My best friend and I decided to celebrate our birthdays early. We chose Bess because the food and interior looked intriguing. We were immediately greeted and they noted we were celebrating a birthday, everyone was kind wishing us a happy birthday. They even gave us a small amount of some prosecco to have with our dinner. They did notice on our IDs that our birthdays were in September, but we celebrated early because my friend was going to move out of the country to care for her grandparents, we wanted to celebrate together before she left. The food was warm and delicious. Great service! Thank you Bess for making us feel welcomed!! Plus they have a photo booth in the back, so cute!! read more

Bess - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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Bess is very cute and the restaurant has a lovely ambiance. I believe this is a newer establishment so I'm sure they will improve over time and I look forward to altering this review if they do indeed deliver in the future. The service: Our server was friendly but inattentive and busy running about which I found odd as the restaurant seemed to be appropriately staffed. We never got our water jug refilled and we had to flag our waitress down for the check. The table next to us had to do the same. This was in stark contrast with the outdoor tables who were well taken care of, I could see this through the glass window front as we were seated at a bar. The wait time for food: I had read through the reviews before coming so I set my timer to see for myself. Our food was served in 45 minutes, not exactly ideal. I understand food takes time, but for such a busy restaurant the turn around was lengthy. I was not the only person to notice this. Many tables were looking around waiting for their food. Towards the end of our meal I heard a woman complaining to the staff about their wait. The food: I enjoyed my lasagna, the lemon ricotta was flavorful, I wish they had topped it with a bit less cheese as that was a bit overpowering but I personally liked it a lot 4.5/5. The chicken parm was decent but my partner was not so impressed, he said it's a 3/5. Parking can be found in the back lot behind the store fronts. read more

Bess - Lasagna - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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It was my first time at Bess and it did not disappoint! The food was delicious and staff were really friendly. There was plenty of parking behind the restaurant and it's located in a cute street with other restaurants and a movie theater. I started off with some wine and ordered the Moscato. If you enjoy sweeter wines, I highly recommend it! The menu is small but everything we ordered was really good! We shared the focaccia, Caesar salad, and pesto pasta. The focaccia was warm and the pesto pasta was delicious. For the dessert, we tried the key lime tart and it was so good too! The photo booth was such a fun way to end the evening. I can't wait to visit again! read more

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What a cute restaurant with retro vibe and a hidden Photo Booth! I like that it was around $5 for 2 strips! I went here for a birthday dinner and it was intimate and cute! We got a curated menu by the birthday girl and everything was so good! Our server was also very sweet and bring out everything we need. We got the bread, broccoli, lasagna and tiramisu. My favorite was definitely the broccoli and the lasagna! It was soo good and heavy on cheese. I would say the food here leans on the saltier side but nothing a water can't fix! read more

Bess - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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After seeing a few posts on social media about this place, we decided to stop by for an early dinner. What a pleasant surprise! This small, quaint restaurant in the heart of Sierra Madre exceeded our expectations. I had the Chicken Parmesan, and my wife ordered the pesto pasta. Both dishes were excellent. We also couldn't help but notice a Caesar salad served to another table that looked absolutely amazing--that's definitely on our list for our next visit. To start, we ordered the focaccia bread with olive oil and Calabrian chilies, and it was outstanding. If you're in the area, I highly recommend giving this place a try. You won't be disappointed! read more

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6 out of 10. We chose the patio to dine, which is the sidewalk. Wax over 100 degrees outside. The food was delicious but over priced. It was over $300 for 6 of us. We had a few drinks, wine flight was delicious. The ipa beer is delicious but the ran out of it. The food took a little longer than expected. It was my daughter's bday. No free desert. One waitress said yes, then another confirmed no at the end. read more

