Pretty Penny

This is one of my all time favorite places to go in phoenix. The menu is seasonal which I really appreciate because everything seems to be packed full of flavor. They offer caviar at cost and have rotating specials. It’s a smaller space, intimate and welcoming; perfect for date night or a girls dinner. On top of the incredible food, which I keep coming back for - the staff is stellar and the hospitality is a 10/10. The cocktail menu has some really innovative takes on classics that are sure to impress even the pickiest of drinkers. (*do yourself a favor and try the Pretty Penny Martini or the Citrus Vesper!) I just can’t say enough great things about this place, it truly is a gem in the heart of downtown phoenix.

Ate here for the first time this week and it was outstanding. Our waitress Sam was amazing and got us excited about everything on the menu. We wound up ordering 8 of the smaller dishes because to share and it was a trip to flavor town. I want to return to try out some of the carnes and will definitely be taking lots of local and visiting friends here in the future!

Exquisitely thought out dishes with spices and flavors that delight the palate. The passion for creating various flavor profiles with each dish and drink from beginning to end makes this restaurant a culinary delight for people who enjoy food!

I came for the first time. Pretty Penny is nothing short of stellar. It is genuinely one of the best restaurants of any type I've eaten at in the entire country. The cappelletti was incredible. Texture was perfect. The sauce was thick, super flavorful, and a little sweet. I wish I could have this pasta every day The branzino was the best cooked branzino I ever had. Most times at least part of the fish is overcooked, but not here. The entire fish, head to tail, including the small thin piece by the tail, was perfectly cooked. The sauce was incredible. Service was great, and everyone is super nice and helpful in giving suggestions and explaining the dishes. I would legitimately come to Phoenix from several states away specifically to come here.

Incredible dinner for a special occasion. Every new plate that came out was a fun adventure of favors. The staff was great as well, super personable and enjoyable to chat with. The n/a tea mocktails were delicious. Also, whoa, the bread was outstanding.

A simple, fun, elegant cocktail bar and restaurant. The martinis are where it's at! Austin was informative and gracious guiding me through his favorites, but it was his tomato & basil inspired cocktail that was the no. 1 hit for me. Exceptional! Sorry, I forgot your name (one of the owners) but you better keep Austin around! You guys are awesome! Food was light, layered, dynamic and approachable. Also they made their own wine up north in AZ... and it was really good!

We loved everything about this restaurant! We had the pork. It was $140 for a serving for 2. Pricey but so worth it! We’ll definitely order it again! We also had the lamb ragu, caviar, octopus tostada, and a couple other small plates. Everything was five star worthy! Sam was our waitress. She was extremely knowledgeable about the details of the food on the menu and in all culinary aspects as well. She engaged with my son who has a passion for fine dining and cooking the entire time we were there. Five stars for Sam! We dine out a couple times per week and the Pretty Penny is hands down, the best food we’ve ever had!

I've been searching for the perfect way to describe my experience at Pretty Penny and the word that keeps coming to mind is "Intentional". This isn't the type of place you walk in and order a plate with meat, starch, and regular veggies. The menu is intentional, and if you allow, you will be expertly escorted along the flavor spectrum. I started with the Bulgogi, experiencing sweetness and spice. Moving on to the Beets and Labneh, the vegetables are the star here and the labneh is the foundation that allows their savory flavor to shine. Finishing with Branzino, the skin, delicately crisp. The vierge perfectly complimenting the tender fish meat. I've arrived in umami heaven and I don't want to leave. The service was phenomenal. The staff understand the menu, and have experienced it enough to recommend dishes to create the experience you want. They are attentive and pleasant. I can not stress enough how wonderful they are. Be bold enough to step outside of the normal restaurant experience and try something exceptional. You won't regret it.

Located in the heart of the vibrant Roosevelt Row neighborhood in Phoenix, Pretty Penny restaurant offers a dining experience that exceeds expectations. Led by Chef Marcelino Ramos, in collaboration with Brenon Stuart and Sam Olguin, the culinary team delivers a delightful surprise with meticulously prepared dishes. Initially drawn in for drinks, we were seated at a bar table overlooking the bustling kitchen, where we witnessed the careful craft behind each plate. The "Persimmonator," with its blend of clear persimmon, cold-pressed pomegranate, red apple, mace, and vanilla Greek yogurt, and the "Brown Butter Paloma", featuring brown butter, grapefruit-lime whey, and blanco tequila, set the stage. Upon discovering the "Caviar at Cost" sign, we indulged in Russian sturgeon caviar served with crème fraîche and Pringles chips--an unexpected delight. As we departed, we knew we'd return to savor more of Pretty Penny's culinary treasures.

