Bar Chelou

Theater-adjacent dinner spots have a reputation for being pretty stale—most are designed to put chicken piccata in people’s stomachs before sitting through two-plus hours of David Mamet. You dine at these places for convenience and practicality, rather than heart-racing originality. Save the excitement for the second-act monologue next door.

But then there’s Bar Chelou, an upscale French-ish bistro on the grounds of the Pasadena Playhouse where the food is spectacular enough to be its own attraction, regardless of whether you have tickets to the show or not.

Let’s be clear though—if you use Bar Chelou as a pre-theater dinner spot, you are by no means doing it wrong. Pasadena Playhouse is one of the premier regional theaters in the country and seeing a show there should be on everyone’s bucket list. And why wouldn’t you eat at the excellent restaurant next door beforehand? Bar Chelou is keenly aware of its real estate, and if you are part of the showtime rush, the staff will ensure you are paid up and comfortably seated before the curtain goes up. Just don’t be surprised when the conversation at intermission revolves around the snap peas and carrots you had earlier.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

At first glance, Bar Chelou’s menu reads disarmingly simple. Dishes are titled things like “crispy potatoes,” “white asparagus,” and “cheese.” Additional flavor details like apple vinegar, garlic broth, and sichuan au poivre follow in the menu descriptions. It’s tricky to summarize—we still struggle to describe to friends exactly what kind of food Bar Chelou serves—but if you were able to get to the chef’s first restaurant, the unfortunately named Bar Restaurant, you might already know that’s part of the fun. This isn’t a fussy experimental restaurant where enjoying dishes requires long periods of self-reflection. Instead, dishes here tend to be the result of unconventional but bold combinations that taste great together. That might include a heap of shaved carrots topped with shoestring potatoes that’ll remind you of a Thai crispy rice salad or a butterflied rainbow trout bathing in a color-swirled garlic chive pil-pil sauce. There’s nothing subtle or dainty about any of it—this is food with flavor that ripples through your body from the first bite. 

At some point in your meal, you’ll probably find yourself trading thoughts about the new Sondheim show or how the beige drapery in the dining room kind of makes it feel like you’re on a date in a Parisian circus tent. It won’t last. The discussion will inevitably be broken up by unbridled verbal affection for what’s in front of you: briny clam toast, floral martinis, and a brûléed cheesecake that’ll have you booking another table as soon as the bill lands. But stealing the spotlight—and putting butts in seats—are what stars are supposed to do. And on this block in Pasadena, Bar Chelou is definitely a star.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Clam Toast

Make this dish the first thing that hits your table. Not only is it easily shareable for two, the intense acidity of the leek escabeche mixed with the buttery, briny clams is a good introduction to the level of flavor you’re going to experience here.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Crispy Potatoes

This might be one of the most eye-opening dishes at Bar Chelou, because there’s actually nothing complex about it. It’s perfectly crunchy potato wedges on a bed of garlicky aioli that’s been dusted with nori flakes. Nevertheless, you’ll probably be thinking about it for three days after.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Carrots

With a name like “carrots,” it’s not completely clear what you’re going to get with this dish, so we’ll just tell you: an orange-colored crispy rice salad. We won’t bore you with the how and why, but just know that with coconut dressing, lime leaf, peanuts, and crispy shoestring potatoes on top, this is a crispy rice salad somehow made out of carrots and a damn good one at that. Don’t leave without ordering it.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Snap Peas

Topped with crumbled Spanish chorizo, egg yolk, and anchovies, you might assume that the snap peas at the base of this dish will be overshadowed. They aren’t. The spicy sausage and salty anchovies actually heighten the natural sweetness of the peas, which are nicely blistered on the outside. We fully expect to go into mourning the day this dish goes out of season.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Bluefin Tuna

This crudo is a nice change of pace from the heavier, salty dishes on the menu. The chilled tuna is sweet and refreshing, and the fried onions on top are balanced out by the tang of the celery root puree at the bottom.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Pork Chop

This bone-in chop is the best entree among a list of also-great entrees. The well-brined meat is plump and juicy, but what makes this dish a showstopper is the layer of fennel pollen furikake and pickled cabbage on top. If you’ve ever thought of pork chops as boring, this version will change your mind.

Brûléed cheesecake

With a toffee date cake base and spiced coffee anglaise on top, this is unlike any cheesecake we’ve ever eaten. We’d also call it one of the best we’ve ever eaten. Be sure to leave stomach space for this one.

photo credit: Jessie Clapp

Lemon-Chamomile Semifreddo

There are many beautiful dishes at Bar Chelou, but this semifreddo is the real belle of the ball. It arrives looking like some sort of crystalized sunflower, but what you’re actually looking at is a crispy, sweet fritter atop a tiny tower of smooth semifreddo. If you love desserts with big bursts of citrus, this is for you.