Best Romantic Restaurants in Monrovia

Our first Thanksgiving at The Derby and it is official, it is going to be our new Thanksgiving tradition. We lost our mother last year on 12/31/23 and we spent the last 22 years going to pick her up, 80miles away, and going out to eat. She hated cooking but loved good food and dinning out. This was our first Thanksgiving in 22 years that we stayed close to home and without our mom. First words out of our mouths, when we tasted the food was, “mom would have loved The Derby”, we, three grabbed our delicious cocktails and toasted to our mom’s honor. From the ease of making reservations to the prompt seating when we arrived, we enjoyed every minute. The meal was both traditional and they also offered the usual prime rib and steaks. We opted for the Turkey Thanksgiving meal. It was a generous plate of succulent turkey and the best stuffing I’ve ever tasted. Included sweet potatoes , perfectly al dente green beans, a tangy home made cranberry sauce , mashed potatoes and decadent gravy. It was all so divine. We ordered a side of Marsala mushrooms (I almost sipped the juices from the bowl because it was THAT good). The pumpkin pie Made with love and you could taste every spice. The nightcap was The Derby’s version of a spiked eggnog… oh my… I could have had three of these as my dessert…amazing. Our favorite part of our evening by far was Marta our server. She was cheerful, attentive, personable, and made us feel like we were her only table…and it was obvious she had many..yikes, the place was busy, but she made our dining experience memorable as did the rest of the staff, clearing plates, filling waters, etc. We’ve been to Ruth’s Chris, Maestros , and others for Thangsving over the 22 years we went out wit mom. Not one came close to TheDerby. Mom, would definitely be proud we found The Derby for Thanksgiving.

This was our first time as a family having our Thanksgiving meal away from home. The entire experience was very special, intimate, food was delicious, servers, music outstanding, vibe perfect…we sat outside on garden patio. It was heaven! (The weather was 73 and sunny!)… The only reason I did not give a 5 for service was ONLY because it was Thanksgiving Day and it seemed they might have been slightly short staffed, however, the servers were delightful and working VERY hard. They just could have had a few more which would assist with getting drinks/water refreshed or other incidentals. I highly recommend The Raymond as a must experience restaurant if you’re looking if for a garden, romantic, historical, beautiful restaurant with amazing food choices, located in Pasadena.

No complaints about the food or lattes, except the portions are slightly smaller than what I’m used to for the eggs benedict…delish cocktails—highly recommend bartender..

An incredible culinary experience, if you can afford it. $250 for brunch for 2 people. But well worth the splurge. From the quality of the cuisine to the ambiance to the exquisite service, an all around superb once-in-a-lifetime type of experience.

Staff was friendly and accommodating, we celebrated a birthday on the patio and everyone enjoyed dinner and the casual ambiance. Pork chops, spaghetti with meatballs and the chicken parmigiana were fan favorites. Garlic bread and meatballs for an appetizer is a must, served warm and well portioned. Can't wait to return for another great dinner.