Atmosphere Cafe Mar Vista

A great breakfast/​brunch place for the community!
but the decoration seems to become a little weird when I came last time…

this casual café definitely felt like a hippie, socal joint with lots of organic menu options, lots of natural lighting and wooden furniture. our party of 5, 4 adults + 1 toddler were seated at a table for 4, sufficient for our party, and given cutlery and napkins, in addition to the menu.
as a starter, my hubby decided to order the large poutine ($ 20), a dish native to montreal, which consisted of french fries topped with chicken, bacon, green onions, red onions, and lots of cheese. it wasn’t as good as the one i had in montreal, and the fries were just average, but it was tasty and i especially enjoyed the pieces of grilled chicken tossed in.
for my main, i decided to order the farmers market ($ 13), a bunch of colourful, fresh veggies wrapped in a fluffy pita wrap, with a side of green salad, and aoili sauce on the side (since i didn’t want all of it pre-​tossed into the wrap). this wrap was delish even without the sauce! i loved every vegetable they put into the wrap, zucchini, kale, eggplant, butternut squash, mushrooms, balsamic onions, yum! the side salad was very green, with just a few slices of tomato, and a light dressing, very fresh with a slight zing.
i also ordered the «a» parfait ($ 7), greek yogurt with housemade granola and fresh cut fruit, to share with my hubby, and ended up sharing most of it with my niece since she wanted the sweet berries and granola! no interest in the plain yogurt for the little girl, not sweet enough for her, LOL! personally, i liked the plain greek yogurt, with a bit of fruit and granola, i only wish it were a little thicker.
all-​in-​all, a good, solid meal, with fresh, mostly organic food. service was prompt and friendly and the bill came as soon as we were done. it was even kid friendly as my niece took all of our paper place mats and drew pictures on them while we waited for our food, and she also had a high chair so that she could sit at our eye level.
mostly metered parking on the street, but prices weren’t too bad, $ 2/​hour, i believe.

Amazing and fresh and tastes so healthy. My favorite is that they include an arugula salad… it is yummy. The atmosphere is very relaxed and I especially like the campy artsy feel in the outdoor patio area.
I LOVE the food. We frequently go for brunch and just tried them out for dinner. The farmers market sandwich is amazing. I really enjoyed the squash, mushrooms, zuchini and aioli. OmG

Perfect place to have brunch. Not a huge menu, but they offer a variety options from a goat cheese omelette to the El Ranchero. The French toast was fantastic as well as the omelette with French ham. It’s super casual with sort of a natural/​hipster type feel to the atmosphere. The patio us a super nice area with the perfect ambiance. The orange juice was fresh squeezed, and the staff was super nice. So, kudos all around!

Matt was my server earlier today; he was very welcoming. I ordered a Croque Madame. It was delicious. The wifi here is also great. I could see myself bringing my laptop and working out of this place when it’s not too busy.

Just got some of my favorite marakesh mint green tea. Great service. It’s always been a great service here. French people are amazing. The guy at the cash register opened the door for me and my baby… no one does that anymore these days.

Locals were bummed when the Curious Palate closed in this space late last year — but love for the new Atmosphere Café has been growing steadily, especially as they focus on an incredibly delicious menu and a cozy «our home is your home» philosophy.
The expanded patio is the true centerpiece of this restaurant, and the best place to lounge with friends over a long meal. We ordered the Quinoa de Provence (rainbow quinoa with prosciutto-​wrapped grilled pears, arugula and lavender dressing), the Sonoma Turkey Sandwich (roasted turkey breast, brie and roasted grapes on a baguette), and the Mediterranean Salad (green lentils, cumin, carrots, red onion, golden raisins and a soft boiled egg). There was a resounding declaration of «Delicious!» from our table, and we can’t wait to come back to try other favorites like the Eggs on the Moon breakfast sandwich.
Insider’s Tip: they are in the process of installing AC on the patio for those impending warm summer days, and should have a beer/​wine license by June. Keep your eyes open for community events once a month, too — piano players, sidewalk sales, and art showings.

Had a Sunday morning breakfast early before the farmer’s market crowd took over. Service was friendly and attentive. Had the french toast and it was thick with a nice selection of sides. There’s seating out front, inside, on the side, everywhere it seems. Seats might not be the most comfortable depending upon where you sit. Restaurant serves all types of espresso along with standard drip coffee. Good experience for breakfast!

