Café Nouveau

This is a charming restaurant that is open for breakfast and lunch only closing at 2 PM. It's a favorite of the locals and fills up quickly. The food is exceptional as well as the service. Parking is a challenge. They have a very small lot or you have to park on one of the streets, but all parking is free. The menu has a nice variety.The salad that I had was exceptional and the pumpkin biscuits are to die for!

This place is lovely! So many amazing unique choices! Every bite was delicious. Very professional and friendly service. Atmosphere was very comfortable. I want to come back and try the entire menu! The maple bacon beignets were divine and reason to come here on their own.

I found this on my visit to Ventura. Just the hearty breakfast I was craving. Healthy, fresh choices and satisfied the sweet tooth as well. We arrived at the right time on Sunday morning that we got to sit right away. The wait staff were amazing, helpful, attentive, and friendly.

Wonderful service and lovely setting. Food was delicious, fresh, tasty. Best cup of restaurant coffee in ages! Parking is tricky...but well worth a little stroll.

This is a hidden gem!! We are happy we stumbled on this amazing place, the food was so delicious that we ended up bringing friends back not only for breakfast but showed up for dinner too. The service was amazing and very friendly, so we will be coming up here again and recommending all our friends to stop by.

This place is always busy so I expected something good. I finally took my wife here at 10am on a Thursday and walked right in with no wait. From the street sidewalk we were greeted and asked “inside or patio” we requested patio and he asked us to walk around the corner on the sidewalk and he let us onto the very private patio. That experience felt a little bizarre, a bit like a speakeasy from 150 years ago. We were immediately seated at a table in a private nook. Our server Jason lit the fire pit in the center of our table. I asked for coffee and had hot coffee on the table within 30 seconds while he went to get us iced water. The service here from Jason was incredible. It really made our experience wonderful. Our food was good, probably and 8 or 9 out of 10 but the experience was as absolutely at 10. The patio is beautiful and private. We spent $59+tip for 2 breakfasts and 2 coffees. I will absolutely come back.

We visited this place this morning. We had been here before and never had any complaints until today. We arrived and, as always, the welcome was very warm and they made us feel at home. However, the first issue was the coffee — it had no flavor, the water was barely tinted. Then the main dishes arrived, and everything came out cold; not a single plate was served hot. We also have a 5-year-old daughter, and we had to order an adult plate for her because they don’t offer any kids’ options. I think this will be the last time we visit this place.

A great menu full of interesting, well prepared food. We had a great server as well, a true professional. The only downside for us, is that that the inside dining areas are fairly small, the place seems like a home that was converted into a restaurant and the dining areas are in what used to be rooms in the house. Those rooms are mostly hard surfaces, glass windows, hard table tops, hard ceiling, so the noise level is pretty high. You could probably ask for a quiet table and find one if you were looking for a quieter experience. But overall, service was very crisp and attentive, food came out quickly, my friend had a delicious frittata with bacon, caramelized onions, and Gorgonzola cheese topped with an arugula salad. Really, really good.

(A late review of my experience last Mother's Day, but this place deserves the love!) My family has been going to Café Nouveau since my 11-year-old son was a baby, and it has always been a special place for celebrations. Naturally, it was the perfect choice to celebrate Mother's Day last year! Everything was perfect. We were seated at a wonderful, tucked-away table that felt like our own little garden oasis--so serene and peaceful, exactly what I love when enjoying a meal. Our server was exceptional--joyful, kind, and incredibly attentive, especially when it came to making sure everything went smoothly while dining with kids. We always have a delightful experience here, whether it's a special occasion or an intentional, fun outing in our PJ's for breakfast--a memory my family cherishes. Oh, and the sweet potato biscuit? A must! My kids love it so much they refuse to share.

Everything you could want and more!! I had EGGS BENEVILLA- swapped for Pork Tamale with hollandaise sauce and avocado. It was AMAZING!!!!!! And Gluten Free- extra points! My friend had the Chili Relleno Omelette and loved it too!! The beignets are also a MUST!! Incredibly delicious.

