We had an absolutely lovely evening here with a party of seven guests last night who were well acquainted with great food. The service, the dinner, the wine and the atmosphere was perfect. Everything was fresh and served beautifully. The timing of the meal was thoughtful. Our conversation flowed and was never once interrupted. I did not find the owner/chef to be aloof or caustic, but a high end professional, intent on making our evening with guests a flawless experience. The fact that the owner/chef is not only extremely talented but also young, absolutely stunning and gorgeous may have something to do with a few of the negative comments on here...I'm just saying...get over it already... She is a professional chef from NYC and a bag of chips.
There is no question that this place is a little treasure of simple pleasures! go enjoy!!
When our friends said they had made a reservation for us here tonight I immediately checked out the menu and yelp reviews. Â I had actually forgotten we had dined here a few years ago. Â After reading the reviews I must say I was not looking forward to dinner and decided not to share what I had read with the others until after dinner. We had fried calamari to start and it was just mediocre-looked great-nice light batter but was a little too chewy-our entrees on the other hand were excellent. I had the curry chicken satay, my husband and friend had the lamb chops and his wife had the pesto salmon-if it wasn't inappropriate to lick our plates I think we all would have! Â Yes, the service was a little slow and yes the owner could work on her people skills but all in all it was a good experience. Â Will I make a special trip back-probably not-but wouldn't turn down an invitation to return.
Review Source:My take on PasTu is that the owner can stay in business only because tourists stumble in.  A local person would never come more than once because the food is  OK, but not good enough to justify the price and make up for the abrasive service. Â
I went the other night with 3 other people. We were eating on the early side so the place was empty except for one other table with a guest with whom the owner sat chatting... and chatting... and chatting. Â Meanwhile we sat at our table with no menus, then water with no ice, then a HOT plastic, bottle of Peligrino. Â When I was able to catch the owner's eye and ask for service, she would roll her eyes and slouch off to provide a minimum of assistance. Â Ice? Â We got like 6 cubes. Â Wine? It came 20 minutes late and the smallest pour.... and white wine that was hot too. Â
She was, admittedly, quick with the bill.
Had a horrible experience at this restaurant. Â My family vacations on Balboa Island every year and have eaten here in the past. Â When I went with my husband this year to eat, we were immediately stopped by the waitress/owner. Â She told us she was completely booked that night and didn't have any availability even though there were several empty tables. Â The next day my husband went back to set up a reservation again. Â He told her we were there all week but she said she had no availability the entire week. Â My mother went the next day to set up reservations and the owner said there was availability every night that week. Â The only conclusion we can come to to explain the horrible treatment of my husband and me is that my husband is black. Â Needless to say we will be filing a complaint with the Better Business Bureau.
Review Source:Pas Tu is a petite and charming restaurant that I tried for the first time this week.  Although it was a risk to choose for a birthday dinner having never been there before, I was pleasantly surprised with the incredible detail in the presentation of the cuisine, its variety of flavors, and overall diversity to accomodate any diet and taste.  As Pas Tu is not apart of a chain it provides a very intimate, yet exciting dining experience on Balboa Island.  It was clear to me that the owner was waiting on us, which was understandable given the size of the restaurant and that it was a Tuesday night.  I've helped run a restaurant before and am still in the industry.  The wine menu is not vast, but well-rounded and compliments the food menu.  The Cotes du Rohne went very nicely with the Fra gois and the Sauvignon Blanc was nicely balanced.  It was exciting to see Cuvée and Tempranillo listed as options as most restaurants in CA seem to only care about CA wine.  We commenced with the Mediterranean appetiser, which had some of the best hummus I've ever had.  Foie gois is not something I've had the opportunity to try, but we all liked it and thought its sauce and figs complimented it well.  We had a nice mixed green salad that had very fresh tomatoes and artichokes.  For our entrées we had the lobster-stuffed ravioli, the kabob mixed plate, and the halibut special.  All three were incredible, but especially the halibut.  Every part of the dish worked cohesively to bring out new flavors and uplift the fish.  We were in awe of this dish.  I also tried the lamb chops and mignon in the kabob plate and they exceeded my expectations through flavor and cooking style.  For dessert we had hazelnut cake, a pear-tart special, and baklava.  Again, the special was the best of the three as it was unique in flavor, composition, and presentation.
