Amazing culinary experience for a special occasion. Really impressed that they have a full menu each for vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivore diets.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Shen-Li Tan
One of our favorite restaurants. Fantastic ambience, service and top notch food that’s beautifully plated. Inventive combinations of flavors throughout the entire menu, including the non-alcoholic cocktails. Definite must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bill W
One of the best meals you can have in Seattle. Everything was great from start to finish, living up to the hype. The big surprise was how good the wine pairings were and the sommelier was a star too. Cafe Juanita doesn't have the views of Canlis but the food is better. Take your girlfriend to Canlis and bring her to Cafe Juanita for a wedding anniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Stephen Sangho Youn
The food was ok but it's too expensive to make it sense. I also found a small white bug crawling in my dish for the 1st appetizer that basically ruined my experience there. I just told that it's ok because I didn't want to ruin my day but I don't remember they are saying sorry to me. Also server was not friendly. I don't recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
B V
We finally got to try Café Juanita, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. This cozy, intimate spot feels like a hidden gem tucked away in Kirkland — perfect for a special night out. We opted for the tasting menu, and every course was beautifully presented and full of flavor. You can tell the ingredients are seasonal and thoughtfully sourced.
One of the unexpected highlights? The bread. They offer a variety — each one soft, warm, and addictively good. You’ll want to ask for seconds! The cocktails were top-notch too, especially the Negroni and a seasonal gin drink that paired perfectly with the appetizers.
Every dish felt balanced and refined — from delicate pastas to a standout main course that was both rich and elegant. The service was warm and attentive without being overbearing, and they happily explained each course in detail, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
It’s on the pricier side, but absolutely worth it for the quality and overall experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking to treat themselves to a true Italian-inspired tasting menu in a charming, romantic setting. Can’t wait to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nikki B
We came to Junita Cafe with high hopes, drawn in by the promise of a refined 7-course experience. While the presentation certainly tries to sell you on a high-end dining affair, the actual food left us underwhelmed—flavors were surprisingly basic and forgettable. For a dinner that came out to nearly $700 for two (only one of us had drinks), we expected something much more elevated in taste and execution.
The setting was fine, but the views were nothing to write home about—definitely not enough to justify the price.
I wish there had been more honest reviews beforehand that mentioned how flat the food tastes despite all the hype. It feels like a lot of effort went into making it *look* fancy, but the soul and flavor just weren’t there. Disappointing, especially given how excited we were to try it. I think bread was the only thing that was beyond delicious and for a restaurant at this level should t be considered for only bread.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
Jonky Jonkerson
So bad. Everything was so salty it was not edible. Could barely get through it.
Michael Ostertag
Amazing experience at Cafe Juanita. Heavy usage of seasonal foods with a thoughtful tie throughout the menu of their aged parmigiano reggiano. We ordered the omnivore menu and every dish was a hit. The flavors were delectable.
This review is only for seasonned fine dinning customer.
Style without soul – a fine dining experience that forgot the basics
We booked with high hopes, expecting an elegant Italian gastronomic experience. What we got felt more like a culinary identity crisis wrapped in white noise and sea salt.
Let’s start with the food. One of the amuse-bouches was just… a chunk of parmesan. That’s not minimalist — that’s uninspired. Throughout the meal, we were served flavor combinations that made zero sense. Raw scallops on guacamole? In an Italian fine dining restaurant? That’s not bold. That’s confused. Every dish tasted like someone trying too hard to be different — and failing to be coherent.
And the salt. Wow. It felt like someone had stock in a salt mine. Overseasoning to that extent usually means one of two things: bad ingredients, or a chef who hasn’t learned restraint. Either way, not acceptable at this price.
The service? Flawless in form, but empty in substance. Waiters recited ingredients like they were reading from a prompter, with no context, no narrative, no passion. A dish without a story is just expensive food. We weren’t dining — we were decoding.
Then there’s the ambiance. Tables packed so close you could comment on your neighbor’s wine pairing. No tablecloths, no elegance. And the crumbs? Still there from the first piece of bread to the last bite of dessert. At this level, resetting a table between courses isn’t a luxury — it’s a given.
Here’s the sad truth: this restaurant probably stays booked because there aren’t many other options in the area that look this “fancy.” But if you’ve been to a real gastronomic restaurant — the kind that moves you, that makes you pause mid-bite — you’ll leave this one asking: “That’s it?”
