Cafe Lumiere

Really liked the eggs Benedict, chocolate chip cookie, and my latte. Great atmosphere too.

Last weekend my boyfriend and I decided to take a mini road trip to Monterey from SJ and after a long day of walking around fisherman’s wharf and Cannery Row we decided to try this place out since I am a sucker for cute/​hipstery coffee shops and this one was on the walk back to my car. I loved the simple and tasteful décor and it seemed like the perfect place to study with a lot of natural lighting and quite atmosphere. I ordered a latte and my boyfriend got tea because he doesn’t drink coffee (his loss!). We decided to sit out on the patio area because the weather was fantastic that day. For some reason there were quite a lot of gnats flying around inside near the door that leads out to the patio and on the patio itself. They didn’t buzz so I wasn’t too bothered by it. Still a little disturbed by the sheer number of them…
When I got my drink I went to make some adjustments (just a little sugar) and saw their collection of syrups that looked accessible to the patrons. I awkwardly asked if they were ok to use and the barista said no and that it normally costs 50 cents to have your drink flavored, but he’d give me a little for free just this once. I apologized profusely for putting him on the spot like that and even though I already tipped $ 1 at the register when I bought my drink, I threw two quarters into the tip jar on my way out because customer service was so good. Will definitely be back the next time I’m in town and maybe try the food! (–1 star was because of the bugs :/)

I came here on a Saturday afternoon for a quick lunch before heading to the aquarium for the day. This place was conveniently located across the street from the Marriott (where we were staying) in the heart of downtown Monterey. We had the egg sandwich and the basic breakfast which consisted of eggs, bacon, and toast. All the food was very good and cost around $ 6 each which was a great departure from the overpriced brunches in SF. They also had coffees, espressos, italian sodas — all the basic drinks of a typical small town café. It has a very quiet and chill atmosphere which makes it a good place to study or read a book.

Stopped in here for a latte and they had almond milk. Yay! It was delicious. I kind of regretted the fact we’d just had breakfast at another place when I saw people chowing down on delicious eggs.
The lady at the register wasn’t very friendly, though.

BEST avocado toast I have ever had. So happy we met Tony and he lead us to this gem of a breakfast spot.
Can’t wait to be back in Monterey

Cute little café. I stopped in here twice on business and had their breakfast on lunch. The place is reasonably priced and most of the staff are friendly. I had the classic eggs which were great and for lunch had the pesto sandwich. I would come back if I was ever in the area again. They also offer wifi if you want to get any work done.

Great coffee and beer? Whaaaat? Yes, an excellent coffee, and the excellent (and hard to find in he SF Bay Area) Founders All Day IPA.

Great movie house café that serves great coffee. Movie house is currently closed for renovations, so the energy in the café is a little low, but still worth experiencing.

I came her with my sister for brunch and we were blown away. The customer service was great and the employees were helpful in helping us choose what to order. My sister got avocado toast with poached eggs and she couldn’t have been happier. The egg was perfectly poached and runny! I ordered a breakfast croissant with eggs and cheese inside, it was delish. I also got a caramel latte and it was one of the best that I’ve had, and I’ve had many! We will be back next time we are in town :)

I will be honest: this is not my favorite place for coffee but it is a great place to hang out, especially upstairs. The upstairs area has couches and more room. Wifi is great. They also have some outdoor picnic table seating that overlooks the Crown and Anchor and down toward Alvarado.

I ordered their tofu scramble, it tasted very much like curry and I really like it. The latte is a little bit too mild for me but I think it’s totally fine. The fruit on the side tasted very fresh, me and my family enjoyed the food very much! I think it’s worth coming back, the atmospheres at the shop is super relaxing!

Food was surprisingly fresh and good here. They have some tables in the back outside, where you can sit and enjoy the weather. I only got an iced mocha, which I liked (it was sweet though it didn’t taste like coffee really), but it was pretty expensive at almost $ 6, though! Price for it different from prices of other items on the menu (large mocha was less than $ 5, so I’m not sure if they upcharge for getting coffee iced). The woman working at the register wasn’t too friendly either. Also, sometimes, she’d bring us our food outside, and other times, she would call out so we’d have to get it. It was strange.
My friends ordered a salad, which had some nicely marinated tomatoes, chicken (it was a bit too dry though), bacon, crisp iceberg lettuce, and boiled egg. Good salad. Another friend got the BLT, which had nice, thick pieces of bacon, and the third got a veggie wrap, which she said was good. I didn’t try it, though. They have some pastries and to-​go sandwiches on baguettes that looked good, too.

I was teetering on the 3 – 4 star mark for this place. It’s a dated building which is kind of cool, an old cinema. The pace of the service is much more on the relaxed side which fits the atmosphere of this little time capsule. The selection is wider than the average coffee shop, so there are some decent snacks and drinks. The food didn’t seem that fresh and the seating is just worn down and tired. So, if that’s the mood you’re looking for the place will work. I think it has potential though and I hear the theater is going to be coming back on line in the future which may revitalize the café.