During this time in our society it is hard to find restaurants such as Pas Tu. Â Most independent restaurants of this caliber begin to dissolve due to financial pressures and the competition of larger or chain restaurants. Â Having just now yelped it, I was unaware of so many mixed reviews. Â Everyone has different experiences in restaurants based on many variables. Â Pas Tu is unique and in a class of its own. Â I found the prices reasonable for the quality of the food. Â This is a great place to take anyone to celebrate, have a date night, and to just slow down in life and enjoy the finer things. Â Pas Tu's food is made with passion and love and that's exactly what I want to spend my time and money on when I have the opportunity to. Â We will be going back.
Over Memorial day weekend my daughter and her friend joined me for what we had hoped would be a delicious and memorable holiday dinner. Unfortunately, it was the worst food I had tasted in decades; I had a four ounce halibut that looked and tasted like a bad frozen fish microwave dinner and my daughter had the salmon that was equally awful and drowning in a bad pesto sauce. The steak was eatable but that was it.......and the prices for the poor quality are astronomical....the halibut....if you want to call it that was $40.00
If you want bad food and pay a lot then this is the place for you!
I'm giving this restaurant an A-OK only because I'm afraid all the negative comments will eventually close this place down and I do enjoy the food.  With that said, my husband and I have been going to this restaurant for years now.  We are foodie's for sure!! The owner is NOT friendly, she acts as if she's doing you a favor by allowing you into her restaurant.  A couple next to us had a Groupon and the owner snarkily (not sure that's a word) stated "I don't accept those on Saturdays!" the patron simply replied "It's Friday" can we say "awkward"!  We ordered a nice bottle of wine, shrimp wrapped prosciutto (delish), the soup du jour was split pea and I know it had truffle oil in it but my husband was not happy to see $12 for a not even 1/2 filled bowl of soup we also shared a pasta not split (she charges $5 for that)  I asked the owner if the air was on because I could feel a draft she said no, it's the door and said you can sit there and pointed to the other side of the table.  I thought alrighty then! I moved and the evening progressed just fine.  She brought our bill without even asking if we wanted dessert..My husband hates going there because he doesn't care for the owner but I really enjoy the food, it's fresh, simple and delicious.  The pesto salmon tastes like putty but the mediterranean tuna is the fish to have. If you go to feel warm and fuzzy and want your ass kissed it ain't gonna happen here.  If you want a nice, cozy, delicious meal and are willing to lay down the coin this is the place to dine at least once before  you die nuff said!
Review Source:I live on Balboa Island and had never dined at Pas Tu. Â The first time I went we thought the food was just okay but not worth the price and that was the best part of our experience. Â Our server, who I believe is also the owner, was very rude to us and never smiled. Â Everytime we asked for something she acted like it was a bother. Â I had to ask for my champagne 2 times after I ordered it and 20 minutes later it arrived. Â Our food took forever and it was just a bad experience all the way around.
I figured it was just a bad day so I made a reservation last Tuesday and while making the reservation she asked for my phone number and I gave it to her and repeated it. Â I called at 3:00PM and made the reservations for 5:30PM. Â I made the reservation with the owner that served us the first time and she sounded pleasant enough. Â I went to the restaurant with my friend and they were closed. Â When I called her she said she had an emergency and she would not open back up until Friday and acted like she was annoyed with me. Â I asked why she didn't call me to let me know and she said she didn't have my phone number which I knew was not correct unless she asked and didn't write it down. Â I am not sure what happened in the 2 1/2 between the time I made the reservations and showed up to the restaurant but even if she didn't have my phone number it should have been in her caller ID. Â
Needless to say I have no intentions of ever dining there again. Â I can understand one bad experience but the owner is rude, the service is bad and the food is not outstanding by any means. Â We ended up going to Amelia's and the service was great, the food was amazing and the prices were great!
My husband and I have dined here twice. Both times we have been very pleased with the food. Â Love the escargot! Â Eggplant app was really good as well. Â We love the ambiance; it's small, cozy and intimate. It's great for date night, but I would not eat here with a large group. Â The first time we ate here, we sat out in the little patio area (only has 2 tables) overlooking Marine Ave, which was fun. Â
The reason for 3 stars: The woman who works there (I am guessing that she is the owner) is VERY aloof. Â We actually went last weekend and tried to get in. Â Every single time I have tried to call, there is no answer. Â I did not leave a message, but I figured at some point, someone would pick up. Â On 3 different days, there has never been an answer. Anyway, so we went last Sunday night and hoped for the best. Â We got there, opened the door (which opens to the little patio), then on the next door, there is a sign that says 'Wait To Be Seated.' Â The restaurant was full, and EVERYone turned to look at us. Â The woman/hostess/owner practically ran to the door making the 'cut-off-your-neck' sign with her hand, opened the door and said "private party!" and slammed the door. Â Ummm, OK. Â Maybe next time, answer the phone or put a sign on the door. Â The only reason we went back (last night) is because we got one of those Groupon deals. Â So again, food was great last night. Still the same woman, seemed to be the only one there besides the chefs in back, but luckily it was not busy. Â She did not smile once at us the entire evening, not even when we first walked in. Â She was very aloof the whole evening. Â We certainly did not take it personally, but we are unlikely to dine here again. The food isn't THAT fantastic. Customer service is pretty important in my opinion!!
