Café Americain

A bit over priced for what you get IMO.
Adding a gram of caviar to an appetizer really doesn’t make a dish priceless.
That said, the food was good and interesting.
Very cool building.
Painfully silent at our 6pm seating with only one other table sat and no music at all. We felt the need to whisper. :)
I’d go back if someone I was with really wanted to, but not of my own initiative.

I was a little apprehensive walking into this place, it was completely void of diners. After checking with Unilocal and noticing mixed reviews I was even more suspicious.
We came in the back way and at first were confused as to where the restaurant actually was. After being directed upstairs, we were then ushered back out to the back patio area (which has very nice atmosphere).
The food ended up being great and the owner came out and personally talked with us. I had the swordfish steak and it was very good. The potatoes that came with the dish were also very good.
I am not sure why there was nobody at the restaurant when we got there… Maybe a little too early? The layout of the place is a little disorienting in that there are two entrances; one in the back alleyway and one on the street. The back entrance has a menu posted but there is no one there to seat you.

What a surprise. We didn’t even intend to come here at all. But our reservations nearby fell through and we had a group of 11 at 6pm on a Saturday with the polar express train ride at 8pm.
They were able to seat us downstairs in the club which at first threw us off. But it worked out well, kids weren’t bothering anyone, got to change all the kids in the nearby bathroom into pj’s for the train.
Here is what really impressed us. The service was incredible. Never had an empty glass. They worked really hard to accommodate the little kids with paper cups so they wouldn’t break the glasses. They even asked if we’d like to move upstairs to the regular restaurant space.
The food was amazing. Kids burgers were a huge hit with substitutes fries. Large enough to split for the two year olds. Their petite veggies perfect. I had the special which was sturgeon over grains with veggies. It also came with veggie pouches which were delicious. And a soup which was a rich squash tasting of nutmeg and cloves.
The rest of the family had other dishes such as their pastas. Everyone was raving. We finished it off with Cheesecake in the raw. It was amazing. Too much for one to eat. We had the keylime which had more of a mint jelly taste too it. Also a chocolate which was succulent.
Looking forward to going back. Thanks for saving our evening!!!

The Multi-​faceted Café Americain is a true gem of Old Sacramento!
SITREP
Café Americain, it must be said, is a fantastic location & space in the Heart of Old Sacramento! Serving up delicious bites, refreshing drinks, and a subterranean play area in the form of a swanky speakeasy club, it really has more than just one dynamic personality.
SETUP
When combining the street level café with the alley-​level (one level down) back courtyard patio, Café Americain is a solid 5-​star restaurant experience.
But in recent years, I’ve enjoyed coming to this location here for the very cutting-​edge Gothic-​Industrial club events such as DARKNESS and various STEAMPUNK Balls and also this past Halloween season the recently hosted a Vampyre Ball. However, these events were hosted in the swanky speakeasy subterranean club — known by it’s own name «The Necropolis» — where we still enjoyed the bites from the above Café Americain kitchen.
The beauty of all component-​venues in this building is that they work so well and seamless together, whether catering to a decidedly touristy brunch crowd, to a home-​town dinner-​time romantic evening crowd, or — as I enjoy it the most — the Dark and Delicious late night events in the Necropolis subterranean layer.
«DE-​LISH TASTE BITES!»
During the the Vampire Ball host in The Necropolis below, I was able to escape for about an hour and spend time above with my lovely friend Bambi catching some bites to eat above in Café Americain.
Besides the array of delicious breads and olive oil, they feature some of the most incredible beef ravioli’s, caviar, scallops with mouth-​watering enjoyment. But a glass of Grigio or Champagne was on hand to cleanse the palette and continue anew into another wonderful taste morsel.
ADDITIONAL PERKS
Another plus about the patio courtyard is that boasts it’s own HOOKAH bar, which Bambi and I enjoyed on New Year 2010. $ 10 gets you hooked up with a classy hookah for the whole night! We were able to share a wonderful raspberry-​infused tobacco in the hookah which was a decidedly different experience with «cold smoke» being diffused, cooled, and then reintegrated through the vacuum tube we sucked the smoke through.
THE LOWDOWN
As far as specific establishments go, the Café Americain compound is definitely on my TOP 10 lists of places to enjoy in Sacramento. The fact it is nestled snuggly in Old Sacramento makes it just that much more of a find!

