Ugo Cafe
395 Santa Monica Pl, Santa Monica, CA, 90401
Ugo Cafe Menu
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Address :
395 Santa Monica Pl
Santa Monica, CA, 90401 - Phone (310) 394-2014
- Website https://www.cafeugo.com/bar.html
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :9:00 am - 9:00pm
- Mon : 9:00 am - 9:00pm
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : Yes
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Dessert
Parking : Garage, Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : No
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Full Bar
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : Free
Has TV : No
Waiter Service : Yes
Caters : Yes
Categories
Italian Cuisine
The immense popularity of Italian cuisine globally isn't unknown. You can find an Italian Pizzeria around every corner of almost every city in the United States. Not to forget that in every house, people enjoy mac and cheese as comfort food. But it would be wrong to believe that Italian food starts with pizza and ends with good pasta as this Mediterranean country has much more to offer other than these two dishes. In Italian Cuisine, there is a high use of fresh tomatoes, all kinds of herbs, great quality of cheese, all types of meat, seafood and fresh handmade pasta. Many find it hard to believe that Italians have been making noodles long back.
Italian and Greek cuisines are always mistaken to be same, but they are poles apart. The primary difference between the two cuisines is the use of cheese in most of the Italian dishes. Italians love to cultivate their own cheese and process them as per their food requirement. It is believed that some cheese is so expensive that cheese producers secure them in lockers.
If you are bored eating the same old pasta or pizza, you can try some of the authentic Italian dishes like Risotto, Polenta, Ribollita, Lasagna, Fiorentina Steak, Bottarga, Ossobuco, Carbonara, Focaccia, Arancini and Supplì. Another item which Italians love to relish every morning is a good cup of Italian Coffee. Once you taste a freshly brewed cup of Italian Coffee, you might not visit Starbucks ever again. Authentic Italian food is made with heart and soul, so go find a restaurant where you can relish Italian cuisine in your city.
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Guillaume T.
Rude staff. They ran out of bottled water so I asked for a cup of water from the tap, she wanted to charge me 27cents after I spent more than 30 dollars of ice cream for my friends and family. Tourist trap that should be avoided by locals and tourists!
(1)JaBari B.
I've been to this location multiple times and this is the first time they decided to close down the blended drink section more than a half hour before closing. I give them two stars for that but three overall for my other experiences.
(3)Mila E.
This place has delicious vanilla lattes ($6 for the bigger size sit in cup)! I always get soy instead of reg milk and it makes a difference. Love to sit outside and enjoy my latte after a nice day at the promenade. Everyone that works here is always very attentive, friendly, and ready to deliver outstanding customer service! Me and the bf always make it a point to stop here when we're in the area. Ps. Their cheesecakes are delicious!
(5)Anna P.
I like this Cafe in this busy area. We stop quite often for either gelato or just for coffee/cold drink. i have also tried their pastries and enjoyed them. Gelato is good. Not ice cream but actual creamy gelato. Not million flavors to choose but what they have it is pretty good. I love sitting outside and watching people. They have tables both in sun and in shade. Weekends there is often (always?) live music on the square.
(4)Alexa A.
Unfortunately, the reasonably priced Gelato place further north on the Promenade closed after 20 years in the area...so sad. :{ So, we have Ugo and another cafe that serves a pretty good cup of gelato When I'm not in the mood for frozen yogurt and when I'm feeling pretty good about my $$ situation I'll go to Ugo's. They are a bit more expensive and I work in S.M. four days a week...so I don't have any other choices. I will say that the staff is very friendly.
(3)Deanna P.
I cheated on my diet and had the latte and NY cheesecake here and they were SOOOOOO worth it :) If you love cheesecake, you will love theirs.
(5)Manly P.
Said they were open until 1 so we drove all the way here, but they were closed -____-
(1)Mimi L.
Best Chai latte n Iced Mocha I have ever had! Just yummy yummy yummy! Worth $10 for 2 large cups. Cute little cafe in the center of Santa Monica Place. They serve sandwich, light fare, and yogurt, it's a great place to get some drinks or snacks during shopping breaks. :) Very friendly service. :)
(4)Anto C.
