Café Nouveau in San Buenaventura (Ventura) - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Upscale, food and service reflected in the upscale price.

Very quaint with indoor & outdoor patio seating. Great service.

Not Kid Friendly! Overpriced mediocre food, almost tasteless. We came with a toddler and a dog. Was never offered a high chair or a booster seat. When I asked if there is a kids menu there was none. My toddler’s drink was brought in a small cup, but charged as a regular adult soda drink. I had the salmon poached eggs - the hollandaise sauce was awful and sour. The best part of my dish were the potatoes. My husband had the country fried steak - his hash browns were the highlight of the dish. The actual steak and gravy had the same weird sour taste - even our pup refused to try the steak. When we asked the manager what were the ingredients in the gravy and the hollandaise sauce to determine the sour taste - he never came back to our table with an answer. My toddlers big stack of banana-Nutella pancakes were good. Was excited to try this place and left disappointed. Families with strollers beware - they are not allowed due to safety concerns for the staff and guests who use mobility assistance. My question is how do you allow a wheel chair or a mobility assistance device, but you don’t allow a stroller? In all fairness they fall in the same category - a little baby needs mobility assistance but it’s not allowed in the establishment.

Always a great time to have breakfast here. The service the food unparalleled I come down from Thousand Oaks to this specific restaurant just because!

Always an excellent dining experience. Especially outdoors

Yummy breakfast, the staff is so efficient and the food was super fresh!

This place is simply magic, breakfast or dinner! Staff are kind and funny! Food is amazing!

Great ambiance and service was good. I don't really understand the rave reviews on the food though. Maybe I made the mistake of ordering a Mexican dish (although other reviews here rate it well) but my chile verde dish okay, bordering on bad. The green chile had barely any flavor, with zero spice, and the pork was not tender. The potatoes were decent, which may have salvaged the meal, but the beans were blandest down right awful beans I've ever had. I was hungry so I powered through it by adding a ton of salt, pepper, and Chulula on everything. My kids kids enjoyed their French toast and pancakes. Maybe that's more their specialty. Anyway, I'm disappointed in all the websites that list this place as a must try when in Ventura. Will not be coming back. You can find way better food elsewhere, especially for the price.

My husband and I visit Ventura often. We always-always visit Cafe Nouveau. Last week we spent the week in Ventura for our son's wedding. Not only did we eat there 3 times many of our friends and family were recommended to eat at Cafe Nouveau. Everyone raved about their meals and returned more than once. The service is 5 star and the food is of the charts! If you enjoy a morning mimosa, you have to try the pomegranate mimosa. Don't pass on Cafe Nouveau.

Ambiance Wonderful, Service Excellent...!

Great food with a great atmosphere

Fun little hidden gem. Wonderful service and Absolutely delicious food The birds flying around you are cute It's a nice place for you to feel like you're eating in a relaxing garden.

Beautiful ambiance, although Barcelona is quite a distance from Praja. I would have like to have taken a Crème brûlée or crêpes to-go; but, I think that dining it may be better with deux.

It was my 1st time coming here. The ladies I was with had good things to sat. I am glad we all enjoyed ourselves. Food was good! Ambiance was nice. My only complaint was the bathroom locks don't really work well. Next time I'd like to try there lunch.

Consistency, always delicious and always good service. Nice ambiance and comfortable surroundings.

Great food and friendly, attentive service

This was the perfect brunch spot! The food was so fresh and delicious. The service Victor privided was attentive while still allowing a relaxing experience. The patio and food gives you the best of both worlds; food and experience. I highly recommend you find this little gem!

Great service! If you go, order the vegetable pesto frittata or any of the french toasts: you wont regret it!

Café Nouveau is a delightful, must try spot in Ventura! The breakfast menu is quite extensive with something for everyone. Each dish has its own Café Nouveau flair with good flavor and large portions. Make sure to try the maple bacon beignets! The outdoor dining area is well designed and provides privacy while being tastefully decorated. The entire waitstaff was very attentive and provided excellent service. The owner also went around and checked on each table. Prior reservations are recommended, especially on weekends.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND. My husband and I came here for breakfast, and the banana chocolate chip pecan pancakes were absolutely delicious. They have a house syrup with vanilla that will make your day. The ambiance is so relaxing, and the decor is tastefully done. I will surely be back for more next time I'm in town.

