Cafe Juanita in Kirkland - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

It was my second time going to cafe Juanita and let me say first time it was amazing that's why I decided to bring my parents in for their anniversary but it was def not what I expected to see. The quantity was very less I get it it's a very fine dining experience but I don't understand why the main course also had to be bite size!? There was too much salt on everything we couldn't even eat it! Anyways my parents hated it and I had to pay almost $800 for three of us! I should have checked the reviews before blinding booking it. People please do not fall for the ambience and the location the food sucks! And the ambience was a joke we literally had to yell at each other and I couldn’t hear half of the things the server said!

Absolutely phenomenal restaurant and the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary! Our server, Linda, made our evening special with high quality care and minimal interruptions. The food was exquisite in flavor, preparation, and delivery. Definitely a must for special occasions!

Update 8/10/2024: Celebrating a birthday this week. New menus with many new items and several tried and true staples. Another fabulous dinner perfectly served with the best hospitality. See new pics. Came to Cafe Juanita to celebrate husband's birthday a week early while daughter is in town on Christmas break. This is our favorite place, bar none, and we have been coming for many years since we moved to Kirkland. Currently they are serving pre fixe menus with omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan selections. We had omnivore and vegetarian courses. Everything was so fresh, expertly crafted and prepared, down to the house made foccacia and cheese crackers in their bread service. Service at Cafe Juanita is always impeccable. Friendly and welcoming, they present each course with detailed introduction of ingredients and preparation. If you are looking for an exceptional place for special occasion, or simply an excellent Italian meal, it's hard to find a better place.

Awesome food, great service. A memorable experience. Not low budget.

For a true dining experience, I do recommend Cafe Juanita. Several of the courses were among the best food I have tasted!! While not every course suited my palate, the whole experience was wonderful and very special. Overall the food is excellent and the wine pairings were delightful. Lovely spot, foodie-friendly and super for a special occasion.

Everything was exceptional. Serving sizes were substantial for the number of courses. The timing between courses was good. Could have been faster for our group, but we are fast eaters and it wasn’t slow by any means. It’s definitely expensive, but for the outstanding service, food, drinks, and attention to detail it’s worth splurging on.

Finest meal I’ve had in years, the options to combine the different paths make the fixed menu fun and less restrictive. Staff was knowledgeable and attentive, every part was of the meal was interesting. Only complaint is the lighting isn’t great.

This was a perfect meal with excellent service. We ordered the pescatarian (halibut) and omnivore (venison loin) tasting menus, and I appreciate that I was able to substitute the tajarin pasta for the risotto so we could try both (hard to compare but they're each great in their own way). I keep thinking about the wagyu croccante, which is a regular feature apparently.

We love everything about Cafe Juanita. We have been traveling from the SF Bay Area every year for over 15 years to celebrate my wife's birthday at Cafe Juanita. It is a real treat and we look forward to our visit each year. The service is very personal, intelligent, engaging, and informative. We've tried virtually every dish they serve of the years and enjoyed everyone of them. The ambiance if homey and comfortable.

Our server, Kristen, was an 18-year member of the team and was effortlessly wonderful at taking care of us. Wine pairings and food were all exceptional. Canlis is our usual go-to for special occasions but this place is right up there. It doesn't have the same ambience, physical space, and elevated multi-member service experience, but overall an exceptional dining experience.

Great experience. Lovely service. Great atmosphere.

Ambience and presentation of food is incredible. Chef great as they let us substitute an item from one of the set menus for one on a different set. Halibut severely overcooked, unfortunately, had a tough consistency. Best courses were the amuse-bouche and palette cleanser.

Oscar was an amazing server. The food was incredible. We opted for the porcini risotto supplement, and it was legendarily good. The food in general was well plated, perfectly cooked, and the service is top-notch. Although I did not have the wine, my wife spoke highly of the sommelier's choices for the Classico wine pairing. I would 100% recommend for a special occasion meal.

The food is spectacular and amazes me how much detail is put into each dish. The service is top notch and we never feel rushed.

Amazing dinner there with amazing service. We will definitely be returning. Only downside was there was a baby that was a bit fussy off and on during dinner. Sorry, but if you can afford Cafe Juanita you can afford a babysitter.

