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Cafe Metropol

3 star rating
based on 41 reviews

Category: American (New)

Neighborhood: Downtown
923 E 3rd St
Ste 101

Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 613-1537
Hours:

Mon-Thu. 8:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Sat. 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.

Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Parking:
Street
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Price Range:
$$
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
No
Takes Reservations:
Yes
Delivery:
Yes
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
Good for:
Lunch, Dinner
Alcohol:
Full Bar

41 reviews for Cafe Metropol

Review Highlights   

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"…bistro-style restaurant tucked into the fine corners of the Arts District…" (in 5 reviews)
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"Hands down my favorite place in LA for amazing live music." (in 5 reviews)
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"…the current residence for the best jazz and "creative music" booking agent…" (in 5 reviews)
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Photo of Sara R.

 

0

34

Sara R.

Sierra Madre, CA

3 star rating
11/16/2009

Decided to try something new before heading to the Orpheum, and Cafe Metropol struck the fancy.

First off, if you're considering using google maps to get here, please do not do that.  It has no clue where this place is, and it will take you to the complete opposite side of downtown, and wish you luck getting back on the multitude of one-way streets and eerily shady areas.  Since I just knew it was 3rd street, turn on it on the second attempt, rather than looking for 2nd street and an entrance to it from the street, which does not exist.

Anyway, once you get here, the parking is easy.  But this was a Monday night.  They have a few spots across from the restaurant itself, and lots of side-street parking.. but be careful if going at night.. it's a little alley-ish around it.

Greeted by a nice guy and seated right away..  and was graciously helpful when I had questions about the menu, and even the area.  The interior is quaint, cozy.. with a contemporary feel.. yes, very loft-ish.  I felt like a pizza, so I got the herbed goat cheese, which has a marinara sauce.. and then I added chicken to it ($4 more).  That's a pretty pricey pizza, and no, it isn't big.  I'm pretty small, and I packed away all but two slices - granted, it is thin crust.  Also ordered an arugula salad which I think was a special?  Not sure..

The pizza was pretty good.. thin crispy outer crust, not as crispy in the middle..  so you *can* bend them if you want.  They are very generous with the chicken slices, so maybe the four extra bucks is worth it?..  Nahhh.   The pizza itself with just bread, marinara, and cheese should not have been $13.  The salad was good too, but nothing super duper special.

Service is very slow.  I was nervous about missing the show!  Then when everything was done and they had cleared the plates away, I asked for the check.  It took about 10 minutes, and that's when the manager lady must have noticed I was staring at the waiter guy behind the counter (and not in a flirtatious way), as he was packing away to-go items.. waiting.. waiting. . and she nudged him. There were only two other patrons in the place, but it looked like he was busy getting the takeout food put together.  But still, I just wanted the check.  Not oysters rockefeller.  

I think the bottom line here is that it's too expensive for what you get.. in both service and quality/amount.  

I'd come again, but not jumping at straws to do it.

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Photo of kelly f.

 

5

18

kelly f.

Tustin, CA

3 star rating
11/5/2009 7 photos

I went here over a year ago with Lina O. (hi Lina!  Check out her Yelp review of the place here http://www.yelp.com/bi... and as you can see she's a lot more on the ball than I am (i.e. her review was written within a few days of visiting the restaurant)

Anyway, we had seen this place by chance when we were checking out the graffiti walls (you know what I'm talking about if you've been there) and decided to get lunch there one Sunday.  We got there a bit early (11:30ish I think) and the place was pretty empty.  The interior was pleasant and bright with contemporary art on the walls (I think they might have been for sale?) and modern furnishings.   We were happy.

And then the waitress came to take our drink orders.

First, she didn't know what a bellini was even though it was on the menu.  And then she didn't understand what Lina meant when she said she wanted a hazelnut latte, even after she explained that she just wanted a latte with hazelnut syrup in it.  She had to go out and get someone else (the guy who makes the drinks) to come out and take our orders instead.

After the whole drink debacle, we ordered our food and waited.  And waited.  And waited.

Thankfully, the food that came out (finally!) was pretty delicious.  I got the Eggs Metropol which was great.  My other friends got a salmon platter (breakfast), chicken salad and BBQ chicken pizza and they all enjoyed their food.