Excellent cocktails, and friendly service. We came in for Legends (their sister establishment) but they said it doesn't open until 7pm and they happily offered to seat us at Pretty Penny. I had the Ticket to Pearadise which was pearfection! It had poached pear, anise, cardamom, rooibos, basil, miso, ghee, and calvados. I loved it! My friend had the Passionfruit Negroni which had passionfruit, campari, sweet vermouth, and gin. This was a combo of tart, bitter, and sweet. My friend liked it.

I want to gatekeep this place so it doesn't get too busy, but I need y'all to know how incredible it is. 10/10 recommend - honestly one of the best meals I've had in recent memory. We sat at the bar and had great service & conversation from everyone from the chef to server. Chef shared his inspirations behind the dishes and in depth details about the ingredients, which I love. "Le Prawn James" special - 10/10! Squid ink pasta served inside one is the biggest prawns I've seen, in an uni butter sauce. Absolutely incredible Octopus tostada - 10/10! Great texture contrast between the crunchy tostada & perfectly cooked tender octopus. Duck carpaccio - 9.5/10! Very flavorful with a plum sauce & ginger accents. A little light in quantity IMO. Uni & oyster special - 7/10. The only dish I wasn't just totally blown away by. I thought the portion was pretty small given the price tag and was a little bummed the seafood tower is only available on weekends now. They are running a promo for half price ALL bottles of wine before 7pm. Great wine list! I will be back soon!

This place is amazing! The octopus tostada was so good. There hasn't been a single item that I have not liked and I've been here several times. The staff is friendly and welcoming as well. Jake is the man! Great service

Love, love, love! Make a reservation and sit at the bar to watch the magic happen. Everything is good, but don't miss the ocotpus tostada or seared scallops. Half-off bottles of wine before 7pm is a crazy good deal. Recommend!

Had an incredible experience at Pretty Penny! We were served by Austin and ordered Hot Topic, Super Fly, Lambo Fizz & cocktail of the night Pisco Sour- all SO incredible and unique. Austin was an incredible server & when I come back I hope to sit in his section again. It was a unique experience to sit at the bar overlooking the "kitchen"- chefs plating beautiful food versus a bar & cocktails.

Date night or pre-game? Sexy food to share and cocktails to kick off the evening. When you walk up to the building you smell the charcoal burning, I loved it! You're instantly greeted with that feel good energy, there's plenty of seating outside and inside. I'd recommend sitting at the chef counter, chef Marcelino is fun and passionate about his flavors, he hands your food to you that was just prepared right there! Definitely start with a signature cocktail, the Old Fashion was on point. Shared the octopus and the duck carpaccio, oh boy was it delicious. Brought in the seared scallops, that crispy prosciutto with mushrooms was wow! Helllloooo! Finished with the tender half chicken, you get that subtle charcoal smoke, that polenta and broccolini was a perfect pair!

Great food and service. Loved the vibe too. We tried octopus tostada, prawn pasta special, truffle salad and banana cheesecake. Unique menu and delicious food! Old fashioned cocktail was amazing as well. Cant wait to go back and try more drinks and other dishes.

Came in for the first time over the weekend! We loved how exclusive and quiet it felt, definitely a gem no one has spotted yet! The vibe is so charming and music was great! Servers and hosts were so friendly and treated us like we were guests in their home! Very personable and great experience! There is no on site parking as this spot is right on Roosevelt so street parking or a parking garage is going to be your best bet. We are locals in downtown so we walked over! Came in around 7pm there were only 2 other parties inside. I started with the Dill or no Deal cocktail, very refreshing and great drink to start off with while we waiting for our Seafood tower. The Dill or no deal reminded me of a Greek afternoon. They do give you a complimentary glass of champagne with your water as well which was pretty tasty as well. I am not much of a champagne drinker unless I am at brunch however this one was smooth! Everything is made at the Chef's table I wish we sat up there to see everything being made and plated as everything was plated beautifully! Our Seafood tower came with oysters (100/10) poached prawns, mussels, snow crab claws, mini lobster rolls, and nori infused sushi rice. We ordered 3 more oysters on the seafood tower as we are oyster lovers. We also got their seafood ceviche which was incredible! It came with banana chips which was so different yet complimented the flavors of the ceviche! As for our entrees I ordered the Braised Pork Belly and my boyfriend got the Chef's special of the night which was Cacio E Pepe. We ordered another round of drinks and got the tasty espresso martinis! The drinks are pre batched so be aware as to no alcohol substitutes. I do like their cocktails more than when it was just the Pour Bastards concept.. I prefer tequila in my espresso martini however their vodka based martinis weren't bad. When our entrees arrived I was amazed at how beautiful everything was plated! The Cacio E Pepe you could tell was fresh made pasta not some store bought boxed pasta. The fresh black pepper was present and cooked perfectly! I absolutely loved my Pork Belly, it melted in my mouth and had the right amount of balsamic glaze. It was truly a filling and very tasteful dinner! One of the best dinners I have had In Downtown in a while! From vibe to service to employee knowledge and the quality of what is used in the food.. Chefs kiss! We ended our meal with the Banana Cheesecake, which is a deconstructed Cheesecake. The cheesecake was so light and fluffy not weighing down in your mouth. Paired with eh crunch of the candied walnuts and soft banana bread crumbles. I was in heaven at this moment. If you haven't tried Pretty Penny you are missing out!!

