In recent years, Culver City — known for its small-town vibe within the larger L.A. megalopolis — has welcomed a growing number of new-media companies to its streets, including Amazon Studios, Apple and TikTok, plus HBO and other divisions of Warner Bros. Discovery. This entertainment industry influx — which is bringing an estimated 7,500 to 9,500 jobs to the city of 40,000 — is now amping up the restaurant business there, especially as more employees return to office life.

“I had two emails from Apple today about [booking] dinners,” says chef Akasha Richmond of Akasha restaurant, which opened in 2008. “One for 90 people and another person emailed about a dinner for 27.”

At lunch hour, Platform LA — a 6-year-old boutique mall that includes stores and restaurants — is packed with entertainment staffers, says Patrizio Spagnoletto, global CMO at Warner Bros. Discovery. “It’s the stomping ground of people who are in the industry. It feels like a mini-Hollywood outside of Hollywood,” he says. “I always recognize a lot of people who are there from Amazon and Apple. If I had a confidential conversation [I needed to have], I would not go there.”

Kate Arend, head of production at Amy Poehler’s Culver City-based Paper Kite production company, adds: “Culver is the spot! We invite everyone to come to us for something new. She is a fan of “every pizza, every salad, everything” at Roberta’s Italian restaurant (an offshoot of the Brooklyn version) at Platform LA.

Historically, industry folks who worked in the area had only “six or seven standard restaurants,” says Anne Woodward, partner at Culver City-based Authentic Talent and Literary Management.

But now, Woodward says, choices abound. “It’s great,” she says. “It’s a different city than it was nine years ago. I always try to get people to come to me — so having better options definitely works in my favor.” Woodward — whose favorite spots in Culver City include Destroyer cafe (for a “coffee and a cookie at 4 o’clock”) and Mediterranean restaurant Margot at Platform LA — also often runs into people at Jackson Market, an unassuming deli tucked into a residential neighborhood on a street south of Sony Pictures Studios, which has called Culver City home since the Japanese conglomerate acquired the historic MGM lot in 1990.

Other shiny new developments in Culver City include Ivy Station — home to not only HBO but also to Etta restaurant and the year-old The Shay hotel — and The Culver Steps, which is expected to get an Erewhon market soon.

At Dear John’s — an iconic Hollywood watering hole near the 405 Freeway that was relaunched in 2019 by chefs Hans Röckenwagner and Josiah Citrin — regulars are often execs from Amazon, Sony and Apple, says co-owner and Hans’ wife, Patti Röckenwagner. Celebrity fans of the intimate place include Christopher Guest, Jodie Foster, Sharon Stone, Jennifer Grey, John Stamos, Tiffany Haddish, Rian Johnson and Jamie Lee Curtis, who provided the voice for the eatery’s voicemail message and has a table named for her. (The proprietors recently opened a second restaurant, seafood-focused Dear Jane’s, a bit to the west in Marina del Rey.)

At Simonette restaurant in the Palihotel Culver City, regulars include Paris Jackson, Jon Bernthal and the cast from the Apple TV+ series Mythic Quest.

Maya Mallick, owner of the newly renovated Culver Hotel (which houses Lillie’s, a European-inspired bistro), says Tuesdays and Wednesdays tend to be the busiest at the restaurant, since those are Amazon’s in-office days. “Culver City has always been a studio town,” says Mallick, adding that the “dining scene has changed considerably and has been very dynamic over the last decade. While it was a drive-by town years ago, it has become a culinary destination in L.A.”

Producer Bruna Papandrea, founder of Culver City-based Made Up Stories, tells THR, “It’s so exciting how many new favorites there are right now” on the city’s dining scene. She’s a fan of Fiish, a sushi restaurant at Platform LA that focuses on sustainably caught seafood and dry-ages its fish. It also offers vegan nigiri options.

