Papille Gustative was truly one of the best Italian dining experiences we've ever had. From the moment we walked in, everything felt warm, welcoming, and thoughtfully curated. We ordered the steak, salmon fillet, pasta with crab, pizza, and the most incredible appetizers with roasted bell peppers -- every dish was absolutely delicious and beautifully prepared. The flavors were rich, balanced, and clearly made with high-quality ingredients. And the biggest surprise? Our teenage son was obsessed with the Caesar salad leaves -- he finally ate his greens without any complaints! That alone says a lot. We left incredibly happy and satisfied. Highly recommend this place for a special night out or a cozy family dinner. We will definitely be back! read more

We sat down with a child on a Saturday night at 6pm. There was only one other table, a couple finishing their dinner, in the entire restaurant. We politely asked if we could get something out quickly for the child, as it was past their dinner time. We waited for an hour for them to even take the appetizer out, a bruschetta and toast dish. I had to check in several times before hand. The only waiter was incredibly rude to us. No apologies, no explanation for why toast took an hour to make in an empty restaurant. When we finally got our food, it was subpar. Barely edible. We ended up just leaving without eating it. I would not recommend. I don't leave bad reviews but felt compelled to hear. I've never received this terrible of service and treatment from a restaurant before. read more

We made a reservation, arrived 10 minutes early, ordered food and drinks and only got drinks ... waited 55 minutes until we started to ask what was going on. They simply didn't serve us! After a 90 minutes wait, we left. First time this ever happened to me/us. Unreal. Other tables around us had the same issues. And they left (although they didn't wait as long as we did). If you want to eat something, go somewhere else :-) read more

I am sitting outside after being offered a slice of free pizza from the owners/managers of this new pizza place on Main Street in Santa Monica. I say new because it's now under new ownership as of one week ago today. There is Fabrizio from Sicily and the owner is from Calabria. So don't judge this place on any other reviews besides the ones from a week ago onward, unless it's a great review...lol. It's a fun and classic environment with colorful flowers, wooden tables and chairs, comfortable despite no cushions. The signage is to the left of the place so don't get freaked out if you can't see it, just look for the address above the door. They serve breakfast and start with pizza around 11am to close. So, you know I'm a pizza addict and have to control myself. The slice of Calabrian salami was cold and delicious! Now, you know a pizza is good when you would eat the entire pie cold and I could have if I wasn't full already. I was actually looking for a place for a nice drink after walking 4 miles with Wallace and when I asked if they served alcohol, I was offered an aperol spritz. It was the best freaking aperol spritz I have had in my life and I have had a lot from different Italian restaurants. I think this one is the real deal people. No bougie attitudes, no crazy fluff, just really great food and well made drinks with polite and friendly service. Fabrizio was so nice and polite. We talked about the ocean being healing, the food differences in Italy and here and just life overall. It wasn't a long conversation because he was still very attentive to new customers and those eating there, but it was poignant and appreciated. He also explained why I can eat real Italian pasta and pizza even though I'm gluten intolerant. You have to go to ask him personally. ;) I will come back next weekend when Wallace and I are finished with our workout to try the pizza fresh made, then I also want to try out their bolognese. I will also bring and recommend this place to my friends and co-workers who are always looking for a good Italian place without all the crazy pretense and great food. I am so glad I walked down Main Street today cuz normally, we just leave after working out. I wish I could take a bottle of the aperol spritz home with me...lol. They should sell small containers for folks. Try it out and let me know what you think. Quick update, as I was finishing this, I got more slices, cheese and margarita, and another aperol spritz, yummy!!! I mean, this might end up being my new pizza spot on a weekly. I know the promotion will be over next week, but it will be my birthday month, so I'll be treating myself extra well. Love it! read more

