Alcove Cafe & Bakery

I've read a lot of reviews praising Alcove and how cute and yummy the place is, so I finally tried it and was sorely disappointed. The setting is cute: it's built in a house and there's a big patio out front with tables, but you can't enjoy all that when there are 30 people in line and the tables are crammed together.
Nevertheless, the line moved pretty quickly. I ordered the Fruit and Banana Crepe with Nutella. I was excited - you can't go wrong with fruit, crepes, and nutella right? Well, after waiting over 30 minutes for the food to arrive, I literally received a plate of 6 mini WONTON-like SKINS filled with just a dab of nutella and topped with a weird tangy smoothie mix on top. The crepe was made way too thick and chewy, it reminded me of dry mochi. It was disgusting.
The Caprese Omelette looked equally unappetizing. It was a giant egg omelette with nothing inside, topped with cubed tomatoes, a slab of mozzarella cheese, and a giant basil leaf on top like a garnish!! There was no marriage of flavors at all.
The only flavorful part of the meal was the rosemary potatoes.
Everything is overpriced. My crepe was $11.95 and the omelette was $10.95. Even a simple oatmeal is $7.95.

I could see how the charm of this cafe brings people here for social gatherings, but I wouldn't come back again based on my experience.

We met some other TB'ers at the Alcove for a going away breakfast before we all went our separate ways after a long and crazy meet up weekend.

If you blink you may miss it which just increases its charm. It's a very small location housed in an old bungalow. It has a lot of patio seating and a few smaller tables inside. The weather over the weekend was perfect for sitting out and enjoying a quiet breakfast with friends.

They have a pretty expansive menu for such a small place and everything looked yummy on the menu. Although not inexpensive, I opted to try the Country Breakfast ($11.95). Two eggs, pancakes topped with strawberries and bananas, and applewood smoked bacon or chicken-apple sausage. Had to try the applewood smoked bacon! YUMMY!

They've got quite the coffee and tea options it appeared but since we were driving all day, I opted for my diet coke caffeine fix. Normally, I would've tried one of their coffee creations.

I could see how on weekends, this place might be hard to get in and out since you go inside to place your order at the coffee counter and they bring it out to you when the food is ready. There were only a couple people working and since you have to wait for your drink, I would bet it could get congested with the combination of people waiting for drinks and still trying to order. Add to that the yummy bakery items on display and I imagine weekends are hectic for them.

Although on the expensive side for breakfast, the food was delicious and it was a perfect setting for the group to hang out and quietly talk without feeling like you are out in the middle of everyone else and their business. We had a quiet area to ourselves and it was a really a great way to end a wonderful weekend together.

Our group had a mix of breakfast and lunch items but everything looked good and all the plates were cleaned, so I assume it was all yummy! :-) And I like that they serve breakfast until 2:30 on the weekdays and 4pm on the weekends! Big plus for a 'breakfast anytime' lover like me!

Watch for parking - on a weekend it could probably be hard but we had no issue getting a metered spot right across the street. There is a small valet lot in the back as well.

what a gem in LA. the cute cafe on hillhurst between 2 office buildings. it has a patio in front and indoor seating. it is a great place to go to have dessert or a snack.

my cuz, john picked me up from the airport. i was hungry. he took me here. i ordered the 3 sliders: mini kobe beef burger with wasabi aioli, mini bison burger with with smoked chipotle ketchup, and a mini lamb burger with olive tapenade and feta. $12.95

YUMMY!!!!!!!!!!!!!

it's a bit pricey for what it is. you are paying for the ambiance and quality. i have not even talked about the cakes and such. i will go back for that coconut cake. it looks heavenly :)

i need to go back to try breakfast:

smoked salmon scramble 12.95
smoked salmon and caramelized onions scrambled with three eggs,topped with fresh goat cheese

breakfast burrito 10.95
three scrambled eggs, black beans, applewood smoked bacon, aged vermont cheddar, wrapped in a flour tortilla with fresh salsa, sour cream and seasonal fresh fruit (MINUS THE BACON)

breakfast quesadilla 10.95
grilled chicken breast, scrambled eggs, fresh spinach, aged vermont cheddar, monterey jack in a flour tortilla topped with avocado, fresh salsa, sour cream and seasonal fresh fruit on the side

smoked salmon quesadilla 12.95
smoked salmon, caramelized bermuda onions, scrambled eggs, fresh spinach, aged vermont cheddar in a flour tortilla with fresh salsa, sour cream and seasonal fresh fruit on the side

