Lillie's

Went here on the first day of international women’s month (March). We received a glass of rosé each. We ordered a salmon Caesar, carbonaras, and a burger. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The atmosphere was calm. The aroma of the restaurant and restroom was aesop. Fully support the partnership. Carbonara was creamy, rich and and had crispy pancetta. Would order again. Servers were friendly. Had around 5 of them visit our table to check in throughout the night. When you enter the dining room, time really passes by and you forget about the complex fast paced world outside those doors.

jessica seifert (jessfaced)

Everything about this place was beyond a 5 star experience! The food was incredible. Best French onion soup ever. The executive chef Diana seriously impressed me! Every menu item was delicious and well thought out. I will definitely be back for some of her cooking over lunch very soon. She told me about a French onion pasta that sounds divine... so friendly and welcoming. Our waitress Michelle also was excellent! She was on top of everything the whole time and had a very warm and welcoming personality, even when it got quite busy! Our server assistant was too kind and went above and beyond (didn’t catch his name). Even the hostess was very accommodating to special table requests. The inside is decorated in a very lovely old French look. Very ornate with dark wood everywhere. They have black-and-white movies playing on a projector, and a live jazz band. Definitely recommend this place for a nice date spot or anyone looking for a delicious meal.

Matthew Garcia

Proper cocktail bar. Bartender was great, he knew his drinks and his whiskey. You get what you pay for, as long as you’re willing to pay $20-$22 for a drink.

Lolo Wink

I went here for high tea on a Sunday. Tea can be hit or miss depending on where you go. The quality of the food and presentation here was lovely and above average. I was not a fan of the scones. Selections were mostly sweet. I would have preferred more savory options. Service was generally very good. Things got a bit busy about 45 minutes in and we had trouble getting hot water refills and other drink orders fulfilled. The ambiance and decor is alone worth a visit. I'll be back for sure.

Erin Miller

Such a cute little outdoor garden area to hang out & dine in. They have the most adorable barcuterie board for your pup! We didn't have reservations and had a pretty large group. They were super accommodating, friendly and helpful. The drinks were perfect for a warm day and the charcuterie board & garlic fries we had were delicious 😋 👌

Mark Goldsmith

We had a really nice time here. Their food is delicious and the cocktails are also really good. The steak was cooked perfectly The setting felt intimate and there was live music which was really good and not overbearingly loud. If you like French onion soup, it's a must try here. Definitely not on the cheaper side but worth it.

Nicole Gary

We sat outside for lunch on the couch. The staff were very attentive. Best salad I’ve had in Culver. Calamari was ok. You can get champagne by the glass. The bathroom is total glam Old school glam decor outside

Andy Cheng

Updated review on Oct 13, 2023 - 4 Stars I first visited for dinner when they reopened and enjoyed the live music and authentic French ambiance. I returned to Lillie's recently for their $15 prix-fixe Dine LA lunch special - one entrée and a fresh chocolate chip cookie. My wife and I sat in the sunny courtyard with our dog and started with six oysters from the happy hour menu. The oysters tasted fresh but were on the small side, just as I remembered from dinner. For my entrée, the smash burger overflowed with flavor reminiscent of In-N-Out burger. However, the chicken sandwich lacked sauce and was bland in comparison. Both entrees arrived artfully plated on fine French dinnerware, elevating the overall experience. The warm chocolate cookie was the perfect sweet finale fresh from the oven. Between the patio seating, prompt service, and premium touches, Lillie's $15 lunch special meet expectations. ==================================================== Original review - 5 Stars Lillie's Bistro is a French bistro located in the heart of downtown Culver City, right at the first floor of the historic Culver Hotel. There's an underground parking lot with free 60-minute parking. These days, I rarely order drinks in restaurants because they are mostly over-priced water down alcohol drinks. My wife & I made an exception because it was our anniversary. And, these drinks are legit! They are delicious with the proper amount of alcohol. We ordered half a dozen oysters, burrata, and steak frites. And all of them met and beat our expectations. The waiters were attentive and friendly. My only minor complaint is that they could organize a bit better. When our oysters came, there weren't any proper utensils came with the dish. And when the waiter came back, he gave us only one spoon when there were two sauces. The live band & performance started at 7pm. It's a cozy restaurant and the live music really brought the place to another level.