Oscar was an excellent server for our anniversary dinner. We decided to divide and conquer by ordering the pescatarian and the omnivore menu. To our pleasant surprise, the kitchen split each and every dish beautifully and served them to us individually melded on the plate. Food was delicious and brought me back to visiting my Nonna in Milano. Highly recommend.

Cafe Juanita is renowned for its exceptional Italian cuisine, offering a refined dining experience that blends traditional and contemporary flavors from the Tuscan region. Set in an elegant and cozy space, the restaurant features warm lighting and a sophisticated yet welcoming ambiance. The menu, crafted by Chef Holly Smith, showcases seasonal and locally sourced ingredients. Signature dishes include various fish dishes and the perfectly balanced handmade pasta. The wine list is extensive, featuring selections that complement the menu beautifully. Service at Cafe Juanita is impeccable, with knowledgeable and attentive staff ensuring a memorable dining experience. Whether it's a special occasion or an intimate dinner, Cafe Juanita provides a culinary journey that is both exquisite and unforgettable. The evening was unforgettable and worth the price tag that many find too high. Highlights were the supplement risotto and Alaskan halibut, which melted in my mouth. The sommelier’s knowledge of the wines, paired with the menu, blew me away and I appreciated that I could take pictures to further research and hopefully enhance my personal collection. Hands down, my favorite restaurant in the Seattle area and second favorite after Eleven Madison in the US. I truly appreciated the lovely evening being spoiled by my friends.

The vegetarian menu we tried is hands down the best in the PNW region.Cafe Juanita not only shattered the notion that vegetarian pre-fix menu dinners are hard to find, but also impressed us with their service, menu options, and overall ambiance.Every dish was presented beautfiully and tasted equally heavenly. Thank you!

Cafe Juanita never disappoints. Creative, seasonal and delicious food with impeccable service. Presentation is beautiful without being pretentious. The servers are well versed in the food and the wine, and are always happy to work with you on requests. I’ve eaten at several 2 & 3 star Michelin restaurants and have only found one that exceeded my regular Cafe Juanita experience

LOVE this restaurant, the food was incredibly well presented and consistent through out the whole experience. The service was more than great too, the waitress kept us entertained and took us through a series of stories on the wines/foods. While there were some outstansing presentation, we asked for the wine pairing to be seperated to two but when we got the check it appears that they charged us twice for the wine pairing. We were really dissapointed in that but we recommend this restaurant if your coming to Seattle.

Incredible dining experience for special occasions!

Linda our sever and her team was excellent. Food and wine pairing second to none. If you have not been here you need to go.

Very overrated and expensive. Food was average but service was decent.

Perfect for a special occasion or when you want to make a memorable meal.

Not inexpensive! However, it's very creative cuisine, a relaxed environment, and sommelier's advice was spot on. Our main server was friendly, professional, and gave us plenty of time and space to enjoy our evening. The food was spectacular. Everyone involved was pleasant and efficient, from arrival to departure.

A sublime experience. Outstanding food, and exemplary service. My wife had the Omnivore menu, while I opted for the Pescatarian option. If you have a chance to sit in Carly's section, you won't be disappointed.

A classic for a reason. This was our first time making it to Cafe Juanita, even though we'd been hearing of it as a local fine dining staple for years, and it was so worth it. The food was delicious (my favorite the wagyu toast, reminiscent of a delicate tartare; my partner liked the raw fruti di mare), the ambiance and service impeccable.

Nothing stood out as spectacular, or even close to memorable. I would not tell anyone to go here because it was not an experience I would want to lead others to. I wish the food could have been more refined and told a story. The food felt as if there was no love inside and that everyone there just wanted service to be over. I appreciate the work that went into every service by all of the employees but I am not sure if this is a place that creates a wow factor when wanting to enjoy fine dining.

We really enjoyed the experience. Our server was excellent, the food was delicious with some (great) surprises, and overall we felt that our first time there was above expectations (and we only heard very good things abot Cafe Juanita).

HIGHLY recommend! We were in town for a soccer tournament and decided to dine here based on recommendations from food blogs. The food was creative and outstanding, the atmosphere was beautiful (chef’s table is the best view), and the staff had impeccable customer service. Every staff member knew who we were and greeted us by name and they also knew it was my birthday and that we were celebrating my daughter’s national soccer tournament qualification. We thoroughly enjoyed the foie gras. It is so rare these days to find that level of care and concern for customers and I can’t say enough good things about the food and the staff.