Amazing venue, great vibe. The Beignets are to die for.

It was amazing! One of the best breakfasts of my life. High quality food with friendly service and a cozy and lovely atmosphere. Do not skip on ordering a French toast dish for dessert.

Delious food and friendly staff. The Cafe is so cute and nestled in beautiful greenery and wood fence which gives you privacy from the traffic.

We happened upon this cafe during our trip down the coast and so happy we did! The patio is lovely with little alcove around each table. Our waiter was great and they are very organized there, constantly in contact with each other to make sure the restaurant runs smoothly. Very pleasant lunch!

A little breakfast gem, we Riley to go often, the wait is never too bad, food is great with a nice vibe, the patio is a great space to dine.

Our server was Raul A; super friendly, attentive, helpful, and made everything easy to enjoy for my sister visiting from out of town. Thanks!

Always wanted to try their food but sometimes waiting list is too long specially on Sundays. However today we did have a chance to dine in. Surprisingly this place was pretty busy on Tuesday morning. The food was good, service and overall experience great. Hopefully will come back soon

We found this gem on our road trip from So Cal to Paso Robles. The food was amazing. The maple bacon beignets were the best we have ever had including those we had in New Orleans. The California Cobb was large, fresh, delicious and, truth be told, could have been shared. There is inside and outside seating. We found inside to be a bit claustrophobic. So, we opted for outside and it was wonderful. It gets very busy around noon, but you can add you name to their online wait-list to shorten your wait-time. Our server, Raul was friendly, professional and efficient. We will return again next time we are in Ventura.

Service was very attentive. Place is cute. Sadly, food was very poorly executed, with the exception of the maple/bacon beignets. The “spice grilled shrimp” tacos simply flavorless. The creole style eggs Benedict were mushy and the accompanying au gratin potatoes were a sloppy pile and obviously prepared in bulk. The bananas foster waffle my daughter had was pretty good. This smorgasbord-level food is not acceptable for $20+ per dish. AND —we waited over an hour for this…

Nouveau Macaroni and Cheese was great, a little bland, but still a good sauce. The portions are tremendous. The atmosphere is what is really special here, especially in the garden.

The menu options are great but the taste and quality of ingredients is absolutely terrible and substandard. The beignets are probably frozen and over fried in the poorest quality oil. The $5 coffee is diner style, lacking depth. We had the creole style seafood eggs benedict; the hollandaise sauce for this dish had no butter flavor, maybe made with shortening, worst of all the creole sauce was just sphaghetti sauce, nothing creole about it. They have used shortcut and the lowest quality ingredients to make the dishes, seriously the food is toxic.

Extremely nice staff. Food was great! Everybody left with a happy, full belly. Can get a bit crowded during holidays like Mother's/Father's Day, but that is to be expected. Sometimes service can be a hit or miss. Some staff members can get a little distracted being preoccupied with other patrons.

Food was phenomenal. The portions were very large.

Came in with a party of 6. None of the food bad at all. Half of us said it was very good, the others said it was average. Bloody Mary's were ok. Extremely overpriced.

Long wait to be greeted with hair in your French toast, weak coffee and rude service. For breakfast way more expensive then it should be.

Fast service and delicious food got the eggs Benedict

My husband did a lot of research before going to this restaurant. He read all the reviews and we decided to go to this cafe. Food quality is really good, and quantity is more than expected. It's totally worth waiting in line to dine in.

The waiter vas really really rude.

Sadly disappointed, came out to Ventura for a brunch and received soggy eggs Benedict, with soggy muffin, soggy tomato and tasteless sauce. No fresh juice options yet prices are shockingly high. Unfortunately our waiter was not kind with us. I saw the reviews and was so excited to try this beautiful place but very let down :(

Such great food and service. You really don’t go wrong with anything on their menu! Great breakfast and brunch or lunch spot

Great old style home with a cozy resteraunt feel. You can eat on front or back patio too! I love the homemede syrup it goes soo well with their humongus pancakes. Yummm!

Always a good spot for breakfast. Great service, would deff recommend, local favorite

We used to go here often, but the prices have skyrocketed to the point that it ruins the whole experience. It's a shame, we won't be back.

Always visit when in Ventura. Never disappointed.