Dulce R

Amazing restaurant! They have a beautiful patio and birds singing over you! But you also have the option to eat inside. The food is amazing-- six year old approved. The serving sizes are big. the waffles are delicious it's a double stack with cream and cherry syrup with pieces of pistachios- everything was perfect. My son was so excited to be there. We went for brunch, around 1pm. After we ate we had ice cream from near by and I only paid $3 for parking at The Culver Steps. It was a wonderful little brunch date.

Anissa Besselleu

Was my 1st time eating at Lillie's and the atmosphere was lovely! I ordered thee Steak Frites with a nonalcoholic drink called, Blinked! For my steak I did order it medium well, it tasted slightly well done, but it was still good, and I would order it again. The Drink was a hibiscus drink that was a nice pairing.

Angela

I recently dined at Lillie’s for the Barbie themed High Tea! Right upon entry, I was captivated by the light, welcoming atmosphere and warmly greeted by Akaie, our hostess. I had an overall amazing experience, the service was incredibly thoughtful, attentive and professional (special thank you to our server Alejandro & Alfredo)! I’d like to give my most sincere compliments to Chef Diana for the beautiful, quality selection of light bites. I’m not a fan of tea myself, but I ended up finishing my pot! Thank you to Catalina, the F&B Manager on-sight, for greeting and conversing with us as well. Kudos to the team at Lillie’s for creating such a beautiful experience, I really hope to see more themed events!

Gwen Davis

Went here on the first day of international women’s month (March). We received a glass of rosé each. We ordered a salmon Caesar, carbonaras, and a burger. The food came out in a reasonable amount of time. The atmosphere was calm. The aroma of the restaurant and restroom was aesop. Fully support the partnership. Carbonara was creamy, rich and and had crispy pancetta. Would order again. Servers were friendly. Had around 5 of them visit our table to check in throughout the night. When you enter the dining room, time really passes by and you forget about the complex fast paced world outside those doors.

Jessica Vo

We had a lovely experience, we went for brunch on a Saturday at noon. We parked in the garage, which only costed $3. The hotel wasn't super packed or loud so it was a very nice place to catch up with an old friend. Service was great and high Tea was more than enough for us to eat. They packed up our food to go, including the tea, and even gave us complimentary champagne for celebrating a bachelorette! Oh and I loved the aesop soap and lotion in the bathroom.

Stepping into The Culver Hotel feels like entering a glamorous time capsule. The bar and restaurant here masterfully blend vintage charm with a contemporary edge, making it one of Culver City’s most iconic dining and nightlife experiences. The ambiance is exceptional—dimly lit with Art Deco touches, velvet sofas, and live jazz that adds a sultry, sophisticated energy to the space. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to linger, whether you’re on a date, with friends, or hosting out-of-town guests. The best part is the outdoor. I could stay here a whole day, laying down on the sofa, reading my books in the sunbath, watching the petals dropping on the floor in the breeze. Do you know that human need 1-2 hours sun bath every day? This is the best spot for it. I don’t often like repeated things except sunshine, breeze, and soothing environment. Whether you’re stopping by for happy hour, afternoon tea, dinner, or late-night drinks, The Culver Hotel’s bar and restaurant delivers a memorable experience that combines history, style, and substance.

Steak Frites was great as was the Spicy Rigatoni. Super special place with wonderful ambience.

This is a lovely place. Honestly would have been a five-star rating if not for the hostess. Our server was fantastic and we highly recommend the French onion soup. We had no sooner finished paying when the hostess came back and told us we had to leave because we were not hotel guest and she was closing up. It was well before the posted closing time and we had literally just finished paying our bill. Apparently they weren't abiding by their posted hours that night. Nevertheless it won't stop us from going back but it did put them at four stars.

Atmosphere is fantastic. Food is kinda basic. Service is good. Cocktails are good. Would certainly recommend visiting during the evening hours. They have live jazz. I didn't see a burger on the menu but people all around were ordering and it looked good. It was a big burger.

