Considering all the hours students spend on campus, food choices can become tiresome, especially with a limited knowledge of what is available. Diners fall into visiting the same places in Ackerman Union, the North Campus Student Center or Lu Valle Commons. If you are feeling adventurous and want to try something new on campus, head on over to these lesser-known options that have a lot to offer.
Café 1919
The Hill
Monday-Friday, breakfast 8-10 a.m., lunch 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m., dinner 6 p.m.-midnight
One of the newer dining options on the Hill, Café 1919 brings students Italian cuisine in a modern cafe. The interior is beautiful and elegant in its simplicity. During breakfast hours, the cafe serves a wide selection of coffee and pastries. The lunch menu includes options from a ham and spinach scone for the health-conscious eater to the more indulgent amaretto cream cheese muffin. Lunch consists of pizzas, panini and salads. There are vegetarian options, such as the grilled vegetables panino, as well as meat options, such as the pepperoni and turkey pastrami pizza. A rare sight on campus can be found on the right side of the food display, which houses the gelato in all of its Italian glory. With a wide variety of flavors, one will likely need to return. Off-campus students, find your friends with extra swipes or prepare to load up your BruinCard for a meal or more at this Italian eatery.
Espresso ROMA Café
UCLA Anderson School of Management
Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Saturday, 9 a.m.-7 p.m.
Sunday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m.
This cafe offers a fresh assortment of coffee, pastries, salads, sandwiches and hot foods. The cafe bakes its own pastries, cookies and brownies and brews its coffee daily. Espresso ROMA stands apart from the typical food options on campus in that more than half of its menu is vegetarian-friendly, including some vegan options. The Southwestern bean salad provides a healthy option that is beautifully colorful and fresh. For the avid meat eater, the roast beef sandwich on wheat bread does not skimp on the meat, which is piled high, making a large and fulfilling sandwich. One of the most popular items is the half tuna and half salad combo, which costs $4.50. The actual cafe is bright and open, and a friendly staff makes this cafe a great option when considering food places on campus.
Untitled
Broad Art Center
Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.
If you find yourself in the northernmost part of North Campus, then Untitled is a great option for a coffee pick-me-up any time of day. This small cafe offers a caffeine fix along with pastries, salads and sandwiches. Consisting of a small stand at the end of a large, open room, it looks more like an art studio than an actual cafe, which is quite fitting considering its location. The large windows provide natural light and a relaxing environment for studying or reading. If you like wide, open spaces as well as a quiet environment, this is the place for you. The cafe’s Kona light-roast coffee with an apple Danish pastry is a great way to start the morning and get that creativity going.
Cafe by the SEAS
Boelter Hall, fifth floor
Every day, 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m.
While this is more of a convenience store than a cafe, Cafe by the SEAS has a lot to offer students and faculty. On the outside, it appears as if you are going to walk into a classroom as you walk toward it down the hall. The inside resembles a bakery or the back of a supermarket with its racks of snacks. For such a small area, the place is jam-packed with drinks, chips, coffee, power bars, pastries, packaged sandwiches and random snacks to suit your mood. The snacks selection is surprising and eclectic ““ including rare choices such as El Sabroso chips, Cracker Jacks, IT’S-IT ice cream sandwiches and Tiger’s Milk health bars. A regular coffee is only 75 cents or 60 cents if you bring your own cup. It’s no small wonder that this little place can get crowded as people come in for a quick snack. The trip to South Campus is totally worth it if you find that one snack to satisfy a random craving.
Café Synapse
Gonda Center
Monday-Thursday, 7 a.m.-5 p.m.
Friday, 7 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Located on the walk down to Westwood Boulevard, Café Synapse is an upscale campus eatery. There is a beautiful outdoor patio for those sunny California days. The interior looks modern with drop-down cone lights and windows that overlook the surrounding buildings. While the food is a little more expensive, their selection is incredibly appetizing and found nowhere else on campus.
The soup of the day changes and can include vegetarian options like tofu and vegetable soup. The cafe offers pizzas, sandwiches, salads and pasta dishes in large portions. Other options include herb-crusted salmon salad, smoked turkey brioche and Thai chicken pasta for those tired of hamburgers and the boring menus of other campus food choices. There is also a coffee and pastry section that provides a daily caffeine and sugar boost. Whenever you feel like having something more along the lines of fine dining, make your way down to this modern little eatery.
The Dining Commons
Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center
Monday-Friday, 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.
Saturday-Sunday, 7:30 a.m.-8 p.m.
If you are looking for a wide variety or cannot decide on what to eat, the Dining Commons will likely become your favorite place to quiet the rumbling that haunts a hungry student. With food options that change daily, healthy choices, environmentally friendly packaging and reasonable prices, this large cafeteria is a far cry from the one at your elementary school. Some of the mainstays include The Grill, Lucia’s Pizza and El Pollo Loco. The commons displays an international corner that changes day-to-day: Mexican food on Mondays, a curry bar on Tuesdays, Asian options on Wednesdays, different Mexican options on Thursdays and Korean food on Fridays. There is also fresh sushi three times a week, and the salad and fruit bar is often included in combo meals. The dining area is bright with ceiling to floor windows, and there is even a small Starbucks within the dining room, which goes to show how this place has just about everything. The outdoor dining garden is beautiful and a perfect place to enjoy a meal and observe one’s surroundings. With its variety, this cafeteria will expand your dining experience.