Venice has undergone dramatic changes over the past few decades. What was once an artist community has transformed into arguably the coolest neighborhood in all of Los Angeles. It’s not cheap to live (or dine) in Venice these days, but, thankfully, a variety of eating options exist for the neighborhood, its many tourists, and everyday Angelenos ready to head to the beach for a bite. Here are 19 of the best places to eat in Venice, including steak, pasta, classic dive bar burgers, and market-fresh produce — all listed geographically.
Read More19 Fantastic Restaurants in LA’s Beachy Venice Neighborhood
As one of LA’s most storied restaurant scenes, Venice melds beach vibes with a compelling restaurant scene
Dudley Market
In 2022, this seafood destination partnered with famed Baja California chef Diego Hernandez to inject a bit of Alta California flavor into the menu, with longtime barista Nicely Abel serving quality espresso drinks by morning. Pairing locally caught or well-sourced seafood, fresh oysters, natural wine, and HiFi tunes by the evenings, Dudley Market is a gem of Venice’s restaurant scene.
Coucou
With a brick-lined, charming space along Main Street just on the edge of where Venice meets Santa Monica, Coucou serves a tight menu of updated French bistro classics like hamachi ceviche with coconut milk, fried olives, and shucked oysters to enjoy before steak frites, a cheesy burger, and mussels marinere studded with soft lentils. Try the $25 “perfect” martini, strong enough to account for almost two drinks.
La Isla Bonita
Longtime neighborhood mariscos truck La Isla Bonita from chef Antonio Gonzalez serves chopped fish and shrimp ceviches over crisp tostadas; tacos of all types, including carne asada; and heaping cocteles stuffed with fresh seafood that taste even better with that ocean breeze coming in from Venice Beach just a few yards away. It’s probably one of the best budget spots to eat in this mostly very expensive neighborhood. Open 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., Friday to Wednesday, closed Thursdays.
The Wee Chippy
Scottish native Joe Gorrie opened this homage to fish and chips in 2009, and the neighborhood took to it right away. His menu is full of salty and crispy renditions of the familiar combination that cost around $16 (with a vegan and a gluten-free option for the same price).
American Beauty
The chops at this modern steakhouse and bustling Venice restaurant are grilled over almond wood and finished simply with salt and butter. Meanwhile, sides like the melty, sour cream-stuffed hash browns and grilled artichoke complete the meal. The Win-dow, the outpost’s to-go option, slings smashburgers and affordable grain bowls during the daytime.
Gjusta
It seems that Gjusta can do no wrong, with just about everything coming out of the kitchen — from cured fish plates served with slabs of its folkloric, fresh-baked bread to heaping bowls of pork posole — tasting crazy-delicious. And now that the restaurant and bakery has graduated from the days of milk crates with actual patio seating, there are few reasons to not stop in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
Belles Beach House
The beach seems to come right to diners and drinkers at Belles Beach House, the Tulum-meets-Tiki newcomer on Windward where the coolest of the westside set hang out these days. Part bar, part restaurant, this is the place to smell the salty ocean and maybe see someone famous as you dine on pan-Asian dishes with Polynesian influences. Try the epic teriyaki cheeseburger with a draft yuzu spritz cocktail.
Market Venice
Planted under white brick arches on a surprisingly mellow boardwalk alley, Market has been quietly delighting locals and visitors with its unfussy, aperitivo-influenced menu, bold wines, and indoor-outdoor layout (the glass walls to the inside open completely, and the front patio has ample seating). On a menu that focuses heavily on what’s seasonal in the — surprise — market, it’s hard to pinpoint one dish to be most enamored with. Along with the punchy salads and fresh pastas to order, always include the crispy fried potatoes, a dish that could itself be the centerpiece of any meal.
Gran Blanco
Gran Blanco is among Venice’s best natural wine bars, a cozy and dimly lit dinner and drinks hang out right under the iconic Venice sign and steps from the beach. Hip kids mix with surfers, tourists, and everyone else inside the whitewashed evening space, open Wednesday through Sunday.