Long story short, good food, reasonably friendly but inexcusably slow service (there were maybe two other occupied tables in the restaurant!)  ***1/2

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89

22

Barbara C.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
9/17/2009

The kids took me here for dinner, where the carrot-ginger soup was piquant and delicious. I have never had a soup that I enjoyed more, and certainly not a carrot soup that was as good as this one. I recommend that soup to anyone who is looking for something interesting and delicious.  The desserts were also delicious and served in a very delightful manner. On the whole, it made for a lovely dinner.

Another time Harry and I had breakfast before an Esotouric tour. This was the one where he spent quite a bit of time talking to a former burlesque girl, for which I humored him. The Vanilla Almond French toast was very good to where I was sorry I split it. I could have eaten my whole share. But Harry liked it,  and I like him, and we can just go back and order it again.

The décor was interesting. I would go there with my girlfriends. It was a good place for families. The place was very nice for tête-à-tête. You can find students, young people, business people and me.  I recommend the place highly. I give them a four and a half.

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0

10

Nancy B.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
11/19/2009

This is an eclectic bistro-style restaurant tucked into the fine corners of the Arts District. The food is fresh and wonderful! The service is good. The wait staff always seems to know about all the items on the menu. I had an amazing Brazilian beer there and I am not a beer drinker.

Amazing food, amazing desserts and amazing service!

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Photo of Mircea R.

 

0

4

Mircea R.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
8/12/2009

I was pleasantly surprised by this classy bistro-type place tucked in between Little Tokyo and the Arts District. In fact, the surroundings are less than impressive - a parking lot and bleak gray storage building are across and a deserted alley with some serious graffiti can be found on the side. The brick exterior is business-like, while the interior is more informal, with a busy bar and high ceilings.

We went for dinner and were somewhat pressed for time. We let the servers know and they were more than eager to oblige by giving us constant attention. The restaurant was not very busy, but by any standard we were very well taken care of.

I started with a cup of seafood soup (with shrimp, mussels and fish) and ended with a half-salad of mozzarella, basil and yellow tomato. Everything was fresh and well-seasoned, and tasted great together. I would also recommend the sweet potato fries with aioli garlic sauce, they are to die for. The only minor downside is that the portions are small if you are on a budget, but for what you get it's worth your money.

As a quick and informal dining experience, I could not have been more pleased. It is somewhat off the beaten path but makes up for it in quality.

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Photo of Penelope N.

 

0

2

Penelope N.

Venice, CA

1 star rating
8/26/2009

Wow. I used to like this place. I used to eat here on occasion over the last couple/few years, but man, it's really fallen off.

The sweet potato fries are always burned. The sauce for them is ok on some days, waaay to strong on others.

I had a roast beef panini. It was so bad. There was hardly any horseradish on it and the flavor of the beef was pretty off.

I had a portebello burger the other day there and it wasn't very good either. Their service is crazy slow sometimes too. I ordered a water and it took 15-20 minutes to get it.

What happened?

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21

mike c.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
11/16/2009

The food is good, 3 stars because of the S-L-O-W service. Without fail, the service always takes 20 minutes longer than you think it will. Breakfast is always good, stuffed french toast is a favorite, as is the honey vanilla latte

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Photo of Junko Y.

 

0

1

Junko Y.

Torrance, CA

1 star rating
11/11/2009

I went to Cafe Metropol for the music on a Saturday night.  The music was fantastic!  The service was HORRIBLE!!!  First of all, no one would come get our orders.  After 20minutes and the band started playing I had to grab someone to get our drinks.  They helped two other tables that came way after us first.  The other waitresses that are there seem so stuck up and ignore you completely!  Service is so slow and you have to ask for everything little thing.  At the end they messed up on our tab.  People who work here are unfriendly and cold.  I had to deal with three of them!  If it wasn't for the music I would have left.  I will never go back!

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Photo of Ian B.

 

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68

Ian B.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
5/19/2009

This review is long over due.  I am sad to see so many unload on this wonderful neighborhood place.  I would like to encourage everyone that ever went there to revisit and re-rate... because there are alot of great things to enjoy about Cafe Metropol  

Ladies and Gentleman - what kind of neighborhood would this be if we didn't have Cafe Metropol?  I hell of alot less interesting... and probably Metropol should get an award - they were the only place to last down here!  Lets all go in and say thanks for paving the way for others... and give them a fresh look - I just had a great meal there and I am inspired.

Why do I love Metropol?

Great citizens that contribute a lot to the improvement of downtown - they give and they give some more.  

Live Jazz on the weekends - its packed so you can't slam it too hard.

