Metro Cafe — Restaurant in Culver City

An all-around pleasant surprise!

To begin, I went here with a good friend of mine after a long week of trudging through the highs and lows of inner-city life. I'll tell ya, it sure gets tough out there.

Let's dive into this place. But before I do, just a quick note that this review is for the dinner menu on a Saturday.

Parking:

Lots of options around. There were probably a few garages nearby, but since I generally avoid those, I found street parking on Washington. These were metered spots that were free after 6pm. Works out because Metro Cafe didn't open until 6pm.

Atmosphere:

Metro Cafe was, in many ways, more romantic than I was anticipating. There are candles at each table whose flames cast shadows that dance on the walls, creating a warm -- dare I say, sensual -- ambiance throughout.

There might have been light music? Sometimes i'm completely oblivious, and this particular instance can be categorized as one of those "sometimes."

It was quiet enough around 6:30 when we arrived, but in the next hour it got much more crowded and the conversations around the restaurant became a dull roar.

It's a fantastic place to take a not-too-upscale-but-just-upscale-enough date. Or a bro, a coworker, a family, or a platonic friend.

Service:

Often, the best service is the kind you don't think about. Our water was refilled a few times, our plates were cleared within a reasonable time frame, the bill arrived before we wondered when the bill arrived. The staff was pleasant enough.

Food:

The oxtail. Oxtail is one of those treats I will likely never prepare at home, which is why I order it at restaurants when I can. The price was about what you'd expect, and maybe even a little less than that.

The butternut squash soup. It's late October and it's starting to get cooler (finally). This is prime butternut squash soup weather. It was creamy and rich in flavor with just the right amount of sweetness. I had the cup instead of the bowl and it was a good amount.

The burrata over grilled sweet peppers. I didn't have a bite, but my friend said the peppers were roasted perfectly.

Price:

I've spent far more money on far worse meals. For the amount of food, it was a fair price and nothing was so expensive that it would deter me from coming back to try new menu...

We flee the midwest to California to enjoy our favorite weather/location in the world so far. Unexpectedly, we also found our favorite breakfast place in the world a couple years ago at Metro Cafe. While we've eaten lunch and dinner there a handful of times and I would definitely say they make a great burger, none of it compares to the breakfast. Personal favorites are the omelettes (esp. ham&swiss), french toast, and blueberry pancakes. This is the only place I have ever found french toast that I'd say "looks fresh off of a cooking show" - It tastes even better than it looks, comes with amazing jam spread instead of just syrup, and of the dozens of times we have ordered it - it has always been flawless. Of all the decisions we have to make when planning our trips to California, Metro Cafe has essentially eliminated the debate of 'where to stay.' We enjoyed staying in Culver City before finding Metro Cafe as it is a safe area in relative proximity to many desired attractions/destinations but staying at the Travelodge or somewhere right near by Metro Cafe is now a requirement: Staying somewhere with an ocean view sounds idyllic... but it's more important to wake up next to a perfect breakfast...and the beach is still only a few blocks away anyhow. We will continue coming here as long as they keep putting out the food. Whether you're a local or just passing through, do yourself a favor and give them a try if...

Very happy with this restaurant. The staff is friendly and all the customers seemed happy. The food was great and they immediately serve you the best coffee ever, it did not need any cream or sugar. Our order was lost by the kitchen so it did take a while for the food to get done... they had to put the order back in but they took 20% off and gave us free French toast, which my husband loved. They were so friendly and professional we are so happy with this restaurant. Earlier today we experienced obvious racism at a restaurant in San Marino....I almost lost my faith in humanity until coming here to Metro Cafe in Culver City but this place was night and day difference - people from all around the world happily enjoying good service and good food here... everyone no matter what color or what accent you had being served with a smile and sometimes I even witnessed who seemed to be the owner giving some patrons a family like hug .... went from 1939 to 2023 in a matter of minutes ... very grateful for Culver City and the people here ... if you want to feel gratitude for this wonderful city just go to San Marino ... then run back here lol 😂 clicking heels together there is no place like home.... I love you Culver City and thank you metro cafe for a yummy egg white and goat cheese...