Great atmosphere and location. Service was outstanding. Very friendly and helpful staff. Food is excellent. Best calamari and octopus I have had. Highly recommended.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Paulina Stanczak
Amore! The food and atmosphere of Cafe Santorini – perched on a charming rooftop in Old Town Pasadena – will whisk you away to the vibrant coastline of the Mediterranean.We started off the night with the Mezze Vegetarian Appetizer. Not only is this dish beautiful to look at with all its vibrant colors, but it’s also bursting with flavor – tangy hummus, zesty tabbouleh, marinated grape leaves, and crispy Borak (to name a few) will excite you with different tastes.For the main course, we each got the Chicken Kebab. What an indulgent dish! The chicken was succulent and perfectly seasoned. It came with rice pilaf, tzatziki, hummus, and a colorful assortment of roasted vegetables.Unlike other restaurants that give you insanely small portion sizes for a ridiculous price, Cafe Santorini serves up very filling meals that leave you feeling perfectly satisfied. We were delighted by our dinner and thrilled that we got to sample different exotic dishes from the Mediterranean. Thankfully, this restaurant does NOT limit itself to just pasta and pizza.The only downsides were that it took a long time for our food to arrive (around 30 minutes) and that our waiter was not very communicative. For example, our appetizer came with pita bread but we had no idea because it was tucked away under several layers of napkins! Wish our waiter told us, since we unknowingly ordered extra pita bread. Moreover, the tables on the balcony are arranged very close together, which did not provide us with much room for intimate conversation, but I guess that’s ok …we were focused on savoring our delicious food anyways!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Kebab
stan nelsen
Always great food and superior service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Trisha
Went here to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary and what a beautiful place. It was a little weird getting to the actual restaurant because it was a small door which lead to going upstairs. They do have an elevator but I think it was on the other side where the alley was. We were unfamiliar so just chose the stairs. Also parking is across the street and you have to pay for parking. There's a nice size patio or you can eat inside. I think it was definitely nice to eat outside and since it was on the chilly side, they have heat lamps which kept us warm. The calamari salad and the Branzino were standouts for sure. And their martinis were delicious. I loved all 3 flavor choices so I decided to get all 3 but the best was the Santorini one, not too strong and the flavor was perfection. I would definitely recommend this place and to make reservations. This place was fully packed when we were there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julio V.
This popular place certainly lived up to the hype! We got a reservation for a birthday lunch. Got sat right away on a nice balcony. The service was excellent. Attentive and accommodating. The food we got was delicious. Every single plate had something special to it. The only disappointments were that they forgot our grape leaves in the appetizer (pictured) and one pair of our utensils was pretty dirty. Otherwise a great place and I recommend it!
Abish S.
Came with my family for an early dinner. Food is outstanding. Rooftop is beautiful. Workers are polite. Food came out pretty fast considering we had a large party. Attire isn't super fancy but still nice and neat.
Maria B.
Ambiance service and food always top notch nothing else to say. We always return and they never disappoint.
Trisha V.
Went here to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary and what a beautiful place. It was a little weird getting to the actual restaurant because it was a small door which lead to going upstairs. They do have an elevator but I think it was on the other side where the alley was. We were unfamiliar so just chose the stairs. Also parking is across the street and you have to pay for parking. There's a nice size patio or you can eat inside. I think it was definitely nice to eat outside and since it was on the chilly side, they have heat lamps which kept us warm. The calamari salad and the Branzino were standouts for sure. And their martinis were delicious. I loved all 3 flavor choices so I decided to get all 3 but the best was the Santorini one, not too strong and the flavor was perfection. I would definitely recommend this place and to make reservations. This place was fully packed when we were there.
Mercedes Chang Villacreses
Iwent on a busy day so things took tiiime but food was good. pasta and seafood options very yummy but the menu is not too
Cafe Santorini is consistent in good food, ambiance and service. The mezze tasting appetizer was delicious. My friend loved the octopus salad along with the branzino. My capellini with shrimp was good but my sister's rib eye was too chewy. Not a great cut. The service was terrific and the patio area provided a pleasant ambiance.
Angelene C.
Came at dinner time on a rainy day, it was still a 25-minute wait for a party of 6. We waited patiently at the hallway towards the bathroom for a table to clear up. Once sat, we already knew what to order as we decided while we were waiting for our table. Everyone got different things, I got the branzino. My brother got the filet mignon plate, and my mom got the butternut squash dish - which I will say, as everything was flavorful, this was something I kept thinking about and would come back for. We decided to order the warm apple tart because we saw other tables order it throughout our dinner, and it looked good! Which it was! Not exactly what I was expecting though, it had more of the almond paste taste where I expected more of an apple texture and flavor - but we didn't care because it was so good! The ashta cake was also very good, but I'm not the biggest fan of rose flavors. This was refreshing and light. Our server was very helpful with our questions and attentive to our concerns.
Olmos B.
I rarely review.... But I despise this place. The food is fine... like barely fine. The outdoor patio we are all crammed like sardines. The service is ok.
Paul
Great food and selection. Be aware that very large groups, 35+ people can be sitting in same room. You can't have a table conversation due to chatter noise. Not the place for an imminent dinner date. Last night we had 8 people standing at the edge of our table for 30 min. The view were their buts. Manager did deal with it after I brought it to his attention.
Ken L.
Service was good. Food was better than I remember the first time I was there. Beef brochette (kebobs) was good, but the rice is dry and cold. Shrimp Capelini was flavorful and good. Rib eyes steak was perfect and juicy. Draft beer is definitely overpriced. Overall, 4 stars. Only negative part is an additional 2% they put on the bill for the workers, so take 1/2 star. Really? Shouldn't the restaurant be paying for this instead of the patrons? Would I come back is the real answer, and it's no.