Probably the single best cup of coffee in downtown... in the AM.

Breakfast served all day - and the menu is prolific.  **A very ambitious menu that probably tries to do too much... its it really necessary for them to do all the things they do?  No!  But there is a lot of passion involved in them trying.... and I would recommend they consider focusing a little more.

Best Hamburger in Downtown?  if its not, its close.  Isn't that what a place called Cafe Metropol should be great at?  And they are!  

Now my date had chicken coq au vin... and I looked at her and said "really?" - did you have to test the french classic here?  

People - I plead with you - don't eat the lobster at sizzler or the steaks at a diner - and don't eat the Coq au vin when you can see its not a specialty.

The salads are great. (best house salad in LA)
The sandwiches are great. (best club sandwich in downtown)
The juice is fresh (best OJ in the morning -. ok, I'm stretching it)
The service is colorful (its the arts district, think artsy)
The wine list - holly crap - they have a wine list?  And its good?  
Actually I think its better than most of the wine bars I've seen!
I love the fact that I can go to Wurstkusche and there is a 20 minute line so I just pop to Cafe Metropol and go burger instead of sausage - and oh, the fries - just as good too.

Give it a try... its a great place to have downtown - 3 meals a day and dinner is good and breakfast is excellent. (best bacon in downtown)

Sometimes you just need to reflect on the greatest hits and forget about the swings and misses.... its Mannywood now baby (or at least it will be in about 50 games).

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Elite '09

101

203

Mark A.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
5/18/2009 5 photos

It pays off to roam around the neighborhood past Little Tokyo, this place is conveniently located behind the Savoy (and other) condos/apartments. Walking distance pays off!

Fusion food, and there's live music in the other 1/2 of the restaurant. I'd come back... Sweet-tater fries are goooood.

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Photo of Clement H.

Elite '09

75

201

Clement H.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
3/21/2009

This place is good for a light meal as far as I am concern.
The bistro type is typical French type, nothing too extravagant, but worth your money specially at lunch time.

I had the Cannelloni Cheese/Spinach which was cooked right and I liked the taste of it.
This was my first time experience at this place I definitely come back for lunch when I can.

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Photo of Dennis A.

 

2

8

Dennis A.

Long Beach, CA

5 star rating
7/29/2009

I had dinner at Cafe Metropol last night before going to the theater.  It was great!  

They have specials every night, last night was pizza night.  1/2 price pizza with the purchase of a beverage.  What a deal!  And tasty too....

The staff was also very friendly, we had Angie; great service.  I recommend the caprese salad, they serve it with cucumber, delicious.

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3

39

John K.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
7/14/2009

I have been to Cafe Metropol for lunch and dinner.   I have also been there for an Art Show. It was great.  The food is fresh.  They also serve my favorite beer.  The pizza, salads, burgers and sandwiches are very good.  Nice atmosphere.  Look forward to going there again.

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Elite '09

264

273

Joseph W.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
4/18/2008

This place, like some others in this formerly newly developing area (thanks empty loft buildings!  thanks mortage crisis!), can be summed up simply as "should be better".  Here's why:

I went here for lunch a month or two ago and it was just fine.  Very nice caprese sandwich and iced tea, my lady had a veggie burger (the only thing she ever gets here and boy does she swear by it), very decent meal.  Nothing special, certainly not much of a value (although it's hardly expensive), but decent and enjoyable.

Had dinner here last night and it was pretty mediocre.  Had the margherita pizza which was basically a tortilla with weak tomato sauce slathered in cheap mozzarella and coated in the old orange stuff.  Not bad, but not even filling, and hard to enjoy with SO much grease (even blotting couldn't save this bad boy).  Got a pretty lame glass of pinot noir (Aquinas I believe) which was served warm (gross) in a hot glass.  No good, sir.

The service is fine, nothing special.  Friendly, courteous, but again not especially welcoming or entertaining.  

Definitely one of the better places in this area, but drive a few blocks over to Pete's and have a much better dinner in a much nicer atmosphere.

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345

1214

John S.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
3/18/2008

This place should be much better than it is.  It's practically across the street from SCI-Arc, so it should have an arty flair, and actually, it does.  Except that it's kind of an arty-for-show flair rather than an arty-artistic flair.  It has a lot of potential, but the food is so so and way overpriced.  There are much better and cheaper places than this.

