Cafe Santorini
Pasadena, CA 91103
Phone: (626) 564-4201
- Price:
- $$
- Cross Street:
- Fair Oaks Avenue
- Hours:
- Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri 11:30am-12am, Sat 11am-12am, Sun 11am-10pm
Editorial Review for Cafe Santorini – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
Close to the energy of Old Town--but not close enough to hear its buzz--patrons dine both indoors and al fresco on the light-strung terrace. Mediterranean specialties include the mezze appetizer with tabbouleh, feta, olives and hummus. Popular entrées include the lamb souvlaki and beef kabobs. Pizzas topped with barbecue chicken or four cheeses have a light, thick crust, and salads range from traditional Greek to Gorgonzola and walnut. Seafood highlights include pasta, risotto and a red-curry paella.
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Insider Tips
What to DrinkA seasonal selection of wine is available by the glass or bottle. But martini lovers shouldn't miss the cafe's special mixes, including a black martini made with vodka and Chambord.
The ExtrasSunday brunch is served from 11am till 3pm. The a la carte menu features eggs, omelettes and pannini.
User Reviews for Cafe Santorini
12/16/2007 Posted by veeveeun
Cafe Santorini is located upstairs of the alley way in Old Town Pasadena. The ambience is really nice (especially if you're sitting outside on a summer evening). I've been to Cafe Santorini multiple times and though the service could be a little better, the food is delish! If you like Mediterranian food, this is a place that you should try.
Pros: Ambience, Food
Cons: Service is slow
09/02/2007 Posted by seekinghonestfood
I used to get dragged to this totally mediocre restaurant whenever friends insisted on sitting out on their 'fabulous patio', which in reality is an exposed, crowded, ambience-free holding pen for saps who wouldn't know good Mediterranean food if it were handed to them on a plate. Never mind the bad meals, the rude waiters, the food you were served that you never ordered, or the food you ordered but were never served. That was, until the day the maitre d' (if such a low-class joint can indeed be said to have such a position) refused to seat three of us until the fourth member of our party arrived. Call me crazy, but adding insult to the injury of their food and service was the last straw for me, and I vowed never to go back. Fast forward 10 years, when I stupidly agreed to try it again, just a few weeks ago, thinking that it must have changed hands, or at least learned something about restauranteur-ism in the intervening decade, if only by osmosis from the many superior restaurants within spitting distance. Well, as the adage goes, you can't teach an old dog new tricks, and apparently it was business as usual -- that is to say, bad -- in this doghouse. After seating us on the 'fabulous patio', we were told that if we were only going to order dessert, we'd have to sit somewhere else! In disbelief, we took it up with the management, who told us helpfully that if we didn't like it, we could always leave! Which we were only too pleased to do. A short walk down the stairs and across the plaza brought us to Il Fornaio, where we were seated not only promptly and courteously, but on their lovely landscaped outdoor patio, a veritable oasis compared to Santorini's swill-pen. And when the desserts arrived -- without mistakes or delays -- they were transcendent. Something Santorini's owners wouldn't know the meaning of.
Pros: what can I say?
Cons: food, service
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