Small portion, yes.
Fun, fresh food, hell yea! Raw beet ravioli is decadent and delicious.
A bit pretentious yet approachable.

My love & I ended up here after our plans for Green Boheme went bust (it was closed down for health inspection reasons), hoping for some good raw/​vegan options. It was a Sunday evening and we ended up being the only ones dining in the outdoor courtyard, which was lovely and tranquil.
We had the veggie bruschetta and appetizer portions of the raw beet ravioli and raw lasagna. I was a bit surprised by the simplicity and small portions, but I did appreciate the taste. Not overloaded with spices or salt, and everything tasted fresh and light. We rounded out the meal with a slice of raw chocolate cheesecake and a slice of raw key lime torte. The key lime was just OK, but the chocolate cheesecake was heavenly.
Definitely glad that happenstance brought us here!

Oh how I love caviar… and champagne!!! When I eat luxuriously, I feel great, so I just loved the idea of a Caviar and Champagne house.
I HAVE TO GO!!! I sampled some of their food at a Unilocal party, and couldn’t wait to take the owner up on an invitation to come by, bring friends, and have dinner.
It took some time to organize it, but 8 people into it, and we were off to the races.
I like the décor. I think it matches some old world love to caviar and champagne tradition. The servers are polite, and that front bar is a great place to have a glass of wine while you wait for your party.
We of course are all excited to have the famous appetizer of champagne and caviar. What else would you want??? Then we are told they were out of something and couldn’t do it. Some begging, pleading and demanding later, and we got it.
Wonderful. I could eat and drink that all night.
I think we all wish we had.
Their menu is peppered with ‘Raw Foods’ (caviar is a raw food! yeah… but the blini isn’t), which basically means they have fake versions of real foods you are used to.
«Raw foods Lasagna» = Doesn’t look like lasagna, smell or taste like it either. While I always have an open mind about food, this was what everyone’s preconception to ‘vegan’ raw food would be… flavorless.
Same with the ‘ravioli’. It’s not ravioli. It’s nothing like it, and it’s pretty gross.
I’m usually not one to complain about portion sizes either, but here some were just too small. Even in comparing to their own menu. Some entrées were smaller than some appetizers.
There were a lot of disappointments with the menu, and some with communication between among staff. I had planned this evening well in advance. I expected the restaurant to be prepared.
The biggest problem still though, was the menu. I’ll likely go back, but maybe just for the caviar and bubbly. That was the best part of the evening, and something I can’t get elsewhere. As for the rest of the menu, it’s either something I don’t want, or likely something I can get better elsewhere.

Ended up hungry in Old Sac one evening and decided Café Americain was worth a try. It was 6:30 on a Saturday night and the restaurant was empty aside from a table of 5. I wondered if that was a bad sign, but I figured it may just be early. The décor is Victorian-​ish with 19^th century looking paintings, grand type furniture, and chandeliers (although the chandeliers are colorful, plastic looking pieces that don’t quite mesh with everything else).
Our server was sort of quiet, but he got the job done in an efficient manner. We ordered the (raw food) beet ravioli appetizer on a whim because it sounded interesting, and I wasn’t disappointed. Sometimes I think beets taste like dirt, but not these babies. These thinly sliced red and yellow beets were sweet and had no hint of earthy, wormy gross-​ness. Between the beet layers was a filling of cashew“cheese” purée which was smooth and nutty. Since the appetizer portion only came with 3 half-​dollar size servings, I was left wanting more.
My dining companion rarely eats outside of the box, so he found the one steak entrée in a sea of fish options (haha) and got that. I ordered the yellowfin ahi with coconut curry ragout and red quinoa. Loved it! The fish was perfectly cooked and flakey, the flavors in the coconut curry ragout were very complementary, and the seasonal veggies retained the right amount of crunch.
I hope to go back and try more of the raw food selection!

