1886 Bar at The Raymond

What a lovely restaurant! I was really surprised how much I liked it. First of all, the ambiance is great — especially the patio with fireplace. Their happy hour is really awesome (50% off the bar menu), so it gets crowded fast. The food was really good. We had mussels (generous portion for $ 7), al pastor tacos and tater tots. The cocktail list is always changing but drinks are very well made. I’m coming back!

Incredible. Best cocktail list in LA. Burnt carrot salad and mussels extraordinary.

I came to this bar on my 21^st birthday and I couldn’t have been more satisfied. The building has so much character, it really lives up to its name. We stood at he bar, which I thought was cool and different. The bartender was amazing. I wish I could remember his name, because he deserves serious acknowledgment. His knowledge of liquor is amazing, and he makes great drinks! He even gave me my drink on the house, because it was my birthday. I will definitely be back!

This is a cool spot in South Pasadena area with amazing cocktails! I would definitely come here for their happy hour only though, just because it can get pretty expensive. Their happy hour deals aren’t bad, but it’s not going to be the cheapest happy hour in the area.
I will have to say though, the ambience of the place is nice, with an old inn type of feel with the rustic wood floors and doors. It was really hot the day I went, so we didn’t want to sit outside on the patio, but from the looks of it, the patio looks really beautiful. Definitely a great place to take a date.
So onto the actual stuff! The happy hour bar menu is small, and the portions are also pretty small. If you’re looking for small bites to eat, this is fine, but we were thinking the portions would be a little bigger. The tater tots (that we didn’t order) looked good and they’re one of the cheapest items on the bar menu.
The star (s) of the show here are their cocktails. The bartenders here really know what they’re doing, and they do an amazing job of balancing their drinks. I don’t want to sound like a snob, but at a lot of places you can tell they don’t really care about the quality of their cocktails and will just dump whatever proportion of liquid into a glass and set it on your table. Here though, the bartenders take their time and actually MAKE a drink for you. During happy hour, they have a specialty cocktail for $ 6 I believe, and this is a great deal! On my visit there, the specialty cocktail was called the splice, and it was basically a mule-​type drink using their special rum blend. Yup, you heard right. They have their own special rum blend that they use, and it really makes the drink that much better. We ordered a couple of these and a simple vodka tonic. All of our drinks were made tastefully and carefully, and I’m hoping to come back soon for another happy hour!

Went for a work drinks and came away a fan. I will have to try more of the menu and look forward to it. That said, man-​oh-​man can they make a drink. It was a pleasure being on my side of the counter and simply enjoying what the sorcerer masquerading as a bartender kept creating. Good stuff.

Delicious drinks & great staff. The Raymond a South Pasadena landmark so I will always give this place my business (even though the food is over-​priced).

I’ve only been here for Happy Hour. Menu is diverse and generous. This time around we ordered the Hamachi Kama (yellow tail collar) and the Grilled King Crab. Both were HH prices at 50% off.
The fish was broiled well and coated with a Miso glaze — tender and tasty. A little on the salty side.
I didn’t prefer the crab but my boyfriend loved it. The legs were pre-​cracked and easy to eat, but the radish salad that topped the crab was way too spicy.
Well cocktails are 50% off as well.
Overall a good place to go to enjoy a nice spring evening.

Absolutely delightful.
The 1886 Bar @ The Raymond is now my favorite spot for dining in Pasadena.
Small wooden tables w/​low-​lit burning lamps are in close quarters but create an intimate and inviting atmosphere against the larger dining areas of the cottage, including the patios w/​fire pits that for a weekend night, can be booked out for large dinner parties.
The sour cream & onion chips are a fun basket to start. This isn’t your grocery store Lays Potato chips, but rather restaurant carved crunchy potato goodness with an onion white tangy dip.
I wanted to try more from the starter menu rather than get filled on a traditional entrée platter, & I’m so glad I did. The Roasted Fennel soup was beautifully presented. The server comes out first with the various components in the soup porcelain bowl, & then he pours in the actual soup broth into it in front of you.
I also had the Pork Belly Confit, which had masa, Apple salsa, & bourbon sauce. I have had a lot of Pork Belly, & the two pieces are savory & crispy to the right effect, dousled in complementary goodness.
I thought the service was exceptional. While they do get very busy, they never hesitate if you ask for things, such as a spoon to mix my cream & sugar in my cup of tea-​pot of Peach Oolong is wonderfully scented & a great way to round out the meal.

