As a general rule in opening a restaurant, it’s usually best to keep things pretty simple. Find your concept, streamline it, and execute it as cleanly as possible. This is all coming from people who have never opened a restaurant in their lives, but from our experiences, this seems to work out best.

Just don’t tell that to Rose Cafe.

The longtime Venice staple recently went under the knife (to much outcry from its longtime neighbors), and reemerged as a stunning, multi-concept dining emporium. Seriously, it’ll take you three separate visits to fully grasp everything that’s going on here. There’s a bakery, a to-go counter, a coffee bar, a full liquor bar, a studying area, and a small patio area clearly designed for you and your laptop. And then, of course, there’s the actual restaurant itself, complete with a separate patio that’s as impressive (and massive) as you’ll find in LA. The whole operation feels like some sort of YMCA for work-from-home Venice locals, and for those keeping count, that’s pretty much the whole neighborhood.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Somehow though, it all works. Walking into Rose Cafe is certainly overwhelming at first, but once you get your bearings, you realize the place flows extremely well. No concept overwhelms another, and the place is large enough so everyone seems to get the space they need. Now, is the food going to blow you away? No. But it probably doesn’t have to. Grab a latte and a warm croissant at the bakery and knock out those last five pages of your pilot on the community tables. Snag a seat at the bar at brunch and go to town on that all-day breakfast sandwich. Or cruise in at night with a sexy date and share a solid plate of carbonara under the stars. No matter the occasion, Rose Cafe will rarely disappoint.

With a cool, casual vibe, plenty of room to always find a seat, decent food, and a space perfect for absolutely anything, turns out it is fun to stay at the YMCA.

Food Rundown

photo credit: Holly Liss

All-Day Breakfast Sandwich

This isn’t life-changing by any means, but when the words “all-day” and “breakfast sandwich” appear next to each other, consider us involved.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Grilled Cauliflower T-Bone

What’s easily most rugged way to describe a piece of cauliflower also happens to be one of the highlights on the whole menu. $16 might seem like a lot for some cauliflower, but this thing is massive and the strawberry mole drenched on top is fantastic.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Bucatini Carbonara

If you’re the kind of person who likes their pasta al dente, this is for you. It’s probably a tad too chewy for us, but for all intents and purposes, it’s good.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Avocado Toast

The day a bright, airy cafe in Venice can’t execute an avocado toast is the day said cafe should just voluntarily shut itself down. Luckily, Rose Cafe is not in that boat. Their avocado toast hits the mark.

photo credit: Holly Liss

Butcher’s Board

Only served at dinnertime, this is another must-order - especially if you’re looking at the butcher section of the menu. For $35, you basically get everything on it (chicken liver mousse, duck rillette, rabbit mortadella, and whatever else is being served that day).

photo credit: Holly Liss

Spaghetti Cacio E Pepe

Again, nothing mindblowing, but if you’re in the mood for very al dente-style pasta, you will not walk away disappointed. And miso on anything is a good idea.