The best restaurants in Venice

Forget being the best pasta in Venice—Felix’s Evan Funke makes some of the best pasta on the West Coast. Rolling, cutting and forming noodles behind a pane of glass, the chef and his team give you dinner and a show in this cozy bungalow restaurant. The focus here is handmade pasta, but Funke’s mission to bring incredible Italian fare to L.A. also extends to the phenomenal sfincione focaccia, blistered crust pizzas and the antipasti so good you’ll be tempted to make a whole meal out of them. Years in, and it’s still packed, even with the opening of Funke in Beverly Hills (which is our favorite of his restaurants) and Mother Wolf in Hollywood (which we don’t recommend at all lately)—so make a reservation before heading over, or brave your luck at the cozy bar stools near the entrance.

No matter how you cut it, this full-service Abbot Kinney restaurant is probably the one restaurant that started the street’s full-tilt shift into gentrification and ensuing mainstream cultural significance. Even in the dead of winter, Gjelina’s seasonally focused menu, eaten alongside a mix of tourists, locals and influencers, can’t help but bring in the sunshine. Order plates to share—you can’t go wrong with any of the vegetables and pizzas baked in the wood-burning oven—or claim the beloved smoked fish plate at brunch all for yourself. We’re partial to the back patio for weekend brunch, when there’s almost always a wait, but arrive early to beat the crowds while still enjoying some of the best food Venice has to offer.

Award-winning fried chicken from New Orleans? Say less. Willie Mae’s has now finally opened along Venice’s Lincoln Boulevard—the first ever expansion for the family-run restaurant outside Louisiana. (For takeout and deliveyr, there’s also a separate ghost kitchen in Santa Monica.) Choose from the full array of sides, including a seafood gumbo unique to Venice, traditional red beans and rice, and a gooey, perfectly cooked mac and cheese. The slight twinge of heat and heavier breading style distinguishes Willie Mae’s from other fried chicken purveyors around town—making it a total must-try for fried chicken lovers. Though prices run a tad higher than you’d expect (a two-piece meal with a side and some cornbread is $16.95), the chicken is well worth the extra premium.

Forgive the casual atmosphere and unflattering top-down lighting: This Venice steakhouse serves some of the best wood-fired steaks and seafood in the city, plus an array of delicious, globally inspired starters and sides. The wood grilled flatbread with smoked honey and labneh is, quite frankly, out of this world, and the rosti-like stuffed hash browns (which comes as a giant potato pancake) pair well alongside any of their simply finished steaks. For seafood lovers, the must-order are the grilled prawns. Coming two to an order, they’re huge, sweet and delicious even before the side of lemon and herb butter enter the picture. The Flannery 15-day dry-aged prime ribeye is one of the best steaks we’ve ever had in L.A., all at a fraction of the cost of most other steakhouses serving the same quality of meat.

This beachy all-day Aussie café offers salads, sandwiches, smoothie bowls and a tater-tot-laden breakfast burrito across the street from the famous VENICE sign off Windward Avenue. Don’t be surprised to see locals, tourists, cute pups and wetsuit-clad surfers all stopping by for a bite or one of the drinks from the full espresso bar. There are Aussie staples such as flat whites, plus L.A.-tailored items like the algae-packed smoothie bowl, naturally dyed bright blue via butterfly pea protein. Come evening, Great White also makes killer pizzas and offers a curated list of funky, small producer natural wines.

The former James Beach space is now Si! Mon, Venice’s most exciting restaurant to open in literal years. If the old venue—an iconic Westside queer space and locals’ watering hole—reflected the needs and wants of a bygone, more eclectic and affordable era in the beachside neighborhood, the new Central American restaurant exemplifies the type of place desired by the area’s new set of monied locals: Stylish, pricey and intended for those willing to casually drop $150 apiece on dinner and drinks. Luckily, head chef José Carles generally, but not always, justifies the expense with impeccably made raw dishes, yuca tostadas and other small-to-medium plates that distill the country’s Chinese, Spanish and Afro-Caribbean culinary influences into a delicious meal, the likes of which you can’t find anywhere else in Los Angeles.

Every Friday (1:30–7:30pm), this afternoon pop-up serves one of the best New York-style pizzas in Los Angeles. Based out of the Venice Church parking lot, the bare bones operation is run by the namesake Steve Petramale, who originally hails from upstate New York. The self-taught pizzaiolo (who’s also a local boxing gym owner) takes pride in his thin-crusted pies sporting high-quality toppings. While you can order the classics and the menu board lists plenty of specials, I particularly enjoyed the Margaroni, an off-menu hybrid between pepperoni and margherita. The pies might seem pricey (approximately $30 apiece), but each one is large enough to feed three or four people. After one bite of the crackly, thin dough, you’ll quickly realize why Angelenos from all over are flocking here. Just make sure to bring some cash—Petramale Pizza doesn’t accept cards—and call ahead to order if you’re in a rush. If you’re stuck waiting, though, the staff just might come out and hand you a free meatball.

