had the steak..it was fair at best.. had the potato pancake.. it was interesting.. the chicken was ok. Overall not impressed.. Will not go back

My husband and I attended a Progressive dinner hosted by Bacchus, Deluxe 1717, Woon, and Club 1881 with dessert provide by Bloomfield Creamery. We are very lucky to have such fabulous places so close to home. Began the night at Bacchus where we were greeted with a glass of prosecco. On to the party bus with a group of approximately 20 people for a short ride down the block to Club 1881. There we were given a choice of several wines, beers or a cocktail and served small bites of italian corndogs and a curried cauliflower wrap while a jazz combo played. Back onto the bus to Deluxe 1717 where we were served an hamachi crudo followed by a pastrami cured duck breast paired with two lovely wines. By then, we had made friends with our fellow diners including memorizing all their names. Off to Woon where we enjoyed homemade chewy noodles with beef and bok choy and MORE wine! From Woon, we walked next door to Bacchus. While piano music played in the background, we were given a choice between braciole and a crispy polenta and mushroom dish, served with MORE wine! My husband and I both had the delicious polenta, followed by super tasty Bloomfield ice cream. The night flew by. We went home with full bellies, and a slight buzz. What a FABULOUS night! Thank you to everyone who put this together. Looking forward to another Progressive dinner soon!!

Nice neighborhood vibe. Would love to be there when they have live music. Wine list is great. Food is pretty average. Mostly things tasted premade or average attempts at high end food. A chestnut soup was gritty. They served us complementary snacks that were flabby and had clearly been sitting around for too long, almost like eating leftovers. The entree came out so fast it exposed them for not making it fresh. Was supposed to be a fried chicken cutlet that had an overcooked crust that tasted more like oil. It was similar to buffet line food. Aside from the mediocre food, this place has a nice vibe. Could have potential of they can get a good chef jamming in the kitchen.

Hail Bacchus ! The god of wine did not disappoint! I recently attended a birthday dinner party on the patio of Bacchus and I must say, this appropriate named establishment lived up to the Roman deity's reputation of wine, festivities and banquets! And what a banquet that Chef Claud put together. Before I had a chance to set down my coat, a glass of wine was offered, poured and extended my way. I chose a seat in front of one of the many arrangements of fragrant peony's that adorned a table set for 34. passed hors d'oeuvres weaved through the guests while we waited for everyone to arrive and live music was played by a jazz guitarist. Two plated starters and more wine followed by main dishes , more wine, sides , more wine and pasta with ....more wine served "family style" then finished off with dessert....and more wine. such an amazing first time experience and I can't wait to return. Thank you chef Claud for such a magnificent feast and to our hosts that evening for introducing our group to your local gem of a restaurant.

Bacchus Kitchen in Pasadena is a charming and inviting establishment that offers an exceptional dining experience. Upon entering, one immediately feels this restaurant's warmth and hospitality, creating an atmosphere conducive to a delightful culinary journey. The staff at Bacchus Kitchen are not only friendly but also highly professional. They are well-versed with the menu and are keen to suggest weekly specials alongside their regular offerings, demonstrating their commitment to keeping the dining experience fresh and exciting for their patrons. While Bacchus Kitchen does not serve cocktails, they do offer a nice selection of wines. The range is thoughtfully curated and reasonably priced, ensuring that there's something to complement every dish and cater to varied palate preferences. We tried the Salmon special and the Burrata cheese with rock fruit. Both dishes were impeccably prepared, with the Salmon standing out for its rich flavor and perfect texture. The Burrata cheese with rock fruit was equally impressive, offering a delightful contrast of creamy cheese and the sweet-tart flavor of the fruit. Although satisfactory, the Butter lettuce and radish salad did not quite reach the high bar set by the other dishes. The brick walls reflect an old-world charm, and the accompanying 40-50's music adds to the ambiance. Even the restroom is decorated, adding to the ambiance. A noteworthy mention must be made of Brandon, the manager. His friendliness and accommodating nature significantly enhance the dining experience. He exhibits a level of professionalism and customer service that is truly commendable. Likewise, Emerson, our waiter, was excellent. His responsiveness and attention to detail ensured that our dining experience was smooth and enjoyable. Parking is a little bit of a bear because the restaurant shares its lot with Domino's pizza. However, ample parking is directly across the street if you can't find any.

