The Crepevine Bistro
Categories: Wine Bars, Creperies [Edit]
Neighborhood: Pasadena36 W Colorado Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91105 (626) 796-7250
- Hours:
Tue-Wed 11:00 a.m.-11:00 p.m.
Thu 11:00 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-2:00 a.m.
Sun 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Garage
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Dinner
- Music: Live
- Best Nights: Mon, Wed, Fri
- Happy Hour: No
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
117 Reviews for The Crepevine Bistro
One of The Crepevine Bistro's Favorite Reviews
First off, I have to say that I HAD NO IDEA this or the other place I mention below were here... and I live close by too...
I met up with someone here. We had both already had lunch, so we decided on coffee. We originally met at Equator across the alleyway, but they did not have A/C and we voted to go to the Crepe Vine instead, which the guy at Equator had no problem suggesting because of the lack of A/C and he was actually chilling out in there as well.
We shared the Moulin Crepe, which had sliced bananas, a rum sauce, and a nice big scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. As hot as it is today, the ice cream really hit the spot.
I do have to say the crepe was much better than at Acadie (apologies to my sister-in-law if you're reading this) in Santa Monica.
I would definitely love to come back for a meal and some wine. My companion said the duck confit flatbread pizza is good.
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The service here is so great. We went one night and the only seating was outside. The waitress noticed that I was cold and brought me her coat to keep me warm! The food was fantastic. This restaurant definitely goes on our favorite list.
ooOo I went to CREPE VINE BISTRO againnnn....
and sadly my favorite seater / host Lucas is leaving for New York...
He's the nicest guy!
this time around i tried something different... and im so glad i did....
loved the tuna tartare and the caesar salad. OMG
and Oneil -- u are the best waiter ever -- thanks for carding us.
we heart u.
i once again, confirmed i love crepe vine bistro.
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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07/23/2008
so my fellow foodie Austin suggested Crepevine Bistro
.... I went with full trust in my virtual chef… Read more »
This place is delicious!!! I feel my opinion matters because if you've seen my post on restaurants you know I LOVE FOOD! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE to eat!!! Anyway.... they have really good enpanadas stuffed with avocado, onion and cheese. Wow....Also they have a great list of Martini's!!!
I gave it 4 stars because I had a wait a long time for a refill on my water. Other than that the FOOD was great!
Plus its in a perfect area...stores, night life, FOOD!!! LOL You can take a nice stroll after dinner or get your booty shake on!!
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I'm not really sure what good/great crepes are supposed to taste like....but I can say that the crepes we had here didn't really taste that great to me.
Between my friend Jenny and I, we ordered 2 crepes and a tuna tartare. The tuna didn't taste very fresh and it was very....bland, almost didn't even have the natural taste of the tuna itself left in it either. But a pleasant side note is, they'd keep bringing you more croutons on the side.
We both had an entree crepe (chicken & seafood). The chicken tasted like canned meat, actually i could swear it was, and the whole thing was just way too salty for me. And after that, I didn't even feel like wasting my money and room in my stomach to even try the dessert crepes.
I suppose it'd be unfair to say the food was terrible, but wasn't really that great either. But their service was good, prompt and friendly, very attentive. I'm open to trying the place again, but prolly only when I really can't find anything else to eat in Pasadena.
Do you ever walk through a ghetto-ish alleyway smelling of homeless vomit, then suddenly walk through a door into a cleanest, stylin' french cafe with Amelie soundtracks playing on someone iPod and a smiling waitress offering a glass of wine? Yeah...that was fun.
For a wine bar selection of food and wines, the prices were reasonable. The selection of crepes weren't that exotic as you may imagine given the intense decor. They really try and shove the Frenchness into your gullet (or is it goulet?).
The wine selection was fantastic. We sampled 3 different ones and did not break the bank. A very wide selection of varietals you'd expect like Chardonnay, Cabernet, Zinfandel...and then a handful of slightly random ones: Moscato d'Asti, Meritage, and an Italian-sounding one I had to Google later.
When we went on a crowded weekend afternoon, there were only 2 waitresses with 10 active tables, 1 carry-outer, and 5 people at the bar. Despite being bombarded with customers, they were professional, courteous, always cheerful, and efficient with their wines and food. Awesome job, ladies.