NorCal doesn’t have many cafes…
This place has a cute layout.
My mocha was tasty for $ 3.75.
My Spinach Mushroom «Tortilla» was basically solid egg topped with veggies. I got used to it. (I thought I was paleo).
My one day old cookie for $ 1 was super crispy but it was ok.

We ordered a cappuccino, zucchini bread, and the Bixby B.L.A.T and were not disappointed
The cappuccino was perfectly flavored with the cute leaf design on top
The zucchini bread was spot on with the flavor and had walnuts and raisins
And the B.L.A.T was so good we almost ordered a second one

This café is located across the street from the Mariott, so if you’re staying there, its quite convenient. I, on the hand drove here from Carmel and parking was really easy so no need to worry there and I came on a Saturday afternoon in the midst of summer.
I moved here recently and wanted to find a coffee shop/​café. As soon as I walked in I quickly learned that it is a study spot, as all 4 customers seated were on their laptops. I came in to grab a quick cup of Chai tea and a vegan snickerdoodle. Their website stated that they have occassional vegan and GF pastries and I was happy to discover that there was a vegan version of my favorite cookie. I asked the woman helping me if she’s ever had and she said no but it’s a popular item, so I took her word for it and tried it. The Chai tea was also satisfying, not too spicy or herb-​y, but there was too much foam and it was not hot enough for my liking. Also, it’s an extra $ 0.50 for soy.
If you’ve had the version with dairy products, I’ll admit it doesn’t taste the same or look the same, but it’s good enough to satisfy my craving! A little crunchy on the outside, soft on the inside. I can’t say anything about their food since I only came to get tea and a cookie but I’ll definitely be back to try it.
This place is connected to a movie theater so you’ll have to accept the popcorn smell. I like that this place has self service clean up, you just place you dishes in the tub over the trash cans! Also, don’t forget to ask for the WiFi code if you plan to stay around.

Stopped by Lumiere for a quick breakfast during Fourth of July weekend. We weren’t from the area so didn’t really know where to go but this place was right across the street from our hotel and looked nice from the outside so we decided to give it a shot.
Food took awhile to arrive but we were having a nice time inspecting the décor of the place. Lots of wood. Quite hip. They have these cute wooden salt and pepper holders that look custom made or something. Very nice attention to detail.
Food really hit the spot for the price. I got the hash and a tea for around $ 11.50.
If I’m every in Monterey again I’d probably come back here!

Love that they served coffee in a pint glass.
It was a perfect way to start off our mini weekend getaway in Monterey. We sat outside and enjoyed the nice crisp air.
Staff was super nice and the environment was clean. The almond croissant was so delish! I will be back again! :)

First time here and having evaluating multiple local coffee houses in multiple cities that served both coffee and food I feel this place could use some work.
What makes great coffee houses is the people and of course the coffee. With coffeehouses that also serve food, I think that needs to be included in the rating.
Coming here on a Sunday the lines weren’t too busy. About 4 people ahead of me and 2 people behind me, but everything felt rushed. I understand speediness, but no welcome hello, monotone speaking, and rushing our order are not the way to go when it comes to customer service. Call me picky, but that service is what I want when I come in for a morning pick me up.
Even receiving our orders we were called for our coffees or food. We sat outside and with coffeehouses that offer outside seating normally someone comes out to tell us the coffees and food our ready. But that wasn’t the case. My mocha when picked up had the milk already curdled… but the mocha itself was a hit more on the coffee then chocolate side. Not a big deal to me, as that doesn’t make or break it and seems to be more stylistic or the personality of the coffee shop. My only quip here is that the chocolate was a bit harder to taste, but besides that still a decent mocha.
The food was saving grace here though. The classic Omelette was light and fluffy like biting into clouds filled with cheese and bacon. The huevos rancheros had more subtle flavors and was well received by me, although my fiancé felt more salt was needed and refried beans needed to be used vs. pinto beans (she prefers more authentic cuisines). She also felt the potatoes were lackluster vs. I though the potatoes we’re superb.
The granola was interesting. It definitely needed to be eating together, as each individual piece wasn’t the more flavorful on their own. The granola wasn’t thick pieces, more a roasted, nutty flavor. The fruit was delicious, but the yogurt was just tart.
I would come here again for the omelette. But in terms of coffee or other food items. Probably not.

Hidden little gem. if you sneeze you miss it!
There gluten free and vegan options which is great for my group of pick eaters. last weekend however. I was with the fam bam
My dad ate the whole spinach quiche. he never finishes anything.
The brother and I got the Californian Benedict– fresh avocado. the hollandaise was super lemony and light… it was a refreshing change.
The coffee was perfect.
A great place to people watch in the AM with an eclectic mix of old timers, families and folks from the hotels.
Will be back for sure to tackle some of those pastries!!!