Le Pain Quotidien – Santa Monica Blvd

Wack AF. Staff seemed miserable. They said they didn’t have waiters outside, so we ordered at the bar. The guy said we had to wait for to go orders at the bar, we told him we would like to dine in. Ended up standing at the bar for like 30 mins waiting for the food which we got in a plastic bag, no cutlery. Was like $ 35 for tiny salad and a soggy piece of bread with butter and smoked salmon on it. Wack AAAAFFFF

The café is beautifully decorated and the menu very appealing. All the pastries are displayed beautifully and food plated well. Unfortunately, the waffles we had were extremely sweet and more like brioche than real waffles. And without syrup. The mochas were also very sweet. My americano was very smooth. I would be curious to try the savory dishes before discounting this place entirely.

My friend and I went here because we were looking for a good sit down coffee brunch place. We found La Pain Quotidien and got seated right away. I ordered a water and my friend ordered a large Mocha. The drinks came out then we ordered the waffle: one with jam and cream, and the other fresh fruit.
The Mocha came first and it was extremely large. My friend loved it. For my tastes it was a bit bitter. But went down smooth.
The waffles came out and the waitress asked if we wanted syrup. My friend asked what types they had. So she told us about Maple, Aguve, and Honey. My friend went with aguve.
I ate mine without any syrup. The batter of the waffle was so sweet and the fresh fruit hit the spot. It was a medley of strawberries, raspberries and blueberries. My friend said the jam wasn’t overdone and the cream was sweet and light. Needless to say we’ll be returning again.

We came in here twice
First to order some drinks and the person taking the order was rude. We later came back to get a refill and a sandwich, same rude person– acting like we were taking up so much time to ask a simple question about the sandwich. Then we asked someone else to toast the bread in our sandwich and went into the kitchen and said «I’m not trying to be difficult the customer wants the bread to be toasted»
ITS YOUR GODDAMN JOB TO ACCOMMODATE YOUR CUSTOMERS! IF YOU GET MAD FOR HAVING TO DO VERY SIMPLE ACTIONS THAT ARE NORMAL AT A RESTAURANT THEN WORK
SOMEWHERE ELSE WHERE I DON’T HAVE TO DEAL WITH RUDE SERVICE!!!
I would give no stars if that was a possibility.

This is probably my favorite spot of all the food spots this entire trip! We stumbled across it looking for another restaurant, but I am so glad we found it! Their choice of trying to source all local and organic as possible won be over! I ordered the waffle with jam and cream and a side of egg scramble for some extra protein. All I can say is «wow»! I recommend this place to anyone and everyone who wants a delicious breakfast or lunch! 6 stars!

Deliciousness in a plate! I love the crispy quinoa cake that is vegan and the avocado toast to who ever came eat gluten. The staff is nice. The only trouble is that it takes a lot of time to pay.

Came in on a Saturday for an iced latte. Decided to take a chance on something different other than my usual go to, Starbucks. Got a regular which is a smaller size here compared to other coffee places. Latte was sweeter and filled with lots of ice so you’re left with very little coffee. Quite pricey for the size. Paid over $ 5 for a cup. I did like the rustic interior décor. They have a beautiful long wooden table in the center. Felt very homey and quaint. Next time will try their vegetarian dishes!

This is a good place to stop for coffee and a snack while strolling on the Santa Monica Promenade. This one in particular has quite a narrow entrance, though, and no real place for a line to form. I went in with a friend, and since she had a stroller and there were already two other people in line, there were really no room for us. If you want to add sugar and creamer to your coffee, it is in the narrow space leading to the door, which is also cramped. The staff seemed a bit confused and flustered by the line — though they were very nice.
Not the store’s fault that the entrance has a bad layout. We took our coffees to go, but the indoor seating looked very relaxing and atmospheric.

Los Angeles, California– We were drawn to the coffee and baked treats like a hipster drawn to plaid and irony. Our lemon and raspberry tart fillings were fluffy, creamy, and bursting with flavor. The crusts were a decadent meld of graham and butter. The combination– stellar.
The coffee was fabulous except that it was served in a mug without a handle. Too hot to hold without a handle, my husband requested a traditional mug. The waitress smiled sweetly and said to us, we are a European restaurant and the handleless mugs are in true European style. My husband and I glanced warmly at each other with giggles on our mind and we waited for his coffee to cool. Perhaps the waitress missed his Eastern European accent… Perhaps my husband missed the handleless mugs for those decades he lived there. In any case, we’d really love to see handles on the cups.
The mugs didn’t keep us away. The next afternoon we returned for the quinoa taboule and the mint agave lemon water. Both were excellently flavored. We skipped the coffee.