The start of our dining experience was a bit rocky with the hostess asking us to wait at the bar and said we would be seated closer to our reservation. It was 6:22 and our reservation was 6:30. If you ask someone to wait at the bar, one would think that you would retrieve them when their table is ready. At 6:41 my friend and I still were not approached yet we saw a handful of open tables. We went back to the hostess who immediately sat us. Weird but okay. She gave us menus but it was at least another 10 minutes before someone came to us and asked if we had been helped. Nope. No water, no help. But from that point on the service turned around for the better. We ordered one of each of their sides. The outstanding items were the fries and mac and cheese. The ratatouille was so so. The Brussels sprouts were yummy, but not out of the ordinary. We actually were there to find out what was on the dessert menu because we couldn’t find anything online but decided to have some snacks before sweets. We settled on the fallen chocolate cake. It was good, but I can’t say I would order it again. I guess there’s a reason why hardly anyone posted about their desserts. Parking is easy at an underground public lot right in front of the hotel/restaurant.

The staff were on point. The hostess was friendly, and the server was attentive, sweet, and kind. The place is beautiful. I’ve been coming to the Culver Hotel for 2 decades and I love the decor. The tea was good. 5/5 They had a selection of 2 blacks, 3 greens, and 3 herbals. You chose one to start, you could get extra water once you finished your pot, or you could get a new tea. I chose the earl grey and then I mixed the green with mint. My mom had the jasmine green, and her friend had the passionate pear green. We all enjoyed our teas. My mom like warmed milk in her tea, so the server had some steamer for us. The food was hit and miss. 3/5 The berries and cream were okay. The strawberries looked ripe, but weren’t very sweet. The scones were good, but very small. They came with whipped cream (not clotted cream) and jam on the side. The desserts were a mix of excellent and okay. I loved the tiramisus, especially the passionfruit. My mom loved the lemon macaron. Some of the cakes were. Little dry, and some of the mini cheesecakes, didn’t have as much flavor as I would have expected. The sandwiches were okay. The cucumber, cream cheese, and basil was great. The game and cheese croissant was yummy, but I wish it had been warm. The egg salad wasn’t that flavorful. The lobster roll was the cold version; I only like hot rolls, but my mom loved this one. (Each person got one small scone, 4 finger sandwiches, and 3 mini desserts (1 macaron, 1 tiramisu (they call it this, but it tastes like a layered mini cake), 1 cheesecake). These are 1-2 bites each. This was listed on DineLA. When you make a reservation through OpenTable, it’s listed as an event. Thus it is prepaid with no refunds. You are told that once you book it, you cannot make adjustments through OpenTable, only by calling the restaurant. For high tea it is $45/person. There were three of us, so it was $135, but this is a prepaid event, so, there is a 4% service charge ($5.40), a 20% gratuity ($27.00), and 10.25% tax ($17.15). Total$184.56 (~ $61.75/person) Overall: 3.5-4 /5 It’s nice for a west side high tea and a beautiful hotel, but it’s not the best high tea I’ve been to. I don’t need a fancy high tea, but if you’re going to call it high tea- a British thing- at least have clotted cream. I’d have liked bigger/more scones, and more finger sandwiches for the price.

My partner and I went for Valentine’s day. Really lovely place. They didn’t have live music (which was promised) they played a movie instead. The food was delicious! I will say that every server is different, ours wasn’t attentive at all but a couple at the table next to us had a really attentive server! They ended up finishing their dinner before us and we got there earlier! Other than that I would go again for a romantic dinner, but I won’t be too hyped about the service.

Aitana Blose

Stepping into The Culver Hotel feels like entering a glamorous time capsule. The bar and restaurant here masterfully blend vintage charm with a contemporary edge, making it one of Culver City’s most iconic dining and nightlife experiences. The ambiance is exceptional—dimly lit with Art Deco touches, velvet sofas, and live jazz that adds a sultry, sophisticated energy to the space. It’s the kind of place that makes you want to linger, whether you’re on a date, with friends, or hosting out-of-town guests. The best part is the outdoor. I could stay here a whole day, laying down on the sofa, reading my books in the sunbath, watching the petals dropping on the floor in the breeze. Do you know that human need 1-2 hours sun bath every day? This is the best spot for it. I don’t often like repeated things except sunshine, breeze, and soothing environment. Whether you’re stopping by for happy hour, afternoon tea, dinner, or late-night drinks, The Culver Hotel’s bar and restaurant delivers a memorable experience that combines history, style, and substance.

