New restaurants around Pasadena to know

A new wave of dining is settling in around Pasadena, and this month four names are worth putting on your list. KazuNori, the hand roll bar from the SUGARFISH group, now serves its warm-rice, crispy-nori hand rolls in Playhouse Village; Lunasia Signature reopens as the flagship dim sum room on Colorado; Javier's brings its elevated Mexican menu to One Colorado in Old Town; and BESS pours natural Italian wines with a serious kitchen in Sierra Madre. I am Alejandro Espitia, a Broker Associate and REALTOR with Apex Realty and Investments, and Pasadena is my home turf. Licensed in California since 1996, with 200+ homes sold serving Los Angeles, San Bernardino, San Gabriel, and Riverside, and fluent in English and Spanish, I keep an eye on the neighborhood's best new tables so you know where to go. Every pick below comes from current public listings and local reporting, with sources at the bottom of the post.

KazuNori: the hand roll bar lands in Playhouse Village

KazuNori, The Original Hand Roll Bar, at 635 E. Colorado Boulevard in the Playhouse Village, is the hand roll concept from the SUGARFISH group, named for sushi chef Kazunori Nozawa, who introduced the cylindrical hand roll to the United States more than 40 years ago. The idea is single-minded: hand rolls made entirely to order and eaten immediately, warm rice, crispy nori, premium fish, and house sauces, with each roll rolled in front of you one at a time. The Pasadena outpost opened in November 2025 as the group's eighth Los Angeles-area location, and the Pasadena Star News still calls its hand rolls “all winners” months later. It is open daily from about 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, the phone is (626) 657-4304, and it sits just steps from the longtime SUGARFISH on the same block. More on the KazuNori Pasadena page and the Pasadena Now feature.

Lunasia Signature: dim sum at a new flagship

Lunasia Signature, at 865 E. Colorado Boulevard on the corner of Lake Avenue, is the refined evolution of Lunasia Dim Sum House, which served Pasadena for years before moving into this larger, more upscale space. It soft-opened in February 2026 and cut the ribbon with a grand opening on March 16, 2026, billing itself as the brand's flagship and signature location: a modern Cantonese experience inspired by the ritual of yum cha, with an elevated dining room, a stage for live entertainment, new menu items alongside the classics, and valet parking off Market Alley behind the restaurant. The phone is (626) 793-8822. The Lunasia Signature page tells the full story, and the Pasadena Weekly covered the reopening.

Javier's: elevated Mexican at One Colorado

Javier's Pasadena opened late last year in the former Il Fornaio space at 24 W. Union Street inside One Colorado, bringing the upscale, elevated Mexican chain to Old Town. The menu leans on refined Mexican cuisine, center-cut beef, hand-shaken margaritas, rare tequilas, and craft cocktails, served across a main dining room, al fresco patios, and private dining spaces. Hours run Sunday through Thursday 11:30 am to 10:00 pm and Friday and Saturday 11:30 am to 11:00 pm, the phone is (626) 773-3579, and valet parking is at 29 W. Colorado Boulevard. The Javier's Pasadena page has menus and reservations, and the One Colorado store page has the details on the space.

BESS: an Italian wine bar in Sierra Madre

Just up the hill, BESS at 48 W. Sierra Madre Boulevard in Sierra Madre opened quietly in October 2025 as a natural and biodynamic wine bar with a serious kitchen, and the Los Angeles Times named it one of the best new bars in L.A. Its retro vintage furnishings and Italian-leaning menu, think lasagna with lemon-herb ricotta, veal, pork, and wagyu meatballs, and mushroom cavatappi, earned the tagline “come for the wine, stay for the lasagna.” Dinner runs Thursday through Sunday from 5:00 pm, with weekend brunch Saturday and Sunday 10:00 am to 2:00 pm, and the phone is (626) 225-3512. Reservations are on Resy, and the BESS site has the full menu.

A note on details: restaurant hours, menus, and reservation systems can shift, and a few of the newest places change their kitchen times quickly. Please confirm directly with each spot before you head out, and use the links below for the latest. If you have a favorite new Pasadena-area restaurant I missed, text me and I will add it to the next edition.

Sources: KazuNori Pasadena, official site, Sushi hand rolls are all winners, Pasadena Star News, KazuNori's hand roll revolution, Pasadena Now, Lunasia Signature, official page, Lunasia Reimagined, Pasadena Weekly, Lunasia Signature, Visit Pasadena, Javier's Pasadena, official site, Javier's, One Colorado, Javier's grand entrance, Locale Magazine, BESS, official site, BESS on Resy, and Best new bars in Los Angeles, LA Times.