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I was here for a private luncheon for my college alumni association. This establishment had a coffee shop / restaurant in the front. But, if you go outside, through the for-fee (not free) parking lot, and walk to the very back of the building, you'll be behind the kitchen in an entirely separate private dining room with a great ambience and capacity to seat around 25-30 folks. We were packed and it felt cozy, but it was wonderful for our party. The alumni association had prepaid / arranged for a set menu, which made things so much simpler. The food was actually very good. My salad was good. For my vegetarian entree I had avocado toast (no egg). Desserts were an assortment of cookies and brownies and such, which added to the holiday spirit. I had an amazing time. Would go back. read more

Papille Gustative - Alumni lunch - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

French cafe with a health-conscious flair. Came here for brunch with some friends and shared a French toast and an omelette with one. We sat outside and our waitress was really chill about letting us hang out while waiting for a late friend. They have a wide variety of smoothies, matches, and coffees. I was quite intrigued by the smoothie with a duck egg but that'll have to be for another time. There is one single occupant restroom available inside. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Metered street parking is available. read more

Papille Gustative - Omelette and French toast - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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BRUNCHIN Santa Monica : after Pilates my daughters and I came to Papille Gustatuve for brunch . The food is organic and it's farm to table ! My daughters had the fancy lattes and they loved them . We also order avocado toasts and shashuka ! The portions were on the smaller side but boy were they all fresh and flavorful . I was quite amazed that it was so filling too . They have a nice patio but since it was cold we sat inside and enjoyed the cozy euro vibes and wooden chalet decor! I highly recommend . read more

Don't be fooled by the name of the restaurant which has been there at that location for many years. This place was taken over about 2-3 minths ago. The Chef is from Campanile, Mgr from Puglia. Great Neopolitan pizza is sooo good w just the right amount of chew. OMG the best we have had since Italy. Bringing us back to Sienna. Vitello tonnato so great! We have not had it that good since Piedmonte. I would go back from just this and the Caesar alone, with large flakes of fresh shaved Parmesan (umami from the first bite). They made us fresh Zepoles (fried dough later we tasted it without the nutella which was better, but no photo). This place is a diamond in the rough. $30 corkage, wonderful service. Unbelievable!! read more

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Horrible service from the Italian server and the food went downhill to the gutter from the previous owner. No creativity, no flavor, just attitude... not coming back despite coming here for years. He also completely ignored the handicapped person for 45 minutes and was rude to him after he actually got his attention. read more

Had the most unfortunate experience for Thanksgiving dinner. I'll start with the positives, only to demonstrate my attempt at objectivity. The vibe was nice. Pretty, warm, and inviting. The cornbread appetizer was delicious. And the cheese board and warm bread were nice. Although hubby thought it had been sitting out for quite a while. And now for the other side of the coin... I Reserved this "experience" on open table. Based on my research, they charge 2% for experiences. No big deal. They also offer businesses the option to automatically charge the gratuity. Based on my receipt, it appears that was included, although it was not explained when I made the reservation. I was also asked if I wanted to pre-pay a gratuity, which I did, choosing 18%. So basically, I was charged twice for the gratuity. Ironic, since the service was abismal. The only staff person who seemed to have any training was Maria. She was lovely and very apologetic as missteps were shared with her. The rest of the staff was clearly inexperienced and untrained. I don't know if you can hire a "temp" manager, chef, and server - but you should ask this place because I'm pretty sure that's where the rest of the team came from. They kept serving us our next course before clearing the prior course, or even noting if we were finished with what was on the table. I literally had to pick up dishes because there was no place to place the new items they were bringing out. Despite this rush, both of our entrees were completely cold and we sent them back. That was a waste of time because they both were lacking in flavor. They were so bad, we didn't even want boxes. Because I wouldn't have given them to homeless people (which I often do so as to be charitable and not wasteful). Dessert was 'meh' - a dense relatively tasteless chocolate cake that came straight out of the box, I'm sure. TBH, this was one of the worst meals we've had in years. read more

I'm not exaggerating when I say this was one of my favorite brunches of all time! My husband and I were out on a walk while visiting the area and decided to eat here, and I'm so glad we did. We got a nice table on the patio outside and started with a few mimosas - hit the spot with fresh squeezed orange juice. The food was all so fragrant and delicious, made with the freshest organic ingredients. My veggie goat cheese tartine was a 10/10 and my husband loved his waffle just as much. The staff were also very friendly and inviting, I'm pretty sure the owner sat us at our table. We will definitely be back next time we make it to the area! read more

