The Formosa Cafe

We arrived at 2:40, seated immediately, didn’t see the waitress until 2:53 despite there only being like 6 tables in the entire restaurant. We ordered 4 things and asked to wait for the 3pm menu in a few minutes. She said of course I got you. She came back 2 mins later to tell us they didn’t have half the food we asked for. She didn’t come back until 3:16 (a whole 23 minutes). The restaurant gets busy at this time but she also visited several other tables near us more than once without coming to the end of the train car to take our order. We ordered another drink and more food which was brought by other employees. It’s about 3:45 at this point. The food was solid (not the best but good) and we wanted to order a few more things. This waitress doesn’t come back to the table until 4:15pm which we were so annoyed at this point that we just got the check and left.

This place was really cool!

You must go!

We met up with a friend of ours who lives in LA. Turns out not a lot of people come here and when they saw our pictures and food, they wanted to come.

It’s such a cool atmosphere and the food is delicious.

Bathrooms are nice and clean.

Delicious Orange Chicken. Came Because of LA Confidential.

Great place for a nice drink with classic Hollywood vibes. I’m Chinese yet the food was not my cup of tea.

So originally we were going to another place, but it didn’t work out and we stumbled into this restaurant, at first they did not have any seating available, but the hostess was so amazing especially so accommodating to my pregnant wife who is just ready to eat found us a table And we had an amazing experience from the waiter to the hostess to the amazing Chinese cuisine. Great experience altogether best customer service I’ve had in a long time highly recommend for a date night or a family.! Delicious food, wonderful aesthetic, and just an overall great experience. Love the train car seating area, especially

I love going to this place! Food is delicious, lots of Hollywood history and the service is great.

Nestled across from old studio lots, The Formosa Café opened in 1939 (after an earlier venue in 1925), and its interiors are drenched in Hollywood lore,from Bogart to Elvis and even a fully restored 1904 red-car trolley embedded within its dining space . What surprises most is how its dishes rise to the occasion: dim sum, dan dan noodles, and walnut shrimp arrive fresh, savory, and bursting with flavor proof that nostalgia doesn’t equate to museum food. The menu, a modern take on vintage Chinese‑American classics, exceeds expectations, make it a must stop if you’re in LA or a fan of Bosh.

We had the best time ! Friendly hostess, amazing service. Food was awesome. Drinks were delicious!

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.

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.

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.

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!!

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.

Amazing portion size for food, you'd think it's small like most restaurants but we had plenty leftovers

Had the best birthday dinner. My 3rd time at the formosa and it never fails, always an amazing experience.