On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Loading...
One side of their enormous menu is basically dedicated to salads. Healthy, fresh, inventive, substantial, perfect salads. That's almost like dedicating their menu directly to me.
Really great burgers here, too, and fresh lemonade. Plus good shopping next door.
The service can be slow at times and it's a teensy expensive for lunch. But when I'm in the mood for a summery salad that won't leave me hungry and Japanese tourist watching, this is my joint.
This review isn't that funny. But you know what? I'm serious about salads.
Or maybe I'm just losing my touch.
I couldn't decide if I was going to give this place 3 or 4 stars...I wish there was a 3.5.
Last week I tried this place for the first time after years of driving past it's packed sidewalk. It was definitely interesting ordering in the back of a store. I got a few things to go to bring back to work for me and a few others.
First of all, when I was paying, I was slightly astounded that the man (who I assume was the manager) was pretty much yelling at the girl ringing me up for spilling ketchup. Save it for the back room, man. I felt bad for her. For a place that charges a hefty amount for lunch, he was griping at her about how that spill cost him 15-20 cents. I'm not joking. And I'm not one to gripe about prices; I do believe you get what you pay for...but besides my dish, I thought it was slightly pricey for lunch.
As for the food, I thought mine was excellent. I had the Buffalo Mozzarella with tomatoes, basil, cajun chicken, and baby greens. Large, thick slices of fresh mozzarella, perfect tomatoes, perfectly seasoned and cooked chicken, and lots of fresh basil and greens. And it was huge.
My friend got spinach tortellini and it was horrible. The noodles were overcooked, the filling was flavorless, the sauce was bitter and bland. She ended up throwing it away.
My other friend got a Greek salad and it was bland as well. There wasn't much to it.
So, based on my friends food, I'd wanna give it way less stars. But mine was really good and was worth the $16.
Maybe I need to go back and try something else?
Hi just went here the other day, the lemonade is perfect, I had a sandwich which was pretty good, salad on the side also good and french fries the skinny type also good. Bread to the table not so great, but the waitress is cute, the only negative is the bathroom set up, inside the vintage store which is great but 300.00 for a lee jean jacket is over the top in my mind.
Sandwiches are about 13.50 a lot of choices maybe too much?
Visits 3 and 4:
I had an incredibly delicious crabmeat, avocado, mushroom and spinach omelet. Once again, the potatoes were crispy, tender and not greasy.
On another visit I had the steak sandwich. It was piled high and flavorful (grilled onions and crispy baguette) but rather tough. There are better steak sandwiches elsewhere. My husband loved his crabcake benedict. It was mostly crab, just a little breadcrumb coating.
Cafe Midi is still my favorite place for all day breakfast, inventive omelets and salads in this area. Their menu also includes some traditional French dishes common in small cafes. Although small and busy (popular), I've had consistently great service.
I've eaten here twice recently and find that Cafe Midi serves the best breakfast food in the… Read more »
Ordered the Gourmand with Prosciutto, Black Forest Ham, Brie, Cucumber and Tomatoes. The bread was over toasted, too dry and crusty. Could only finish half of the sandwich because it was too hard to eat. My friend ordered the Hanger Steak with Black Peppercorn Sauce and French Fries. It's a lot of steak, covered with sauce. 3.5 rounded up for the ambiance and menu variety, as overwhelming as that is.
This restaurant shares retail space with another commerical business, American Rag Compagnie. There… Read more »
perfection!! it's like / eating in a teacup shop! / try the "101."
I'm a big fan of sidewalk cafés and fare, and while I already have several favorites that I frequent I'm always down to check out a new spot to potentially add to the rotation. With my parents in town this past weekend and the weather comfortably warm, we decided to grab lunch here on Friday.
The café was packed, and all outside seating was filled, so we were seated in the back of the retail space Café Midi shares with American Rag et al. The menu was very comprehensive, featuring a variety of sandwiches, salads, and breakfast food. I ordered the smoked chicken with fennel and onion confit on foccaccia bread, French onion soup and an iced tea while my parents each ordered a sandwich of their own. The soup came out soon after and was very good. The broth was full of flavor with savory onions aplenty, and the bread topped with gooey melted gruyere was fantastic. A great start to the meal and a must-order on any future visits.
