San Marino Cafe & Marketplace

Still one of my favorite neighborhood cafes and have been coming back for years. I discovered this gem on a bike ride & it was love at first sight, then at first bite. The sandwiches and the lemonade are the showstoppers but everything is fabulous.

2024 Update: Service was friendly, and I still very much enjoyed my quiche and lavender latte. But the $25 marketplace panino was totally a ripoff… —————————————————————————- We came on a Sunday during lunch time, and it was already packed. Not gonna lie, that immediately gave me a good feeling about this place. I assumed that the food must be good. We opted for two drinks (one iced latte, one peach oolong iced tea) a breakfast burrito (added ham), a scoop salad, an acai bowl, and a bowl of chili to share. All pretty good. Breakfast burrito was flavorful, veggies were fresh and crisp! And omg I loved their homemade vinaigrette salad dressing. I plan to go back and see if they will sell a bottle to me. So good! Acai bowl was also delish. I enjoyed the meal. The only complaint would be the drinks, they were kinda watered down. They didn't have much flavor. Downside? Service was good and bad. We loved the lady who took our order, she was sweet and friendly. We ordered to go, and she told us it would take about 20 ish mins. She even suggested we could either check out the area or have a seat outside while waiting. She was a sweetheart. Very accommodating. However, when we went back to collect the food, the server who handed the food to us, she seemed a bit absent-minded. She repeated the items that we ordered, and she still FORGOT our bowl of chili. :"(( not to mention when she handed over our food, I said thank you and she walked away without a response. All in all, I like this place. Even though everything was on the pricy side, I enjoyed the food. Would recommend to my girlfriends!

A cute and folksy little cafe in a beautiful city of San Mariano where the famous Huntington Library is located. I love the vibes and charm of this Main Street where most of the local good shops and restaurants congregate. We have been dining in the neighboring Julianne restaurant, but never been here. We met a friend for lunch and glad to have a chance to experience their friendly service and the good food. We ordered our food first and then the waiter brought our food to us later. There are several tables outdoor. During lunch time, it’s hard to find a table. Most people are here for take out orders. The restaurant has very good salad selections. My wife and I ordered their San Marino salmon salad and their marketplace salad. Both tasted delicious. The vinaigrette dressings were so good that mixed well with the chicken and the salmon. I saw the menu offered many other deli salads as well. Although we didn’t have a chance to try their sandwiches and paninis, our friend told us that they are very good. Will definitely try them next time. With the excellent and friendly service, I don’t have any gripes about this place except with the wait for our food. We had to wait around half an hour before our food came out. Parking is main on the street in front of the restaurant.

Great cafe in a popular part of town. Friendly quick service with quality drinks and food. Has outdoor patio and indoor seating. Tried their lentil soup (very savory and satisfying!) and their spicy chai latte (not too sweet or spicy, a good blend). Great place to relax and chat, definitely recommend!

The food was well made but the friendliness and warmth from the staff was missing. Starting with the fair haired pretty young looking woman with the tattoo on or near her neck. I placed my order with her at the counter. I don't believe it had anything to do with my gender or ethnicity since I could hear Spanish speaking people in the kitchen and saw a black waitress. Maybe I need to chalk it up to San Marino snottiness. I had the scrambled eggs with country potatoes, bacon, toast and a coffee. I selected a catsup when I got up to get cream and raw sugar from a bin along with a napkin. Waited for some butter and jam to arrive with my meal but finally flagged down and asked her from above after eating a half dry toast that was very good knowing that the butter would not melt on the other half, it's a shame but determined to eat put some on my toast. I was never told that there are refills on the coffee which was good but once it got cold it was acidic in taste. I won't be coming back here even though on my way to and from work I go by there all week long.

Ecstatic that my friend found this place and shared it with me. Although I'm not normally in this neighborhood, I will come back just to eat here. I very much enjoyed the Figgy Piggy Panini with salad that I had and am looking forward to trying their other sandwiches. Street parking can be a little difficult depending on the time of day you come, but they do have a small lot right behind. As their name states, marketplace, they also carry a selection of spices and wines for sale. I'm not much of a coffee drinker, but they have a full coffee bar. A lot more outdoor seating than indoor seating and a single, shared gender bathroom.

