Market Cafe Hope Street

Best almond croissant so far!!! Went in for an afternoon snack and I was craving sweets, tried this croissant and it was heaven in my mouth!!!

Market Café is part of the Patina Group. Walked by a few times. Walked in a few times. Never got anything til recently. Not sure if it’s that everything is pre-​made, or that most everything is a sandwich, or what. Breads look good, but I think it’s there for display only.
So, I get a sandwich which is pretty big with turkey and cheese and avocado. I’m glad to have gotten it, and it was satisfying. The Staff was friendly and helpful. They will toast/​grill any sandwich you pick out. But all sandwiches here are pre-​made. They look good, and the one I had tasted fine. It just seemed a little odd to have them already made. Expect to pay about $ 10. While this is a might pricey on the surface, you do get a big sandwich.
They have Intelligentsia Coffee, one of my all time faves. I have yet to come here for coffee, though. They close at 2pm, which seems a bit early. They are located right by the lower level entrance to the Library.

My customer service this very morning is what brings this ratings down. My co-​worker and I called ahead to order two different breakfasts. When we arrive, we ask if the order can be split so that we can pay separately. Our cashier ringing us up seemed annoyed but didn’t say anything — after my co-​worker paid, I went up to pay for my portion, and then the female cashier to his right asked snidely, as if I wasn’t there: why are they splitting it? I didn’t hear his response because I was just PISSED that she would even ask that question while I was up at the register, GIVING them business. Are you joking? The level of rudeness was just shocking from a place that I have been frequenting for years. This has lowered my expectations of the place a lot. And yes, the little things do make a difference and does sour my impression of the place. They need to re-​consider their hires, especially the female cashier from this morning. If I ever do come again, I’ll try to be in and out as fast as possible!

Decided to give this location a try because of the 20% Unilocal checkin.
First off, the cashier said it only applies to the Next purchase. This is silly because Unilocal itself has a use now option.
Tried the turkey club which is suppose to be panini pressed. I put in my order. They grab the sandwich out of the fridge display and then in less than 30 seconds my sandwich was done. Since when does panini press take only a few seconds? All the 30 seconds on the press did was give the bread a grill mark. It wasn’t hot or warm, no part of the cheese was melted, and the bread still fluffy (not pressed).
This sandwich Is not worth $ 9.30 after taxes. At this price I expect better quality deli meat and bacon too.
And the service is ok. It’s not rude and it’s not great. They hardly smile.
I’m not sure if I would come back to use the 20% off coupon I just got. patina is usually great so I’m sure other things in here may taste good but this visit leaves a really bad impression.

QUICK BREAKFAST BITE.
DTLA heat is not attractive. It makes people lazy. With that said, I do not like leaving my nice AC office building to find food. This café is the perfect location… across the street. The space is tiny, the service is quick, and the bites are satisfying.
CHOCOLATE POPTART — flaky outer layer with a semi-​sweet chocolate filling decorated with chocolate covered peanuts. The chocolate filling inside was not the overly sweet chocolate, its a very subtle semi-​sweet chocolate that eating the entire pop tart wouldn’t be overkill.
EGGWHITE & SPINACH — this is a breakfast sandwich and not a plate item! The softness of the croissant sandwich was like bitting into a puffed edible brown pillow. The egg whites were from a carton, you can tell by the shape of the eggs when you lift up the croissant. It was a typical croissant sandwich but the croissant was the star.
Will I be back? Yes, i can’t help myself.

Before today, I would’ve given this place 4.5 stars (0.5 stars taken off due to pricing). Although the sandwiches were on the more expensive side, it was totally worth it as the sandwiches were made to order, warm, fresh and completely yummy. They’ve switched their process in the month that I’ve been eating lunch at my desk and now pre-​make their sandwiches, to languish in their display case, and only to heat them if you asked. I was really disappointed with my chicken breast sandwich which was dry and lukewarm. Market Café – go back to making sandwiches to order! That was what justified the cost.

I am a big fan of market café! It’s a bit hidden but there is nice outdoor seating, perfect for a quick lunch break! There is a great selection of sandwiches, and even some combo options with soups or salads that are made daily. You can see the chef preparing the sandwiches behind the counter which is always a nice touch.
They also served intelligentsia coffee, which is some of the best coffee I’ve had in the area. This is truly a great spot for a quick lunch or a coffee break, I will definitely stop by again!

Really love this place! Healthy sandwiches and salads with decent portions. The chicken breast sandwich is my favorite, caprese and some of the chefs specials are very good too!
They also serve Intelligentsia coffee! It’s a little more expensive than Starbucks but tastes way better. Definitely a great spot for lunch/​coffee breaks!