Fiish chef and partner Colin Whitbread says the presence of nearby streaming companies has been a boon for business. “We’re strategically placed probably better here at the Platform than a lot of other businesses, just because HBO is so close and Apple is literally across the street,” he says. “It’s kind of this byproduct I did not expect. I’m really thankful for HBO and Apple. Their business has been important — sometimes [we do] almost 100 [seatings] just for lunch.”

The management at Etta — where dishes range from pastas and wood-fired pizzas to a $175 stuffed lobster — agrees that there’s an undeniable new-media effect on the dining scene. “Because we are a neighborhood restaurant, Culver City has really taken a liking to us,” says Josh Baca, Etta’s director of event sales. “And it’s great for us because all of our neighbors — whether it be Warner Bros. Discovery, Sony Studios, Apple TV or Amazon Studios — we’re all a big family in Culver City, so they frequent often.”

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My Nabe Faves

Insiders share their favorite spots for a business meal in Culver City

Leah Linder, director of communications, TikTok (and former food blogger)

“My favorite spot in all of L.A. — Konbi [10000 Washington Blvd.] — just opened. Welcome to Culver City. If I am booking an in-person, offsite meeting, expect to sit with me at one of the outdoor tables so we can chat off the record over a katsu sando and a Houjicha [green tea]. Then I’ll probably pressure you into getting a scoop of yuzu sorbet and show you an endless scroll of TikToks made by fans of their egg salad before we part ways. And Destroyer serves an immaculate chef-y breakfast and delicious people watching, which is great when you want to impress somebody making the trek to Culver, whether they’re coming from New York or Silver Lake.”

Jon Hurwitz, co-creator, Cobra Kai, co-founder, Counterbalance Entertainment

“Since a lot of my meetings are with writers or actors who keep odd schedules, my go-to spot is Meet in Paris [9727 Culver Blvd.], because they serve breakfast or lunch until 4. I haven’t found a dud on the menu. Can’t go wrong with the Prime Steak Salad or the Croque Madame. I’ve also become a Philz Coffee [9300 Culver Blvd.] addict. My move is to pre-order on the app, grab my coffee, and then walk a block to Wise Sons deli [9552 Washington Blvd.] for an everything bagel with a schmear and enjoy both at their outdoor seating.”

Jeanne Yang, stylist and manager, Anonymous Content

“Dear John’s [11208 Culver Blvd.] looks like something from GoodFellas. They make the Caesar’s salad the old- fashioned way for you on a cart, and they play the most bad-ass music. You half expect to see Joe Pesci sitting there. I’m also really loving this whiskey bar, Old Man Bar, at Hatchet Hall [12517 W. Washington Blvd.]. They actually make proper old-school drinks. And I have a weakness for Roberta’s [8810 Washington Blvd.] because their Bee Sting pizza with the honey is so good. Last one: how could I forget Honey’s Kettle [9537 Culver Blvd.]? Get one of those delicious, ridiculous biscuits, lemonade that’s so sweet it will hurt your teeth to even look at, and then that fried chicken is so good.

Anne Woodward, partner, Authentic Talent and Literary Management

“I always like to go to Margot [8820 Washington Blvd.]. To me the food is great. I’m all about atmosphere and the atmosphere is great too. That’s sort of my gold standard. Table-wise, I like to sit outside. Akasha [9543 Washington Blvd.] is another favorite of mine. You can have coffee there too, and they have great baked goods. Akasha is a staple.”

Steven Siebert, founder, Lighthouse Entertainment

“The pastas at Bianca restaurant [8850 Washington Blvd.] are amazing, and the bread is the best.”

Patrizio Spagnoletto, global CMO, Warner Bros. Discovery

“Bianca is just really, really good fresh food. I’m Italian and their focaccia bread is probably the closest I’ve seen to Italy. Staying in the Italian vein, there’s this little place called Pasta Sisters [3280 Helms Ave.] which has some of the best pasta in L.A. It’s much more casual but it’s really good food.”

A version of this story first appeared in the Nov. 2 issue of The Hollywood Reporter magazine. Click here to subscribe.