After demolishing the soup, I eagerly awaited my sandwich's arrival, yet when it came I couldn't help but feel moderately disappointed. It was smaller than I had anticipated, and the chicken was shredded rather than being a solid breast as I had expected. I guess that's what I get for making assumptions. Anyhow, the sandwich itself tasted fine, as did the fries but in addition to my qualms with the chicken, the foccaccia bread was dry and flavorless, essentially muting the other contents' flavors. My dad's sandwich came on ciabatta bread, which looked far superior to mine, a fact which he confirmed. I'd definitely avoid any selections with foccaccia in the future, or at the very least request different bread.
All in all the food was ok, as was the service, although I did have to ask for my iced tea to be refilled twice rather than our server noticing when I ran out. Outside of the French onion soup I failed to see anything truly worth returning for but I would be open to exploring the menu a little further and giving Café Midi another chance to make a better impression.
I think I've just had the best Quiche I've ever tasted, for lunch at this little sidewalk cafe'.
The place is so decidedly French that there were funky french people sitting next to us.
So, I like the atmosphere, the food is delish, I have never seen so many choices of salads on a menu, the pricing is not astronomical and the store attached is gorgeous.
My only problem was that the service is very slow... so probably not a good place to go if you're on a 1 hour lunch break.
I like coming here to check out the talent. The food and coffee are just icing on the cake (But the food really is good).
Just be careful when you park on the street. Those tow trucks are like ninjas.
OK, I must have hit them on an off-day. That or the rest of you are really west siders and therefore too easily satisfied. Anyhow....
Yes, the place is really cute and it's on a nice section of La Brea where on a Saturday afternoon the traffic isn't too too bad and you can sit there and watch the world go by.
The service is a B-. I mean they kinda tried, but not really.
The food stinks. Suck ass friggin' awful. I asked for my burger medium and got a charred piece of charcoal back. My wife got an ommelette which was actually burned, then they put the burned side down so you couldn't see it. Overall my burger, beyond being overcooked was dry, relatively tasteless, seated on completely uninspired bread, and oh yeah, it was $13 friggin' 50.
For less money the place next door is way better.
J'adore Cafe Midi. There is a whole long list of things that I love about this restaurant. I love that you can have a salad that is a meal, and you can have a different one every day of the month, and that they are all so good. I often get the organic greens, with cajun chicken, goat cheese and gogi berries. The moroccan sandwich makes me drool. The lemonade is REAL lemonade which makes the Arnold Palmer REAL freaking good. I eat here often, like, often often. The celery root and tuna is also high on the yum list. Oh yeah, and the caesar with dover sole. Really, everything is prepared perfectly. Never greasy, never too much dressing. I can't promise you a happy ending tho, thats up to you.
the two eggs with potatoes and thai sausage was ok. You can't go wrong with that. The potatoes did not have any flavor but was slightly crispy on the outside.
The orange juice was good. The smoked salmon and asparagus pasta was creamy and tasted smokey, I don't really like smokey taste So it was just ok for me.
It's really cute inside.
yums! awesome salads and breakfast and burgers
After living in West Hollywood for years, I have to admit that I had never been here. I had lunch outside in the sun today with my friend B, and it was lovely. She opted for a crab cake sandwich, and I had the nicoise salad. I kinda prefer my tuna seared rare, and this was of the flaky cooked variety but it was good nonetheless. Shopping at American Rag and food in the same cool space? What a nice afternoon.
This place is totally delightful. I've been probably half a dozen times and always enjoyed my omelette. The environment (back of a kitchenware store; attached to hipster used-clothes store) is different and interesting. Recommended highly.
