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Mani's Bakery & Cafe

4 star rating
based on 66 reviews

Categories: Bakeries, American (New), Breakfast & Brunch  [Edit]

Neighborhood: Mid-City West
519 S Fairfax Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323) 938-8800
  • Hours:
    Mon-Thu 6:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
    Fri 6:30 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
    Sat 7:00 a.m.-1:00 a.m.
    Sun 7:30 a.m.-12:00 a.m.
  • Menu: MenuPages
  • Price Range: $$
  • Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
  • Parking: Street
  • Attire: Casual
  • Good for Groups: No
  • Good for Kids: Yes
  • Takes Reservations: No
  • Delivers: No
  • Take-out: Yes
  • Waiter Service: Yes
  • Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
  • Outdoor Seating: Yes
  • Good for: Breakfast, Lunch
  • Alcohol: None

66 Reviews for Mani's Bakery & Cafe

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Photo of Alejandro E.

 

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1

Alejandro E.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
05/10/2008

This place is amazing! I love the staff, the food, the service, and the coffee is the freagin awesome. They also do a lot for charity! If you don't try this place at least once in your lifetime you'll never know the best breakfast in LA.
And...thanks to Cara Hilfer from every one at BACE Pilates!
Ciao
Alex Estornel

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Elite '08

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179

Linda N.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
05/01/2008

I wish they served breakfast earlier than 8am. I wanted to be naughty and get breakfast today but since I start my days pretty early, only their bakery section was open at 6:30am. I picked up a blueberry almond muffin and snicker doodle cookie. Yum! And it does feel healthier as many of the other reviews have mentioned. Lighter on the butter and no refined sugar can taste good! The blueberry taste shines through not masked by 2 lbs of sugar. I liked the snicker doodle. It was crunchy along the edges and a little more soft in the middle. I'm going to be a regular now.

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Photo of J B.

 

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70

J B.

Harbor City, CA

4 star rating
04/11/2008

Their pancakes are pretty good.

But I really like their cookies, especially the chocolate truffle heart cookie sandwich!  

It's great that they don't use refined sugar in their baked goods!

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668

Helen Y.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
04/27/2008

finally came here! all the pastries looked good but i decided to try the blueberry coffee cake -- it was alittle on the dry side but overall tasty.
i'll have to come back and get the dark chocolate mousse cake :)
the bf enjoyed his iced coffee with the coffee cake.

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12

courtney s.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
04/22/2008

Seriously, I would walk to the edge of the earth and back for their eggs florentine.  SICK! Pastries and muffins are to die for, the waiters could use a bit more training though. Not the most attentive people in the world I must say. Even still, I call in my order from Silverlake and drive over to get it when I need my fix.

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Suzanne L.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
03/20/2008

I love Mani's I just love it.  It is one of my Go-To Places for meeting with anyone at any time of day.

The location is near my house, but doesn't feel like I am being lazy... plus, there is people watching so it feels like a destination...

I love:  the bbq chicken wrap.  the almondine salad.  the almondine wrap.  the macaroons.  the lattes.  the soy lattes.  the tea lattes. the chocolate dipped cookies. the spicy cheese bread. the juices. the servers. the busyboys. the friendly, low-profile atmosphere.

I love to come here, even by myself.  I could wait hours for a window seat.  I can sit here looking out the window and not be the least self-conscious, even if I am all alone.

I love coming here when it rains.  Something about sitting in the window with the rain and cars is so east coast.

I love it.

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vanessa a.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
04/01/2008

Wow. I can't believe that I haven't come here before. Mani's is so good!

The place was slammed when we came here for lunch on Saturday afternoon so it was a little slow. Our waitress was really sweet and even chocolate dipped a macaroon for us since they were out of the chocolate ones. Our lunch was really good (artichoke salad and heuvos rancheros)  and the desserts (yeah, we got two desserts. Whatever. I'm not fat. Shut it!!) were awesome. If you're a lemonade person like I am, go nuts and try the strawberry mint variety. Yum!

Lunch, dessert, and coffee ran us almost $60.00 which is totally expensive, but it's worth it to treat yourself once in a while. You won't be disappointed.

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26

Cheri G.

Hollywood, CA

2 star rating
04/12/2008

I'm not sure where all of the high ratings are coming from but I've been here a few times and both times had the same less than desireable experiences.