UPDATE:  1/26/09
==============

With all the crap I talked about this place in my original review, I still gave it too high a rating.  I'm correcting that now.  Two stars for you.

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Photo of AJ M.

 

1

13

AJ M.

Toluca Lake, CA

4 star rating
5/9/2009

I see alot of negative reviews on here, but I've had a good experience every time I've gone. For breakfast, I wouldn't recommend going if you are starving and want some huge farmers' breakfast, but if you feel like something light and european, this is the place to go. I went for dinner service once and really liked what I had. I think I had some pasta dish. The location is hard to find, but there's always parking across the street and next to the building. The atmosphere is very cool too - a very urban/loft feel. I took a point off because it seems like they tend to run out of things - they didn't have some cappuccino/coffee drink my friend wanted last time we were there, and because it's downtown and hard to find.  I plan on going back. I really like it there.

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Photo of Jeremy H.

Elite '09

38

83

Jeremy H.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
3/3/2007

Metropol is good food, casual atmosphere, and no frills. They have a decent wine selection and Rocco the manager always lines up pretty good Jaz for Friday and Saturday evenings. He also spends a lot of time making sure good wines are on the menu!

It's a more mature crowd for the Arts District which is nice, and we usually enjoy going there to share a thin crust pizza, or a good Kobe burger with a glass of wine and free live music.

If not ordering a European style pizza I also recommend the Spek pasta (cream sauce with ham), Ahi Tuna Salad, Kobe burger, and  Chicken skewers - all are superb.

It's not "inexpensive" but I always leave satisfied that we got our moneys worth.

Definitely worth checking out...

*The kitchen closes at 9:30-10pm, so arrive in time to order!

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Photo of Sarah K.

Elite '09

69

338

Sarah K.

New Orleans, LA

2 star rating
6/14/2008

Oh, I actually read the captions that accompany the star system and my rating went from 3 to 2. No sugar coating. I have definitely had better.

I went here for brunch and ordered the Metropol Benedict, which was sort of an eggs benedict/eggs florentine with sauteed spinach, ham, and hollandaise. Sounds good, doesn't it?

I know it's hard to poach eggs, but I think it's absolutely disgusting when more than 25% of the whites are uncooked. If you can't poach eggs, don't serve eggs benedict. I've had way better at the shittiest diners ever. I'm not Rocky Balboa and I don't want your uncooked eggs.

Other than that, the service was bad. The waitress pressed a little too hard for my b.f. to order a beverage (a full page of the menu is dedicated to beverages and elixirs). I had slurped down both my water and coffee before a different waitress noticed my thirsty frown. It's Saturday morning and it's not busy. Pay attention to me!

Really, I am not picky. I came here in a good mood. Metropol actually just sucks. Maybe I'd come back, but only if somebody dragged me.

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Photo of Christina S.

 

313

746

Christina S.

Costa Mesa, CA

3 star rating
10/9/2007

We came here with some friends on Sunday for lunch.  Thank God that I was not driving. I would of gotten lost trying to find this place. It's located in a neighborhood where there are many artist lofts. It sort of felt like a ghost town here.  We finally pull up to Cafe Metropol.  The place is cute. It has that old style brick walls and wood floors and the staff was very pleasant and friendly.

I was in the mood for breakfast even though it was around noon or so. .. We asked how was the Hollandaise sauce, was it thick or thin. Our waiter told us that it was a little thick. But, I ordered the Eggs Benedict substituting the Canadian ham for tomato slices which by the way pair nicely with the Hollandaise sauce. I also ordered a small order of garlic sweet potato baked fries. The fries were delicious. The eggs Benedict however was bland and boring. The Hollandaise was too thick. I am sure if I had ordered this early in the day then it would of been fine. I just was not impressed at all. However the coffee was good. Everyone enjoyed their meals I enjoyed the garlic sweet potato baked fries and my coffee.

Service was great....

Prices are good...

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Photo of Lana K.

 

6

32

Lana K.

Park La Brea, CA

2 star rating
5/16/2008

Every time I step into this joint...I am disappointed.

My first time there was NOT good.  The waitress spilled my soda all over me AND THEN tried to blame it on me.  She kept coming by our table and saying how she thought I had it.  Had it? Had what?  My arm wasn't even half way.  At least my meal was comped.