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I hate how some eateries use smelly towels to clean their tables, you know, those mildew smelling towels. After about 10 minutes the scent dissipated but it didn't help my appetite.
We stopped by for only dessert after our stomachs swelled up from El Arco Iris. I had the simple crepe, we also ordered a strawberry with nutella, strawberry flambei concoction that we asked them to make (with added ice cream), and a moulin rouge I think.
My simple crepe with lemon juice, sugar and butter was good but did get a little boring about halfway. But I still did finish it by myself. Mostly everyone enjoyed their crepe but a warning to those who like their crepe without sauce drizzling or swimming it in, most of them are served like that here.
+1 star for overhearing it was someone's bday and bringing out a complimentary crepe
-1 star for forgettting that we asked for the special order strawberry crepe a la mode and then pretending he didn't hear us ask for it the first time around
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1 Previous Review: Show all »
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03/17/2007
Inspired by Jaggle's excursion to this bistro, I made it a point to try it ASAP because sweet crepes… Read more »
Celebrated mines and my sis' birthday and had a wonderful time! We were seated immediately even though it was 845P on a Saturday. Our waiter was extremely helpful and I think the owner was there that night ( based on fellow yelper's description of her). She was very friendly and thoughtful,,, always asking us if we were okay. We started off with an order of the BRUSCHETTA. My sister ordered the Carnitas pizza which was delicious, the portion was pretty generous ( maybe split between 2 gals). My cousin and I both ordered the Chicken and mushroom crepe, I am not usually a fan crepes that are not sweet, but this was great! It had just the right amount of sauce so its not dry or too mushy. We finished our meals off with the Moulin Crepe.. delicious! The place is not too big, I personally like the coziness, but I recc making reservations if possible.
I came here spontaneously with Aileen V. and Stephanie B. We wanted a girls night together and we all happened to get off work late so then we met up with each other in Alhambra.
It was kinda late and luckily this place was opened unlike other places around here.
We entered and the people here were really nice. They seated us and gave us the menus which looked so yummy.
We got the
- ceviche (not worth it here... it wasn't that appetizing anyways, it was soggy)
- Duck Pizza which was DELICIOUS!!! I loved it so much! It was my favorite!!!!
- The Smoked salmon club which was a surprise for us because we told the guy to pick one for us since we were so undecisive... REALLY good as well!!
- We each got a wine and we were all pretty happy with our choices
- Then we got the cinnamon crepe al la mode which was soooo wonderful... it really reminded me of cinnamon toast crunch!!
My favorite part was that we got to have a girls night and we did get a little loud but no one minded at all and the staff here was wonderful!!
Favorite part of the night was being silly with the girls here and no complaints!!
"My package got here really quick... Shanghai, CN is in what state? Connecticut?"
"We need to take the international airport to chicago"
I was orginally wanted to rate this a 4.5 star but since the ceviche wasn't so great here i rounded down.
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I came with Natalie T. and Aileen V. for a girls night. We ate, we drank and we laughed ... a lot :o)
This place is a little hard to find because it's in a alley way next to Jake's. The easiest way to park is in the structure on De Lacey or on Fairoaks. It's right in between.
The staff was really nice and polite. Natalie T. forgot to mention our waiter though, he was quite a character and a little quirky. We got the Ceviche, Smoked Salmon, and Duck Con Fit Pizza. The ceviche had this weird mushy consistency but what were we thinking ordering ceviche at a crepe place. The smoked salmon club was good and tasty. The pizza was the best, the crust was thin and had just the right amount of toppings. Not too much cheese, sauce or duck.
There's also a good selection of wines there and they were really nice about letting us sample it before we ordered. I think i went through 3 samples before deciding.
To top off a great night we had the cinnamon crepe a' la mode for dessert. It was so good i wanted to lick all the sauce off the plate ... lol.
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Ahhh, a night with your favorite girls...
Ok so we really wanted something ethic for some reason, and we settled on Crepevine bistro. Ok i wouldn't say it was the ethnic route we were going for, but it sufficed!
We came and it was a very great ambiance. Not too many people were there...we sat down and contemplated on ordering almost all of the specials that night since we were quite hungry. Luckily this time, we refrained. We debated on which wine we wanted, so we sampled about like 4 and we were already a bit buzzed before we actually settled on what we wanted.
