The Raymond Restaurant

05/04/09

Great food

by jackhern at Citysearch

The Raymond is one of my favorite "special" places to go with my new husband. It has been a while since we've been but last time it was just wonderful. The food is delicious and the home-type intimate atmosphere is comfortable. Not stuffy like other places. They used to offer a souffle dessert that you had to order at the beginning of your meal, I don't know if they still have them. Last time I went I wanted one and they were sold out. If you can get one, order it!

• Pros: The atmosphere is nice, food is good
• Cons: Pricey

02/18/09

Expensive for what it is

by mark0805 at Citysearch

I took my girlfriend here for Valentines Day based on an email from Citysearch featuring the restaurant and the great reviews that have been given here.

I found the place fairly easily and parked using their free valet service (they drive very fast in reverse, people were laughing nervously as they watched their cars get backed up to them at full speed when we were leaving). We sat on the patio, which was enclosed by clear plastic, but it was still kind of cold despite the heaters. The waitstaff eventually closed off the openings they were using to come in and out. I felt sorry for them having to unstick Velcro while holding a large tray of food.

The service took a very long time, and while it is understandable that having a packed house could make the service slow, one would think having a pre-fixe menu would speed things up. This was a five course meal, with three of the courses having two choices and the entree having three choices. I also do not think it being a full house or having a fixed menu should affect knowing which table ordered what meal and in what order. There was a big problem with the servers not being able to identify what course belonged to what table. The dinner took about three hours from being seated to asking for the bill (the bill came out quickly).

Despite the long wait times, the waitstaff was very friendly if not a bit flustered. When the food finally did come out, it was presented well, but tasted ok. The wine list looked good, but we didn't order wine and their cocktail menu is very limited (no pear vodka?). Our first course, the amuse-bouche, was a cute little scallop/shrimp thing on a small cracker. It tasted alright for a one-biter. For the second course I ordered the scallop and my girlfriend ordered the beet salad. Both were fairly bland. The scallop was a bit dry and the beets didn't have all that much flavor. All-in-all very plain. Next course we both had the soup. It was this potato cream soup with truffle and it was delicious. It felt good going down considering the cold night, but it also had the right amount of zest and spice. We both enjoyed that one. Next came the main course. We both got the Beef Tenderloin, although in hindsight, I wish I had gotten the Alaskan Salmon instead. The meat was warm, not hot and more chewy than I believe it should have been, but I did like the root vegetable mash that the steak was situated on, tasted close to mashed potatoes, but I liked pointing out the vegetable I could taste in it. It was a little game between us. Finally we had dessert. My girlfriend got the apple one that was like apple pie a la mode, and I had a very lemony desert with a citrus broth that grew on me. Both desserts were great.

The restaurant threw in a couple nice touches for Valentine's including a very long stem red rose for each lady. The bill came out with a small chocolate heart with Happy Valentine's Day written on it and the letter R (presumably for Raymond - though my girlfriend, who's name also starts with an R, insisted the chocolate was hers. I still ate most of it).

In conclusion, I found the waitress and the staff to be very pleasant and friendly, the food was slug and miss (citysearch won't let me use the word I was going to use - three letters to replace slug), the disorganization and time to table was very disappointing.

• Pros: Friendly Staff, nice small touches
• Cons: quality of food, disorganization, time getting food to table

02/15/09

there are better places out there!!!!

by tekila909 at Citysearch

I visited the raymond with my girlfriend on Valentines, And I cant say that I was impressed. It seems like the place was not prepared at all for the valentines rush. The evening started with us waiting for 20 min at out table before we spoke to our waiter. Then bus boys kept bringing out our food and they didnt know who it belonged to so they would go from table to table asking everyone if the food belonged to them. When our main course arrived it was cold to the touch,so since we dont like cold steak we sent it back. Once our food arrived it was good, But nothing about this place made me say wow except the bill. When you spend over 300 dollars for a dinner you dont expect service to be an issue. I wish I would have taken my date somewhere else.

• Pros: the food was good
• Cons: the food was just good not spectacular

10/12/08

Great Ambience...

by robinpoo at Citysearch

I have been to the Raymond on two different occasions with different people each time. It is a nice group spot...for a small group (6-8 people) although the restaurant is not very large, it is just the right size so that you don't feel crowded and you don't have to yell to hear the person next to you. The decor/ ambience is warm and inviting, allowing for an overall enjoyable experience. The service is good...the wait staff are friendly and right on with their suggestions on items to eat and drink.

• Pros: Ambience, Service, Food
• Cons: Only one bathroom, not kid friendly

09/11/08

great food , great service , best romantic spot in pasadena hands down

by kirby7071 at Citysearch

the food is great the service just as good. the food and drinks are a little pricey but well worth it.

• Pros: food , service , parking
• Cons: price , kind of hidden

05/30/08

Sub par service

by smileymetoo at Citysearch

My partner and I have driven by the historic place for years, but we had never tried it so we decided to go during the week on a Tuesday evening. The decor was reflective of its history and the food was good, but the service was definitely sub par, which brought down the overall experience of this establishment. The restaurant was not very busy, but our waiter was not attentive at all. He did not ever once stop by our table to ask us how was our appetizer or meal, or if we needed anything. We also had a bottle of sparkling water, but our empty glasses were never topped off by any of the servers during our evening. For the price that we paid for our dinner, we would have expected much better service. While the food was good, I would rather spend my dollars elsewhere with service to match, especially in this great city of restaurant paradise.

• Pros: good food
• Cons: poor service

Pasadena landmark craftsman cottage offers New American cuisine.

by Contributor at Citysearch

In Short
This historic mainstay, once part of a grand hotel, features a warm dark wood interior and lush candlelit patios, which provide a balance between intimacy for quiet romance and comfort for indulgent dining. The menu has been infused with eclectic touches, adding European hints such as pork chops with an herbed mustard crust and pate maison, a lighter ground pate served with pears. Brunch offers everything from apple fritters to the signature Raymond curry.

03/05/08

Best Date Spot for the Grundge Crowd with Kids

by cdesigner at Citysearch

Following the advice of this web site I took someone here on a "First Date". The food was excellent. The service was beyond reproach. The experience was going real well ................ Then, no less then six twentysomething couples with infants were seated right next to us. One mother proceded to change a diaper and the noise level in the room doubled. I won't be dining here again for a long time and especially not on a first date.

• Pros: Excellent food and service
• Cons: They let babies in the front door (what were they thinking)

11/05/07

Bridal shower brunch was fantastic!

by oprygirl at Citysearch

I had a my bridal shower in the outside garden, and it was beautiful, the food was delicious and the service was great! I will definitely be back...and hopefully soon!

08/06/07

Great atmosphere!

by gks at Citysearch

Yummm! Tthe food here was very VERY good, and the ambiance was worth every penny. My only complaint was that it took quite a while for the bottle of wine we ordered to be served, and though I'd asked for a dry riesling I was given one that was quite sweet. Not that it's that big of a deal, but I did expect better, and it did have an impact. That said, the food was delicious and the chocolate moelleux was to die for....really, don't miss it! And I LOVED the atmosphere.