I’m not sure what the hype about this place is all about. We were here not too long ago. This is what we ordered and what we thought:
— caviar appetizer (on these small pancake dish): caviar 1 star, pancake 5 stars
— seafood pouch — just okay, 3 stars… the ingredients were good, the pouch itself was good, but the combo didn’t work that well. There was too much of the crêpe pouch
— scallop entrée — they were out… wtf man… ill advised… negative 5 stars
— sturgeon steak — 4 stars
— ahi tuna steak — 3 stars
overall food: 3.5 stars
Overall, the food was descent, and you definitely get a good bang for your buck. Average entrée dish is about $ 18 and average appetizer dish is about $ 7. You should know that we were here on a saturday night at 6:30 pm, and the two of us were the only people eating there. In any case, about the place, the décor and ambiance is just okay (3 stars — nothing too special). Somehow I didn’t feel iike the ambiance matched the food they served. The service is about 2.5 stars. Even though we were the only ones there, and the food came at a descent pace, I didn’t feel that welcomed. Drink list: 1 star — the waiter said they had two bottles of beer left in the frig, and they had 2 choices of champaign, 2 white wines, and 1 red. Thus, all in all, 3 stars. I would go eat here if you have a living social or groupon deal soon if you know what I mean.
Oh by the way, parking is of course annoying. We parked right outside the restaurant (luckily?), and found out that the meters ran till 8 pm (not 6 pm)…hence a ticket…

I can’t still understand how this jewel can offer such refined menu for such an affordable price. Located in the heart of Old Sacramento this is a restaurant with a menu designed around sturgeon and caviar.
Service is excellent, the waiter offered us the best cost/​value options in the menu and he even gave us a complementary smoked sturgeon bruschetta (dude, the advantage to be a chef and talk with them in the same language pays off big time).
We had the caviar on blinitz & crème fraîche with a glass of champagne (only 10 bucks) and I had the sturgeon pasta — fettuccine topped with seared sturgeon & mixed vegetables… tasty, cooked al dente and with a generous portion of sturgeon. Baby brother had the California sturgeon steaks with baby green wheat and spinach with yogurt-​garlic sauce and it was «orgasmic»… Can’t wait to go back to try the Capellini & Caviar dish.

Okay so I have been lagging on this review. I went here with my bf on labor day weekend to claim our free romantic dinner prize for winning the costume contest at Crescent Club’s grand opening. This restaurant is actually connected to the club, it’s the upstairs portion. The owner, Mike was there to greet us and showed us to our table.
The ambiance was romantic with the dim lighting. The red ceiling was accented with gold piping and colored chandeliers dangled from above. There was crown moulding, paintings, white tablecloths, recessed red chain lighting. The décor was very unique and there was plenty for the eyes to admire.
Mike came over and gave us suggestions on what to order. He wanted us both to try the caviar with the raw foods crackers. I had never tried this new type of cuisine, but I think it might be catching on. It’s amazing. You feel satisfied, but not heavy. You actually leave the restaurant feeling healthier.
My BF started with the Russian Borge soup and I had the arugula salad. The salad was typical but my bf really enjoyed the soup and kept saying how delicious it was. So then I took it from him. J/​K. I tried some of the soup and it was really good. The caviar was buttery and melted in my mouth. We were also given a bottle of champagne to enjoy with our meal. Then came the raw foods appetizers. If you’ve never tried raw foods before, I recommend coming here and getting the raw foods lasagna and ravioli. It was so refreshing and delicious. Tasty but not overwhelmingly heavy. My bf got the sturgeon for the main course and I opted for scallops. The scallops came with quinoa which was cooked perfectly. Mike came over to check on us and noticed that we were running low on champagne so he got a mini bottle and even poured it for us. A+ service here.
Then came the most amazing dessert ever! Raw cheesecake. You gotta try this! I love eating delicious food that doesn’t make me feel guilty!

