Prelude Kitchen & Bar

Aloha_vibes

Great place. Delicious happy hour bites for a reasonable price Friendly staff. Cool vibe

Martin Courtney (Openplzdds)

Had an event dinner in the underground room. Excellent place for group as big as 40. Our dedicated server was spot on.

Praneet Raj

Had an amazing dinner at Prelude! From start to finish, the experience was exceptional. The ambiance was elegant yet inviting, making it the perfect spot for a memorable meal. The food was beautifully presented and bursting with flavor—every bite was a delight. The service was outstanding, with attentive and friendly staff who made sure everything was perfect. Whether you’re looking for a special night out or just a great dining experience, Prelude delivers on all fronts. I’ll definitely be returning to enjoy more of their incredible dishes. Highly recommend this spot to anyone looking for a top-notch meal!

Joel Jackson

We booked a later dinner (8pm) and were quickly seated. We were greeted by our server, Devon, who did an excellent job. We ordered cocktails which were well mixed. The house-made bread with fennel pollen butter was delicious. My wide got the special (pork tenderloin, sous vide with morels and black truffle) which was perfectly cooked and delicious. I got the basil risotto which was perfect. For dessert, we got the carrot cake and gelato. The carrot cake was a bit dense, but was excellent no less. Overall a great experience. Portion sizes were appropriate, and pricing (aside from cocktails) was great. Will return.

CrsTna

2nd visit since the first time we tried it on Valentine’s Day! Gave them a 4 star last time, this time they deserve 5. This time I ordered the Dungeness Crab Amatriciana and my husband had the Coffee Rubbed Pork Chop, medium. The Pork was cooked perfectly juicy and the flavoring for both dishes were excellent. I had a guava lemon drop and their lattini. I could’ve drank some more!!! We had bruschetta for our starter. I’m not a blue cheese fan but it went very well with the whipped butternut squash, maple-cherry, and balsamic caviar. Service was outstanding just like last time!!! We will try the lunch menu next time!

Bhavik Patel

An upscale restaurant super close to the Capitol. Food was prepared extremely well, and the service was stellar. Ambience gives off the fancy vibes, and it was very calm when we went. Definitely would be great for dates. I think the focus is on the meat dishes (which I was told were very tasty), but they did have a single vegetarian pasta entree that I tried.

We can’t say enough good things about this place! We came to celebrate my partner’s birthday, they made the night so special. Service was incredible - I can’t recall our servers name, but he made the night so much more enjoyable with his kindness and attentiveness. Inside is modern and elegant, outside you have a beautiful view of the capitol building from your table. The food is incredible, unique, and delicious. Try the Brussels sprouts.

We had the most amazing experience at Prelude Kitchen and bar. Food and service were outstanding. Special care was taken for a member of our party with food allergies and they enjoyed a delicious and safe meal with the guidance of our waiter and the kitchen staff. We will be back for sure to celebrate more special occasions. Thank you for making this birthday celebration so special. Highly recommend this restaurant.

On October 15th, I had dinner at Prelude Kitchen & Bar in Sacramento with a group of 13 colleagues. Despite the size of our party, we were seated fairly quickly and didn’t have to wait long for our drinks. We started with several appetizers—Seared Ahi Tuna, Wagyu Carpaccio, and Artisan Bread—and everything was delicious and well-prepared. For my entrée, I ordered the Steak Frites, which came out cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the fries. The only downside was that the dish wasn’t quite as hot as I would’ve liked when it arrived, but it still tasted great. I enjoyed a nice glass of Zinfandel alongside my meal, which complemented it well. The service throughout the evening was attentive and professional, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming—ideal for both groups and smaller gatherings. Overall, the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the experience was very enjoyable. I’d definitely return.

I had a great birthday dinner for my friend at Prelude Kitchen Restaurant. The food was really good, and the raspberry lemon drop was absolutely delicious. The birthday flowers to take home was a great special touch. I'll definitely come back!

We had a wonderful experience dining here! The three of us thoroughly enjoyed every dish we ordered—everything was flavorful and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making it a perfect place to relax and enjoy a great meal. The staff was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for good food and a great vibe!