Food is amazing, that deserves a 5 star! Only reason I'm giving it a 4 star is because the services wasn't the greatest. The orange juice is an 8oz cup for $8 a cup & NO refills! I was blown away, at least give one refill. Ambiance is peaceful but chilly during this time of the year. A little heater would have been nice. :)

Cafe Nouveau came up as a highly rated restaurant in the area and I took a gamble suggesting this restaurant to my group for New Year's Day and a birthday breakfast for my family. I highly hoped it would deliver. Driving up, the restaurant parking is off the restaurant property. We needed to cross the street to walk to the restaurant. There was a crowd outside and thought it was a good sign, but the wait was going to be long. The vibe was a garden cafe on the outside, being surrounded my cool plants and trees. There are no seats for waiting, just a ledge and it's right along the sidewalk. Inside feels chic, with European noir art and cool stained glass tables. We had maple bacon beignets and New England clam chowder for starters. The beignets are a must have! The chowder was also pretty good, through I prefer my chowder to be on the thicker side. I ordered the Oreo cookie pancakes with hash browns, eggs and bacon. The Oreo cookie pancakes are no joke! There is literal Oreo cookies on top of the pancakes along with crème and chocolate syrup. I was only able to get half of it down before the sweetness became overwhelming. The hash browns, eggs and bacon were perfect! The hash browns were nice and crunchy on the outside. My party also really enjoyed the fish and shrimp tacos! The experience was enjoyable, the food was great and the service was super helpful and attentive! I would come back and try more menu items in the future! Definitely recommend!

My first time at cafe nouveau was great. I took my mom and saw a lot of people waiting. Since it was just us two they seated us quickly on the outside patio which my mom loved. Though it's French themed, I tried their matcha pancakes which aren't really French but nonetheless, they were delicious. I wasn't expecting them to be as large as they were so you can definitely share. My mom had a coffee with regular pancakes and we both enjoyed. Next I will try their beignets. Service was decent the gentleman that served us at first was very kind. The gentleman brought us the food didn't seem too thrilled to be there but he still was attentive. Overall I'd come back

Cafe Nouveau not only serves amazing, unique dishes, but is a beautiful oasis right on a Main Street in Ventura. We luckily got on the waitlist and timed our arrival perfectly so we didn't wait terribly long for a table for three. We opted to sit on the patio and were let in through a side door. There was an umbrella covering all the tables not located under the beautiful pergolas. It really felt cozy and comfortable, even though it was about 55 degrees and it has rained earlier that morning. Our server was nice and patient with us when we asked about the menu. I ordered the bananas foster French toast, my fiancé the eggs ranchero, and we ordered our kiddo 2 eggs and sausage (he shared my French toast with me). We also ordered some coffee, which hailed from the Santa Barbara Roasting Company, and it was a pretty good brew! We ordered milk for our son, which was served in a cup with a lid and straw. Our food came out after about 20 minutes (Nouveau is BUSY on Sunday mornings, for good reason!), and everything was fresh and delicious. The bananas with my French toast weren't too mushy, and the whole thing wasn't too sweet, which I was grateful for. The whipped cream was probably my kid's favorite part of it, haha! Definitely a must try! The tamale in the eggs ranchero was SO GOOD. It's made in house, and you could tell with how fluffy the masa was and how filled it was. It's also served with probably some of the best restaurant salsa I've ever had. I asked our server if they sold the salsa separately, and unfortunately they don't ;-; I feel that tamales frequently make appearances on menus, but are rarely executed beautifully. This was a beautiful tamale, and all its accompaniments were amazing! The prices are a little more than what we're used to for brunch, but this little piece of heaven is worth the splurge every so often! The aesthetic and vibe plus the food at Cafe Nouveau will make you want to never leave. We can't wait to come back soon!

It was early in the morning and we were driving back home from a Santa Barbara weekend trip. We were feeling like a good breakfast spot and found a few in Ventura. We passed a few spots and based on the wait outside it seemed like we weren't the only ones the same idea. We finally decided on stopping in at Cafe Nouveau. Best decision ever! Beignets, Chilaquiles, Chorizo Jalapeño Omelette, Fresh coffee and it was heaven with every bite. If I had the room I would have ordered the entire menu. The folks were all super great, friendly and accommodating. The service was super tentative. The cafe was quaint, comfy, shnazzy, creative and fun. We did t want to leave. Keeping it simple in the hopes that you'll go check it out for yourself. Enjoy! You'll thank me later.

The Maple Bacon Beignets are A MUST to start with. They are sweet and savory deliciousness! I ordered the Spinach Feta Wrap and it's always so flavorful. This is my go to. I never finish it so you can share. And as the side ALWAYS Au gratin potatoes. They are the best. Creamy and so good. Even when they're, they usually are, the service is not sacrificed. They are so friendly like you're the only take they're waiting on. Coffee stays full and anything else you need. The inside is nice to sit but I love the peaceful outside vibe. Such a great way to have a delicious relaxing breakfast on a Saturday morning.