Nice little place for breakfast or lunch. My panini was tasty, super classic. The double coffee cups were gigantic and the coffee was really good. The muffin was just ok. There are several other drinks in the fridge and assorted pastries. Thery also offer a variety of salads for lunch and sandwiches that looked amazing. The price was ok. Service was right.

I stop by SM cafe about once a month at least. It’s in such a quaint little neighborhood, there’s always outdoor seating, shade, and a comfortable area to meet up friends for lunch. I’ve had a few of their sandwiches but I actually love their chicken scoop salad the most. I don’t love the name but the serving size is great and the onion bacon dressing is everything. I haven’t had the chance to stop by for dinner but I can imagine how nice it would be during the summer evenings.

I'm a big fan of San Marino/Fiore! I love stopping by for a quick fix whenever I'm in the area. My favorite is the roast beef sandwich. It's so popular that it often sells out! Karina always suggests checking Fiore if it's unavailable, and she's always right. I also can't get enough of the Asian chicken salad. It's so generously portioned I can easily enjoy it for both lunch and dinner. If you're ever in the area, this spot is a must-try. It's tucked away on a quiet corner, making it the perfect little escape

I visited San Marino Cafe and had a wonderful experience. I ordered the breakfast burrito with ham and a matcha latte, both of which were splendid. The breakfast burrito was hearty and flavorful, and the matcha latte was the perfect blend of creamy and refreshing. My friend ordered the breakfast baguette and was very satisfied with the quality. The cafe also boasts a lovely patio, which was absolutely perfect for a fall brunch on a Sunday. Even though you're outside, this neighborhood is quiet and you won't have loud cars interrupting your conversations. There's a big parking lot in the back, making it convenient in case you can't find street parking.

Came here when headed to the library and it was perfect. The building is cute and the parking was plentiful on a Sunday around noon. We were able to head in a grab a seat once we ordered. I ordered the pesto chicken sandwich and a Diet Coke and the sandwich was perfect. The chicken was moist and not overcooked and the bread was so soft. I will probably dream about this bread for a while. This place is super quaint and there were a number of folks studying/working as well as some socialization happening. It seems like a great place to do all of the things as their beverage menu includes coffee and alcohol as well as bottled/canned soft drinks. Overall, this place was just what I was looking for and I am happen we got a chance to stop.

One of the best iced mocha in town! I rarely satisfy with any iced mocha in LA after my years in San Jose, but this one here is good... Not too sweet and still have a good combination of coffee and chocolate taste... The sandwiches are good too, especially like their roast beef sandwich. A quiet store is the tiny downtown area of San Marino, the people are always friendly and lots of locals do their morning walk with dogs and stop by for coffee.

Their salads are delicious and huge! Also enjoy their drinks here. Service is quick and friendly. Indoor and outdoor seating. Free parking lot and street parking too!

Rich and robust iced coffee coupled with a fantastically delicious breakfast burrito. Combination of scrambled Eggs, potato and cheddar with a zingy salsa was a mouthwatering fiesta. No exaggeration!! My friend had the Asian salad which seemed to be on every table. If you're in a rush, this isn't the place to pop by during lunchtime unless you've ordered takeout online. We had plenty of time, and the tasty freshly prepared lunch was definitely worth the wait. We split the pear Frangipane/tartlette. How good was it? Next time we're not sharing!

Boy were they busy on Saturday afternoon! Everyone who was working was hustling I'll tell you THAT much! My egg sandwich was simple and also missing something... not much to write home about, however my friend ordered the Marketplace Panini and devoured it! We both had several refills on our Iced Teas - which was refreshing and strong! This place has seating indoors as well as on the sidewalk and also in the entryway. Some of the tables on the sidewalk have umbrella for shade. Extensive wine selection here and the deli looked perfect for anyone wanting to pick up something as a grab-and-go. Respectfully Reviewed.

We stopped by on a Sunday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed a peaceful lunch with perfect weather! Service was great and the food was fantastic. I had their chop salad with roasted chicken and it was so fresh and delicious! Will definitely be back soon!