I’ve been meaning to write a review for a while. A fan of Le Pain Quotidien overall (or as I call it, «LPQ» for short), I’ve been to most of their L.A. locations but living in Santa Monica, I frequent this one whenever I’m downtown/​shopping on the 3^rd Street Promenade.
If you’re not familiar with LPQ’s food, it’s all fresh and organic. Being a vegetarian, I love the fact there are many items on the menu that work for me and not just the «one off» salad like at many restaurants (who consider vegetarians an afterthought). I love both breakfast and lunch there. Delicious coffee and poached eggs for breakfast. Or the lentil salad if it’s lunchtime, my current favorite! The menu is seasonal and changes. Fortunately, they always seem to serve the gazpacho, which is amazing! Just the right amount of zing and most delicious with avocado on top. I try to resist a pastry for dessert but don’t always manage to do so. They have these mini lemon cupcake things that are the bomb!
This LPQ is in a charming, old brick building. There’s a community table, which tourists seem to love, but I usually go for a private table. There’s wifi, but not a ton of plugs (so charge up your laptop or tablet at home if you’re brining one along!) The service is always friendly and spot-​on. Yesterday, I had Dotty as my lunch server and she was terrific, very professional.
A quiet haven away from the madness of the promenade where you can grab a good cup of coffee, a good meal and even a glass of wine! Best enjoyed on the sunny outdoor patio.
(P.S., they also have coffee and pastries to go, very fast, up front!)

Fantastic food and service. The atmosphere is so homey and adorable. I ordered the mint limeade and the chicken and smoked mozzarella melt. I was amazing at how fresh and tasty everything was. Will definitely be coming back here again and again.

We discovered this small Belgian coffee shop and restaurant a few years ago. We come to Santa Monica once a year and always have breakfast here. They serve fresh organic food including homemade breads, delicious omelettes, salads, and more. Everything we have ordered has been good. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere is cozy and homelike. A large community wood table that fits 24 people or so is surrounded by smaller tables for 2 or 4 people.

Great coffee and European style baguettes. Fresh minimal interior design :) Located right off 3^rd St. Promenade in Santa Monica.

I have been there for the second time now, and this 3 stars is much better than the zero star I would have give the first time. Nice waitress, nice location. But food is really not good, And unfortunately, probably because of the heavy rain lately, the tables on the back were unbearable from the sewers smell ! But like I said, this was for the waitress.

Nice spot for fresh french influenced breakfast. Indoor seating very warm and service attentive. Good locale to meet for biz lunch or romantic next morning.

I am having the most incredible warm salad ever. The Warm Autumn Grains salad had a flavorful and slightly tangy taste that is topped with goat cheese and butternut squash to give is a creamy, slightly sweet taste. I love it!!! The blueberry mint lemonade is superb as well.

For a chain restaurant (you would never know it sitting inside), this place accomplishes everything they are trying to achieve. We enjoyed the bread basket to share, which was so overloaded, we had to take it to go. My wife and I each had a heaping bowl of steel cut oats with bananas and walnuts, while are family each had an egg fish of some variety, which was polished off each plate.
The atmosphere is cozy and communal, with the long wood table down the middle, the room closed in with brick walls. And the service was spot on. The waitress was not only efficient, she was a hustler, which was nice to see. The food arrived quite quickly to, in less then 10 minutes.

I usually come to this place, however, today’s service was just disappointing.
Was it the rain? Gloomy weather?
The young– girl employee was unusually rude. All I wanted was bananas!
I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt… maybe it was the gloomy weather that got her thinking of personal problems… I don’t know.
Hope it was just a one time thing.

Pastries are really bad !! I give three stars for the delicious avocado toast and orange juice

This place was okay. The interior and décor of the restaurant is very special and nice. However, I thought the food was pricy and tasted just okay.
The salmon open faced sandwich was pretty good, the ham sandwich was okay.
There’s a small outdoor seating area but it’s hard to actually sit out there. It smells like sewer and there’s a blue bus stop right next to the seating area. If you’re looking for a place to eat with your dog, this isn’t the best because of the factors listed above.

Well, I really enjoyed my late lunch today. I’ve stopped in before to buy a bag a cookies before, I like their cookies! To be honest I like cookies period… this time I wanted something of substance and the menu looked really interesting.
I like the fact they are going for the Parisian corner restaurant look and feel. Love the communal table and all the simple wood elegance. My only issue was this corner in Santa Monica should have been thought out a little bit more and this would be closer to a five star experience. This part of the neighborhood is a bit sketchy at best.
The meal was great I had raspberry lemonade that was exceptional. Not too sweet and full of whole berries. With this is I enjoyed the salmon tartaine with dill and scallions. Loved it… the bread was wonderful and the smoked salmon fresh and well, smoked nicely.
The staff was great and service was very good today, I even bought another bag of cookies… Merci Beaucoup!