Mark Gregg

This is a lovely place. Honestly would have been a five-star rating if not for the hostess. Our server was fantastic and we highly recommend the French onion soup. We had no sooner finished paying when the hostess came back and told us we had to leave because we were not hotel guest and she was closing up. It was well before the posted closing time and we had literally just finished paying our bill. Apparently they weren't abiding by their posted hours that night. Nevertheless it won't stop us from going back but it did put them at four stars.

Belen Cortez

Atmosphere is fantastic. Food is kinda basic. Service is good. Cocktails are good. Would certainly recommend visiting during the evening hours. They have live jazz. I didn't see a burger on the menu but people all around were ordering and it looked good. It was a big burger.

T G

The start of our dining experience was a bit rocky with the hostess asking us to wait at the bar and said we would be seated closer to our reservation. It was 6:22 and our reservation was 6:30. If you ask someone to wait at the bar, one would think that you would retrieve them when their table is ready. At 6:41 my friend and I still were not approached yet we saw a handful of open tables. We went back to the hostess who immediately sat us. Weird but okay. She gave us menus but it was at least another 10 minutes before someone came to us and asked if we had been helped. Nope. No water, no help. But from that point on the service turned around for the better. We ordered one of each of their sides. The outstanding items were the fries and mac and cheese. The ratatouille was so so. The Brussels sprouts were yummy, but not out of the ordinary. We actually were there to find out what was on the dessert menu because we couldn’t find anything online but decided to have some snacks before sweets. We settled on the fallen chocolate cake. It was good, but I can’t say I would order it again. I guess there’s a reason why hardly anyone posted about their desserts. Parking is easy at an underground public lot right in front of the hotel/restaurant.

Nena C

The staff were on point. The hostess was friendly, and the server was attentive, sweet, and kind. The place is beautiful. I’ve been coming to the Culver Hotel for 2 decades and I love the decor. The tea was good. 5/5 They had a selection of 2 blacks, 3 greens, and 3 herbals. You chose one to start, you could get extra water once you finished your pot, or you could get a new tea. I chose the earl grey and then I mixed the green with mint. My mom had the jasmine green, and her friend had the passionate pear green. We all enjoyed our teas. My mom like warmed milk in her tea, so the server had some steamer for us. The food was hit and miss. 3/5 The berries and cream were okay. The strawberries looked ripe, but weren’t very sweet. The scones were good, but very small. They came with whipped cream (not clotted cream) and jam on the side. The desserts were a mix of excellent and okay. I loved the tiramisus, especially the passionfruit. My mom loved the lemon macaron. Some of the cakes were. Little dry, and some of the mini cheesecakes, didn’t have as much flavor as I would have expected. The sandwiches were okay. The cucumber, cream cheese, and basil was great. The game and cheese croissant was yummy, but I wish it had been warm. The egg salad wasn’t that flavorful. The lobster roll was the cold version; I only like hot rolls, but my mom loved this one. (Each person got one small scone, 4 finger sandwiches, and 3 mini desserts (1 macaron, 1 tiramisu (they call it this, but it tastes like a layered mini cake), 1 cheesecake). These are 1-2 bites each. This was listed on DineLA. When you make a reservation through OpenTable, it’s listed as an event. Thus it is prepaid with no refunds. You are told that once you book it, you cannot make adjustments through OpenTable, only by calling the restaurant. For high tea it is $45/person. There were three of us, so it was $135, but this is a prepaid event, so, there is a 4% service charge ($5.40), a 20% gratuity ($27.00), and 10.25% tax ($17.15). Total$184.56 (~ $61.75/person) Overall: 3.5-4 /5 It’s nice for a west side high tea and a beautiful hotel, but it’s not the best high tea I’ve been to. I don’t need a fancy high tea, but if you’re going to call it high tea- a British thing- at least have clotted cream. I’d have liked bigger/more scones, and more finger sandwiches for the price.

