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Formosa Cafe, West Hollywood, CA

Formosa Cafe

4.7
4.7
1090 Reviews
$31 to $50
Asian

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 p.m.
Booked 1 time today
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Good for special occasions
  • Charming
The Formosa Cafe is a restaurant and bar founded in 1939 and located at 7156 Santa Monica Boulevard at the intersection with North Formosa Avenue, in West Hollywood, California.

The restaurant has a long history of movie star and film industry patronage due to its close proximity to studio lot across the street, which began as the United Artists lot and was later owned by Warner Bros. Generations of movie stars such as Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable have eaten meals at The Formosa. Frank Sinatra is reputed to have spent many nights at the Formosa in the 1950s, pining over Ava Gardner.

After a brief 2 year hiatus, a complete refurbishment, and a tremendous menu update The Formosa Cafe has returned to serve the Los Angeles community once again.

Additional information

What 1,090 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.6Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.9Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Los Angeles

    Asian

  • West Hollywood / Beverly Hills / Mid-Wilshire

    Lively

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Formosa Cafe is a charming blend of "historic charm" and "authentic ambiance," capturing old Hollywood's essence. Guests rave about the "delicious food," including standout dishes like walnut shrimp and short rib noodles. The "friendly and attentive service" complements its lively atmosphere, making it a "memorable dining experience."

1,090 Reviews
  1. Michelle

    VIP

    Dallas

    24 reviews

    5.0

    24 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the best time ! Friendly hostess, amazing service. Food was awesome. Drinks were delicious!

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  2. Christine

    Orange County

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So much to eat in this classic destination.. the food was delicious, too!

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  3. Jeff

    Los Angeles

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on February 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Formosa Cafe has really come back in a strong way. Food was excellent and we all especially enjoyed the whole Bronzino. Walnut shrimp is always great we loved the fried rice. We tend to over order because we enjoy the leftovers so much. Service was very nice but it always feels like they’re a LITTLE understaffed when the place gets really busy.

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  4. OpenTable Diner

    San Diego

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a girl date night and the service and food were absolutely amazing. I have been a regular since moving to Los Angeles but my friends experienced it for their first time and they loved it. The restaurant serves old Hollywood charm and the drinks and food can’t be beat. Highly recommend.

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  5. Larry

    VIP

    New York City

    1 review

    2.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 2
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 5
    Food was not great. Oily and heavy. It was better last year. Such a shame for a classic institution. Service was also not the best. Wasn’t busy and yet drinks took forever and then the food came out so fast we didn’t have room on our table for all of it.

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  6. Marcos

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My partner and I had a great experience! We got some drinks at the bar first, then we got seated in the iconic train car for dinner. Our server Simone was amazing! She was super friendly, recommended good items on the menu, and she was all around so wonderful! The drinks were strong and had nice flavors, the food was absolutely delicious! The restaurant is also stunningly beautiful! Completely recommend!!

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  7. Carrie

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great time on our second trip here in since December. I grew up literally a few blocks away and had never been here. Its fabulous. The new owners have made it so authentic looking and cozy. Love all the original actor photos and the red wallpaper is amazing. Our server was a complete doll! I can't remember her name but she was awesome! Great drink recommendations.

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  8. CL

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Amazing portion size for food, you’d think it’s small like most restaurants but we had plenty leftovers

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  9. Brittney

    VIP

    Los Angeles

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on February 7, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had the best birthday dinner. My 3rd time at the formosa and it never fails, always an amazing experience.

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  10. Daniel

    Los Angeles

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    The vibe is amazing - it has all the kitschy charm we had hoped for. It’s a noisy and energetic environment with a good soundtrack and entertaining people watching. For 2, we shared the Dan Dan Mian noodles and Chinese BBQ Pork plate and both were delicious. The pork was our favorite. It was decadent with lots of crispy skin served on the bone and the sauces were excellent. It’s probably not an ideal dish for a romantic night because we were sticky and in a slight comatose after eating it, but it was a perfect celebratory dish for my wife and I. Portions are generous and built for sharing, but we wanted to try a few items and love leftovers. Cocktails were good but on the pricey side. I very much appreciated the details with all the cups and garnishes though. The whole restaurant really nails the design details from the wallpaper to the stir sticks to the to-go bags, it enhanced the experience for us. We will definitely be back and are glad we finally visited this old charming spot. The 1933 Group continues to impress. The staff was friendly and laid bac

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FAQs

Formosa Cafe does offer delivery in partnership with Chow Now. Formosa Cafe also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (323) 850-1014.

Formosa Cafe is rated 4.7 stars by 1090 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
9:30 p.m.
Booked 1 time today
Google Map for Formosa Cafe

7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046-5802

Additional information

  • Phone number
  • Price
    $31 to $50
  • Cuisines
    Asian
  • Hours of Operation
    Mon–Wed, Sun 12:00 pm–11:00 pm Thu–Sat 12:00 pm–12:00 am
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Free street parking after 6pm
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive Chef
    Dan Huerta
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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