On both occasions, service was so slow, we had to actually track down and find our server for things like napkins and more water which was strange because we went when it was practically empty.  The food took its time getting to us,  plus we waited forever for our check which never came.  I had to track down our server AGAIN. Which is ridiculous when there was no one else being served.  We had no idea where he'd run off to.

Also--they refused to make me a tuna melt on one occasion when its on the menu [disguised as an open-faced sandwich].  Come on, all I wanted was for it to have another piece of bread on it. How hard could that be? My server looked at me like I was asking him for the world.

Points for their chicken soup, which IS good. But the extra slow service combined with not being able to alter what I ordered...I will not come back here any time soon.

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9

Laura S.

Miracle Mile, CA

4 star rating
03/28/2008

Good food, slow service. They sweeten the sweeties with fruit juice reduction, barley malt, agave, maple, date sugar, and organic sugar, which generally means you can eat the whole sweetie and not feel gross!

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ida marie b.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
05/02/2008

wow.. all their pastries are made without refined sugar. i love it! their pastries are soooooo yummy. i recommend.. their shortbread (regular AND chocolate dipped), the peanut butter cookie (chocolate dipped), and the macaroons. for some reason.. the chocolate dipped macaroon was way better than the regular one, i'm talking about the actual coconut part. maybe it was just the batch i had or maybe they cook them different. ANYHOW.. i wanna come back for actual food next time. maybe. GET SOME PASTRIES HERE

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50

Aya S.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
03/22/2008

I hadn't been here in a long while (don't know why) but about a month ago and just the other night, I stopped by there to get dessert-to-go on the way home from dinner.

First of all, their Caramelized Apple Cake is delish! It's sort of addicting and that's why I got a slice again this time too. I'm not a vegan or anything and I usually don't care for desserts that are "good for you" but this one is quite good, I must say. Moist and very flavorful. I take some of the vegan soy cream cheese frosting off bc you really don't need that much frosting since the cake itself is rich/moist enough.

The Strawberry Forever Cake is also up there. It's almost (read:almost) like the healthy version of the triple berry cake from Sweet Lady Jane, which I love love love.

I used to love their Banana Crunch Cake but I haven't tried it lately but it's still on the menu so it must still be good, or better.

Also tried the Almond Roca Cake which is an almond cake with a thick chocolate truffle filling and covered in barley malt sweetened chocolate. From the outside, it almost just looks like a wedge of dark solid chocolate. Surprisingly, it's also delish, especially with a glass of cold almond milk! Really! That's what I drink.

The reason I didn't give 5 stars this time is bc the plain Chocolate Cookie my husband got was pretty awful. Like saw dust made into a cookie. The chocolate chips were flavorless too. I don't think their cookies have been "perfected" quite yet. I remember the cookies being blah when I used to come before.

But having said all those things, I'll keep coming back and I'd love to try their food here one of these days. The menu looks gooood!

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Campbell B.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
03/30/2008

I eat and get coffee here a lot.  The food is great but the service really sucks no matter what time of day you go.

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Alex M.

Boston, MA

4 star rating
03/16/2008

I'm saying no to wheelchair accessible because it's a pretty tight fit inside. They'd probably accommodate you at one of their outdoor tables though.

I got the Chocolate Raspberry Fortress cake. Anything involving fortress in the title pretty much makes me think, "well I AM STORMING THIS FUCKING CAKE WATCH ME." And I did. I pwned that cake. It was pretty delicious. I think I read the cake is made with barley, and you can tell something is different with the texture. It's a little drier, denser, than usual cake but good.

I also had some chamomile and it was a great bag, very fresh. Real whole flowers. Annoyingly I think they just tucked the bag under the lid so that when I took the lid off to add milk the tea started to float out of the bag. But whatever. Not bad.

The vibe in the cafe is pretty good. Most of the staff seem to be hippy hipster dudes, which I'm sure some folks would appreciate more than me. The rest of the patrons were really diverse. A lot of 50+ people, liberals, black women gossiping about something weird next to us, a preacher came by, a senior on a mac searching about a Prius. It seemed everyone knew each other and stopped to chat and hang and laugh. Not many people on laptops, too, which is a big plus for me in a cafe.

From what I saw of the menu, food looked okay but not amazing.

Verdict? Good cake, open late, and it's not full of other college kids which is an appreciable change for me.

