Café Tranquilo

Jake, Sivan and the team had great recommendations not just for drinks and menu items, but also some great ideas on where to enjoy some nightlife, would highly recommend !

I went to Café Tranquilo over a month ago and despite being extremely distracted and busy I wanted to give my positive feedback for the food and staff. It was my first trip to the hotel or restaurant and my fiancé and I found the staff to be extremely on point with their service.
We had Jacob as our server and he had awesome scotch recommendations along with recommending the steak special which I found so good that I returned a week later to order the same dish. We sat on the outside patio and we found the atmosphere to be relaxed but upscale enough to feel as though we were having a special night.
I have recommended this place to my friends and I will be returning for the delicious steak special!!!

Café Tranquilo has tranquilo’d a little too much. No, not a little… a lot too much.
And that’s bad.
At the tail-​end of January 2015, Gallo Blanco chef/​owner, Doug Robson, pulled the plug on his locally-​loved restaurant, located on the first floor of the Clarendon Hotel. He’d already transitioned to his v2.0 concept on 7^th St, just north of Camelback, called Otro (meaning «other» or «another one» in Spanish) and nearly overnight, surprised the pants off the hotel’s owner/​operator, Ben Bethel.
Well, since then, some of the staff stayed, some tables got spaced out, the overall feel of the space was updated… but the most important thing left: thoughtful, complex, layered flavor.
We tried the new café last night with open minds and eager palates. Immediately, 3 things let me know the troubled local reviews may have painted an accurate picture:
1) There were 2 tables in the entire dining room at 7:30 pm. Gallo Blanco never had only 2 tables at 7:30 pm!
2) With a wide-​open room, we still were placed at a small 2-​top, in the corner. It’s nit-​picky and also my own personal notion, but if the room’s nearly vacant, seat us at a larger table… more room for comfort, for sharing dishes and for breathing in the ambiance. I almost said something, but I wanted to experience Café Tranquilo the way they were going to naturally serve us the experience. I feel it’s a bad habit to put parties of two in the most Tetris’d 2-​top when there’s clearly no rush happening and no further parties with reservations. In other words, make it nice for the people who ARE there, rather than saving so many tables for people who may (?) come.
3) Despite only 2 other tables in the entire main dining room, we sat w/​o service for about 10-​minutes. I’ll admit, when a server finally did greet us, he was very cordial and apologized for the wait.
If you read the good reviews about this place, the majority seem to be from out-​of-​town hotel guests. Well, dig deeper and see what the locals have to say. They’re the ones who knew what used to be… and they’re grieving. Café Tranquilo feels like a cheap made-​in-​China knockoff of Gallo Blanco. The menu reads nicely enough, but as the food starts to arrive, you’ll know you messed up.
We experienced poor flavor profiles, uninspired copy-​cat dishes, bad decisions for techniques & ingredients and found the food as lacking as the service.
If you want mediocrity in a hotel lobby restaurant, then get here asap.

Very cool place with patio and nice indoor dining. Very friendly staff. Happy hour pricing was nice. We had the guacamole, which was very good, chips and salsa, which were very good and the Peruvian Ceviche, which was disappointing. Even with the happy hour price, the 1 thumb sized piece of fish with a couple other fingernail piece sized fish in there, it was not worth the money. It was not that tasty either and I’ve had ceviche in Peru and many Latin American countries. I just didn’t have much flavor and the portion was sad. Anyway, presentation was nice but that’s all we had. I would go back to try other dishes for sure.

I was staying at the Clarendon Hotel, so I used my breakfast voucher here the next morning. I sat inside, but they also have a small outside patio, which looked really nice. Service and ambience were very mediocre, but nothing to complain about. I ordered the granola bowl, which, tasty was it was, was probably not as healthy as it sounds. A small mound of greek yogurt was piled high on top with quinoa granola and plenty of fresh fruit, then drizzled with honey, and finally finished off with a very generous dollop of whipped cream. I actually thought that the bowl would have been better without the crema, but everything else was delicious.
Probably wouldn’t have come here if I didn’t have the breakfast voucher, but the food is decent enough to be worth a quick stop in the morning when it’s complimentary!