A nicer dining option in downtown Sacramento with delicious drinks, good service and pretty good food (some dishes are hit-or-miss as I’ll explain below) We opted for outdoor seating. I much prefer to sit outside, the inside vibes are a bit off to me (I can’t put my finger on it…). The interior is quiet and the trimming, layout, and bright lighting makes it feel like the inside of a residential house. I think this resonates with other diners as well since I saw all the outside tables full, while the inside had a lot of empty tables. The service was great, really friendly. The cocktails were delicious as well. The food was overall good. The pork chop and the chicken dishes were great. The steak was cooked perfectly. There were a few dishes that were REALLY SALTY. Like almost hard to eat, because it was so salty. For instance, both of our pasta dishes our entire group of 9 thought were really salty.

Reviewing lunch on a weekday: Beautiful view of the capital, but limited lunch menu and really middling quality really holds this otherwise well-kept and well-serviced restaurant from the full 5 stars. The bread felt cheap and served as backbone for a lot of the menu, and a single item being out of stock cut total options by 10%, which felt oddly more painful than if the menu had been larger. Drinks are not bad but do little to elevate the food quality. Ingredients don’t seem to be particularly well sourced or presented. Price is set high, relatively speaking, for the view it seems. Salads are swimming in dressing with little in the way of actual ingredient variety. Steak burger is a stand out and you should probably get that to avoid being let down by other options. Pasta also might be a star, should likely have gone with that instead of a sandwich. The sides are portioned well (e.g. fries), but overall fry quality was really weak. Felt industrial and cheap. You may not find many better options just steps from the capital, but take this as a lunch flag and maybe try this place for dinner instead and see if you can catch some better luck with an expanded menu and better options.

Happy Hour here is limited to the bar area only, the patio is serene and has a view of the capitol building. The martini and margaritas were perfectly crafted. There were like 4 dishes offered during happy hour all were sides dishes. The dining room looked so romantic here, they have a beautiful wine rack right behind the bar which looks awesome. The two dishes I tried was the blistering asparagus, by far one of the best asparagus I have eaten in a long time, and the fries were seasoned perfectly. Bring some friends, date night, family this place is perfect for a good drink and some delicious food. Parking might be a challenge where this restaurant is located. Follow me @Only1ChristineLu for more places to eat Good!

Saja Shaheen

We had a wonderful experience dining here! The three of us thoroughly enjoyed every dish we ordered—everything was flavorful and beautifully presented. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making it a perfect place to relax and enjoy a great meal. The staff was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. We’ll definitely be coming back and highly recommend it to anyone looking for good food and a great vibe!

Michelle Tzou

A nicer dining option in downtown Sacramento with delicious drinks, good service and pretty good food (some dishes are hit-or-miss as I’ll explain below) We opted for outdoor seating. I much prefer to sit outside, the inside vibes are a bit off to me (I can’t put my finger on it…). The interior is quiet and the trimming, layout, and bright lighting makes it feel like the inside of a residential house. I think this resonates with other diners as well since I saw all the outside tables full, while the inside had a lot of empty tables. The service was great, really friendly. The cocktails were delicious as well. The food was overall good. The pork chop and the chicken dishes were great. The steak was cooked perfectly. There were a few dishes that were REALLY SALTY. Like almost hard to eat, because it was so salty. For instance, both of our pasta dishes our entire group of 9 thought were really salty.

Les Day

On October 15th, I had dinner at Prelude Kitchen & Bar in Sacramento with a group of 13 colleagues. Despite the size of our party, we were seated fairly quickly and didn’t have to wait long for our drinks. We started with several appetizers—Seared Ahi Tuna, Wagyu Carpaccio, and Artisan Bread—and everything was delicious and well-prepared. For my entrée, I ordered the Steak Frites, which came out cooked perfectly and paired nicely with the fries. The only downside was that the dish wasn’t quite as hot as I would’ve liked when it arrived, but it still tasted great. I enjoyed a nice glass of Zinfandel alongside my meal, which complemented it well. The service throughout the evening was attentive and professional, and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming—ideal for both groups and smaller gatherings. Overall, the food was delicious, the service was excellent, and the experience was very enjoyable. I’d definitely return.