Came here based off of googles review's. The atmosphere was beautiful and the food came in big portions. Ordered the walnut banana pancakes and it could feed a family of four. The reason for the three stars simply the pricing. A cup of there basic coffee that was watered down 6.00 a cup my orange juice by itself was 8.00 and the side of banana for our daughter which was 1 banana 9 dollars??? The food is good but it’s not high class restaurant quality good. Over priced in my opinion. Our server was amazing though!!

Love this place. Menu reminded me of Eggs and Things with more specialty items. I had the Banana Foster Waffles-fantastic. So many unusual and interesting things on the menu. This place is great for adventures in breakfast! Price, is about $15-$20/plate. Service was amazing also.

We love this place. Breakfast all day, attention staff and beautiful patio with tasty coffee. Not cheap, but worth it.

Open 7am-2pm for breakfast and lunch everyday then open 5-9pm on Friday and Saturday for dinner. Wonderful food and service. Highly recommend. Photo is Chocolate Waffles w fresh bananas and strawberries. Actually not over sweetly and boy was it good. May have a wait but it's worth it!

Great atmosphere and service. Fabulous food selection. This place can get really busy so arrive early to get seated quickly.

Quaint atmosphere, ambiance, excellent service, amazing menu, huge portions. We had the churro french toast, chicken apple sausage omelette, and mixed beignets. All wonderful!! Definitely recommend!

Cafe Nouveau. Cafe Nouveau. Cafe Nouveau Soooooo good. Be prepared to wear loose clothes and have a bed on standby after you eat at Cafe Nouveau. The atmosphere is quaint. The service is quality. The food is BIG and delicious. I started with a mango Bellini and maple bacon beignets. Shall I say if I could I would have placed another beignet order to go. I literally couldn’t eat another bite of anything. There were so many options so I actually let another patron advise me and went with the Chile Relleno omelette and potatoes and apple chicken sausage and the sausage gravy and biscuits. The food is tasty and very well plated. I also tasted my friends order who had the matcha green tea pancakes. Very fluffy and tasty. Heads up…Don’t order too much because the portions are hefty. I could only eat half of my order. I wish someone would have warned me. Overall, a GREAT dining experience. I will definitely be back because there are more things I’d like to try on the menu.

Okey of my top 5 favorite places in ventura good food and service is always on point!

I loved the place, excellent service, food was more than great, i would definitely recommend this place for a family breakfast!

The name is deceptive because this restaurant does not serve French cuisine. Portions are big and expensive. I would prefer smaller but cheaper. Food is uneven. My frittata was good, although the bacon component could be better. The matcha pancakes were plain no good. All in all, it’s an average restaurant priced, in my opinion, too high.

First off, this place is a bit of a mad house. Went at 11am Saturday morning, and they sat us in a small area right next to the open-door kitchen, so needless to say, the foot-traffic was heavy. Service was semi-decent because it seemed as though they were in a rush to rush us out of there. However, on the bright side, the food was delicious! We ate breakfast here and would recommend trying it if you're looking for good food and don't mind the hectic atmosphere.

wonderful dinner experience. David was my server, clam chowder and halibut were both delicious. Highly recommended

It was good but not excellent. A little overpriced, but what is not, nowadays.

This is an absolute must for Ventura. Amazing food and amazing service.

I look forward to eating here again. The portions are very large and filling. The breakfast potatoes are excellent and so are the maple bacon beignets.

Great diverse menu. Everyone enjoyed their food, hard to make a selection, all good.

This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Ventura! Gorgeous atmosphere, both inside and outside, and everything on the menu is delicious. I always order the Maple Bacon Beignets for the table & am never disappointed. My out-of-town guests rave about it.

My opinion best breakfast spot in town ! I got country fried steak and My girlfriend got banana Nutella pancakes. It was so good! Carlos and his staff and so kind and I will definitely be coming back. Suggest you try this place.

Super cool, super huge pancake portions and perfectly cooked eggs. Also, ridiculously beautiful mermaid statue.

The food was delicious, and very very fresh, a rare thing among restaurants these days! David our server was super friendly and helpful! But what we enjoyed the most was the attention to detail, which is a hat tip to the owners. Bravo! Such a beautiful atmosphere and music, just Wow!

