The best restaurants in Culver City

In and around Los Angeles, every restaurant that’s been around for more than a couple of decades seems to declare that Frank Sinatra was a regular. In the case of Dear John’s, this was actually true—and the steakhouse was a haunt for the crooner and his cronies from the time it opened in the early ’60s. Now, chef Josiah Citrin and the couple behind Rockenwagner Bakery have given the Rat Pack era steakhouse new life, with an old-school-cool ambience and delicious menu of classics with a twist, including a must-order chicken parm and “bougie” tots topped with creme fraiche, caviar and salmon roe.

This dinnertime vegan sushi spot with locations in Little Tokyo and Culver City is a hidden gem for anyone who can appreciate flavorful, creative plant-based cuisine. At Shojin (named after the Shinto Buddhist vegan diet), you’ll find a range of inventive, all-organic dishes delivered in an intimate, upscale-casual setting with lightly playing jazz music and relaxed clientele. Unlike its eastward location, Shojin Culver City also features a well-appointed patio where servers dole out a vegan white tablecloth experience fit for special occasions. Highlights include Shojin’s spicy “tuna” dynamite roll, made with tofu and avocado, as well as their Purple Treasure, which swaps out raw fish for pieces of buttery eggplant on top of asparagus and carrot maki rolls.

Mayura’s cuisine is inspired by Kerala, a coastal city in South India. Cuisine from this area is heavy on the spices and sour sauces, so expect flavorful, fragrant dishes rich with cumin, coriander, turmeric and cardamom, and creamy stews that sway more sour than sweet. You’ll also find uthappam: a pizza-like concept that features various toppings cooked into dosa batter. Other fantastic options include palak paneer, puttu (steamed cylinders of ground rice layered with coconut), upma (porridge cooked from semolina and vegetables), and classic dishes like chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo and vegetable biryani.

Rustic, live-fire Southern cooking gets the seasonal California treatment at Hatchet Hall, one of the city’s best restaurants. The airy expanded patio and moody, dim-lit interiors provide the perfect sort of ambience to enjoy Hatchet Hall's blended mix of new delights and old favorites, like the now-classic shishito cornbread, which arrives to the table oozing with honey and butter. A phenomenal pork chop is combined with a bite of blackened peach, everything drizzled with fig and brown butter maple jus. For drinks alone, head to the back, where Old Man Bar serves a slew of great old-fashioneds.

Flavorful contemporary dishes make this newer Downtown Culver addition stand out within L.A.'s South Asian dining scene, from chicken wings drenched in an Old Monk marinade (India's iconic dark rum) to a lobster moilee, a rich coconut milk curry from the southern state of Kerala traditionally made with shrimp. Modestly priced classics like pav bhaji—vegetable curry sliders—and chicken tikka kebab come loaded with spices, and everything pairs well with Arth's playful desi-inspired cocktails. We particularly enjoyed the jal-jeera mojito, which pairs the popular cumin-based north Indian drink with chili-infused white rum and a touch of peach liqueur. At the bar, a robust weekday happy hour (3–5pm) offers $7 well drinks and shaves $2 off cocktails and small plates like "sexier" curry fries and a crunchy, refreshing masala papad chaat.

Every time someone’s convinced us to visit a hand roll bar that isn’t Kazunori, we usually leave wishing we’d ignored their advice. But this punnily named option from a Katsuya veteran is the one place we’d recommend actually patronizing, especially in Culver City, where you’ll find a brand-new location at the Culver Steps. Substantial portions of fried soft-shell crab, negitoro and other premium cuts form the base of each delightfully crispy seaweed hand roll. Of course, Yunomi offers the standard varieties as well, plus a hearty menu of appetizers, including a knockout spicy albacore crispy rice with truffle soy sauce. High-quality loose leaf teas served in tetsubin add an element of elegance to your otherwise quick meal, and there’s takeout if you’re really in a rush. Just note that Yunomi often fills up, especially in the evenings—so be sure to add yourself to the Yelp waitlist ahead of time.

Located at the corner of downtown Culver City’s Main Street, Piccalilli offers Southeast Asian-inspired Californian cuisine in a eclectic indoor dining room, small patio and expansive outdoor seating section courtesy of extended pandemic-era street closures. The food served  is similarly wide-ranging, from a Thai chicken katsu to a namesake bread plate with Indian pickled butter. The restaurant’s excellent happy hour (available daily until 6pm) includes their must-order miso pork jowl, as well as bargain-priced beers, wines and cocktails.

Sarah Hymanson and Sara Kramer's critically acclaimed, Middle Eastern-inspired rotisserie has opened up shop in Culver City, and the juicy, flavorful roast chicken, wealth of vegetarian and vegan options and mouthwatering schmaltz potatoes are as delicious as ever. Sip on house carrot gingerade and lemony iced tea inside the snazzy One Culver space—the first Kismet Rotisserie location to feature indoor seating. 

