Bloom Cafe

I stumbled upon this neighborhood cafe and was very pleasantly surprised! The lemon ricotta pancakes were delicious, the service was very friendly and attentive, and the coffee was strong. I am always leery of restaurant pancakes, because I can't stand when pancakes are undercooked. These were really good Halfway through I realized that I wanted lemon slices, and they came quickly and made the experience even better. more

Best brunch on pico! more

I live in a neighborhood where there aren't a lot of delivery options so I've put up with Bloom's awful customer service for years. After two visits to the actual cafe, I stopped going because the service was slow and snotty. But I've been ordering pizza from them for years. Months ago they accidentally charged me $10 less then they were supposed to. No one caught it until days later when they called informing me I owed them $10 more dollars. Then tonight, after waiting an hour and 15 minutes for 2 pizzas (which is usual) the wrong pizzas show up. I call Nancy and say it's late and we'll eat them but can they credit my account. She says of course, if they come back and pick up the pizzas. She refuses to credit the account and says I can wait another hour and 15 minutes for the right ones but if I want my money back, they want the pizzas back. I ask what she is going to do with two cold pizzas and she says nothing but if I want a credit, they want them back. Maybe I'm used to a different kind of customer service - but it was petty and I will never order from them again. more

I've tried and tried to like this place. Honestly, the food is good, but the service SUCKS big time. Who can enjoy the food when you're scared to ask for a fork or an extra straw? or given dirty looks when you only want water to drink. Some servers are plain rude, one girl in particular. I've had the misfortune of having her more than once. It's like they are doing you a favor by writing down what you want. ""Girl, if you hate your job...put down the apron"". Pros: some Cons: many more

I've heard the service can be hit or miss, but the food always good, so I gathered up some friends and ventured in. It wasn't very busy and we were seated promptly. Our waiter Gerald was quick to take our order. No intros or chit chat, which is always fine by me. That was the last time we actually conversed with our waiter. Our food came out late and out of sequence. My entree before salad and then other people in my party had not even gotten their food!! Gerald moved briskly through without a glance. THEY WEREN'T BUSY! I had to go to the back patio where I found our waiter chatting on his cell and ask him to please straighten out our order! It is extremely hard to enjoy a meal with a mouth full of bitterness. We asked to speak to a manager and was told he wasn't in. If you're wondering about this place, move on! You won't be able to enjoy your semi-warm pizza and stringy short ribs if you can't get a server to bring you a simple glass of water. Cons: worse service imaginable more

Even if you are the only one there, staff ignores you and the wait for simple sandwich is 30 minutes. Coffee & water are not refilled, it's hard to get a menu, learn the specials, get your bill, or pay. Many combinations are bland despite being unusual--sandwiches & smoothies alike. Desserts are like your first attempts at home to make something vegan--heavy but not rich. Lamb sausage pizza & lamburger are worth the price. Do not order takeout--the wait was 3 times what was promised, with no condiments, utensils, or napkins, and of course stone cold pizza & fries!! Pros: lamburger is fab, takeout counter drinmaker is helpful Cons: staffignores you, bathroom overflows with tras more

I was brought here by my husband, on a surprise date--and it was a surprise for both of us. Driving there we were a bit hesitant of the neighborhood, afraid to leave our car parked on the side street (convertible buick skylark)...but the cafe itself was delightful and absolutely delicious!!! The BEST salad I have ever eaten, roasted beats, spinach and goat cheese with chicken added--and I have eaten a lot of salads!! We wanted to go back the very next night! One of our new favorite places:) oh and the car was fine, parked directly across the street in front of a few friendly shops!! I learned not to judge a neighborhood by it's initial appearance. Pros: decor, food quality, food selections Cons: no parking lot, neighborhood more

This jewel in Wilshire Vista serves the best pizza I have ever tasted - and they are very creative with their menu. Our favorite pizza is Rosemary Comte Cheese and Potato - I know - it sounds strange but trust me, it's great. Just had lunch there today and had a great chicken sandwich with carmelized onions and roasted red peppers. Everything is fresh and tasty. Pros: Best Pizza in Los Angeles Cons: No Cons more

I've been here many times and it's always the same - great food, nice venue but frazzled and harried wait staff. Pros: very yummy food, nice atmosphere, the patio is lovely Cons: super slow overworked staff more

Girlfriend and I visited for the first time Sunday afternoon. Restaurant was 1/4 full when we entered. Didn't look very clean, and there was food on my chair. No biggie, though. Host/waiter had to stop his conversation with his friends to blithely hand us two menus. Not very welcoming. And the prices! Yikes! Fourteen bucks for a salad for LUNCH? Really? This is a neighborhood cafe on the La Brea end of Pico, not exactly restaurant row. We gave the waiter 5 minutes to take a drink order, say hi, something. We got nothing. We left. See ya! Pros: Nothing else close Cons: Nothing else close more

I'd like to say this is some of the best food in the area. The ingredients are fresh and almost every plate (save the salads) are incredible. The servers, while pleasant, don't move at a pace some of us might be used to. But I give them the benefit of the doubt, the food is that good, and I've kept going back. My frustration lies in whoever they are allowing to answer the phones. They have bizarre rules about their delivery service, which is their prerogative, but the attitudes on the other end of the line are unforgivable. It's happened a number of times. I'm not really sure what 'It takes 15 minutes to process your order' means. Someone should have a sit down with the people responsible for taking orders over the phone and talk to them about appropriate customer service and phone etiquette. I'm sorry if my calling to place an order puts you out and inconveniences you. I won't be calling again. Pros: Food, atmosphere, the chicken bowl and the fish tacos Cons: Delivery service, people answering the phones more