"French, Mediterranean, Italian, Greek & Int'l Cuisine"
That should explain enough. This place has no identity and its owned by a woman who has no business running a restaurant.
From what I remember from the food its decent, mostly Medi stuff, hummus, dolmados, eggplant.
There was only one server, a young girl and she was quite good, but no server is good enough to run a restaurant with 8? tables by herself. She was sprinting everywhere while the task master just sat around or talked with guests.
At the end of the meal we were given our check, and then the waitress was busy serving with the owner no where in sight. We gave the check to the waitress but she said she couldnt ring it up, had to wait for the owner.. well she was sitting in the back folding napkins.. for 15 min. Never came out. Almost felt as if she was ignoring the place. No idea what her deal is but I wont be back.
After reading the comments below, I only hope someone from Pas Tu reads Yelp. Our experience has been very similar. The food and atmosphere is great but the customer service is very hit or miss. One time the server yelled at our kid for putting his feet on the seat, explaining how expensive they were. We were shocked and didn't return for months. We keep returning with hopes of a server that matches the rest of the restaurants great qualities. It's not on our boycott list but theres not a strong desire to return. If the owner and or management read this, keep the water glasses full and keep a closer eye on your customers needs. It's pretty consistent but with little focus; you'd have one of the most friendly, quant restaurants in Orange County.
Review Source:A lovely, quaint restaurant that is extremely romantic. It is tiny but intimate. The food is wonderful and the wait was not unreasonable. The owner, who was also our server, was slightly aloof initially but became increasingly friendly as the night progressed. Â She did disclose that when the restaurant has several parties, the kitchen does get overwhelmed. Â My suggestion would to get there earlier in the evening. The ambiance is unique and the cuisine is very good. I will return next time I'm in oc.
Review Source:We were very pleased with the food! I had the lamb and my husband the steak and both dishes were made to perfection! The place is a bit tight indeed (for American standards at least) but they make it work, just like some great small restaurants in Europe do too. The place is well decorated and has a very romantic flair- very nice. The only think we didn't like was the MUSIC! The night we went they were playing Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga and other pop music that didnt match with the place's atmosphere AT ALL! It was also quite loud- perhaps the young, bleach blonde waitress that was helping us was in charge of the music and hooked up her ipod straight into the sound system? Who knows... Â all I can say is that the music was terrible and it did diminish our overall experience. Other than that, this restaurant is very good!
Review Source:We had a most unpleasant experience at Pastu! Â We were really hungry and were seated on the patio,then we were told that the people were leaving at another table would we like that one & we said yes. Â We were told to wait about 3 minutes. Â After about 5 minutes the young Gal came and told us that the manager/owner? decided that they were not serving anymore. We protested, she kindly went and told the Mgr./owner who again refused to seat us. Â THIS HAS NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD....WE TRAVEL A GREAT DEAL, & WE ARE SENIORS! I give it NO stars since we were not even allowed to eat there! Â PLEASE SEE OUR GREAT REVIEW OF AMELIA'S WHERE WE WERE SEATED & SERVED! :-)
Review Source:I am not sure why this is listed under French food, for the most part it was bad Persian food. I had to ask for bread three times, they did not have the wine listed on their menu. The owner was rude and wanted to prove to me that I was wrong to say the meat was over cooked, after i asked the waitress to pack my food to take home the owner brought the back to show me the meat was cooked right. will not be back for any reason again. I will say my guest liked their pasta but were not coming back mostly due to owner's attitude
Review Source:The restaurant is probably the coziest (smallest) ever.  The ambiance was very nice and romantic and this was the main reason we stopped in for dinner.  We  were asked if we had a reservation and since we didn't, the only table they had was outside.  Great, it was a beautiful evening and we were happy.