My boyfriend and I celebrated our one year anniversary dinner here. We saw many good reviews on Unilocal and heard that it was a new spot to try so we took the leap of faith to try Café Americain. My bf made reservations for 7 PM and they were kind enough to call us an hour before to confirm our reservations.
The restaurant is definitely hidden because of the limited signage outside the walkway, you would not expect such a post restaurant to be engulfed in the walls of this Old Sacramento building. We went in to find a man and woman dressed in regular street attire playing a tune on the piano. My first thought was, «Did they work here or did they just by and saw the piano and decided to play?». It was a bit confusing at first. The hostess greeted us and welcomed us to our seat. There was only one other party in the restaurant. It was quiet for the time being.
I’ve been to my fair share of very elegant and nice restaurants throughout San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York City so my reaction when they didn’t pull out my seat nor did they give me the menu first (typically they seat the woman and hand the woman the menu first) took me by surprise. Nevertheless, we ordered the the champagne and caviar special that they were advertising. It was decent. I can’t say it was the best caviar, probably what they considered their «house special».
For our appetizers, we ordered the sturgeon kabob and vegetarian pouches. The vegetarian pouches were average, very small and not as flavorful as I expected. The sturgeon kabob, however, was magnificent. The meat was perfectly cooked and moist. Well done.
For the entrée, I ordered the sea scallops which came with organic quinoa and vegetables. Excellently done and prepared. The quinoa was perfect as well and complimented the dish very well. My reviews of the restaurant quickly improved after the entrée meal.
Overall, I gave this restaurant four out of five stars. I think that I would have given it a 5 star rating if there was a bit more service. There only appeared to be one waiter and a few of his assistants. It was hard to build that relationship with the waiter since he was service 5 other tables that same night.
The quality of the restaurant itself is high. The wall décor was furnished with very classic art pieces from the middle ages and there are a lot of mirrors in the restaurant. It was overall a very intimate setting with appropriate mood lights to compliment.

about 8 months since my first visit, i finally had the opportunity to revisit the restaurant after numerous invitations from the owners. it was a cool evening in early november and my best friend and i had a wonderful experience at café americain.
the owners had a bottle of french champagne waiting for us, and as we settled in for dinner, one of the owners, mike, came to our table and introduced himself. we invited him to join us, and he fascinated us with stories of the histories of the restaurant, the building, the lives of he and his wife, and of the sterling caviar.
for dinner, we started with caviar on blinis, served with crème fraîche. the blinis were a little larger than i’m used to, but the nutty saltiness of the caviar with the cool crème fraîche was wonderful.
we then had the beet «ravioli» which was basically a thin bite-​sized piece of raw beet slice, like a ravioli, that was topped with a nut cheese filling. i know, it sounds weird/​unappetizing for a meat lover, but believe me, it was delicious.
next, the caviar pouches, which are large blini-​like sacks filled with caviar and crème fraiches, daintily tied together like a pouch with chives. again, delicious.
folowing that we had sturgeon pouches, larger than the caviar pouches and filled with an AMAZING sturgeon that was seasoned very uniquely, almost asian-​flavored with cumin or coriandor (i can’t remember which now), cinnamon and other spices. i kept saying this dish tasted nostaligic, with the asian undertones that did not mar the delicate nature of the fish and pouch.
our entrees consisted of swordfish steaks and vegetables, and a family-​style plate of pasta with mixed vegetables and sturgeon. both good, although the pasta was a little underseasoned and overcooked (but i’m very particular about pasta and love it to be al dente).
for dessert, we had a raw cake topped with berries. never, ever would i have imagined me eating a raw dessert, but it was quite delicious!
after dinner, mike took us downstairs to the speakeasy, the crescent club. it was pretty cool — the club is below the streets of old sacramento, and you can see where the old streets used to be. it was large space with multiple rooms, with a bar at the middle of the space and a jazz band playing in the front room.
overall, it was a wonderful, wonderful experience and i can’t wait to go back. why not 5 stars you ask? it’s only because we were navigated through this culinary adventure by the owner. i’d like to go back and see how everything is without the owner. i’m assuming everything will be excellent and that this restaurant will be one where i will regular frequent. (plus, i don’t give out 5 stars that easily. in fact, i think i’ve only given 5 star reviews to about 5 restaurants in sacramento. if all goes well, this one will be next, though.)