I love this restaurant! You can tell they use high quality ingredients in all of their food. The proscuitto and arugula pizza is by far the best I've ever had! I would also recommend the quinoa salad. The price of this place is a steal for the quality of food they serve. Pros: The food, prices, atmosphere Cons: Sometimes slow service more

We've been going to Bloom since it opened (we live close by) and have always found the food to be great and the wait staff to be friendly and happy. They have even helped my wife carry stuff to the car when she's with the baby. We weren?t big on their coffee at first (we are big coffee drinkers), but they changed something and it?s gotten much better. It?s been very good the last few times we?ve been there. Because we have the baby, we usually go out for breakfast, brunch or lunch, and this is one of our favorite spots to go. Inside, they feature different photographers and the pictures are always amazing. The outside seating (where we usually sit) is very pleasant as well. I have no hesitation recommending Bloom to friends and family. Pros: Love the look, feel and food Cons: limited seating more

i live nearby. it is one of the few restaurants in this area, so i have been there often. the food is ALWAYS delicious. for breakfast i love the huevos rancheros or the egg sandwich and for lunch my favorite is the spicy chicken salad. the prosciutto and arugula pizza or or the grilled steak salad are good dinner choices. the food is GREAT. having said all that... the service is HORRIBLE. the worst ever. there is usually a problem, whether it be waiting forever for my meal to arrive or the order being screwed up entirely. if i didn't live so close i probably wouln't go as often as i do, because no matter how good the food, i always leave with the bitter taste of bad service. more

I was so excited to visit there because I live just around the corner. more

I have given Bloom many second chances, buy beyond the good food, I am always left with bad customer experience. There is nothing worse than having the last taste as a bad one. The worse, I should have never expected more than the first bad experience. Pros: Good Food Cons: Customer Service not worth the taste more

After reading about Bloom in Los Angeles Magazine I decided to try it since I live in the neighborhood. I was tempted to not go after reading reviews aboutt terrible customer service. I took the risk and am glad I did. I found the experience delightful. The food was excellent, served in a pleasing manner and the wait staff were prompt and polite. I will go again! Pros: food andservice two thumbs up. Cons: a tad noisey more

Being a neighbor, I've tried to like Bloom, but after serveral visits suffering through service that ranges from inattentive to downright haughty, I can't. The food is perfectly acceptable, but the poor service overwhelmingly taints the experience. On several visits I've had the waiter repeatedly pass ignoring me and finally had to get up and get my own menus. Once the food was delivered the waiter never returned to refill beverages or bring condements. The food is fine; the experience is exasperating. I'd rather go to the nearby fast food take out at least there they smile when they hand you the food. A lesson Bloom would be wise to learn. Pros: convenient location on Pico Blvd. Cons: terrible inattentive service more

Just ate at Bloom today and the food was terrific. I had a blue chesse and (I think) Asian pear spinach salad. It was prepared flawlessly. My wife had the curry chicken-salad sandwhich and it was delicious, so much so that I ate some of that too. They also have great fresh apple juice -- though it tasted more like cider. The room is buzzing at lunch and the service was very friendly. After driving by Bloom about two- hundred times I finally stopped in. Glad I did. Check out the neighborhood too, it's growing in leaps and bounds. Pros: food more

My sister and I chose Bloom?s cafe since it?s conveniently located. We were seated despite the traffic noise, the nice earthy cafe colors created a nice ambiance. My sister ordered a Marguerite Pizza and cappuccino and I ordered a Portobello sandwich with fries and water. A few ants were on the chairs next to us ?the rest of the team was on the cafe wall! They weren?t very bothersome as they kept their distance. I was disappointed to find the sandwich taste unpleasing. I told my sister it was something I wouldn?t order again ?but, the fries were fantastic! I then tried my sister?s pizza and it was satisfying after my poor sandwich, but not recommendable. After our meal, my sister called our server who asked if we wanted boxes for our leftovers. We declined and asked for a dessert menu. He returned with a bill inside a cup and left quickly ?my sister called for him again. He checked inside the cafe and recited the dessert menu to us. We agreed on the chocolate cake and I added an iced coffee. We received the iced coffee and visually pleasing chocolate cake to discover it was a chocolate mousse! It wasn?t bad! However, my sister was upset with the miscommunication from the server since she expected cake, not mousse. It took extra time for our server to bring the bill. We waited another 10 minutes to receive the credit card slip. Before we left we went inside to get a lid for the iced coffee. I noticed more of the earthy colors and was pleased with the inside design of the cafe. On the way out, my sister was met by the bus boy trying to come in. He stopped outside to let us through and irritatingly said ?Come on! Come on!? My sister walked forward as I waited and motioned for him to come inside before I went outside (since he was in such a hurry). We?ll have to try that cafe across the street from Bloom?s. I?m not sure what it?s called, but maybe it?ll be a better meeting place with decent service and food. Pros: Nicely decorated and designed, convenient location Cons: Ants, bus boys who get irritated with you, servers who aren?t used to serving a dinner rush more