The owner that night was also our server and was busier than a three legged goat since his waiter didn't show up. Â So, we waited to get water, wine, a menu, etc. Â No problem, the table was great and we were in no rush.
I ordered the salmon medallions with a pesto sauce and my husband ordered the Mediterranean platter. Â His was tasty...mine was not. Â First the medallions turned out to be a salmon steak over a bed of rice with a (too) thin pesto flavored cream. Â Now for $24, I thought it was going to be served with a pasta, not 50 cents worth of rice with a runny sauce that didn't even compliment it.Unfortunately, the salmon still had bones in it so I had to be very careful eating it.
This place is too hit-or-miss for my money.
the atmosphere is cozy and romantic - only a dozen or so tables. Â (good or bad depending on if there's anyone next to you).
took the wifey down this past weekend. Â verdict: excellent food, good selection of wines. Â i had a chicken pasta dish which was the perfect size and bursting with taste.
a little bit pricey, but not terrible it if you are looking for something higher quality.
would probably go back but only for a special occasion and if I was in the neighborhood.
I can't say enough good things about this place - great food, great wine, lovely atmosphere. Â It's a very small space (and even squeezes in a tiny patio), so it's great for small groups - especially dates! Â (Unless you date in large groups).
I especially like their creative sauces and sides. Â I had one of the specials a couple of weeks ago - halibut with "blueberry salsa". Â Frankly, they had me at "blueberry." Â The salsa was mild and fruity without being sweet, and I mostly used the halibut to mop up every drop of the salsa. Â I hope it makes it onto the permanent menu!
I spend a lot of time on Balboa Island, and Pas Tu brings a new level of class to the island's restaurants. Â I'm thrilled to have it there.
I visited this walk-in closet during the spring with a girlfriend of mine. We were having an early dinner around 5pm and asked to sit inside because the sun was blasting the small patio. The gentleman asked us if we had reservation (for his empty restaurant), "no" we replied and he said we had to sit on the patio if we didn't have reservations. While we sat and waited for our food a group of 4 people walked in, he greeted them asked if they had reservations they said no and he sat them inside right in front of us. I walked to the back to tell the server to forget it so we could leave but she was bringing out the food. We reluctantly stayed of course. Then to finish the night off right we get the bill and my girlfriend noticed the fish was a different price than what was on the menu. I asked of course and the server and older gentleman looked at me with a blank stare and she mutters something about it being an old menu and he tells her (in front of me) that she should have told us. Nice arguing in front of customers - really classy. Naturally I state the obvious "how is this my problem?" The man looks at her and says something about her having to pay the difference. Appaled, at this point we have been sitting in the hot sun looking at an empty resturant minus the four people that were sat without a reservation and been overcharged for our food. I just paid the bill and left with distain for the gentleman and pity for the server.
Review Source:This restaurant was amazing!
The bf and I came here for dinner on a Friday at 6pm. We were the first ones here and the very lovely chef seated us. The weather was gorgeous so we opted to sit in the patio. Very romantic.
The space is a bit small, very romantic. We started off with the Warm Goat Cheese Salad and it was nothing short of bliss. Very, very good!
I had the Lobster ravioli and it was super yummy. Bf had the Chicken Kebab and oh holy, it was phenomenal! The entree was flavorful and succulent.
They had a great wine selection and the chef was very sweet and served us as well! I loved everything about my experience here!
After reading the reviews here, I took my wife there to celebrate our first anniversary. The restaurant is "intimate" with small tables close together. Luckily we were there on a slow Sunday evening with only a few other tables.
That said, service was not that great despite the "emptiness". At times, we had to flag down the server to to get his attention. The food also took longer than expected to arrive considering we were the only guests at that time.
My wife's pasta dish was VERY good - a smoky mix of seafoods and cheese, served hot off the stove. Unfortunately my mixed grill plate was luke warm at best. I was disappointed, but would give it another chance, just not on a Sunday evening.