If you want to eat rotten cake this is the place! Last weekend went for a tea and something sweet, the raspberry chocolate cake seemed good... bad idea... At the beginning it tasted strange, but when I took the raspberry that was on top, I saw inside and it was gross!! it was "hairy-green" all over!!! And when I returned to show them, they were like "oh, ok" like this is something usual! I had to ask for a refund!! seriously!!?? Don't go!! you don't know how old are the things there!!!
(1)Katie C.
We stopped in one night as the stores around Santa Monica Place were closing in search of dessert, so gelato it was. A small gelato will run you about $5 and change which is definitely on the higher end of gelato prices I've ever paid for. Considering the large gelato is about $6, your best value is with the large size. However, you can mix two flavors of gelato in one serving. So while one friend mixed the mint chocolate chip with chocolate, I stuck with the coffee & nutella flavored gelato. It was delicious. The girl working the counter was clearly overwhelmed so it would have been nice to have a little extra help since it took her awhile to serve us all. Two of us were already finished with our dessert by the time the others were served. Coupled with high prices gives it a 3-star review.
(3)Mister W.
Shit cookies; worse attitude about trying to make it right. Some nonsense about that other pastry isn't the same value. Makes me think of what my dad would have said. Something like "blow it out your ass, same value, just give me a good reason to send people to your cafe and to come back myself." Latte is good but I'll probably not come back.
(1)jackie a.
I have to leave 5 stars because I make the drive out from the valley just to have their hot chocolate. I don't even drink hot chocolate too often I'm more of a caffeine type but this is the best hot chocolate I've ever had and it always tastes the same which is amazing to me. I haven't tried anything else and I'm not sure that I will. The hot chocolate is a must from here.
(5)Mike R.
Service was slower than death and the portions were tiny! Took over an hour to get our meal and when we did it was half the size the waiter had said it would be. Food was over cooked, both the calamari and the pasta! I'll never be going back. Left a bad taste in mouth literally and figurative.
(1)Jeannie K.
Stopped in while shopping along the Third Street Promenade. After doing damage through Italy eating some of the best gelato offered, I had to check it out. My benchmarks are pistachio and hazelnut (nocciola) and i ordered a small cup. The pistachio was pretty good, the hazelnut was OK. The small cup ran $5.50 and after tax if was $6.02! Even the 'high end' gelato in Italy ran only about the equivalent of $3.25 for a small, $3.95 for a medium (and by the way, in Italy they are served with a wafer cookie and you're entitled to free freshly whipped cream), so although I do appreciate a well-made treat, six bucks for a small cup of gelato is tough to swallow.
(3)Joris D.
Went here on a summer day. The guy high fives the tourist before me for tipping 10%. Annoyed already. They claim to have gelato but since when are there ice cubes in Gelato? Decided to go for strawberry. Should have tried it before ordering the overpriced 'gelato'. The worst ice cream in the history of ice cream was bought here. The shitty service does not help either. I would suggest going to pink berry down the street.
(1)Julian B.
Horrible service. The gelato was really good but the young lady working there had a horrible attitude, hardly spoke to customers including myself, and worst of all, claimed she was unable to make fresh coffee. Great tasting gelato but Nizayeh made the entire experience unenjoyable.
(1)A B.
Terrible coffee! Cafe mocha and Carmel mochiotto (sp?) were disgusting! Then thry charge .75 for a stupid little squirt of whipped cream! The damn can costs 75! That's just bad. Fix ur coffee, gross!
(1)Michael S.
Great Gelato. Friendly Service. Tempting Cheesecake. ugo Cafe does the original ugo proud. It's a small shop @ the center of Santa Monica Place and it was impossible to pass up the gelato and desserts. Tastes are free and after a few samples, we settled on half Caramel and half Cappuccino (or some similar coffee flavor). Together, its a great blend. So many other flavors to try next time. We also got one of the small Raspberry Cheesecakes to go. It was good, but not even in the same class as the full-size version served at the Culver City location. The service was extremely helpful and patient. We actually recognized one of the servers (Dan) from the other spot. He was just as helpful here as he'd been there. Better move on before my wife thinks I have a man crush. Anyways, ugo Cafe is a nice, sweet alternative.
(4)Kathy Y.
I'm pretty sure I've been to this location to get their tiramisu in a chocolate cup. And I may be wrong. I didn't appreciate the way it was handled. I was so excited to get one for my aunt! I walked in and saw their display didn't have them!! I was so bummed. The part that got me more frustrated was the chick working. I asked her about it and she had no clue. I think she was new, so it would have made me feel better if she took a minute to ask her co worker what I was talking about. She seemed more focus on serving her friends. Grrrr. Rude.