Felix
Chef Evan Funke’s dedication to serving some of the best pizza and handmade pasta in the city has yielded tremendous results. Plan on making several return trips to eat through the pasta menu, which is broken down by regions of Italy — and don’t forget to catch the pasta-making action from the main dining room.
Casablanca
This Lincoln Boulevard restaurant has kept its doors open for more than 40 years — no easy feat for a dynamic food scene like that of Venice. It might be the house-made tortillas and 250-plus tequila options that keep fans coming back, in addition to the restaurant’s signature calamari steak, squid pounded into a steak and served lightly fried. Don’t sleep on the green salsa made with avocado, cilantro, and chunks of queso fresco.
Hinano Cafe
This iconic burger shack just steps from the Venice Beach pier has been slinging casual fare and brews since 1962. A favorite of both rock legends and locals, there is little argument that this is one of LA’s most beloved dives; it also serves a hefty, eggy burrito in the morning for hungry surfers and locals who need a substantial weekday breakfast.
Night + Market Sahm
Get to Venice for some of Los Angeles’s best Thai food, made with color and care by chef Kris Yenbamroong. This spot doesn’t skimp on flavors or heat, making it one of the hottest (in many ways) places to dine in all of Venice. Don’t forget to try a bottle from the stellar natural wine list.
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Ggiata Delicatessen
What is there to say about Ggiata that hasn’t already been said about Ggiata? The popular New Jersey-style sandwich shop burst onto Venice’s quirky boardwalk scene when it opened on Windward Avenue in August 2023. Since then, the crowds have been consistent: comprised of both locals who want something faithful for lunch and curious beach-goers beckoned by the shop’s sunny yellow exterior. Ggiata standbys like the Classic Italian and Spicy P make waves, but the wild card entrants via its new sandwich-of-the-month series are also worth a try.
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Si! Mon
Si! Mon came swinging into Venice last fall with a punchy menu focused on seafood and bright Central American flavors. All the dishes here are winners, but standouts include the puffy, momo-esque Afro-Caribbean shrimp dumplings; the yuca tostadas topped with delicately spiced tuna carpaccio or a vegetarian citrus medley; the double-fried green banana patacones, served with an earthy ajillo sauce; and the fried chicken drumsticks, which almost resist definition. The ultra-chic interior — think rattan chairs, fringe lamps, and deep green banquettes — makes this one of the most visually appealing dining rooms in Los Angeles, too.
Superba Food + Bread
Sometimes a standby like Superba Food + Bread is worth remembering for low-key nights where the goal is to not be in the most packed dining room in town. Here, you can consistently get a table and eat tried-and-true favorites like the garlic-rubbed roast chicken, served with a crisp spring lettuce salad and green goddess vinaigrette. Nightly specials keep the menu from getting stale; during the day, brunchers and lunchers can enjoy a solo table or group outing for all-day favorites and some of its famous homemade breads.
All’Antico Vinaio
This quickly proliferating sandwich shop isn’t swaying all the critics. Still, it keeps a long line queued faithfully outside its doors for crisp focaccia sandwiches cut into slabs to enjoy on its small outdoor patio or take to go. La Paradiso is seemingly the sandwich of the moment, packed with delicate folds of mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream, and chopped pistachios. If mortadella blankets don’t move you, the La District, with sharp pecorino cream, sun-dried tomato, and a handful of arugula, might.
Atla Venice
New York transplant Atla feels somehow right at home on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. It took over the long-vacant former Hal’s Bar and Grill space and into it infused new life with its casual daytime menu focused on modern Mexican fare. While dinner prices might make this more of an occasion restaurant, the weekday happy hour beckons with $10 margaritas and $5 quesadillas and tacos, including head-on shrimp and suadero renditions. Don’t skip that tres leches cake, either.
Mercedes Grill
This casual Cuban-leaning diner on the Venice-Marina Del Rey border is a mainstay for westsiders seeking unfussy breakfasts, and is also well-loved for its killer bloody marys. But the main point of interest on the menu may be its strong pan-Caribbean throughline: take the Cubano omelette, which is piled with roasted pork, and the huevos con picadillo, eggs served with Cuban beef hash, tortillas, rice, black beans, and caramelized plantains.