2.5 stars
Borderline 3 stars because I tried someone's filet mignon kabob and it was quite good. Â We had an appetizer with shrimp wrapped in prosciutto combined with caprese. Â The shrimp was not fresh and had a chlorine taste to it. Â The prosciutto was of low quality, and the tomato was not fresh. Â The cheese and vinegar was good but with a bad tomato, that just ruined it. Â My bouillabaisse was one of the worst I have ever had (and I have had this at tons of restaurants). Â The broth tasted like marina sauce and the seafood was not fresh. Â The mussels were dry and grainy, the clams and fish were bad. Â I was told there was scallops when I asked what fish was in this and there was none in mine. Â The service was poor (but I didnt dock them for this as I really only care about the food taste) as my water glass was often empty and luckily for the waiter he never asked how the food was. Â BTW I almost changed my bouillabaisse order after tasting the shrimp appetizer. Â I asked for a taste of wine and I thought it was mediocre so I tried someone else's wine that was already poured and that was mediocre as well. Â Although the atmosphere is very nice, the tables are so close together that it was difficult to hear. Â I will NEVER go back to this place and if you truly have a palette for fine dining, I would stay away.
It was high time for our romantic dinner of the week. Â The setting was perfect, a quaint little street, a beautiful night...
This little spot is tucked in a grotto style entrance, with one of those lion fountains where the water is tinted, and steamy as it comes out. Â We sat at a tiny little table on the patio.
There was 1 server, who was seriously breaking a sweat working the half full room; he was older. Â As a physician, I worried for his health.
After the rather mediocre walnut/apple salad, we had meat: I, the filet mignon kebabs (shh, they were KEBABS), he, the lamb chops. Â Both were very tasty, but as my hubby said, "French Style." Â That means, not enough food.
Also not enough wine, not even half a glass.
For the price, could have been better.
But we still had a lovely evening. Â We cooed right along with the fountain, and tried to ignore the loud girls next to us discussing how they dined all over the world.
If there was a half star, I'd give it, especially since I was encouraged by the fact that the waiter didn't collapse half way through service.
I stumbled into this place on accident - I had Yelp'd another restaurant down the street, but it was closed. Â I was a little leery, I haven't been too impressed with "Mediterranean" restaurants in the past, but this one worked out really well. Â Probably because "Mediterranean" is a loose interpretation here - there's definitely a Greek/Moroccan slant, but there are also Italian, French, and Spanish dishes on the menu. Â (I guess technically those countries are on the Mediterranean Sea, but not what one thinks of "Mediterranean" cuisine.)
We started with the Mediterranean sampler - hummus, tzatziki, and dolmades. Â I don't think I've ever had such excellently spiced dolmades! Â The tzatziki and hummus were really great too. Â
My friend had lamb, which she enjoyed very much. Â I had the chicken special (they had many specials, which was great) - chicken breast stuffed with gorgonzola and baked in a puff pastry. Â I don't know if it was intentional, but the gorgonzola leaked everywhere when you cut it, but it flavored the chicken really well and subtlely. Â The chicken itself was tender, juicy and flavorful. Â Both entrees came with rosemary mashed potatoes, asparagus, and a carrot puree, all of which was a great complement and very tasty. Â
For dessert we had a very good baklava, and I usually don't like baklava. Â This wasn't that ooey-gooey nasty stuff you get at TJ's in a box...this was the good stuff. Â My tasty wine should also get a nod - I tried a citrus-y white wine from Spain (Licia-something)...they had alot of interesting selections on the wine list. Â With varying degrees of "Mediterranean."
The place is well decorated and has good ambiance, but is a little cramped. Â Perfect for a cozy dinner for two, for sure.
What a wonderful little restaurant for lunch!
We had friends from out of town that wanted to stroll and talk and there's no better place then Balboa Island once you find parking. Â After a bit of shopping/strolling we needed a place for lunch and asked the local shopkeeper who suggested Pas Tu Cafe across the street.
She suggested the Ahi Salad and when we strolled by saw a couple sharing a Clam Linguini with a Fromage (cheese platter) and it looked good.
Luckily we were the last to grab a table as the place is tiny with 2 tables right on the sidewalk and maybe 9 or so inside. Â If you're not a 2 or 4 it would be tough to dine here.
We shared the Five Spice Calamari which was a marinara with batter fried calamari. Â It was good even though we could not taste the Five Spice. Â We probably should have more adventurous as they had other interesting appetizers like the Prociutto wrapped shrimp.
Our friend thought the Lobster Bisque was devine and perfect with the baquette with butter. Â The entrees selected included the Ahi Salad, Cheese Plate, Linguini with Clams and Artichoke Chicken Pasta. Â All was delicious and quite satisfying for lunch.
Given that we were catching up with friends we were not in a rush and that worked perfectly as they only had one waitstaff handing all these tables and from what we could tell only 2 people in back. Â It's certainly not a dine and dash kind of place and if weren't so busy talking we would have found the service slow.
Lunch for 4 was about $100 without tax/tip.
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