Bar Chelou

4.8

471 Reviews

$50 and over

Contemporary French

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

Innovative
Charming
Neighborhood gem

Bar Chelou is a neo-bistro that is both a distillation of Chef Doug Rankin's broad gastronomic interests and a deeply personal expression of his individualistic style.

'Chelou' (French slang for ‘strange’ or ‘unexpected’) is both the name and unifying theme of the restaurant, which draws from a range of culinary traditions and service styles to create something personal, novel, and fun.

The restaurant is located within the Pasadena Playhouse complex. If you plan to visit the Playhouse after dinner, please book a 5:30p reservation to ensure ample timing for your dinner. We also offer concession cocktails before a showing and during intermission.

NEED TO KNOW
Wine corkage is $30 per 750ml bottle with no limit; we do not offer corkage for wines featured on our wine list.

Ample parking is available on surrounding streets and at several paid lots within a one-block radius.

Gift cards are available for purchase on our website.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary French, European, Spanish
Hours of operation
Daily 5:30 pm–9:30 pm
Phone number
(626) 808-4976
Website
https://www.barchelou.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
37 S El Molino Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101-5220
Neighborhood
Pasadena
Cross street
Located next to the Pasadena Playhouse on El Molino Ave.
Parking details
Public Lot
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

Editor’s choice: 12 favorite restaurants in Los Angeles

Popular dishes

Marinated Olives$7.00
Pan de Cristal$7.00
Crispy Potatoes$13.00
aonori, aïoli
Clam Toast$15.00
leeks, escabeche
Burrata Toast$17.00
paleta ibérica, pickled peppers
Ramp Toast$16.00
km39, sorrel
Breakfast Radish$13.00
fromage blanc, furikake
Boquerones$14.00
piquillo pepper
Scallop Tartare$20.00
green garlic, meyer lemon, serrano, chips
Salade Verte$15.00
cava vinaigrette, quinoa, guindilla peppers, manchego
Carrots$19.00
coconut dressing, lime leaf, peanuts, shoestring potatoes
Bloomsdale Spinach$14.00
roasted garlic broth, brown butter
Shelling Beans$14.00
bottarga, dill, sea beans
Sprouting Cauliflower$11.00
almonds, sichuan au poivre
Snap Peas$15.00
chistorra, cured egg yolk, anchovy
Squid $21.00
seaweed, swiss chard
Cheeses$22.00
plum & timur berry jam, pan de cristal
Meats$24.00
jamón ibérico, coppa
Ibérico Pork Chop$36.00
cabbage, fennel pollen furikake
Duck Leg$34.00
yu choy cous cous, spicy labneh, macadamia dukkah
Rainbow Trout$45.00
corn rice, garlic chive pil-pil
Dry-Aged Short Rib$55.00
blackberry black vinegar, perilla
Lemon-Chamomile Semifreddo$14.00
calamansi, sweet fritter
Raspberry & Sumac Sorbet$14.00
poached rhubarb, vanilla, sorrel
Bruleed Cheesecake$14.00
toffee date cake, spiced coffee anglaise
Matcha Mousse$14.00
butter mochi cake, coconut sorbet, green tea tuile
Caramelized Banana Bar$15.00
peanut butter crisp, banana custard, milk chocolate mousse

What 471 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.8Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.3Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Pasadena
Best Overall
Pasadena
Best Food
Pasadena
Best Ambiance
Pasadena
Innovative
Pasadena
Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Bar Chelou in Pasadena delights with its "exciting, different but delicious" takes on traditional dishes, complemented by "spectacular" drinks and a warm, festive vibe. The "beautiful and sweet" ambiance enhances a community feel, perfect for pre-show dining. Highlights include crispy potatoes, trout, and creative vegetarian options.