Amazing Mexican food. We ordered a carne asada burrito and a bean and cheese burrito. The flavors of the meats and beans were delicious and the waiter was happy to bring us a variety of pico de gallo and other salsas. We are on the deck and enjoyed fantastic cool weather in the evening and the ability to talk about our day without interruption. This place is fantastic and the ambiance was enjoyable.

Awesome place. I had the grass fed steak special and veggies. Delicious and perfectly cooked. The shrimp tacos and the Cesar salad were great too. Going to have breakfast here in the morning and already looking forward to it!

First, I’d like to preface by saying that I had no issues with the quality of the food. When I first discovered Café Tranquilo on Grubhub, I liked the La Peruana salad (with carne asada) so much, that I ordered it again the next day.
Secondly, I should add that that’s the ONLY thing I’ve had from there, probably about four times now. So I’m relatively familiar with this specific lunch. It comes in two sizes, a large and a small, running $ 8 – 12 respectively.
So today I ordered the large salad again, sans asada. When I received my order, the container seemed smaller than I recalled. I measured the container out at 6.5 inches long, and decided to call and make sure that I had the correct size.
Although I was assured it was rang up as a large (no duh), I could not get a straightforward answer about the size of the to go container.
I was told that I could be accommodated if I went in person, but the reason I order through Grubhub is that I generally can’t leave my work. And though I was inclined to go down there just to prove a point, of course I dropped my car at the shop this morning. I was also told that even if it was wrong, they couldn’t send another, and rather made it seem as if since I ordered through a service, that I would not get the same treatment as an in person customer. If that is the case, than perhaps Grubhub should not be an option.
I wasn’t trying to get over on anything, or even have it replaced. A note for my next order would have been fine, IF it was even the case that I received the wrong one! But I don’t know if it was or wasn’t because my original question about the container was continually avoided.
However, I do know now from the gentleman that I spoke to, that the drinks and food are measured, and he has great trust for his people in the kitchen. So much so, they are apparently infallible to any possible human error, rendering my question ridiculous.

Top notch! Above and beyond! I don’t write reviews very often, but I felt compelled to for this restaurant. I ordered from them through postmates based on reviews and their food did not disappoint. However, my postmates driver did not deliver me the correct order. I called the restaurant to see if my food was still there, not only did they apologize, but the manager personally delivered my food. How awesome is that!!! Phenomenal service and absolutely delicious food! I highly recommend checking out this place, it’s more than worth it!

I usually don’t write bad reviews. We stayed at the Clarendon so we had breakfast here one day. It wasn’t very crowded and they said they could accommodate my allergies and celiac. But there wasn’t anything on the menu I could eat.
In situations like that, I usually will just ask for a hard boiled egg or an omelette made in a separate pan and this has never been an issue in my life. But here, they only make hard boiled eggs at lunch. And they only make omelettes on the weekend. And they only have good customer service on days that don’t end in ‘y’. According to our waiter, they stick to «basic egg cooking methods.»
So I got poached eggs that tasted like vinegar. I didn’t finish them. My husband is not a picky eater at all and he said his meal was soggy and bad. The service was pretty bad … We asked for refills on tea and they never came … Even though we had vouchers for free breakfast, we never went back.
(My husband did order dinner twice while at the pool and he said both meals were fine then. So I’m assuming there are different people working at night.)

I placed an order for pickup with the host, she was very friendly. When I got to the restaurant, she said she recognized me (maybe by the sound of my voice?) and had everything ready to go. Maybe I should have opened the bag and double checked my order, because the only thing in the bag that was correct was the chips and salsa. There was some sort of torta, a bacon cheeseburger, fries and my chips/​salsa.
I was really hoping this would be a new restaurant to frequent while in town, but unfortunately, I will not be back. The bun on the burger was soggy, the torta had an odd flavor, the chips and salsa were just ok. I did eat all of the fries though, they were really good.