Kat Girl

I had a great birthday dinner for my friend at Prelude Kitchen Restaurant. The food was really good, and the raspberry lemon drop was absolutely delicious. The birthday flowers to take home was a great special touch. I'll definitely come back!

Noah

Reviewing lunch on a weekday: Beautiful view of the capital, but limited lunch menu and really middling quality really holds this otherwise well-kept and well-serviced restaurant from the full 5 stars. The bread felt cheap and served as backbone for a lot of the menu, and a single item being out of stock cut total options by 10%, which felt oddly more painful than if the menu had been larger. Drinks are not bad but do little to elevate the food quality. Ingredients don’t seem to be particularly well sourced or presented. Price is set high, relatively speaking, for the view it seems. Salads are swimming in dressing with little in the way of actual ingredient variety. Steak burger is a stand out and you should probably get that to avoid being let down by other options. Pasta also might be a star, should likely have gone with that instead of a sandwich. The sides are portioned well (e.g. fries), but overall fry quality was really weak. Felt industrial and cheap. You may not find many better options just steps from the capital, but take this as a lunch flag and maybe try this place for dinner instead and see if you can catch some better luck with an expanded menu and better options.

C Lu

Happy Hour here is limited to the bar area only, the patio is serene and has a view of the capitol building. The martini and margaritas were perfectly crafted. There were like 4 dishes offered during happy hour all were sides dishes. The dining room looked so romantic here, they have a beautiful wine rack right behind the bar which looks awesome. The two dishes I tried was the blistering asparagus, by far one of the best asparagus I have eaten in a long time, and the fries were seasoned perfectly. Bring some friends, date night, family this place is perfect for a good drink and some delicious food. Parking might be a challenge where this restaurant is located. Follow me @Only1ChristineLu for more places to eat Good!

Very average food offset by good service. The beef carpaccio was quite bland, the tuna tasted slightly old, and the scallop risotto was just awful. The french fries were crisp but had a mealy texture. The pork chop was delicious.— well cooked and well seasoned. There are much better options in this price range.

I was so bummed to pay almost $400 for this food. We were a part of three girls. The drinks were good. We ordered 3 starters: bread, peppers, and tuna. They all came cold. No question, the bread was at least 3 days old. The waiter claimed it was fresh, but come on, you can’t lie about old bread. He did bring another bread, which was slightly heated, but it didn’t taste good either. We waited a full hour for the entrees to arrive!!! It was just too long that we were forced to munch on the stale bread. We ordered half chicken, steak, and Scallop. Finally the main course arrived. IT WAS COLD. The chicken had a tasty sauce, the steak came with old and soggy fries melting on the dish (see the image) even a pizza place would make the fries better. I didn’t complain about the food before eating it. We were so hungry and there was no time to redo. Besides, at that point, no remedy would have fixed the situation. So we ate old, cold, stale food!!!! When the waiter brought the dessert menu, I thought maybe we could end it with a good note… wrong! We ordered chocolate (brownie) and vanilla ice cream. For goodness sake’s could you go wrong with those. The brownie was at least a week old. The ice cream came in the bottom of a cup with 2 old cookies. It was so hard to cut into the brownie. As little as it was, we left it on the plate. To recap, our food stayed in the kitchen no less than 20-30 minutes before it was served. The restaurant where we sat was empty. See my video. We were the only table in there! It was a Thursday night. Message to the restaurant owner: When you charge $59 for a dish, you should provide not just the food, but the experience of joy. That’s how people justify paying a high price for those ingredients. If you’re not willing to serve fresh food on certain days of the week, shut your restaurant down on those days. My first visit to your restaurant was in December 2023. I must say that we paid a high price but we enjoyed the food so much. The chef was talented and I remembered to come back again. This time I’m 100% sure that you hired a second hand chef who brought the quality of your restaurant down and I’m certainly not going back.

Michael George

Very average food offset by good service. The beef carpaccio was quite bland, the tuna tasted slightly old, and the scallop risotto was just awful. The french fries were crisp but had a mealy texture. The pork chop was delicious.— well cooked and well seasoned. There are much better options in this price range.