The Duck Con Fit Pizza was scrumptious. The Smoked Salmon was quite tasty. The ceviche was not so pleasant. It was mushy and resembled a bit like baby food...yuck. That one wasn't a hit.
So plenty laughs later, Steph was in charge of ordering dessert and it was the perfect ending to the night. The crepe was soooooo good. It wasn't a heavy with alot of additions, it simply was a crepe in a cinnamon sauce with some ice cream. OH delicious!
I learned here that Shanghai is a city in Cinncinati, and Bankock is the capital of China. And I know extraordinary is a one worder ok? Please remind me next time in case i do decide to use it again as a two worder. =D
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Went there on a late Saturday afternoon. Pretty empty, about 2 tables filled.
Food: Tuna tartare - 5/5. Excellent and filling. Huge portion, paired w/ buttered bruschetta. Smoked salmon flatbread - 4/5. Yummy at first bite; eventually my tongue became numb from what tasted like a salt-shaker spilling onto my flatbread. I could barely taste the cream cheese sauce. I removed the capers, thinking it was the salty culprit. Nope, it was the smoked salmon. I could only eat 2 slices. I took the rest home, and it sat in my fridge for 2 days before I threw it out. I swear I got a headache after this meal, from salt-overload. The bf ordered the steak and cheese crepe. Very mushy and cheesy. I only had a bite and didn't really like it. The bf finished it, but he finishes everything.
Service: Can't say anything bad about it. The waitress was nice, but never refilled our water. No biggie.
I'd come back to try the dessert crepes. Oh, and the wine. By the time we left, the tables had filled up.
Chances are, you don't know where the hell this place is located, and will have to trade $1for information from one of the beggars on Colorado Blvd. What you need to know, it's nextdoor to Jake's. OK, you don't know where or what Jake's is. So, you know where Abercrombie is? Of course you do. So about 5 or 6 shops over from Abercrombie you'll find Jake's, a burger joint. It's adjacent to this alley way of sorts, if you hang a right down this alley way, you can't miss it. If you're coming from the opposite direction, and let's face it, you're coming from Cheesecake factory, the same directions apply.....only you'll make a left at the end, right. You'll see some other cool things going on in this alley, but let's stick to our plan and check out The Crepevine, K?
It's a little room, which is very cozy and perfect for dates or a girl's night out. If you're just some dudes looking to smash, then this certainly isn't the place for you. The wines are very nice, the list provides excellent options, and compliments the entrees on the menu. We like to order plates and share them tapas style, avoiding entree envy at all cost. What makes this place a great find is that it's off the beaten path. You don't get the noise of cars or people, and being in an alley, it reminds you of other cities, in other towns, in other parts of the world....very cool
The food here was good - I had the french dip (a bit greasy because of grilled bread instead of french roll) and the duck confit pizza. For better bistro-y/wine-y food in Old Pasadena, I suggest Cafe Bizou or Vertical Wine Bistro. However, I'm giving this place a solid 4 star because the atmosphere is very casual and kickback, and the service rocks! We were sitting at a table near the bar, and both the bartender and waitress were at our beck-and-call for almost everything, and they did it without attitude, all smiles. One of the best service experience I had in an LA restaurant in a while...
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We went here for dessert and a glass of wine. While they were out of my first choice for both dessert and wine, my second choices I was very pleased with. The dessert crepes are great if a tad bit over-priced. But the dessert wines are a pretty good deal.
The only drawback was that the atmosphere seems like it should be laid-back and relaxed but the damn singer was so loud it was hard to hear someone sitting right across from me. Yet I still hope to return to try the dinner options soon.
I read about this spot on Yelp and was confused - I'd been on that stretch of Colorado a million times and have never seen it. It's neatly tucked away just west of Fair Oaks, between Cheesecake Factory and the Apple Store, right behind Jake's Billiards in a little alleyway. It's location makes it uniquely secluded in the midst of the foot traffic of Old Pas. Outdoor and indoor seating and a nice bar with a relaxed, calming atmosphere. Make reservations if you're going during peak hours as it fills up fast. Live music on the weekends at night.
The food is great - bruschetta is done well. Their duck confit pizza (or crepe) is delicious and memorable. The halibut is done perfectly and melts in your mouth. We tried the garden vegetable crepe and I probably wouldn't recommend this. It's not bad but pales in comparison to their other selections. The dessert crepes are worth saving room for. Moulin crepe - bananas, rum sauce, vanilla ice cream. Apple pie crepe - the apples are thinly sliced and add the perfect texture to the crepe. The cinnamon crepe and the nutella crepes are classic. Wish they had some chestnut cream selections though. Nice wine list. We finished our meal with a beautiful Sauterne and they had a nice collection of Port. The service was the highlight - attentive, helpful, friendly and they know the menu and provide wonderful recommendations. Personally, I think the food and wine are better here than Cafe Bizou and worth a stop if you're nearby.
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i love the tuna tartar the best ever also the lady owner is extremely nice
keep up the good work !!!
I love this place to pieces. I've been here for lunch and dinner a few times already and can't wait for another opportunity to go back. The service was good, the food is fantastic and the ambiance is cozy and romantic. It gave me that New York restaurant feeling (small, dark and cramped-but in a good way). I usually don't eat fish at all because I'm very particular (must be fresh, so that I can't smell or taste the "fishiness"), but I sampled the Chilean sea bass and it was delicious. I had crepes both times during dinner and it was just to die for. Great place for a romantic dinner.
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The Crepe Vine Bistro was the destination of choice for a Sunday afternoon Father's Day (sans fathers) with the fam. I have to say, the service was really good. Not great, as they weren't totally on top of empty ice tea and water glasses, but the hostess and the waitress were super friendly and the adorable French waitress recommended the best wine to go with my flat bread Venison with apples and goat cheese pizza, which btw is delicious; perfect combo of savory, sweet and creamy, mmmm!
We also had the Bruschetta and I've honestly never had better. I'm not saying it's the best ever in the world, all I know is it made my mouth very very happy.
For dessert I chose the Simple Crepe. Butter, lemon and confectioner's sugar. It was yummy; sweet, tart, buttery goodness.
Overall a totally delightful restaurant experience. The food was delicious, the staff was knowledgeable and fun and the atmosphere was casual and comfortable.
I will be back and I highly recommend!
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loved by yelp
voted best place for a first date a few years ago by some Pasadena area newspaper thing?
OK...on to whether you should come here or not. It depends on how much you like crepes and wine...those being the focus of the restaurant. I had flatbread pizza because I did not feel very creppy that day. I went with several friends who all got something different. I like it when that happens because you get to try stuff out without ordering everything.
Tried two different flatbreads...smoked salmon...and the venison apple ones.
Tried the club crepe and the chicken and mushroom crepe...there was also a strogonoff crepe on the table.
So after all those...the crepes were actually really really good. I liked my pizza, but the smoked salmon had a very overwhelming saltiness to it, but it's cool because when you have something salty that totally justifies you ordering a tall frosty glass of beer. Stella actually helped with the taste of the pizza...i don't know if those cooks or snobby foodies will agree with that statement, but trust me...i eat.
The staff is very polite, so you won't feel like they're not paying attention. I think the owner and the waitress for the table both make sure you're doing ok with your food, so that was nice. the place is small and comfy like. i liked it....that's why i recommend it.
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Okay...I've been back 2x since i wrote my review last and def deserves another star!
take note: the place isn't very big; i feel like this place is good for groups up to 6 or 7 because the place itself has a lot more tables for two or four.
back to the food:
probably the one thing that i would recommend not getting is the chicken and mushroom crepe...kind of bland. their asparagus and spinach dip is TINY (but good)...def not worth 12 dollars.
my friend & sister, however, had a special French grilled sandwich that had sauted onions, steak, mushrooms on this really greasy (BUT DELICIOUS) open faced bread (found out its called the hunchback sandwich). not the best description but trust me it was good.
the duck confit crepe is really savory and flavorful. even my mom ate all of it and she hardly ever finishes anything except soup. mushroom and avocado sandwich is tasty as well. mushrooms are kinda too big for the bread but....just use a fork.
okay now to the important stuff...DESSERT! the nutella banana and strawberry crepe is really good and it was a generous portion too! Good amount to share with 2 (big eaters)-3 ppl. the vanilla flame crepe is really good as well. def on the lighter side. ALWAYS get with ice cream.
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We went on a double date late-dinner here with my date's friend and his lady friend on a Sunday night. It was only us and another party that were there, so we were able to have an intimate dinner. What impressed me the most here was that it was very cozy, as many have already said. The food really wasn't my thing though. I ordered the chicken + mushroom crepe and it was a bit on the salty side than what I preferred. I might give this place another try one day because I like being in there, but as for the food, maybe I just need to get something else (wine, dessert, etc) to impress me.
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lovely, quaint little bistro. faux french pictures on the walls and a decent wine list. my boyfriend and i shared a pizza and had some wine, both of which were delicious. the service was friendly and quick. we want to come back for that french dip which looked amazing. i would recommend this place for a relaxing night.. to have a small dinner and some wine. =)
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so the BF and I were in old town to check out elements kitchen. but, to our dismay they were closing early...boo!
so what were we to do? i am a little mi piace'ed out and the only thing i want from the cheesecake factory is cheesecake. so we go to the apple store and turn to yelp for help. the crepevine bistro pops up and i am excited.
we walk in and i am still excited. there's a big party in the back of the restaurant and a smiling friendly server seats us. when it comes time to order we, for some reason, don't order a crepe. what's wrong with us?!
lunch was ok...french onion soup, their version of a caprese, and smoked salmon flatbread. i've never been a fan of french onion. it was ok, though. the caprese salad was light, fresh, and tasty. the smoked salmon flatbread was ok. i loved the crust...so crispy in the right way. there could've been more purple onion. overall, it was a little on the NaCl salty side. we saw these other people eating a carnitas flatbread...and they were GRUBBIN. crepe and carnitas flatbread next time.
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I was here a year ago, worst crepe I have ever had. The place itself is small and cramped, which I can deal with. It took forever to get our food. They had a window where you can see in the kitchen, and I swear I saw them throw away so many crepes. They may be students from the cooking school, I'm not sure. When we finally did get our food, it was cold. I have had North Africans throw some batter on a hot lid in Paris and they tasted 200x better than this. Perhaps they have gotten better in a year, but this is definitely not worth trying.
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To be fair, I should start out by saying that I have never had their food. But 5 stars to the wine, the ppl, and the atmosphere. I was surprised to type up the name and find 94 other reviews on this place. It's such a cozy little place, I didn't realize so many people knew about it! Anyhow, I usually go on Wed or Thur nights and there is always someone sitting at a little corner performing soothing, chill music.
Apparently they have discontinued my favoriate wine - Chianti, but have other medium-bodied wine available. Will update review after trying out the food.
This place is VERY, VERY cute. It's small, hidden in an alley, and has cute "bistro"-like decor. I like the big fat chandelier you see when you walk in. Also, they manage to squeeze a two-person jazzish band (trumpet and bass guitar) into a 5 square feet area in the corner.
It's a bit crowded, and you're pretty much going to hear all the surrounding conversations. From my eavesdropping, there seemed to be a lot of first dates and get-to-know-you type chatter. The waiter was also a bit off. He just spoke very loudly for some reason, but was very friendly.
The only real issue about this place is the the food isn't mind-blowing. We ordered the steak tartare (which was very good, but the only very good thing), carnitas crepe (tasted like a burrito, but less ..Mexican), and duck confit pizza (which was OK, about CPK caliber). However, the prices are very reasonable (few things over $12-15) so it's a great place to impress a cheap date (and if necessary, hide him/her away from the old town crowds so no one sees how low you've stooped).
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I was trying to give this place a 3.5 star but the live jazz music (on some nights) boosts it a 4 star.
The food is definitely on the heavier side. If you are with your salad- eating- model friend stay away from the crepes! All the crepes come with a hollandaise sauce.
The flatbread pizzas are a pretty good option. I had the venison and apple flatbread pizza, and wow that was pretty darn tasty. =D. My deer hugging friend had a slice and then asked what venison was. She did a pretty good deer in headlights. Doh! Ok, enuff of the deer jokes...
Salad with apples... decent.
Mozza & tomato salad... decent.
Tuna Tartare... good.
Venison with apple pizza... EXCELLENT!
You can park in the Fair Oaks and Green parking lot. First 90 minutes are free.
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Yummy yummy in my tummy!
Seriously totally outstanding service & food. The servers are attentive, you'll never have to wave a server down to refill your drink as they check up on you consistently but not in the annoying way.
I recommend the club salmon, the wine, and the strawberry banana crepe.
Very good, cute wine bistro! I have been here twice for drinks and dessert or appetizers.
The staff in both situations has been amazing, walking you through your wine selections. The appetizers and desserts were also good in my opinion. I have not eaten dinner here, but would really like to try it.
