The Place To Be

Danté Vincent

Outstanding breakfast & pastry shop. While we were disappointed there weren’t any Kouign-amann’s available, we found plenty of other delicious pastries. I ordered a breakfast sandwich on a baguette and it was a revelation- I’ve never considered pairing mustard with my eggs and it was outstanding - and the baguette was incredibly soft & fresh, not an overly hard crust that would’ve made it challenging to eat. Definitely will come back!

Felicia S

A great way to start a Saturday morning. Nice stroll and getting your caffeine and croissant 🥐 fix. I felt transported to the last I was in France 🇫🇷 when I took the first bite of the corner of the croissant. Perfectly toasted and perfectly buttery. You can sit on the coffee bar inside or on the tables outside. Given that it was drizzling decided to sit inside and take in the view as people were walking up and down Main Street. The offer a nice variety of goodies from France from wine 🍷, pastries and snacks. I had a large cappuccino ☕️ with a wonderful croissant 🥐

Ashley Sundquist

Incredible Parisian bakery on Main Street that serves up coffee and pastries, including gluten-free and vegan treats! Their egg and butter free croissant and brioche are just magical...I have no idea how they make it taste so perfect without the traditional ingredient. I’ve also had meetings here and it’s great place for a casual sit-down with fresh coffee. Pro Tips: - There’s plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, so come on in and stay a while

nikki

Lovely French spot on Main Street. Lots of patio seating and a couple of tables inside. I enjoyed a ham and cheese croissant, like you find all over Europe. I also had a cappuccino with oat milk. I will be back to try the ham and cheese panini next!

VargasIsMissing

Outstanding. Everything was great but the croissants were next level delicious. The best I ever had. Also, the meal I ordered (The Santa Monica, a lot of food for $16) came with FOUR different kinds of cheese, which just made my day. To top it off, the husband/wife team that run the place were incredibly kind and welcoming.

Rebecca N

The most delicious Gluten Free French Baguette! Knowledgeable baker who knew about Bromide in flour. Will definitely visit again. His flour is fresh from Europe not filled with preservatives found in US flour. Delicious new favorite go to!

Amanda Oliver

A lovely French couple owns this amazing bakery and all of their pastries are made fresh! Everything was amazing including the almond danish and chocolate croissant. Thanks for giving us a little taste of France in Cali!!!!

Emmanuel Sauquet

Superb French bakery… croissants are really good. Light and crispy. Strongly recommend to anyone looking at having a Parisian morning. Owner is French, which adds a light touch of class.

Tori Romero

Nothing like a fresh chocolate croissant & coffee on the beach with your husband ❤️ the pastries are delicious and so fresh here!! The customer service was spot on, I was greeted by a very kind french baker who helped me decide on some pastries (got the croissant pictured here along with a Vegan, GF chocolate chip cookie) 🙌 Definitely recommend!

Zeynep Şen Tiryaki

if you’re looking for an authentic croque madame, that’s the place you go. it was absolutely delicious. I wish I had time to try other things on the menu.

Fantastic croissants and pastries - owned and operated by the baker himself and his wife - genuinely from France. Mom & pop operation. One of my favorite places to grab a croissant and cafe. Don't believe the couple of poor reviews. This place is great.

Came in during a Sunday stroll. We ordered a couple of pastries and drinks. I had an iced white mocha drink and a raisin custard swirl. It was a pleasant afternoon snack. We also had a nice conversation with the owner of the cafe. Will definitely come back!

The sandwich was amazing! I recommend if you want a true French place to eat !

Our pastries and coffee were phenomenal!! Atmosphere was peaceful and the cafe itself was so cute. My cinnamon bun was the best I'd ever had, and we now hold the record for drinking an Iced Chai the fastest Santa Monica has ever seen lol. Will definitely be back, hopefully later today:D

The food was absolutely incredible and very authentically French. This has become a go to spot for me. The service was beyond welcoming and I really enjoyed the vibe of it being a family owned bakery.

Very delicious! Jambon Beurre is my favorite. Baguette is the source of deliciousness.

Grace Johnson

Wow. Hands down the best chocolate croissant I’ve had in the US.

Javier Cruz

The sandwich was amazing! I recommend if you want a true French place to eat !

THOMAS BOLDT

Fantastic croissants and pastries - owned and operated by the baker himself and his wife - genuinely from France. Mom & pop operation. One of my favorite places to grab a croissant and cafe. Don't believe the couple of poor reviews. This place is great.

Hastea Darabian

Came in during a Sunday stroll. We ordered a couple of pastries and drinks. I had an iced white mocha drink and a raisin custard swirl. It was a pleasant afternoon snack. We also had a nice conversation with the owner of the cafe. Will definitely come back!

