A new dining option has opened at the Westfield Century City mall with the arrival of Cafe Landwer. This chain from Israel took over the dark MidiCi Pizza and gave it a much-needed makoever, brightening up the space with large windows and adding a patio area in front.

The menu is mostly Mediterranean food – hummus bowls, shakshukas and shawarmas – along with pastas and pizzas. I placed an online order for the falafel hummus ($15) and Mediterranean shakshuka ($15). The falafel hummus had four falafel balls and a choice of bread. I had chosen pita and was given two freshly baked fluffy rounds, which made for an excellent vehicle for scooping up the creamy hummus. The falafel were very crunchy on the outside, which made cutting them with a plastic knife fairly difficult. Although it was a little on the pricey side, I wasn’t able to finish it all and had a full pita and some hummus leftover.

The shakshuka came with a side and bread choice. It’s a decent shakshuka, though not particularly spicy. If you like your eggs over easy, it’s best to specify your preference as the yolk was mostly cooked, just slightly runny. My husband chose chopped salad and za’atar pita for the bread. The chopped salad was pretty basic – diced tomatoes and cucumber (which I don’t think had any dressing). The za’atar pita was a pita sliced in half, brushed with olive oil and za’atar.

I came during opening week, so things weren’t running quite smoothly. When I was handed one bag for my takeout order, It felt light, so I double checked and discovered that part of my order was missing. Turns out, the other part of my order was sitting in the other bag on the counter. If you’re considering a visit, maybe give them a bit more time for staff training to iron out the issues. Overall, a nice dining addition to the mall.

Location –  10250 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90067
Website – https://www.landwercafe.com
Kid’s Menu – Yes
Vegetarian/Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes