Cafe JuanitaAbsolutely wonderful time,Absolutely wonderful time, look forward to coming back soon!6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMWorth itWe traveled a long way to dine in Holly Smith's restaurant and it was well worth it. Everything was tremendous - the wine list and Saavy sommelier, the freshly baked breads and crackers, pasta, risotto, duck, lamb, rabbit, scallops, salmon - we tried them all. Our entire family could find room for improvement in only one dish; the octopus. It was overdone for our taste. Cafe Juanita's foie starter was perfection as was the evening's special strawberry risotto - trust me - you do not want to leave without a taste (we ordered a small plate for the table and fell in love). We will return again soon and until then we will spread the word to others who love great food beautifully presented in a cozy little dining room.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMDistinctive food, attentive serviceThoroughly lives up to its reputation for fine dining. Everything on the menu is distinctive and enjoyable. Staff are knowledgeable, helpful friendly and not intrusive. Highly recommended for special occasions - or when you just want a reminder of what excellence is about.6/6/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect romantic dinner!My girlfriend and I visited Cafe Juanita finally after hearing multiple recommendations since I moved to Kirkland. I've driven by a hundred times never knowing there was perfection inside. I'll keep it short:
1. The service was outstanding. The waiter even hand-stuffed gorgonzola olives for my martini when I asked if they had any cheese-stuffed olives.
2. The food was mind blowing. My first foie gras and rabbit and both were incredible. I'd heard rabbit was the specialty and it certainly impressed. The asparagus appetizer and my girlfriend's lamb pasta was also delicious.
3. The setting is quaint and quiet with a nice view of the creek.
This restaurant deserves a better location but that's its only mark.6/1/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding dinnerWe celebrated my daughter's 27th birthday. Wonderful food. The pasta courses were excellent. Entree's were very good, especially my favorite, Rabbit. Service was excellent also. The only reason I gave the ambience a 4 star instead of 5 was the restaurant was getting quite warm as the evening progressed. I don't know why, but we cooled off outside of the restaurant half way thru the meal. Will be back and highly recommend Café Juanita.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMFavorite restaurantI love, love, love this place! We go here for special occasions. This was for my birthday. The food was out of this world! But it always is. And another thing I love about this place is, if we ask questions about the menu, they never make us feel stupid. They were amazing about special dietary needs. And they don't make you feel rushed and that you have to leave. It is by far my favorite restaurant. We've been going here for years and if all goes well, for many years to come.5/29/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat restaurantI just moved from Chicago to the Seattle area and have been looking for a place that would have great food, awesome service, and give me a dining experience similar to what I was used to in Chicago. Cafe Juanita did all those things and more. My family came into town and I couldn't have picked a better place to bring them for a great dining experience. I can't believe that I actually found this restaurant from watching an old episode of Iron Chef. FYI...the Executive chef from Cafe Juanita Holly Smith beat Cat Cora in that episode. Great Job Cafe Juanita.5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMAnniversary DinnerFrom the moment we walked in and were greatly with wonderful aromas and a genuine welcome from the server...we knew we were in for a treat. We were seated in the upstairs dinning room and were met by the waiter who offered wonderful sugestions and answered our questions. We were able to order an item not currently on the menu along with some amazing dishes. We had a pasta special with a quail egg that was delicate and luscious; the frois grois which was like velvet and served with the renderings...oh my!' another pasta dish that was full of slow braised pork which fell apart and the most delicate pasta I have ever had, the veal sweetbreads which were utterly amazing and perfectly cooked with out any over powering sauces. FABULOUS!5/25/2013 12:00:00 AMWonderful seat by the fireplace.Wonderful seat by the fireplace. Food and service both fantastic.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMStaff was patient and helpfulStaff was patient and helpful as we reviewed the deep wine list and interesting food combinations. The recommendations were excellent and we enjoyed a wonderful delicious meal.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AM2nd Time VisitingHad a friend visiting from out of town and brought him to enjoy a great dinner!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMCafe JuanitaCafe Juanita had come highly recommended. We enjoyed every minute of our time there. It was a leisurely dinner, wonderful food and wine. The service provided by Clayton was wonderful, and we shall return!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMVery high-end Northern Italian.Very high-end Northern Italian. Excellent culinary technique, ingredients and plate presentation. The food is rich so take that into account when ordering multiple courses. Very helpful waitstaff and wine director. One of the Eastside's best restaurants for sure.5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMBest Italian In SeattleSerious, original with wonderful wine list, great service, locally sourced ingredients, true Italian5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat place, wonderful foofaserviceDining here was a lovely experience. Everything was delicious, the servers were friendly, and the atmosphere was relaxing.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and great serviceWe had been excited to try this Eastside gem for a long time. The place lives up to the hype. The food was great, the setting was romantic, and the service was spot on.
I can't wait to go back.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMConsistently greatWe are regulars at Cafe Juanita. We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries there. We invite our close friends. It is consistently a wonderful place to celebrate life. My only caution is that "business groups" with expense accounts to afford alcohol can sometimes be a bit loud, usually limited to weeknights, particularly if one is sitting next to them. Cafe Juanita does a pretty good job of keeping these groups separate from diners who appreciate a more intimate atmosphere.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was well preparedI was very impressed with the level of food served. Every dish was delicious. The service was excellent too. It seemed like the waiter could read our minds and was very tuned into all of our needs - and we never had to ask for anything. We went to this restaurant for a special birthday celebration and it was a perfect choice.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMCreative and yummyCafe Jaunita deserves all its great reviews and reputation.
