The Rose
Condominium complex · Mar Vista ·
Multi-concept Venice spot: bakery, coffee, bar, dining
Multi-concept Venice spot: bakery, coffee, bar, dining
"Whatever kind of lunch you want to have in Venice, the Rose Cafe probably can accommodate you. This giant, all-day spot has a full-service restaurant, a coffee shop, a patio for working from and a patio for eating on, a bar, and an escape room. Okay, it doesn’t have an escape room, but Rose works for pretty much everything. If you need to scarf down a salad while you finish that report, you can use the wifi and work away in a much nicer setting than nearby coffee shops. But if you want to have a proper long lunch, you’ll probably have a good time too. Get the grilled cauliflower t-bone, which is a thing, and is actually delicious." - jess basser sanders, amy clark
"One of Venice’s most iconic and enduring restaurants—relaunched in 2015 under Sprout restaurant group (Bestia, Republique, Vespertine) and chef Jason Neroni—will close permanently after brunch service on December 15, 2024. A representative issued a statement attributing “economic shifts and reduced neighborhood foot and tourist traffic” for the closure and saying, “Unfortunately, these factors have made it unsustainable to continue operating a chef-driven restaurant of this scale in Venice.” The restaurant first opened in 1979 as a beloved local under the ownership of Kamal Kapur and Manhar Patel; Kapur and Patel remained invested but ceded operations and a majority ownership stake to Sprout in 2015. At that time Sprout’s managing partner Bill Chait (who is no longer involved with the group) brought on design firm Studio UNTLD to overhaul the interior, implementing an industrial look with pops of colorful vintage posters. The spot served upwards of 10,000 people a week—“making it one of the busiest restaurants in Southern California,” Neroni stated. Neroni, formerly of Superba Snack Bar, helmed a California-Italian menu that included the miso cacio e pepe and smoked bucatini carbonara that became beloved over the years; he parted ways with Sprout in December 2023 after the sudden closure of the five-month-old Culver City restaurant Best Bet, and the split meant he was no longer involved with the operation. Following the closure announcement, Neroni posted a statement on Instagram on December 1, 2024, calling himself the “custodian/conductor/watcher” of the restaurant and likening it to a “beautiful, majestic beast.” Sprout announced former Broken Spanish and current Qué Bárbaro chef Ray Garcia as Neroni’s replacement in February 2024; Garcia spruced up the daytime menu and refreshed the dinner menu, removing most of the pizza and pasta dishes in favor of a market-driven California menu with international flavors, including roasted chicken with aji verde and crispy pork shank with garlic mojo and tortillas. Sprout has not announced plans for the space for 2025 and beyond, leaving one of Venice’s largest restaurants without a known future for now." - Matthew Kang
"There’s no shortage of options on the menu at The Rose, which is good because you’ll probably have been waiting outside for a while before you sit down. Once you’re seated though, you’ll be surrounded by every beautiful person in Venice that’s not at Gjusta and many opportunities to break your weeklong healthy-eating streak. This can be done in a number of ways, from the chorizo scramble to just throwing the towel in and getting carbonara for brunch. Good thing the sand is a nice place for a nap." - jess basser sanders
"The Rose in Venice is carrying all the essentials during quarantine - and by that, we mean booze, coffee, and sourdough. They make their bread in-house, and it’s just as good in loaf form as it is in their avocado toast or on their sandwiches. They’ve also got their regular menu available for delivery and pick-up, so grab some pasta while you’re there. App delivery available." - brett keating
"If you can’t decide what you want to eat and your quarantine-mates are picky, order from The Rose. The Venice restaurant is offering family-style dinners for $35 per person where you can mix and match different entrees until you get the menu you want. Or, if you just want to do pizza instead, they have that as well - at $10 a pie on the weekends. Everything is available through pre-paid pickup." - brant cox