Bess - Mushroom pasta - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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There are two Bess locations! Celebrated a birthday for dinner, the food was amazing and had so much flavor! Each dish is small so our table ordered a quite of few plates and did more of a family style. So we could try all the dishes. The wines were also great, we got to the bottle of moscato and a wine flight! Our waiter was friendly and great! :) We brought a birthday cake and they were able to keep it in the fridge for us. We decided not to have it served there since they had an additional $25 fee for brought in desserts. Overall the ambiance of the restaurant was very pleasant and the Photo Booth was working and took only card and you get 2 photos for $5.55. Felt very nostalgic read more

Bess - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

At Bess, the night unfolded with quiet elegance house salad, olives, a beautiful cheese platter, and a crisp glass of pinot grigio. The room carried a soft, intimate glow, and the service matched it graceful, attentive, never intrusive. But she was the evening. The way she introduced me to her friends throughout the evening, the thought she put into every detail, the way she made me feel seen and completely taken care of it stayed with me more than anything on the table. There's something rare about her warmth, effortless and genuine, that turns a simple dinner into something unforgettable. A truly romantic night, because of her. read more

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Excellent service! Sat outside on a a Saturday afternoon and had a fantastic time. The coffee cake was incredible, loved the flaky finishing salt! We had white wine spritzers which were delicious & refreshing. My friend enjoyed the carbonara pasta & I had steak and eggs. The real star of my dish was the salad. Fresh dill & a lemony dressing really elevated the dish. I'm looking forward to coming back to try their dinner menu. read more

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(Would give it a 3.5-3.8) We ordered the chicken parmesan, bucatini, caesar salad, and tiramisu. The caesar salad was yummy! Liked the dressing, it was light and had a lot of parmesan on it. The bucatini was probably the worst thing we tried. Although the sauce was super good, I thought the noodles were a bit undercooked. The chicken parmesan was good, although it does not come with noodles (everything is ala carte). Also, the portion was a lot for one person but not enough for 2 people to share. The tiramisu was sooo good, I loved how it was a little salty and was not too sweet. But, I wish the portion was bigger since it is $14. (definitely the best thing we tried) The service was ok, our hostess was super nice but the hot food took awhile to come out so we were waiting after we had finished out salad. The layout of the restaurant is a little weird, you have to walk through the kitchen to get to the back. But the ambiance was good, we liked the songs playing as well. We also loved the photo booth in the back! Overall would go back to try the lasagna and the foccacia (saw other images and those looks good), and it is a super cute spot for a date night. read more

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Superb flavors. Their ingredients were so fresh. We got a bunch of dishes, and everything was so on point, but the tomato sauce especially was truly a stand out in the meatballs and bucatini. The thyme on the focaccia was also very impressive - it was so earthy and minty. Their pastas were all cooked very fresh. We ordered 3 and I can't decide which one I liked the most because they were all so delicious. read more

Bess - Focaccia and Meatballs - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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Great vibes with great food. Came here for Sunday brunch with my husband and we were seated immediately by the window bar area. We ordered the steak and eggs, Italian baked eggs, bucatini carbonara, lasagna, and coffee cake. My favorite was the Italian baked eggs-- I'm probably biased bc I really like shakshuka and this dish is basically an Italian version of that. It comes with focaccia and is the perfect bread for dipping. Steak and eggs is.. exactly what it sounds like, not bad but nothing particularly special. The bucatini carbonara also delicious but definitely on the heavy side. I like how they used lemon ricotta in the lasagna-- provided some depth of flavor. My husband and I really enjoyed the coffee cake. Overall I would recommend checking this place out. It's in a such a walkable, nice place in downtown sierra madre. read more

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Small, busy restaurant, formerly Corfu. Pasta dishes were good, and portions were big. I guess I was a little bit off because the dishes were small. The actual dish that the food was in. Made it look like there's not enough food, but they're actually was. And the chocolate cake, for $12, was half the size of a slice of cake elsewhere. Because the pasta was really tasty, I would like to go back again. read more