It took me awhile to make it to Café Tranquilo. I used to come to this location when it was Gallo Blanco and enjoyed it. I finally made it out to CT when invited by a friend a couple weeks ago. Unfortunately it wasn’t all that exciting. I understand the concept of ‘modern Mexican’ food and appreciate that in general it is more complex than your typical Mex fare and therefore more expensive. This food was more expensive than your typical restaurant, but seemed fairly basic. I got the carne asada burrito, and it was very small and came with no sides for 8 $. There was nothing special about it… just meat, beans, cheese, and avocado. It was fairly bland and didn’t warrant its price tag. I luckily had ordered chips and salsa (for 3.50) and had a very very minuscule amount of salsa to put on said burrito to give it some flavor. Back to the chip situation… if I pay almost 4 $ for chips, I would think they would give refills on the teeny tiny cups of salsa, especially because their basket of chips was quite generous… this was not the case (or at least wasn’t on the night we were there). The salsas were good, with the green salsa being my favorite. Anyway, I just don’t see the need to go back to this establishment when there are other ‘modern Mexican’ places in town that do a much better job of making their food feel special.

Food and ambiance is great. Ask for Jacob, he is the best! Service is always improving. Get the pork and shrimp tacos!

I can’t say enough about this little gem in the Clarendon Hotel! The food is delish, drinks are delightful, the $ 2 tacos on Wednesdays and Thursdays for happppppppyyyyyyyy hour are bomb and the wait staff are fantastic– especially Jacob and Michael! Take a drink up to the rooftop for the sunset and the central Phoenix skyline reflections. Music on the roof on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays until it gets too hot. CHECK IT OUT ONE TIME and experience it for yourself!

This is one of my favorite place says to come get a burrito and guacamole and chips!!! They have The best guacamole dip I’ve ever had!!! Has a lemon flavor and comes in a pretty big bowl. The environment is very urban. This is a great place to take somebody on a date. Very clean on the inside in the waiters are very professional and respectful

From the beginning this meal was ideal. I can’t say enough about how flavorful the food was. The subtle seasoning was just enough to enhance the flavors of the base item without over-​powering.
Both the shrimp and ribeye were dazzling entrees that were only made better with the sensational sides.

We were fortunate enough to have a beer paired dinner on the rooftop of The Clarendon with a group of our closest friends to celebrate our marriage and I couldn’t be happier with the way the event went! The décor & theme were on point and looked beautiful against the Arizona sunset. Each course had a matching beer chosen to compliment the meal it went with. My personal favorite was the Java Stout Float for dessert! The staff were excellent in timing the courses, as well as describing the dish a few times for the guests that were distracted. Every person that attended the dinner left saying that it was a very unique and delicious food experience they will talk about for the rest of their lives. Definitely the perfect way to start off our celebratory weekend! A huge thank you to Nicki, Vince, Joe & the rest of the staff at Café Tranquilo for making it such an unforgettable experience!

The best there is. Super friendly. Great food, freshly made. A lot of staff to wait on you. Good price point. The atmosphere is modern and trendy. Casual dining but if you want to kick it up a notch you’ll be comfortable. It’s a gem tucked in just west of Central.

Over priced for what you get and every single one of the staff that came to my table complained about the other staff or having worked a long night before.

We had breakfast here 5 days in a row. By the 2^nd day the staff already knew our names. The service was awesome but the food was amazing!!! I swear everything they make is from scratch and I found myself snapping pics of the food. The (in-​house made) Granola bowl with fresh fruit and Greek yogurt was incredible. I’d list everything I ordered but seriously it was all so good just try pretty much anything on the menu. A shout out to Fuego for taking such good care of us.

I came here to eat with my wife a couple days ago celebrating our anniversary. The food was not too bad, but Considering the prices I would save the money and go somewhere els. I didn’t mind all too much considering the food was not horrible but the service was terrible I had to keep flagging down employees who seemed to be hanging out by the host table, if that wasn’t bad already we got a server who seemed to be having a bad day. Definitely not going back. If I could give this place zero stars I would!

WOW WOW WOW! To start off I would like to Thank Mr. Jacob! This gentlemen made our dinning experience very memorable… actually the full staff did. Being greeted once you walk in to a clean, modern and fun environment. Next big things with young professionals. Great work with the remodel will definitely be back once a week.

Jacob, the waiter, is wonderful! So friendly and relaxed. For additional options, he volunteered the brunch menu during the dinner hour, recommended a yummy wine, and told us about a complimentary cocktail on the roof during sunset. Thank you Jacob! What a lovely evening!