Had a catered lunch today for the office. The food taste so fresh, healthy and all together YUMMY!!!
I had their veggie avocado, fig, on toast bread… not sure what it was called (i didn’t order it) but it was hellllla good!!! :-) thumbs up for this little toasted taste bud tickler !!

Last Friday (four days ago) was my very first time dining at Le Pain Quotidien and I was quite pleased with my overall experience.
The ambience was quite pleasant as I did not hear any of the noise from the street traffic as I sat inside at a table closer to the doorway.
My server, Danielle, was kind to answer my questions and recommend the lentil soup for me to try. I enjoyed it! The broth was nice and light and the rustic bread served alongside was nice and crunchy!
For my main course, I ordered the smoked salmon tartine. The portion size was nice and was served on a beautiful cutting board garnished with fresh dill, sliced cucumbers, radishes, and mixed greens. This was light, but filling, therefore an enjoyable dish.
The fresh lemonade was nice along with their wine selection was more than adequate.
I will definitely return and try the desserts and breakfast items. The bakery selection looks appealing and the mini «shop» has tasty items such as white chocolate spreads and fig jam!
Because of the great service, the ambiance, and the food, my dining experience will definitely bring me back to this restaurant.
Highly-​recommend!

Yes, this is the French inspired, casual restaurant that has the communal table. It’s a very nice concept, as friends can gather around and actually feel like they’re at someone’s house.
At present count, there are about 9 locations, and Santa Monica is a great spot to serve its demographics & some visitors to the area, right off the Third St Promenade. The staff is very pleasant and courteous.
Our simple orders of: Paris Ham & Gruyère sandwich & a French Toast. These aren’t exactly French cuisine, but not may things on their menu actually are.
Paris Ham: basically a ham & cheese, but the ham is tasted leaner and less salty than its US counterpart. I couldn’t detect the Gruyère. I see it, but just cannot taste it. It’s served on their rustic crispy wheat bread. As hard as I tried to locate fries (or frites) to go with the sandwich, it only came w/​a healthy salad in a tart dressing. *rabbit food*
French Toast was topped w/​a few different berries and dusted w/​powder sugar. Taste wasn’t bad, but nothing to brag about. Though the plating made it tempting, how it tastes is what’s important.
Inside can get a bit cramped easily. Tables for 4 are close together and we had to move ours a bit farther to have leg room. Then the table next to us had to inch closer to a high traffic work area. The center is a large communal table with a lot more space.
Le Pain Q has a warm, homely atmosphere, and I wouldn’t be surprised if they have a lot of regulars, but if it were based on their menu food alone, I would not miss this place. I am a bit curious about their selection of pastries they have by the entrance.
* Good luck w/​street parking. Instead, park at the mall lot. First 90 min. free, $ 1 for next hour and I forgot the rest
* They have a few tables outside for people watching.
* Before making your way to the table, stop by the front counter and check out the pastries, might be better than the french toast or ham & cheese.

After I made my first visit to Philz Coffee, the BF and I were looking for a feasible breakfast option before going to church. We did a quick Unilocal search for what was in the area and we came across this café.
The name sounded familiar to me – I think I saw the sign for another location before, and I remember the café food being a little more upscale – but we didn’t want to have to travel too far for breakfast and our time in Santa Monica was pretty limited.
This café was within walking distance of Philz, but it was pretty crowded when we went. There were people sitting outside at the tables and the interior was filled. Just as we placed our order and were waiting for our pastries, though, a small table for two opened up. Talk about perfect timing.
I felt slightly claustrophobic, but that was just because we were completely surrounded by people (and crying children). Still, I did like the quaint feel of this café and wouldn’t mind paying another visit. It definitely wasn’t cheap – which would deter me from visiting frequently – but the BF and I both really enjoyed what we got. It was a great breakfast option, and it was also conveniently opened early on this Sunday morning.
Here’s what we got:
«Belgian Chocolate Brownie»: It definitely wasn’t the healthiest of breakfasts, but this is what I wanted from the bakery, much to my boyfriend’s dismay. I do love Belgian chocolate, and the brownie looked moist, dense and fudgy all at once. I definitely wasn’t disappointed. I still was sipping on my coffee from Philz (which was also some mocha option), but there can never be too much chocolate for breakfast. I loved how fresh the brownie tasted. Its consistency ended up being more cakelike – it wasn’t as dense as I thought it would be – but it was still delicious. It was lighter in texture but rich in chocolate flavor. I was glad I got to try this and I would definitely order it again if I were craving something sweet.
«Apple Fig Muffin»: The boyfriend usually opts for something healthier when it comes to breakfast, so he chose this seasonal muffin. This fig muffin was filled with figs and some other kind of preserve, but it had a lot of complementary textures and flavors. I didn’t want to try it – I was quite satisfied with my unhealthy brownie – but he really liked it because he likes figs. I personally thought there were just way too many in there for my own preference!
«Smoked Salmon Breakfast»: This delicious-​sounding meal includes a soft-​boiled egg, ricotta, herbs and capers. If I did order a breakfast entrée from this place, this is one of the ones I had my eyes on. I do love salmon, but I often don’t have it as part of my breakfast. However, I love all the components included in this dish, especially the ricotta (one of my favorite types of cheese) and the capers.
«Toasted Paris Ham & Gruyère Croissant»: If I wanted something more traditional for breakfast, this is what I would opt for. You can’t really go wrong with a ham and cheese croissant … especially when that cheese is gruyère cheese!