The service was great. Super friendly and accommodating. If you are really hungry this place is not it because of how small their portions are. However, this is a perfect place for a fancy night for just the vibes and some drinks. When you first enter the place it's quite small, but there is more seating in the back and outside. In the back there is also a cute photo booth which I really enjoyed! As for the food, their menu is kinda small and half the items are vegetarian and gluten free. So a plus for people who are vegetarian. I feel like they should try expanding their menu for more food options though. Foccacia - 6/10 Meatballs - 9/10 Super flavorful, the sauce and the meatballs tasted so good together Pesto Orecchiette - 7/10 Lacking the pesto flavor I was expecting, the walnuts were a nice touch. read more

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The service was so kind and quick. And the ambiance was great for a nice dinner date or catching up with a friend. The food was just alright and I think the portion size was perfect for 2! I wish the sauce in the mushroom cavatappi was more creamy! Overall solid place. read more

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I ventured all the way out here from Long Beach to try this and it was soooo good!! the meatballs were amazing with the sauce and so was the focaccia, i'd recommend saving some red sauce to dip the bread in as well. The ambience was great and it gave like cutesy date vibes with no bright overhead lights and cute ambient lighting. The service was also amazing!! there is also the cutest photo booth in the back!! read more

Bess - italian soda and a mocktail - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

I just had dinner here in a quint part of Sierra Madre. The menu is small, but everything we ordered was great. We ended up ordering the olives, chips and dip and lasagne. While the chips and dip may not sound like it's a cohesive part of the menu, it was delicious. I am not a fan of olives, but the marinated olives were also surprisingly good. The lasagna was fine, I didn't taste the notes of lemon ricotta, as it was likely overpowered by the meat sauce. All, in all, great place for a simple bite. read more

Bess has great ambience and great service. The food is good but the serving sizes are small. We had the cesar salad, meatballs, bucatini, and mushroom cavatappi for dinner. The cesar salad was our favorite of the night. The vibe was nice for date night and we enjoyed taking pictures in the photo booth at the end of the night. Still felt like picking up mcdonald's chicken nuggets on the way home lol read more

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Service was impeccable from the moment we walked in! We were seated in the back of the restaurant, past the kitchen. We were trying to enjoy our Caesar salad when one of us spotted a very large pest crawling on the wall... which we were then moved to another table at the front of the restaurant. Now that I think about it, I'm surprised we were rather chill about what happened? Anyway, we all shared 3 pasta dishes, plate of meatballs, and broccolini. We all agreed the pastas were underwhelming and they all looked better than they tasted. Broccolini had so much damn cheese on it I had to shake it off. It later turned into a clump and stuck on the rest of the broccolini. Dessert was offered, on the house, due to the situation we encountered at the beginning of our meal. Lots of chocolate on the menu, which I am not a big fan of. I personally opted for the key lime tart, which they were out of. So the friends shared a tiramisu while I sipped on coffee. Not sure yet if I want to return. read more

Solid neighborhood spot for Italian. They are a wine bar but serve pretty solid food. Came in on a Friday night and they were gracious in offering a frozen sangria and seems like they are experimenting with frozen rose for Saturdays at the moment. Food-wise we had: + Tinned fish: The smoked trout was nice but I'm gonna put a pass for now. I didn't take off points for this because the concept and ingredients were solid, but I find it hard to share and eat with the thin crackers. I badly wished this was a dip rather than the way it was presented. + Bucatini: This was my favorite. I appreciate that they can offer you up a side of meatballs to add in here versus ordering the full 6 meatball dish. Flavorful and can't go wrong. + Pesto Orecchiette: Very earthy pesto and has a nice crunch with the walnuts. Tomatoes are very fresh. We were pretty stuffed so skipped dessert but it looked great on paper. Might be my reason to be back next time. Ample free parking in the lot near the back of this strip of businesses. Plus the neighbors are a pretty cool bookstore worth stopping by! read more