My husband and I went here for a friend's milestone birthday. Everyone was so nice and the food was really good. It's closed on Sundays for private parties and I know local wine shops hold wine pairing dinner hers. Check it out!

This place is so cozy and warm. We went for the Tues night special - german food. We started our meal with a charcuterie plate which wasn't on the menu but we requested and they made it happen. Then there was a delicious potato cake. We had the jagerschnitzel and I felt like I was back home in Germany. It was amazing with the spaetzel and cabbage. It was such a nice combination. Then for dessert there was apple strudel. My mom passed away this year and I just have to tell you, the apple strudel reminded me of my mom and her baking all her life. With every bite, I was able to taste my moms baking and it brought back such wonderful memories. I'm not a person who takes pictures of the food but every time we come here, the plating is beautiful and pleasing to the palette. But it's not just the food, it's the atmosphere and ambiance. Very relaxing and a wonderful place for a nice meal after a hard day at work. HIGHLY recommend! It's well worth price!

Had our reception here for our small wedding and it was absolutely perfect. Would highly recommend!!

Second year celebrating my son's birthday at Bacchaus' Kitchen. We went back this year because: great food, great service, delightful ambiance. Excellent cheese and charcuterie plus crab cakes to start. We loved our dinners: steak frites, chicken, shrimp/calamari pasta (special). The dining experience here is wonderful.

The inside was really cute and cozy which created for a nice ambience...but the food was mediocre at best. The curry ketchup and the fries I found weird. And the waiters were a little awkward. The food came really fast though which was good. Our waitress gave us a free bread crostini (I think it's called?) and when we didn't eat it she said she didn't like it as well which I found a strange comment to say. I honestly probably won't be back

Had a fantastic dinner to celebrate a Birthday there! We had the lump crab appetizer (which we LOVED), burrata & pears, bibb salad, steak frites, and the Wagyu steak special. Fantastic food and wonderful service, as always - this place is one of my favorite neighborhood spots!

Food is excellent! Great relaxing place to enjoy your dinner! The staff are all excellent.

We ordered food to eat at the Pasadena Pops concert. It was awful. They managed to burn the shrimp, the chicken and even the asparagus spears. Never again. And paid $75 for burned food

We had a fabulous bridal shower. The staff could not have been more friendly and helpful. The atmosphere was perfect, it felt like being in a lovely home. The food was delicious and plentiful. Thank you so much for a lovely afternoon and helping us honor the bride to be.

This place makes me happy Great food with a nice slow burn ambience. Always good wine list and happy supportive service. Highly recommend, love eating here. Way yummy

Excellent seafood paella - loved the crispy part at the bottom. Outdoor seating looks nice but next to parking lot with occasional exhaust smell.

ex BFs aunt/uncle love it here so i have been here bout a handful of times ~ we usually get flat iron steak + charcuterie, pan seared scallops, pork chops, NY steak, caprese & a variety of wines service is typically good, as so their food ~ presentation is just par compared w other restaurants w/i similar price range; theres a small parking lot or u can park across da street

It's a real shame that this place gets a 3, it's solely for the food. Servers were extremely friendly and the ambiance was low-lit and cozy. Menu was curated for the day specifically, which was inventive and showed effort, but that maybe affected the food quality. It seemed like everything we had was simultaneously under seasoned and over salted. Thought it was just one item at first, but everything else sort of had that same vibe. Again, could've just been the daily menu, but I have little desire to go back and find out.

1st time here at Bacchus for a friend's birthday dinner. Cute, intimate restaurant with plenty of free parking in the lot. The service was meh. Our waitress and the host did not smile the entire time we dined. It wasn't busy during the week so I'm not sure why they seemed so stressed and uninviting?! We ordered the following: -Creole crab cake & Burrata and beets: Typical, nothing out of the ordinary -Duroc pork chop: sooo unbelievably dry -Streak frites: we ordered medium but it was more medium well -Pan seared gnocchi: Tiny portion but had a nice crisp on the gnocchi -Market fish: Not sure the seasonal components complimented the fish -Desserts: Can't remember what we ordered but was not memorable For the cost, I expected the meal to be better but it was average at best. Sorry.

Just a lovely experience. Again. Looking for a respite from everything going on in our Altadena community, Bacchus provided it. The food (I had the 5 spiced shrimp and my wife had the bass) was outstanding. Service was attentive. Just a great night out.