The second time (for lunch) I was very cautious about soda or any liquids being delivered to the table.  I just didn't reach for anything....I waited till they firmly settled the items on the table.  The wait time felt like FOREVER!!!!  Out waiter didn't even bother to come by our table at all.  The burger I had was awful, there was hardly any cheese on my burger and it was just blah.

I like their sweet potato fries and their pizzas are ok...but it's not that hard to make an awful pizza.

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Elite '09

591

539

Caroline Y.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
7/23/2007

3.5 stars...

I was here for lunch today. Cool spot right next to R23. Parking was bad as usual. The food is pretty good but nothing spectacular. The service was good and the interior was cool. Just a real chill spot to have lunch. Just a place where everyone around you is playing with their iPhones. :D It appears that some yelpers are complaining about the prices. Honestly...it's not that bad. Nowadays...everywhere has sandwiches for around $10...but then again...I eat on Larchmont almost everyday. I do get robbed everyday...

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14

13

David D.

Santa Ana, CA

3 star rating
11/24/2007

The first time I came here it was to meet with friends after work to catch up on our personal current events.

First off, I love places like this that are located in old buildings that are made of brick and give off a sense of historical character.  There is seating inside and outside.  Although I love outdoor eating, it was cold and there were no heat lamps so we went inside.  The inside is very quaint.  The lighting is dim and intimate.  The people who work there are also very friendly and talkative.  The waitress even remembered me from my last visit which must have been a month beforehand (extra points!).  The last visit I was there only for drinks.  This time I was here for food.

Although I love the decor and location, I cant quite give Metropol a higher rating yet since I was not too impressed by their Kobe Burger.  The burger seemingly disintegrated as I picked it up, due to the bread being a bit too soggy from I dont know what and I ended up having to eat it with a fork and knife.  I love burgers, right next to meatball sandwiches, and this burger I could not love nor could I care for.

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Photo of Brittany S.

 

3

28

Brittany S.

Glendale, CA

2 star rating
10/10/2008

This place is horrible.. SOO overpriced and we waited 2 hours for our food .. it wasn't even lunch time !  It looked dirty in the kitchen and the employees were RUDE and trashy.. Never going back!

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Photo of steve r.

 

2

4

steve r.

Pasadena, CA

5 star rating
2/25/2008

The food is fine but that's not what this review is for -- it's for the music.

Cafe Metropol is the current residence for the best jazz and "creative music" booking agent in Los Angeles.  His name is Rocco Somazzi and he had a couple clubs over the years in various parts of the city.  

Hands down my favorite place in LA for amazing live music.  All the musicians are world-class and every show is completely different, from straight-ahead jazz to avant-garde laptop shenanigans.  

Enjoy!

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40

133

laurel d.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
3/27/2006

For some reason, my co-worker (we'll call him Jeff) hates this place.  Can't really figure out why, but whenever the idea comes up via iChat at work, "Where should we go to lunch today?", he almost always vehemently denies this place.  

And that's the inherent trouble with attempting to rally the troops for lunch, but everyone has to eat, right?

As for me, I like this place.  Good burgers, good decor, interesting art on the walls.  Can't really go wrong with that, in my opinion.  

Even if Jeff disagrees with me (for reasons only God knows).

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35

59

Gary H.

Park La Brea, CA

2 star rating
6/13/2007

30 minutes after we ordered our food finally arrived.  We came for a weekday lunch and it wasn't that crowded.  Average service - the wait staff wasn't very attentive - they tried to take our order twice.

My funghi (mushroom) thin crust pizza was pretty good actually.  I wish they wouldn't skimp on the mushrooms though.  The pizza toppings consisted of about 2 tablespoons of minced mushrooms.  Luckily my friend offered me his Turkey bacon from his burger.  Mmm, the turkey bacon made the pizza a lot better.  

But the food was a little overpriced.  It was $13 for a 12" personal pizza and $13 for a turkey burger and greens.  And this was for lunch.  

Parking was a pain in the ass.  No street parking in sight and the closest lot was 2 blocks away.  $1.50 with validation.

I may give it a second chance because I hear they have live jazz in the evenings but I won't be coming back for lunch.

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Elite '09

156

56

angelina y.

Valley Village, CA

5 star rating
5/1/2008

FRI and SAT from 8-10 live music always something different from Nick Mancini(personal favorite) to colburn students and everything in between. Great tasting wine selection @ a  decent price and a very  tasty Margarita pizza as well as salads ! great downtown vibe with a very laid back casual setting ! also open for lunch :)

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0

5

Andrew H.