We left unimpressed, underwhelmed, and honestly a little annoyed. High prices with low imagination. If you're used to true fine dining, skip this one — it’s all shine, no substance.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
J T
Terrible experience tonight. We were so looking forward to this but came out 800 poorer, 3.5 hours water with uninspired, flavorless food and mediocre at best service. Save yourself the poor experience and go elsewhere. Amuse Bouche - too much flavor with caviar in a pastry filled with crème fraiche, would have been good just with the caviar. The halibut was so sad looking and tasteless that I left half of it uneaten, the ibercio was over salted and over cooked. Yes the bread is good and unfortunately the best part of the meal and we didn’t go there for bread. Dessert pics are missing but the panna cotta and strawberry cake were both less than mediocre:( the servers seemed distressed and not happy either, we saw one being told off by someone while she was making a drink, not a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Laura
I feel like this is a must try place if you’re at all able to. It’s pricey, but seattle doesn’t have many options like it. The service was impeccable and the food was amazing. We were actually more impressed with how the simpler ingredients like the vegetables shined. It’s a great experience for a very special occasion. One thing to check is if you like the flavors incorporated into the menus. There’s 4 different options but you’re likely to experience a lot of the same flavors across different menus and different dishes (ie right now peas are in season so they used those across all menus and lots of dishes were Parmesan and morel mushroom heavy). If you really dislike a certain flavor and it is heavy on all the menus maybe wait a season :) that said I loved the flavors when I went but if someone didn’t they might repeatedly be let down by the various courses. Our reservation was for an early dinner around 5 and it started out quiet and fairly empty and by the time we finished around 8 it was quite busy and a bit louder. We had a wonderful time and will be back to try another season’s menu
Manisha Thuparani
Went this week for an anniversary dinner. We had the vegetarian menu and substituted a few dishes from their accompaniment choices! Loved all of the dishes we tried! And loved the bread options that they provided as well :) Vegetarian risotto was our fav!
Youzigege
Worst food I’ve ever had. Not even the worst fine dining. Worst food. Smallest portion. No service. No atmosphere unless you enjoy eating on the lower level of a split entry house. This is the most ridiculous restaurant I could ever think of. I’ll give them a zero star if I could. This restaurant is like a scam. Trash.
Amazing culinary experience for a special occasion. Really impressed that they have a full menu each for vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, and omnivore diets.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of our favorite restaurants. Fantastic ambience, service and top notch food that’s beautifully plated. Inventive combinations of flavors throughout the entire menu, including the non-alcoholic cocktails. Definite must try.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
One of the best meals you can have in Seattle. Everything was great from start to finish, living up to the hype. The big surprise was how good the wine pairings were and the sommelier was a star too. Cafe Juanita doesn't have the views of Canlis but the food is better. Take your girlfriend to Canlis and bring her to Cafe Juanita for a wedding anniversary.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food was ok but it's too expensive to make it sense. I also found a small white bug crawling in my dish for the 1st appetizer that basically ruined my experience there. I just told that it's ok because I didn't want to ruin my day but I don't remember they are saying sorry to me. Also server was not friendly. I don't recommend this restaurant.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 2
We finally got to try Café Juanita, and it absolutely lived up to the hype. This cozy, intimate spot feels like a hidden gem tucked away in Kirkland — perfect for a special night out. We opted for the tasting menu, and every course was beautifully presented and full of flavor. You can tell the ingredients are seasonal and thoughtfully sourced.
One of the unexpected highlights? The bread. They offer a variety — each one soft, warm, and addictively good. You’ll want to ask for seconds! The cocktails were top-notch too, especially the Negroni and a seasonal gin drink that paired perfectly with the appetizers.
Every dish felt balanced and refined — from delicate pastas to a standout main course that was both rich and elegant. The service was warm and attentive without being overbearing, and they happily explained each course in detail, which made the experience even more enjoyable.
It’s on the pricier side, but absolutely worth it for the quality and overall experience. Highly recommend for anyone looking to treat themselves to a true Italian-inspired tasting menu in a charming, romantic setting. Can’t wait to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We came to Junita Cafe with high hopes, drawn in by the promise of a refined 7-course experience. While the presentation certainly tries to sell you on a high-end dining affair, the actual food left us underwhelmed—flavors were surprisingly basic and forgettable. For a dinner that came out to nearly $700 for two (only one of us had drinks), we expected something much more elevated in taste and execution.
The setting was fine, but the views were nothing to write home about—definitely not enough to justify the price.