This was my first time at this cafe and I really enjoyed the breakfast egg sandwich. It was buttery and delicious! Also got the Spicy Chai Latte which was good but next time I think I'll ask to brew my chai a little bit longer for richer flavor. Service was quick and friendly. This cafe is obviously a frequent jaunt for local residents as I noticed lots of familiar banter between the customers and the servers. It's a perfect setting for an intimate indoor or outdoor meetup. Will definitely be back.

Love this hidden gem of a cafe! Food is delish! Will be going back to try more items from their menu! Super friendly and fast service. Cute outdoor seating and table. Lovely atmosphere :) There is ample parking outside the establishment (angled parking) and if that runs out, you can park on the streets :)

I really wanted to love this place.....cute spot, a lot of street parking available, nice employees, and very clean! But it was all very bland! I ordered the marketplace panini that came with a side salad which was fresh and the vinaigrette dressing was delicious (why I put 3 stars instead of 1) but the actual sandwich was so tasteless. The chicken had no flavor, so didn't the bacon! I'm not sure if it was off day but for the price it was not worth it at all. Just tasted bread. I also ordered an ice matcha was also so tasteless, very disappointing. Probably will never come back.

Despite some reviews saying the food was very mediocre, especially considering the price, I ended up coming here because I wanted something fresh but not a salad, and quick, that was on the way to my ultimate destination. The peaceful outdoor AMBIENCE was definitely a contributing factor. Free 2-hour street PARKING. (I came on a weekday at noon, so I can't speak for weekend traffic.) PRICE: Pay with cash to shave off 4% - you'll still end up paying $20 for a whole sandwich. FOOD: Got the Harissa Tuna Salad Sandwich (Whole): I could do without the olives but I'm glad it has crunchy bits of cucumber, and the sandwich also has lettuce and sliced tomatoes. Chose this over the chicken salad sandwich just because I wanted something a bit different, and the Harissa did that for me. - comes with side salad (good balsamic dressing - sweeter with some jam-like chunks of onion?)

15.00$ for an egg salad sandwich. Need I say more. What a joke. I'm really shocked how these businesses stay in business. I really want to support local shops but not when they a ripping me off. No thanks.

I always drive by this cute little cafe and finally stopped by the other day. I've only tried it once but I would say it's pretty average food and over priced. I ordered the bodega breakfast burrito and added avocado which came out to $20. I also ordered two lattes which put me at $37. The vanilla cold brew wasn't great but the honey cinnamon latte was fantastic. Staff was friendly and the cafe was clean. My favorite part of this experience was sitting outside and enjoying the peace and quiet small city.

Service was good. Food was definitely overprice d for what you receive/flavor but the staff definitely carry.

Staff is really nice. Food is good. But heads up -- a chicken panino to go, w/ tax, tip, & no drink $30? I get it -- everything has gone up but... Same goes for muffins (pretty small), croissants, bottles of wine etc. All at a premium.

Seriously?? Almost 40 bucks for a breakfast burrito with runny egg and a breakfast sandwich that's just a barely improved version of a Starbucks bacon and gruyere microwaved sandwich. Hostess was very nice, and outside seating area is nice, BUT food is subpar.

My visit to San Marino Cafe & Marketplace was a letdown. The overpriced & underwhelming sandwich, the tasteless soup, and the deceptive menu left me feeling unsatisfied and disappointed. Food Presentation: The sandwich was served wrapped up in paper, no plates. The soup came in a paper cup with a plastic spoon. The overall sandwich and soup combo came out to be a whopping $31, and was very underwhelming. Service: The only service is when they drop off your food wrapped in paper to your table and that's it. They don't check in or say anything. $21 Sandwich: They advertised their Marketplace Panini as "Top 100 in California!" But it tasted just average and was overpriced, like a baguette sandwich you can get at Panera bread but 2x more expensive. In addition, the menu board advertised all their sandwiches served with a house salad by default. However, once you pay $4 extra to add a soup, they take away the salad and replace it with a mild lentil soup. That's considered a substitution, not an addition as the menu states. Overall, the San Marino Café is Located in a pleasant and pretty neighborhood. Food wise, their sandwich and soup are not worth the high prices.

