Brian Nagele
Culver City, in Los Angeles County, is a historical movie-making place. It’s been a center of television and movie production for a century, and it was where MGM studios set up shop. Today, Sony Pictures Entertainment is the major movie production company in town.
In its beginning, it was a whites-only, or sundown town, but it’s now wonderfully diverse. While the name suggests a large, sprawling, urban environment, Culver City covers only about 5 square miles and has a small population of 41,000 people.
Best Restaurants in Culver City
- N/Naka
- Lodge Bread Company
- Destroyer
- Maple Block Meat Co.
- Copenhagen Pastry
- Jackson Market and Deli
- Loqui
- Vespertine
- Hatchet Hall
- Johnnie’s Pastrami
- Pasta Sisters
- Dear John’s
- AKASHA
- Honey’s Kettle
If you’re a foodie, searching for new gastro adventures, get your tastebuds prepared. We’re going to take you on a culinary tour and introduce you to some of Culver City’s best restaurants.
N/Naka
3455 Overland Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90034
Phone: 310-836-6252
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N/Naka offers a carefully crafted Japanese tasting menu created by chef and owner Niki Nakayama.
Located on the westside, N/Naka features the chef’s modern interpretation of kaiseki. The 13-course kaiseki ($375) is both food and art.
N/Naka is an elegant fine dining experience that features such delights as saki zuke (amabi, caviar, smoked avocado, tosazu gelee), otsukuri (traditional sashimi), and mushimono (steamed uni, kegani, satuimo). N/Naka does not offer vegan options but does have a vegetarian menu.
Each N/Naka creation is unique and part of the fun of the mystery of the tasting menu. Diners receive confirmation of the menu a few days beforehand.
Lodge Bread Company
11918 Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: 424-384-5097
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Lodge Bread Company has come a long way from two young chefs toting their sourdough starters everywhere. That sourdough helped to launch the Culver City bakery and pizzeria.
Tucked in a neighborhood of body shops, Lodge Bread Company is an uber casual kind of dining experience.
Located on Washington Blvd, the 1970s retro building signs are a harbinger that you are about to step back in time and experience familiar food.
The sprouted rye and cured fish holds everything dear to my heart on one plate. The rye bread filled with healthy seeds is host to smoked salmon, cured trout, pickles, labneh, and herbs.
Pizza aficionados will have a difficult time choosing one, but my recommendation is the spicy sausage.
Destroyer
3578 Hayden Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 310-360-3860
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If you’re looking for minimalist decor and a simple, gimmick-free breakfast and lunch menu, Destroyer is the restaurant for you.
Located in the Hayden Tract of Culver City, Los Angeles this tiny order at the counter cafe is a place where you can pop in for a strong coffee and pastry, or sit down for a tasty, reasonably priced meal.
Scandinavia is reflected in the menu, whose offerings change daily. The raw oatmeal may sound like something out of Dickens’ Oliver Twist, but it’s creamy and warm, with a disc of toasted vanilla on top.
The sourdough sunchoke waffle with its creamed kale, onion granola, and fried organic egg is a dish I would stand in line all day for.
Maple Block Meat Co.
3973 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Phone: 310-313-6328
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This casual neighborhood bar and grill specializes in wood-smoked meats and seasonal ingredients. Located on Sepulveda Blvd., between Venice and Washington Place, Maple Block Meat Co. gives a firm nod to the traditions of skilled butchering, butchering, and smoking meat.
Their sandwich menu is diverse, and includes turkey, brisket, pork shoulder, and sausage fare. The BBQ chopped chicken salad, with its smoky lime dressing, is delicious..
The highlight of their menu is the Maple Block Feasts for groups of 5 to 12 people. Brisket, pork spare ribs, chicken, and homemade sausage, along with four sides, sauces, and buttermilk biscuits, will not leave you wanting.
Copenhagen Pastry
11113 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 310-839-8900
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Copenhagen Pastry is committed to authentic Danish recipes, traditional baking methods, and quality ingredients.
Baking begins early but also continues throughout the day so freshness is guaranteed. This walk-in bakery doesn’t offer cafe seating, but enjoy your pastry at nearby parks.
Located on Washington Blvd, between Sepulveda and Overland Ave., their signature is a whole grain rye bread with whole rye berries, black flax seeds, and sunflower and sesame seeds.
They offer a smorgasbord of pastries, including nut-free, non-dairy and vegan options.
The braided cinnamon is my go-to favorite because of the cinnamon, softness, and just a hint of custard.
Jackson Market and Deli
4065 Jackson Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 310-425-8426
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Jackson Market and Deli is an oldie but a goodie, located on Jackson Ave., off of Culver Blvd. They have been serving up deli since 1925.
Breakfast is every day until 11 a.m., and you can get everything from bagels to eggs to pancakes and waffles.
The Greek Omelet is a fan favorite with its feta, green olives, tomatoes, and spinach. Served with mixed greens and a French baguette, all that is needed is a cup of dark roast coffee.
Sandwiches, wraps, paninis, and salads are available all day, every day. You can create your custom deli by choosing from a selection of artisan bread, fine deli meats, cheese, veggies, and sauces.
Loqui
8830 Washington Blvd #104, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 949-997-2800
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In 2013 a tiny pop-up called Loqui showed up weekly at the Tartine Bakery in San Francisco. Customers were offered one item from a rotating menu.
The idea was to present the best of Mexican food and flavors. In 2016, Loqui opened its brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Located on Jackson Ave., between Braddock Dr. and Culver BlvdLoqui has a very casual atmosphere. While the atmosphere is laid back, they are serious about the food. Everything is made to order.