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kristin b.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
03/26/2008

First off, I'm a Pacific Northwesterner and we take our coffee seriously. Not that Non-Pacific Northwesterners aren't coffee connoisseurs, but there are certainly a high concentration of coffee geeks up there. So when I moved to LA, I found that what most people considered coffee I considered an oil slick.

So when I went to Mani's on my lunch break and finished off my lunch with a mocha, I was hopeful. It was more chocolate than coffee, but it blew my mind. I could just sit there and smell it all day. I've had lattes and espresso there and it's very very good. Since I don't live anywhere near Silverlake and can't take weekly trips to Intelligista, this will do quite nicely.

As for the food, everything I've had is good. The wraps, the scrambles... the desserts aren't mind blowing, but they're quite good considering they're "good for you." The fact that most everything is good for you makes it a regular lunch destination for me.

If you're in the neighborhood and want a mind-blowing mocha, I suggest stopping by.

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Caitlin C.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
03/05/2008

I'm giving 5 stars for their turkey chili - it is awesome! I love it! Everything on top of that is just a bonus.

I've never actually been *to* the place, but I have had delivery (through one of the restaurant delivery services - for office lunches).

Turkey chili is my favorite, but they have really great sandwiches and awesome deserts (ooh... such a good cake with strawberries and cream!) The menu is pretty big with something for everyone, prices are reasonable and quality is consistent.

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115

Adrian B.

New York, NY

4 star rating
02/12/2008

A nice unpretentious cafe  a couple of blocks north of Wilshire with a friendly staff and owner .

You can eat inside or outside on the sidewalk. I had the turkey burger with baked fries. The salads are large and look delicious.

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56

Eric M.

West Hollywood, CA

5 star rating
01/31/2008

Though it's no longer 100% sugar-free, it's still pretty healthy... well, as healthy as sweets can be ;-) Yummy baked goods and a surprisingly complete and delicious menu... great for a Sunday morning muffin/coffee run, or lunch. And on a rainy day, you can't beat their soups, esp if you sit in one of the cozy window booths.

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Jenn S.

West Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
02/19/2008

Small Caesar Salad    $5.95- disgusting

Cup of Mni's Signature Chili- delicious! tastes like a healthy version of chili.

Venice California Burger ($11.95) - great burger
Fresh sliced avocados, grilled onions and melted cheddar cheese over your choice of patty with creamy dijonnaise dressing

New Mayan  ($9.95)- not so great wrap
Our zesty marinated chicken breast, mango, cucumber, tomato & mixed greens in a multi-grain wrap.

Chocolate Raspberry Fortress- great balance of sweet and tart.

Strawberry Forever- healthy tasting yellow cake with lots of strawberries. loved it!

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97

Marck n.

Emeryville, CA

4 star rating
02/17/2008

The chocolate cookie sandwich just made made me all smiles, filling the need for my sweet tooth.  Thank the goodness of vegan baking and desserts to fill in the need for my need for  sugar.  Now I have the chocolate cupcake left to devour, but I think I will take my time with this one, and savor each bite.   The sandwich just went down my enlarge throat, as I pushed it into my stomach as fast as I could.

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65

Lauren K.

West Hollywood, CA

4 star rating
02/12/2008

Although the name can be misleading for those of us who are sugar and treat'aholics- I would like to award Mani's 4 stars for their neighborhood charm.  When I am feeling in the healthy-seattle-coffee shop-reading mood this is a good place to feel like I am not in LA.

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Puneet k.

Park La Brea, CA

5 star rating
02/24/2008

Its great for breakfast ...
Highly recommend the pancakes and the house potatoes .. not together but you know those stand out ...

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Jeff H.

Park La Brea, CA

3 star rating
01/30/2008

The bakery counter has a wide selection.  I understand that they offer sugarfree and organic baked goods which is obviously more healthy, but the taste is, well, too bland for me.  I'm not a vegan or vegetarian, also I'm not an obese monster either.  I guess when I eat a cake or pastry, I'd like for it to be sweet.  That's just me.

Service is excellent.  The sandwiches and salads are very good.  The breakfast dishes are even better.

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Stephen K.