Oh shit, you guys, not ONLY is this place stupid good food-wise, but it's ALSO attached to an upscale furniture store, ya'all! You can order one of their forty-thousand crisp salads and then pass the time waiting for it by browsing for striped canvas umbrellas from the Côte d'Azur! Don't miss the Casablanca Salad (it's got figs, ya'all!) or the hanger steak sandwich with melted gruyère on ciabatta. The only part that doesn't feel like "an authentic French sidewalk café" is the fact that it's on La Brea ("Rue de la Bréa," en français), and that the people are actually "well-groomed" and "amiable." Oh, there's also wicker chairs, ya'all!
The the salads and sandwiches here flavorful, and the selection is huge. It's cafe food, meticulously prepared and flavors carefully balanced. There was a problem with my order and the manager came out and fixed it right away. The Darjeeling tea was strong and robust. The only downside of this place is it's very expensive, expect to pay $25 for a real lunch.
Credible source: Cafe Midi has the best espresso in LA.
This place is very industry (overheard at lunch today "I mean, I'm tired of the whole buying your friends thing, I'm over it") and it's a bit pricey for a casual lunch. We sat outside (confession, we were an industry lunch too) and the tables are a bit small to fit your food and drinks comfortably.
But the food is good. The bread is especially delicious, and begs to dipped in the balsamic&EVOO mixture.
The service was also surprisingly capable considering the lunch rush-- our waitress and her helpers kept us refilled and she deftly handled all of our questions and special requests.
There are a million salads and sandwiches listed, so bring your decision-making capabilities with you. The weird thing is that so many of the salads have no meat on them. And then the ones with meat seem to skimp on the more interesting vegetables. For $15, shouldn't I get meat AND some yummy veggies PLUS some nice cheese?
I searched hard until I found one that had blackened chicken, gold and red beets, glazed pecans, and goat cheese on arugula. It was pretty good- satisfying yet (hopefully) healthful.
One of our party had an interesting request-- a salad without lettuce. He explained that where he's from, Isreal, it's common to have salads with various vegetables and meat that aren't atop a huge mound of lettuce. More choice veggies, less leaves. I think he's on to something! His plate of chicken, thick grilled veggies, and egg looked so satisfying and exotic.
I'm too frugal to lunch here regularly but if you want a kinda healthy, kinda upscale lunch in a casual environment (Read: If you are taking an industry lunch!) then this place is a good option.
I met up with a friend and her boyfriend whom I will be catering for later this month to talk over what they would like me to make for their going away party.
There is outside seating so I knew I was in the right place, but once I walked in, it looked like a smaller version of Pottery Barn. Then that's when I saw the inside seating area.
I already had lunch, so I only wanted dessert. They had a chocolate pistachio brownie on the dessert menu and I was in the mood for ice cream, I was appalled that they didn't have any... what a travesty!!!
The brownie was pretty good though, pretty rich, but it totally would've been better if it was warm and served with scoop of ice cream, which again I will say they had NONE!!!
My friend got the poached eggs, which actually is eggs benedict, served with home fries. Her boyfriend got an omelette, also served with home fries. Both dishes looked quite good.
The servers were friendly and helpful, but I'm still bummed they didn't have any ice cream.
I've been here a couple times with lunch friends. I love the ambiance -- very LA! A little on the pricey side and expect slow service, but the frites and sandwiches are delish!
I think this is the coolest place to eat breakfast or lunch. It is located inside a store so the setting is very unique. The selection of salads and sandwiches is staggering. They all look so good. Personally, I love the turkey meatloaf sandwich.
The tables are a little too close together and the place is a bit pricey...
Now, I'm not really into this, but I seem to always see a celebrity there. The last two were Justin Timberlake and Drew Barrymore (not together).
My friends and I went to brunch at this cutsie little French Bistro that is located in the back of a boutique where you can purchase kitchen goods. After we ordered, we shopped...err browsed around the boutique. I say browsed because I picked up a white serving dish I could find anywhere and it was $70. I will admit, the items they carry are nice, just nothing I was going to die without.
The prices for breakfast were to be expected. We kind of did a double take on the $5 strawberry lemonade. BUT....it was pretty damned good. The bacon was seriously the best bacon I have had in a minute. It tasted like chicharones. Perfectly crispy, the fat parts melted in my mouth, and I'm certain I will be paying for it later. Not one piece was chewy in the least.