Overall a beautiful experience, the main dish failed to bring it all together and was a let down.

We had the Omnivore and the Pescatarian tasting menu meals for a birthday dinner. Both were excellent. We paired those with the Classico respective wine pairings, which were great choices. Kudos to kitchen, serving, and wine steward staff all of whom contributed enormously to this special dinner and day!

We were looking forward to our dinner. Unfortunately, food was not that impressive, most of them appeared to be salty on that night. Overall experience is ok, but we wouldn't necessary want to come back.

I enjoyed it very much. However, over the phone, they quoted me a fixed price of $160 it was $205. For three people that’s additional $160 including tip. It was enjoyable and very delicious. Portions are small. The women left content. My wife finished everything she was fed. 20 years, I’ve never seen her able to finish an entire meal out. I left hungry, went home and ate a plate of crackers and cheese.

The food was absolutely amazing and top of the class. Very nice service. Definitely we will be back!

Gorgeous food, service, venue. The farm to table food was excellent. The Cafe is able to handle any dietary restrictions one has. There are omnivore, pescatarian, vegetarian and vegan menus. I’m gluten-free and dairy-free—no problem. My husband ordered the pescatarian menu and I ordered the omnivore one. While both were great, we decided the omnivore one was slightly better. Don’t fret if you’re a vegetable person— those dishes were superb.

Great food, great service. Will definitely go back.

Subtle but impressive combination of atmosphere and impactful flavor

Always a fabulous dining experience, superb service, creative and delicious cuisine.

Great food. Impeccable service. One of my favorite restaurants, period.

Cafe Juanita continues to hold a special place in our hearts. incredible food, prepared with care and thought. brilliantly presented. service is excellent as well. it’s pricey but for special occasions or just to feel special, Cafe Juanita is worth a special journey to enjoy, if you get the reference :)

Everything is good, And all employees so kind. Thank you so much guys.

Extremely talented chef(s) created an exquisite vegan tasting menu.

Exceptional food & service. A wonderful evening. Loved every course of the tasting menu.

As usual, Cafe Juanita is anything but the usual restaurant experience. It stands above on service and food quality and presentation and wine service. We love going there for special occasions. Thanks again for standing above the rest! Robert and Ruth

We had an amazing dinner thanks to our server Linda. We had the vegetarian menu and sincerely enjoyed every dish. Linda went out of her way to make sure we enjoyed our dinner and got to taste several different dishes. She made sure we enjoyed our drinks and insisted on replacing a drink I did not likely. Highly recommend.

There is much forgettable food to be had at many area restaurants. I wanted a guaranteed fine meal, and Cafe Juanita delivered. Their service is uniformly excellent. The ambiance is comfortable. The food displays precision, technical skill, artistry, well balanced components that are well prepared. The pace of the meal is relaxing. When we left, we understood we had dined well and had had a lovely evening. This is the sort of meal that provides plenty of conversation at the table. Highly recommend.

Fine dining in comfortable atmosphere. Excellent service, attention to detail in food, balance of technique, artistry, fresh spring ingredients. Each course offers good table conversation.

Was taken here for a birthday dinner and was NOT disappointed! Went to Canlis a couple months back and was a bit let down as we've eaten other tasting menus at various cities that were much better. Cafe Juanita blew Canlis out of the water! Valet parking, super fast service. Interior of the restaurant was lacking in decor, it was modern and clean and easy on the eyes but we really didn't see much personality in the place. We got seated at first in the back but was a bit too dark (couldn't read the menus lol getting old) and they were super accommodating and got us a table near a window instead. I think their sound system was messed up though as I only heard music in the bathroom & it was coming in and out haha. Our server was very friendly, the whole staff was very attentive. Don't think our water glasses went below the halfway mark the whole night haha. Food to be honest was impeccable. I'm not going to describe in detail each dish as I think it's more fun to go and experience it yourself, but we loved it. I was brought back to my childhood a few times throughout the meal and had many wow moments after taking a first bite. There are of course things I could probably nit pick but meh, overall was on par with some michelin star restaurants we've eaten at. Definitely recommend.

