The iconic restaurant celebrates its 80th birthday this year!
Sit at the same table as some of Hollywood’s oldest pioneers such as Frank Sintra, Marilyn Monroe, and Bill Murray at the all-new (yet not-so-new) Formosa Cafe! The 1933 Group – known for restoring some of the city’s most historic landmarks like the Highland Park Bowl – spent $2.4 million dollars and nearly three years of hard work to preserve a beloved Los Angeles gem.
[Featured photo: @rachaelwotherspoon]
The 1940’s former celebrity haunt will open its doors once again on Friday, June 28, inviting starry-eyed Angelenos in to baffle over its vintage-modern glory. If you managed to grab a table before the restaurant’s closure back in 2016, then you’ll probably recognize its familiar red leather booths, silk lanterns, and neon signage sporting the same look but with an updated feel. Walls are filled with black-and-white autographed headshots of famed guests who dined at the cafe alongside period-specific newspaper clippings, old art, and more.
The team was even able to collaborate with local historians to get a hold of original cocktail and entree recipes so that the Formosa Cafe could recreate flavors which coincide with the timeless restaurant. Expect its age-old Chinese-American menu with just the right amount of a modern Taiwanese twist. The 1933 Group truly encapsulated the Hollywood crown jewel by restoring one of the restaurant’s most celebrated memories – the trolly car that sits inside which used to serve as a VIP lounge. It dates back to 1904 and is known as the oldest red car train left in existence!
If the thought of walking across the terrazzo floors once more has you all excited – be on the lookout for lunch service in the front bar, a weekend brunch, as well as a rooftop lounge in the upcoming weeks!
The Formosa Cafe reopens on Friday, June 28 and will be open from 4 pm to 2 am daily. Make your reservation, here!
Location: 7156 Santa Monica Blvd, West Hollywood, CA 90046. See it on Google maps.
Take a look at the menu below…
Formosa by on Scribd