Hannie M

My partner and I went for Valentine’s day. Really lovely place. They didn’t have live music (which was promised) they played a movie instead. The food was delicious! I will say that every server is different, ours wasn’t attentive at all but a couple at the table next to us had a really attentive server! They ended up finishing their dinner before us and we got there earlier! Other than that I would go again for a romantic dinner, but I won’t be too hyped about the service.

My friends and I attended the High tea. It was very disappointing. It was extremely overpriced for what you received. We were a party of three and for $75 each, we were provided one tower with one sandwich each of every option. The sandwiches were tasteless and the desserts were not good. The scone was okay, but were extremely dry, and I had to request jam and cream. There were only two things that we were impressed by but barely. The first, was the crab cakes and the second, we had to paid extra for, the dill and salmon sandwiches. Then while we were still in the restaurant eating they were removing all of their holiday decorations, because they were preparing for a wedding. We had numerous waiters, that kept disappearing, and without any notice they were transitioned to another waiter. And in the end all of the waiters that helps had all gone home.Then when we were trying to leave, no waiter was anywhere to be found, and we had to flag down someone in the bar for our bill. And with only 5 alcohol between 3 people our bill was over $400. Not worth it.

Alexandra Paul

My friends and I attended the High tea. It was very disappointing. It was extremely overpriced for what you received. We were a party of three and for $75 each, we were provided one tower with one sandwich each of every option. The sandwiches were tasteless and the desserts were not good. The scone was okay, but were extremely dry, and I had to request jam and cream. There were only two things that we were impressed by but barely. The first, was the crab cakes and the second, we had to paid extra for, the dill and salmon sandwiches. Then while we were still in the restaurant eating they were removing all of their holiday decorations, because they were preparing for a wedding. We had numerous waiters, that kept disappearing, and without any notice they were transitioned to another waiter. And in the end all of the waiters that helps had all gone home.Then when we were trying to leave, no waiter was anywhere to be found, and we had to flag down someone in the bar for our bill. And with only 5 alcohol between 3 people our bill was over $400. Not worth it.

I really wanted to like this place. And I really wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt when the experience wasn’t optimal throughout the night. But our experience just went from bad to worse and really doesn’t deserve more than 2 stars - which I don’t believe I’ve ever given before. Let’s start with the positives: the ambience is great. It’s loud and bustling - we were there on a Saturday night, it was busy, there was live music (a pianist and a saxophonist), the bar was popular and busy, you get the picture. The place looks great - a nicely decorated boutique hotel with an almost art deco-like style. Several of the dishes we had also were quite good, including one of the best onion soups I’ve had in a long time. But where it all fell down was the service. Our waiter seemed very absent-minded. He was also quite busy, and seemed to have to cover a lot of tables. We first ordered drinks, naming them. He looked at us slightly confused, seemingly not recognizing the names, so we pointed them out on the menu. When they arrived, one of them was the wrong drink and we had to send it back. It can happen. A window near our table was open and it was a chilly, windy night, resulting in a very unpleasant draft. We had to ask to have the window closed twice. When our appetizers arrived, I had ordered the (excellent) onion soup, which didn’t come with a spoon, and we had to work to flag someone down to get me one. The mussels were good (an odd combination with goat cheese that really worked), although several of them had stayed closed, which isn’t the greatest thing to serve. We then waited for our entrees for 35 minutes, and when they arrived, they got my entree wrong. This was surprising, since the waiter had repeated our order back to us and he definitely repeated it back correctly. They gave me a (more expensive) wagyu steak instead of the burger I had ordered, and I decided to keep it since I didn’t want to wait even longer and be out of sync with my dining partner. The steak was pretty tasty. They apologized for the mistake and offered us free dessert. We decided to share a slice of chocolate cake, which took quite a while to come out (and was delicious), so after we finished we were ready to pay and leave, but it took a very long time for us to be able to flag down our waiter, among other things because there was an issue with the check of the table next to us and it took quite a while to get resolved. After we had asked for the check, it took more than 10 minutes and we still hadn’t gotten it, after which I had just lost my patience and asked to speak to a manager. The manager came over and apologized, and explained that they had a large private event running which had been challenging. While I can appreciate that that’s challenging (and it confirmed the fact that our waiter seemed spread thin), it isn’t a great excuse - don’t accept reservations from guests you can’t ensure will have a good experience if you’re running a large event. I made this comment to the manager, to which she replied that the reservations had all already been accepted when they decided to take the private event on last-minute, which… yeah. She did comp my entree and got us the check quickly, at which point we were able to leave, but it really left a bad taste and an overall poor experience. Too bad - the atmosphere and the food were deserving of more. Several tables around us were visibly unhappy with the service/wait time. I guess they just overextended themselves, which lead to a series of unfortunate event. I feel bad for mentioning/complaining about small things like not getting a spoon with my soup - something that can easily happen and is really not a big deal. But that night it was clearly part of a pattern of lack of attentiveness or attention to detail that made this an experience I’d rather forget about.