471 Reviews

A
Andrea
Los Angeles
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Will absolutely miss this spot… a real L for the Pasadena dining scene. :(
Is this helpful?
H
Hope
Los Angeles
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing food, cool interiors. Great vibe. Will miss them when they leave. Wish we weren’t all the way across town 🥲
Is this helpful?
P
Phillip
VIP
Las Vegas
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 29, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Food and service were excellent! We definitely will come back!
Is this helpful?
J
Jacob
San Diego
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service were exceptional! Not one bad dish. We traveled all the way from studio city and it was completely worth it. The fake bday cake dessert was a cute gimmick, but maybe a comped actual dessert for a group who’s celebrating a bday and had a tab as high as we did? Just a thought.
Is this helpful?
C
Carla
VIP
Detroit
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on January 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Beautiful romantic location and interior. We had the duck, snap peas, carrots, and bread. We could have made a meal of just vegetables sides-very creative. We ate everything. The music was very loud, which does not include lingering. (Since they were very busy, that might have been intentional.)
Is this helpful?
D
Daniel
VIP
Los Angeles
5 reviews
2.0
5 reviews
Dined on January 21, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 3
Food was too salty Looks like the chefs are not tasting their food Service only came to my table 4 time One to take me water order Second to take my food order Third to drop and pick up my check All diner time which was 2 hrs was sitting with no interaction of the servers or managers
Is this helpful?
M
Mackenzie
Los Angeles
2 reviews
2.0
2 reviews
Dined on January 20, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food was amazing but it’s sooooooooo expensive for such a small quantity. We had to go to in and out after.
Is this helpful?
C
Christopher
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on January 17, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Will sincerely miss you bar chelou. Your presentation, your food quality, the staff, everything was top of the line. It was truly a beautiful restaurant from head to toe
Is this helpful?
S
Stephen
VIP
Los Angeles
47 reviews
5.0
47 reviews
Dined on January 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Been waiting to try this restaurant for more than a year, and now I understand why this place always makes every list for best restaurants in Pasadena. It’s larger than I thought it would be, and the decor is understated yet classy—perfect vibe for a modern brasserie. The service was very friendly and unpretentious. We tried the carrots, as reviewers always rave about them, and they did not disappoint. There are lots of delicious shareable dishes on the menu, most of which are vegetarian-friendly. Everything was flavored beautifully. I had the trout for my entree. I’m not usually a big fan of that fish, but here it was excellent. Highly recommended!
Is this helpful?
OT
OpenTable Diner
VIP
Los Angeles
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on January 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time to this restaurant but will for sure not the last. Food was fresh and tasty. Favorite dishes are pork chop and duck, I’m drooling already talking about it
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Bar Chelou is rated 4.8 stars by 471 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Feb 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 2 times today

37 S El Molino Ave, Pasadena, CA 91101-5220

Additional information

Cross street
Located next to the Pasadena Playhouse on El Molino Ave.
Neighborhood
Pasadena
Hours of operation
Daily 5:30 pm–9:30 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Contemporary French, European, Spanish
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Public Lot
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.barchelou.com/
Phone number
(626) 808-4976

Featured in

Editor’s choice: 12 favorite restaurants in Los Angeles

Bar Chelou

Make a reservation

Additional information

Editor’s choice: 12 favorite restaurants in Los Angeles

Ibérico Pork Chop

Rainbow Trout

Ramp Toast

Main

Marinated Olives$7.00

Pan de Cristal$7.00

Crispy Potatoes$13.00

Clam Toast$15.00

Burrata Toast$17.00

Ramp Toast$16.00

Breakfast Radish$13.00

Boquerones$14.00

Scallop Tartare$20.00

Salade Verte$15.00

Carrots$19.00

Bloomsdale Spinach$14.00

Shelling Beans$14.00

Sprouting Cauliflower$11.00

Snap Peas$15.00

Squid $21.00

Cheeses$22.00

Meats$24.00

Ibérico Pork Chop$36.00

Duck Leg$34.00

Rainbow Trout$45.00

Dry-Aged Short Rib$55.00

Lemon-Chamomile Semifreddo$14.00

Raspberry & Sumac Sorbet$14.00

Bruleed Cheesecake$14.00

Matcha Mousse$14.00

Caramelized Banana Bar$15.00

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Bar Chelou restaurant rated?

Is Bar Chelou currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

Editor’s choice: 12 favorite restaurants in Los Angeles