If you like spicy, start with the flavorful pollo primo. After that, mushroom fans will want to dive into a mushroom molcajete that comes with a tortilla so you can build your tacos.
Vespertine
3599 Hayden Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 323-320-4023
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Get ready for a fine dining experience at Vespertine. Located in unique architecture called the Waffle Building, Vespertine aims to create a modern restaurant experience like no other.
Having earned two coveted Michelin stars, this restaurant’s tasting menu changes frequently to utilize the best that each season has to offer
Fine dining is expensive, and the cost to eat at Vespertine ranges from $250 to $1,000.
Diners that have reviewed Vespertine, rave about the heritage pork with pancetta, Piedmontese beef braised in Barolo, and marinated eggplant. Vespertine has pivoted during COVID and offers tasting boxes for customers to enjoy at home.
Hatchet Hall
12517 W Washington Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066
Phone: 310-391-4222
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Hatchet Hall is a lively neighborhood restaurant that prides itself on its relationship with local farmers. The menu changes daily, and the focus is on dining in a casual, pleasant atmosphere with family and friends.
Hatchet Hall is located on Washington Blvd., just before St. Centinela Ave.
Its small plate fare has been described as Southern-leaning, leaving diners comfortably full.
Wood-grilled striped bass belly with fermented cabbage and tarter sauce receives consistent praise from reviewers, as does octopus with toasted grits, crimini, and a mushroom-based hunter’s sauce.
If you’re looking for a great Sunday brunch spot, Hatchet Hall is the perfect spot.
Johnnie’s Pastrami
4017 Sepulveda Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Phone: 310-397-6654
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Good pastrami takes time. Brining, drying, rubbing, and smoking are processes that can’t be rushed, so savor the outstanding finished product at Johnnie’s Pastrami. The restaurant’s bright retro neon sign is like a siren song that will beckon you to go in.
Located on Sepulveda Blvd., Johnnie’s is an icon on the Westside dining scene. The atmosphere is super casual, and the portions are impressive.
The traditional pastrami sandwich is delicious and towering, but the french dip pastrami is somehow so much better.
Another traditional deli item is knish with gravy. Inside the light, flaky pastry is potatoes, caramelized onions, sauerkraut, and pastrami. Dunk each forkful into the side of gravy for an extra explosion of flavor.
Pasta Sisters
3280 Helms Ave, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 424-603-4503
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Pasta Sisters, located in the Helms Bakery District, is a cozy, casual Italian deli that has expanded seating and two patios.
You can order at the counter or enjoy a leisurely meal in its bright dining room or one of the patios.
Old family recipes with modern twists comprise the Pasta Sisters menu. On a chilly night, you are going to want to have the spezzatino con polenta, a hearty, tomatoey beef stew.
If sandwiches are more your style, the prosciutto di parma with fresh mozzarella and arugula is perfect. Pair it with a butter lettuce salad, and you may find yourself planning a trip to Italy.
Pasta Sisters also has a unique food truck that you can order from, or you can order online and pick it up at their scheduled locations.
Dear John’s
11208 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90230
Phone: 310-881-9288
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Dear John’s is a wonderful retro place that gives a hard nod to the era of Sinatra’s Rat Pack. The decor is dark, the walls cluttered with artwork, and the massive leather booths have line tablecloths. You can almost hear old Blue Eyes.
Located on Culver Blvd. between the 405 and Sepulveda Blvd., Dear John’s is open for dinner service only.
A dinner here isn’t complete without the tableside Caesar salad, complete with anchovies just as every Caesar should be made. Follow that up with Bougie Tots made from tater tots (yes, those tots), covered in salmon roe, caviar, and creme freche.
Round out the meal with spaghetti and clams. It’s a delightful combination of salty, sweet, and cheesy.
AKASHA
9543 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 310-845-1700
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AKASHA’s cuisine is best described as New American farm-to-table and is prepared in a busy, chic setting. It’s located on Culver Blvd., a block east of Venice Blvd, in the renovated Hull building.
The focus of AKASHA’s changing menu is seasonal, local, and sustainable. You can find salads, small plates, pasta, soup, burgers, steak, and seafood on the menu.
Yellowtail Crudo on the small plate menu combines the fish with sour orange, aji amarillo, charred avocado, radish, and herbs.
If curry is your thing, the Bali seafood curry is delicious with the right amount of spice. It features black rice, shrimp, squid, scallops, salmon, shrimp, and vegetables.
Honey’s Kettle Shop
9537 Culver Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232
Phone: 323-396-9339
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If you have a hankering for good, old-fashioned southern comfort food, look no further than Honey’s Kettle Shop. African American Chef Vincent Williams, aka Chef Vinny, gives a nod to his ancestors with kettle cooking.
His 50-years of experience guarantees that he has cooked more fried chicken than anyone on earth and that he has perfected the art of kettle cooking.
Honey’s is casual, bright, and airy and features indoor and patio seating. The fresh, quality ingredients will help you to feel a little less guilty about eating fried food.
Spicy breast strips are, hands down, my favorite. The chicken strips are kettle fried and then rolled in Honey’s spicy sauce. They come with kettle fries, buttermilk biscuit, pickles, and a choice of dipping sauce.
Final Thoughts
Culver City maintains a strong presence on the California food scene. Its restaurants are vibrant and exciting.
Chefs and owners are committed to providing a wide array of sustainable, locally sourced menu options that reflect the city’s unique demographic.
Each day, the restaurants dish up old favorites and exciting new ones to hungry locals and visitors alike.
If you’re visiting one of Culver City’s tourist attractions or are wondering where to go on your lunch break, be sure to drop in at one of these places!
If your favorite restaurant has been left out, or you would like to share about your dining adventures in Culver City, please let us know!