Wow! I’ve been here several times in the past year since Gallo Blanco left… The service is so much better, the food is better… The pork mole is spot on, the shrimp sofrito is excellent, and the chilaquiles are hands down the best in town. Drinks are great, I suggest showing up early for sunset on the rooftop then going to dinner… But after dinner (the cinnamon sugar crispy things are great and the flan is different… They call it a crème brûlée flan which I love because it isn’t really eggy like flan), you can show your receipt to the bartender on the rooftop bar for a free digestif. Parking is super easy, and the rooftop always makes for a unique experience to spend time with friends or a date. Hands down a five star experience… Ah, the chairs are a bit low but the server said they’re being replaced… Can’t complain about anything other than that. Ps, they deliver too.

My family stayed overnight at the Clarendon this past Sunday and ended up eating both breakfast & dinner here. Tranquilo is excellent!!! All of the ingredients are fresh and the chefs know how to cook them. At dinner our server was Pedro and he was chipper, friendly and knowledgeable. He even knew what we were asking for when we asked him if we could get some Chiles Toreados (toasted jalapenos) on the side with a bit of beans & rice. Getting the special side was easy and the kitchen staff/​cooks made the jalapenos just the way we like them. For my meal I ordered the Steak Special: 100% grass fed Rib Eye Steak (medium rare) w/​Chimichurri sauce on top of grilled vegetables, served in a skillet. The meat was tasty and easy to slice into (like butter) and not over cooked, the vegetables were also cooked perfectly tasty and still slightly crisp. The sauce was merely an accent and not over powering at all.
My mom ordered the Chicken Mole and again it was cooked perfectly, juicy not dry and the mole sauce was spicy and not overly sweet like most. My aunt ordered the Fish Special, Salmon over vegetables. Again the salmon was cooked to perfection, slightly crispy on the outside, done on the inside but not dry at all. The vegetables were great as well.
Since we all finished our entire meals, we sadly had no room for desert.
We also had Breakfast here as our room came with a $ 12.50 voucher for each person. There is no complimentary coffee in the lobby but you can purchase coffee or tea to go for $ 3.00 plus tax. The coffee and black tea were both quality, my mother and I are kind of picky about both. For breakfast I ordered the Chilaquiles with Chorizo instead of the listed Chicken or Vegetables, the Chilaquile sauce with the Chorizo made this dish the favorite of the morning. Rich with some spice but not overpowering, I could still taste the egg, chips and Oaxaxa cheese. My aunt had Eggs & Chorizo with beans and my Mom had the Huevos Rancheros served in a skillet both were very tasty with just enough spice. I also ordered the Greek Yogurt & Quinoa granola (to feel a little bit healthy), definitely worth going over my voucher amount. The fruit was freshly cut and the yogurt was soooo creamy. Our server at breakfast was named Fuego (obviously a nickname :), cheery and attentive.
As for bar drinks they were good but if I lived locally, I would probably get drinks elsewhere before hand (or after) and come here for the excellent food, vibe and service.

You’d think with food vouchers, you’d get the run-​of-​the-​mill continental breakfast with generic danishes and cold coffee… nope! The free breakfast vouchers covered a great variety of items on the menu and the food was delicious. They sure were busy, but the staff was still very friendly and attentive. Great experience!

I used to come here when it was Galleo. Similar fare but they have live music now Thr & Fri nights on the rooftop (so thankful they renovated it) and $ 2 tacos wed/​thr from 2−6pm – which im gonna have to remember.

I was a huge fan of Gallo Blanco and was skeptical of what restaurant would take over after they left. I am happy to say that Café Tranquilo has been a fantastic addition to the Clarendon Hotel. I live within walking distance of Café Tranquilo and tend to go there almost weekly. I am thrilled to have such a great spot nearby. Their menu is solid! They’ve made fantastic changes to their menu since they’ve opened. I’ve enjoyed their breakfast (try the chilequiles) and dinner options. If you’re just hanging out for happy hour, get the guacamole, tacos, or Elote dip… you won’t be sorry. They serve Lux coffee, major bonus points there! And a HUGE shout out to our server Jake!!! His service has been top notch and his recommendations have been on point. Thank you Café Tranquilo… I will likely be back within the week. ;)