We came by during the Golden Streets bicycle and running event taking place in South Pas on Mission. The area was very busy with many bicyclists wanting to grab a bite to eat after the event. We ordered the pricey breakfast burrito and it was very good but the hot salsa lacked a spicy bite. It's a nice cafe with sidewalk area seating.

It saddens me to write that this spot has significantly declined in both quality and value. I'm not sure if management has changed recently, but I won't be returning as this is no longer the same establishment I once knew. My group and I ordered the Marketplace Panino, advertised as "Voted Top 100 in Los Angeles." We opted to add a cream of spinach soup for $4 extra. The menu states that any sandwich comes with a side salad and a soup for extra charge, but we were deceived as we never received the salad that was supposed to come with the sandwich regardless of whether we added a soup or not. Misleading menu should clarify +$4 to REPLACE salad with soup on top the sandwich that already costs $22 to begin with. Flavor was decent, but not outstanding and definitely not justified for the price. To make matters worse, we ordered a $22 cheese plate that came in a plastic box. Again, the menu states the cheese plate comes with artisanal cheese, olives, jams, fruit and baguettes. I guess one tiny cherry tomato is considered fruit? The only saving grace was the worker who gave us additional baguette slices. TLDR: one star otherwise. Save your $50+ meal for somewhere with a better bang for your buck.

This place is amazing! It's a premium price, but so worth the money. They put out such quality food. I love the sandwiches. OMG !!! Simply delicious and what quality products they use . My current favorite is the burrata sandwich.... Love how fresh everything is and how welcoming the whole staff is ... It's why I always come back .

I ordered the burrata caprese and the mortadella mama sandwich to go. Pretty good sandwiches but the size of the sandwich was so tiny and not well priced accordingly. We paid $50 for the whole order and including a vanilla latte. I liked the pesto and aioli sauce here as well. And the quality of the sandwiches were not bad, but also didn't blow me away. However, the size is just wayyyyy too small for the price and all in all not worth considering the mediocre quality as well

Very popular cafe with the locals but the menu is somewhat limited and pricey. Ordered a couple of time through ubereat and thought the food was just okay. Portions were reasonable. Sandwiches plus salads and chips - nothing out of the ordinary. But friendly service and a safe option for those who aren't adventurous eaters.

Sundays are made for adventure. Without further delay let's begin this review. SM Café & Market place is a casual and friendly cafe offering breakfast, wine, organic coffee and tea, and artisanal market goods. They're located on Mission st in San Marino, CA. Indoor and outdoor atmosphere were very chill with relaxing. Menu has decent list of food, coffee and beverages. I came here on a cloudy Sunday morning to grab some breakfast. I ordered on their counter an Avocado toast with tomatoes, olives and feta cheese; Hot Dark Chocolate Mocha. Service was extremely fast and staff were nice and professional. AVT was decent albeit it lacks flavor and small portion - sourdough; huge avocado chunks and it was quite cold. Conversely, their hot dark chocolate mocha was perfect to my liking. Whether it's for dine-in or take-out customers will eat in a brown/translucent box. So there will be no surprises! Lol. Food prices were slightly above market value except for drinks. Ample of street parking. Overall, it's a decent cafe spot to grab food or coffee.

It was so amazing. Our friend works here and she asked to come. The cafe itself was so pretty and a great place to study at. Would definitely come back here again!

The bacon breakfast burrito lacked bacon and cheese. There were small bits of chopped bacon, and one bite of cheese in the very bottom. Definitely NOT worth $20! Salsa Verde was good, but needed more for the size and price point.

The service here has finally improved. We used to come weekly but got tired of the slow service and attitude. The young woman at the register was all smiles. Efficient and helpful and so pleasant. Smiles all around. Breakfast came out quickly too and I was even offered free coffee refills! Definitely a positive change. Food is always good and nice to have some quality service where it seems hard to find these days. I will always choose a pleasant eatery with outside seating. Cudos to SM Marketplace for making some changes ! We'll be back.

My friends and I stopped by for a late Sunday brunch. Everything was delicious, from the coffee, to the baked goods, to the soups and sandwiches. A lot of the menu items are what I would consider to be picnic type foods. Great option if you're in a group and everyone wants to have something different, but you're not going to find any particularly unique menu offerings. It seemed like they had good options for vegetarians/vegans. Most of the food and drinks are a bit overpriced, but it makes sense given the neighborhood and the quality of the ingredients. I really enjoyed that the restaurant has quick counter service, but there's still plenty of seating both indoors and outdoors. The vibes were really nice and there's great people watching in the area. Lots of people also seemed to just be grabbing takeout. The staff were also kind and attentive. Nice for an upscale café experience!