and lunch and dinner:

grilled steak salad 14.95
sliced filet mignon, point reyes bleu cheese, grilled tomatoes, caramelized onions, sauteed mushrooms and mixed baby greens with a fire roasted heirloom tomato vinaigrette

grilled salmon salad 12.95
fresh atlantic grilled salmon, sliced bermuda onion, tomato, cucumber and capers atop mixed baby greens with balsamic vinaigrette on the side

brie + apple panini 10.95
brie cheese, granny smith apples and caramelized onions

turkey pesto panini 10.95
sliced turkey breast, cave aged gruyere swiss, tomato and pesto

philly cheesesteak panini 10.95
shaved roast beef, caramelized onions, sauteed bell peppers and mushrooms, and jack cheese with au jus on the side

Alcove Cafe & Bakery is another gastronomic gem in Los Feliz, a neighborhood in Los Angeles whose "cool" factor seems to be shooting through the roof! I've lived in and around this area for most of my life and I can say wholeheartedly that the addition of Alcove Cafe & Bakery is definitely an improvement over the space's former life as a real estate office.

Intricate brickwork leads you away from the gray sidewalk though the front patio dining area. The front patio area has various sized tables shaded by burnt orange umbrellas. Other seating areas on the sides of the building have matching and mismatched patio furnishings that give the place a kitschy (in a good way) charm. Indoor seating is few and far between but since LA generally has great weather, dining outdoors here is a must! Alcove's dark wood tones and fresh flower arrangements gives the interior cafe space a gourmet look. Beneath their coffee bar is a refrigerator case filled with tempting cakes, pies, tarts, and pastries.

Gourmet...rightly so because the food served here is DELICIOUS!:P Alcove serves breakfast, lunch, dinner, and baked goods. In addition to coffee and tea, Alcove also has a decent wine and beer list.

Mar, Leanne, and I had breakfast here on an early Tuesday morning. You order your food at the coffee bar/cash register and they give you a number that you place at your table. The server then delivers your meal and utensils.

I ordered the Americana Panini...scrabbled eggs, aged cheddar, tomato, and your choice of meat (applewood smoked bacon, prosciutto, turkey sausage, or grilled chicken) on foccacia alongside rosemary potatoes. I chose bacon!

Mar ordered the Cobb Omelette...grilled chicken, applewood smoked bacon, Point Reyes blue cheese, tomato, and avocado with potatoes and toast.

Leanne ordered the Brioche French Toast with Vermont maple syrup, creme fraiche, and a compote/sauce of sliced bananas in orange juice and rum.

If reading this makes you salivate...then good because we were too! MMMM...BACON! Applewood Smoked Bacon...yummy! My panini was crisp even with sliced tomatoes in it. The bacon and cheddar was the best part...smoky and tangy. The rosemary potatoes were ok...I actually prefer a stronger rosemary flavor. Mar's omelette was great because of the bacon. Leanne French toast was fabulous and the best dish. The French toast was prepped and cooked well...the bread had just the right amount of egg/milk mix so as not to make the brioche soggy but rather moist and custard-like. The banana, OJ, rum sauce was a bit too tangy. You can never go wrong with maple syrup. Mixing the creme fraiche with the maple syrup was good...the creme fraiche off set the syrup's sweetness with a slight tang. Even the still water service is frou frou...it's self serve but you get a choice citrus fruit slices...lemon, lime, or blood orange. If this doesn't sound gourmet enough for you, the Village Gourmet...a fine foods, wine, and cheese shop...is right next door.

You betcha...I'm gonna eat here again!:P It's a good thing that I live a hop, skip, and a jump away from Alcove. Though it can be pricey, the portions are large and perfect for sharing and the ambiance was comforting and homey. The service was great and our food came out quick but its probably because its early morning on a Tuesday.

Be forewarned...Alcove Cafe & Bakery is a popular place...every time I've driven by it looked packed (isn't that a good thing?!?). So plan to go early...they open at 6 am everyday except Sunday when they open at 7 am. I will have to come back for lunch and baked goods. I think they recently started dinner service because their dinner menu is not uploaded on their website.

There is a small valet parking in back of the cafe. Finding street parking is another dilemma. There is metered parking along Hillhurst Ave. There is parking on Franklin Ave. but it is a busy street. Best bet is to find parking in the residential streets nearby like Clarissa Ave., Finley Ave., and Russell Ave...all within walking distance.