Amazing spot downtown! These guys know what they're doing, from the ambience and playlist to the fresh seafood and grilled meats, to the delicious craft cocktails. Spot on with the flavor all across the board. Let Ivan and Chef Mars create a wonderful experience for you next time you're in the area. One of my new favorite spots in Phoenix.

Absolutely get the great reviews - food was great and service impeccable. Very personal staff and quality is definitely there!

10/10 Pretty Penny was an outstanding experience. Booked for one while traveling on business. Since I was solo they sat me at the chefs counter. The service was super attentive while also being relaxed and welcoming. The guys on the line were great as well and happy to make recommendations. Started with the Brown Butter washed Paloma, some olives and the Octopus Tostadas which were out of this world. For the main I asked the line and they both suggested the half chicken with the Chinese broccolini, partnered this with the Red Apple Old Fashioned that was fat washed with sticky rice. The depths of flavors on everything were outstanding, I could eat two sides of the broccolini. Overall a wonderful experience in a really cool neighborhood restaurant.

Wow! We had such an amazing and fun night here thanks to the incredible hospitality and food. The Prosecco they poured at the beginning was a wonderful, warm welcome and the passionfruit Negroni we kicked the night off with after was a revelation. As Negroni fans this was admirable twist and something we could drink again and again. We decided to take advantage of some of the specials and started with trout rillettes which is akin to a dip and was salty, silky and pretty much the perfect bite on the accompanying crackers. The other showstopper of the night was the tomahawk steak which was huge and absolutely worth every penny (even a pretty one : ) and then some. It was grilled to succulent perfection and the garlicky mashed potatoes and long beans that came on the side made for the perfect meal. Everyone we interacted with - including the chefs - was enthusiastic and warm and friendly, adding to our experience even more. This place totally rocks and the only complaint we have is that it isn't in our neighborhood. But we'll be back for sure . . .

New place in town and the food is awesome! Must try octopus tostada and the pork belly and cauliflower!

We came here a couple weeks ago and couldn't wait to come back with friends... so we could order more! Walking over we could smell something delicious and turn the corner to find the chef roasting Cornish hens over coals, basting them with a a rosemary brush. From the fresh and well assorted seafood tower, giant scallops to that amazing Cornish hen with its super tasty sides that mean is at least in my top 10 ever in this city. Plus the cocktails are creative and yummy, and the vibe really fun. Can see us regularly returning!

Don't walk, RUN to Pretty Penny!! I cannot speak highly enough of this restaurant! You walk in and are welcomed to the aromatic smells of Chef Angelino's creations, as the bar hangs over the small kitchen centered in the middle of the space. Every single employee seemed to share the same energy and passion foe the food, craft and vibe of the space so incredibly well, which made for such a welcoming and fun environment right off the bat. And that was before food and cocktails even got to us! We got the Ceviche, which I loved how it was all sliced long and thin, which helped not only allowed for excellent separation of flavors between freshly cut vegetables that seemed to be right out of a local garden, and the delicious scallop. The octopus tostada is HANDS DOWN the BEST octopus appetizer in town. The flavor and how it all just melts in your mouth is impressive. Then the whole chicken! Yes, the whole chicken, Puerto Rican in preparation and style- you KNOW you're in for a treat when the white-meat is as juicy and flavorful as the dark meat. I cannot wait for alllllll the visits to try the rest of the Menu ASAP! Thank you Sam and team for yet another incredible establishment.

Well thought food and drink menu. Service was immaculate with fun servers that boast cocktail and food knowledge. Ambiance was chill and inviting-- but elevated. Thank you Austin for the good time!

Went here for Valentine's Day and I was so impressed by the menu and everything was delicious and beautifully created. Marcelino answered any questions about the items we ordered and explained each ingredient. Our server was on top of getting our orders and clearing our plates. The entire experience was perfect and can't wait to come back!

Outstanding!! Dishes are so tasteful and artfully presented. Octopus Tostada and Blue Fin are my favorites. The cocktails like the passion fruit Negroni are just as good. Need to get on Open Table for easier rez