We heard such good things about Cafe Nouveau for brunch, we had to give it a try (especially after the outstanding dinner we enjoyed there). We got on the wait list through Yelp when we were about 10 minutes away. Big help - we got the last available patio table because they held it for us. The patio is even nicer to dine on for brunch than it was for dinner. We decided to start off with the maple bacon beignets (4 for $9). For reasons I don't understand, they are not on the menu but can be ordered with no problem. And they are delicious. I ordered the banana pecan waffle ($17). It is a large waffle covered with a cut up whole banana and a serving of maple syrup. Delish! My wife got the Nouveau scramble ($21). A huge portion with eggs, potatoes, a white bean, and a type of chip. Comes with a large blueberry muffin. Good but nothing special. A wonderful spot for a patio brunch on a nice day.

An absolute gem! This restaurant is absolutely charming and cozy. We came here on a Sunday morning and it was an easy, short wait despite how busy it was. Our server was great and checked on us often to make sure we didn't need anything. The food was delicious! You can't leave without trying their beignets; it's a must! I look forward to coming back!

Food was great, service even better. Very dog friendly and accommodating. We would return here next time we are in town

The food is fab and the folks are rad! Do yourself a favor and check out Cafe Nouveau.

One of the best places for breakfast. I hadn't been in a really long time. Used to go when the 2x2x2 breakfast was $9.99. It's now $22.95!! No breakfast dish is under $20! The food is amazing but it's a place to go only for a special occasion. I gave 3 stars for that reason only. It's just way too expensive.

Yummm!!! As always, can depend on my yelpers in finding this gem!! We ordered: maple bacon beignets, egg benevilla, and the banana fosters pancakes! Everything was delicious!! The maple bacon beignets were crunchy, with a nice maple glaze, bacon bits, and dusted in powdered sugar. The egg benevilla was a twist on the traditional eggs Benedict, in which the poached eggs sat on top of some fried crispy cheesy tamales. It was so flavorful and loved the contrasting textures with every bite! The pancakes were gigantic and super fluffy. The banana fosters topping complemented the pancakes well. The only thing I wish is for the ability to do a half order of pancakes here. Although it was good, it was too much of it for one order. Our server, Jason, was the best! He was SO friendly and came by often to check on us. My little girl even kept commenting about how nice he was and how much she liked him (haha). Ambiance was super cute in the patio area that looked like a garden. Would definitely recommend this place!

We were looking for a place to have brunch on the way back home to LA from Santa Barbara and came across this popular place in Ventura. The parking situation was a little confusing they have a lot across the street but we unknowingly parked in the neighborhood nearby. We got there quite early before there was any line, but they have a Yelp waitlist, which is always a huge plus. The inside of the restaurant makes you feel like you are right at home. All the staff we interacted with were kind and attentive throughout. They have all the brunch classics on their menu and we ordered the classic Pancakes and Eggs Benedict. Both were solid picks overall, and one thing I enjoyed was the special house syrup that came with the pancakes.

The food is always good. The service is Top notch with Carlos and his wonderful crew. The ambiance is comforting, like your eating at family home either inside or outside that comfort is always there. When your there your family.

My second time there the brunch was better than the lunch in my opinion. Food was delicious and service was great. Warm homey ambiance.

Update: Went on a busy Sunday and the food quality was still amazing!! We were seated and served quickly. This place is still hands down one of the best breakfast places in Ventura.

Have tried this spot a couple of times and, although they seem to get a lot of traffic, it's low quality food and inattentive service. The atmosphere can be nice, but the experience is diminished by the low energy of the staff and the disappointing food.

Favorite breakfast in town. So cute! Love the garden feel and easy to find parking if you park in the neighborhood. There can be quite a wait so make sure to join the waitlist if coming on a weekend. MUST GET BEIGNETS!!! Also love the blueberry corn muffin that comes with most of the egg dishes. Just always consistently good, and staff is extremely friendly. Patio is pup friendly!

This restaurant was a block away from the motel my fiancé and I were staying at so we decided to check it out for breakfast. We arrived around 10am on a Friday and were immediately seated inside. We ordered the churro French toast, plain pancakes, and a side of bacon. Portions are huge!! The pancakes were nice and fluffy. The churro French toast was presented beautifully and was very tasty. Service was great! Bummed we didn't get to try the lunch/dinner menu but I'm sure we'll be back!

Start with the coffee flavored water. Please don't cut corners with the coffee. I ordered the egg feta spinach wrap. It was so greasy and I didn't notice any eggs. My guess is they cooked the feta to where it became liquified. A hint to the cooks, cook the eggs and spinach first crumble some feta at the very end. My son pancakes were awful. I give this restaurant a 2 out of 10.

One of my favorite brunch places when I visit my boyfriend. The beignets are delicious! I love the atmosphere of the restaurant. The colors are beautiful and there is so much foliage.