Bonjour. J'adore la France et la langue française. Mon amour est profond : plus je t'en donne, plus j'en possède, car tous deux sont infinis. Let’s begin this Parisian petit-déjeuner review. :D The Place To Be is a small authentic French bakery and cafe on Main st in Santa Monica. They have a decent variety of pastries, breakfast sandwiches and coffee/tea drinks. This place is famous for its pain au chocolate. From the outside it has that Parisian vibe that flows into the inside of the cafe. I went Saturday morning to grab some coffee and breakfast. I had a HOT LATTE and Grilled Cheese Panini. Both were just average. Nothing French mind blowing IMHO. Service was spot on. French make staff was nice and polite. Prices were a bit above average. Overall, it was a modest breakfast meal.

Carlo N.

Bonjour. J'adore la France et la langue française. Mon amour est profond : plus je t'en donne, plus j'en possède, car tous deux sont infinis. Let’s begin this Parisian petit-déjeuner review. :D The Place To Be is a small authentic French bakery and cafe on Main st in Santa Monica. They have a decent variety of pastries, breakfast sandwiches and coffee/tea drinks. This place is famous for its pain au chocolate. From the outside it has that Parisian vibe that flows into the inside of the cafe. I went Saturday morning to grab some coffee and breakfast. I had a HOT LATTE and Grilled Cheese Panini. Both were just average. Nothing French mind blowing IMHO. Service was spot on. French make staff was nice and polite. Prices were a bit above average. Overall, it was a modest breakfast meal.

As a non-French speaker didn’t feel very welcome at this cafe. The ladies working the register seemed more interested in talking over our heads to their friend behind us in line in French rather than paying proper attention to us. The coffee was nothing special. Wouldn’t go back.

Rachna Agarwalla

As a non-French speaker didn’t feel very welcome at this cafe. The ladies working the register seemed more interested in talking over our heads to their friend behind us in line in French rather than paying proper attention to us. The coffee was nothing special. Wouldn’t go back.

Skip this place The coffee was mediocre at best, and the croissants didn’t come close to the quality you’d expect from a French bakery. The pistachio muffin looked unnaturally green, almost artificial, and the staff (presumably the French owner) had a rude attitude. Given that the place was empty while others nearby had queues, I now understand why. Ahh and it was also expensive Skip this place !

I guess she is the perfect example of French people and how they treat all people including children. Signs posted stating in order to sit, one must pay for meal. Each table sits 4, I was on an outing with 4 young adults. I paid for a meal and 5 drinks, and allowed the guys to sit while I stood and ate the dry grilled cheese, with cold unheated cheese. She came within minutes and asked the young men to get up and leave, cause this wasn't picnic tables, I told her we paid for a meal and drinks....she stormed away and states "educate yourselves" get out of this neighborhood, you have to be the nastiest business owners I've ever experienced, especially to young adults during the dog festival.

leandro gentini

Skip this place The coffee was mediocre at best, and the croissants didn’t come close to the quality you’d expect from a French bakery. The pistachio muffin looked unnaturally green, almost artificial, and the staff (presumably the French owner) had a rude attitude. Given that the place was empty while others nearby had queues, I now understand why. Ahh and it was also expensive Skip this place !

L Craig

I guess she is the perfect example of French people and how they treat all people including children. Signs posted stating in order to sit, one must pay for meal. Each table sits 4, I was on an outing with 4 young adults. I paid for a meal and 5 drinks, and allowed the guys to sit while I stood and ate the dry grilled cheese, with cold unheated cheese. She came within minutes and asked the young men to get up and leave, cause this wasn't picnic tables, I told her we paid for a meal and drinks....she stormed away and states "educate yourselves" get out of this neighborhood, you have to be the nastiest business owners I've ever experienced, especially to young adults during the dog festival.

Lee Paulson

Genuinely why? Most flawed business model I have ever seen. I went to order about 70$ worth of food and she proceeded to make a scene in front of all of the 5 whole customers. Watch out for symptoms when you eat here, it will start with mild passive remarks but by the end of the meal she will be screaming at you to leave, even when you want to order more. Like lady if yoh are reading this your three old French friends are not going to order as much as 8 young adults. When I ordered the food I was not given a fork and knife but when I went to get one she said “use the one I gave you”. THATS NOT THE WAG IT WORKS. Please save yourself the trouble and don’t eat here

val paulson

Food was mediocre at best, and the female owner was genuinely the most rude and annoying people I’ve met. My family and I got breakfast and went to order more food for some family that just arrived, and the female owner rudley kicked us out because she “needed the tables” then she proceeded to walk back inside as no one around us needed the tables. Easily the worst breakfast spot I’ve ever been too.