Anna Aljabiry

I was so bummed to pay almost $400 for this food. We were a part of three girls. The drinks were good. We ordered 3 starters: bread, peppers, and tuna. They all came cold. No question, the bread was at least 3 days old. The waiter claimed it was fresh, but come on, you can’t lie about old bread. He did bring another bread, which was slightly heated, but it didn’t taste good either. We waited a full hour for the entrees to arrive!!! It was just too long that we were forced to munch on the stale bread. We ordered half chicken, steak, and Scallop. Finally the main course arrived. IT WAS COLD. The chicken had a tasty sauce, the steak came with old and soggy fries melting on the dish (see the image) even a pizza place would make the fries better. I didn’t complain about the food before eating it. We were so hungry and there was no time to redo. Besides, at that point, no remedy would have fixed the situation. So we ate old, cold, stale food!!!! When the waiter brought the dessert menu, I thought maybe we could end it with a good note… wrong! We ordered chocolate (brownie) and vanilla ice cream. For goodness sake’s could you go wrong with those. The brownie was at least a week old. The ice cream came in the bottom of a cup with 2 old cookies. It was so hard to cut into the brownie. As little as it was, we left it on the plate. To recap, our food stayed in the kitchen no less than 20-30 minutes before it was served. The restaurant where we sat was empty. See my video. We were the only table in there! It was a Thursday night. Message to the restaurant owner: When you charge $59 for a dish, you should provide not just the food, but the experience of joy. That’s how people justify paying a high price for those ingredients. If you’re not willing to serve fresh food on certain days of the week, shut your restaurant down on those days. My first visit to your restaurant was in December 2023. I must say that we paid a high price but we enjoyed the food so much. The chef was talented and I remembered to come back again. This time I’m 100% sure that you hired a second hand chef who brought the quality of your restaurant down and I’m certainly not going back.

William Hatrick

First time trying this place for a birthday dinner, and there were some highs and lows. For some reason our server did not come to our table for 25 mins after we were seated. The very nice host took our drink order and comped our appetizers. The pork chop was delicious as many other reviewers have said, but the scallop risotto was kind of pitiful for that price. 3 medium scallops and a small serving of risotto - just not worth it. Cocktails were fine; unfortunately I doubt we will be back.

We dined at Prelude tonight before heading to the ballet and let our server know immediately that we were on a firm timeline. Our reservation was at 5:00pm, with plans to be finished and walking to the theater by 6:30pm. That context matters here. We were seated by the patio door on a 45-degree evening, and every time the door opened, a blast of cold air came through. Not exactly a great start, and confusing given the weather. Our server was very nice, and we communicated our time constraints clearly up front. Drinks were ordered and delivered, but then service became disjointed. At one point, another server walked by and literally took my menu mid-conversation and handed it to another table. A few minutes later, after clearly noticing my confusion, he returned with a replacement and asked if we had ordered yet. We had not. When our server finally returned, we ordered the bone marrow to share for the table of four. When it arrived, it was half a bone with no marrow whatsoever, topped with greens that appeared to be covering that fact. The manager did check in, acknowledged the issue, and offered to replace it. We declined due to time and appreciated that it was removed from the bill. My wife and I ordered a steak and asked the kitchen to split the entrée, which they did beautifully. When the food finally arrived, it was cooked perfectly. Credit where it’s due. Unfortunately, it arrived far too late. Entrees didn’t start coming out until around 6:25pm, and some orders were forgotten, causing further delays while the rest of the table waited. At that point, we were forced to rush through our meal just to make the ballet on time. What was supposed to be a relaxed pre-show dinner turned into a stressful sprint. There were a few saving graces: polite service, a responsive manager, and well-cooked food. But the overall experience, especially given the clearly communicated time constraints, fell short. For a restaurant positioned like Prelude, timing and execution matter. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend it based on this visit.

