Cafe Juanita - Italian restaurant in Kirkland - 9702 NE 120th Pl, USA

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.

Such an intimate dining experience. My friend and I were celebrating our birthdays with our husbands. Had a wonderful dinner and overall experience. I had the pescatarian menu and my husband had the omnivore so we could share. Although it’s expensive, it’s a nice dinner out for a special occasion.

One of the best dining experiences I've had in the greater Seattle area. Attentive service, delicious food, and a nice but not stuffy atmosphere. I loved that they had a completely separate vegetarian/vegan tasting menu and the breads were very good as well. I couldn't finish all of my food and they packaged up the remainder and sent it home with me.

We had somewhat high expectations for this restaurant based on the reviews and recommendations from our friends. The food and wine selection were good, although some dishes were over salted and had slightly off flavors. The presentation of each dish was excellent. The service was a bit inconsistent, with multiple servers attending to our table randomly. Overall, we enjoyed the evening, but we were disappointed with a few aspects.

Superb - the simple name belies their innovative exquisite cuisine. Choose between omnivore, pesceterian, or vegan prix fixe menu (someone called it "prefix" on here - had to laugh) of 8 courses with optional wine pairings. Every course knocked it out of the park - taste, textures, and presentation. We were all very satisfied after 8 courses, big smiles on our faces. An incredible meal.

Third time visiting and was not disappointed. Giving it four stars based on our recent tasting menu experiences at Canlis and Altura (price comparable). Personally we felt the experience at Altura was more enjoyable and satisfying than Juanita (although Juanita did not charge an extra for truffles while Altura did). Our first two times at Juanita were more enjoyable (pre-pandemic ala carte menu).

Cafe Juanita serves a well-refined tasting menu that makes it a local favorite. The food would probably be closest to progressive Italian with mostly local ingredients, but it’s executed excellently. We start with A5 wagyu; the dish is a perfect display of such an excellent cut of meat. It’s served on a thin crispy toast and a light layer of cheese that complements the immensely satisfying and marbling. There is a subtle oily aftertaste too and it’s not overpowering. The jalapeño lime sauce is very light which is such a lovely balance without being interfering. The hand cut tajarin is very thin, making the pasta course less about pasta but more about the fusion of pasta and creme fraiche. The caviar is a very apt addition that dictates the flavors in its richness and complexity. The beet salad is one slice of beet topped with a cinder toffee like a honeycomb. A young lamb goat cheese is the diametric opposite, which has a lighter front but stronger aftertaste. The brodo is quite special: it is made from a fragrant chicken stock but infused with a subtle hint of parimigiano. The egg yolk, perhaps cured to be semi hardened, adds a much needed creaminess and yolkiness, almost too stark with the clear broth. The orange zest is a good add that is not too overpowering. The Iberico shoulder is prepared like beef, served medium rare and with a beef like jus, except the fatty parts are much more apparent at the cross sections to be chewier. The asparagus is some of the best I’ve had, crisp and watery; the morels are juicy. The panna cotta is fairly light. It comes with sweet juicy strawberries and a side of wild honey, making the panna cotta more a side piece in flavors. The 25 year balsamic is sweet and deep, adding a characteristic twist to the flavors.

Went here for date night! The entire experience was wonderful. The ambience was great and the food was delicious. We had the tasting menu and the best part was that they had separate vegan and vegetarian menus. Supplements were offered for an additional charge. I think the food presentation could have been a bit better for the price.