Location is pretty cool, kind of hidden if you're not from the area. The parking lot is across the street from the restaurant. Be prepared for a wait because this place does get pretty busy. For Starters- I would get the beignets. It was light, airy and fluffy. The sauce that came with it on the side was really good. Ended up taking the food to go (see below at service what happened). The ahi burrito was good, the tortilla was a little thick so it was somewhat dry. The wasabi sauce was amazing and went well with the burrito. Service - Decent, always checking to see if we needed a refill, but when it came to our order we waited an hour+ minutes for our food when the tables around us that came after us already had gotten their food. Seemed like the server forgot to input our order. Once our food finally came out we had asked for to-go containers since we had places to be, the server just rudely drops two small containers that couldn't even fit our food in. The owner/manager after I asked the status of our food seemed apologetic and tried to rectify the situation. He packed our food for us in size appropriate containers and apologized and told us it was on the house. I'll come back to try their other foods and hopefully the service will be better next go around.

Such a cute quaint spot for a wonderful meal.... Our server was extra helpful and explained meals to a TEE!! I had the pablano Del Mar, perfecto, and my husband had the Barcelona burger with eggs, hash browns and biscuit Of course our mimosa's complimented our meal!! And by the way, DOG FRIENLY!!

So delicious! Everything was tasty the service was great and quick and the outdoor patio is just extremely charming. The tropical iced tea is also really good! The only bummer is that they no longer give you those little pastries they used to bring when they would give you the check. They were so delicious!

Great food, great service! We came back a second time while passing through Ventura! Beautiful decor and outside seating as well!

The breakfast dishes were delicious and our waiter was so enjoyable to talk to. The lighting was great with a full house on 1/1/25. Also a big thanks to the wonderful man who brought us breakfast as he celebrated his birthday today.

First time we've eaten at Cafe Nouveau. Menu has a lot of items so it hard to choose. All of the food we tried was very good. The server was excellent. Recommend trying if you have not tried it before.

Went here for my birthday breakfast and it did not disappoint. The ambiance was great and I got to bring my dog (patio seating only). Our waiter was engaging and friendly but I can't remember his name. Our food was good-not over the moon- but it was tasty. We ordered the banana chocolate chip pancakes and the breakfast sandwich and shared that amongst two people. I've been on the weekends before and it can get very packed so parking is rough but they do have a few (very few) designated parking spots across the street now.

THE BEST BREAKFAST JOINT IN ALL OF VENTURA/ OXNARD AREA. Seriously, this place is no joke. A 10 out of 10. Came by on a Saturday and joined the waitlist on Yelp around 9:50am. By 10am, we were being seated. Service from the host to the waiter was SPECATCULAR. We were here celebrating a birthday so all of this was just a plus for us. I went with a Denver Omlete and I must say that dish must of the best I have ever had. The ham was amazing in the omelet and all of the ingredients were of quality. Portion was HUGE and worth every penny. My girlfriend got the Banana Foster French Toast and I kid you not those were also the best I have ever had in my life. SO MUCH FLAVOR. Overall beyond pleased with our breakfast here. Please be sure to consider this local joint when your in the mood for breakfast, brunch, and lunch. You will not regret checking them out. Thanks Cafe Noveueau!

I've not been here for about one year. Made a point to enjoy this place again And it was great! Same great ambiance, sat in the garden outside. Same good quality of food !

This is my hands down favorite "special" breakfast place in Ventura. I have yet to have a bad experience. There is always a wait on weekends and sometimes on weekdays, so not the place to go if you are in a hurry. Once you eat their delicious food you will understand the reason so many locals can't stay away. I'm a huge fan of almost every meal I've ever tried. The sweet potato biscuits and blueberry corn muffins are creative takes on traditional breakfast staples. Every time my boyfriend and I go we share something new and the arugula gorgonzola and bacon frittata (I keep trying new things but just can't quit that one!) They have beer and wine and mimosas and (I think soju) bloody Mary's. The decor inside the house and in the garden is very pleasing. As would be expected, there is a lot of Art Nouveau artwork on the wall, the tables and the furniture and bathrooms run along that same theme too. The garden is so lovely! Started by the same proprietor that owned Pete's Breakfast House - another Ventura restaurant with a cult following.

I really loved how attentive, upbeat and kind the servers are. Everyone is pitching in and helping each other. I am new to Ventura County, so I am really exploring based on Yelp reviews and I truly liked the energy here. I will be bringing my family when they visit. I ordered the Moco Loco a Hawaiian dish, and as the server Hector said the sauce was delicious. The mushrooms were perfect with the perfect amount of onions. The coffee was solid too.