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If I could give this experience 0 stars, I would. The service at this establishment really needs to be improved and the staff (particularly our waitress, Erika Z) needs to be retrained. Our dinner started off nice, we were celebrating two birthdays and we were so excited to finally try Bess out, we'd been seeing it all over socials and thought we'd go here to celebrate. Wish we picked anywhere but here!! The ambiance was super cute and the vibes were giving retro diner but that's about all that this restaurant had to offer. The food was mediocre at best, and the service made the food taste even worse because it just left a bad taste in our mouths. The standout dish would have to be the tomato pasta, I would skip everything else. Perhaps just get appetizers to share. Now the real kicker - once we were seated, we didn't get service for about 30 minutes. No one came to bring us water or ask if they could get us anything for that long. Our waitress barely checked in on us, our empty appetizer plates were left on our table for about 15 minutes before someone came to clear it. When she presented us with the bill, we noticed a $25 cake cutting charge for four guests (which is ASTRONOMICALLY HIGH - fine dining establishments don't even charge that much) and when we asked why we were charged she had no explanation other than "this is normal for restaurants to charge." We had brought our own cake and had asked for it to be refrigerated, it was NOT refrigerated as the butter cream was melting by the time she brought it back out and she provided plates and a butter knife for US to cut our own cake. So make it make sense why we were charged a cake cutting fee? She was extremely rude and a horrible representation of this restaurant. Definitely not how we wanted to spend celebrating two special birthdays!! read more

5 stars for a100% health score and a perfect recovery from misplacing our order. Lost in our conversation and the gorgeous weather, we weren't served till about an hour after our order was taken. Partly our fault for taking so long to speak up, but our server was so sweet and handled the snafu so beautifully, that it was easy to forgive whatever went sideways between her and the kitchen. Once the food arrived, it was pretty good... the chicken parmesan was probably our favorite. We were told that the portions were large / family style, but I found them to be individually portioned. The location is enchanting. Go a bit early so you can drive around this historical neighborhood and check out the beautiful homes and the majestic trees. read more

Happy I was able to make a Resy reservation on their website. The restaurant has a chic interior and had more seating in the back. From the hostess to the servers, everyone greeted us politely and very attentive. So charming that they have a photobooth which is located in the back. $5.55 for 2 strips (3 pictures per strip with pretty good lighting) which was a lot of fun! There were 5 of us and we opted to do family style to try more of the dishes. We ordered meatballs, broccolini, chicken Parmesan and lasagna. We underestimated our hunger so we ended up ordering another lasagna and chicken Parm. The meatballs were small but flavorful. I felt like it was more sauce than meatballs, I had to remove some sauce to taste the meat. The chicken Parmesan was a good portion, chicken was flavorful. I enjoyed the lasagna and broccolini. The house sauce was delicious but it was refreshing to have the freshness of the broccolini cut through the acid from the tomato sauce. Dessert didn't disappoint. The chocolate cake slice was surprisingly refreshing and light. It looks really dense by it had a beautiful orangey taste from the zest. The tiramisu had a great balance of boozy and espresso taste. Would definitely come back for that. Overall it was a beautiful dinner experience. They have a variety of alcoholic and nonalcoholic beverages. I got a mocktail, the Phony Espresso Negronis which I highly recommend! It was lighter than I expected and had a beautiful espresso flavor. read more

Bess - Chicken parm, lasagna, broccolini and meatballs - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

Oh my gosh what a gem of a place. The location is so nonchalant you could miss it. Located across the street from the Sierra Madre Play House and so small but mighty! I highly recommend making reservations especially on a weekend. Walk ins can be turned away or experience long waits. But I promise the food, service and atmosphere are worth it. read more

The food was packed with flavor, staff were insanely attentive and had great energy, the ambiance was homey, cozy, curated with love and intent. There was something really whimsical about the layout and lighting. The hostess was so sweet and accommodating. Our server Erika is truly a professional. Chicken parm, Cesar, mushroom pasta dish, wine, key lime pie... & a Photo Booth!!??!?? BOOM!! The bessssss time at Bess xo read more