Every now and then, I like to treat myself to a breakfast burrito (egg, cheese, potato, and bacon) and a glass of orange or grapefruit juice from Market Café :) The guys here are super friendly, and your food is in your hands before you know it! And as far as I’m concerned, I’ll pay a bit more for my breakfast if it means leaving with a smile on my face and the anticipation of a freshly made, deliciously cheesy burrito :) (Last Friday I ended up eating half at breakfast and the other half at lunch — yum!) Thanks guys *thumbs up*

I come to the Market Café quite often, as they are located in the building where I work. Let me tell you their highlights that work for me: veggie scrambled eggs with garlic scented spinach and hot salsa sauce. I get that almost every morning. Their butternut squash soup or the broccoli or tomato cream are a delight, especially when served with croutons. They have great quinoa, fingerlings, veggie salads that you can buy as a side to a savory turkey sandwich. I also like their pesto turkey salad, which melts in your mouth. I’ve had their butter croissants and chocolate croissants, love them, and you’ll never find a better Belgian hot chocolate within a few miles radius.
They look classy, very European. If I was walking down the streets of Paris, I’d say this was a great modern French café. I guess I have a little corner of Europe here, with me, in downtown LA. Thank you, Market Café!

Damn homeless shelter, aka public library opens at 10, since I’m 30 minutes early, decided to stroll in and fuck up my diet once again. Of course, I skip the fridge display of whole grains, parfaits, fruit juice go straight to the burrito menu.
I regret eating it because it was very heavy. Their croissants looked very good shoulda just had that.
Pricing is a bit on the expensive side ($ 7.00+) for the loaded breakfast burrito, but its very filling. It has cheddar cheese, potatoes, choice of sausage or bacon (had sausage good tasting) and scrambled eggs, which were a bit runny… i think they do it this way on purpose… comes with a decent salsa on the side. Parts of the burrito were cold, a big no-​no, however. Think it was the sausage.
They seem to have very nice sandwiches, I just cant afford $ 10 a sandwich for lunch, but they do seem to have good ingredients and just a nice clean place, upscale quality food. If I fall into a pile of money I will visit more than once in a lifetime.
Looks like a european café and starbucks had a baby and this is its creation.
Great while enjoying your favorite overdue book from next building.

Fresh and tasty sandwiches with premium ingredients. $ 10 got me the roasted chicken breast sandwich was delicious, although if you’re avoiding soft cheese double check the filling list.
As the food is prepared fresh do expect a bit of a wait. Inside is table seating for about 16 – 20 people.

This place looks promising-​clean, great décor, chef coats, etc., but I am not impressed. Please keep in mind this review is ONLY for the breakfast burrito (JBS) and it was disappointing to say the least.
To cut to the chase, you get about 3 eggs, one bacon strip, potatoes and cheese. It was about a six inch burrito. The damage? $ 6.50 with a grand total of $ 7.09. The ingredients were not special, the cheese was just cheddar. All for a whopping six dollars and fifty cents plus tax. How dar thee. At minimum stuff the burrito with two bacon strips or a bacon and sausage each. STINGY. What did I learn today? Simplly put, DO NOT purchase this overpriced breakfast burrito if you don’t want to feel cheated. I turn to my scumbag uncle Charlie with a gambling issue for that.
Since I really want to like this place, I will give them a chance and try another menu item. Will update this when that day comes.

I work in the PacMutual building and I’m so happy I found a place close-​by that has Intelligentsia coffee!!! (word up to all the coffee snobs out there.) It’s a bit hard to spot if you’re walking down 6^th street as it’s off to the side, but just know it’s directly across from the Standard Hotel parking lot where the street dead-​ends into the LA Public Library.
I got the Hickory Cold Smoked Salmon and my colleague got the Chicken Romaine Salad — both def had us wanting to come back to try more of their food. The price here is average for DTLA.
I noticed a bad review on here for their service. I’ll put it this way, the staff would be considered friendly if we were in NYC, but I think all of us in La La land are just so used to all the cheery greetings we get at Tender Greens, Sandwich Shop or Cabbage Patch. Personally I don’t mind — they just get straight to the point, ask what you want, you order, badda bing badda bam… nuff said.

A little hidden gem in corporate downtown LA…
Their coffee (intelligentsia) is probably the best around… great iced latte…
Sandwiches are still 8bucks though but where isn’t around the area…
The steak sandwich is really good… Breakfast burrito is pretty cheap and good…
Go… you won’t be disappointed

Average given the price. I think some things are overrated and expensive for what you are getting. But I do like the oven roasted turkey club sandwich… A lot. For $ 7.50 it is a great sandwich. Bacon butter lettuce garlic aoli. Yum!
I also like the convenience of having it so close to work and being able to place the order over the phone made pick up super quick and easy.

