The Formosa
Restaurant · West Hollywood
7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046
Highlights
Historic Hollywood haunt serving Chinese-American eats & cocktails
Historic Hollywood haunt serving Chinese-American eats & cocktails
"Formosa Cafe is one of the most legendary bars in the city, but it’s no secret that this West Hollywood spot had fallen on hard times in recent years. Good news - after a multi-year renovation that saw the return of its historic design and character, Formosa is back and better than ever. The drinks are a mix of tiki-inspired cocktails and old classics like the Scotch-heavy Blood and Sand, and the bar bites are way better than they need to be (get the chile wontons). If you’re town looking for that Old Hollywood feel in a space that’s actually filled with people who live in Hollywood, head to Formosa." - brant cox
"Formosa Cafe finished a multi-year restoration that saw the return of its original 1940s design and character, and the results are tremendous. But you know who loves the renovation even more than we do? Ghosts. The moment you walk into this iconic West Hollywood bar/restaurant, you can feel the history seeping from its floors, and it doesn’t take a trained imagination to picture John Wayne and Ava Gardner lounging around the bar. Or maybe that was them. Either way, find an open seat, order some chile wontons, and wait for the next cold gust of air to brush across your neck." - brant cox
"This historic bar on Santa Monica Blvd (it originally opened in 1939) has gone through several iterations over the years, but the current one has reestablished itself as the kind of place you can head to last minute with a coworker or a few friends. Plus, you can always count on there being an extra table waiting for you on their rooftop patio. All their tiki cocktails are excellent, but we love the green tea martini which comes with Jameson, peach juice, aquafaba, and matcha." - brant cox
"Open since 1939, Formosa is one of the oldest bars in the city with more Hollywood history than the elevators at the Roosevelt. And though it had recently fallen on hard times, a massive refurbishment brought it back to its glory days, complete with three separate bars, a dine-in train car, and a sprawling rooftop. Our favorite area, however, is the back room - it’s usually the least crowded, and feels the most like the kind of place you would’ve seen Frank Sinatra fall off his barstool back in the day. When it comes to cocktails, we particularly love the green tea martini with Jameson. And if you get hungry, there’s a Taiwanese bar menu filled with dishes like cold peanut noodles, dan dan mian, and dim sum." - brant cox
"Open since 1939, Formosa is one of the oldest bars in the city, with more Hollywood history than the bathrooms at The Beverly Hilton. And though it had fallen on hard times in the past, a massive refurbishment a couple of years ago brought it back to its glory days, complete with three separate bars, a dine-in train car, and a spacious rooftop. Our favorite area, though, is the back room: it’s usually the least crowded and feels the most like the kind of place you would’ve seen Frank Sinatra fall off his barstool. If you get hungry, there’s a very good Taiwanese bar menu filled with dishes like cold sesame noodles, dan dan mian, and dim sum." - brant cox
