Sweet Maple — Restaurant in Santa Monica

TLDR: GO! Get the Marnier French Toast & the chicken Croffle; Like this post after

(aka: That Place with the Millionaire Bacon) I hate that I waited this long to write a review. I was scrolling through my photos from my time in Cali and saw a pic of that bacon. The image alone sparked a core memory. SWEET MAPLE!! 😊 If you’re reading this, just go inside. Lol. Don’t overthink it. Just trust me. (this will be a long read)

Act I: The Arrival Even though it’s a little pricey, the food is absolutely worth it. I’m not even sure where to begin, so I’ll just walk you through it from the struggle of parking to the sweet goodbye; make sure you get your parking validated!!!

There was some construction going on in the area at the time, not their fault, but it made finding the entrance a bit of a visual headache. That said, once we made it in, we were immediately greeted by more than just a friendly host. We were welcomed by the clean, warm, and genuinely inviting vibe of Sweet Maple. The laughter, the chatter, the aroma of sweetness, it all set the tone. It felt like the kind of spot you accidentally spend two hours in without realizing it. And hey, I told you from the start. Just go inside. This review is basically going to be a word-regurgitation of my experience' told in Acts

Act II: The Order We were seated almost immediately. The couple across from us even gave us a quick “hey,” like we were all part of the same brunch club. We got water, and then the real test began. What do I order? Do I take a risk and try something wild? Or do I play it safe and "KISS" – Keep It Simple, Stupid? That’s always the internal battle when I’m at a new restaurant. I usually have two ideas in mind when its time to order... Needless to say I got the "Shaken Black Cacao Truffle" I always wanted to taste gold, the Millionaire's Candy, the "Marnier French Toast and because my American palate needed to understand exactly what a croissant waffle tasted like, I had to get the Chicken Croffle.

Yea, I overdid it. but was it worth it?…

Act III: The Aftermath Before the meal came, I tried the Shaken Black Cacao Truffle. I hate to sound like this, but it tasted like expensive chocolate milk with a sliver of gold floating in the middle. I was expecting a dry but sweet profile that you usually get from cacao, so that was a bit of a bummer. If this review were a film, SBCT would be the antagonist. Once the food arrived, everything smelled and looked incredible. I didn’t even know where to begin. So I started with what was right under my nose: the Chicken Croffle. The Millionaire’s Bacon? It was okay. The Croffle was the main star. She had so much heart. The chicken was flavorful and well-seasoned with a crispy outer shell. Personally, I would’ve preferred grilled chicken, but the saving grace of this entrée was the croissant waffle itself. Let’s just say the Croffle had style, but underneath that style was your usual protagonist. Until... we were introduced to the show-stealer: the Marnier French Toast. Ten out of five.👐🏾 It’s rare that I keep eating even after I know I’m full, but this was one of those times. Grand marnier cream batter + Extra fluffy thick milk bread, bruleed on top!!! The flavor bypassed satiety. I was fully aware I was over capacity, but the deliciousness didn’t care. And honestly? Neither did I.

Lord...

TLDR- this place is AMAZING, worth the hype! Get the croffle! Even if you just get it as a side for $8 absolutely worth it. So is the bacon!! FYI bottomless mimosas any day of the week with multiple (and seriously tasty) flavor options? Yes. more. please. My server was Pui, so kind and accommodating and the support staff Rodrigo was so kind and friendly, the sweetest. It was like my friends were bringing me food! I’m leaving this place feeling so joyous from an amazing experience.

Longer: I had to give this place 5/5 all around! I was surprised when I saw any reviews that were not exceptional, but it absolutely makes sense that this place has 4.8/5 stars… Really it should be 6/5.

The staff are tremendously nice from the moment you walked in walk in the door. They seated us quickly, and were very quick to bring us menus and take our order. We took a while to figure out what we wanted, but the people ordered next to us and got their food in maybe 10 minutes. I’m not sure how the kitchen makes such amazing food so quickly. Our food came just as quickly. We got the honey garlic butter Korean fried chicken, the eggs Benedict with millionaire bacon, and a croffle. I really wanted to try the blueberry French toast, but the serving sizes were so generous, I couldn’t fit it! I’m still shocked at what good food it was! Unfortunately, I can’t pick a winner, because it was all the best. The bathrooms were very clean, really nice hand soap and lotion… This place is full of tiny touches like that. It is a bright and pleasant space, it seems like everyone here is happy! I saw a person dancing and lip syncing to the music as he took his first bite, the couple next to us asked us if we were as amazed as they were about the food, and we talked about how we couldn’t choose which was best. Everyone walks out of here smiling!

The prices are very LA, it feels commensurate with food costs in the area, especially Santa Monica. It also feels really transparent, Google says you will probably spend around $30, or $50 if you want to get two things (you probably will, the menu is amazing, it’s almost impossible to choose one thing, even though you literally cannot go wrong!)

The atmosphere is bright, and cheery, there are lots of plants, the furniture and color scheme are beautiful. The seats are so comfortable and this place is just a few blocks from the beach where you can walk off your amazing meal in the California sun.

The only downside about this place is that I didn’t find it sooner! If you made it this far in the review, save yourself some time looking for a spot and book a reservation!!

PS. I wouldn’t recommend doing this but a person just walked in 10 minutes before closing with a bunch of questions about the menu.. so stuff happens and maybe she hadddd to get the croffle (totally get it). The server was so nice answered all her questions and took her order, as if it was just the start of the...

I went to Sweet Maple / U Dessert Story for their grand opening. The place is great. The food is so fun and inventive, the flavors pop, the atmosphere is sooo welcoming and the portions are large. I love that they were inspired by Korean and Japanese food experiences because that’s that is lacking in LA.

I had two issues that stood out though. The service was nice, but a little too nice. I kid you not in the hour that I was there, someone from their staff came to my table and asked how my friend and I were doing every three minutes. I don’t think that the staff was communicating with each other about who was checking in on what table. I’m not exaggerating here, everybody was so friendly, but it was really hard to be in a serious conversation with my friend when we had to say we were doing good every three minutes. My friend, and I actually left probably earlier than we both would’ve liked because it almost felt like our table was being watched over. I like to take my time and sit for a while when I have brunch, but it reminded me of when a waiter wants to give you the check and keeps watching your table and if you put your fork down. I do appreciate the attentiveness and kindness and I think because it was their grand opening they were just eager to say hello.

The other thing that stood out to me was that I had watched their friends and family event on Instagram. They showed all these desserts including Bingsu being served at the new Santa Monica location. It looked like they were being served to influencers, and it was posted all over social media. The thing is, they DONT have Bingsu!!!!! When I asked for the Bingsu, the manager said that “ this location no longer serves Bingsu”. Lol they had been open for two days! My friend, and I kind of looked at each other, and were confused. All the desserts on Instagram in the Santa Monica location at the friends and family event were experiential. It kind of bothered me because that means they made these desserts all for the gram and to get people to come in. It felt a little like false advertising. The reality was they only had a few desserts, and they were all quite small. I had the 18 layer crepe cake and it was unique. I don’t think I would have it again, but I did love the food. My actual brunch was incredible. I definitely...