Daniël

I really wanted to like this place. And I really wanted to give it the benefit of the doubt when the experience wasn’t optimal throughout the night. But our experience just went from bad to worse and really doesn’t deserve more than 2 stars - which I don’t believe I’ve ever given before. Let’s start with the positives: the ambience is great. It’s loud and bustling - we were there on a Saturday night, it was busy, there was live music (a pianist and a saxophonist), the bar was popular and busy, you get the picture. The place looks great - a nicely decorated boutique hotel with an almost art deco-like style. Several of the dishes we had also were quite good, including one of the best onion soups I’ve had in a long time. But where it all fell down was the service. Our waiter seemed very absent-minded. He was also quite busy, and seemed to have to cover a lot of tables. We first ordered drinks, naming them. He looked at us slightly confused, seemingly not recognizing the names, so we pointed them out on the menu. When they arrived, one of them was the wrong drink and we had to send it back. It can happen. A window near our table was open and it was a chilly, windy night, resulting in a very unpleasant draft. We had to ask to have the window closed twice. When our appetizers arrived, I had ordered the (excellent) onion soup, which didn’t come with a spoon, and we had to work to flag someone down to get me one. The mussels were good (an odd combination with goat cheese that really worked), although several of them had stayed closed, which isn’t the greatest thing to serve. We then waited for our entrees for 35 minutes, and when they arrived, they got my entree wrong. This was surprising, since the waiter had repeated our order back to us and he definitely repeated it back correctly. They gave me a (more expensive) wagyu steak instead of the burger I had ordered, and I decided to keep it since I didn’t want to wait even longer and be out of sync with my dining partner. The steak was pretty tasty. They apologized for the mistake and offered us free dessert. We decided to share a slice of chocolate cake, which took quite a while to come out (and was delicious), so after we finished we were ready to pay and leave, but it took a very long time for us to be able to flag down our waiter, among other things because there was an issue with the check of the table next to us and it took quite a while to get resolved. After we had asked for the check, it took more than 10 minutes and we still hadn’t gotten it, after which I had just lost my patience and asked to speak to a manager. The manager came over and apologized, and explained that they had a large private event running which had been challenging. While I can appreciate that that’s challenging (and it confirmed the fact that our waiter seemed spread thin), it isn’t a great excuse - don’t accept reservations from guests you can’t ensure will have a good experience if you’re running a large event. I made this comment to the manager, to which she replied that the reservations had all already been accepted when they decided to take the private event on last-minute, which… yeah. She did comp my entree and got us the check quickly, at which point we were able to leave, but it really left a bad taste and an overall poor experience. Too bad - the atmosphere and the food were deserving of more. Several tables around us were visibly unhappy with the service/wait time. I guess they just overextended themselves, which lead to a series of unfortunate event. I feel bad for mentioning/complaining about small things like not getting a spoon with my soup - something that can easily happen and is really not a big deal. But that night it was clearly part of a pattern of lack of attentiveness or attention to detail that made this an experience I’d rather forget about.