The Formosa

"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

"Formosa Cafe is one of the oldest bars in the city, with more Hollywood history than the bathrooms at The Beverly Hilton. Bugsy Siegel would stash his mobster money in a safe below his regular table, and John Wayne once famously made himself eggs in the kitchen after a night of scotch. The lore of this red and jade-bathed Chinese spot that dates back to 1939 is enough to charm tourists and locals, and the main reason why a casual night of drinks and snacks at Formosa is still good old-fashioned fun. video credit: Maya Muldrew After a brief shutter, an ownership change, and a massive renovation, Formosa reopened in 2019 as a maximalist ode to Chinese Hollywood, with fluorescent lighting, red lanterns, and black and white headshots lining the walls. It’s a Russian doll of dining spaces, too, with three separate bars, a spacious rooftop, and a repurposed trolley car where you and your friends can cram in to eat dumplings and wings. Formosa’s Chinese-America menu and poolside-esque drinks aren’t groundbreaking, but they are general crowd-pleasers. The classics taste more refined than your typical takeout order, like the orange chicken coated in bittersweet housemade sauce, a balanced crispy beef loaded with ginger, and a gut-heavy crab rangoon dip that would kill on as a snack on game day. Pair anything with a few sweet green tea martinis and pineapple-heavy Mai Tais, and you’ll be content sinking into Formosa’s well-worn red booths for as long as possible. Food Rundown photo credit: Maya Muldrew Szechuan Wings These wings aren’t particularly spicy, smoky, or even remotely mala-tingly. But they are the kind of salty and saucy glazed wings that are delicious dunked in ranch, and that counts for something. photo credit: Nicolas Zhou Crab Rangoon Dip If you’ve ever fantasized about eating your weight in crab rangoons, meet your dream come true. This bubbly vat of cream cheese and sweet crab is very rich, so plan on sharing it with friends. In fact, the fried prawn crackers on the side are the lightest thing about this appetizer. photo credit: Maya Muldrew Shrimp & Pork Shumai These plump shumai are soft and juicy in the center, but could use more seasoning. That said, they’re a smidge better than the storebought kind and a nice, poppable drinking snack. photo credit: Maya Muldrew Orange Chicken Most orange chicken just tastes like orange chicken. But Formosa’s has a special something-something to it: a bitter orange peel tang that keeps these sticky fried chicken nuggets from veering too close to dessert. Crispy Beef This crispy beef delivers on the crispy. The crunch is satisfying, and there’s a noticeable ginger kick to the sauce that ties the dish together." - Sylvio Martins

"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

"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

"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