Park La Brea, CA

4 star rating
03/03/2008

so I think i finally found a neighborhood spot for a good latte...

a good latte meaning the kind served up by a barista in a large latte mug....w/ the foam frothed just right...as opposed to major chains where they think the point of foaming a latte is to make the coffee drinker look like a rabid dog...

the place is cozy...has good coffee, tasty muffins and the servers are nice...

parking is only available off street  which is a PITA since ur competing w/ LACMA parking and also overflow from the farmers market.

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Sophia L.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
11/03/2007

Healthy or bad for you? Healthy? Go here.

First of all let me proclaim: They have the best vanilla latte in LA. Smooth with a touch of vanilla. mmm.

"Do you have matches?" I asked the doe eyed pretty girl behind the counter.

"Is it for smoking? I have some." and she goes into the back.

Another one behind the counter, a pretty boy, greets me. I tell him that I'm already being helped. He says fine, and I swear he did the little kid pout they do when you decline to give them your attention! So so cute!  
The girl skips back  with a bic lighter (flick my bic!) and an ashtray! What a sweetie!  

My friend and I happily sip, smoke, and eat outside in the cool sunshine. This place has organic food which, I gather, is less available down here in LA as it is up north. Service was great, and we happily returned inside to get more goodies. I chatted up the pretty girl as we were getting some more goodies for our soldier friend. As we were leaving we see management putting up signs for us to vote them #1 somewhere.

"vote for us!"

"ok we will!"

I don't know what, where, or how to vote for them. If I knew, I'd vote for them for sure.
 
Get a latte, or some espresso, the spinach toss, and a bite of their walnut brownies.
Mani's hit the spot. :)

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Ani P.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
11/13/2007

A coffee joint that offers baked goods.  I know, nothing very new.  BUT they offer wheat free baked goods to go along with your latte or chai.  

Mani's is the type of place that I go to meet up with friends and chat over coffee.  I've never done a meal at Mani's.  I've also only ventured out in the afternoon or early evening.  The service is quick and I love the outdoors seating.

There's nothing exceptionally amazing about this place.  But seriously, it's a bakery and cafe, how amazing can it be??  I give it 5 stars for being forward allergic thinking and having wheat free alternatives.

Mani's rock on!

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sharleen e.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
12/09/2007

I love this place.  I have a food allergy to egg, so I unfortunately have to stay away from most baked goods (sigh).  Thank God for Mani's!  They have the best vegan carrot cake in town, and all of their desserts are labeled in the display case for those who have food sensitivities or special diets.  If I'm hungry for a meal, then I get the turkey bacon burger with mushrooms...so yummy.  

The service is also really great.  Everybody there is very kind.  Ray and Nico always welcome me with their smiling faces and new stories for me to hear.

Street parking is usually easy to find, however Friday nights are more difficult.

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69

Glenn M.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
08/31/2007

WOW! What a great vegetarian friendly and natural place to eat.

I love their Mayan Wrap.  I get it with Tofu instead and it is fantastic.  I wish they had more seating but if you go at the right time the place can be empty! Plus this is way better than Urth Cafe.

Make sure you take a look at their desserts.  You will want to eat them quick!  Since they don't have preservatives they go bad pretty quick.  At least you know everything is fresh.

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4 star rating
10/05/2007

I was impressed that food without sugar could taste yummy because once i tried to make a chocolate cake with prune juice and thought i would puke immediately.

The chocolate balls with cherry are yummers and so are the chocolate gingerbread hearts.

One star off because I still love sugar.

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27

Ana B.

Burbank, CA

3 star rating
06/20/2007

This place is ok.  I prefer the food at Urthe Cafe over Mani's and the Alcove.  Their portions are smaller but the quality is higher.  I'll save that for another review though.

Veggie Breakfast Wrap - 3 stars
The first time I had this, it was amazing. The veggie sausage was firm but not chewy, the vegetables were chunky and the chipotle marinade sauce was tangy.  Its a mix of chopped up veggie sausage, your choice of two sauteed vegetables (I get tomatoes and onions) with yukon gold potatoes, soft tofu and some sort of tomato-based spicy sauce all wrapped in a thin tortilla.  You also get a side of either fresh fruit or yukon gold home fries (which have been dry and greasy both times I've tried this dish.)

The second time something was off.  It didn't attack my taste buds like the first time and the sausage was too soft, I barely tasted it.  Oh well.