Great atmosphere and location. Service was outstanding. Very friendly and helpful staff. Food is excellent. Best calamari and octopus I have had. Highly recommended.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amore! The food and atmosphere of Cafe Santorini – perched on a charming rooftop in Old Town Pasadena – will whisk you away to the vibrant coastline of the Mediterranean.We started off the night with the Mezze Vegetarian Appetizer. Not only is this dish beautiful to look at with all its vibrant colors, but it’s also bursting with flavor – tangy hummus, zesty tabbouleh, marinated grape leaves, and crispy Borak (to name a few) will excite you with different tastes.For the main course, we each got the Chicken Kebab. What an indulgent dish! The chicken was succulent and perfectly seasoned. It came with rice pilaf, tzatziki, hummus, and a colorful assortment of roasted vegetables.Unlike other restaurants that give you insanely small portion sizes for a ridiculous price, Cafe Santorini serves up very filling meals that leave you feeling perfectly satisfied. We were delighted by our dinner and thrilled that we got to sample different exotic dishes from the Mediterranean. Thankfully, this restaurant does NOT limit itself to just pasta and pizza.The only downsides were that it took a long time for our food to arrive (around 30 minutes) and that our waiter was not very communicative. For example, our appetizer came with pita bread but we had no idea because it was tucked away under several layers of napkins! Wish our waiter told us, since we unknowingly ordered extra pita bread. Moreover, the tables on the balcony are arranged very close together, which did not provide us with much room for intimate conversation, but I guess that’s ok …we were focused on savoring our delicious food anyways!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Chicken Kebab
Always great food and superior service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went here to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary and what a beautiful place. It was a little weird getting to the actual restaurant because it was a small door which lead to going upstairs. They do have an elevator but I think it was on the other side where the alley was. We were unfamiliar so just chose the stairs. Also parking is across the street and you have to pay for parking. There's a nice size patio or you can eat inside. I think it was definitely nice to eat outside and since it was on the chilly side, they have heat lamps which kept us warm. The calamari salad and the Branzino were standouts for sure. And their martinis were delicious. I loved all 3 flavor choices so I decided to get all 3 but the best was the Santorini one, not too strong and the flavor was perfection. I would definitely recommend this place and to make reservations. This place was fully packed when we were there.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This popular place certainly lived up to the hype! We got a reservation for a birthday lunch. Got sat right away on a nice balcony. The service was excellent. Attentive and accommodating. The food we got was delicious. Every single plate had something special to it. The only disappointments were that they forgot our grape leaves in the appetizer (pictured) and one pair of our utensils was pretty dirty. Otherwise a great place and I recommend it!
Came with my family for an early dinner. Food is outstanding. Rooftop is beautiful. Workers are polite. Food came out pretty fast considering we had a large party. Attire isn't super fancy but still nice and neat.
Ambiance service and food always top notch nothing else to say. We always return and they never disappoint.
Went here to celebrate my parent's 50th anniversary and what a beautiful place. It was a little weird getting to the actual restaurant because it was a small door which lead to going upstairs. They do have an elevator but I think it was on the other side where the alley was. We were unfamiliar so just chose the stairs. Also parking is across the street and you have to pay for parking. There's a nice size patio or you can eat inside. I think it was definitely nice to eat outside and since it was on the chilly side, they have heat lamps which kept us warm. The calamari salad and the Branzino were standouts for sure. And their martinis were delicious. I loved all 3 flavor choices so I decided to get all 3 but the best was the Santorini one, not too strong and the flavor was perfection. I would definitely recommend this place and to make reservations. This place was fully packed when we were there.
Iwent on a busy day so things took tiiime but food was good. pasta and seafood options very yummy but the menu is not too
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Santorini Mezze Tasting, Tiramisu, Ashta Cake Dessert
Fantastic covered outdoor balcony, great staff.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Cafe Santorini is consistent in good food, ambiance and service. The mezze tasting appetizer was delicious. My friend loved the octopus salad along with the branzino. My capellini with shrimp was good but my sister's rib eye was too chewy. Not a great cut. The service was terrific and the patio area provided a pleasant ambiance.
Came at dinner time on a rainy day, it was still a 25-minute wait for a party of 6. We waited patiently at the hallway towards the bathroom for a table to clear up. Once sat, we already knew what to order as we decided while we were waiting for our table. Everyone got different things, I got the branzino. My brother got the filet mignon plate, and my mom got the butternut squash dish - which I will say, as everything was flavorful, this was something I kept thinking about and would come back for. We decided to order the warm apple tart because we saw other tables order it throughout our dinner, and it looked good! Which it was! Not exactly what I was expecting though, it had more of the almond paste taste where I expected more of an apple texture and flavor - but we didn't care because it was so good! The ashta cake was also very good, but I'm not the biggest fan of rose flavors. This was refreshing and light. Our server was very helpful with our questions and attentive to our concerns.
I rarely review.... But I despise this place. The food is fine... like barely fine. The outdoor patio we are all crammed like sardines. The service is ok.
Great food and selection. Be aware that very large groups, 35+ people can be sitting in same room. You can't have a table conversation due to chatter noise. Not the place for an imminent dinner date. Last night we had 8 people standing at the edge of our table for 30 min. The view were their buts. Manager did deal with it after I brought it to his attention.
Service was good. Food was better than I remember the first time I was there. Beef brochette (kebobs) was good, but the rice is dry and cold. Shrimp Capelini was flavorful and good. Rib eyes steak was perfect and juicy. Draft beer is definitely overpriced. Overall, 4 stars. Only negative part is an additional 2% they put on the bill for the workers, so take 1/2 star. Really? Shouldn't the restaurant be paying for this instead of the patrons? Would I come back is the real answer, and it's no.