(2)Myeshia C.
Ever since I had my first cup of coffee at this location a few months ago I have had a hard time going to any other coffee location. I love Ugo Cafe. The pastries are delicious and don't get me started on the gelato! It's creamy without that heavy feeling. So good!
(5)Shelby W.
Delicious and tasty food and great service! I love the efficient and quality service I get from Alejandra, Joshua, and another woman there who is a manager of the establishment. They are very friendly and helpful associates. I love the gelato it is beyond phenomenal.
(5)Drea C.
A disappointment indeed. I knew about this place because of the location in downtown culver city. I've been wanting to try it so I figured I'd grab a quick lunch at this small storefront at the Santa Monica Place plaza/mall. I ordered the Pollo Pesto Panini. It was meh. Good at first but the time I got around to the second half of my sandwich, the bread was already stale even though the sandwich was still warm. I thought my tooth was gonna chip! The small amount of chicken in my sandwich was good. Another reason it was disappointing. Where was the damn chicken?!? Also, the staff was a little rude. There was two people ahead of me and they were very verbal about how they were overworked. The customers in front of me only ordered coffee too! There was three workers there though? And they didn't even have to do much with the sandwiches except heat them up in a toaster oven. Maybe the one in downtown is a little better but I think I'll only come back here for some gelato or something. This was officially the saddest Friday treat myself lunchtime ever.
(1)Dana K.
Ufo café is located right next to the escalator in the outdoor mall on third street promenade. I sampled the lemon, raspberry, and strawberry as I only really enjoy the "fruity" flavors. However, the taste wasn't as strong as I usually like gelato to be and it was sort of one dimensional. The raspberry had the strongest flavor, but it was seedy instead of smooth. I will say their scoops are generous, but I'd rather have small scoops of something orgasmic than have big scoops of something mediocre. Plus, it was sort of weird that the employee was eating the samples too. I can only imagine what they do when customers aren't around.
(3)Elizabeth B.
Convenient location that I've been tempted to go to many times but never tried til today. Nice staff from my experience. I can't offer a review of the gelato but that seems to be their main attraction (or always does at any place carrying it); finally drawn in by the bakery assortment I opted to try two things for the sake of curiosity: the ham & cheese croissant (one of my steady favorites) and a spinach croissant (which I don't have often). Granted that this is no Dominique Ansel and LA is definitely known to have inferior pastries to NYC on a general level when it comes to fast food, I knew I would have to be a little subjective in review. However, there are good pastry sources in LA if you know where to look. The spinach croissant which I had them heat up slightly was even difficult to bite into (?!) on the edges, hard in fact which was very odd, and the taste of the spinach not my favorite but that could have been a personal thing. They were both really really buttery flavored. The first ham & cheese croissant I selected had its top flaky layer come off entirely when they tried to put it in a bag and I should have known then it might not be stellar. To be truthful, it's pretty hard *not* to like a ham & cheese croissant and while not epic or amazing there is always a Hail Mary in the filling. The dough inside seemed not quite cooked enough in a way so that perhaps they assume everyone who orders one is going to have to get it put through the toaster. Again, maybe bc this is LA and not the kind of place you can expect to just grab and go - but I would like to be given the option. I've definitely liked the new pastries at Starbucks from La Boulangerie more, and don't get me started on the not so good options from Coffee Bean...Maybe that can help you place this review on a scale for your own choice. Bottom line: if I'm going to be spending almost $5 on a croissant and it's that close to all the other great food choices in Santa Monica Place - and may I mention another bakery upstairs where they do make more authentic French baked goods - I will expect a bit higher quality for the price based on the proximity alone. Next time I'll try the gelato and see if that really is their main focus and it is on par with Italy as they claim!
(2)Yuri C.
I was hungry, kinda broke, super low energy when I saw Ugo cafe. Walked in real quick and I saw this delicious looking pesto pasta salad. It was almost like destiny! It was only $6.02 and it was so bomb! Portion was plenty, the pesto sauce was so good, and the tomatoes and chopped up kalamata olives were perfect with the pasta. I gobbled it all up and left super energized and happy.
(5)Aaron E.
