Ugo

Joey In Regina

Ugo is an absolute gem! Their café mocha is incredibly delicious, rich, and perfectly made. They also offer amazing gelato, which is a treat. Definitely a must-try spot! Highly recommend!

Christopher Estep

Cute little cafe in the middle of the 3rd Street Promenade. You order what you want at a little window and then they will call your name to come forward and collect it at the other window. Convenient and quick for when you want a small bite/dessert/drink on the go. This location in particular has a nice indoor/outdoor vibe with small tables.

Rural

I found the atmosphere of the place very nice and the staff polite. I got a nice little chicken pesto panini, a nice flakey buttery pastry, and some macarons. The pastry was wonderfully crunchy with a soft buttery inside, the panini filling and with perfectly blended ingredients, and the macarons were a delight. The seating I picked was semi-indoors, but I noticed since they announce your order by calling your name, some people seated fully outside had a hard time hearing their orders called. Still a very nice little diversion

Rodica “Rachel” Carroll

Delicious quinoa & grilled vegetables salad, delectable tiramisu & cannoli. Friendly, knowledgeable, helpful customer service. Great ambience, right in the heart of the 3rd street Promenade.

Debbie Allen

Stopped by for a mocha and decided to try the pastries which were light and delicious.

Aida King

Perfect little spot as it sits in the middle of the shopping area of Third Street Promenade. Have been coming here in the mornings for a large cup of delicious coffee & a special dessert treat for later. Their friendly morning staff makes it an even better visit! Pictured is their coffee up & their Nutella cream cake. The Nutella is wonderful light & not overwhelming in sweetness. A perfect combo. I would come back again for BOTH! I have had their gelato before when they used to be located at Santa Monica Place and can vouch that the gelato quality is high and legit. If you’re looking for a shopping break stop - this outdoor cafe would be it! (find me on Instagram @aida.loves )

Beautiful cafe in downtown Santa Monica. Food was light and fresh. Louis was very accommodating and made great coffee. If you’re Australian and missing coffee from home. I highly recommend this place to get your coffee fix.

Really good, not too sweet. We order the pistachio cake and the fruits tart cake, fruit tart one is sour, which I like it! Perfect for people do not like too sweet.

Chris Sims

After we went to some shops around the area we decided to grab some sweets and coffee here and it didn’t disappoint. The staffs are polite. We sat down and enjoy our cake while listening to the violinist who’s playing few steps away from us.

Тамара Гулина

Tasty, healthy, friendly staff, I recommend.

The deserts were mediocre,none of the 6 people in our group (three kids,three adults) were impressed.The cannolis were filled with sweet cottage cheese cream,with no other filling options available.The eclairs were just okay.And the macarons were quite small. Make sure to double-check your order and ask for a receipt.We were 100% sure we ordered 2 cappuccinos but they only made one,insisting that we had ordered and paid for just one. We also asked for an empty cup but were told we’d have to pay for it😜.

Great location and fair prices. The cheesecake I had was lesser than most while the strawberry gelato was just average so unfortunately 3 stars from me. Stunning venue though, great for people watching and just chilling.

Honestly kinda disappointed with the $10 gelato. Yeah the little cafe and it’s outdoor seating is adorable and very ‘Instagram aesthetic’ but the Nutella gelato was just about ok The other food in the display looked incredibly amazingly good. Especially the baked goods, sandwiches and cakes but I didn’t order any of them They don’t let you taste test, which is fine. But the gelato is so expensive :( and they also only sell bottled water which is also stupid expensive Feels like you’re paying just to be able to sit there and watch the Santa Monica crowd