I don’t know about you but paying close to twenty dollars to not even finish my food is not my idea of a good meal.
Atmosphere is a so-​so café in a pretty quiet part of town. Not much happening in the immediate area. It has a pretty outdoor area, veering more to the hippie than hippie chic if you get what I mean. Parking is plentiful (street and around the back), but that’s where the good stuff ends.
The food is passable only — we didn’t finish anything we ordered or even bother to get a box for the leftovers, that’s how forgettable the food is. I won’t name anything since there isn’t anything to recommend.
Service veered between super nice and getting minor flack and huffiness for forgetting to mention allergies. But that’s on me so I don’t mind.
After that our server was super friendly again which was kinda jarring and a bit of a mood kill.
Won’t be back since we have lots of much friendlier, honest to goodness yummy food on the west side!

I came with my friend on March 24 for lunch. I had to remind myself a few times to write this review, because they were so nice. I didn’t want to just not speak about it. My friend brought her dog so we sat upfront by the sidewalk. That was ok, we had enough shade.
I was confused a bit because their online menu didn’t totally match with their paper menu once I got there, so I had to change my idea of what to order. I usually don’t eat bread or at least no wheat, no gluten and no corn. But, once the French lady (super friendly and cheerful) told us they could make the sandwiches with GF bread, it was like a weight was lifted. :) We both ordered their roasted veg sandwich and we both thoroughly enjoyed it! The cappuccino was delicious along with their GF cherry muffin. Thanks Atmosphere.

Came here to grab a quick drink while I was walking down Venice a few weeks ago.
There was one lady ahead of me; it took 5 minutes for me to place my order.
When i asked the gentleman what flavored iced tea options there were, he responded with only one flavor, or I could get an Arnold Palmer.
I hence went with the interesting sounding lavender coconut lemonade, and OMG it was so gross I took two sips and had to throw my $ 5 lemonade away. Bleehhhhhhhh.
Every time I come in here, it looks kid of dirty, and when they opened I remember seeing them having a «B» rating which has now changed to an «A», but still weirds me out.

Another gem we found while traveling on the west side of town. We will be back! Quirky atmosphere and the food was good! Looks can be deceiving on this one folks!

Realized I wrote this review for the wrong Atmosphere, but wanted to make sure I posted it here! From 2÷14÷16: What a lovely gem to stumble across! My girlfriend and I were looking for a new place to try and wanted to sit outside on this beautiful 80 degree winter day, and stumbled upon the atmosphere. So happy we gave it a try! The food was so full of flavor, the ambiance was perfect, and there’s plenty of seating in the outdoor patio. Modern art work by local artists fill the walls, with bistro lights streamed above & French music playing in the background. A very unique outdoor area compared to other nearby cafes & restaurants. My only complaint was that the service was pretty slow – but understandable given that it was brunch time on Valentine’s Day. Can’t wait to come back!

I will admit that when I first saw this café from the outside, the sign made me think it was a bar from the 80’s. But when I went inside and saw all the French items on the menu, the aesthetic choice made sense. Inside, the space is very cozy and homey. The waiters were very nice (and nice to look at! When my order came out, I was so happy! All of the breakfast items I’ve had so far are absolutely delicious, exquisitely presented… very legit.
Reading some of these Unilocal reviews, It seems like most of the issues that they had when they first opened have been addressed.

This will probably become one of my go-​to breakfast places, mostly because sitting out on their back patio is like being in a sweet little haven, tucked away from the mad, mad world. It was a windy day when we went, but the patio is so protected, you’d never know it. The breakfast options are good, and the food is tasty – nothing over-​the-​top amazing, but good. The croissant was very good. Prices are reasonable. Service is very, very slow (but friendly), so definitely don’t come if you’re in a hurry.

Delightful neighborhood café with French inspired dishes! Loved the food and the staff! The patio is beautiful and charming and full of sunlight, while the seating out front is shady and breezy! The friendly owner obviously cares about providing a lovely dining experience! Glad we found this gem. We’ll be back… often!