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Papille Gustative -- seriously, go here This place is a gem. Warm, cozy vibe, great wine, and the food is just on point. We started with the bruschetta and it was way better than I expected -- not the basic kind. The bread had the perfect crunch, and the toppings were bright, flavorful, and honestly hard to stop eating. The risotto al funghi was ridiculous (in the best way). Super creamy, loaded with mushrooms, and the truffle actually comes through. Comfort food that still feels elevated. And the margherita pizza... AMAZING. Thin crust, great char, fresh basil, balanced sauce/cheese -- just done right. But the surprise hit was the salmon. Cooked perfectly with a great sear, tender inside, and it came with this rich, savory sauce that tied everything together. One of those dishes where you take a bite and immediately stop talking. If you want a place that feels intimate, serves real-deal Italian, and clearly cares about what's coming out of the kitchen -- this is it. I'm coming back. read more

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Love the euro vibe and outdoor cafe feel to a brunch here- everything seems very farm-to-table and you can leave here feeling satiated yet healthy/good about your day I had the Farm yogurt parfait kiefer and fruit, (you won't taste much of the pollen, honey or curd mentioned in the description but it's still good, just less special than it sounds) a croissant and the turmeric latte Staff are friendly yet aloof (euro vibes ) But quite efficient Great location to kick off your weekend read more

Papille Gustative - Farm yogurt parfait: keifir yoghurt, granola, market fruit,pistachio crumbs, pistachgio curd, bee pollen,buckwheat honey & tumeric latte - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I had always passed by this spot on Main Street in Santa Monica and finally, I decided to try it! The decor is very nice and plenty of seating outdoors and inside. I ordered the Brunch Plate and a delicious tea. I loved both! The next time I went, I got the truffle coffee, which was divine, and a trio of toasts that were delicious and super filling! The service was excellent and the servers always had great recommendations. Parking is either on the streets or in the lots along Main Street. read more

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Went here back in January, and still remember the delicious meal! The service was spot on and very friendly. I wish it had been busier for their sake, but liked that it was quiet. The ambience is amazing, love the look of the place. Even the tops of the windows have great little decals (I think they were little umbrellas embossed in the glass). The attention to detail is amazing. And this carries over into their food. Hands down some of the freshest food. A lot of their ingredients list where they came from (which farm). Everything was superb. I had the Shakshuka. Didn't know what it was, but so glad I tried it. It was so flavorful and bright and delicious. The coffee was delicious as well. Good, strong flavor. Can't wait to go back! read more

This place is just ok. My coffee was good, but the food wasn't great--especially for the price. I got the rye board trio and it just didn't hit the spot in terms of complex flavors. It was overwhelmingly salty without a lot of other aspects. It was absolutely gorgeous aesthetically, but that wasn't enough. The service was friendly and its pleasant to sit there, but I don't think I'll be returning. read more

Papille Gustative - Danish Rye Toast Danish Rye Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

The food is absolutely delicious. It's organic well put together. I enjoyed every bit of it. I had the avocado and egg plate with this amazing toast. The service is unbelievable, but the owner Caylan made a table for me just under the tree and my little dog Marley. The vibe here is so cool plants music definitely wanna come back. The food is amazing. read more

Papille Gustative - A dog walking by wanting to get a piece of my bread. It has good food when it sees it. - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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The place is cute and music great but the food was under seasoned and the gluten free waffles were underwhelming. The whipped cream was over whipped and curdled. The lavender latte was good and would return for a coffee but not a full meal. read more

Papille Gustative - Avocado toast and gluten free waffles - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Great portions and an eclectic menu. We've been wanting to try this place for a while. It leans healthy but not super casual like a salad bar. We tried the marinated olives, beet salad, and I had the truffle pasta. Overall the food was refreshing. I thought the beet salad needed a little more dressing. The portions were great and honestly we could've split more things. I enjoyed my pasta but if I were to come back I'd get something else. read more

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AMAZING wood burning oven pizza, just like in Italy! And the service is excellent too! I'll be back again. read more

Papille Gustative - Neapolitan pizza! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

This is my favorite italian restaurant in California! It is a very classy vibe and the food is amazing. Best service!