I give this place a solid three stars. And one of the main reasons for that is because the price is fair for two flavors, coming in around $8.50 as of May 2024. Take it or leave Ugo. It's basically a dessert kiosk. You walk up, and order your items. It's prepped on the spot, and then handed to you. They do have some tables and chairs. I don't know if it's a post pandemic thing, but it seems like the staff that works at these type of places is kind of spacey, out of it, just not aware of how to engage customers. For instance, there were about eight of us standing around in a semicircle, because we didn't know that there were two lines, 2 cashiers, and none of the staff was clear about saying anything like, "hey can I help you?" Or, "hi, welcome to ugo's, what can I get for you?" Engage your customers if you're one of the staff people here, or one of the managers trying to train your staff properly. The staff was literally just standing around. And then I don't think the staff realizes that the more you engage your customers, the better your tips will be. Just saying! Gelato is "ok" at best. My main gripe is that it really doesn't have the texture or the taste of true Italian gelato. I don't think you're going to find that anywhere outside of italy. But for the ones that are here in the United states, this Gelato at this place tasted more like ice milk. It was like nonfat milk, par frozen, and then blend it up in a blender, then refrozen again. Either the ratio of sugar to Fat to cream isn't correct, or they're not using the proper technique or machine to properly freeze it. Also, one thing that was really annoying to me was that the hazelnuts were not toasted properly. I felt like I was eating raw hazelnut gelato. The hazelnut gelato specifically had no depth, or body, or notes of roasted hazelnut at all. The way you bring out the flavor in the hazelnut is by roasting it long enough, and correctly. They do mix in whole hazelnuts in that flavor, and you could absolutely tell that they were not roasted, or not roasted long enough. One good thing about the location is that it is about a block away from Santa Monica parking structure #4, which has a bathroom on the lowest level. So if you want a place to park for about an hour for free, and be within walking distance of the heart of the Third Street Promenade, I'd say this place could satisfy your generic ice cream craving. I believe Yogurtland is right across if that's more your thing. In summary, if you're on a date, or just enjoying a Santa Monica afternoon in the area, this is one of those okay spots. Is it worth it to drive somewhere to get a different experience, or go literally 50 ft to Yogurtland right next to it? You'll have to decide for yourself.

Gelato was not all that great.

Elena Drozdova

The deserts were mediocre,none of the 6 people in our group (three kids,three adults) were impressed.The cannolis were filled with sweet cottage cheese cream,with no other filling options available.The eclairs were just okay.And the macarons were quite small. Make sure to double-check your order and ask for a receipt.We were 100% sure we ordered 2 cappuccinos but they only made one,insisting that we had ordered and paid for just one. We also asked for an empty cup but were told we’d have to pay for it😜.

Dan Moodley

Great location and fair prices. The cheesecake I had was lesser than most while the strawberry gelato was just average so unfortunately 3 stars from me. Stunning venue though, great for people watching and just chilling.

Neerja Bakshi-Sharma

Honestly kinda disappointed with the $10 gelato. Yeah the little cafe and it’s outdoor seating is adorable and very ‘Instagram aesthetic’ but the Nutella gelato was just about ok The other food in the display looked incredibly amazingly good. Especially the baked goods, sandwiches and cakes but I didn’t order any of them They don’t let you taste test, which is fine. But the gelato is so expensive :( and they also only sell bottled water which is also stupid expensive Feels like you’re paying just to be able to sit there and watch the Santa Monica crowd

M X

I give this place a solid three stars. And one of the main reasons for that is because the price is fair for two flavors, coming in around $8.50 as of May 2024. Take it or leave Ugo. It's basically a dessert kiosk. You walk up, and order your items. It's prepped on the spot, and then handed to you. They do have some tables and chairs. I don't know if it's a post pandemic thing, but it seems like the staff that works at these type of places is kind of spacey, out of it, just not aware of how to engage customers. For instance, there were about eight of us standing around in a semicircle, because we didn't know that there were two lines, 2 cashiers, and none of the staff was clear about saying anything like, "hey can I help you?" Or, "hi, welcome to ugo's, what can I get for you?" Engage your customers if you're one of the staff people here, or one of the managers trying to train your staff properly. The staff was literally just standing around. And then I don't think the staff realizes that the more you engage your customers, the better your tips will be. Just saying! Gelato is "ok" at best. My main gripe is that it really doesn't have the texture or the taste of true Italian gelato. I don't think you're going to find that anywhere outside of italy. But for the ones that are here in the United states, this Gelato at this place tasted more like ice milk. It was like nonfat milk, par frozen, and then blend it up in a blender, then refrozen again. Either the ratio of sugar to Fat to cream isn't correct, or they're not using the proper technique or machine to properly freeze it. Also, one thing that was really annoying to me was that the hazelnuts were not toasted properly. I felt like I was eating raw hazelnut gelato. The hazelnut gelato specifically had no depth, or body, or notes of roasted hazelnut at all. The way you bring out the flavor in the hazelnut is by roasting it long enough, and correctly. They do mix in whole hazelnuts in that flavor, and you could absolutely tell that they were not roasted, or not roasted long enough. One good thing about the location is that it is about a block away from Santa Monica parking structure #4, which has a bathroom on the lowest level. So if you want a place to park for about an hour for free, and be within walking distance of the heart of the Third Street Promenade, I'd say this place could satisfy your generic ice cream craving. I believe Yogurtland is right across if that's more your thing. In summary, if you're on a date, or just enjoying a Santa Monica afternoon in the area, this is one of those okay spots. Is it worth it to drive somewhere to get a different experience, or go literally 50 ft to Yogurtland right next to it? You'll have to decide for yourself.

