New Pasadena Restaurants to Watch: Late October and Early November 2026

This edition of the dining roundup covers the Pasadena-area rooms that are newest and most talked about as the month turns: the quietly opened Italian wine bar in Sierra Madre that the Los Angeles Times put on its best-new-bars list, the Old Town Japanese bakery whose Hokkaido salt breads keep drawing lines, and the Studio Ghibli-style coffee counter from the Motto Tea Cafe family. Every pick below was verified on September 29, 2026 against the restaurant's own page or a published review, and each entry names its neighborhood and what makes it worth your night out. Your host is Alejandro Espitia, Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, California license 01213999, with 18+ years of experience across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, in English and Spanish.

Bess: the quiet Italian wine bar that put Sierra Madre on the list

Bess at 48 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard opened quietly in October 2025 in the foothill town just past Pasadena's northeast edge, and it has been earning its write-ups since: the Los Angeles Times named it to its best-new-bars list, Eater LA has recommended it as an immaculate and vegetarian-friendly vibe dining, and Yelp reviewers hold it around 4.2 stars across 100-plus reviews. The room sets the tone as much as the food: deep red booths, mid-century touches, and string lamps over an Italian-American menu of lasagna, meatballs, and small plates, with a curated list of natural and biodynamic wines on the shelf. It is a short drive from Old Pasadena and worth it, especially on a clear evening when the mountains sit close. Call (626) 225-3512.

Wa-Iro: the Japanese bakery and cafe in Old Town

Wa-Iro at 38 S. Raymond Avenue, in the former I Like Pie space just off the Old Pasadena grid, soft-opened in spring 2026 and held its grand opening on May 9, 2026. It is a Japanese bakery and cafe built around salt bread made with flour imported from Hokkaido, plus matcha mochi anpan, butter pan and melon pan, black sesame lattes, and Kyoto Uji matcha drinks. Eater LA reviewed the viral salt breads and the drink menu favorably, and Yelp holds the room around 4.2 stars across 158 reviews. The counter sells out of the breads early on busy days, so a morning stop fits the itinerary better than an evening one.

Kissa by Motto: the Ghibli-style coffee counter on De Lacey

Kissa by Motto at 165 S. De Lacey Avenue, Suite 1049 is the espresso-and-dessert sibling of Motto Tea Cafe at 100 W. Green Street, and Visit Pasadena lists it among the city's new cafes this year. The room is Studio Ghibli-inspired, cozy and hand-drawn in feel, with espresso drinks, matcha, lattes, canele, scones, and desserts, and reviewers keep it around 4.4 stars on Yelp, calling it the best of the Motto family's three rooms. An exact opening date was not published in the sources this desk could confirm, so this guide says that plainly rather than guessing at one.

Still on the list from earlier editions

For the record, the rooms from earlier editions keep their momentum: KazuNori's hand-roll bar at 635 E. Colorado Boulevard, Javier's elevated Mexican at One Colorado, THAIM's Old Bangkok street food at One Colorado, Jay Ann Thai Street Food in South Pasadena, The Daily Catch's Sicilian seafood in Playhouse Village, Pez Coastal Kitchen's dry-aged fish, Tosakko's tonkotsu ramen, Woon Kitchen, and Cheesesteaks by Matu are all still running strong, and Lodge Bread Company's fourth bakery lands on Lincoln Avenue in early November 2026, sharing the building with the forthcoming Full Proof Pizza Company. This edition focuses on what regular readers had not seen yet, so those rooms get a one-line recap rather than a re-review.

Where the picks are verified

• Bess, official site
• Best New Pasadena Restaurants and Food Openings, Pasadena Magazine
• Best new bars in LA, Los Angeles Times
• Wa-Iro Japanese Bakery and Cafe, Old Pasadena directory
• Wa-Iro review, Eater LA
• Wa-Iro Bakery review, The Infatuation
• New restaurants and food trends in Pasadena, Visit Pasadena

What the new tables say about a neighborhood

New restaurants are the fastest pulse of a neighborhood. A quiet Italian wine bar earning national write-ups in Sierra Madre, a Japanese bakery bringing Hokkaido flour to an Old Pasadena side street, and a coffee-and-dessert counter finding its audience off De Lacey all point to streets with foot traffic, patio weather, and the resale story that comes with it. When you tour Pasadena, eat your way through the map: Sierra Madre for the mountain-town rooms, Old Pasadena for the side-street counters, and the Playhouse Village blocks for the newest dinner spots. Alejandro Espitia of Apex Realty and Investments brings 18+ years of local real estate and home financing experience to that decision, in English or Spanish, for buyers, sellers, and investors across Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside.

Curious which Pasadena neighborhood fits your budget and your dining habits? Text Alejandro at 626-314-9170, or use the form below to leave your name, email, and optional phone number, and the Find Homes and Loans desk will reply personally.

Written by

Alejandro Espitia

Real Estate Professional · Apex Realty & Investments

Meet the author

This guide is for general information, and is not mortgage, legal, or tax advice. Loan products and rates vary by lender, and all terms come from the lender, never from this website.