Bacchus Kitchen + Wine Bar — Restaurant in Pasadena

Housed in a quaint brick building transports away from Pasadena and into Western Europe. Bacchus' Kitchen is a New American take on classic, mostly European dishes.

The wine bottles are modestly priced ($35-$80) with a few available by the glass ($13+). A handful of beer and water to choose from, including a 2019 vintage of Pasadena Water for $0 (we had a chuckle when we saw that on the menu). They also have San Pellegrino sodas and espresso beverages.

We ordered a bottle of Altolandon Doña Leo (a Spanish Manchuela white wine), appetizers lamb belly and lemongrass curry with tiger shrimp & clams, main dishes pan seared scallops and beef bourguignon, and shared the panna cotta.

The meal started with an amuse-bouche consisting of a crustini topped with a sliced and peeled tomato, sea salt, olive oil and fresh basil. It was a nice pallet cleanser for the appetizers.

This was the first time I've had lamb belly. I've had countless pork belly, so I was intrigued to try a lamb version. Lamb belly doesn't have the same fat-to-protein ratio as pork belly, so don't expect a thick layer of crispy fat. The more lean crispy meat had a beautiful concentration of the delicious gamey lamb flavor, which contrasted well with the white vinegared apples and fennel.

The lemongrass curry with tiger shrimp and clams were even better than the lamb belly. A lovely medium spiced lemongrass curry with fresh clams and large tiger shrimp. The two slices of rustic toasted bread was the right medium to sop-up the curry.

The pan seared scallops were perfectly cooked medium with a golden brown crust. The tender center had a delicate ocean brine with a subtle sweetness. The large couscous with carrots, fennel root and garlic was a lovely side with sugar snap peas and wild mushrooms over a creamy tomato sauce.

My fiance had the beef bourguignon. I only had a bite, so I can't go into too much detail, especially since it's not photographed in this review. The mashed potatoes were creamy and the mushrooms brought out the savory flavor of the meat.

The panna cotta was amazing. The vanilla bean topped panna cotta sits on a puree of passion fruit and is complemented by blackberries.

All in all, we'd come back for the lemongrass curry tiger shrimp and clams, the pan seared scallops, beef bourguignon, and...

The only thing better than the food was the service. I went in with a friend to celebrate our birthdays. We were waited on by Paige, who was really delightful. We didn't like the table we were first given, but the manager, Brandon, was truly gracious. When it opened up, he moved us to a two top in the corner. It turned out to be the best table in the restaurant. The owner came over and greeted us. He was low key and welcoming.

We started with the crab cakes which were very good. Three good sized cakes came on the plate - plenty enough to share - with Asian slaw and a lightly spicy remoulade. The cakes were fresh and light, with the outside fried to a delicate crisp. Pretty much perfection.

For the main course, I had the sea scallops with polenta and a truly tasty caramelized onion. The presentation was lovely, the taste was even better. This was paired with a glass of the 2018 Godello, which was light, crisp, golden, and surprisingly delicious.

They gave us a complementary birthday dessert of flourless chocolate cake with dolce de leche ice cream. Also delicious.

Overall a 5 star experience. Thank you, Claude. I'll be returning to this little...

Went for Valentine’s Day dinner… keep in mind that most “holiday” meals with a set menu are generally inflated in costs. But showcase the “best of…” the restaurants offerings.

In this case the food was tasty…IF you have the stomach capacity of a 4 year old. You know those fancy restaurants that have one or two bites of food and some swirled sauces on the plate for presentation… welp, this was a version of that.

Portions were ridiculously small almost angry worthy. The food quality and flavor is good but cmon, 4 pieces of tofu? In an Italian restaurant? Beet salad with literally one slice of beet and 1.5 bites of cabbage?

It was like getting served after dinner mint sized portions for your actual meal.

Server was nice, I’d give a 4 out of 5 since he did not follow up at all after the initial order or check on drinks.

Oh and an automatic 20% gratuity on the check.

All in all the food is tasty, service is good by today’s lower standards, but the price to value ratio is -5 stars

But hey if you’re on a diet, this is the place to go!!! 5 bites and your whole meal is done!!

Might be worth a chance to try again on a regular menu and dining...