Once again, an awesome meal!5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWay to go Holly and team!The unique interpretation of interesting food is expertly done at Cafe Juanita. The Foie Gras with deconstructed Torrone was fantastic. The house made breads were a delicious compliment to every dish. The Gelato was sublime and the caramels simply perfect.5/9/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best meals of my life!The food was absolutely spectacular. Almost left me speechless a couple times. The flavors Chef Smith is able to create from disparate and seemingly incompatible ingredients is truly the mark of a passionate, experienced and gifted chef. We had been meaning to go to the restaurant for years and now feel badly for not getting there earlier. This will definitely be our special occasion restaurant for (hopefully) years to come. Chef Smith even served my wife's entree and wished her a happy birthday. Some dishes are fatty and can be somewhat salty so this is clearly a special, once in a while type restaurant especially for those on a restricted diet (although there are options on the large, well organized menu).5/4/2013 12:00:00 AMdinner with good friendsWe had a most enjoyable evening with friends. The Food was very good, but the lamb was almost cold, very, very, rare when I had asked for medium. All the other items ordered very good, except, for our taste, too much cumin on the Cauliflower dish which the table shared.
Wines were outstanding !
WE will be back5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMA must-have experienceWe had high expectations going into our birthday dinner @ Café Juanita and they surely exceeded them. I had called ahead less than 2 days before requesting a special birthday cake for my girlfriend and within 24 hours they responded both via email and phone to let me know that they could accommodate. We were a party of two and were given a very cozy table in front of their fireplace. The staff was attentive, genuinely friendly, and incredibly knowledgeable regarding their menu. They definitely have a foodie menu and they were very accommodating to split several courses between the two of us. Their extensive wine-list is impressive and we were able to enjoy a very hard to find bottle of cab franc. A must-have experience.4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything always pleasesEverything always pleases . Consistent great food and service.4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMCafé Juanita is definitely it!We just moved to Kirkland from Connecticut and were looking for our new favorite restaurant.... Café Juanita is definitely it!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMOutstanding as usual. WeOutstanding as usual. We frequent this gem because the food, wine and service are superb. You just can't go wrong with this wonderful restaurant. The whole staff is so well syncronized that they make it look easy, but it is obvious that it takes years of experience to bring it to this level.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMMust try their gelato!Bread was very good. one of the best bread I've ever had. Even better than the bread I had at other top restaurants in other cities. The food were well prepared. No like WOW but they won't disappoint you. Gelato is amazingly good. I bought 2 pints gelato home.4/13/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything about this smallEverything about this small restaurant is excellent but I have to rate the wait staff as truly exceptional. Very professional and not at all snooty.4/10/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome anniversary dinnerAwesome anniversary dinner the Foie Gras and also the Rabbit were superb. Very professional and friendly service made fo an excellent evening.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMAnother epic meal. ProbablyAnother epic meal. Probably the finest dining experience in greater Seattle area, and compares well even across the wider US (and we've sampled quite a few).3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMas expected it was very nice.as expected it was very nice. service was exceptional and food superb3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMCannot say enough about JuanitaCannot say enough about Juanita Cafe. Food is outstanding; service exceptional;3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMWe have been going to CafeWe have been going to Cafe Juanita for our anniversary for years for good reason. Holly and her team present outstanding food and service. I am already anticipating our return.3/22/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is our go-to place forThis is our go-to place for a special occasion. Great food and service. Always reliable.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMBest there is.Ummmm I clicked "outstanding" on every rating note, but really there should be the option of "perfect" since that's what Cafe Juanita is.
I chose Cafe Juanita for a business dinner as I had guests in from out of town. One of them was so excited to experience it based on reviews he had read and they did not disappoint. It really is how 5 star local dining should be. Top notch in every way and completely unpretentious.
Not sure anyone needs the details just trust me that you can not go wrong spending an evening with friends at Cafe Juanita.3/20/2013 12:00:00 AMMy mother and sister and IMy mother and sister and I went in to have a dinner to celebrate some much needed family time. The meal, service and entire dining experience was incredible. I had wanted to go to Cafe Juanita for years now. The timing could not have been more perfect for the experience. Our server, Clayton, was very knowledgeable and took amazing care of us. Truly a 5 star experience. I will definitely be back again for another meal. Amazing!3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMJosh was a very attentiveJosh was a very attentive and charming server. He did a really excellent job. Everything was delicious and the presentation was beautiful. Thank you, Cafe Juanita, so much for a wonderful dining experience. We will definitely be back.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMAs always the food and serviceAs always the food and service were outstanding. The only thing I don't like about Cafe Juanita is the closeness of the tables. Makes it less enjoyable for two when next to a party of four. The four are naturally have animated conversation, as well they should, but being so close takes away from the experience.3/16/2013 12:00:00 AMWe very much enjoyed our mealsWe very much enjoyed our meals and overall experience at Juanita Cafe. The food was excellent as usual. We come to Juanita once a year or so. The service was perfect. Our server was knowledgable, attentive, not pushy. The fois gras appetizer was the highlight of the meal and the rendered fat/juices served with it to dip our bread in was a great touch. The vanilla panna cotta was also excellent. The texture and taste was subtle and subliime.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThey just never disappoint! TheThey just never disappoint!
The quality of superb food, attention to detail make them head and shoulders above others3/14/2013 12:00:00 AM