The food at le Pain Quotidien is always very good! I usually go to the Larchmont or Glendale location.
The Santa Monica location conveniently located next to shops and the 3^rd street promenade and there’s plenty of parking structures around it

The stars I’m giving are mostly because of the pastries. No frills or anything but they are so yummy. I come by often to get a pain au chocolat or a big ol chocolate chip cookie. They make bread daily too if you just wanted to buy a loaf of bread. If you are able to sit down in the morning they serve your coffee in a bowl, just how they do in Europe (Belgium actually, where their head quarter’s from). And I’ve ordered latte’s here before too. They have a espresso machine so they have a full espresso drinks menu.
I’ve had their tartines but it’s okay. Would be more like a very light lunch so it doesn’t really hit the spot.

Very nice vibe. Kinda feels like you’re in another country or taken back in time. Their food and the packaging are also very pretty. Not the best-​tasting but they make it so pretty. Place is conducive to getting some work done.
Not for you if you are looking for Starbucks-​type blended coffees.

The staff is very nice, but the service is kind of slow. We waited for a long while for our food to come out.
I think bread should be offered free of charge if you’ve been waiting for as long as we did.
I love Le Pain (haha, seriously), but this location does not do it for me. I’ll probably go to this location again when I visit the promenade, but only for pastries. I want to love this place, but I was feeling a bit forgotten.
Next time.

Meh… this place definitely makes their food prettier than it tastes.
I ordered the open face smoked salmon sandwich, the bread was not toasted which I think would have made it much better tasting. Honestly I felt as if the sandwich was something I could make at home, with some wheat bread and smoked salmon and avocado. I also got the arnold palmer which was okay. My meal came to a little over $ 20, and I was thoroughly underwhelmed.

Wenn man bedenkt, dass man hier europäische Biogerichte bekommt und der Laden kein Fastfood Tempel ist, dann Stimmen Preis und Leistung in dieser Lokalität vollkommen. Die Gerichte waren lecker, jedoch nicht zu groß. Die Bedienung und das Ambiente konnte hier auch überzeugen.

Service nikel, le serveur à compris que nous étions français et essayait de nous glisser quelques mots en français, très sympathique.
Pour ce qui est du service rien à dire bien qu’une carte un peu maigre mais ce n’est pas vraiment handicapant.
Conseillé à tout les français dans le coins !

Brot, Brot, Brot, koennte die Ueberschrift auch lauten.
Nach mehreren Wochen in den USA und dem damit verbunden Konsum von heimischen Brotsorten, die einem nach dieser kurzen Zeit schon ueber sind.
Durch Zufall habe ich vor einigen Tagen das Le Pain Quotidien in Santa Monica entdeckt und die frischen Brote in der Auslage gesehen und bin sofort eingekehrt.
Das Fruehstueck erreicht europaeischen Standart. Es gibt je nach Hunger einen grossen und kleinen Brotkorb mit 6 bzw. 4 Sorten verschiedenen Brotes. Dazu Butter und Konfituere in verschieden Sorten. Selbst eine Art belgisches Nutella gehoert dazu. Aufgepeppt werden kann es mit allerlei Extras wie Kochschinken, Kaese oder verschiedenen Formen von Eiern. Besonders gekochte, dazu weich, sind hier zu haben.
Der Gastraum ist gepraegt durch einen grossen Tisch in der Mitte des Raumes, kleinere Tische grupieren sich drumherum. Das Personal ist sehr freundlich und flott. Die Getraenke (z. B. Café Latte) orientieren sich dan den europaeischen Standards. Softdrinks a la Coke oder Pepsi sucht man hier vergebens. Dafuer steht frische Milch hoch im Kurs. Alles ist auf die Biowelle in Europa abgestimmt, mit der Einschraenkung, das es hier organic genannt wird. Fuer den Zeitvertreib der Gaeste liegen zahlreiche Tageszeitungen aus.
Ab sofort faellt mein Sonntags Lunch aus und dafuer gibt es ein ausgiebiges Freuhstueck im Le Pain Quotidien, dannach gehts ab an den Strand.