The Cafe — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Attempted to book their tea service which I later found out that it has to be reserved months in advance. With out of towner’s luck there was a cancelation and scored a table. It was an all thumbs (and pinkies) up! Starting with the chief waiter Jonathan who imbued the proceedings with humor and clever repartee. The serene surroundings, peaceful views and quiet atmosphere with ample room (a toddler and her nanny made a few laps around the room, delighting all of us humans and a well behaved, huge rotweiler) . Their signature black tea with lavender was a perfect accompaniment to their offerings. Perhaps a little more contrast in flavor between the sandwiches would be my only suggestion (perhaps smoked salmon in liey of the roast beef). But for the money, presentation and overall experience this place was far superior than the Connaught hotel in London and Tiffany’s Blue Room in NYC. Bravo to the staff and...

Clean environment and nice outdoor seating. Food is nothing special and overpriced (free admin to museum, so I understand/expect the high price at any museum)... but if you’re gonna charge an arm and a leg, I expect decent service and good food. If you pay with card, they force you to tip prior to getting food (again, not uncommon when you pay and order at the same time, but they then say “please select an option and then press continue” which puts you in an odd position... I’d rather tip the amount I like on paper, or by putting cash in a jar). Iced coffee served without a straw (again, I understand plastic straws are no longer a thing due to CA law/environmental concerns, but I was provided an iced coffee lid with a place for a straw, but no paper straw or anything...

We ordered spaghetti with meat balls and burger and fries. The pasta was cooked just right, the sauce NOT over powered by garlic. The onions in the burger are deep friend onion rings. The waiters who delivered our food and picked up our trays were happy and polite. Since the food is paid for cafeteria style (in advance), the wait staff must be well paid and well trained. The villa is a nice, large open building, together with the patio, it is a restful and lavish environment for lunch. Lavish because I can imagine it being a previous home for entertaining friends. 20 minutes from Santa Monica, it is worth paying the parking fee just to eat here rather than struggling to find parking in...