I’m not sure what happened to this restaurant over the last 2 – 3 months… but my experience was night and day when compared to the previous reviews.
My wife and I decided to give this place a try on one of our all-​too-​rare date nights. The ambiance felt incredibly odd from the get-​go: cold walls, colored/​plastic chandeliers, strange table arrangements. The restaurant was also nearly empty. we debated whether we should stay or not, and decided to follow through.
We ordered the caviar on blini sampler as an appetizer… and the offering looked nothing like those imaged on their website. It was a few, sad looking, under-​sized caviar pieces on cold bread.
We ordered a bottle of champagne… and was told the waiter had to get back to us, because he wasn’t sure what was available. 10 minutes later, he informs us he only has ONE bottle of champagne available, period (a California sparkling wine). (This is a Friday night in an empty restaurant, by the way.) He offered it to us at a discount… we didn’t really have a lot of choice, so took it.
I ordered the $ 50 filet mignon, medium. My wife, the sturgeon. The sturgeon was over-​seasoned and over-​cooked. My filet mignon was literally raw in the middle, and over-​all presented like it had come from a fry-​cook at Sizzler’s.
And to top it all off… as we rushed to our car in order to catch a movie, the valet informs us he forgot to turn off the headlights, and the battery was dead (!!!). Unbelievable!
(While waiting for the valet to find jumper cables, a different diner coming in mentioned he had heard the restaurant was on its last legs, and on COD terms with all of their vendors… I have no way of knowing if that’s true, but it certainly seems believable after this experience.)
UPDATE: I should mention the management at Café Americain reached out to me after I posted this review. They had an explanation for my dinner… albeit sort of a strange one. Apparently they were running a large event elsewhere, and it was only a «rogue» waiter that seated/​served us without their approval??? In any case, they made the generous offer of compensating me for my dinner, and asked that I try them again.
I don’t know when my next free opportunity would be. If I do go again, I’ll update this review further.
EDIT (4÷9÷11): Bizarre… the owner Mike W is now calling my review fraudulent? Should I publicly post the message you left in my Unilocal inbox a few months ago, with your cell number, apologizing for the above + giving the strange «rogue waiter» excuse for our horrific dinner experience?

OK… This place is out of control. In the most amazing way.
I’ve now been here a couple times and I cannot get enough!
The restaurant is beautiful, the patio is one of the best patios I’ve been at. And the menu is to die for.
I had never had caviar until the night of the bohemian ball, they know exactly how to pair it with other food items and champagne.
I also came here for a full dinner and I must say you have to try the sturgeon pouches, scallops with black pearls and the scallop entrée. Those are my favorite. Oh, and the champagne! Two bottles please!
After your dinner here you’ll feel so good, the food is fresh and they’re trying to introduce raw food. Try the raw lasagna, you won’t even know it’s all veggies.
The owners are great and extremely sweet.
Look out Unilocalers, this place is going to be BIG.

There is no place in Sacramento like this. Yeah, it’s in Old Sac. Yeah, the parking is a bitch. (I got a ticket both times I went down here in the last week.) But it’s worth it.
Café Americain (pronounced Americah — I think the «n» is silent) is the restaurant, but is connected (both physically and via same owner) to the club next door, which is currently labeled as Necropolis, but is actually soon to re-​open as Crescent.
The motif of the restaurant is strong and not to be duplicated — a trip through Western European antiquity with just a touch of retro. The restaurant is connected to the back porch and patio, complete with a pinwheel shaped canvas stretching over almost the entire outside area, tables, bar and fountain in the middle.
The bar/​speakeasy area is underground and has an eerie, haunted and enchanting feel. You feel like it may have been used for crazy S&M parties or vampire gatherings. Definitely Gothic. All the way across.
Because we were there (one of the times) for the Bohemian ball, they took a group of us to the secret after party location (hint: very nearby). Hidden lofts, huge black tiled bathroom with shower and rickety balcony. Oh the fun!!!
They serve Sterling caviar, Sturgeon (the prehistoric parent fish of caviar), champagne, sparkling wine and a wowing variety of raw food entrees and appetizers.
I never even eat the orange bubbles (I can’t believe I am forgetting the name) on sushi and have always had an aversion to beets — and so was surprised when I found myself eating a caviar and beet appetizer and liking it! The sturgeon is also delicious, dense and smoked.
You may question the whole caviar/​raw food combination as I did, but when I asked the owner about this, he said that raw foods are not just for vegans and that caviar is actually a raw food. Muy interesante!
I’ve decided that I need to hang out here more.
Oh, and they are talking about doing complimentary valet, but in the meantime, bring quarters, cash and/​or be prepared to park in one of the two garages. Or, you could just get lucky and find a spot right outside like I did. (Minus the ticket.)