I’m from Oakland, CA and visiting Phoenix for the first time to meet my friend who is living in New Zealand.
I’m huge into local, artisan, and organic farm to table food with high quality meats and make it a huge priority in my diet.
I decided to stay at the Clarendon in part because of my research into the good scene at Phoenix and reading the extremely good reviews of Tranquilo. I take Unilocal reviews with a grain of salt to manage my expectations, but Tranquilo completely blew my friend and I away with the impeccable kind service and extremely high quality value of delicious food. They use cast iron here, no microwaves and are proud to source their dishes from local farms and high quality butcher shops. Even without the free breakfast vouchers, the meals are an absolute steal for what you get. It made a very picky East Bay SF food snob very happy.
Jacob, the manager was super sweet and accommodating to my possibly strange requests. Jacob was super passionate about the food and incredibly welcoming to a new visitor. He told us where the food was sourced and gave all sorts of cool recommendations on other places around town.
I also love that they are gluten free friendly and have Grass fed beef. We are definitely getting breakfast there tomorrow!!!
I’m excited to come back to Phoenix with my boyfriend and friends and stay at the Clarendon.
I am so impressed and surprised that Phoenix is now the place to go for high quality farm to table food without Bay Area prices!

Great service and food
Thank you.
I’m so happy I took the time to speak
to the hostess, she was so kind to tell
me some history of the restaurant and
made my guest feel welcomed.

Café Tranquilo is owned by the Clarendon Hotel and it’s a great add. Now that the hotel and restaurant is owned by the same owner, you can order room service while staying at the hotel.
The food here is excellent and mouth watering delicious!
On Sat, I had a party of 6 adults and 6 kids by the pool during lunch time and we were provided with great service by Yusa.
Everything we had was good. The chips & salsa, chips & guacamole (chunky full of fresh guacamole & flavorful), grilled cheese sandwich– everyone enjoyed their food.
And it was promptly served. Which can be a factor when receiving poolside service from an on site restaurant.
Great add & I look forward to getting room service while staying at the Claredon!

We live nearby and walked in at 8:30 on a Friday. Many empty tables. Just four of us, looking for a cocktail and nachos.
Hostess says «We’re looking at about twenty».
«Twenty what? Minutes?!» we say.
«Yeah, sorry, we only have two servers on staff» she replied.
«We don’t want to wait 20 minutes, you really don’t want us to eat here??» There was maybe 20 people in the restaurant.
«Yeah sorry, it will be 20 minutes».
So we walked out. If they don’t want us to sit at an empty table, we won’t force our way in.
It was just okay the last time we went, right after they opened. Was hoping they would improve. I guess I’ll never know, because I’m never going to attempt to go back.

We ate here mostly because we were staying in the hotel and it was convenient and our breakfast was free. The first day I ordered the huevos rancheros which was AMAZING. They delivered me this warm, bubbling skillet, coated in melty cheese with fluffy eggs over corn tortillas. I gobbled up every bite and later, ordered a burrito poolside which they DELIVERED. During our stay we also had the guacamole, pancakes and vegetable tacos. The tacos were a little flavorless on their own, but they have this incredible salsa verde they serve on the side. I seriously wanted to bottle that and bring it home.

Café Tranquilo is the restaurant of Clarendon Hotel, where we stayed for two nights in Phoenix. Each hotel guest receives a complimentary breakfast voucher good toward $ 12.50 worth of food excluding alcoholic beverages. It’s a great value and very kind of the hotel.
We just ate dinner here the night we arrived from PHX. Complimentary chips and salsa were served as soon as we sat down. In addition to salsa, they also gave us avocado dip, mole chili, and chili verde. The chili verde was my favorite and chips were bottomless! Moscow Mule was put in its right place as Tranquilo serves it in a tall trim copper cup. Cosmopolitan is a pretty pink in a champagne glass.
Tacos are all a la carte. Out of the three my favorite was the beer battered fish. Batter not too thick and it came with a tangy mayo sauce. Carne asada is just okay, with a smokey taste to it. The braised tinga pork was also tasty. Pork was tender and not stuck in the teeth.
For breakfast, they have a big selection including gringo (regular bacon and egg), chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, French toast. Their coffee is excellent, not the cheap watery stuff from a can. It’s a breakfast blend with an aroma. Coffee is always piping hot.
*Gringo Breakfast ($ 7.5) two eggs any style with choice of bacon or sausage. Bacon is inconsistent between the first morning and the second. Maybe the chef took the day off after being slammed on Fourth of July. The fried potato is diced and sauteed with onion and bell pepper.
*Chilaquiles ($ 10) is a bit too chili-​ish. The sauce is very red and the taste very strong. Diced chicken with two overeasy eggs. It’s not my favorite chilaquiles but it’s adequate enough.
*Mushroom and Spinach Scramble ($ 9) is much better than the chilaquiles. Two scrambled eggs tossed with chopped mushroom and spinach. It’s very good with melted oaxaca cheese. Totally hit the spot, as I love scramble.
Coffee and water are always refilled with a smile. It’s a very friendly and casual dining atmosphere.