Melissa Millis

Gelato was not all that great.

Ugo Coffee pistachio latte was very disappointing. It didn’t taste like real coffee at all — more like hot water with pistachio syrup. The flavor was weak and not balanced. The service was also unpleasant. The woman working there was rude and did not speak politely with customers. Overall, not a good experience. I wouldn’t recommend it.

What this place really needs is a negative star. That’s how terrible it is. The worst part is there is no Manager or owner on the premises. I spent over two weeks, leaving messages for the owner to call me back & Only after insisting to the employee that I was not going to give up the owner, call me back (Actually, the owner’s wife) I have lived in this area for over 30 years & NEVER have I met such an unethical business establishment! I paid $28 for what they call “ Lobster ravioli” Which did not have any lobster in it! They use those artificial surimi stix which are primarily pollock & cornstarch, etc. I know this for a fact because I am allergic to pollock & I had a bad reaction. This is one time where the fact that they only give you four tiny ravioli worked in my favor. They are so cheap with their ingredients that there was hardly any filling at all ….let alone, they were even being stingy with those cheap surimi Imitation lobster stix.! (as you can see in my photo) The owner‘s wife was so rude. I was flabbergasted.! At least someone who has a professional role maintains some level of maturity & politeness to remain professional. I felt like I was talking to a six-year-old! I would never ever recommend even an enemy to eat here because the ingredients are going to be a mystery. Even though the lobster ravioli technically does not list the ingredients & they are taking advantage of people. Seeing a menu item called lobster ravioli I assumed it would have real lobster in it for $28. Foolish me! Eat here at your own risk & Know that there is no one who stands behind the integrity of quality or food you will consume. It’s a joke

The attitude that black hair short attendant had is crazy. Overheated my ugo Egg Sandwich. It wasnt fresh at all and felt like it was made yesterday and was sitting on the shelf. Half of the chairs are exposed to the sun. The nearby area is cool its a promenade. I just dont wanna spend money on premade and reheated food. Not recommended.

Extremely disappointed with the service at Ugo’s. It’s extremely rare if I write a bad review but this one I definitely had too. family and I have came here for many years. After taking my 4 little ones for a stroll at the promenade we decided to come for some ice cream. My kids were excited and really looking forward into trying something new. The moment we arrived this dude that works here (he didn’t want to provide me his name) which is why we took a photo- had no patience for us since my kids were a bit indecisive which flavor to choose from. I think because it was almost closing time but was still open for business. We asked him if we can try the flavors so my kids can choose which flavor they liked and he strictly said they can only try TWO. Which honestly sucked considering all 4 of my kids were indecisive. At the end one of my daughters had no choice but to choose one without trying it out and did not like the flavor. We politely asked him if we can change it and he strictly said NO and seemed extremely annoyed about our presence there. As an act of curtesy I would’ve expected some sort of empathy. I asked him for his name and he raised his voice at me and said “I do not need to provide you my name” out of frustration my husband grabbed the ice cream from my daughter and gave it back to them despite paying for it. This leaves a huge bad reputation for the owners of this location. David on the other hand was very polite and provided us with the best service. This guy on the photo on the other hand does doesn’t deserve to work here or need to be re-trained. He was extremely rude about the situation. My daughter unfortunately left crying without a change of a SIMPLE ice cream. It doesn’t cost much to be kind especially to a child. Last time here. Would give 0 stars if I could. This place is NOT kid friendly. Do not bring your kids here for an Ice-Cream. It only takes ONE employee to make the entire shop look bad.