Ugo Cafe is my go to for Java while in Santa Monica. I happened upon Ugo Cafe one morning while I was wasting time before a tuxedo fitting at the nearby (and god awful) BLKTUX. I ordered a skinny vanilla latte waited 3 minutes while it was prepared and was blown away by the creamy mouthfeel and full bodied flavor of Ugo's coffee. It was damn smooth to boot, an all around excellent latte. A large ran the typical $5.00 which is fair for a cup of coffee at this level. I don't get to Santa Monica frequently but next time I do and have a coffee fiending, you can bet I will return to Ugo.
(4)Luna C.
This place has good customer service...at least when we went here to order gelato. There was a lady who helped us and she was friendly. We had a strawberry and raspberry gelato. It was good, but on the sweet side. We ordered a small and it was a bit expensive. I give it 4 stars because I feel items on the menu are a bit overpriced.
(4)Lilit V.
Their salads were just ok, but the gelato!!! was delicious!
(4)Allen M.
I bought two separate scoops for the kids and didn't taste either until they were a few spoons in. I then asked my son (2.5 y.o) for a taste. I thought it was one of the worst gelatos i'd EVER had... And I've had some bad ones believe me. Then when I tasted my 4 year old's it was even worst than the previous one. I forget which two flavors we tried but it doesn't matter because I would not recommend for you to try ANY. It was so bad the kids didn't want to finish the single scoop small sizes. Gelato: 1/10 taste Service: 3/10 didn't say hello or how may I help you...
(1)Mark C.
Paninis were good -well tasted and flavour some. However the but coffee lacked flavor and didn't live up to its claims of being rich like an italian coffee.Very Starbucks like so will suit some tastes but not others.
(3)Harmonie T.
Handmade gelato? Yes. Non-dairy flavors? Yes! The freshest tasting strawberry flavor I've ever had in gelato? YES!!! The most amazing fluffiest texture ever found in a non-dairy gelato? OMG YES PLEASE!!! In other words, I think I found my new favorite thing in life and it is this: bit.ly/1bTjMn2 :)
(5)Sophie P.
We came to Ugo Cafe for the handmade gelato. My husband got a large with 1/2 lemon and 1/2 raspberry. The lemon was tart and not too sweet, and the raspberry tasted exactly like it should. I chose a small with 1/2 pistachio and 1/2 caramel. The caramel was little too sweet for me but the pistachio was perfectly creamy and had the right amount of nuts.
(5)Brianna M.
Love the staff!! Such great vibes off all of them & oh the coffee is delicious as well as all the other food and drinks
(5)Jackie H.
Great service! The gelato here is delicious!! Highly recommended. The latte here is also delicious with a side of dessert or any pastry.
(5)Sarah L.
Love this place. Always come with my co workers for drinks at least 2x per week. Princess is really cool. She makes the best old fashions. N they have really good calamari
(5)Ashley S.
I go out to eat many times a week and only expect average, well done service. This was below average for the entire dinner. One star for the patio area because I enjoy sitting outside and for our waiter who was nice but slow. However, once it got cold no one tended to turn on the heat lamps. Should be standard to ask guests if they want the lamps turned on. The food was overpriced and not the quality I was expecting. Started with the chilled shrimp- was like shrimp cocktail but had no cocktail sauce? It was missing the main part of the dish. Got the ravioli with spinach which were plain and had no sauce at all. Asked for marinara- said they had to charge me extra then forgot to bring it & by the time they brought it ravioli was cold. These ravioli also weren't anything special. The women's bathroom was out of service- both stalls overflowing with paper& not flushing. Yuck! & to top it off had a family with two screaming children running around the outdoor space. Screamed in my ear over 10 times. After a $150 bill I feel like I just left the money floating in their broken toilet. Will not be going back. If looking for great Italian do not choose Ugo.
(1)Melissa M.
ordered delivery pizza. I got it 65mins later and I live exactly 1 mile away. The pizza was luke warm at best. Called and spoke to the manager who seemed to be annoyed with me. Pizza okay, manager customer service not good.
(2)Carla R.
The pastry and gelato display were very pretty and makes you want to eat They are on the pricey side but their desserts are very decadent. They sell salads as well but I didn't try it. My friend and I had the caffe nutella...awesome and cafe mocha and she said it was the best she had!
(5)Tesia K.