The food is always delicious (even though I get the same order every time) the eggs creole is delicious. Lots of mimosa options. The staff is always on top of everything we always get good service from host to waiters. The ambiance of the restaurant is so cute I love sitting outside in the garden area (unless you don't like little birds sit inside) inside has pretty decor as well.

Great food and if you get the terrace spot, it's not too noisy; so a great place to catch up with friends or go on a date. Inside was really busy and lively, but everyone seemed happy. Service is really friendly and attentive, even with our terrace table being somewhat isolated from the others. This place also had one of the nicest bathrooms I've ever seen, and I now have inspiration for my future house. Food was bomb - highly recommend the eggs creole with au gratin potatoes if you like crab cakes and eggs Benedict. My friend got the brioche French toast, and the slices were super thick. I love the vibe here - it's a bit more on the pricey side but a really delicious brunch.

Delicious! Worth the extra cost to me. Stunning plates. Lovely patio. Kind wait staff.

Great food and ambiance. I highly recommend the sweet potato biscuit. Service has been good as well.

Great Ambiance!!! Large Portions, good food quality. A bit $$$ but definitely worth the money.

Finally got back to this restaurant after six years prior to Covid. We were lucky we got there early I think about nine on a Sunday so we got in pretty easy. It was rather cold outside so we sat inside. When we left, you should've seen the line. I love the decor very art deco. Our server was Victor. He was excellent. Make sure we had coffee, water, etc. They have such a large menu was so hard to order. I had the bacon avocado omelette potatoes, and I chose the blueberry corn muffin. It was very different and had lots of blueberries in it. My husband had chili Verde omelette with crispy hashbrowns, which he loves. He had a sweet potato muffin again very unusual. The coffee was OK. The bathrooms are very unique as to the decor. Good for Family especially outside.

Place was really busy on a Saturday. A friend and I went for brunch and they were great! We were seated after a short wait but keep in mind wait time varies depending on when you go since they are soo popular. Big menu with lots of delicious options. I went with the huevos rancheros and it was very good. Would have liked some extra tortillas but most places never give you enough. My friend has a gluten allergy and the wait staff was very nice and accommodating to his allergy. They made sure to relay the information the kitchen and he was able to enjoy a corn blueberry muffin that he said was very tasty. Would have to come again to try more things on the menu.

Great ambience, amazing food, friendly customer service They have both indoor and outdoor seating never disappointed

Very very busy place! But I'm grateful that they had the yelp waitlist where I joined at home then just drove over when it got close to top of the list. We picked this place because of the matcha pancakes and they were definitely worth the try! Not too sweet not too much matcha, just right I got the California breakfast burrito. It was OK. Not the best but came with a lot of fruit on the side which helped make my meal feel very balanced!

Yummyliciousness lots on the menu. You gotta try the beignets! Will definitely go back!

Best service and brunch experience. Lovely hidden secret garden vibes that make the breakfast experience one that you want to repeat.

This place has a beautiful patio and is pet friendly. It's as if I walked into a secret garden. The food is good and staff are very courteous and helpful. A+ for customer service. We had the chicken fried steak, 2 eggs breakfast, and chile verde with eggs. Their muffin was delicious. One of the most memorable and loved restaurants so far in Ventura. Definitely will be on my list of must-visit eateries in this city. Breakfast was wonderful here and I hope to come back to try their lunch menu.

I want to begin this review by stating that the low review is ONLY because of the prices. The service was wonderful, the ambiance is charming, the food was yummy...but the prices are absurd. We won't be returning. Three of us had breakfast. We ordered: blueberry pancakes, w/side of hash browns 2 breakfast sandwiches that came w/ hash browns 1 cup of coffee I paid $81. That is ridiculous. They charged me $8 for a side of hash browns. The serving size was the palm of my hand. They charged $20 for 2 medium sized pancakes w/ a handful of blueberries. $5 for a cup of regular coffee. I understand that prices have gone up, I really do. This however, is beyond a normal markup. I would love to go back to Café Nouveau, but frankly, I can't justify the price for what they provided.

I love Cafe Nouveau! Always so delicious and love to sit outside on the beautiful patio. You definitely can not come for breakfast and not start off with the amazing beignets! I absolutely love the peanut butter bacon banana French toast sandwich! Such a lovely restaurant to enjoy great food with friends and family! I always recommend this delicious restaurant!

2nd visit : so far amazing service . The mimosa is delightful and hot chocolate delicious in the cold weather . We got seated in this nice corner spot kinda separated from the rest which was really nice on this mother day . Food was absolutely delicious!