Where to eat in Culver City

Where to eat in Culver City

1. Eat

   Akasha Restaurant

   Opened in 2008, Akasha features New American food, meaning that everything is delicious, organic, seasonal and local. You'll never feel trendier but welcomed. Good for dates and business meetings. There is also a well-stocked bar. Happy hour is daily from 2:30-7PM and features significant discounts on drinks and appetizers. Bonus trivia: the owner, Akasha Richmond, has been the personal chef to pop star Michael Jackson and actors Barbara Streisand and Billy Bob Thorton.

   $15-35

2. Eat

   Annapurna Cuisine

   This Indian vegetarian restaurant serves up tasty South Indian dishes including a large selection of masala dosas. It's usually full of Indian families.

   Sun-Thu 11AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 11AM-10PM, closed Mon·Mains $8-16

3. Eat

   Gaby's Mediterranean Grill

   Reasonably priced and very tasty Lebanese restaurant. Seating is in an outdoor patio complete with hookahs, heat lamps, candles, and a bustling crowd that mixes young hipsters with Lebanese locals. Service is friendly and the place stays busy until closing.

   11AM-1AM daily·Meals are between $8 and $20

4. Eat

   Govinda's

   The unusual vegetarian restaurant operated as part of the hospitable and charitable tradition of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. A buffet luncheon or sandwiches will cost you less than ten bucks. Above the restaurant you will find a boutique filled with fine garments and unusual handicrafts and art objects from India, the spiritual home of the Krishna devotees.

5. Eat

   Grand Casino Bakery

   This is a simple, quaint little Argentine bakery. The Empanadas are delicious, and you can always find the big screen in the dining area tuned to a soccer match.

   6AM-8PM daily

6. Eat

   J R's Bar-B-Que

   The industrial location is appropriate for a barbeque place that's "Tender as Mother's Love." Real pit barbecue beef ribs, pork ribs, "rib tips", great sides, and if you have room left, peach cobbler or 7-Up cake! Three choices of sauce - they're serious when they say it's hot. The proprietor, "Robert Johnson", may or may not be the famous bluesman.

7. Eat

   K-Zo

   Another restaurant born of Culver City's downtown renaissance, K-Zo is a sushi bar and "Japanese tapas" restaurant, offering various hot and cold bites in addition to the more standard Japanese fare. Prices are a bit higher than some other restaurants, but the food is generally excellent, service is friendly, and the atmosphere is great. For those seeking to maximize their eating dollar, happy hour is daily from 5:30-7PM.

   Lunch: Mon-Fri 11:45AM-2:30PM; Dinner: Mon-Thu 5:30PM-10:30PM, Fri-Sat 5:30PM-11PM, Sun 5PM-10PM·$6-15 for most sushi rolls and tapas items

8. Eat

   Pho Show

   Founded by three techies who wanted to be able to eat pho at a local restaurant, Pho Show serves the Vietnamese rice noodle soup to a crowded house. The soup that gives the restaurant its name is delicious, with a particularly aromatic broth that is different from other pho restaurants, and portions are generous. For those who chose this restaurant but for some reason decided against the soup, there are numerous rice, noodle and curry dishes on the menu. Beer and wine is available for dine-in customers.

   Mon-Sat 11AM–3PM, 5PM-2AM. Sun 11AM-3PM, 5PM-10PM·$7-15

9. Eat

   S & W Country Diner

   Affordable, home-cooked style breakfast and lunch in a cozy, neighborhood diner. Food is good and portions are reasonably large, but be prepared for long lines in the mornings, especially on weekends. Cash only.

   $5-16

10. Eat

    Shojin

    Creative and stylish all-vegan and gluten-free sushi restaurant. The emphasis is on healthy ingredients – macrobiotic, mostly organic, free of table sugar or artificial ingredients. The food is delicious, which is honestly an impressive achievement with all those constraints.

    Mon–Thu 5:30–10PM; Fri Sat noon–2:30PM, 5:30–10:30PM; Sun noon–10PM·$30+

11. Eat

    Tender Greens

    As you might guess, the emphasis here is on the fresh salads of all types, but you can get them small, meal-sized or pair them with steak, chicken or fish. This popular chain uses local, organic produce to assemble fresh and healthy salads and soups, as well as delectable hot dishes from the grill, such as free-range chicken, Angus flatiron steak, and line-caught tuna. This eco-conscious restaurant also uses biodegradable to-go containers, reclaimed timber, and non-toxic cleaners. The atmosphere is relaxed and beautiful, with a spacious patio for outdoor dining. Portions are large, and a wide array of boutique wines and microbrews will please any palate. Friendly service.

    Sun-Thu 11:30AM-9PM, Fri-Sat 11:30AM-10PM·$10 and up

12. Eat

    Tito's Tacos

    Cheap (a full meal for under $5) and authentic Mexican food, individually prepared while you watch. Opened in 1959, it is known for its American-style hard-shell taco and burritos. Considered a Los Angeles-area icon, the restaurant was named to Fox News' list of the ten best tacos in America in 2014, and was ranked #1 on The Daily Meal's "Top 35 Burritos in America" list in 2015. You stand in line to order, then move aside to wait. Delicious and unusual. Noisy; you hear Spanish and English spoken here in equal amounts. Family-friendly. Park in the lot or under the freeway (feed the meters with dimes or quarters), not in the red cul-de-sac.

    9AM-11:30PM daily

13. Eat

    Ugo

    A cozy Italian cafe with extensive outdoor seating and a reasonably-authentic Italian menu. This establishment specializes in Italian cafe food, so expect sandwiches, carpacchio, insalata, pasta, and gelato rather than the standard "spaghetti and steaks" fare common at most Italian restaurants.

    Mon-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri 11AM-midnight, Sat 10AM-midnight, Sun 10AM-11PM·$10-30

14. Eat

    Vespertine

    Named one of Time Magazine's "100 Greatest Places" in 2018 and given two stars by the Michelin Guide in 2020, this establishment bills itself as an experimental restaurant that aims to surprise visitors with a truly unique eating experience. Guests will first notice the building's unique architecture and artistic decor, with meals starting with a cocktail on the roof before diners are led into the austere dining area for multiple courses that can last for hours. Food is locally sourced, contemporary style dishes that hint of French cooking, and the presentation of each dish is unique to the point of becoming a focal point of the dining experience. Reservations are a must and need to be made well in advance.

    $75-150

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Culver City (CC BY-SA 4.0).