Incredible food. The venison tenderloin was especially good.

Food was delicious, but at $500 for two (with no drinks), I can see us ever coming back in the future.

I don't know if I have adequate words to describe this place. My daughter and son-in-law treated us to dinner at Cafe Juanita for my birthday and let me say, this dinner will go down in my memory as one of the best I have ever had. We all had the prix fixe, they are pescatarians and my husband and I are not. We all had options to make us happy. We shared the Idaho white sturgeon caviar supplement and it was my first experience with caviar and I am in love. It was delicious. My daughter and son-in-law raved about the seabream. I had wagyu beef and my husband had lamb. All prepared to perfection. Other highlights were the Risotto with wild ramps and 36 month Parmigiano, and the amuse bouche selections. We had lovely gelato for dessert and they brought me a special birthday hazelnut gelato creation with gold leaf accents. I felt like royalty. Service was impeccable. We wanted for nothing during our nearly 3 hour dinner. It was a night to remember for my birthday and I hope one day we will visit again when we are in Seattle.

Fantastic, welcoming service. Usual excellent food. Note: over $300 per person.

Wonderful! Mara was awesome and shared knowledge of the wine sekections with each course. Thank you for a great evening!

Dinner was a lovely experience. The food was wonderful, our server and the supporting wait staff were just the best. It was a lovely and relaxing evening with good friends.

Every single dish was amazing. The staff was attentive and knowledgeable about what was on the menu. A very special experience.

Amazing experience. Customer service 10/10 Everyone there was very polite and helpful with the menu and explained everything very nicely.

I did not enjoy the food. It was not bad, but it just was not tasty. The descriptions are pretentious, there is overuse of truffle and edible flowers and edible gold leaf. It's one of those restaurants that cover up lack of imagination with "fancy" ingredients that add nothing to a dish. Gold leaf on food is the number 1 indicator of an out of touch chef. If this is the best the PNW has to offer, I see why Michelin avoids it. It doesn't hold a candle to even a 1 star NYC restaurant. I would not want to eat here again, even if someone else was to pay for it.

Fine dining the way it's supposed to be, pretty sure this would be a Michelin starred restaurant if they ever came to Seattle.

Always outstanding food and amazing service from Oscar

I had the omnivore multi-course menu. Everything was perfectly cooked and presented. So many lovely flavors and our server was just wonderful. Highly recommend the whole experience at Cafe Juanita!

Food, service and wine selection is excellent with very instructive and helpful suggestions and guidance from the staff

Wonderful vegetarian tasting menu and service. 10/10!

Chef Holly and her team at Cafe Juanita never disappoint, but these days they seem to be taking it to a higher level across the board. We had a larger table for 5 in a semi-private room (with great views into the kitchen) and it was very cozy and comfortable. The food is simply top-notch, only the best ingredients prepared with such skill, and presented in the most beautiful ways. The tasting menus may look a bit overwhelming, but the portioning and pacing are such that when I left, I simply felt comfortably full and not at all in a food stupor from overindulging. The service leaves nothing to be desired. The staff are all super friendly and helpful. The recommendations from Alexandra the Wine Steward were spot on, and our server and the food runners from the kitchen explained everything without droning on and on so we could get down to the business of consumption without delay! We have said it for many years now: Cafe Juanita is easily the best restaurant in the greater Seattle area. Huzzah!

Very nice tasting menu. My favorites were risotto, wagyu croccante and lamb chop. I had an outstanding glass of wine from Botanica. Service was superb.

Delicious. Things I didn’t believe that I liked before (lamb, caviar and cherry). I now have an understanding that prepared right they are delicious. You’re not paying for food here. You are paying for a wonderful experience. If you are tired of the same food then you need to step out of your box and come here. You will not be disappointed.

An expensive but truly memorable milestone birthday celebration. The food and wine pairings were outstanding as was the service. This is the best fine dining experience in greater Seattle.

Another amazing meal at this outstanding establishment! Thank you to chef and crew for providing such a wonderful culinary experience.

They seated us 25 mins later than the time. But as always food is amazing! Really like the Wagyu !