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Bess is a gem in Sierra Madre with great service and great food. I was able to verify that they use aged Parmesan which my lactose intolerant self can enjoy and let them go wild with it which made the food even tastier. I really enjoyed their meatballs and bucatini. They offer their Pinot Noir in 1/2 a liter which is great to share with three people when we each only want one glass. The ambiance is great in the front part of the restaurant. There's an old school Photo Booth in the back for $5! I highly suggest making a reservation as this place is small and does get busy. read more

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I don't get the high ratings for this restaurant. It took 15 mins before our order was taken and another 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Lasagna came out burnt and was too salty! Tasted like ragu from a jar. Won't return. Go to UNION in old town if you want great Italian food. read more

Update: Glad my experience has been helpful to others. For comparison, Gus's BBQ in South Pas will wholeheartedly seat a party of 2-3 with a 3 year old at a booth that can seat up to six. That's without you even asking them about a booth. They just do it. This is because their service and common sense about the needs of young children/older toddlers far surpasses Bess's. Even when they could seat us at a smaller table with chairs only. Many staff here are not in tune with the needs of families who dine because it's quintessentially more geared toward date-nighters or the occasional larger adult-only party and because the staff demographic doesn't scream "I have dined with kids!" Only recently have they started giving plastic utensils and cups to 3 year olds that would otherwise break lots of glass. Also it's clear others have had negative hostess experiences here... I stand by my original review and wish the owner would do more than just wishing patrons well if they got up and left (in fact he never offered any kind of comp and only backs up his hostess saying in the past we didn't sit at the "table" we reserved). Sadly, I don't see this place being around for a very long time despite the food being overall fine enough. You could certainly get more authentic and elevated Italian-Italian food in Duarte if you look around a bit.. read more

I don't know where to start. The moment we walked in and experienced the best hospitality that I've had in a long while or the food that we ate. We had reservations at 5 and we were sat immediately. We ordered the meatballs and focaccia to start and those meatballs were soooooo good they melted in our mouths so we had to order another one. Ordered the Cesar, broccolini, two chicken Parm's and the lasagna. All were incredible. The chicken parm was soooooo good and delicate. It wasn't too heavy. The lasagna was decent but it was still pretty good. The service. I can't say anything bad about it and they made our evening holding our cake and bringing it out to us where most places would charge a cutting fee. I am definitely coming back. Thank you Bess for the food and most importantly the service. You guys made us feel like we were at Moms Restaurant. read more

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I thought the food was just ok. We got the caesar salad and mushroom cavatappi. The caesar salad was anchovy heavy for me and the mushroom pasta was ok. I would still go back because some of the other items looked delicious. I did get a rose Italian soda which was amazing! The ambiance is very cute. They have a front and back room. Don't forget their photo booth--it was a cute addition. The parking is great. There is street parking and also a huge lot behind the restaurant. read more

Bess - Mushroom Cavatappi - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

Came here on a Sunday night and had such an amazing time! I love the vibes atmosphere this place gives off! The Calabrian bean dip was okay - had a nice kick to it when you eat from the middle. I LOVED the Caesar salad! It had a bit of an anchovy taste to the dressing but it was delicious! I didn't leave any last bit on my plate and ate it all :) the lasagna was AMAZING!! It has a slight lemon taste but it was soooo good and tasted authentic! The pesto was great for someone who likes basil! The broccolini was pretty spicy so beware! The tiramisu was really good too and had a rum taste to it! James was wonderful and added so much fun and excitement to our dinner! We will definitely be back for more! read more