Then why only 3 stars? The service. We only had place settings for 2 people. When asked for an extra one, we waited. And waited. And waited. I'm not exagertating either. Finally, I had to get up and get it myself at the bar. No one asked how we were doing or if we needed anything during our visit. Ok....I get it, this isn't exactly four star dining, but this is just standard customer service. Also, we waited over 45 minutes for eggs. It does not take *that* long to scramble eggs. They were not even that busy yet. When we asked for the bill, it was dropped off at our table and left there. We waited and waited again for it to be picked up. After a while we asked for it to be picked up.
Working in that place did not seem to be that difficult. Waitressing is not rocket science, especially if it does not seem to be that busy. Maybe they should put the scripts down and pay attention to the people that are eating. I know that is in their job description.
Ahhh shiat, this place stole my heart the first time I tried their croque madame! I now consider it a lunch requirement when I am In Los Angeles..and it has nothing to do with American Rag's new denim bar - as I find it to be a bit OVER-denim-whelming.
The menu also boasts a TON of salads...all of which I've tried I've liked.
It's such a comfortable place to eat breakfast/lunch when you're taking a break from shopping on La Brea. The pricing is to be expected, 15-20 for your plate. They have the best, moist banana bread there! I always have to get it, even if I'm full.
My best friend and I love this place because of the very large selection of salads. It's hard to find a place with good salads, yanno, especially on a sunny day in Los Angeles. We always try something new each time we go and we're never disappointed. You can notice the owner there all the time. He's very friendly and tends to stop by the tables to see how you're doing.
I've read the previous reviews about the mediocre quality of service but I've honestly never experienced that. There are times when we do have to wait for something we asked for but it's understandable since we can see the crazy-busyness of the place. There are only two waitresses, one for the inside and the other for the patio.
They're very good about making sure your drink is always full. I love that since I drink my Arnold Palmer with love.
Parking is available at the same structure for American Rag customers. Validation is needed from American Rag but they'll do it since you ate at the Cafe. Bathroom situation is a bit weird since it is in the store (American Rag) at the back. A token is needed to use the restroom but you can just get that from your waitress.
I would say you should just try this place because they have a large selection of salads, sandwiches, burgers, and pastas. And it's all good!
31/2
Cafe Midi has many things going for it...Charm, great salads, a really nice store inside that sells things like table clothes, cookware, dishes, throw rugs, and much more. It is fun to browse after a good meal. It is also located next to American Rags for when you want to splurge on a pair of jeans or piece of unique jewelry.
My fav salad has figs, mixed greens, goat cheese (i sub for Gorgonzola) avocado and a really light and tasty dressing. I add a blackened chicken breast to it.
My fav Sandwich is the Special Burger w/ Gorgonzola, grilled eggplant and zucchini ( I know it sounds strange and my friend practically had to tie me down to make me try it, but it is truly amazing) and is served with fries (not too good, but I think you can get fruit instead) the really skinny ones.
There are around 15 salads and plenty of sandwiches to choose from if you can actually get anyone to take your order. The major and huge issue I have with this place is the Service is not good!!! I have been many times with many different people always hoping to have a positive experience with their unfriendly but not rude wait staff, but it has never happened. Also, for lunch, it can be a bit pricey.
If you can get past the service and enjoy who you are lunching with, it can be a really nice afternoon.
Holy longest menu I've ever seen in my life, Batman!
I have said it before and I will say it again...when a restaurant has too many things on their menu that usually reflects their inability to do any one thing well. However, having said that I also think that it is nice to have options, especially when it comes to salads. During my recent visit to Cafe Midi I spent a good 10-15 minutes studying the menu because I didn't want to miss a thing. There was an entire page of salads to choose from (the bulk of their menu) which I totally appreciate because good salads with fresh and interesting ingredients are surprisingly hard to find. Cafe Midi has a HUGE selection of salads (I had the caprese salad with pesto fettucini), so really great looking sandwiches including a personal fave of mine the Croque Madame, and a great list of gourmet burgers (my friend had the Medi burger with fries that looked and tasted fabulous). The breakfast menu is something that I would like to explore further, and this may be my favorite new lunch spot. I will have to limit the amount of time I can spend in this area because the shopping is riDUNKulous!! I could do some serious damage around those parts. If you are looking for a casual yet lovely breakfast or lunch spot, this is your place!
