Cafe Vida — Restaurant in Culver City

Who said you couldn’t have brunch for dinner?! My bf and I heard this place had the best deals for happy hour, so we had to check it out for ourselves.

Parking: Good luck finding a parking lol. There’s metered street parking, but it’s impossible to find one. After driving around, we found a paid public parking structure, and we just walked to the restaurant.

Ambiance/Environment: Love the decor here! It’s very warm and welcoming. They have a medium sized space with some indoor seating, but they do have a lot of outdoor seating!

Service: Everyone was courteous & welcoming, but special shout out to our server Rory! His service was above & beyond exceptional. He took the time to explain every little detail of the menu to us. He even recommended us a few of his fav dishes based on our preferences.

Everything we ordered:

1. Short Rib Tacos - Rory recommended this to us bc it’s one of his fav, and WOW .. we can tell why it’s his fav! This isn’t your usual street taco bc they were not shy with the meats. The tacos were FILLED! The flavors of the short ribs were amazing!

2. Buffalo Tenders - These were also recommended to us by Rory. This was listed on their appetizer menu, and we were shocked by the amount of Buffalo tenders we received. The tenders were huge! The tenders tasted as expected, and the chicken was cooked well!

3. Brown Rice Almond Pancakes - I ordered these! Talk about presentation! Not only did these look delicious, but they tasted even better! This included 3 pancakes, fresh fruits, maple syrup, and butter. The pancakes had the perfect amount of sweetness and a generous amount of almonds.

4. Yucatan Salmon Bowl w/ quinoa - My bf ordered this. This was recommended to him by the GM Oscar. Another round of applause for their presentation! There was a generous amount of vegetables & toppings. Everything tasted so fresh. The salmon was also cooked well, though it could use a bit more seasoning but the sauce saved it.

5. Carrot Cake - Can’t go wrong with a classic dessert. This tasted as expected. This cake satisfied our sweet tooth.

6. Hot Lavender Latte w/ art - I’m a sucker for latte art haha. Their lavender latte is so delicious! It wasn’t overly sweet; you can still taste the coffee.

7. Açaí Coconut Smoothie - Perfect refresher after all these delicious dishes! This tastes exactly what it sounds like. The açaí and coconut flavors were balanced.

8. Mimosa Flight - Did someone say happy hour!? Of course, we had to take advantage. This included passion fruit, tamarind, & guava. My favorite was the passion fruit!

9. Bloody Mary - This was also recommended to us by Oscar! He mentioned they received new garnishes. Look how cute it is! It was garnished with a bacon, celery, olives, & tomato. This was definitely strong! I really...

Cafe vida offers a spacious seating area both inside and out front. There are several trees to cool the area and offer shade during sunny days. I have visited cafe vida several times now for breakfast, so far the items that are a must are the chilaquiles, pancakes, omelets, and huevos rancheros. The chilaquiles bring out the notes of chile guajillo, not spicy but a pleasant note to the palate, plus it is a good sized portion. The pancakes are a must, not thick but a bit on the thinner side, one of the better pancakes out there due to its taste profile and softness, hints of vanilla complimented with the powder sugar and syrup makes it so savory but not overpowering in sweetness. Recently tried the huevos rancheros, what stood out was the salsa verde, the salsa rojas was a bit bland but the dish was overall tasty. The french toast were okay, good portion but as always their pancakes are a must. The coffee served is not the best it is okay, for this last visit the coffee was a burnt, a high temperature water burning the coffee and thus eliciting a bitter after taste. The staff here are extremely friendly and attentive, give this place a try and come support Cafe vida. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone who is a local or visiting Culver City. It’s a good place to bring a significant other, friends, or...

I absolutely love this place and don't know why it's taken me so long to thank them with a positive review...but better late than never?

When I think of all the plbrunchedhad breakfast and brunch in LA, this one surely ranks among the top. Is it a vibe along the lines of bottomless drinks, 20-somethings taking selfies and a DJ spinning? No. Thank goodness.

But it is a vibe nevertheless: a casual one, lowkey yet still vibrant with excellent outdoor dining. And the service is impeccable. Our server went out of his way, as is always the case here, to make our experience more enjoyable.

The food options allow you to be as healthy as you want to be, and they have a LOT of options. Today, I went with a delicious egg white omelet with tomatillo salsa, guac, veggies and chicken sausage, accompanied by fruit and toast. It was absolutely wonderful, and the portions were huge.

And isn't it nice to know there are still brunch places with this kind of quality food with excellent service...all for a reasonable price. My colleague got the brown rice pancakes and a latte, and the entire meal (inclusive of my omelet, tax and tip) was under $60.

If you're near downtown Culver - and I would argue you should be even if you're not - give this place a try. I've...