We randomly ended up to this restaurant: small, but pleasant, the type of place where you can talk with your friends. Party of three, we had the fish carpaccio, the octopus, and the burger (gourmet burger!). Everything was prepared to perfection. They will definitely see us again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Victor Ryan Sanchez
The service was smooth and polite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Winston Hoyle
Great burger and service. Wine selection is great too, good prices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Tina C
It’s a cute spot, but somewhat empty on a weeknight. I didn’t like the bomba rice at all. It just didn’t taste good. And the mussel toast was just okay. Relatively on the more expensive side considering the food quality in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Leland Grossman
Delicious meal and wonderful service as always!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Soroush Sabzi
Ivan’s Shakshuka reminds me of my childhood and the Persian omelette my mom would make back in Tehran … just awesome …
Thank you Ivan
Very well balanced lighting and friendly and soft colors and atmosphere, friendly staff, love the wooden tables and the arts on the walls are also a unique touch. Dishes are very well made, and the home made sausage sandwich is something else … try it once and you know what I am saying …
Great little gem in the heart of culver Culver City downtown …
Thank you Esme
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
M T
Amazing coffee in the cutest little cafe. It is a perfect place to meet up with friends and chat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
DAHLIA ZAKHOR
Came for a quick dinner before the movies and the food was outstanding. Wish we weren’t in a rush and could have enjoyed more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Haley Andrews
❤️❤️❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gregg Travitz
Incredible experience. Great service, great food, truly a hidden gem in Culver City. Get there before it’s completely full every night.
I only tend to post reviews when a place is either really good or really bad, and unfortunately this one was the latter. None of the dishes were hits for us- the bread for the whipped ricotta had a nice texture, but the honey tasted strongly of fennel. The tarragon in the grilled leeks wasn’t our favorite, and while the mussels in the mussel toast were really tender, the toast was quite oily. The short rib also had a fairly uneven cook and the potatoes that came with it were quite oily too. Bumping to 2 stars for the great service, but I’d avoid this restaurant and look elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Nate Who
Not allowed to work on your laptop . . . at a cafe. The mussels and toast was delicious but presentation had left the chat. The oolong tea was great, I think. Hard to taste the subtle notes over the dish soap taste in the “mug.”
I came in with a laptop case, planning to grab a coffee and write for a bit, but was immediately told “just so you know, you can’t work on your laptop here.” It threw me off because the place markets itself as a café, but it clearly doesn’t operate like one.
I don’t mind a “no laptops” policy if that’s the vibe, but the way it was communicated felt more like exclusion than hospitality. There are plenty of ways to set boundaries while still making guests feel welcome. Instead, it felt like I was being told I didn’t belong before I even had a chance to order.
From what I could tell, Esme seems to be trying to split identities—café by day, full restaurant by night—but the lines are blurry. If you’re looking for a true café where you can read, write, or work, this isn’t the place.
Hospitality isn’t just about food; it’s about how guests are made to feel. In this case, the mismatch between the branding and the reality left me disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
naheaan islam
I hate giving low reviews but the matcha here was really disappointing💔 we couldn't finish it which sucks considering the price of matcha nowadays.
Also, there was a fly in the pastry box and overall a lack of cleanliness in the cafe. The place was cute and in a good location though!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Lisa Anderson
I stopped in to get a coffee to go and they wouldn’t serve me one. They don’t do coffee to go, which, in looking at their photos of coffee and pastries, I truly wasn’t expecting that. It’s pretty laughable that every single restaurant around them had a line out the door tonight, albeit for the Tropical Staycation event, and they had two people sitting down and eating during peak dinner rush hours, and they couldn’t try to serve me and my SO a coffee. Not to mention straight up ignoring me when I was clearly trying to get someone’s attention.
Service: 1
Andy Cheng
If you’re reading this, here’s the short version: this is easily one of the best restaurants in Culver City, and you need to try it now!
It’s a small spot in downtown Culver City that you could walk past without noticing. I’m glad I didn’t. There are a couple of tables outside, but most of the seating is indoors. The space is modern, clean, and relaxing.
We ordered three dishes, all recommended by our waiter. The mussel toast is a must. Every bite is savory and packed with seafood flavor. For mains, we had the short rib and rainbow trout. The short rib was perfection. Cooked over fire and served with crispy potato strings. It’s something you get at high-end steakhouse but at half the price. The rainbow trout looked beautiful and tasted fresh, though the citrus was a bit stronger than I prefer.
For dessert, we couldn’t resist the churro and ice cream sandwich. The ice cream (another must try), sourced from a Persian maker, was rich with rose, honey, and pistachio. The presentation was just as impressive. The churros were decent, though I wished they were crispier and the dipping sauce was thicker.