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A total gem in downtown Sierra Madre! Bess is exactly what the neighborhood needed -- a modern, inviting wine bar and Italian dinette that feels both chic and effortlessly welcoming. From the moment you walk in, you can feel the buzz of good energy -- great music, warm lighting, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to stay for hours. The wine selection is fantastic -- thoughtfully curated and perfect for both casual sippers and true wine lovers. I loved being able to try different glasses instead of committing to a full bottle. The food? Simply delicious. The menu is a fresh, flavorful take on Italian-American classics -- think perfectly cooked pasta, beautiful small plates, and a few fun twists that make everything feel special. The staff is knowledgeable, friendly, and genuinely passionate about what they do, which makes the whole experience even better. Whether you're popping in for a glass of wine after work or settling in for dinner with friends, Bess hits the mark every time. It's informal yet refined, energetic yet cozy -- truly a perfect spot for Sierra Madre. So happy to have Bess in the neighborhood! P.S THEY have a PHOTO BOOTH read more

Bess - Photo booth - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

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We've been waiting for this little gem to open for months, & it did not disappoint! TL;DR - the ambience, the service, the food & drink - it's all dynamite ... We ordered the chips & dip (which were both light and indulgent at the same time), meatballs (tender with killer sauce) the pesto dish (so wonderfully aromatic & fresh) and the lasagna (oh baby - I'd come back just for that :) The wine list is curated and on point, and they even have some complementary local brews. The dessert was fantastic; the chocolate cake kind of reminded me of an olive oil cake, but with cocoa ... not too sweet, and the tiramisu was moist and delicious. We'll most certainly be back to explore the whole menu! (Thanks James & Sarah for a lovely night!) read more

Bess - Lasagna - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

First time visiting this restaurant. My friends and I shared the chicken parmigiana, dinner salad and Cesar salad. The chicken was delicious with the marinara sauce. The salads were fresh. Would definitely come back read more

Cute little (and its little) spot. Not very accessible for people with limitations. Best to make reservations, especially for large groups. The food was good, had the lasagna and the flight of wine. The menu is more à la carte, meaning don't expect an accompaniment of a side with your entrée unless you buy it. Departing thought-the price of the food didn't rise to the occasion. read more

I absolutely love this gem of a place in our town! As a daughter of an Italian immigrant-it's tough to impress me with Italian fare. Not sure what kind of a palate those reviewers have who give Bess less than 5 stars. Portions are a bit on the smaller size, but so incredibly tasty. The lasagne is not your traditional style but my favorite thing on the menu. I've tried brunch and equally as impressed. They have a good selection of wines as well. Absolutely love Bess! read more

A really cool little Italian spot. Foods delicious and ambiance is fantastic! Don't forget to hit up the Photo Booth before you leave! read more

Bess - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California

It's funny - a few weeks ago I went to Betsy in Altadena with a friend, and now Bess in Sierra Madre (with the same friend!). Both B-first names and in the same general area. Is this a new naming trend I don't know about? (Fun fact - Betsy and Bess are both derivatives of Elizabeth) Bess has a mostly Italian menu with simple, no-frills classics like lasagna, bucatini, and chicken parmesan. I ended up ordering the mushroom cavatappi, which I really enjoyed, and my friend liked her lasagna as well. We also shared an off-menu dessert for that day - which was a chocolate peanut butter pie that was quite tasty. The food was good, but the portions seemed small for the prices. Also, the space inside is tiny and quite cramped. The seating layout inside is a bit odd. We were sat next to a corner table, and in order for the people at that table to get out...or for the server to reach them...I actually had to move my chair out of the way. Otherwise they were literally trapped in the corner with no way out. That said, the restaurant is located in a charming, walkable part of Sierra Madre with lots of shops and small businesses nearby. I could definitely see this being a cute date spot followed by a stroll around the area. read more

the food here was good but nothing out of this world. portions are decent size to share depending on your appetite as everything is à la carte. the moscatos were sooo yumm and sweet. my friends got there before me and were already sat but mentioned how they were completely ignored and left waiting for a long time when trying to check in for our reservation. Restaurant is a bit tiny inside but gives a cozy feeling. read more

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The food, amazing, the staff absolutely wonderful, the ambience so cute! They even have a vintage Photo Booth inside where you can capture the moment! Highly recommend. read more

Bess - Wine Bars Near Me - Sierra Madre, California