I really don’t see how this restaurant is rated so high. We dined here last night and the experience was quite underwhelming. The service was exceptional, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that the food is overpriced for what it is. The ambiance was cold. It didn’t seem friendly. Seemed more pretentious. We started off with the Seared Ahi Tuna. There wasn’t enough pineapple vinaigrette so it was bland. The grade of tuna was good though, but not enough in the portion size. My wife and her friend had the Steak Frites. For $59 they’re going to serve flank steak? It was cold and the fries tasted old and stale. My wife’s friend had the Basil Risotto & Hokkaido Scallops. Poor guy got only 3 scallops and a small portion of risotto. I could tell he was still hungry after his meal. I got the Buttermilk Brined Half Chicken. The chicken itself was dry, but the pan sauce was flavorful. I probably got the largest portion out of everyone’s entrées. To end we had Matcha Pots De Creme and Affogato for dessert. Again, they were ok, but just average desserts at best. Nothing thy wowed us. We’ll probably never come here again because I don’t see the value. Our bill was $450 for dinner and a few drinks. If you feel like blowing money and pretending to be rich go here. Otherwise, there are a lot of other better choices for food and value.

Sasson Fard

I really don’t see how this restaurant is rated so high. We dined here last night and the experience was quite underwhelming. The service was exceptional, but that doesn’t make up for the fact that the food is overpriced for what it is. The ambiance was cold. It didn’t seem friendly. Seemed more pretentious. We started off with the Seared Ahi Tuna. There wasn’t enough pineapple vinaigrette so it was bland. The grade of tuna was good though, but not enough in the portion size. My wife and her friend had the Steak Frites. For $59 they’re going to serve flank steak? It was cold and the fries tasted old and stale. My wife’s friend had the Basil Risotto & Hokkaido Scallops. Poor guy got only 3 scallops and a small portion of risotto. I could tell he was still hungry after his meal. I got the Buttermilk Brined Half Chicken. The chicken itself was dry, but the pan sauce was flavorful. I probably got the largest portion out of everyone’s entrées. To end we had Matcha Pots De Creme and Affogato for dessert. Again, they were ok, but just average desserts at best. Nothing thy wowed us. We’ll probably never come here again because I don’t see the value. Our bill was $450 for dinner and a few drinks. If you feel like blowing money and pretending to be rich go here. Otherwise, there are a lot of other better choices for food and value.

C H

We dined at Prelude tonight before heading to the ballet and let our server know immediately that we were on a firm timeline. Our reservation was at 5:00pm, with plans to be finished and walking to the theater by 6:30pm. That context matters here. We were seated by the patio door on a 45-degree evening, and every time the door opened, a blast of cold air came through. Not exactly a great start, and confusing given the weather. Our server was very nice, and we communicated our time constraints clearly up front. Drinks were ordered and delivered, but then service became disjointed. At one point, another server walked by and literally took my menu mid-conversation and handed it to another table. A few minutes later, after clearly noticing my confusion, he returned with a replacement and asked if we had ordered yet. We had not. When our server finally returned, we ordered the bone marrow to share for the table of four. When it arrived, it was half a bone with no marrow whatsoever, topped with greens that appeared to be covering that fact. The manager did check in, acknowledged the issue, and offered to replace it. We declined due to time and appreciated that it was removed from the bill. My wife and I ordered a steak and asked the kitchen to split the entrée, which they did beautifully. When the food finally arrived, it was cooked perfectly. Credit where it’s due. Unfortunately, it arrived far too late. Entrees didn’t start coming out until around 6:25pm, and some orders were forgotten, causing further delays while the rest of the table waited. At that point, we were forced to rush through our meal just to make the ballet on time. What was supposed to be a relaxed pre-show dinner turned into a stressful sprint. There were a few saving graces: polite service, a responsive manager, and well-cooked food. But the overall experience, especially given the clearly communicated time constraints, fell short. For a restaurant positioned like Prelude, timing and execution matter. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend it based on this visit.

I came here on a date night, the drinks and appetizers were really good, we ordered the Brussel sprouts and the bread plate. Cocktails were also delicious. When it came to the entrees we ordered the clams and steak. The clams tasted like bleach(we struggled to get that taste out of our mouths). My fiancé ordered the steak rare and it basically came out blue. The service was exceptional and they were very accommodating.