Came for brunch since we had passed it so many times and it's very cute with plenty of outdoor and indoor seating. We had the salmon benedict and one of the tartines. They were okay. Probably won't be back. read more

Everything here was delicious right from the cornbread at the jump. Quality ingredients and creative recipes. Very nice people too.

I don't do 5 stars very often but if this meal didn't deserve 5 stars I don't know what would! Stopped here for Breakfast on Christmas morning. Wasn't sure what was going to be open but was delighted to find this spot with a great patio on the street! Started with some coffee and took my time getting the order ready which was fine because they were pretty busy and only had a couple people working the floor. I ordered a veggie French omelette, came with a side salad which I am not a fan of normally. At most restaurants the side salad, especially for breakfast is a filler on the plate to take up room...so I ordered some potatoes. Now, this was by far the best side salad I have ever had with a breakfast! The lettuce was fresh, loaded with flavor (which for lettuce is the difference from mass production and small real farm stuff). The dressing on it was light but super tasty! The omelette was fantastic as well, the potatoes very well done...another big hit, the toast! Came with pesto slathered on it! Now my first thought was why the H#ll did you put pesto on my toast! First bite of it, damn this is now a thing for me, Pesto on toast! Everything about this meal was way more than I was expecting and just made my Christmas morning! I will definitely come here again and bring a friend with me! Thank you to the staff and Merry Christmas! KT read more

Papille Gustative - Eat the Salad and the Toast...everything is better than good! - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Came here for brunch on Monday. Thought it was a typical American breakfast spot but it has more of a European influence so their menu was different than what I was expecting (don't expect bacon or sausage) We got a hot and iced Madagascar vanilla latte and a hot matcha latte. We also order the avocado egg toast, french toast, and brunch plate. Everything was tasty. Recommend getting reservations if you're going on a busy day, I went on a Monday holiday so it was busy and people who didn't have reservations had a wait. Service was very nice too! read more

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Really wanted to like this place but a few things fell short for me :( Stopped by around lunchtime, and there was plenty of seating indoors and outdoors. The matcha ranks low out of the ones I've tried in LA - the color was dull and the texture was powdery. The slice of loaf cake was dry and not very flavorful, though it was a big portion. I ordered the Santa Barbara uni toast, which the menu says comes with "4 X Santa Barbara Sea urchin," but they only gave me 3 pieces and I had to ask for the fourth. For a dish that was almost $35, that felt like a pretty big oversight. I liked the side salad, which had a lot of pickled veggies. Maybe it was just an off day, but I wouldn't return. read more

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I've never had a farm to table restaurant serve a cheap store bought cake as a dessert item but I guess there's a first for everything.

Papillae Gustative is a great farm to table option in Ocean Park. The ingredients were all very fresh. I loved sitting on the terrace. The service was a little slow but I didn't mind as we were having a leisurely lunch. read more

Papille Gustative - Danish Rye Toast Danish Rye Bar - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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Pizza was amazing, some of the best I've had and definitely the best in Venice/ Santa Monica

We were at a major event on Main Street and stopped to have lunch! We had the most delicious, perfectly cooked grilled salmon with salad! Wow I can't wait to go back! All the servers were beyond all and the owner should be so grateful for their performance representing his restaurant! Thank you all so very much!Federico I believe was our main server! Great personality! Thanks read more

Ambiance is cool. Service is below average, they dont write down and forget half the staff and dont even apologize. $22.50 for a mimosa while other drinks are $9? makes no sense and the lunch food leaves a lot to desire - weird hipster bs and no real food.. so ambiance is a 3.5/5 service 3 at best food is 1.5/5 wont go again. no thanks read more