I was looking for a breakfast burrito and found this place. I added avocado and bacon. It's delicious and fresh. Nice interior, very California. A bit pricey if you add the avocado and bacon ($18 iirc?). 4/5 stars, delicious breakfast burrito with quality ingredients, but a bit pricey.

Let me preface this by saying that I have only been here ONCE despite living in the 90032 for a long time. San Marino just never feels like a welcoming town so, it's hard for me to say, "Yeah, let's go eat there!" to anyone who suggests places here. Anyway, the menu is pretty simple and that's nice. Not a billion options so you can stick with a good drink, pastry or entree. I met up with friends to have an impromptu lunch. I had the Fig and Pig sandwich which was delicious! Also had their version of a raisin roll and a lemonade. Everything was tasty. Now for my to go order, I ended up ordering a lentil soup and a chicken sandwich for my grandma. Well, we will never know how the soup tastes because they gave me a salad instead ::shakes head:: I had my two kids with me so I wasn't about to waste time complaining about it to them as I had to leave. It wasn't particularly busy when I placed the order so it would have been nice for someone to check so that when I got home I didn't have to have that surprise. Anyway, it's cute and pretty good. I'll go back one day without kids haha

Ordered the marketplace panino and red lentil soup. The sandwich had tasteless boiled chicken, bacon and avocado in a French baguette wrapped in paper even though it was not a to-go order. It came with a side of salad in a very small plastic container with half frozen balsamic dressing. They only use plastic containers and utensils. Not worth the price.

I really wanted to like this place. My boyfriend bought us 2 breakfast burritos to go, when he got home and bit into his, he crunched down on something hard. He opened his mouth to find what looked to be a piece of a broken plastic fork. We couldn't believe it. Mistakes happen but on top of this, the food was sub par for how pricey it was. Likely won't be returning.

So Damn Good. If yelp let me that would be review enough. It's a cute little spot to sit and eat with friends, family or yourself. The food is so good! On my most recent trip I had the Roast Beef sandwich and a cup of Lobster Bisque soup. Both were fantastic. It's a bit on the spendy side but worth it IMO. 10/10

Perfect pit stop for a Saturday lunch break. San Marino is a great vibe and this Cafe/ Market was super chill with a delicious grilled chicken salad. Will definitely come again.

Cute little spot in San Marino. I was craving a good salad and heard this place has delicious options so I decided to give it a try. I got the marketplace salad and was enticed by the onion jam balsamic vinaigrette. The salad was $18! That's pretty expensive for a salad so I was expecting a lot from it. I thought the bowl had a good amount of ingredients, but for $18 I was thinking it could easily be split between two hungry people. It definitely is a personal portion. I thought everything tasted fresh, but I wish the dressing was more oniony. It was made with caramelized onions, but the balsamic overpowered the wonderful flavors of caramelized onions. I personally didn't think there was anything special about the salad I got, and do not think I will be a returning customer.

Good: 1. Service 2. Coffee Needs improvement: 1. Avocado toast I ordered had a weird smell. I think the avocado was old, I could not finish it. 2. The salad I ordered was not fresh as well.

So good This dish looks absolutely delicious, and the flavors are so well-balanced. I love how tender the meat is, and the seasoning is perfect.

We came on a Sunday during lunch time, and it was already packed. Not gonna lie, that immediately gave me a good feeling about this place. I assumed that the food must be good. We opted for two drinks (one iced latte, one peach oolong iced tea) a breakfast burrito (added ham), a scoop salad, an acai bowl, and a bowl of chili to share. All pretty good. Breakfast burrito was flavorful, veggies were fresh and crisp! And omg I loved their homemade vinaigrette salad dressing. I plan to go back and see if they will sell a bottle to me. So good! Acai bowl was also delish. The biggest complaint would be the drinks, they were kinda watered down. They didn't have much flavor. Downside? Service was good and bad. We loved the lady who took our order, she was sweet and friendly. We ordered to go, and she told us it would take about 20 ish mins. She even suggested we could either check out the area or have a seat outside while waiting. She was a sweetheart. Very accommodating. However, when we went back to collect the food, the server who handed the food to us, she seemed a bit absent-minded. She repeated the items that we ordered, and she still FORGOT our bowl of chili. :"(( not to mention when she handed over our food, I said thank you and she walked away without a response. All in all, even though everything was on the pricy side, I liked the food. Simple but fresh. Would recommend to my girlfriends!