Love this place. It’s one of my favorite places in Pasadena. Good food, unique cocktails and beautiful outdoor patio to enjoy the California weather!
1886 is located on Fair Oaks and there’s the restaurant portion and bar. The space looks like a Craftsman home signature of Pasadena. The bar is casual and offers unique cocktails (I used to have the Smoking Jacket dusted with Nicotine ashes), whiskey, wine and beers. The small plate are delicious and pair perfectly with drinks.
This place is on the off– beaten path and slightly hidden on Fair oaks, which adds to the intrigue in my opinion. This is also one of the fewer bar spots that open later than 12am on a Friday night. A real gem.

Came here for happy hour and thought to give it a try after hearing good things. Definitely lived up to the hype! Enjoyed the old school vibes and even more so they had Japanese whiskey available at the bar! (winner — winner, chicken dinner!) But I digress, ½ off apps and really cool vibes with Sinatra playing in the background complete the feel. Would be back for sure…

We have been here a few times, and we always leave consistently happy. The drinks and small plates are on spot, every time. Affordable too. The bartenders know exactly what they are doing. Every tiny drink packs a punch. The honey favors the old fashioned completed with chipped ice. I go for the martinis or cosmos. Cosmos can get a tad too sweet after a few.
The small plates are perfect portions /​pairing for your drinks. All of them are delicious. My faves are the bone marrow, quail legs, and grilled octopus.
The service is here is good as well. You must check this place out for NYE celebrations. It won’t disappoint. The setting is so adorable and comfy. You can pick seating either inside or outside. We prefer the outside seating for the open air. Parking is valet or street.

Peek a boo … I DO NOT SEE YOU! This place is hidden behind a lot of shrubbery so it’s really easy to miss.
If you are on Fair Oaks and you see what I described up top then you are probably at the right place. Restaurant offers valet parking for a fee or you can park along the street, which is a three hour limit I believe.
Bar in located in the center of the restaurant so you have to actually walk through the front dining room.
Drinks are on point. The bartender working that night was super knowledge and just came up with a drink for me based on my preferences. The final product was a pretty colored fruity concoction that tasted nothing like alcohol but probably contained lots of it! Unfortunately, I cannot recall the name, but it is served in a tall glass with ice.
Ambiance:
–Romantically dark in the restaurant with candles and all.
— Outdoor patio: really cute with lights running along the walls and super cozy. Perfect dining setting or place to lounge/​talk when enjoying drinks.
Final Verdict:
Thumbs up.

Hipster bar-​palooza in Pasadena/​South Pasadena area.
The venue looks like it was once a bungalow, but obviously converted now to a restaurant and bar. Thusly, the bar is disconnected from the main eatery, but there are nice spots like an outdoor patio with heaters & lovely décor.
This place is great for:
–catching up w/​friends
–a date of any kind
This place is not great for:
–bar crawls/​bar hopping with friends
The only «negative» is the location, since it’s a bit far away from other bars/​lounges in the area.

So you want a fun place to chill outside at night and be able to chat with friends over drinks or canoodle in the corner? This might just be the place for you to go and enjoy. The restaurant is higher end, but the bar serves food too and it’s a much more low key environment. This is perfect for spending some time with your significant other or a couple of close friends.
The pricing isn’t exactly cheap, but they are not giving you brands of booze that you have never heard of and they wont even use at your favorite dive. But $ 10-​$ 15 for a proper cocktail or classy whiskey, rye, or bourbon is the going rate these days anyways unfortunately.
The chairs and benches were clean, the bathrooms are small but can handle the flow of traffic for the most part. The outdoor seating is much more fun than the interior IMHO. Heck you can even get a group of 10 – 15 in there if your timing is right (early) and you take over a few tables.
The wait staff is friendly and en pointe. So if you want something a little bit different not exactly romantic, but definitely more interesting than your local joint, this is a place worth hitting up and trying out…