Strawberry Mint Lemonade - 5 stars
This was amazingly fresh and crisp.  A tall glass of perfect lemonade filled with fresh strawberry chunks and mint leaves.  I would go back and just for this

Atmosphere - 2 stars
Sitting inside is a bit cramped and stuffy, sitting outside is too loud because its on a busy street.

Service - 3 stars
It takes a long time for the waitress to take your order and even longer for you to get your food but the waitress was nice and apologized.

I'll probably go back and try the desserts and get more lemonade to go.  Their Arnold Palmer was good too from what I remember.  The bakery section looks tempting, everything is big and chocolaty and supposed to be healthier because they don't use refined sugar.

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theo n.

Park La Brea, CA

5 star rating
06/10/2007

A pretty girl and her balding friend sat next to us on the patio. We smiled and welcomed them. Then, my friend kicked me! Giovanni Ribisi had just walked by with his daughter. They waved at the couple next to us. My friend whispered that it was the guy from "My Name Is Earl." We started talking about Tom Cruise's Scientology video and his pusuit of craziness.

Suddenly, the mature man next to us interrupted us, "Excuse me, we're Scientologists. Lots of people have misconceptions about us. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have."

My friends declined and apologized for making them feel uncomfortable. We sat there looking down at our food, and then at each other. I started the-food-here's-pretty-good-huh and we continued with small talk.

Then Mr. Ribisi and his daughter waved bye to the couple as they exited Mani's. We paid our bill and walked away. My friend turned to me, "I should have known they were Scientologists since they knew Giovanni."

Damn, you never know who's who in LA.

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275

hj l.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
10/12/2007

Old school.

good breakfast burrito.

really friendly service.

"healthY" pancakes.

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reg t.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
06/20/2007

Mani's can be hit or miss,  but the lemon cake i bought last summer was a definite 5 star hit.  I had a mixed group with various tastes (Americans, Japanese and Europeans)... they all loved it. They were amazed to find a cake that was not too sugery-sweet and yet, so moist and rich.

The breakfast was above average, but the standouts are the salads, the veggie wrap and veggie-burger. Mani's smaller baked goodies are generally  well-made, although  the shortbread is far too dry.  

The service ranges from good to annoyingly distracted (e.g.  if a starlet or friend is seated).

Having eaten here a good number of times, my best advice would be to:

1. Avoid brunch hours unless you have a lot of time to kill (or get take-away)
2. Order your next birthday cake here if you are not a fan of super-sweet stuff.
3.  Stop in for afternoon snack: their salads are fresh, flavourful and HUGE.  
4. Beware of the soy teas...one tasted weak and very odd.
5. Try their herbal teas and juices. Yum!
6. Do ask about their under 400 calorie meals (if you want your cake and eggies, too).

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dawn t.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
02/25/2008

i used to work around the corner from mani's and we would frequent  for lunch...when we had the money.
they have the best veggie burger patty on the face of this planet... the "america's favorite" with a veggie patty can't be beat.
the problem with mani's is the $12.95 for the burger with fruit that i have to pay each time... and that's before a drink, tax, and tip...not to mention if i'm treating a friend.
last night we visited mani's for dinner...3 of us... my treat.... and in the end i  walked away $60.00 lighter.
now that's just ridiculous for a little neighborhood-y place that feels only a little bit nicer than a diner. i can go just about anywhere in los angeles and get a good veggie burger and side of fruit or fries for under 10 bucks with tax and tip included...
it's really small inside and can feel quite crowded in the morning... however the patio seating is nice.
the service has always been good... somehow they manage to hire really friendly servers...love that....
but i just can't get past the prices...

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49

Jessica L.

Park La Brea, CA

5 star rating
08/27/2007

The veggie breakfast burrito was excellent. We chose tomatoes, peppers, and spinach for ours, but there are many other choices as well. Best of all, the portion was actually human-sized and not the mammoth overkill I've come to expect from LA restaurants. The multigrain pancakes were pretty good too. Fairfax is louder than I expected (we sat outside) but not too horrible. Maybe I'll try inside next time. Delicious coffee!

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Scott K.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
04/07/2007

I was  a vegan for 4 years, but I only liked vegan treats that tasted like they weren't vegan.  Now that I eat the real thing, I thought I left unrefined sugars and carob blah blah behind, but the treats at Mni's not only taste vegan (even the ones that aren't actually), but they're really good!  Their coffee drinks are also good, and somehow taste kind of earthy in a way that compliments the eartiness of the treats.  It's kind of shocking that a place like this is open so late (it looks like the kind of yuppie place that closes at 6pm), but since I often get off work at 10pm or later really nearby, it's very convenient.