So, Gallo Blanco, the popular restaurant that opened a few years ago and was debuted in the cover of Phoenix magazine during their 25 Best new restaurants, stopped operating in the Clarendon Hotel. However, a modern Mexican restaurant does operate in its place and is doing a very fine job.
I have stopped in here for drinks and come for a couple meals since GB closed. My favorite thing on that menu has to be the other-​worldly delicious flapjacks! Oh my word. I never would have expected this at this establishment. Those things taste better than any pancake I have ever had in my life. And bonus… breakfast is served all day at this restaurant.
The tacos are good too. I love the SOBE boutique feel of the hotel.
I had a few custom crafted cocktails and the bartenders did a pretty good job with my list of favorite ingredients.
Return Factor:95%

Gallo Blanco was super close to me, and I would go there a few times a week. I loved the food, and I was so sad when I closed down. It’s taken me awhile to try the new place, and I was pretty skeptical after seeing the abysmal reviews on Unilocal.I’ve ended up going 3 times before posting this review. Initially, I thought people were being a little unfair on this place, and I stand by that, although each visit was so different that I can understand why people might blast this place.
Yes, it’s trying to fill the void of Gallo. Yes, there are a lot of similarities between the new menu and the old Gallo menu. The same staff work here, but the décor is different. The outdoor patio area is bigger, and it looks like there’s a private banquet area with its own little patio attached to the restaurant. The servers wear uniforms now.
We started with chips and salsa and some drinks. I had a boring rum and diet so I can’t comment on their cocktails, although I will say my drink was strong. Beer was fine. The prices for drinks are a little higher, and I guess there wasn’t a happy hour, but now there is? Not sure what time or what deals they run during that time.
Chips and salsa were reminiscent of Gallo — a red one, a green one, and some pico de gallo, but this place gave us a creamy avocado one, too. The red salsa, if you want to compare it to Gallo, was a little less spicy and a little less refined in terms of flavor. The green one, again compared to Gallo, was a little spicier and a little more tart. Pico de gallo is pico de gallo. The creamy avocado salsa was nice. Chips are the same. Objectively, I think the chips and salsa were good.
Husband had a burger. He said it tasted just like the cheeseburger from Gallo. He asked for medium rare but it came medium well, maybe well done. The fries were nice. I had a fish taco, which featured rockfish, and a carne asada taco. I think there’s more protein in the new place’s tacos. The carne asada was cooked differently so it was actually a bit more tender — maybe due to the fact that it was shredded and not chopped up like Gallo. I liked the rockfish taco a lot. It wasn’t like Gallo’s fish taco, but it was good.
Ended up going there again and the carne asada taco was super chewy. It was seasoned pretty well but the meat was just too tough. The fish taco was still pretty good. On a third visit, the carne asada was better, but not as good as the first time around. Food being inconsistent isn’t good, but I’m glad it got a little better instead of progressively worse.
For people complaining about the service — well, in my honest opinion, the service was on the bad side at Gallo. It was SO SLOW — took forever to place an order. Food would come out quickly, but if you wanted a refill on a nonalcoholic beverage, or even if you wanted a second cocktail, it took awhile to grab someone’s attention. It also took a long time to get the check and have it processed. I honestly think it’s about the same now. The restaurant wasn’t dirty when I went in, so I can’t really comment on that like others have mentioned.
So overall, I think it’s pretty good food. I like that it’s close to where I live. Service is OK. It’s got a nice ambiance. The prices aren’t fantastic, but it isn’t highway robbery, either. It’s tough saying goodbye to Gallo because it really was outstanding, but I think Café Tranquilo is pretty good. If you haven’t been, I think it’s worth a try — just come with an open mind.