They’ve got some really tasty breakfast options, and I’ve enjoyed some of their lunch options from time to time. I really only come here on the weekends for from breakfast to lunch, and it’s usually pretty chill. The patio is nice, but when it’s hot out, it can be pretty hard not to bake in the sun, even with the umbrellas they have – but it all depends on the time of day.
When it’s really hot, sometime there’s a few gnats flying around on the patio trying to gobble your food, but it’s not a huge deal since, you know, it’s outside and all. Haven’t tried inside yet, so can’t say anything about that.
I just recently came here for lunch on a weekday, which I probably won’t be doing anymore. On the weekends, I don’t mind waiting cause I usually have nothing else to do, but when I have to get back to work, 1.5 hours is a bit much to order a burger and a root beer (the latter which I never got). Think there was only one waiter that day, but I’ll think I’ll stick to weekends.

I really love this place. Very good vibes, great place to eat a delicious fresh plate and enjoying the atmosphere with a book.
Great location by the way.
The Bistro burger is perfect and I never experienced such a good ratatouille on the side.

Fresh, delicious and nice big portions! Super cute outdoor seating — delighted to find this neighborhood gem.

Stopped in here for breakfast. We enjoyed the food and atmosphere!
We both had a the El Ranchero skillet meal. Simple egg and extras dish. If anything, I’d like to see a LITTLE more kale and chorizo in there so I know it’s there. But it was good. Straightforward. Everything tasted good and the price was good.
The menu is diverse and there’s daily specials. Well come back again for breakfast, and probably try some lunch dishes.

Came here with a friend on a Sunday morning and instantly fell in love with this adorable European café. The patio is adorable on a sunny day and the food was wonderful. I got a pesto prosciutto panini that was to die for and my friend got a Gruyère omelette that was wonderful. There was a large farmers market around the corner that was fun to explore. Great place for a relaxed brunch! Decorated perfectly as well. Can’t wait to go back

Just had lunch here today, it felt like a little piece of France in Mar Vista! The Sandwich was great! What was really wonderful was their French Onion Soup. It was one of the best I’ve ever had. The place has a nice vibe and a great place to take a break.
Earl Trusty
Ferrufino Interiors
Budget Blinds of Culver City

Super! Ambiance café-​brasserie artiste. Love to come here. The staff is great and talk french if you want! The food is delicious and of course I love to sing along the background music! A must do if you look for a peaceful café with french touch!

Most important thing: these croissants must actually be from France but are certainly the best in L.A.
Secret parking spots in back are almost always open.
Food is really great. The Ranchero for breakfast is terrific and the French toast is unsafe for people with addictive personalities. Lunch is also really beautifully presented and very fresh and tasty.
And the ambience is very pleasant. Perfect place to spend a day if you just want to eat and work.

Fantastic food !
First timer to the french meal i was recommended and I completely fell in love with my sandwich and salad!
venir ici et de manger cette nourriture fantastique !

This place was so yummy and it was indeed a beautiful «atmosphere». I sat outside in the terrace on a beautiful warm day and had the «farmers market» sandwich which was amazingly fresh, tasty, and satisfying. It was vegetarian too. great relaxing place to have breakfast or lunch anytime. I will definitely come here again. Also, great service/​great waiters great food great everything! Loved it

I was not a big fan of this café. I loved the way they decorated both inside and outside though. I rounded up a group of ladies to come here on a Saturday afternoon for brunch. It was a very hot day so instead of sitting outside we decided to sit in. There was no AC inside! Ugh, it was a hot disaster. There were flies flying all around; kind of a bummer.
I had the croissant open-​faced sandwich with Canadian bacon and eggs. It came with a side of fried potatoes and ketchup. There was some sort of cheese on the sandwich that really threw off the taste. I don’t think I would return to this spot.

Atmosphere Café Mar Vista did a remodeling few days ago… New menu, New Chef… Amy B., she is offering a
New Atmosphere food …
Breakfast, lunch and now a beautiful dinner with non alcoholic beer and wine …