Los Angeles, CA

2 star rating
7/20/2009

Now come on... We all know the economy is crap and that it's tougher to make a dollar now a days. This is the time where you step up and separate yourself from the competitors. Sadly, Cafe Metropole has done the exact opposite, I feel they are regressing. My wife and I come by once a month for either breakfast, dinner or desert and we liked the place in the past. Interior feels like a cool urban loft (a large one at that), the live music is nice, but the food has become uninspired. Last time we were here, I had a Chicken Salad which consisted with a sliced up chicken breast on a bed of that ready-pac mixed lettuce ( I could make this myself in about 5 min). My wife has the spaghetti with meatballs and although done nicely in the past, felt like they put the pasta on the plate dripping wet and threw the pasta sauce on top. It was literally watery. The past 2 times we went to Cafe Metropole I left thinking "this must have been an off night, they'll get it together", but unfortunately it has become the norm.  I mean to write this as constructive criticism, I want Cafe Metropole to do well so please shake things up, improve the menu and inspire the chef. We'll be back, please don't make it our last visit.

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Photo of hilary c.

 

2

2

hilary c.

Arcadia, CA

3 star rating
4/14/2008

i probably should have went to cafe metropol on a night when they had music b/c my experience there was mediocre. i appreciate the brick interior, high-ceilings and intimate environment and I was very pleased with the attentive service.

oven-baked sweet potato fries: tasty but a little soggy

mushroom ravioli: very cheesy, just the way i like it, however the cheese completely over-powered the mushrooms and i couldn't taste them at all.

green-tea creme brulee: generous portion. the top layer was just crispy enough and the custard on the bottom had a nice, rich flavor.

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3

55

b w.

Marina del Rey, CA

1 star rating
1/29/2008

i attempted to give no stars to this review, but found that is an impossible option.

when i first started working in the arts district, i thought this place was great.

then i found that a quarter of the time they didn't have what i wanted, then the service became worse and worse. i could have sworn over the past 28 years of eating in restaurants that when you become a regular you keep getting better service. no, no... i'm mistaken.

one of the last things i had there was truffle mac and cheese. a heavy lunch, yes, but for some reason, it sounded like a good choice. there was something strangely chewy scattered throughout. i finally decided it was tough shiitake stalks chopped up, and there was almost no aroma/taste/sense of truffles in the dish. they also served a mixed greens salad with one cherry tomato (their standard amount of tomato in a salad) and it was all sitting in a soup of their house dressing, which might be ginger. it actually cooked a fair bit of the greens, so i tried to rescue what i could from the top.

the hamburger is dry and the fries are disappointing. the garlic sweet potato fries are almost like eating candied yams, only without the candy, and garlic instead of marshmallows, so therefore: wet, slimy mush.

one morning, i ordered a peanut butter and apricot jam sandwich for take away, which is on their menu, and fifteen minutes later (i was the only person there), my sandwich came out. then the counter person had no idea what price it was, then when i pointed it out on the menu, it still took a long time to ring up.

the next-to-last straw came when i was working late and some other coworkers were here, so we ordered pick-up from metropol, i paid $15 for handmade ravioli in vodka sauce... and got 5 ravioli. not particularly tasty ravioli, not particularly handmade.

the last straw: a coworker's kids (don't know why they were at work) were eating a pizza and suddenly, that's all i wanted. instead of stealing some of their's, i got the metropol menu from my coworker, zoned in on the arugula pizza, called up and the conversation went something like:

"hello?"
"uh... hi, i'd like to place an order for pickup."
"what?"
"is this metropol?"
"yes."
"i'd like to place an order for pickup."
"what?"
"i want to order some food, that i pickup."
"oh, hold on a sec."
--about 30s later, the same voice comes back--
"hello?"
"hello."
"what's the name?"
"brandon."
"um."
"can i place an order for take out?"
"what?"
"are you kidding me?"
--no response--
"can i place an order?"
"yeah." noises that make me think there's a pad of paper and a pen being located. "who is this?"
"... brandon... i'd like a 12" arugula pizza."
"hold on."
--30s go by, then 45s... and i swear a full minute goes by--
"we don't have that."
"it's on your menu."
"yes, but we don't have that."
"you have an arugula salad?"
"yes."
"you can make a pizza with [list whatever other ingredients listed on the menu]?"
"yes."
"but, you can't make an arugula pizza?"
"no."
"good bye."

we recently opened a cafe at work that's an extension of metropol and i now refuse to go there, even though everything is pretty much prepared. 1, it's the principal of not supporting them and, 2, when i have ordered a toasted bagel, it can take ten minutes to get it... and it's been through a panini press, so it's a disk of crunch with a slime of cream cheese.

i would prefer you not to go.

