Cafe Juanita
Kirkland, WA 98034-4206
Phone: (425) 823-1505
- Price:
- $$$$
- Cross Street:
- 97th Avenue NE
- Hours:
- Su-M 5p-9p, Tu-Sa 5p-10p
Editorial Review for Cafe Juanita – by Citysearch Editors
In Short
Chef/owner Holly Smith's regard for ingredients is apparent and a frequently changing menu ensures everything is at its peak. Foie gras is paired with nectarines; a dish of local chanterelles is tangled in tagliatelle and enhanced with marjoram. Smith's dishes--such as a thick, rare hunk of lamb paired with a turnip gratin--are both comfortably familiar and innovative. From the sweetbreads to the fried razor clams, there is plenty to try.
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Insider Tips
The ExtrasA private room overlooks the kitchen garden; in warmer months, it can be rented along with the adjoining patio.
User Reviews for Cafe Juanita
10/07/2008 Posted by RickinSeattle
My wife and I recently dined at Cafe Juanita for our anniversary. As always, the food was innovative and expertly prepared, and the service was friendly and efficient. In my 12 years of living in Seattle, I haven't eaten at a better local restaurant. The food comes first here. The atmosphere is elegant, but understated, relaxed, and unpretentious. It is like having an intimate dinner at a good friend's home (who happens to be an award winning chef). The entrees are all bold and innovative, but they also do the little things well, like the homemade flatbreads, the salads (the baby beet and almond butter salad is amazing), even the house aperitif list is fun - each coming with a bite-sized appetizer. It is a spendy restaurant. With drinks, wine, desert, and coffee, our bill topped $200, but nothing here is ordinary. If you love food, you will not regret the splurge. If trendy presentation is more important to you than flavor, and you prefer a room full of poseurs, wait staff who try to upsell you on everything, and a feeling you are being processed like a credit card number, there are plenty of places in Belltown or Bellevue that will suit you better. I find that Seattle has many good restaurants, but very few great ones. I am disappointed in my local fine dining experiences far more often than I am impressed. This place is great. The only downside is the 40 min drive to Kirkland from my house. Otherwise I'd eat here far more often.
Pros: Great, innovative food, especially game and other meats.
Cons: Bit far from Seattle.
09/09/2008 Posted by steveareno11
Cafe Juanita has joined our short list of excellent restaurants for those special occassions. This was our first visit at Cafe Juanita to celebrate our 30th Wedding Anniversary. We were very pleased with the overall atmosphere, food and service. I wanted to treat my wife to someplace different/unique and this choice turned out to be an excellent find. I'm certainly no connoisseur of fine dining/food, so don't take my absence of food ravings to imply that the meal was merely acceptable. I also rarely take the time to write a review. So, I had the Rabbit (first time ever) and my wife had the Quail; it was very good. The bread and desserts were excellent(chocolate cake a real favorite of mine). However, for us, I think it was the complete experience that made for a special anniversary dinner. We were impressed by the friendliness of the staff, but at same time they had a way of being attentive but not intrusive. They allowed the two of us to enjoy our night out w/o excessive interruptions, but also ensured we were taken care of. While the meals were somewhat pricey, it was reasonable given our desire for a special experience. They recognized our anniversary with a nice table location and complimentary dessert wine after the meal. Kudos to Cafe Juanita. Cheers! Steve
Pros: Ambience, Service
Cons: Nothing significant; limited parking
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