Ugo is everything from what I gather It's a restaurant, a bakery, a cafe, a gelato shop, and a wine bar. It's pretty convenient because it is located in the heart of Culver City and serves all and any of your food needs. I've stopped by for gelato and a pastry before, choosing to eat at other places for dinner or lunch but I never knew of the wine bar at the other end of the restaurant. Purchased some cards to fill up and went around tasting red wine mostly from Italy. Picked one we liked and got a bottle. My wineo partner says it might be the best bottle he's ever had, and he drinks a lot of wine lol. It's always nice to be able to test something out before purchasing, especially with a nice bottle of vino where you never know exactly what you're going to get. All I have to say is, good thing we took an Uber there.
(4)Sio H.
I've never written a bad review, but I ordered a lasagna for delivery via grubhub, and it was the smallest lasagna I'd ever seen. It was so small that when I received it, I was depressed. I was unfortunately having a little get-together, and the size of my lasagna became the topic of conversation for the night. Two of my friends took-off running after the delivery man when they saw my eyes well-up with tears. My other two friends encouraged me to call the restaurant to rectify the situation. The manager was extremely considerate and sent another piece, but I was terribly embarrassed. The portion size was completely inappropriate, and almost ruined my night.
(1)Hana J.
Perhaps the only affordable deal in the spiral of bougie bountifulness, a couple scoops of gelato at Ugo was enough to fill the void I felt as I gawked at LV shoes while remaining oh so far away from them in reality. Let's just say I walked home empty handed, but skipped away licking away my pistachio and strawberry creamy delights. It sure beats angelato's on 3rd street; the head scooper here was super generous, overflowing my flower cup like love handles. Plus, any place where I can swipe my credit card for a less than $5 purchase wins it for me!
(4)Ratika N.
I am amazed at the 4 and 5 star reviews here. I was at the Santa Monica mall last week and it was past lunch time and I wanted a snack. After reading the reviews, thought I would try the gelato. The woman behind the counter was sweet and friendly and she gave me a spoon to try the pistachio flavor. OMG...it was awful. I felt so bad as she was raving about how great and popular their gelato is. It wasn't gelato at all...the best I could say was it was sugar with artificial pistachio flavor and tons of crème. I ended up buying a plain croissant and that too was really disappointing. So doughy and thick...if you have had good croissants, avoid it. I ended up throwing it after 2 bites. Pros: friendly service, pre packed salads looked good (didn't taste them so can't say) Cons: worst gelato in LA, awful croissants. Next time I've craving gelato, I think I will head out to Grom in Malibu (why can't they open more stores in LA??)
(1)Melody Z.
Well I just got coffee from this place and let me tell you something. I don't mind paying for my $4 latte but trying to take every penny out of me possible isn't cool either. I asked for whipped cream oh we charge 75 cents for that.... Last minute I asked if I can be iced another 75 cents what does it cost you to make ice? Who would pay $6 for an iced latte with whipped cream that's ridiculous, I mean $4 is a lot on it's own but that's pretty standard. On top of that both my friend and I had our hot coffees spilled on us since they don't put the lid on themselves and I know it's my own responsibility to put the lid on correctly but I'm pretty sure it was on there snug. The odds of both me and my friends coffee spilling on us is just bizarre... If you are going to charge an arm and a leg make sure your products aren't cheap quality at least...In short just go to Starbucks or coffee bean down the street. There is really nothing special about this place unless your are trying to have some sort of a fancy "Italian" dessert.
(2)Sofia A.
The caffe nutella SUCKS BALLS!!!.. it doesn't even taste like Nutella. And at $5 a cup, it is hella overpriced
(1)Alison M.
What a cute place! Not a lot of room, but the service was amazing, the desserts looks very tempting and the lattes are amazing! Sheina even made me a pretty flower in my vanilla latte. Lorena and Jeff are great too! I love my morning stop in the mall. Much better than other coffee in the area. The Chocolate Crossiants are sooo good, but I have to walk few miles to burn off the calories I'm sure.
(5)Karen H.