This is the sweetest little spot for breakfast, brunch or dinner! The patio is amazing. The way they have it set up makes you feel like you are the ONLY guests dining out there. I loved it! Kind of romantic! My bf and I went for brunch, but I could absolutely see this being a romantic dinner spot on a cool/warm summer evening! Now the food was delicious, staff were responsive, quick, smiling, happy. And did I say the food was delicious... Oh I did! Because it was! I ate everything on my plate! And they served good size portions!! I never do that! The biscuits are homemade for sure (and so yummy), so try them if you stop in for breakfast/brunch!

Came here Easter Sunday for breakfast. No wait for an outside table. Great service, huge portions, excellent food. The menu is amazing and I will definitely be back to try more. The tamale Benedict was awesome, as was the white chili scramble.

We were in Ventura and we were hungry. My guy friend suggested trying someplace new, Cafe Nouveau. How have I missed it all this time?? I loved everything about it!! The Bohemian aesthetic was awesome, the building was wonderful with all the different rooms and hidey-holes. The service was incomparable, attentive without being intrusive. And the food..... I had the Vegetable Pesto Frittata and, oh boy, was I a happy woman!! Colorful, perfectly seasoned, beautifully presented 💖 Comes with a blueberry corn muffin that you don't want to miss too! **Came for dinner and, boy, we weren't disappointed! Loved the dinner menu and atmosphere 💖 We sat on the patio at a fire pit table - absolutely lovely!!

Cozy eclectic little spot. Food was amazing. My michelada was delicious.

This place is an absolute gem with friendly staff, and a menu that over the years I have come find literally everything is amazing! From their frittatas and breakfast burritos, their many variations on eggs Benedict, 🥞 and vanilla Carmel syrup , you can't miss!

This little gem is worth the visit. We came for brunch. The breakfast menu is full of all types of foods to satisfy everyone. I had the eggs benevilla, and it was delicious. The eggs were poached to perfection. Our food came out quickly and hot. The decor is great. There is something beautiful and whimsical to look at no matter where you sit. The staff is very friendly and attentive. I will definitely be returning and bringing more friends and family to experience Cafe Nouveau.

Our go to place as a local - always extremely friendly, fantastic menu and the semi-private garden tables are so lovely. Yes, there is a wait - they are popular!

Great little place. Parking is a little inconvenient but the food is worth it

Our friend, who is a local, took us to this place. She said it was her favorite local spot. It would be mine too if I lived in Ventura. I can't speak to all the menu items but their breakfast was excellent. The traditional 2 eggs, bacon and hash browns. 3 thick strips of well seasoned bacon, perfectly cooked eggs and well browned hash browns. Mmmm. Also at the table was the Italian sausage frittata. Nice light egg dish with potatoes, cheese and sliced Italian sausage, although it was suggested that ground sausage rather than a link might have had a better flavoring, but I thought it was very flavorful. Each of those dishes came with a blueberry muffin. Also ordered at the table was the Chile Verde burrito with sweet potato fries. It looked good but I didn't taste it myself. For our sweet finish, we ordered the French Quarter Beignets. 4 were served with traditional powdered sugar and a maple type of syrup. I have not been to New Orleans so I can't compare, but these were served hot and had a nice crunchy outer layer and nice soft chewy insides. Our server was very friendly and helpful. A little on the expensive side but still worth it. I would like to return and try other items.

I came here for breakfast with my friend pierette, I got the chocolate eclair waffles with a side of bacon and pierette got the beignets, both of our meals were amazing and we had fast seating, fast service, and out food was out in 7 minutes from when we ordered. Our server Jason was very friendly and went above and beyond for us today. i had a wonderful experience dining here and I will be visiting again.

Atmosphere was good when we went for dinner. Ee ordered the chicken marsala and chicken Picatta. The Marsala itself was pretty bad, but the vegetables and potatoes were both fairly good . Namely the marsala sauce wasn't reduced properly and essentially just tasted of still alchoholic wine. The chicken Picatta was good, but nothing special. We'll be going back, but only to try the brunch menu.

What an absolute gem!!! Gorgeous little breakfast spot with a glorious green garden for dining outside. Lots of interesting and unique menu items. French toast with vanilla caramel sauce was to die for! I love stained glass... all of the tables are glass mosaic.... gorgeous! Service was perfect.