I wish there had been more honest reviews beforehand that mentioned how flat the food tastes despite all the hype. It feels like a lot of effort went into making it *look* fancy, but the soul and flavor just weren’t there. Disappointing, especially given how excited we were to try it. I think bread was the only thing that was beyond delicious and for a restaurant at this level should t be considered for only bread.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 4
So bad. Everything was so salty it was not edible. Could barely get through it.
Amazing experience at Cafe Juanita. Heavy usage of seasonal foods with a thoughtful tie throughout the menu of their aged parmigiano reggiano. We ordered the omnivore menu and every dish was a hit. The flavors were delectable.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cafe Juanita
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 3
Amazing 👏
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
This review is only for seasonned fine dinning customer.
Style without soul – a fine dining experience that forgot the basics
We booked with high hopes, expecting an elegant Italian gastronomic experience. What we got felt more like a culinary identity crisis wrapped in white noise and sea salt.
Let’s start with the food. One of the amuse-bouches was just… a chunk of parmesan. That’s not minimalist — that’s uninspired. Throughout the meal, we were served flavor combinations that made zero sense. Raw scallops on guacamole? In an Italian fine dining restaurant? That’s not bold. That’s confused. Every dish tasted like someone trying too hard to be different — and failing to be coherent.
And the salt. Wow. It felt like someone had stock in a salt mine. Overseasoning to that extent usually means one of two things: bad ingredients, or a chef who hasn’t learned restraint. Either way, not acceptable at this price.
The service? Flawless in form, but empty in substance. Waiters recited ingredients like they were reading from a prompter, with no context, no narrative, no passion. A dish without a story is just expensive food. We weren’t dining — we were decoding.
Then there’s the ambiance. Tables packed so close you could comment on your neighbor’s wine pairing. No tablecloths, no elegance. And the crumbs? Still there from the first piece of bread to the last bite of dessert. At this level, resetting a table between courses isn’t a luxury — it’s a given.
Here’s the sad truth: this restaurant probably stays booked because there aren’t many other options in the area that look this “fancy.” But if you’ve been to a real gastronomic restaurant — the kind that moves you, that makes you pause mid-bite — you’ll leave this one asking: “That’s it?”
We left unimpressed, underwhelmed, and honestly a little annoyed. High prices with low imagination. If you're used to true fine dining, skip this one — it’s all shine, no substance.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Terrible experience tonight. We were so looking forward to this but came out 800 poorer, 3.5 hours water with uninspired, flavorless food and mediocre at best service. Save yourself the poor experience and go elsewhere.
Amuse Bouche - too much flavor with caviar in a pastry filled with crème fraiche, would have been good just with the caviar. The halibut was so sad looking and tasteless that I left half of it uneaten, the ibercio was over salted and over cooked. Yes the bread is good and unfortunately the best part of the meal and we didn’t go there for bread. Dessert pics are missing but the panna cotta and strawberry cake were both less than mediocre:( the servers seemed distressed and not happy either, we saw one being told off by someone while she was making a drink, not a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
I feel like this is a must try place if you’re at all able to. It’s pricey, but seattle doesn’t have many options like it. The service was impeccable and the food was amazing. We were actually more impressed with how the simpler ingredients like the vegetables shined. It’s a great experience for a very special occasion. One thing to check is if you like the flavors incorporated into the menus. There’s 4 different options but you’re likely to experience a lot of the same flavors across different menus and different dishes (ie right now peas are in season so they used those across all menus and lots of dishes were Parmesan and morel mushroom heavy). If you really dislike a certain flavor and it is heavy on all the menus maybe wait a season :) that said I loved the flavors when I went but if someone didn’t they might repeatedly be let down by the various courses. Our reservation was for an early dinner around 5 and it started out quiet and fairly empty and by the time we finished around 8 it was quite busy and a bit louder. We had a wonderful time and will be back to try another season’s menu
Went this week for an anniversary dinner. We had the vegetarian menu and substituted a few dishes from their accompaniment choices! Loved all of the dishes we tried! And loved the bread options that they provided as well :) Vegetarian risotto was our fav!
Worst food I’ve ever had. Not even the worst fine dining. Worst food. Smallest portion. No service. No atmosphere unless you enjoy eating on the lower level of a split entry house. This is the most ridiculous restaurant I could ever think of. I’ll give them a zero star if I could. This restaurant is like a scam. Trash.
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