Mariachi band performing outside Pasadena City Hall

Eat & Drink

Where to eat in Pasadena

Pasadena hides one of LA County's most underrated food scenes: Michelin-listed tasting menus, ramen bars with real lines, Cal-Italian institutions and family-run bakeries on nearly every corner.

Dinner worth planning around

Union Restaurant
Cal-Italian tasting with hand-made pastas and a 20-seat counter. Book two weeks out.
Bone Kettle
Southeast-Asian broths simmered 24 hours, plus one of Old Town's best bar programs.
Osawa
Shabu-shabu and sukiyaki in a Colorado Blvd storefront that stays busy on weeknights.

Noodles, sandwiches & lunch

Ramen Tatsunoya
Silky Fukuoka-style tonkotsu. There's always a line — put your name in and shop.
Perry's Joint
The sandwich shop locals never gave up, with soul on the stereo.
Lucky Boy
Breakfast burritos the size of a forearm, best eaten in the parking lot at 8am.

Coffee & bakeries

Copa Vida
Third-wave beans and a sunny Playhouse District patio built for laptops.
Amara Chocolate & Coffee
Colombian hot chocolate and pan de bono near Lake Ave.
Pie 'n Burger
A 1963 counter where the pie case is the whole point.

Drinks & rooftops

The Blind Donkey
150+ whiskeys in a wood-lined room off a brick alley.
Café Santorini
Rooftop Mediterranean over Old Town — the golden-hour table in Pasadena.
The Raymond 1886
Craft cocktails in a converted 1886 Craftsman cottage.

How locals eat

Three easy Pasadena food nights

Walkable routes you can do without moving your car twice.

Historic brick arcades and dining patios in Old Pasadena

1
Ramen crawl
Tatsunoya for tonkotsu, then whiskey at The Blind Donkey two alleys over.
2
Date night
Cocktails at The Raymond 1886, dinner at Union, dessert walking Colorado Blvd.
3
Sunday morning
Lucky Boy burrito, coffee at Copa Vida, then the Rose Bowl loop to walk it off.

Keep exploring