the marketplace panino from here was pretty good but next time I wouldn't get baguette as my choice of bread . the breakfast burrito is also solid but pretty egg heavy and super hot and messy. overall, a good place to stop by for a casual bite with a friend! the surrounding ambiance and neighborhood is nice and the inside of the cafe is very casual.

One of THE best spots for brunch regardless if you eat everything and anything or if you're a gluten free loser like me. I am a sucker for their avocado toast and gluten free pastries. While they're usually busy on weekend afternoons, service is fair and food arrives in a suitable amount of time. I love how cute and quaint the atmosphere is, and if price point isn't an issue, I 100% recommend!

Food was delicious! But expensive! It's in a beautiful area in San Marino! We enjoyed the atmosphere!

I appreciated your response so my husband and I decided to come try your Friday Happy Hour which is clearly posted on the main page of your website as being from 3-8pm. Even has a lovely menu. Of course we got there at 4:30pm and you were closed. Several other people were outside confused. I'm just saying someone needs to be paying more attention to your digital properties. If you have to give instructions to someone on how to find the soup of the day- it might be time to find a better way to list it. If you have happy hours posted, you might want to be open. It does not make for a good customer experience.

This place is a gem of a cafe in the area. The food is great and the staff is friendly. Seating indoor and outdoor is spacious. I got a latte and a breakfast egg meat and cheese sandwich on a croissant. There are a bunch of food options like a burrito to lunch plates. Parking is easy with plenty of street parking in the front with a private lot in the back. Overall: Will return for some coffee and breakfast.

12/14/21 With all the posts/reviews, it's definitely NOT what I expected. Maybe today is not ideally the best day to visit when it's pouring outside. I almost slipped with my crutch when I walked in. Expected a huge selection of food displayed on the showcase but it was just a very tiny deli counter, about 4-5 tables indoors & the ones outside were put away because of inclement weather. Based off what i've seen, it's unfair to give it an indecent rating but will give it a 3 to start off. Will return when it's sunny & hopefully drier.

The place is small and cozy. The service is great and the food is delicious. I will definitely come back to try more of the menu.

Friendly service but the wait for my food (a very simple to go order) was ridiculously long. I ordered the Caprese sandwich which was $16. The sandwich was good but it wasn't amazing, and it definitely wasn't worth that high of a price tag for what amounts to one of the most standard sandwich types out there. I also ordered a white mocha latte but that ended up in the trash after 3 sips. To summarize, the food was okay, but it wasn't worth the price and certainly not the long wait. ********************* My Ratings: 1 Star: Terrible; just thinking about it makes me angry. 2 Stars: Wasn't a fan so Not likely to return. 3 Stars: Meh. Average. Might return if others drag me. 4 Stars: Yum! Will definitely return. 5 Stars: Amazing! Would plan my day around eating here

Doggie date with one of my friends and we decided on a nearby cafe for a quick lunch. There's a small lot behind the cafe but I was able to find street parking close by. I ordered the Marketplace Salad for $16. It was a standard salad that didn't stand out much in my opinion. To be honest, I would rather go to Sweetgreens and make my own salad with the same ingredients for less the price.

The latte here is so good!! Whenever I'm in the area, I go here to get a cup of coffee. They have alternative milks and it's a nice cafe to sit and talk with friends at. There's a couple of tables inside and outside. Service is nice and friendly.

I recently discovered this spot and haven't gone a day without thinking of it since. It's a perfect start to my morning, the employees are so nice and the food is great. Everything is made in house as well so I feel better knowing everything is fresh, especially the fresh pastries lol. Couldn't recommend them enough; SM breakfast burritos 4 LIFE.