danusha 3

What this place really needs is a negative star. That’s how terrible it is. The worst part is there is no Manager or owner on the premises. I spent over two weeks, leaving messages for the owner to call me back & Only after insisting to the employee that I was not going to give up the owner, call me back (Actually, the owner’s wife) I have lived in this area for over 30 years & NEVER have I met such an unethical business establishment! I paid $28 for what they call “ Lobster ravioli” Which did not have any lobster in it! They use those artificial surimi stix which are primarily pollock & cornstarch, etc. I know this for a fact because I am allergic to pollock & I had a bad reaction. This is one time where the fact that they only give you four tiny ravioli worked in my favor. They are so cheap with their ingredients that there was hardly any filling at all ….let alone, they were even being stingy with those cheap surimi Imitation lobster stix.! (as you can see in my photo) The owner‘s wife was so rude. I was flabbergasted.! At least someone who has a professional role maintains some level of maturity & politeness to remain professional. I felt like I was talking to a six-year-old! I would never ever recommend even an enemy to eat here because the ingredients are going to be a mystery. Even though the lobster ravioli technically does not list the ingredients & they are taking advantage of people. Seeing a menu item called lobster ravioli I assumed it would have real lobster in it for $28. Foolish me! Eat here at your own risk & Know that there is no one who stands behind the integrity of quality or food you will consume. It’s a joke

denkorea

The attitude that black hair short attendant had is crazy. Overheated my ugo Egg Sandwich. It wasnt fresh at all and felt like it was made yesterday and was sitting on the shelf. Half of the chairs are exposed to the sun. The nearby area is cool its a promenade. I just dont wanna spend money on premade and reheated food. Not recommended.

Fernando Gatica

Extremely disappointed with the service at Ugo’s. It’s extremely rare if I write a bad review but this one I definitely had too. family and I have came here for many years. After taking my 4 little ones for a stroll at the promenade we decided to come for some ice cream. My kids were excited and really looking forward into trying something new. The moment we arrived this dude that works here (he didn’t want to provide me his name) which is why we took a photo- had no patience for us since my kids were a bit indecisive which flavor to choose from. I think because it was almost closing time but was still open for business. We asked him if we can try the flavors so my kids can choose which flavor they liked and he strictly said they can only try TWO. Which honestly sucked considering all 4 of my kids were indecisive. At the end one of my daughters had no choice but to choose one without trying it out and did not like the flavor. We politely asked him if we can change it and he strictly said NO and seemed extremely annoyed about our presence there. As an act of curtesy I would’ve expected some sort of empathy. I asked him for his name and he raised his voice at me and said “I do not need to provide you my name” out of frustration my husband grabbed the ice cream from my daughter and gave it back to them despite paying for it. This leaves a huge bad reputation for the owners of this location. David on the other hand was very polite and provided us with the best service. This guy on the photo on the other hand does doesn’t deserve to work here or need to be re-trained. He was extremely rude about the situation. My daughter unfortunately left crying without a change of a SIMPLE ice cream. It doesn’t cost much to be kind especially to a child. Last time here. Would give 0 stars if I could. This place is NOT kid friendly. Do not bring your kids here for an Ice-Cream. It only takes ONE employee to make the entire shop look bad.

I visited your Santa Monica location today and was extremely disappointed with the service. The male staff member, who had short hair around ear-length, and a female staff member were both very rude and unprofessional. Their attitude was disrespectful and made the entire experience very unpleasant. I hope the management takes this seriously and addresses the behavior of these employees, as this kind of treatment is unacceptable

Noha Machrafi

I visited your Santa Monica location today and was extremely disappointed with the service. The male staff member, who had short hair around ear-length, and a female staff member were both very rude and unprofessional. Their attitude was disrespectful and made the entire experience very unpleasant. I hope the management takes this seriously and addresses the behavior of these employees, as this kind of treatment is unacceptable

Shay Liang

Negative stars if I could. Please DO NOT stop by for a quick bite or give them anyyyy money. The worker there was so rude and JUDGEMENTAL. My family and I ordered one mini pizza for my kid. Then went behind our backs and said “this is so sad” when she saw us cutting the pizza up. It was for our kid not for us. How is that sad? When we asked for forks and plates, she was relutanct to give it to us… saying they don’t really have much plates. She even rolled her eyes when giving it to us. If you want to be judged… and feel ridiculed then please give them business. Otherwise stay far away.