My girlfriend and I had our anniversary dinner here and it was the best decision ever! The service was phenomenal, caring for all our needs. The food was to die for! Won’t be going home hungry, but your wallet might be haha jk! We love this place and will absolutely be coming back for our anniversary again next year!

Thank you .. we enjoyed the whole experience a lot!

One of the greater Seattle area Restaurants that truly have withstood the test of time. We were there for an anniversary dinner and the 2+ hours went by quickly as a steady progression of deliciousness from one of the four tasting menus kept us engaged. The Tajarin 40 tuorli with sage butter redefined for me what a simple pasta dish is capable of.

So. This was awesome. I usually think these restaurants with the 5-courses and set menus and indecipherable foods/ingredients are pretentious, but this one actually has a good reason to be. I made a joke at the beginning of this dinner that I only respect an Italian restaurant if they bring out bread to the table, and guess what. They brought out bread! I chose the pescatarian menu and it was great. Started with a taster plate of soup/caviar cannoli/aged Parmesan and balsamic, then had raw yellowtail, bread, tajarin (angel hair sage pasta), endive salad, Seabream, blackberry thyme sorbet, passionfruit meringue, and then hazelnut ice cream affogato. I even probably forgot a few things in there, they just kept bringing food out. On top of all this, they had Charmin Ultrasoft in the bathroom. Unbelievable. That’s how I know they cared about me. This is the place to go if you’re looking for a fun and crazy food experience and you’re deciding between this place and Canlis or some other of this genre of restaurant.

Sophisticated menu, high quality ingredients, great service. Prices ss are insane. On the top of $205 menu, they added 4% for the kitchen.Ridiculous! Twp menu, two glasses of wine, cost $544 and we were still little bit hungry at the end of the meal, little food ok every dish. I won't be back and won't reconsident it.

10 out of 10, what an excellent experience! Every single dish was amazing, the service was impeccable, and like that they were open to substitutions on the menu. Would definitely come back, thank you for a memorable dinner.

Our meal and the service was delicious. From the amuse bouche to dessert, each bite was a delight and awakened the senses. A very special experience. Our crew from Milwaukee was grateful.

Lovely elegant settings of exquisitely prepared foods in an unhurried environment.

Spectacular experience! It's very special, and they clearly work to be as close to perfect as humanly possible.

Everything is fabulous except valet parking should not cost anything when you’re spending $1k on dinner.

Imagine walking into a restaurant in Northern Italy where the amazing aroma of the kitchen makes you excited to be seated - that is what you will find at Cafe Juanita in Kirkland, WA - a delightful, and sophisticated dining experience from the atmosphere of the restaurant to the service to the attention to detail of everything! The visual experience is stunning, the tastes of each plate is exquisite! I loved the layout of the restaurant too - with its open kitchen, set perfectly in relation to the dining room. It was so great to walk by all the chefs and thank them for an amazing experience and delicious food ever! You must visit Cafe Juanita!

Café Juanita offers a sophisticated dining experience with its chic and modern ambiance. The staff exemplify politeness and friendliness, contributing to a welcoming atmosphere. While the cocktails are well-crafted, they may lack the wow factor expected from such an establishment. The amount of food was little bit excessive, less courses, smaller portions or less extra dishes would make the experience less heavier. My less fsvoritr dish ess radicchio salad, the sauce was very grease and the salad was in the middle of courses, I'm user with salad at the begining. However, the highlight was undoubtedly the dessert, which left a lasting impression. Mini Pavlova and panacotta hmmm just delicious. The meat and fish were cooked impeccably. Furthermore, the attention to detail in plating and dishware elevated the presentation to a luxurious level. 4 cocktails and fix price menus for 2 + tip ~$600. Even though the ambiance is amazing, service, the food level at least on my experience doesn't worth $600. I would prefer to spend this on Kashiba, but they are totally two different types of cuisine. Anyways it was a fun experience for one time. Great place for that special occasion.

Overall a great restaurant and amazing food. Apart from minor glitches in service and the fact that it is a small place so the seating is a bit cozy, I can’t find another nit. I would make a controversial statement, I think the food is better than Canlis.

Wish that they would not of changed to a fixed menu. Food is good but expensive

it is always a delight to dine at cafe juanita. inwent a bit overboard on the supplementals, but there were too many good things to have. service was excellent as always. thank you chef smith!