This plant-based fast-casual restaurant in Culver City comes from Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, the sisters behind Spork Foods, a vegan catering and cookbook empire. Since opening last August, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen has become one of the highest rated independent restaurants on Yelp. After one bite of food here, you’ll quickly realize why. The warm, vibrantly colored grain bowls, particularly the Mediterranean chickpea option, pack major flavor in humble packages and can be modded out to your exact specifications. The hot sandwiches and tacos made with plant-based fish, jackfruit carnitas and Impossible beef crumble hit the spot for a tasty lunch or comfort food craving. The attention to detail and overall deliciousness is on par with one of my favorite plant-based restaurants of all time: Chef Tanya’s Kitchen in Palm Springs. Grain bowls, tacos and sandwiches might not sound all that exciting, but Hey, Sunshine Kitchen is proof that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—you merely need to perfect it.

This neighborhood market and deli is Culver City’s best-kept secret, if you discount the weekday rush of hungry Sony employees around lunch hour. An extensive hidden patio complete with bubbling koi pond complements Jackson Market’s excellent deli sandwiches and tiny array of pastries, but the real gem is the market’s specialty snack and drink selection. Build your own midday meal or snack and relax out back under the trees.

Alexander Phaneuf and Or Amsalam have brought their incredible baking skills to Culver City with Lodge Bread, a small bakery dedicated to big loaves. Their dedication to organically grown, seasonal whole grains put through a naturally levened process results in a selection of bread that has drawn raves from chefs and ordinary eaters alike. At the counter, you’ll find cinnamon rolls, coffee cake, a muesli bowl and cookies, along with loaves of seeded country, whole wheat, spelt and red quinoa wheat. Wednesday through Sunday, you’ll find their Full Proof Pizza nights running nightly from 5 to 8pm—just be sure to get there early, since pies typically sell out fast.

Lomo saltado, juicy rotisserie chicken and a dreamy ceviche with leche de tigre: this casual restaurant is the new culinary home of Walther Adrianzen, who's been offering similar under-the-radar Peruvian fare out of nearby Lonzo's Bakery for years. An expanded outdoor dining area and colorful mural add flair to CevicheStop's no-frills location at the traffic-prone corner of Washington and La Cienega, but the real reason to come here is the flavorful, moderately priced menu of Peruvian essentials like anticuchos (beef heart skewers) and seafood paella. This is Culver City dining gem hidden in plain sight—and it even has a few parking spaces in the lot it shares with a 7-11.

One of Brooklyn’s most beloved pizza joints has finally hit the West Coast, serving wood-fired pizzas in Culver City’s Platform outdoor mall. Of course that’s not all Roberta’s is bringing us: In addition to their cult-classic pizza rossa and margherita, there are punnily named seasonals like the Olive Laugh Love—a white pie topped with olive tapenade, garlic, arugula and lemon. Plus, the L.A. outpost boasts a spacious outdoor patio, a tiny-but-mighty pasta list and the convenience of Platform’s adjacent paid parking lot.

As one of the few traditional Danish bakeries in L.A., this Culver City shop dedicated to dough is not for those who shy away from carbs. You’ll want to eat everything in sight here—the braided cinnamon rolls, the macaroons, the nougat crowns straight out of the oven. The kringle, filled with almond paste and custard, is a must-try, though you really can’t go wrong with anything behind the case. Open early Wednesday through Sunday, with plenty of hot coffee in tow, a stop at Copenhagen Pastry is a great way to start your morning off right.

“The only thing better than a Tito’s Taco—is two!” Since 1959, this beloved Culver City walk-up taco joint has served American cheese-covered hard shell meat tacos, excellent chicken tamales and some of the most addicting chips and tomato salsa in town. Authentic Mexican food this isn’t, but that’s hardly the point at Tito’s, where affordability and nostalgia combine for one of the best lowbrow meals on the Westside.

Simple, delicious Italian family recipes are the cornerstone of Pasta Sisters, an airy indoor-outdoor restaurant in the Helms Bakery building. Though the family-run shop also has a smaller, takeout-friendly Mid-City location, the Culver City location is much bigger and better-looking, with the same fresh pasta made in-house daily and complimentary foccacia on every table. Unlike other spots, you’re encouraged to build your own meal here, picking a noodle to go with your choice of sauce. Though you can’t go wrong with any combo, we particularly enjoy the tagliatelle with tomato and basil, plus a supplemental dollop of creamy burrata.

Whether you’re visiting the Culver City or Santa Monica location, a convivial buzz fills Father’s Office with hungry diners jonesing for a burger and craft beer. The 30-plus beers on tap mainly come from California microbreweries; there’s also a nice range of wines. Food-wise, forgo the middle-of-the-road tapas in favor of the fabled Office Burger. Just be prepared to eat it in the way the menu suggests: no additions and no substitutions. And definitely no ketchup. Note that the Culver City location is 21-and-over, with no children or dogs allowed.

Meat butchered on premise, brisket smoked over peach wood logs, a pitmaster from Texas—Maple Block Meat Co. is checking off all the right BBQ boxes. Chef Adam Cole, who grew up eating ’cue in Texas, Georgia and North Carolina, is paying tribute to his roots at this Culver City spot, where lunch and dinner options range from chopped pork shoulder to ranch beans seasoned with meat drippings. Before you even get to the entrées, smoked chicken wings appear under the menu’s snack column, small in size but packing a flavorful punch. Other smoked meats include a pork chop, prime rib and incredibly tender brisket, but the pork spare ribs are the standout choice. Sporting a beautiful rub, the ribs alone are worthy of sitting through 405 traffic.