It seems to be pretty slow for lunch during the week. I had a wonderful server. Food was something that I expected. It was delicious ! Seafood Lovers: you can trust me. This place is good. I didn't expect seafood being as fresh as it was. read more

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Made a Yelp reservation here for a table, but once I showed up it was sort of like I had never made a reservation and had to wait in a line. Was finally seated and pleased to see the European-inspired brunch menu. I had the smoked salmon benedict which came with spinach, a great crusty bread and trout roe sprinkled on top. read more

Papille Gustative - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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We had a great experience eating breakfast in this restaurant. Wait staff was great. Food was excellent. For sure we will go back, but will have (3) Uni toast. One is not enough. read more

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Everything we ordered was tasteless and overpriced. We couldn't tell if our waiter what's new on the job or just incompetent. It feels awful to sit down at a restaurant and have to wait forever to get bad food that is completely overpriced. read more

The space was beautiful, the food was great and the staff were excellent! Went in for brunch with 3yr old and they went out of their way to make us feel special! The Best Brunch dish and Rye Open faced sandwiches were delicious! read more

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My husband and I came for Friday jazz and sat on the patio. We were planning to just get a charcuterie board and lattes (dry January) but decided to try the pasta. Our server, I think his name was Jon, was the nicest and most welcoming guy. He was so bubbly and warm, we really enjoyed talking to him. The ambiance was lovely (aside from the passing cars) and the jazz made for a great setting. The food, however, was really bland and oily. We got the olio pasta and the risotto, a side of bread and butter, and the butternut squash soup. One obviously expects oil with an olio pasta, but it was drenched in oil and had no other perceivable taste aside from that. Same goes for the risotto, which was bathed in some kind of yolk-like sauce (this is vegan, so I'm unsure what it was) and truly tasted like nothing. We asked for salt and pepper and doused both dishes. The soup was decent, though it had an overwhelming cinnamon taste. The bread was great, however it was served without butter or oil as indicated on the menu and it took at least 15 minutes for that to be brought to us after we requested it. If I had it to do again, I'd order just the charcuterie board. A neighboring table got that and it looked good. The lattes we ordered were tasty, and I enjoyed the range of options available (Hawaiian lavender!). Overall a cute spot and with friendly, albeit slow, service. I see a lot of reviews praising the brunch so perhaps that is the better menu to choose from. I did love the jazz and it's a cute spot. read more

Papille Gustative - Olio fettuccine - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

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I honestly just love this place it's such a great environment, pretty cute and cozy. The have a beautiful terrace with great live music sometimes jazz nights. Great wines and exquisite plate. The service is friendly and classy they really make you feel at home. A genuine eatery fresh food with local ingredients. You can also enjoy it since early due they have breakfast lunch brunch and dinner. Also great cafeteria with French patisserie The best !!! read more

Papille Gustative - Dinner grilled veggies - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Santa Monica, California

Went here for dinner last week and would not recommend. I made a reservation in the afternoon but they must have printed out their list of reservations for the night earlier that day, since I was not on it. The hostess seemed annoyed by this. I don't know why they are using a printed out copy of their reservation list in 2023... I felt like they forgot about us because we sat there for half an hour before they even asked us for a drink order. Another half hour passed before we got our appetizers and wine. I was so hungry when we got there, so I was not happy about waiting until almost 9 PM for our pasta (we arrived and were seated at 7:30). The peach burrata salad was good, and so was the truffle pasta. I ordered a seafood pasta that was too seafood-y (and I love seafood) but maybe I just ordered the wrong thing. They have a great wine list. I didn't know we were going to be there for live jazz but that was a fun, nice surprise. read more

Decided to eat here on our way out from LA as it was highly suggested by a close friend. Definitely recommend sitting outside on the parklet if it is a sunny day. Each dish had the most top quality ingredients, everything tasted extremely fresh. The eggs were soft scrambled and so fluffy. This is not your typical American brunch. They had their own specialty Matcha hot sauce, which was not spicy, but more of a chili oil taste. I was a bit disappointed they didn't have bacon, but my avocado toast made up for it! read more

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