I spent an hour here today, grabbing a Chai Latte, while my boyfriend attended a business meeting. The latte was fantastic. When my boyfriend returned, we each had Gelato and it was the best gelato that I have ever eaten,. Delicious! I had a chocolate-hazelnut and it tasted like Godiva chocolate. Another big stand out is the excellent service. The guy that helped us was extremely friendly and helpful. I felt like I was a regular customer, instead of a newbie. He was definitely a stand-out and if I lived close, would make me want to return. The only negative, is that it's too small to have indoor seating. Luckily, the rain let up enough for me to sit at one of the tables outside, but if it had been raining, I probably would have gone to a different place entirely and missed out on a wonderful experience.
(5)Karen Y.
This place is a little shack in the Santa Monica place that sells sandwiches, desserts, gelatos and coffee. The prices for the gelato were high I remember. Not exactly sure exactly how much, but I think $5+ for a small. I got the stracciatella which was mediocre. Not the creamy gelato I was hoping and expecting for the price. Angelato is better.
(2)Ray S.
I am mixed between 3 or 4 stars. The gelato is one of the best I've tasted, but the service is indescribably mediocre (lol). The pricing is EXTREMELY expensive. I would rather go to Grom in Malibu. They do have excellent pies, but then again, those are $40 for a whole pie whOA. One slice is $7. At least it was one of the best Pumpkin pies I have ever had.
(3)Jennie N.
The iced coffee was ok but the pineapple basil gelato you must get! \(o.o)/ !!
(4)Marie S.
This place is amazing. Best gelato, ham and cheese crossaints are out of this world. The paninis are so fresh and delicious and they're brewed coffe is perfect. My favorite dessert is the salted caramel tart and they have the grapefruit san pelligrino soda I can't find anywhere else. Everyone is fast and friendly. Check it outtt
(5)Eugi H.
The layout of this cafe is a little awkward, though the overall look is nice. We were looking for their beverage menu and it's at an angle that doesn't really face forward, but off to the right so that you really don't notice that panel at all. I had to ask to even know that panel was there. The staff are really nice though. Can't comment much on food since we just got an iced coffee to go.
(3)Rachel S.
I love gelato with the fire of a thousand suns. My fiance is addicted to Angelato Cafe, but I still find their product hit or miss, so I convinced him to try Ugo. I had the stracciatella and chocolate flavors, while the fiance went with vanilla and raspberry. Overall, everything tasted good, though I found the chocolate a little bland and he wasn't crazy about the raspberry. But passable enough for a quick treat. Still I hunt for the perfect LA gelato...
(3)Nick T.
Before I start, I have to state that the Santa Monica mall needs a Starbucks ASAP. Now on to Ugo Cafe, this place sells so called Italian inspired coffee, pastries, and gellato. Having had all three in Italy last year, i have to say that this place is not only not up to par, but their prices are like 20-30% higher than Starbucks which in my opinion has much better coffee and pastries. Their American coffee was watered down and cost me almost $3. Pastries were so expensive that I refused to try it. Their gellato was like $6 per serving. Skip this place and go to Starbucks on 3rd street.
(2)Wendy N.
Not so good Don't bother, Starbucks and several other cafe's are down 3rd street promenade
(1)Sheena B.
I love the service here. Very pleasant and great recommendations! Try the Vanilla Hazelnut Latte, dbl shot.. Sooo addictive and goes great with their cookies.
(5)Ronald R.
Service is great here and super friendly! I only ordered the limone gilato paired with the raspberry as suggested by one of their sweet staff. Mmmmm so yummy and fresh which is what I wanted!
(4)Alejandro B.
Not a coffee person at all but the cappuccino is the best.
(5)Erica J.
Had a coffee and it wasn't the best I ever had but was definitely strong in keeping me awake during the rest of my day.
(3)Jon G.
Pricey, but the Giandiola (hopefully I spelled that correctly - its like chocolate and hazelnut, sort of like Nutella but way more rich chocolate flavor and less hazelnut) is delicious. Once again the kiddo talked me into it and I split with him the cup, he of course wanted Vanilla (vagnilla - i think its spelled here) and after a about 5 tries I went for the above mentioned. I still prefer Melt - Gelato's (not saying I know "true italian gelatos - as I see there may be some hardcore's reading this) but in a pinch, I would buy again. Plus its not bad having a place to sit in the middle of this outdoor mall and (at the time) stare at a 30 foot Smurf and watch a bunch of people that look that they are on the WB (not trying to insult, just stating that these are pretty people).
(3)Adrienne L.