BEST HAPPY HOUR!
The drinks here are amazing! The bartenders are really talented, creative, and charming. Some of my favorite drinks include the Smoking Jacket and the Penicilin. But in addition to that, the bartenders can also make you custom drinks based on your preferences.
The food selection for happy hour is also awesome:
Tater Tots — perfectly crispy and absolutely decadent
Sour Cream and Onion Potato Chips — sinfully delicious, the chips are made fresh so they are still a little hot when you get them and perfectly crispy
Foie Gras Sushi — it’s good but there is a little too much rice in here
Be Calm and Eat ‘Nduja — spicy salami spread on top of parmesan crackers, this is probably one of my favorites since it offers a nice kick, is crispy and savory
Mac-​n-​Cheese — fantastic combination of cheddar and gruyère
Roasted Tandoori Caluiflower — it looks a little like brains since the cauliflower is pink but it is delicious
Cheese Board — you can never go wrong with the cheese board
All American Cheeseburger — a little lacking in flavor but very juicy
Steamed Mussels — delicious and perfectly cooked
Hamachi Kama — the miso marinated hamachi collar is delicious
If you can find parking on Fair Oaks Avenue you can avoid having to loop around the back when you leave. It is also very easy to miss the restaurant since it is located right after Grevelia Street but before the SR-​110 bridge.

We sat in the outdoor patio in the back. It was a nice evening to be sitting outside. The service was great and friendly.
We ordered several items from the happy hour menu:
Kafka (²⁄₅): it’s a milky foamy alcoholic drink, not your typical cocktail
Tater tots (3.5÷5): good with homemade ketchup and sour cream & onion
Four gras sushi (3.5÷5): four gras was good, but bf felt like there was too much rice
Sour cream & onion chips (3.5÷5)
Pork belly (2.5÷5): it was flavorful but didn’t take like pork belly. FYI — it’s more on the crispy side
Jidori chicken wings (³⁄₅): chicken wings were tasty, but not enough meat on the wings
Beef tataki (3.5÷5)
Chocolate & peanut butter cake (⁴⁄₅)

Came here for the first time Saturday night and was blown away by the atmosphere. This is a little hidden venue that you will usually pass by without notice on Fair Oaks unless you were trying to find it. You would approach it and park on the street then walk into the shady area where there lies a little cabin. There is outdoor seating and it is beautifully lit at night. When you enter the venue, it is super dim and dark. The light will come from the candles on each table and the bar area.
Super cozy and relaxing environment for a chill night out. I was not familiar with any of the drinks they had. I am used to Greygoose or Jack Daniels but they have higher class liquor here. My friend who took me recommended a few things. I ordered the «Winter is Coming» and «Rafka on the Beach» drink. Both were new flavors to me but definitely made me feeling on Cloud 9. The «Smoking Jacket» is a popular choice since it comes with some type of gas seeping through the top of the glass. (Warning: Close your eyes when you drink it so you do not burn the crap outta your eyes.) We also ordered some tater tots and sour cucumbers while we chatted the night away. I would definitely come here again. One of Pasadena’s finest gems.

Can’t think of anywhere to go? Come to 1886!!! My favorite bar in Pasadena ! It is intimate, and the most important thing is that they really have one of the best cocktails ! The vibe here is also super chill too.
They changed their menu annually, and omg, I just love every single drink they created. Their styles of cocktails range from frank underwood (house of cards reference — whiskey with dark chocolate) to Mai Thai. The service here is great too ! The waitresses are always attentive, and they really pay attentions to the customers. Give this place a try if you really want a good cocktail for a chill night !

Came by here for happy hour drinks and snacks, and was pleasantly surprised! The Raymond is hidden behind a bridge– from the outside, it looks like a normal house. We got lost trying to find this place! Once inside, we ordered the drink of the day at the bar, the eye poppy, as well as the smoking jacket.
The smoking jacket was amazing in terms of presentation and taste. Whiskey with wood chips that are burnt to give a nice smokey taste. The eye poppy was also delicious– both were fantastic drinks. We also got some appetizers to share– the foie gras sushi, tandoori roasted cauliflower and dip, bone marrow and octopus bruschetta, and pickles.
The foie gras sushi had too much rice to foie gras ratio, but the foie gras was delicious. The roasted cauliflower smelled and tasted amazing– I love the dip! The bone marrow and octopus was a very unique combination, and I was surprised at how good it was!
We had a great time in their patio; it was a nice break from the city rush. The strung lights and the nice, quiet atmosphere really felt like I was in someone’s backyard. There were so many items on the menu I wanted to try (drinks and food), but we did not have the stomach for all of that… Will be back!

I wish 1886 was located in West LA so I could frequent this awesome bar and take advantage of their happy hour!
This borderline alcoholic loves to have a great drink and 1886 is my spot. The bartenders are masters of their craft and make each drink with precision. Don’t expect to have your drink ready and made in seconds. They really take their time and they’re knowledgeable about every single drink.
Drinks and food are both amazing. Enough said.
Order the Smoking Jacket!