A friend suggested Bacchus' Kitchen for a casual weeknight dinner, and it was an excellent choice! Definitely recommend the cheese and meat charcuterie board if there's more than 1 of you. There's so many fun things to try, and they give you plenty of crostini so you won't run out of ways to mix and match stuff. I quickly decided on the pork chop as my main dish, and it's really good. It's thick but beautifully prepared and served with a grainy mustard that is just the right amount of strong. Some nights they have live music or wine tastings, so if you're into that sort of thing be sure to check it out.

Wonderful food service and ambience. Every meal was created with so much detail and thought. Can't wait to go back.l!!!

Went for the wife's birthday pretty early around 5:30 PM. It was relatively empty, parking was plentiful. Decor is what you'd expect from a place focused on wine. We went with the toddler, they were very accomadating and offered a toddler-size snack on the house which was nice! We ordered a few plates to try things out, overall food was very tasty, almost too much so. Everything was a little over salted, but it went well with wine. Service was good, our waitress gave us decent attention, but a little lacking given how empty the place was. Summary: Decent good, good ambiance, decent service, good parking. I would consider going back, but its not on my return list.

Very mediocre food. Small portions. Over price. Was disappointing and would not return.

Four of us dined there last Tuesday to celebrate a birthday. We told the server and she said "I'll remember that." However, there was no acknowledgment of the birthday, not even a small dessert. Given the amount we spent, that would have been warranted. The food was good - - all a la carte menu now. Ambiance is excellent.

As I eat my cold leftovers from last night's dinner, I'm STILL blown away! The restaurant itself is decorated well & very cute! The outdoor patio looks like it would be great on a summer night. We had the crab antipasti salad, bread plate, fish of the day (sea bass with cilantro rice & Mexican squash) & the Brussels sprouts. Everything was exceptional! I just topped my (somehow still fresh?!) bread with the Brussels sprouts for lunch & this should be on the menu! Very flavorful dishes & friendly service (although the host should absolutely be friendlier). The 2 of us drove separately & were both able to park in the lot without issue. We will absolutely return

Fantastic food, service and lovely ambiance. First time here over the weekend. I'd passed by this place so many times. We had the steak and chicken dishes, along with a Butterscotch dessert. The staff was so wonderful with helpful suggestions and we also heard they have live jazz occasionally. Parking was easy in their lot. Will be back!

Came here to celebrate a birthday (small dinner with 3 other friends), and I will start with the service - the team of 3 people were okay. The main person was just not in a good mood - the entire night they seemed annoyed or bothered. The other two runners/assistants were cool. For being a wine spot, not impressed with their corkage service. It seems more and more restaurants are adding the fee without providing the service. We even ended up buying a wine off their updated list (website is not as accurate, they print and give you another list). Except even the updated printed list was out of the bottle we wanted. Part of me wanted to leave at this point, but the group was having a good time. So we purchased another bottle that was available (surprise, surprise it was more expensive). Most importantly the food was good and the main reason we're hanging on to a 3 star instead of dropping to 2. Their menu is VERY limited for vegans, also the portions are inconsistent - and for the most part on the small side. The atmosphere was OK. Nicely decorated and lighting to match. Good music selection and volume (we didn't go on a night where there is live music - whenever those are... website and social media is not very clear). It was not extremely busy - we were one of 3 tables. Parking was sought on the street around the block, the lot was FULL (not sure how, like I mentioned we were one of 3 tables, there were a total of 5 people dining in when we were looking for parking... so either the employees use the lot, or there are lots of others using the lot). I don't know if I would come back here. Lot's of potential, but that is the issue... missed too many marks for me. If Yelp had half star ratings, I'd give it 2.5 - there's lots of room for improvement.

Loved the small plate concept, all selections were delicious. The service we received was outstanding. Will definitely be going back.

Four for dinner on a Saturday. We were well tended by the staff and the food was good. I had the steak frites and the steak was not to my liking due to the cut, the preparation seemed ok. Other diners had fish, scallops and pork. The pork was excellent.

The food was delicious. The service was superb. What a nice, cozy restaurant. Highly recommended!!!