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Photo of June B.

 

18

22

June B.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
2/12/2008

This place is pretty damn cool.  They make pretty damn good mojitos....and even better because I think I feel in love there one night...can't go into much further but it was a jazz night and he's a drummer and I was teary eyed.

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Photo of Sue Z.

Elite '09

153

261

Sue Z.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
4/17/2008

the PA sucks ass here, but the music was great. the band i heard was awesome, playing standards and originals.  it was nick mancini on vibes, jimmy branly on drums, dan lutz on bass, larry koontz on guitar and katisse buckingham on flute/saxs.

i ordered a pizza with black olives and mushrooms. it was INSANE. thin, crispy, fresh like it was in italy. had it with the house cab, and it was great. if you don't go for the music, at least go for the pizza and cab.

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Photo of Reyna A.

 

26

54

Reyna A.

Walnut, CA

1 star rating
8/18/2007

Went here after finding out the wait for lunch at R23 was too long.  Wasn't very impressed.  Service was excruciatingly slow (for a work lunch hour) and the food was so-so for the price that it was.  Pete's is much better quality, with a similar selection.  The fries here tasted like they were frozen fries.  Thumbs down for that.

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Photo of Lawrence F.

Elite '09

45

280

Lawrence F.

Carson, CA

4 star rating
3/9/2006

A good place to go for lunch.

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Photo of Diana N.

Elite '09

72

232

Diana N.

Rockville, MD

4 star rating
8/20/2006

went there today for dinner. it is hidden completely in this alley right near chinatown. the only reason i went is because my friend knows the place well because there is a famous graffiti wall right in front of it.
anyways, there was a live band playing when we got there and it was REALLY loud...kind of ruined the whole experience.
the food was decent, i got the endive salad with walnuts, simmered down pear and blue cheese. it was good...i think the environment made it better then it actually is. its very artsy fartsy.
htey serve alcohol and boba tea for those that want it

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Photo of Keith M.

Elite '09

15

82

Keith M.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
8/22/2007

My ahi tuna salad with wasabi dressing was good. Waiter was relatively attentive (and kinda cute, too).  Food took a while to arrive, but I was otherwise happy.

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Photo of david k.

 

29

108

david k.

Los Angeles, CA

2 star rating
1/6/2007

Okay food, but the price really brings down the stars.  A roast beef sandwich would go for $8.95.  The service is very spotty, as things are forgotten.
Its safe food for a picky stomach.  Because up in Chinatown its easy to get a good meall for half ... Or for the $8.95, I'd go to Little Tokyo for a nice lunch at Sohoju.

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Photo of Erica I.

 

22

38

Erica I.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
4/14/2007

Mushroom Burger & Live Jazz
What a combo!

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Photo of Sandy K.

 

1

47

Sandy K.

Pasadena, CA

3 star rating
11/15/2008

This place isn't perfect but wasn't pretentious and it's in the artist's district downtown, so it has that super cool converted industrial look. However, it's been years since I've been here last and the place does look weathered. I would definitely come here for a light meal not expecting much. The last time I came, I remember the pizzas were good. This time I got the prosciutto and melon appetizer. The melon turned out to be cantelope and I think it's really better with honeydew. It was presented as slices just laid on top of each other kinda like when it comes from the deli so it really seemed like nothing special and they hadn't even put much effort in it. However, this place redeemed itself through its spicy ahi tuna tartar. A cake of ahi tuna tartar atop a thinner layer of guacamole atop thinly sliced cucumbers! It also came with a delicious salad with an asian dressing. My friend got a Kobe burger which he said was good but his sweet potato fries were soggy! The service was just alright, after our food was served we never saw the waitress again until we flagged her down for the bill. The downers of the evening would probably not keep me from that yummy tuna tartar!

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Photo of R A.

 

8

98

R A.

Los Angeles, CA

1 star rating
5/29/2007

NO. Just, no. Crappy food, expensive price tags. Two wrongs don't make a right. I feel like I got robbed eating here. $10 for the worst tuna sandwich I've ever tasted?? They don't even cost that much in Hollywood or Venice.

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