esme — Restaurant in Culver City

Not allowed to work on your laptop . . . at a cafe. The mussels and toast was delicious but presentation had left the chat. The oolong tea was great, I think. Hard to taste the subtle notes over the dish soap taste in the “mug.”

I came in with a laptop case, planning to grab a coffee and write for a bit, but was immediately told “just so you know, you can’t work on your laptop here.” It threw me off because the place markets itself as a café, but it clearly doesn’t operate like one.

I don’t mind a “no laptops” policy if that’s the vibe, but the way it was communicated felt more like exclusion than hospitality. There are plenty of ways to set boundaries while still making guests feel welcome. Instead, it felt like I was being told I didn’t belong before I even had a chance to order.

From what I could tell, Esme seems to be trying to split identities—café by day, full restaurant by night—but the lines are blurry. If you’re looking for a true café where you can read, write, or work, this isn’t the place.

Hospitality isn’t just about food; it’s about how guests are made to feel. In this case, the mismatch between the branding and the reality left me disappointed.

Update: the snarky reply seems to confirm their sense of entitlement. Good luck with success with...

If you’re reading this, here’s the short version: this is easily one of the best restaurants in Culver City, and you need to try it now!

It’s a small spot in downtown Culver City that you could walk past without noticing. I’m glad I didn’t. There are a couple of tables outside, but most of the seating is indoors. The space is modern, clean, and relaxing.

We ordered three dishes, all recommended by our waiter. The mussel toast is a must. Every bite is savory and packed with seafood flavor. For mains, we had the short rib and rainbow trout. The short rib was perfection. Cooked over fire and served with crispy potato strings. It’s something you get at high-end steakhouse but at half the price. The rainbow trout looked beautiful and tasted fresh, though the citrus was a bit stronger than I prefer.

For dessert, we couldn’t resist the churro and ice cream sandwich. The ice cream (another must try), sourced from a Persian maker, was rich with rose, honey, and pistachio. The presentation was just as impressive. The churros were decent, though I wished they were crispier and the dipping sauce was thicker.

Overall, I’d give this place a solid five stars. The food is close to Michelin quality without the Michelin prices. Go and you won’t be...

I was there last Saturday and bring my dog to order food. It was my first time. First of all, the are no signs outside that says no dogs are allowed to cone in. The girls was not friendly at all,however I like the food and decided to over pass there attitude. Decided to go again on Sunday bring my dog again and my daughter to order drinks and food. The guy was super unfriendly and look super nervous. We order and we sit down to wait and he come to us and say, your dog is not welcome and we don't allow dogs inside. I say I'm sorry. But there are no signs outside that say that. He just look at me and say nothing. I felt discrimination immediately from this place. I go to any other spot in Culver and never felt discrimination. Not from Commissary cafe. Not from Super Domesticated none of any others business as this one did. Food is expensive and is ok. But they need to change there posting outside of what they are allowing inside...