Good place to grab a tasty, albeit pricey sandwich. I almost always order the Roxanna BLT, BLT with Brie = Tasty fatness. The breakfast/brunch is consistently good as well.
Service is a pain, actresses......
This place used to be better, but it's a good stand-by if you are in the area or shopping at American Rag.
My boyfriend and I stumbled upon this place on accident. I had to pee real bad so we came in here. Oh look, they serve food here! Holler. Did my thing, sat down and ordered food. I had the Smoked Salmon Fettuccini with Asparagus, Tomatoes and Garlic Cream Sauce. One of the best pasta dishes I've ever had. Perfectly cooked pasta, plenty of smoked salmon, and the pasta wasn't overly drenched with sauce. I felt like such a prego fat-ass afterwards but it was totally worth it! Oh yeah, and I saw Alexis Arquette shopping here in some fishnets and some short-ass skirt which was pretty cool and random. Definitely will come back when we're in the area since Volcom and Undefeated are right down the street. Fuck yeah.
Nice place to grab a lunch. It has a nice upbeat atmosphere inside. It's also a store inside. It's right next do a nice jean store and a cool shoe store. The food is really good and it isn't that expensive. Nice place to eat and chill with friends.
I had asked my friend to take me somewhere with French food and she brought me here. The only thing French here were the croque-monseiurs, which I did not have, because what I really wanted was duck. Oh well.
Very cute cafe otherwise. The setting isn't too great, you're just overlooking three lanes of traffic, but the menu was good for light lunches. I had a tuna sandwich that supposedly had apple in it (couldn't find or taste them---I could strongly sense the lemon on it instead) and I couldn't get my iced tea sweetened because all the sugar packets were crystal and wouldn't dissolve. Service was fine, the food was fine. The menu consisted mostly of sandwiches + pastas + breakfast items but nothing that sounded too spectacular or adventurous. A safe bet for a lunch with one friend.
Cute pit stop if you're going to shop at American Rag. The menu mostly consists of salads, sandwiches & breakfast dishes (mostly eggs). Their croque-monsieur was nothing to write home about (how one gets these wrong is completely beyond me!!! Good bread, butter, ham, gruyere, more butter....) They also have croque madames if you're into the fried egg- I usually like them but after having a less than stellar croque monsieur I don't think I'll try one here. The fries are also not crispy or salty enough- they have a tendency to be slightly soggy in my opinion.
My favorite thing on the menu is the Omelette Italienne- it has mozzarella cheese, prosciutto, basil (I think) and a few other tasty additions that I can't really remember right now. Point of the matter is that there's cheese and prosciutto so it HAS to be good!
I wouldn't go out of my way to eat here because I think the food is overpriced but if you're shopping, it's an easy option.
Can this place be any cuter?!?! I have driven past American Rag many a times on La Brea and always wondered what that little restaurant was.
My friend and I met up for brunch and decided to come to Cafe Midi. I love how its set in the cute home furnishings store. We decided to sit outside on an abnormally hot Saturday morning in November (who said global warming is fake...). The menu is great. So much to choose from and I was drooling as all the plates other people ordered passed by me.
The pancakes were great and the potatoes were amazing. So perfectly crisp on the outside. The omelette my friend had was delicious. The only thing to boo about is the fact that its a little pricey... more than $20 for brunch. But I would definitely come back!
I really, really like this place. It's a cute almost-would-be-a-French-cafe-but-everyone-is-blon de kinda spot tucked into the homewares side of American Rag. There are street tables and tables inside (plus a counter); I kinda prefer inside because outside is a bit of a see-and-be-seen vibe. On the other hand, my dog prefers the outside tables.
Since it is actually run by French people, there's a Gallic sweetness to the owners, and since it's in LA, there's an LA spaciness to the waiters. There is an incredibly broad menu of sandwiches, salads, and pastas, of which I must highly recommend the curried egg salad sandwich, the salmon salad, and the salade nicoise. The brownies rock too, and they have Orangina.