I am a restaurant manager and my girlfriend is a chef. We are very understanding to new restaurants finding their rhythms. In fact, often times if I am served the wrong dish, if it tastes good, will simply eat it and choose not to make a fuss. This experience however was one that I regret not expressing my frustration more outwardly as we were taken for a ride:
Fans of the old Curious Palette, my girlfriend and I went here today for lunch excited to try the new place. Entering the restaurant we were promptly met by a woman we assumed was an owner that was quite aggressive which immediately put undue pressure on us from the moment we entered. We were afraid if we left she might chase us down the street with a menu.
Despite our initial impression we decided to eat and chose to sit outside. The addition to the outdoor deck was quite nice at first, and we chose to sit in the newer area. The temperature at the table was about 15 degrees hotter than the outdoor temperature. They chose to use a clear plastic corrugated plastic above the deck that magnifies the sun’s rays. We felt like ants under a magnifying glass and chose to move to the covered deck. The temperature there was more comfortable.
The menu was basic French style sandwiches and salads, they boast organic ingredients.
Our waiter asked us if we wanted drinks, we inquired whether the orange juice was fresh and we were assured everything was fresh squeezed on the premises. We each ordered a juice and 10minutes later he returned with 2 bottles of branded juice blends that had mango and apple with orange. We stopped him before we opened them and told him this is not what we ordered and he promptly took them back. Apologetically he asked if we wanted other drinks and told us the lemonades were exceptionally good.
There were two lemonades on the menu, one was a plain lemonade, the second had lavender and coconut milk (2 dollars more expensive). I ordered the regular lemonade and my date ordered a water. The drinks came and after one sip, I realized I was served the more expensive lemonade with lavender and coconut milk. I decided to drink it anyway as it was hot and it wasn’t bad.
Our waiter then asked us for our orders. I inquired as to whether the sandwiches or quiche came with some kind of side salad and was told they do not. I then asked how large the soup was as I thought I might get the special soup as a side. The waiter told me it was a small cup so just decided to get it with my meal. The soup was a potato/​fennel and I had it with the special ham & cheese quiche. My date had the Niçoise salad.
When the food arrived, my quiche had a side salad (despite the waiter’s misinformation) of wilted greens that apparently had been sitting for a while. My bowl of soup was a giant portion of whipped potatoes (hardly a soup) that was enough for 3 people, I felt like Oliver Twist with a bowl of porridge.
We began to eat and for the most part, the ingredients and food weren’t bad. My date then pulled a long red hair out of her wilted salad that turned her stomach and that was the final straw.
I got our waiter’s attention and explained the series of unfortunate events that we had experienced since we sat down. I attempted to do it in a respectful, understanding fashion so that he might see the basic elements lacking and that we weren’t acting entitled.
This brought on a series of meetings between the staff and owners as they deliberated how best to handle the situation. My girlfriend and I felt held hostage as we waited for our check until finally they came out with a mason jar full of pink frozen fruit drink to ease our frustration. We didn’t want it, and we just wanted to leave.
Then the overly aggressive hostess/​owner inquired as to what we didn’t like and my girlfriend explained she found the hair. The hostess responded by denying there was hair in the kitchen, essentially questioning the validity of the claim.
By this point we really just wanted to be out of this awkward situation before we both lost our tempers. They took the check away for a second time, this time service comping the lemonade… THE LEMONADE!
I probably had my card authorized twice and as a last desperate attempt to salvage a substandard experience they offered us 10% off our next visit.
That won’t be happening.
An air of desperation, lack of consistency, communication, genuine hospitality and no ownership of mistakes.
No amount of remodeling can cover the the operational failings here.
Terrible. I give them 6 months.

I really wanted to like this place, especially because it’s in my neighborhood and I’d love to have another great little eatery to walk to – but it was incredibly underwhelming.
When you ask for a recommendation and the Cobb Salad is one of the most popular things on the menu, that’s already a huge red flag — the red flag of mediocrity.
The French Onion soup came in a large portion, which was nice, but it came out swelteringly hot (they did warn us, in fairness). It took maybe a good 15 minutes or so before the soup was even bearable to taste. I’ll give that a pass because I know onion soup needs to be broiled to get the bread/​cheese topping to melt, and it would have been forgivable if the soup was actually good. There were a lot of onions in the soup. I like my soup onion-​y, but there was barely any broth. I felt like I was eating onion jam at times, but a very bland onion jam. It wasn’t seasoned at all. I never have to reach for a salt shaker at restaurants. Did they just forget the herbs and the salt in this batch?
I also got the Fior de Latte salad, which was just burrata, tomato and prosciutto drizzled with balsamic and served with a side green salad along with some lightly toasted bread. It’s pretty hard to mess up simple ingredients like that, and I quite enjoyed it, though it wasn’t mind-​blowing or anything anyone couldn’t have just thrown together at home. It severely lacked seasoning (which is a thread I’m noticing with their other dishes as well).
The Kale Salad was decent — not overly dressed, but nothing special. The salmon was a touch dry and overcooked.
The atmosphere was the best thing Atmosphere Café had going for it (though the flies at times were pretty bothersome, so they really should figure something out about that). The nice little patio outside was shady, and quaintly decorated, with mismatched chairs, draping overhead and a generally good vibe. I just wish they had put as much consideration into their menu.
I hate sounding harsh when it comes to small businesses, especially ones in my neighborhood, but when you’re following the Curious Palate (which did have some misses on the menu but by and large served fresh, flavorful food at reasonable prices), and when you’re competing with other amazing restaurants in the area like Earl’s, Status Kuo, Alibi Room or A Frame (which have price points pretty similar to Atmosphere), I’m going to find it really difficult to come back to Atmosphere given the lackluster experience there, knowing I’ll get better food elsewhere.