I would highly recommend if you want a glass of nice wine.
This place is small and hard to find, but it's definitely a sophisticated place in old town Pasadena. They got good crepe and wine variation. I just like to get the tuna tartar, a crepe with a glass of pinot noir. Their soup are pretty good too.
This place has a delicious variety of savory crepes and the best mac n-cheese in town! The desserts and wine are also excellent.
It's a good idea to make reservations because the place gets packed. The service can suck depending on who your waiter is, but overall, it's awesome!
UPDATE: So I went to Crepevine this past weekend to get some mac-n-cheese and they informed me that they no longer make it!! I was devastated! And I was even more devastated that they gave me some lame excuse as to why they no longer make it. They said that they had a kitchen fire and since then the menu has changed. This makes no sense at all! Did the one pot they used to make mac-n-cheese get destroyed in the fire?? Anyways, the other food I ordered was fine, but not great. I am changing my star rating from 4 to 2 stars because the mac-n-cheese is gone and because the service there was really quite horrible this past weekend (last I checked, it shouldn't take 15 minutes to ask us what we want to drink...especially when we are the only people in the12ftx12ft restaurant.)
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I love the atmosphere here. Its such a quaint, cute restaurant and its cozy and perfect for a date. I have been here many times, but mostly pre-fire. I think things have changed unfortunately. I still enjoy the place, but the food has definitely changed.
I remember that there used to be more savory crepes available on their menu, but on my last visit, it seemed that the list of savory crepes was severely lacking. I know the restaurant says they had to change the menu because of the problems with the hood that caused the kitchen fire, but limiting the number of savory crepes doesn't seem to fit in with that.
I ordered the chicken and mushroom crepe, which I had had before, and while it was still good, it was not nearly as good as it used to be. The bechamel sauce used to be much smoother and creamier. It seemed kind of clumpy this time around.
I like that they offer wine flights, and basically I was able to choose any four wines offered by glass on the list to taste. I'm disappointed that the Crepe Vine doesn't seem to be the same place I used to visit, but I'l try it again in the hopes that it was having an off night.
You may have experienced this before: finally building the nerve to ask out the temptuous co-worker or flirtatious classmate you've been eyeing for months. But at your bravest hour, she declines gracefully and says it's a 'timing' issue. "I'm sorry. I'm really into my career (or education) right now. And plus, your breath smells like Ruffles and your Member's Only jacket needs dry cleaning."
On that premise, it's a little painful giving Crepevine Bistro a measly two stars. Deep down, I know they deserve better. However, the timing wasn't right. When phoning in the reservation, it would've been nice to know that their popular menu was not fully available due to a couple of kitchen fires they've had recently--leaving their kitchen less than optimally functional. As a result, the menu was a single page, both sides. Only two dinner crepes were available. Had we have known, we could've gone somewhere else.
Our waiter was apologetic, but it's hard to remedy the situation when our expectations were predetermined to be unfulfilled. Nevertheless, he was gracious and helpful yet talked as loud as TV commercials during your favorite sitcom.
The steak and cheese pizza was a recommendation given to me, but it didn't tantalize the tastebuds enough. The outer crust was too taxing to bite into. It tasted "healthy" which I couldn't comprehend since I wanted steak and cheese on my pizza. Weird.
I also sampled a couple of my dining partners' sweet crepes, but they lacked the flamboyance I'm normally used to with this kind of dessert. The scent of the dessert should seduce me. I want my dessert to talk dirty to me and make my toes curl with each bite. Unfortunately for last night, the desserts that night only wanted to cuddle and nothing more.
I give this place an E for Effort. Maybe when the timing is right, we can try to reignite the passion. But until then, I'll probably be dining elsewhere when I return to Pasadena. Don't worry though--It's not you...It's me. Really.
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Tucked away in a side alley / side walkway in Pasadena, this very romantic and cozy spot reminded me of the perfect place to take a significant other or yourself, sit, and relax.
Unfortunately, the timing of our visit last night fell after their fire from a couple of weeks ago. Actually, while trying to find the place, a couple walking by told us that it was closed due to a fire. Not true.
When I first walked it, I was pleasantly surprised. Fresh paint, nice vintage style French posters on the walls, and a charming atmosphere. After sitting down and looking at the menu, I realized the true results of the fire: over half of the menu is gone - leaving behind things that are either baked or freshly prepared.
