The Formosa Cafe - West Hollywood

The food and service were outstanding! And the ambience was interesting and vintage. I had two issues: Lipstick marks on the glasses and stains on the coffee mugs didn't give me confidence in the cleanliness of the place. The other issue was much worse. There were 2 young women in the stall across from us that spoke (yelled) so loud we couldn't speak to each other during the meal. We finally resorted to yelling at the top of our lungs to be heard. Didn't have a problem with any other diners in the room we were in and the bar noise was acceptable. It was just these two women who made our meal difficult to enjoy.

Wednesday Sept 18th was my third experience eating at the Formosa. The ambiance, the 40's/50's booths, the cable car/street car area of the restaurant, the service, are top notch! However, the Orange Chicken was merely so, so. The friend I brought couldn't stop talking about how great tender her steak was!!! The Walnut Shrimp I had on my visit here in March was very tasty. Overall, I'd recommend you give this restaurant a try, especially if you are nostalgic. The history of celebs who've dined there through the years is like the whose who of showbiz stars. Humphrey Bogart, Liz Taylor, Ava Gardner, John Wayne, Sidney Poitier, Gregory Peck, and the list goes on on!! The walls are lined with numerous celebs you'll remember from the Golden Years(30's thru the 50's) of Hollywood. I'll definitely return soon for another evening of dining with the stars of the past. James Caton

Service was subpar the night we went — drinks sat empty for the majority of the evening; believe we got refills once before leaving and only because we asked. Server was hard to pin down once we we were ready to wrap as well.

Great place that is truly unique to SoCal. Great cocktail list and the mains are worth the trip regardless where you are my most recent visit was while staying in the OC yes, this is the best Chinese in OC! (Yes, I realize it's in L A County)

This is a wonderful place to spend time with friends. The atmosphere is lovely and the service impeccable. It's an elevated casual and relaxed environment. The Atmosphere is reminiscent of Old Hollywood Glamour. Excellent restoration but it also feels modern at the same time. Which gives something to people who both enjoy old and new styles. Both young and older patrons coexist well here. The back dining room is quieter and more open for ease of conversation without shouting and the bar area exudes youthful energy with upbeat music that is energizing. The train area is fun to dine in, it's the extra special touches that really make a difference. I haven't been upstairs in the outdoor patio since the renovation, and I'm not sure if it's open ever or just for private engagements, but I'd love to spend time there again soon. Our server was so very lovely, I believe his name is Daniel. One million Stars!