Overall, I’d give this place a solid five stars. The food is close to Michelin quality without the Michelin prices. Go and you won’t be disappointed.
We randomly ended up to this restaurant: small, but pleasant, the type of place where you can talk with your friends. Party of three, we had the fish carpaccio, the octopus, and the burger (gourmet burger!). Everything was prepared to perfection. They will definitely see us again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
The service was smooth and polite.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great burger and service. Wine selection is great too, good prices.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It’s a cute spot, but somewhat empty on a weeknight. I didn’t like the bomba rice at all. It just didn’t taste good. And the mussel toast was just okay. Relatively on the more expensive side considering the food quality in my opinion.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Delicious meal and wonderful service as always!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Ivan’s Shakshuka reminds me of my childhood and the Persian omelette my mom would make back in Tehran … just awesome …
Thank you Ivan
Very well balanced lighting and friendly and soft colors and atmosphere, friendly staff, love the wooden tables and the arts on the walls are also a unique touch. Dishes are very well made, and the home made sausage sandwich is something else … try it once and you know what I am saying …
Great little gem in the heart of culver Culver City downtown …
Thank you Esme
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing coffee in the cutest little cafe. It is a perfect place to meet up with friends and chat.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Came for a quick dinner before the movies and the food was outstanding. Wish we weren’t in a rush and could have enjoyed more
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
❤️❤️❤️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Incredible experience. Great service, great food, truly a hidden gem in Culver City. Get there before it’s completely full every night.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
I only tend to post reviews when a place is either really good or really bad, and unfortunately this one was the latter. None of the dishes were hits for us- the bread for the whipped ricotta had a nice texture, but the honey tasted strongly of fennel. The tarragon in the grilled leeks wasn’t our favorite, and while the mussels in the mussel toast were really tender, the toast was quite oily. The short rib also had a fairly uneven cook and the potatoes that came with it were quite oily too. Bumping to 2 stars for the great service, but I’d avoid this restaurant and look elsewhere.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 5
Not allowed to work on your laptop . . . at a cafe. The mussels and toast was delicious but presentation had left the chat. The oolong tea was great, I think. Hard to taste the subtle notes over the dish soap taste in the “mug.”
I came in with a laptop case, planning to grab a coffee and write for a bit, but was immediately told “just so you know, you can’t work on your laptop here.” It threw me off because the place markets itself as a café, but it clearly doesn’t operate like one.
I don’t mind a “no laptops” policy if that’s the vibe, but the way it was communicated felt more like exclusion than hospitality. There are plenty of ways to set boundaries while still making guests feel welcome. Instead, it felt like I was being told I didn’t belong before I even had a chance to order.
From what I could tell, Esme seems to be trying to split identities—café by day, full restaurant by night—but the lines are blurry. If you’re looking for a true café where you can read, write, or work, this isn’t the place.
Hospitality isn’t just about food; it’s about how guests are made to feel. In this case, the mismatch between the branding and the reality left me disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 1
I hate giving low reviews but the matcha here was really disappointing💔 we couldn't finish it which sucks considering the price of matcha nowadays.
Also, there was a fly in the pastry box and overall a lack of cleanliness in the cafe. The place was cute and in a good location though!
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
I stopped in to get a coffee to go and they wouldn’t serve me one. They don’t do coffee to go, which, in looking at their photos of coffee and pastries, I truly wasn’t expecting that. It’s pretty laughable that every single restaurant around them had a line out the door tonight, albeit for the Tropical Staycation event, and they had two people sitting down and eating during peak dinner rush hours, and they couldn’t try to serve me and my SO a coffee. Not to mention straight up ignoring me when I was clearly trying to get someone’s attention.
Service: 1
If you’re reading this, here’s the short version: this is easily one of the best restaurants in Culver City, and you need to try it now!
It’s a small spot in downtown Culver City that you could walk past without noticing. I’m glad I didn’t. There are a couple of tables outside, but most of the seating is indoors. The space is modern, clean, and relaxing.
We ordered three dishes, all recommended by our waiter. The mussel toast is a must. Every bite is savory and packed with seafood flavor. For mains, we had the short rib and rainbow trout. The short rib was perfection. Cooked over fire and served with crispy potato strings. It’s something you get at high-end steakhouse but at half the price. The rainbow trout looked beautiful and tasted fresh, though the citrus was a bit stronger than I prefer.
For dessert, we couldn’t resist the churro and ice cream sandwich. The ice cream (another must try), sourced from a Persian maker, was rich with rose, honey, and pistachio. The presentation was just as impressive. The churros were decent, though I wished they were crispier and the dipping sauce was thicker.
Overall, I’d give this place a solid five stars. The food is close to Michelin quality without the Michelin prices. Go and you won’t be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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