Saso

Heard about this place from Eater LA and made a reservation right away. Friday was all booked up but when I arrived it seemed like there were tons of space for walk-ins. Which there were some. Even though the day I went was their third day and some of the staffs first day I felt like they knew what they were doing and if they didn't know anything they did indeed go the mile in finding out the information I needed to know about the food. During covid all the tables were seated FAR from each other. Much further than most restaurants. The menu is online like most nicer restaurants. I consider myself pretty average, I enjoy nice food once in a while but don't have enough money to eat at places like this all the time everyday of the week. The prices lean toward the pricer side. But the food is delicious and enjoyed my visit there. The menu can be a bit confusing because of the names of the food. The raw oysters I felt could have been prices better because of how small and badly shucked they were. I still found a good amount of sand in mine. The poached shrimp deviled egg were okay at best. Taste is a bit bland and felt like it was missing something. Baby artichokes were my SO's favorite.The pasta saso I felt was one of their best dishes. The pasta was rich in flavor and had enough shellfish/clams mussels for two to enjoy. The plating of the food is good but I feel like it could use some work so it doesn't look TOO boring on the plate ( the deviled eggs). Overall happy experience. The staff is great and helpful. The bathroom is way in the back. I expect this place to be a very good experience when indoor dining is available. Would recommend!

Update: This restaurant has permanently closed. Walked out of this place on our first visit in April. We ordered the pintxos experience, plus crab claws and tartar at that time. The food was good but we decided to leave before the mains due to very slow service. It took 2 1/2 hours to serve all the tapas . Today, I’m happy that service is spot on. Shelby made our dining experience superb. The La Espanola and brasa bread were ok. The grilled mushrooms with caviar roe, the octopus a la Gallega and delicata squash were savory dishes. The fried sea bass was light and crispy, the kazola de mariscos broth was deliciously infused with the seafood juices. The Basque cheesecake was a nice finish to a very satisfying dinner.

Made a reservation on Resy so we were seated right away. They have a very large outdoor patio area which they share the courtyard area with Pasadena Playhouse. It was a chilly night for LA but with the heat lamps you were able to stay warm without having to eat wearing a bulky winter coat. Although the seating is right by the street, it was a nice setting. It was casually classy. Let me start off with the service, everyone was very attentive, friendly and the food came out to the table very promptly. I tried to be adventurous with my cocktail and ordered the New Moon. The waitress did warn me that it was a very unique drink and yes it was. Horseradish vodka and squid ink cube. Sounded very interesting but I wasn’t a fan at all. It was very bitter and didn’t really have the heat I expected with horseradish. For the food, we looked at the menu beforehand so knew exactly what we were ordering as soon as we sat down. We went appetizers heavy with the Croketas (comes with 3), the wagyu steak bites (2 skewers in chimichurri sauce), a mountain of charred potatoes and 1/2 a dozen oysters. Everything was on point and started a great meal. Loved the presentation and taste of the Thai Chile concoction for the oysters in a medicine dropper. They had a fried scallops special which you could order as an appetizer or entree so we added this to our table of tapas. This was my favorite. We shared the pasta Saso which was handmade duck egg-yolk pasta, shellfish, fish, prawn, and ginger. I loved that the pasta was light and the broth was very flavorful. They were not stingy with the mussels portion either. Had enough to take some home. And how could I forget dessert, brûlée French toast. This was not overly sweet but hit the spot. Ate every inch of the toast it was just that good even after all that food. As for parking, there’s street parking but most spots directly near the restaurant were 1 hour parking. I parked across the street in a parking garage and paid $5.

A rare find in LA: A Spanish restaurant. Boasting the finest, freshest ingredients the hot tip are the oysters and the smoked salmon. A colorful if plain-wrap, impersonal interior plus an outdoor concrete courtyard across from the Pasadena Playhouse, with most of the food specialties available only at dinner.

I've been here before so I gave four stars. Tonight was not a four-star night. It is super bowl so... Seriously this is a great place usually. The food is good, outdoor area is nice, service is very good. If you're disabled you can be served and eat comfortably. Tonight though the food was not outstanding. The salmon was a bit dry. They did not have the proper pasta for my salmon dish. The compote that came with the bread was not nearly as tasty as the last time I was there. They made substitutions but it wasn't as good. I hope when I go back I can give a better review. But for right now I would call ahead and make sure they have all of their regular cooking staff and that they are well stocked with ingredients.

Pasadena has been needing a go to spot for a great dinner and drinks in style! Love the small plates and the octopus 🐙 is exceptional! Right next to the Playhouse and ideal for pre-show or any other time! Very gluten free safe and friendly.

This space never seems to keep a place for long but Saso was packed! I can't remember having steak tartare this good. Seafood really the high light here and the sangria!

If I could give it 10, I would. Absolutely a wonderful dinner at Saso. Definitely try the pintxo experience if you're up for adventure. I felt like I was transported back to San Sebastian and the Basque region, complete with some txakoli.