It is a little pricey; everything's around $15 and a side of fries is five bucks. But that suits the venue, and as goes the venue, so goes the bill.........
Don't eat here if you have anything less than 45 minutes to eat. The service can be quite slow at times... but that's about the worst thing about this place.
The food is absolutely delicious. Haven't tried most of the pastas yet, but the sandwiches and burgers are top notch. The fries are even better! Edouards Burger with fries and a lemonade really makes me a content little boy. Another favorite of mine is the Croque Madame. Mmm...
It's definately a great place to eat, even if you aren't shopping next door at American Rag.
I have been going here for at least the past 4 years. This place is GREAT! its a dishware/home decor store and indoor and outdoor restaurant. This is probably, if not my fav, one of my top 3 restaurants in LA. It is great for anytime of the day. Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch, Early Dinner.
I love that it inside a store and not a typical restaurant. you walk to the back and the seating is almost like an outside cafe. with a cute little couch on one side and chairs on the other. You sit close to your neighbor and sometimes even engage in conversations with them. Always not my choice but what can you do? Its refreshing to know people are still nice in LA.
Beyond the fact that the service is great and that all the waiters are gems. The food....
SCRUMPTIOUS.
I have ordered many things here but my favs are.....
1. Egg salad sandwich with Mango Chutney on olive bread-- its not a normal eggs salad so please order it!
2. The Pancakes -- thick and great with maple syrup.
3. The veggie burger -- I love meat! really I do! but this was so surprisingly good.
I love this place! GO GO GO! Its nice to go on Sunday! which is when i usually go.
Easy to find parking. Plus a cool store American Rag is attached and next door. Fun to look at but way over priced for vintage clothing.
the food here is great. waiting for a table is not :(
try and sit outside if you can. the seating area inside is very cramped, forget about trying to have a private conversation.
try the cold fettuccine salad .. you will not be disappointed. i just wish the actual dining experience was as enjoyable as the food is.
Had a great crab eggs benedict that wasn't smothered in the wrong way by hollandaise. The service was great, warm, and the owner even handed us free goji berry shakes, nice dude. About $20 tab with coffee, but you're definitely content.
What a charming spot! Who knew dining in an eclectic store could be so nice?? The food here is great (amazing salads, omelets, and meat loaf) but the place fills up quickly so get there early. The only bad thing is that everything here is quite pricey... I guess they have to mark up the food since I didn't see anyone buying their home goods!
Cafe Midi is a charming bistro positively overflowing with European ambiance. It's on my short-list for breakfast, lunch or simply sustenance for more shopping. Located adjacent to the always worthy American Rag, Midi serves an authentic croque-monsieur, scrumptious brie with sun-dried tomato sandwich and much more. If breakfast is your reson d'etre then try the orange maple french toast blackened with cinnamon--c'est magnifique. My only complaint with Cafe Midi is they don't serve alcohol (ridicule!)--a Frenchman without wine is like a day without sunshine...plus how else am I going to muster up enough liquid courage to drop $$$ on that fabulous Comme des Garons jacket next door?
I feel instantly more hip when I sit down to one of Cafe Midi's tables outside on LaBrea. Watching the fashion forward (and fashion backward) waltzing in and out of American Rag is endlessly entertaining. The best part is it's not just about the scene. I truly love their two avocado halves stuffed with tuna and curry egg salad. It sounds weird, but just trust me on this one. Other than that, you can't go wrong with any of the salads, egg dishes, or strong coffee concoctions here. After you're finished eating, you can do some shopping to match your newly-discovered hipster-fabulous persona.
Bottomless Carafes and…
Neighborhood: Hollywood
Lobster night Monday and…
Neighborhood: Studio City
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: French
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: Specialty Food
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: Mid Wilshire
Category: French
Neighborhood: Mid-City West
Category: Japanese
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
No rush. Good food. Nice drinks. Satisfying…
I love me a good sammich... it's like hot sex…
these are some of my old school favorite…
