Den Cafe — Restaurant in Santa Ana

After having been away from OC for a while (more than 3 years), all I could think about was getting my hands on a bowl of their Adobe Stew ...omgs, its AMAZING (especially with extra cheese and chips) a large pirate chai, and some Gypsy Fries....so I went in, and to my shock, surprise, and absolute elation....THEY NOW HAVE A BAR!!!! .....So of course I had to try Every speciality cocktail on the menu (I suggest the Laced Gypsy, Vicky's Blended Sangria, and Dani's Purple Rain......yeah, I drank enough to make friends with most of the staff, and then came back and made friends with the rest of them) The ambiance makes it one of my favorite places in central OC, and its absolutely NOTHING like the douchey, hipster infested one at the LAB in Costa Mesa. The musicians that are there for open mic nights (Tues and Thursdays) are almost All amazing, and eventually I'm confident I will find someone, or a band from the Friday shows, that I can get signed. The staff is AWESOME. They have a tarot reader there the 1st and 3rd Friday nights of the month, and sometimes on Saturdays. And there is almost always a live local band performing on Friday nights as well, or occasionally a couple of DJs playing some very interesting sets. If you have a sweet tooth, I absolutely suggest the creme brulee. The people who were complaining that the service can be slow....well, I cant say they are "wrong" per se, but it is an art house cafe called THE GYPSY DEN, if you want to go rushing about and stressing out, then this place is NOT for you. TGD is for sitting down, ENJOYING your cafe francais and creme brulee, listening to some music, gabbing with your friends, the staff, or the ballerina/punk rocker next to you for a bit, and then enjoying a (few) glass(s) of Vicky's amazing sangria. So, go on a Friday night for a reading, live music, and really good cocktails. OR go on literally ANY idle afternoon for a creme brulee and a cafe au lait and just enjoy the ambiance. As long as you're not trying to rush, there is absolutely NO WAY these people could disappoint you. They rock. The (pescetarian) menu rocks. The bar rocks. The Reader Rocks. The venue itself ROCKS......it just doesn't rush....ever. Hope you have as great of an...

A casual spot in the middle of #dtsa offering an impressive selection of drinks and entrees in what could be best described as an oversized Victorian parlor. I'm talking about dozens of framed prints, paintings, photos, bookcases, wooden tables of varying sizes, crystal-looking vases, gilded candleholders, and threadbare rugs. It's a double-height space in an old masonry building with plate-glass windows. There is a small patio off the promenade.

Their cocktail menu goes beyond the obligatory Bloody Marys and endless mimosas. I had a Rosedrop martini made with vodka and rose syrup. It was small, but it packed a punch and was absolutely delicious! Those with a sweet tooth will love it. My friend had the Lavender Fields which featured Bulleit bourbon mixed with lavender and orange bitters. They gave it a thumbs up.

Smoked Salmon Hash is now my new obsession. The potatoes were a nice size like dice without the snake eyes. They were crunchy, smoky, and grilled perfectly. A generous helping of peppers and onions was in the mix - all topped by a sunny-side-up egg. I ate the whole thing. No leftovers! My friend had the tuna melt. You could hear the crunch in every bite. It was a nice size and came with a small side salad.

I must admit the drinks were a little pricey, but YOLO, amirite? I'll stick with beer or seltzer next time, but there will definitely be...

Friend suggested coming here on Sunday around 1pm after browsing around Patchworks (arts/crafts festival). We were seated quickly. The menu was very simple, had about 15 items, no pictures on menu, just words. I consulted with Yelp pictures and saw some tasty items, but didn't see them on the menu. When the waiter came back, I showed him the pictures from Yelp, but sadly he said that they got a new head chef with a new vision so the former items are not available.

I ended up going with the Everything Bagel, which included tomatoes, some type of fish, bits of hardboil egg sprinkled throughout, light arugula, over some kind of sauce, all on an everything bagel. It was definitely tasty, but mine had a little bit too much sauce.

I also tried the fries with pork belly over egg dish. It was definitely tasty, but heavy. I felt quite sluggish and thirsty after this meal.

Service was great. Different staff members came by to check on us. They kept on apologizing for being backed-up and slow, but we didn't mind since we weren't in a hurry.

Interior decor is interesting in a good way. My friend and I were seated in the back so we had lots of privacy to catch up since most other tables are out in the open and noisier. I probably wouldn't come back again with lots of different options popping up...