We went to celebrate my wife’s birthday and everything was good. Service was great, food was good and we liked everything but nothing impressive. When you spend over $600.00 for dinner not including wine pairing the food should be wow . I think there is better options in the area for that money.

This is a very special restaurant and eating experience. First off, it is filled with a very happy and talented staff. They work well together as a team and take pride in what they do and the food they serve. The atmosphere was wonderful, which is why my pictures came out a little dark. Lol. They really pay attention to all the details. Now for the food...WOW! My husband chose the Omnivore menu, and I had the Vegitarian. I'm so glad we did as it gave us even more dishes to try. They just kept bringing out more dishes to enjoy. We took our time and ended up staying about 3 hours. What a great night we had!

Move over, Canlis. This is the best restaurant in Seattle! Every bite was phenomenal, the wine pairing, service، and ambience were all impeccable. We're so glad we came here and plan to be back over and over again.

Overrated . we really enjoyed the 2 courses of appetizers. However the rest is just okay . The most disappointing part is the food portion . For a $200 course I expected more from this .

Extraordinary! A very special evening each time we go that never ceases to amaze with ingenuity and the utmost care for every detail. Everything, food , service and atmosphere is superb.

Amazing, lovely and an experience to remember. They treated our daughter like a whole person (doesn’t always happen in upscale restaurants) and enabled us to enjoy our celebration as a family. The food was extremely well executed and the wine pairings were stellar. Bravo.

Amazing dinner. 10/10 will return!! Food, service and ambiance were amazing.

Phenomenal. Finally ate here after decades of "almost." I'm no haute cuisine expert but I have eaten at multiple Michelin-starred and other high-end restaurants around the world. Last night was the best experience I've ever had in terms of balancing attentive service, incredible food and charming/stylish surroundings with a relaxed and welcoming atmosphere. I had the omnivore prix fixe menu and my partner had the pescatarian. Both were phenomenal, though based on sampling hers I would have opted for the pescatarian...the king crab dish was unbelievable. Overall the best prix fixe meal I've ever had by miles vis a vis every single course being distinctive and outstanding.

Our table ordered all three tasting menus plus wine pairings. This gave us an opportunity to compare and contrast. All of them were excellent and most courses were truly outstanding. Beautiful presentation and taste profiles. I particularly liked the venison main course. It was so flavourful and tender. The restaurant is super flexible for any request. Service levels are very high. Noise level is low. Pacing was perfect.

The tasting menu with the wine pairing dinner is simply an amazing and once in a lifetime experience. This place is well worth the price tag. The food, wine, and service are all world class. Juanita's has some of the best and most interesting dishes I have ever tasted. Their tasting menu was an absolute treat. I am no wine expert, but their expertise and knowledge over wine is truly impressive and fascinating. If you don't want to shell out the cash for the tasing menu and wine pairings you can always order dishes à la carte and taste some delicious wines by the bottle or glass. Cafe Juanita is also one of the few fine dining restaurants which spend just as much time and effort in creating vegetarian and vegan experiences as much as they do with their meat and fish dishes. Simply put they are world class and I feel lucky to have a restaurant like this near my home!

We go there for special occasions and are never disappointed. Holly Smith has an incredible palate and is very creative. We will be going back!

Favorite Restaurant, did tasting menu tonight, delicious!👍😊. Cafe Juanita never disappoints, always exceptional, a unique fusion of fresh flavors and herbs makes every dish phenomenal. They even make chocolate better!❤️

I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant; it was an absolutely fantastic experience. I proposed to my girlfriend on Valentine's Day, and the staff went above and beyond to make it incredibly special. They were exceptionally accommodating, arranging everything seamlessly, from setting up a romantic atmosphere to recording the moment on video. They even surprised us by placing a 'will you marry me' message crafted from chocolate on our dessert plates. Both my fiancée and I were thoroughly delighted with the entire experience. Thank you so much

Fabulous, exquisite dinner. Flawless food—precious, but not too precious. Outstanding service, attentive, friendly, knowledgeable, but not in-your-face.

we go to Café Juanita every year for Valentine’s Day. Always amazing. Thank you.

The food and the service were incredible! While we would love to go back sooner, it's definitely an extremely expensive meal, but we are so glad we were able to experience it.