FORMOSA CAFE , West Hollywood, CA (restaurant)

Name: FORMOSA CAFE
Type: Restaurant
Street: 7156 Santa Monica Blvd
City: West Hollywood
State: CA
country: USA
Phone:
Status: operational

Description:

This is NOT a Tiki restaurant, but it serves "Tiki" drinks, and other Fu-joints like that have been listed here:

"..this is one of the few places in town you can order a Singapore Sling with a straight face. Most of Formosa's signature cocktails derive their inspiration from the tropics: Mai Tais, daiquiris, rum drinks..."

Don't expect craft cocktail finery, though. I have not been there in years, but one never knows when these places are gone, and then you're crying, boohoo...

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-10-13 01:17 ]

I just came upon these news, and whenever I hear "mixed use development" I get a queasy feeling:
http://westhollywood.patch.com/groups/real-estate/p/mixeduse-development-purchased-in-west-hollywood

This is gonna happen straight across the street from the Formosa, and they even proclaim they will pay hommage to it - but after some tense, successful preservation battles have been waged for the Formosa, they know how to talk.

The Formosa is an amazing time capsule, this article describes it pretty well:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/squidink/2010/06/formosa_cafe_happy_hour.php

In my younger years as a gaffer in Hollywood I enjoyed many fine Manhattens there mixed by old Lindy, bartender since 1942 (?). Here's some nice images and mixed history of the venerable joint, including a Black Dahlia story:
http://federicodecalifornia.wordpress.com/2010/07/01/youre-nothin-but-a-cheap-imitation-of-lana-turner-the-legendary-formosa-cafe-•-1929/

[ Edited by: bigbrotiki 2013-10-13 02:54 ]

The Formosa was added on to in the 90s...

...but it still has its original diner-style dining room ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diner_Lingo ) in the back:

Who here has one of its original red and black menus - when I used to go there I wasn't collecting them yet :(

Wow! That one heck of a cheongsam!

Spent a lot of time in this place, was even friendly to the punks
back in the late 70s when most places were not.

We should list all the movies that used this as a location
starting with "Kiss Me Deadly" & "L.A. Confidential".

I love the look of the restaurant. Not many places like that left.

Thanks for sharing this, Sven!

Don’t forget about the Mysterious Formosa Tiki Bob, is he from there or SOMEWHERE ELSE? :o

From the collection of ebtiki.

The Formosa revamped their cocktail program a year or so ago and their drinks are much better now.

Have been going there for years .Across the street is a good little bar called
Jone's...close vicinity to Paramount Studios .

Sven, I think your last link in that post should have been this

http://federicodecalifornia.wordpress.com/tag/formosa-cafe/

Ummm...but it WAS ! Didya click on it?

On 2013-10-13 08:30, Bora Boris wrote:
Don’t forget about the Mysterious Formosa Tiki Bob, is he from there or SOMEWHERE ELSE? :o

From the collection of ebtiki.

The Formosa revamped their cocktail program a year or so ago and their drinks are much better now.

I have seen a different font and color of this Formosa Bob.

Very old school Hollywood. My dad was a busboy there at one time.

Only went there once and had a fun time. Love bars like this.