This place has a lot to offer Sacramento. Nowhere in Sacramento’s culinary landscape today is there such a mix of caviar, raw food, sturgeon, family recipes and champagne.
The food was great, a mix of champagne, caviar, and raw food (the owner is a raw foodie). The inspiration behind going to this place was not only hearing a bit of buzz about it, and having some gift certificates to go there. So the first impression was surprised and impressed, a beautiful cream and red accented room, lush with expensive furnishing and perfectly set tables adorned with a gold and crystal tablescape. We ordered champagne, a caviar sampler (3 different caviar’s with Bellini’s), a seared scallop with caviar, a raw food version of ravioli (beets and a macadamia nut purée), and a caprase sandwich (basil, mozzarella, tomatoes, and a strange addition of avocado), and we finished with both of their offered raw food desserts a chocolate lava cake and a pomegranate cheesecake.
So that’s the scene, here’s the impressions. The service was quite, respectful and attentive (filling water, removing plates). The caviar was all nice and salty in flavor like I like, the presentation was clean and elegant. The sandwich was good, but a bit dry for me, because it was only had the avocado for spread (hardly any olive oil, if any at all). The desserts were surprising as they were made in a raw food form and were quite appetizing.
This place has so much to offer, and the creator behind it has so much heart, that with the right patronage this could be another Old Sacramento culinary institution, with all the clientele it deserves.

The food was good by Red Lobster standards, but when you charge $ 35 for a Sturgeon steak entrée, you expect a sturgeon steak entrée, not two small pieces of overcooked fish next to a dollop of greens and a small mound of rice. Add to that the reason we went there, the caviar, turned out to be a tiny bit of mush in assorted configurations (but to be fair, the good caviar wasn’t available as it was locked in the refrigerator and no one had the key so I guess I got the kind that didn’t need refrigeration).
When we got the check we had to tell the waiter that he forgot to put our entrees on it which he quickly rectified.
Like I said, if we’d gotten that meal at Red Lobster we would have been satisfied and chalked the soggy caviar down to experience but at a place that bills itself as a caviar and champagne bar and charges a small fortune for the privilege of dining there, you expect a lot more.

We stumbled upon the back patio of this place during the Jazz Festival (the fair-​style food within the festival did not catch our fancy… can somebody explain to me what pupula is? Doesn’t sound tasty). The patio had a great ambiance to it, almost like that restaurant at Disneyland that’s inside Pirates of the Caribbean. Coupled with a talented live band, this seemed very promising.
The waiter attending to us– possibly the owner– insisted we try the raw beet ravioli and the raw vegetable lasagna. He seemed so happy about them that we couldn’t say no. He said both were «healthy» portions, and that «we will fill you up». Ok, let’s do it.
When they came out, my friends and I had to glance at each other to make sure we were all seeing the same thing. The portions were surprisingly small, especially given the build-​up they had. They would have been too small if we had ordered them for appetizers. And at $ 10 each, we were wondering if we made the right dining decision.
That being said, I must say the food was fantastic. I’m not a huge fan of vegan food, but this was easily the best I’ve ever tasted. The ravioli wasn’t what I expected… I thought it would be beet-​stuffed ravioli, but rather the beets were used AS the ravioli. I’m not a huge beet fan either, but these really were excellent. And the lasagna was surprisingly flavorful. Really, just excellent food.
The waiter brought us a little extra after we noted that the portions were a little smaller than anticipated, so props for that. Overall, I was really surprised at how much I loved the food. But there was so little of it, it just seemed like a tease.
Despite this, I’m still willing to hit them with 4 stars. If they could make those «healthy» portions a little healthier, I could see myself giving them 5. Just don’t go there if you are hungry.

Bohemian ball (04÷10÷10) review only: Dug it. Smallish turnout but well produced. Great music and fire dancing! I didn’t get there in time for the food and am sad about that!
Update: We returned for food: The raw beet raviolis are superb and the service was impeccable (added another star!). The back patio is a great place to enjoy a meal and there is a full bar as well as a great wine list. highly recommended.