Woohoo! I found another Patina place =P
This small café is so cute and clean. It is a perfect place to get sandwiches/​salads for lunch. I only got mocha for my first visit because I just ate lunch.
Mocha ($ 3.50): surprisingly not bad for a place that doesn’t really specialize in just coffee.
I came back for breakast and got myself a cup of cappuccino and PB&J macaron.
Cappuccino ($ 3.25): I kinda liked this one too because I could taste the coffee.
PB&J macaron ($ 2.50): not the best macaron and it’s more expensive than other macaron places. I didn’t really care for the peanut butter part and it didn’t have enough jelly.
The pastry shop offers many types of goodies: quiche, bagel, croissant, muffin top, scone, pop tart, carrot cake, cookie, cupcake, cake pop and macaron.
They also have healthier options: oatmeal with toppings, egg white & spinach sandwich.
3.5 stars! I want to go back for its sandwiches.
Market Café Hope Street is kinda yummylicious!

After several opportunities to hope against hope that Market Café was just experiencing new opening inconsistency, I’ve found that indeed it is simply inconsistent. Since I work in the building it is terribly convenient and when I’m rushed for time I’ll pop in despite the rather pricey offerings.
My first time in I got a ½ sandwich and salad. The pre-​made sandwich in the refrigerator case was only in a paper sleeve which allowed the bread to dry out and the salad portion was barely a half pint. Edible, but not delightful which is what you expect for a $ 10 bistro-​deli lunch.
The second time I ordered the Chef Salad. Or what I thought was a Chef Salad. I got it back to the office only to to discover that the chef salad listed under Chef’s Specials of that day was not in fact a Chef Salad but an iceberg wedge with bleu cheese and bacon bits. That is a Wedge Salad– a classic for sure and it was good, but it was not worth $ 9.50.
So, caveat emptor. So now I know that Chef Salad means salad du jour. Check the actual specials listed on a menu taped to the counter by the register. Not posted a L’Ardoise, but piece of paper taped to the counter in front of which patrons stand to get their orders and pay. Not really visible.
Next up– the Turkey club. Wonderful. Really flavorful, bread was delicious and heated in the pannini press. I’ll have that again. I should have had it today.
Chef’s sandwich– today was polish sausage on a bagel baguette «bun» with coarse mustard and sauerkraut. I love me a good polish sausage, mustard and kraut. This was merely passable– and only because I was famished. After the first couple of bites I though about taking it back. The bun was dry and flavorless, the sausage had been roasted some time before and even though warmed, was shriveled and the skin was dry — as though it had been sitting out for a while. All for $ 8.50
Next time I’ll stick with the Turkey Club for $ 7.50. If not for the great Turkey Club, the rating would be one star.

When Market Café opened, I was excited because it’s in a great location – it’s close to offices and the downtown public library. Unfortunately, nearly every time I have been there, I’ve been disappointed, and I think I’ve given this café enough chances to officially say I am passing on it for good. Here’s why:
*I’ve tried their latte, and it was one of the best lattes I have ever had. Unfortunately, it was about the same price as a latte at Starbucks, but it was significantly smaller. I had a similar note with their breakfast sandwiches. Although the sandwiches taste good, for the small portion, the cost is expensive. Getting a breakfast here could easily set a person back $ 6 – 8.
*I went to Market Café one late afternoon for a snack. I bought a bagel, and it was STALE. I also tried their Intelligensia coffee, and I was surprised at how bitter it was.
*The last and final straw I had with Market Café was this morning when I got a bagel for breakfast. I asked for an everything bagel, and after I was charged, the woman handed me an unsliced bagel in a bag. I asked why it wasn’t toasted. She then told me that their toaster was broken… WHY DID YOU TELL ME AFTER I PURCHASED IT? I could have gone to a grocery store to get an untoasted bagel, and it would’ve been half the price. Plus, when I got to work, I discovered she had given me a sesame and not an everything bagel.
Overall, Market Café could be a winner, but its prices and customer service should be improved if it hopes to stay in business in such a competitive area.

Went in a few weeks ago at 11:30am to get lunch and walked away unhappy.
I walked up to the counter and no one greeted me. I stood there for almost 5 minutes before someone finally said: «Hello, what do you want?» (FYI: there was only ONE other customer there waiting for their food) As soon as I started to place my order, the gentlemen said to «hold on, I’ll be right back» and he walked into the back. He finally came back a minute later and asked: «What do you want?» I placed an order for a salad to go, paid and sat down at a table. After about 10 minutes of waiting, someone finally walks out from behind the counter and says: «Jason??» I say, yes, that’s me… he places the salad on my table and walks away without saying anything else. I wasn’t given any utensils, napkins or even a bag, which I assumed I’d get since my order was to go.
Anyway… POOR customer service. I walked away feeling like they all could have cared less about me or my business. I doubt I’ll ever return.