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Jennifer H.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
10/07/2007

Mani's gets five stars for the quality of the service. I've read a few of these other reviews that complain about it being slow, so maybe I'm lucky because I've never stuck around to eat. But everybody who works that counter is a sweetheart. I've had free samples doled out to me when I was struck incapable of making a decision, the recommendations I get are always spot on and everybody's just genuinely nice and happy to be there. As far as the food, if my other reviews ahven't tipped you off, I'm a bit of a health nut, so the chance to indulge sugar free is thrilling. No, the treats aren't as indulgent as Sweet Lady Jane's but you also don't finish your treat in a disgusting sugar coma. The carrot cake is delicious and the muffins are also rockin'. I can't speak to the restaurant portion of Mani's, but you should absolutely stop in and try one of their treats. Ask for a recommendation, they'll be helpful!

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Shira U.

Los Angeles, CA

4 star rating
12/26/2006

I go to Mani's when I'm looking for something tasty and I want to feel good about myself.  Usually I go here with my friend who actually eats healthy on a regular basis, and I've been pleasantly surprised (because even though I've been there before there's something about substituting for butter that makes me weary) every time.  Even the pastries, while definitely a less naughty version, are yummy with an afternoon cappucino.  It's also nice to go to a healthy restaurant that sells soda!  Some of us have addictions, after all.

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Elite '08

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Melissa A.

Sherman Oaks, CA

5 star rating
02/21/2007

That is a damn fine slice of cherry pie....No, I didn't have cherry pie there, but I did see Agent Dale Coopper of Twin Peaks fame (before he was Orson on Despirate Housewives), Kyle MacLachlan there this morning.

He did not order cherry pie.  They don't have cherry pie there.  But they do have a lot of other great fruit-juice sweetened cakes, cookies and pastries. Even my whole milk, butter, sugar addicted husband liked his eclair.

Their food is really good too.  I had a veggie egg white scramble with their lovely 9-grain bread and fruit.  The food there is healthy and doesn't taste like cardboard, which is a real bonus for a healthy restaurant.

There aren't a lot of tables so you might have to wait.

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Meghan M.

Los Angeles, CA

3 star rating
06/19/2007

I am unfortunately not a Mani's lover. I haven't tried the baked goods, so I'm willing to come back onelast time to do that, especially since they are "healthier," but the regular food is totally lackluster. I've been here for brunch and lunch, and I really feel like an idiot paying 10-15 bucks for dry eggs or a bland sandwich with dry meat. Everything here is simply meh! I have to fight with my roommate to not go here because we live so close, but why even bother coming here when so many other good restaurants are to be eaten at? My theory- too little time/money, too much good food elsewhere!

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Naia C.

CA

4 star rating
03/08/2007

It all started with a bed, or rather, a need for one.  I had just moved to LA and was scouring Craigslist for a cheap, nice bed.  I settled on a homemade wooden one with cool looking lights built into the headboard by a swell sounding guy named Karl.  When he came to drop it off, he mentioned that he was a manager at Mani's, a bakery on Fairfax.  Would I like to come work with him?

Well, thought I, I DO need a second job and DID have waitressing experience...why not? Sweet, a bed and a job in one swoop...yay, craigslist!!!

So to Mani's I went, learning how to make espresso, sell low and no sugar baked goods and realizing that as swell as Karl was, I really didn't want to waitress anymore (especially when I realized I could make twice as much in two hours tutoring kids in Ktown! Yay high SAT scores!).  Sooo..I quit after two days. oops.

But, I still do sometimes crave those no sugar added heart cookies with the incredibly rich and gooey chocolate mousse in the middle.  And the warm chicken almond salad with its tangy honey mustard dressing.  And the thick, hearty turkey chili....drool.  All in all, it's a good, if not stand out place for a Sunday brunch.  For that, it gets three stars.  For the fact that you can get cookies and other yummy things and make yourself feel like you're eating healthy cause of all the low carb/sugar/no wheat mumbo jumbo, it definitely gets a fourth one. Any excuse to make chocolate seem good for me is worth a star or two.

But I am so glad that I'm on the other side of the counter now.

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