But, don't let this detour you. The food is still excellent. I had a nice glass of wine from their wine list and my partner had a glass of beer. The steak tartar was excellent and the capers and the sauce.. mmmm. I ordered the Salmon pizza with cream cheese cream sauce and he ordered Steak and Cheese Pizza. Excellent. I am so happy that we split the pizzas and shared... I just wanted the great tastes never to end.
Dinner for the both of us was around 54 dollars and worth ever cent. I give this place 5 stars because they've done wonders with their new menu and the prices are respectable to the location, the quality of service, and the quality of the food.
I would definitely go back there again.
FYI: The website clearly explains the fire situation. I've cut and pasted it here so people aren't surprised at the menu when they go in.
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Valued customers, we had another kitchen fire on Friday, Oct 12th. We determined that we cannot use our hood system in this space so we have changed our menu to accommodate our situation. Our Amazing chefs have been very creative and I am proud of what they have come up with. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience we may have caused, but we hope you will try our new menu and give us your feedack.
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So I don't have my passport yet (it's in process) but I swear I went to Paris this week.
We came here for lunch and were greeted by a lovely lady and seated right away. Of course I picked a seat where I could people-watch the folks in the alley walking by. Which means I missed out on the lovely ambience inside, but I took a look around - the decor is right on spot and the bar is very inviting and beautiful. A good sign because I HAD seen this place before, as I walked by to go booze it up and watch people shoot pool at Jake's. There is always people inside but I hadn't yet ventured in myself.
Onto the food - We started with the burrata salad and hoooooly monkey that was delicious. Beautiful heirloom tomatoes and creamy delicious cheese with an awesome basil sauce. I ordered the carnitas crepe, and I am SO happy that I did. The meat was the most tender and delicious carnitas meat that I have ever had, and I've eaten a lot of mexican food and I love me some carnitas. The crepe was crispy and tender, the sauce was the perfect compliment to the meat, and it was nice and filling. I tried my friend's chicken n mushroom crepe and I liked the flavor in mine more.
The service was great, the price wasn't bad for delicious food, and I think the lady that greeted us was the owner, she seemed very passionate about her work and ensuring that we were pleased with our food. Which we were.
I will be back, hopefully for a romantic first date (this place was voted as the best place for that), and some drinks.
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I am rating my review on several visits before the infamous October fire and two visits since. Before the fire, I had a number of their wonderful entrees. I've had Steak Frite, Crab Cakes, Tuna Tartare, Savory Crepes. I see maybe two of these items off the current menu, but I SWEAR the duck confit flatbread pizza has got to be one of the best foods ever.
I went one evening post-fire and the bartender James helped us at the bar. We had a couple of glasses of white (Cote du Gasscogne and Pierano The Other) while waiting for the pizza we ordered. We were actually having dinner elsewhere so this was just an appetizer. When it arrive I switched to a Barbera that James recommended. The combination was exquisite. And this was one of the best meals I've ever had there - even post-fire.
One of the things they were always known for were their crepes (Crepevine? Crepes and vine). These are still on the menu and they are as fantastic as ever. Give them a go and judge them for what they are and not what you think they should be. They are a true French Bistrot in the heart of Old Town Pasadena. Enjoy.
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"Hi, I'm Casey. My wife is out of town and you look like you could use a drink."
"Mmm, hi Casey. My name's Mary-Anne. The kids are asleep and I'm looking for a good time."
"Your place or mine, Mary-Anne?"
"This wine is making me feel saucy. Let's just do it right here at the bar."
"Yeah, that's what I'm talking about, baby."
Uhhhh, AHEM, waitress, could you please tell the porno film at the bar to keep it down or maybe even GO TO HIS PLACE so I can finish my crepe without having to think about how many people's lives are being simultaneously destroyed with my dessert? Thank you!
*EDIT - 11/10
[p.s. The food is really good. That's why they got 4 stars. ;D]
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Crepe Vine is hidden from the masses of Colorado Blvd because it's located in an alley. The food didn't really stand out to me, French Onion Soup, Roast Beef sandwich, Salmon pizza, stawberry/bannana crepe (dessert)...but what did stand out was the environment. It's probably one of the coziest restaurants I've ever been (probably helped because I was sitting at a c