Clementine

06/01/09

STRESSFUL

by hungrynthirsty

everytime i go to clementine, i make sure i have atleast an hour for lunch.. after finding parking, waiting in line, then waiting for food, and finding a table, it is definately an hour long commitment if not more. kudos to the staff who are always friendly and helpful, despite the abuse and stress they have to endure from the local neighborhood patrons. sandwiches and coffee are a safe bet, but the specialty salads are loaded with oil.

• Pros: good sandwiches, helpful staff
• Cons: no parking, long lines, inconsistence, rude customers.

09/08/08

With its quaint European flair, this neighborhood breakfast and lunch spot is a Century City favorite.

by Contributor

In Short
Clementine's menu and ambience are pure neighborhood corner cafe. Chef-owner Annie Miller calls upon her Spago and La Brea Bakery training to create a tasty, Euro-styled menu of breakfast specials, sandwiches, unique deli salads and sweet, fresh bakery items. For breakfast, eggs are served poached Benedict-style or tucked in hot buttermilk biscuits with melted cheddar and shaved country ham. Or fake a British accent while nibbling rustic bread with spreadable Telleme cheese and Edon preserves. For lunch, try the very pink and tender roast beef sandwich spiced with mild horseradish mustard and marinated onions. Cumin-spiced marinated shrimp and calamari salad, and minty feta-cucumber couscous highlight the chilled deli salads. But nothing completes a healthy Clementine lunch better than the bakery counter's sweet, spiced pumpkin and banana breads, apricot-stuffed buns, coconut-raisin cookies and buttery fruit scones.

09/07/08

Surly service with attitude, great food

by kcbyrne

Been here several times - love the food, but unless you're hip, or in the industry, or a regular, it seems you're ignored. Most recent visit took 15 minutes to get 2 cookies and a bottle of water to go, while several employees chatted, rearranged doilies (really!), etc.

06/17/08

Overpriced oily food

by Johng13

Have eaten here many times due to its convinient location, will never eat here again. Staff is slow and not very bright, food is oily and overpriced.

• Pros: Location
• Cons: food, staff, price

03/26/08

Family owned upscale American cafe and bakery / Great Breakfast Spot

by bohoyuppiecouple

Clementine's food is all delicious. Parking is hard and it is always crowded, especially Saturday's, so take advantage of phone in orders and curbside pickup. The service is sometimes slower when they are crowded but you will forget your wait once you start eating. Their take home entrees and sides are especially delicious and affordable: Spagetti Pie and Annie's Cheesy Meatloaf are my favorites. Good for breakfast and great salads and cookies. Closed Sundays. Try a ginger limeade and keep your eyes out for the occasional celebrity from the local neighborhood.

08/10/07

Love this place!

by d2x

This is the cutest place I've ever been to. The only drawbacks are that it is not a larger space and parking is non-existent. The few times I have gone here for lunch, I have been in hog heaven! They have the greatest sandwiches and salads. I have yet to try everything but one of these days I will. Save room for some of the bakery items. Everything is fantastic! The Moravian Sugar Bread is my absolute favorite.

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: No parking

04/04/07

CRAZY BUSY!

by radiancelee

This is not a spot for a quick lunch, as the line in the tiny restaurant comes out the door, the tables are usually full and there is only one cashier. It's possible to call in your order, which seems to be what clementine specializes in: namely take-away gourmet food ready to warm up at home.

The sandwiches are tasty but pricey, the soup of the day is a winner, the chai was tasty.

Parking here is BAD! They offer road side service, but if I wanted that, I would have gone to a drive thru. Not a place to sit down and enjoy your espresso, since it is TOOOOO HECTIC!

• Pros: Chai Latte
• Cons: PARKING STRESSFUL, LONG LINE STRESSFUL

11/23/06

Always fresh

by davidsreview

yet another very good westside establishment. Casual but fun. It's like another version of Urth Cafe, without the people watching. Don't miss the soups.

10/27/06

love! the banana cake!!

by alyn06

This place is great. It has gotten a little trendy and crowded over the past year, but the food is still good, and i love the lunch specials.

• Pros: service, food
• Cons: parking is really bad

09/18/06

Too Crowded on the Weekends!

by kattrina123

Clementine has amazingly tempting, albeit pricey, freshly made homemade faire and baked goods. My biggest critique of the place is that it's just too crowded on the weekends to find a decent table, and when you do find one, the service is extremely slow because it's kinda understaffed...the kids are hopping around like mad to get people served quickly. When I asked, I found out that they need a FOH Manager really badly, to turn things around and make it more organized there, so that things will run smoother, and the wait times and whatnot will be reduced. One of the kids told me that they keep hiring potential managers that don't make it through their trial period, so perhaps it is an internal management issue. However, If you're coming during the peak hours (lunch, breakfast on the weekends), be advised that there is extremely limited parking...the streets surrounding are all permit-based and there are only a few limited spots with meters on Ensley. That being said, you can easily find parking a couple of blocks up near the mall. Bring extra cash because luch for two plus drinsk and dessert can get a bit spendy.

• Pros: bakery items
• Cons: too crowded, no organization, spendy