I was driving down Venice one day and the neon sign caught my eye! I then realized that Atmosphere Café was new on the street and wanted to come back to try it out!
We were seated at a lovely communal table inside, and the vibe of the place was laid-​back but welcoming! There are a decent number of things to choose from on the menu, but being a huge fan of breakfast foods, I couldn’t give up ordering the «Breakfast Sandwich», which was served on your choice of a ciabatta roll or a croissant, so I splurged! It was basically a Croque Madame on a croissant! The side salad was a great side option, and the sandwich itself was extremely tasty. All of the ingredients were so simple, but added a lot to the meal! My sisters ordered other sandwiches (simple and delicious), my mom got the Huevos Rancheros (pretty darn good), and my grandma got the Salmon (also pretty darn good)! We were all fans of the food!
My one complaint that is kind of a big deal is the fact that there were SO many flies flying around throughout the whole meal. It was distracting and irritating, but the management seemed to be trying different methods in getting rid of them (but the methods need to be more permanent). If this problem is addressed, I would definitely come back more frequently! The wait-​staff was slightly inattentive at times, but it wasn’t anything to be bothered with.
To end this review on a good note, I would like to add that they’re incorporating local art in the café, which is awesome! The day I went, they were having a local band come play. A lot of the art that is displayed in the café has been done by locals, which is amazing!

Good food and excelent service!
The server (a guy with green eyes) was attentive and nice with us.
The food was delicious. We will come back for sure!

My friend and I went to the Atmosphere Café in the late afternoon. We sat outside where there were all sorts of interesting places to sit.
I had a Turkey Sandwich and my friend had a Veggie Quiche. Everything was very good.

I used to come to this location quite a bit when it was Curious Palate. However, things change, and now the location is another café with a slightly different concept, and different vibe. Atmosphere despite its name is actually a café in the French mold. They remodeled the place from top to bottom, getting rid of the rustic look, and going for some transitional look that is half rustic and half modern. The patio is nice but i felt the seating was trying to hard and uncomfortable. A lot of the seats have no backs, or were just plain uncomfortable.
OK, that’s enough about décor. What about the food? Food is reasonably priced, the breakfast dish I had and the croissant were good (I’d say the croissant was excellent with lots of almonds and almond paste), but the coffee (I had a latte) was substandard. Curious Palate had far superior coffee beans and they also had someone who knew how to use a machine. When you don’t have either of those you have substandard coffee.
Hopefully just teething problems. I’ll revise my review after another couple of visits, and see if things improve. 3.5 stars for now.

I’m not going to go as far to say it’s better than «The Curious Palate» (the previous incarnation at this spot before the takeover), but I will confess it has its own better qualities that «Curious» didn’t have. That’s hard for me to say, since I have to admit that I wanted to be difficult and not like «Atmosphere» because I wanted to hold onto my temper tantrum about «Curious» leaving. I’ve had the BURGER and the SHRIMP CIABATTA, both superior in terms of origin ingredients, seasoning and preparation — this is one of the better burgers of Los Angeles, and the shrimp were plump and each mouthful a perfect bite. CAFE MOCHA and HOT CHOCOLATE had rich ground flavor, whippy foam, and just obviously superior ingredients that makes them also the better versions you’d find in Los Angeles. Yes, what sublime preparation with every plate and cup.
Outdoor patio seating has been refined, and due to that, weekends are going to get popular here. #sincerity