The hazelnut gelato here is easily my favorite of any gelato I've ever tried. I'm confused at the one star ratings....I could see there being a long wait here on a busy day, though. the location is very small, and there was only two people working when I came by.
(5)Ela W.
Ugo Cafe is wonderful! I work on the Promenade and have become an almost-daily customer here. The staff has come to know me and treat me with stellar hospitality (I must name-drop Lorena, Jeff, Gerson and Sheena here!). The customer service is a huge part of the appeal, along with the delicious assortments of coffee, food and desserts. The gelato is superb and you'll receive a heaping scoop in your little cup! Definitely pay this place a visit if you're in the area. It's often busy, but the helpful and friendly staff work quickly and diligently to serve everyone. I can never thank them enough for what they do!
(5)JA M.
YOU GUYS ARE JUST PLAIN OUT AWESOME! Your chicken salad is awesome! Coffee is awesome! Service is Awesome! Gelato is awesome!
(5)Julie N.
To the person who handed me my cappuccino, Dude, do not put your finger on the sipper when handing someone their cup. Gross!!! I took off the lid and drank out of the cup.
(1)Lovey O.
Overly priced!! I was super thirsty and didn't want to shell out $5+ dollars for a drink to merely hydrate me, so I settled for a nasty overly sweet bottled tea, did I mention over priced? This review is strictly about how the place is overly priced and its HORRIBLE service. The guy at the cash register lost his card to swipe credit transactions and totally panics and starts pushing blame to other employees IN THE BACK. After 5 mins of watching him turn the cash register inside out all flustered, he asks me for cash, I comply. He announces to everyone else in line that they are only taking cash. As I pay and walk away I witness the following convo between the "barista" and the customer behind me: Barista: Didn't you hear me? We're not taking plastic! Lady: I HAVE cash Barista: Well you're holding plastic, so... Lady: I speak English, I heard you. Barista: (Attempts to apologize for being a major douche bag) Better off at the food court. Won't ever go back. Good job, jerk.
(1)Anna W.
Sgroppino and espresso over gelato. There isn't a better way to spend an evening after the theater than this.
(4)Jessica C.
Service: Hit or miss Pastries: Average Gelato: Very good Salads: Good Sandwiches: Good Coffee: Average If there is a line or crowd, I suggest you go to the cafe in Nordstrom's because these people don't know how to direct the flow of customer traffic and you will probably end up leaving frustrated.
(3)Christina K.
Delicious explains it all!
(5)SC O.
Friendly service and the best chocolate croissant I've ever had!
(4)Namik G.
Stopped by this place and picked a few Italian staple pastries here. Canolies were meh (the filling was definitely off), napoleon not good (both cream and dough were below par. Coffee americana was ok. For the prices they charge can get way better stuff in the local bakeries.
(2)Alex M.
Ugh, where do i start . Got my order wrong, gave me attitude about it, made the drinks of the girls that came 5 minutes after us first before making ours. Oh and the gelato is WAY to sweet. All in all not a pleasant experience.
(1)Liz K.
Ugo's gelato is some of the best I've ever had but it sure doesn't come cheap. I love the little baby cups gelato comes in but I'd like to officially welcome this Italian import by saying - we're American and we like a lot of ice cream so give me a bigger cup darnit! Gelato is richer and more satisfying than American ice cream or the god awful fro-yo they're serving at Tutti-Frutti upstairs in the mall - but I seriously need more of it in my life - for less money. Please. I do like Ugo for the fact that they actually understand when I order a proper Espresso Macchiato. As in - original euro style. None of this bastardized Starbucks business. Their espresso definitely keeps me going on rough days at work. I do have to agree with a few of my fellow Yelpers though, by saying that I feel it is overpriced. Aside from that I'll definitely be back for coffee and gelato on my lunch breaks.
(4)Sean B.
The food is good (not great...similar to its Culver City locations) and while being in the new Santa Monica Place is great, it is too bad for Ugo that it is not located on the deck so you can get your meal while taking in the ocean view.
(3)Mary M.