Excellent Happy Hour! I had the grilled cheese sandwich with salad, delicious, with farmhouse bread beautifully grilled with yummy cheese! The service is always great, just enough help and the staff are available to answer questions at anytime. We sat outside, which we love, we had some sun on our table, however, the excellent server pulled a drape to filter the sun! I recommend Bacchus Kitchen all around! They also have events, which we haven't attended yet..... but these events look great fun!

I want to say that this place deserves a better a review but I just wasn't blown out of the water the slightest. We came Friday night around 5/6 without a reservation and they said it would be hard to seat us at all cuz of the rush. The host was nice enough to check for us and sat us almost right away. There wasn't really a rush at all however. The environment is nice but the food wasn't anything amazing to me for the price. My boyfriend got the shrimp&calamari which tasted fine, and I got the porchetta which didn't have as much flavor as I thought. I simply wasn't impressed with any of it.

We are local to Bacchus and have enjoyed going to dinner here. When we were making wedding plans, we decided we wanted to have our rehearsal dinner at Bacchus. Chef Claud made an amazing menu for us, and Brandon made sure the evening was perfect. When you only get one chance at an event, and you put your faith in a restaurant to make it a special night, it can be risky. Chef Claud and his team made this one of the best nights with some amazing food. We had 20 people for dinner, and every one was so complimentary about our choice in Bacchus. They made one thing that I wish was on the menu more often - Fried Deviled Eggs and Fried Green Tomatoes. This was the kick-off to a beautiful weekend and I can't thank the Bacchus team enough for making it a success.

So glad that we discovered this lovely neighborhood restaurant. It's quaint, with a lot of personality & has an outdoor patio as well. Our server, Nicole, was warm & welcoming & checked on us often. We started with an amuse bouche of bacon wrapped dates followed by a few starters: Thai shrimp & clams (I wouldn't describe the flavors as Thai, but tasty nonetheless) accompanied by some toasted bread & the burrata and peaches (I'm a sucker for burrata - if it's on the menu - I'm getting it!), it was a very generous portion as well. For our entrees we had: the flat iron steak with sweet potato hash (delicious!) and the scallops with roasted asparagus & squash - also super yummy. We finished by sharing the vanilla cheesecake - it wasn't quite what we expected (it was flatter than a typical cheesecake, and not as creamy as we'd like). Regardless, we had a great meal and great service. We'd gladly return again - perhaps on a jazz night!

Was running errands nearby and decided to try this place out. We didn't make reservations but they had availability and reservations are recommended. We wanted to be seated indoors but in order to dine inside, they required a proof of vaccinations from everyone in your party. So definitely need to keep that in mind if you decide to dine here. The weather wasn't too bad so we sat at their outdoor dining area. Started with their charcuterie plate which was delicious. Our entree was the grouper served with couscous and veggies and scallops with crispy rice and veggie. Very well plated and delicious!

Visited early on a Sat. just after opening. The restaurant has a very comfortable feel and the service was excellent. We ordered the market fish, crabcake, fries, salad and mussels. Everything was great, particularly the fries. I love really good fries and the ones here are excellent (served with curry catsup). Food-wise, the only ding was that the mussels were quite salty and the lovely grilled bread had just a tad too much butter (but the flavor was good). Definitely will be back to try other things.

Love my first visit it was basically amazing. Second time around wasn't awesome but still cool. The server was named star, she was attentive and very nice. There is this were curse I have whenever I ask someone to recommend something it ends up being gross. Entrees: 25-32 Corkage fee: $25 Must try: Duck Scallops Fish Shrimp and mussel app. Skip: pasta: soooooo salty and just tasteless Lovely romantic little spot

Went there again tonight.. This was my second time Salad lyonnaise was just tasty, Braised ribs were delicious, and the apple strudel was awesome.. Support your local business.. I will.go again.. This place is a gem!!

Wonderful ambiance and impeccable service. Gave us a few wines to try until we found the one we liked. Free cheese appetizer. Had the pan seared gnocchi (brought us back to Italy), the 5-spice jidori chicken breast, Artic char, steak and potatoes, and the sautéed Romano beans. Everything was absolutely delightful. The chicken was our favorite. Crispy skin seasoned to perfection and perfectly moist. The gnocchi and steak tied for second. As someone from our party said, "I have no words." Bravo! Will be back again soon and look forward to the encore.

Local gem - great food, attentive friendly service, casual ambiance. Great jazz and wine maker events too! Love BK!