I took a gnarly fall over the behemoth of a stump across the way after parking. Unfortunately, I never got to try the food. Though, the water they have is quite crisp. I remember the first cool sips I took after regaining consciousness. 5 stars!

Delicious food, killer pancakes. Generous portions, a little on the expensive side for your typical breakfast but worth it when taking their level of service into account. Very attentive, deliberate and professional. Cute atmosphere, nice music. Only complaint is $5 for cup of Joe, think it could be priced down a liiiiiittle bit.

My favorite place at Ventura Great Service Great Food Great Atmosphere

Very friendly staff, great pancakes

Awesome food, great vibe, dog friendly, street parking available.

My friend took me here for my birthday. I had the cinnamon French toast. It was very good. I would get it again. The coffee was even good.

Wonderful restaurant! Great ambiance and amazing food! We love coming here.

My wife and I stopped hy for lunch. Great decision. Her goat cheese sanwich on raisin bread was sublime, as was my chile relleno omelet, which came with fantastic potatoes su gratin and a blueberry cornmeal muffin, which was superb. The menu is extensive and imaginative. Service was perfect. David was personable, informed and gracious. We were greeted warmly by the staff. In an age when customer service is sadly lacking, Cafe Nouveau is a shining star. I cannot give a higher recommendation.

We decided to try this restaurant. We were so pleasantly surprised at the friendliness of the staff, the Mexican / French decor, the cleanliness of the restrooms, and the large portions of delicious foods. If you haven't gone here, make it a point to go and dine, and you'll be a return customer like us.

Super crowded and loud. Expensive - we paid over $60 for two eggs Benedict and two coffees, and none of it was that great.

First time worth the wait coming back!

I really wanted to love Cafe Nouveau, but my review is mixed. On the pro side, the decor is fantastic, the staff is attentive, and the famous maple bacon beignets live up to their reputation. On the con side, my smoked salmon eggs benedict (which was billed as a special of the day) was not great. The smoked salmon wasn't particularly tasty, and while the hollandaise sauce was good, the dish was soggy by the time it got to me. I probably should have ordered something else.

Excellent breakfast menu! Lovely space

A restaurant with flavor! Very unique and tasty choices with eclectic French, Mexican, and vietnamese/Asian fusion. Amazing service with wonderful Mediterranean style outdoor dining. Will be back to try lunch and dinner.

I've been here five or six times and gotten something different every time. Each and every meal has been delicious. Great sandwiches as well as burgers and entrees. Their deserts are also huge and decadent. Had the Locomoco special today. An old favorite made a bit fancy with a proper mushroom and wine demiglace. Sorry if the egg looks overcooked in the picture. I just prefer it that way.

I love this place!!, food is amazing and service is lovely, My daughter's and I love having girls date here.

Food was yummy. Grilled goat cheese sandwich on cinnamon raisin toast.

Great brunch spot! The au gratin potatoes were to die for.

I can't say a bad thing about this place. The food was great, but our server was better. He was very tentative and took care of our needs. Don't remember his name, but you can't miss his radio voice.

Stopped in here for breakfast while we were visiting from out of town. The menu is large and has lots of great options for everyone. Our food came out quickly and our server Hector was absolutely wonderful. He checked in with us just the right amount of times and he and the other staff always made sure we had everything that we needed. Food was delicious and service was excellent!!

What a great place to get brunch with friends. The food is delicious and the ambience out on the patio is phenomenal.

This was a great surprise. Located in a house converted for into an intimate restaurant, tables are situated inside & outside with each semi-private onto themselves. The food was excellent; think of an original Mexican dish but fused with something inventive. For example, I had the Cafe Noueveau breakfast which was a twist on Chilaquiles and had strips of tortilla with tomatillo sauce & white beans. My wife had Barcelona breakfast which had ground beef with chorizo and eggs, spicy but not the traditional Mexican dish. They also had malted waffles on the menu. A fun place for inventive dining, not inexpensive ($20 breakfast plate) but worth the exploration away from the traditional. And dogs are welcome.

Truly a one of a kind dinning experience, with culinary creations that are second to none. Have yet to order anything there that was even "Mediocre". Owner is very personable and involved with customers, would give this higher than 5 stars if I could!

This is my favorite place for brunch! The outdoor patio area is so inviting and relaxing! Food has never disappointed, plus the staff is friendly and efficient.