I don't have kind words to say about this place... My friend and her daughter were thirsty from shopping at 3rd St. We decided to stop by this place for something to drink and an ice cream for her daughter. We waited properly in line for 15 minutes. There were three baristas available. One was helping a family, the other was keeping inventory, the third one was at the register talking to a friend of hers and giving large samples of their ice cream. The baristas were completely ignoring us. They served people that came in after us. I had to ask my friend if I was imagining this. When they finally got to us we asked for a BOTTLE of WATER which they did not have. They ended up giving us the the bottled water on display (who know how old) and a cup of ice. I had to ask the girl behind the counter where the line began in this establishment. She pointed right were we were STANDING EARLIER. I told her that they were serving people that came in after us while waiting to be served. She apologized but it did not seem genuine. My friend chimed in and asked "Do you want anything?" and I replied "No, I lost my appetite!"
(1)Wandi W.
$3.25 for the regular coffee , it's over price .
(1)John K.
Ewww - shit quality pastries!
(1)Don Z.
Needed a warm up on a foggy new years eve and decided to try the European hot chocolate. Got the large one to split between my wife and I. Wow the best hot chocolate we have ever had. The service was great and friendly. Good stop.
(4)Jolene D.
Horrible customer service! I purchased a latte and croissant hoping for the best. The croissant tasted really old, so I asked to exchange it for something else. The cashier refused and said he had to give me my money back... Well fine, but then he had no idea how to do this and handed me a receipt that just said "closed out". It had no information as to crediting my cc back or anything.... Then after a few minutes of explaining to the guy that it is not a credit and would actually say the amount credited back that it would be correct! Well if the transaction had not gone through and when he closed it out fine, but he could not explain that either. After all of this I checked my account a few days after and no credit was ever given for the money I waisted on this place. Why could they have just not made it simple and gave me a chocolate strawberry??? Poor customer service and do not even try I croissant at 5:45 PM. you will not be happy :(
(1)Ann B.
Their gelato was delicious. I didn't try anything else. The pastries looked plastic and unappetizing.
(4)Ashish S.
Great Gelato! Great service.
(5)Brian I.
At the center of Santa Monica Place at the bottom floor of three floors in the middle of the plaza you have Ugo Cafe. Hard to miss. You can see the entire cafe through the glass windows and doors. You'll see an assortment of gelatos on the left side and panini and pastries on the right and they make specialty blended drinks. Much of this comes from their home cafe/wine bar/restaurant in Culver City. I've tried a lot of the pastries. The best of the pastries is the Napoleon (mille-feuille pastry if you prefer), in my humble opinion. I like dropping by for some cookies for $1.50. Gelatos are at standard price, something I don't typically get but feel free to sample. I am not much of a coffee drinker, so I haven't tried any of their drinks. This place is alright. You can enjoy your dessert at Santa Monica Place's many outdoor seating or while you walk through the mall or on Third Street Promenade.
(3)Da Truth H.
Awful place to go. Overpriced quality it bad. The workers were awesome and gave great customer service.The pasteries were a tottal rip off of urth cafe. Iv also been to the restaurant in culver city and met the owner he's was a complete jerk, rude and incentive. The fish was dry and didn't have much taste. So overall I don't think this place is worth the price. DO NOT WAST YOUR TIME AND MONEY!!!
(1)Anne M.
got the frappe cafe nutella and it was awesome. love it...love it...love it. it wasn't too sweet that makes me wanna drink more. friendly service.
(4)Wendy O.
Found Ugo on the Kirk Douglas theater reference list and decided to try it out for dinner before the show last nite.... the setup is confusing if you've never been there before, having the cafe entrance (with limited dinner menu) on the corner of Washington Blvd. We walked up and asked for a table inside, not realizing that the "Italian Cafe" establishment right next door was the place with the full dinner menu. However, we did want gelato for dessert, so the Lasagna with side salad was just the right size dish... I had the vegetarian lasagna, and my hubby had the meat lasagna, both were excellent, as was the caprese appetizer. Also tried the house wine (Italian version of Pinot Noir) which I enjoyed. Then got to "taste" a number of the gelato flavors before we settled on the ones going in our dessert cup, and the portions of gelato were quite generous. Overall, we were very happy with the service, the quality of the food, and the prices. If you have tickets to the theater afterward, the restaurant also offers a discount, making it an even better deal! Next time we'll try the full restaurant menu next door, or the wine bar section two doors down which is starting to serve more of the dinner menu along with wine tasting.
(4)Grace F.
delicious gelato, delicious soy au lait, gross white lighting, but hey who cares about the lighting? i just wish it wasn't smack in the middle of a mall...
(4)