The Raymond Restaurant

Reviews 4

A

A Private User

I had heard about the Raymond and was excited to go finally as part of Pasadena Restaurant week awhile back. That particular evening I was dining solo. I walked in and asked the hostess if food was served at the bar to which she responded it was. I went in, sat in the middle of a community bar top table which had parties on either side and asked for a menu. To my disappointment, the only "food" served includes ONLY appetizers. Ok, I should have specified if "DINNER" was served at the bar. I was glad I had put my request in for a table before making it into the bar area because I waited about an hour (which is to be expected on a Friday night in Pasadena). It was a chilly evening and I stated outside seating would be fine if a heater was very close to the table. When I was finally seated I was escorted to a table under the kitchen window on the back patio with a large group seated near by. The table sat directly under the heat lamp, except the heat never seemed to reach the table where I was sitting. I explained this to the server it was still chilly and nothing changed during the course of my meal. The table was wobbly which I asked to be propped immediately after ordering hot soup and later red wine. At this point during the dining experience I recall verbalizing to my self and the server, "I will enjoy this." After the large group left, some time after my appetizer, I was alone on the COLD, dark patio. A man from the restaurant walked by several times never once asking the lone female (me) about the food or dining experience. I was so COLD that I couldnt finish my meal, and finally asked for my check and for my remaining dinner and dessert to be packed for take home. The wobbly table was finally fixed. Before the server came back with my check I asked for the manager to explain my experience. When the manager finally appeared I realized it was the man who walked by several times already and had never stopped to "check-in" like many other fine dining restaurant managers do. His response, "Ill make a note under your name in our computer and well take care of you next time. I hope youll dine with us again." That was it; nothing more. Really, Dude?! There wont be a next time! It wasnt worth my time or money!

HA

Hanae K

1886 is a classy bar located in the beautiful cozy cottage-like restaurant called the Raymond Restaurant. You can easily miss it while driving if youre not paying attention to your gps. PARKING: Street parking (very narrow) or if youre lucky, behind the restaurant (limited). No valet. SERVICE: Our server was knowledgable about the cocktails we asked about. She also recommended one thats not on the menu for my boyfriend who loves whiskey. From what ive seen and read, it seems like the service here could be a hit or miss. Our neighbor decided not to order food because of the wait. AMBIENCE: Dim, cozy, chill, classy. Theres an outdoor patio outside if theres no room inside. COCKTAILS: :: The Smoking Jacket :: l LOVE theatrical presentations. The bartender poured the drink into a glass full of maple wood smoke (smells like campfire) topped it with orange-vanilla ash. Its a glass of Irish whiskey with tobacco bitters. This is not on the menu. I liked it because the whiskey had a subtle sweetness from the bitters. :: Bonita Applebum :: Fresh pear, amaro nonino, apple jack and lemon. The waitress recommended this because I wanted something sweet and refreshing. I couldnt taste the alcohol but I did get drunk off of it on an empty stomach. You could taste the sweet pear with a citrus after taste. WHAT CAUGHT MY ATTENTION: I found out that they serve 2 very unique cocktails. :: Cake cocktail:: Table next to me ordered the freshly baked chocolate cake bite topped with bourbon icing with a shot of White Russian... It sounded grander than it looked. :: Cucumber cocktail :: they serve cocktail in a hallowed out cucumber with salted rims. WHAT THEY NEED TO BRING BACK (our server agrees): The snowman cocktail!!! looks like a creamy cocktail topped with a round ice cream ball decorated to look like frosty the snowman. Im def coming back to try their other cocktails.

TR

Trevor Winn

Best restaurant experience that Ive had in Pasadena! Yes, Pasadena has burned me a few times. Often good but rarely spectacular. Raymond Restaurant is a former caretakers cottage for the Raymond hotel that has gone through many incarnations and now is a cozy restaurant that makes you feel like youre in someones home when you make it inside. Tucked away about a mile away from Old Town Pasadena, youll have to take a U ey to pull in and when you leave youll be driving through what looks to be a power plant or water treatment facility. Theyve recently expanded their space to include more patio seating and the ambiance is solid. Great customer service and really friendly (and hot) staff. I was late for my reservation and was just missing closing time for the kitchen when they took us in and Im thankful they did. Dont stick to wine or beer, take advantage of the cocktail bar! Thoughtfully made prohibition era themed drinks were wonderful so give them a few minutes to craft them. Served with oversized crystal clear ice cubes and a sprig of rosemary, the Huckleberry was unbelievably fresh and had a great taste profile. Even better, through some wicked bartender magic, the ice barely melted keeping the drink cool and not watering it down as I neared the end. To be sure to keep my drinking hand full, I was sure to order a second round within my first few sips of the first. When it came to food everything was delectable. Both the pork belly and lamb were melt in your mouth and fall off the bone good. The crowd pleaser was definitely the scallops and I knew as soon as I walked in the restaurant since the smell of scallops permeated the air. You can never go wrong with scallops and mushrooms paired with my new favorite green, pea tendrils. Ive recently learned that pea tendrils while looking like spinach taste like peas, win/win!

JR

JR C

1886 is one of those places that you may pass by daily but not know its there. Thats the case with myself since Fair Oaks Ave is how I get to work often. After crossing my fingers to get one of the few spots behind the restaurant, the entry was pretty much like walking into someones house. I even felt like I had to knock before opening that front door. Inside felt like an obvious converted house. The actual bar, 1886, is comprised of a small room and an outdoor patio in the back. Candlelight illuminates most of the dim interior so I suppose this could be a datey spot, but the large party in the corner making ruckus would prove this otherwise. -=-Smoking Jacket Cocktail-=- This was a presentation at the table side. While the basis of this cocktail is a sweetened whiskey, the allure comes in the form of smoke hovering above the well. Every sip was reminiscent of that Yosemite campfire I enjoyed a few months back. Maple wood never smelled so good and it drank nicely with my Irish whiskey sweetened with Tobacco bitters. I couldnt stop sniffing my fingernails afterwords either. Our waitress also suggested another drink that we might enjoy called Ambers and Embers. Its another whiskey based cocktail with a smokey flavoring. The night was turning us in early so we had to depart before we could try it. No other review has mentioned that cocktail yet, so maybe Ill be the first to write about it ...some other time perhaps.