Florence’s most famous sandwich shop has opened up on Abbot Kinney, and honestly, this is a rare case where the hype is justified. Filled with prosciutto, mortadella, pistachio cream and any other high-quality Italian import you can imagine, All’Antico Vinaio’s schiacciata creations puts most of L.A.’s imitation focaccia sandos to shame. The crusty, slightly oily Tuscan flatbread is the perfect canvas for everything from lardo and gorgonzola (the truffle honey-adorned Dolcezze d’Autunno) to the signature La Paradiso, which combines mortadella, stracciatella, pistachio cream and toasted pistachios into a must-try sandwich. Of course, the lines can get long on the weekends, but arrive early—All’Antico opens at 9am, and 10:30am is when they start serving sandos—or try your luck on a weekday to cut down on your wait time.

If you think the Venice boardwalk is a living nightmare, then you’ll be surprised that this dreamy locals’ gem exists just steps away from the main thoroughfare. With string lights above the sidewalk patio area, Dudley Market is like the Westside version of Virgil Village’s Melody or Cafe Triste in Chinatown: a stylish, low-key spot with natural wine, freshly shucked oysters and plenty of well-dressed patrons. Unlike those Silver Lake-adjacent and Chinatown wine bars, however, the day-to-day menu here focuses on sustainable seafood and bar bites, from delicious crudos to an excellent house burger. While we wouldn’t go out of our way to eat here, it’s a great option for locals looking for a nicer meal and visitors looking for a respite from overpriced tourist traps. Wednesday through Sunday mornings (8am–1pm), the space also hosts Hooked, an artisanal coffee pop-up serving one of the best cortados in the area, plus a secret menu of specialty drinks.

Venice’s most famous dive bar has been slinging burgers since 1962, and the chargrilled “world famous” cheeseburgers here are cooked to perfection. Served with your choice of American or Swiss cheese, plus a little bag of chips on the side, Hinano’s cheeseburger is the pinnacle of backyard-style burgers. The sesame seed bun is just the right amount of toasted, and it’s piled with all the usual suspects: lettuce, tomato, onion, mayo, mustard and relish. Whether scarfed down at the bar or eaten at one of the patio tables outside, it’s clear that Hinano’s cheeseburger is greater than the sum of its parts. You'll find other no-frills bites on the menu, plus cheap, frosty mugs of beer. Just note that the place is really a bar, with sawdusted floors, pool tables, jukebox and minimal seating. Expect colorful regulars, frequent live music and a couple TVs for game-watching.

This relaxed Venice steakhouse is where dry-aged cuts and well-executed sides come from Josiah Citrin, the chef behind two Michelin star Mélisse. Charcoal’s signature blackened cabbage is as good as ever; a few pastas, seafood and poultry dishes break up the meatfest for anyone who’s not into steak. During nightly “glass off” (daily 5:30–7pm), sit at the wraparound bar for an excellent $12 burger made with white American cheese and discounted cocktails. While Charcoal’s ambience might run more casual than other steakhouses around town, Citrin serves some of the best steaks in the city—especially when chased with the housemade spiced vinegar that graces every table.

Café Gratitude is always full of cheerful wait staff, diners with perfect postures and glowing skin and dishes named for affirmations so you’ll have to declare something like, “I Am Thriving,” to order the soup of the day. It’s true: When the server takes your order, they’ll most likely ask, “What are you grateful for today?” But don’t let that stop you—embrace it, because the beautifully composed plant-based food will have you coming back. If you’re feeling especially out of tune with the world and need a drink, look for the sangrias, elevated tonics or wine. There’s also a great happy hour on weekdays from 4 to 7pm with discounted snacks like warm almond burrata, grain bowls and smoothies. Omnivores would do well to try one of the creamy, decadent desserts: The tiramisu is some of the best in town, and there’s usually a completely raw sweets option on the menu.

Now in the care of native Angeleno chef Ray Garcia, this longtime all-day neighborhood eatery serves a true bruncher's brunch: a broad menu packed with exciting yet accessible eats like hearth-roasted challah French toast, house-baked pastries, one of the city's most addictive kale salads, handmade pasta, classic egg dishes, plus a full coffee and tea bar. This breezy California cuisine specialist has kept Venice fed since 1979, and the brunch, especially, keeps tables turning today—the expansive, sun-dappled restaurant is almost always packed during daylight hours, so make a reservation and plan ahead if you’d rather not chance having to wait. At dinner, Garcia serves a more Mediterranean-inspired seasonal menu full of wood-fired mains, including an exemplary half chicken with aji verde and a delightful housemade mussels escabeche. 

The third location of chef Kris Yenbamroong’s new-school Thai restaurant, Night + Market Sahm on Lincoln Boulevard offers occasional Venice-specific specials and a less hectic crowd compared to its siblings in West Hollywood and Silver Lake. Sahm’s interior skews funky and bright, bringing Night + Market’s now iconic bright pink and orange interior design into fuller focus in a larger space that formerly housed another Thai restaurant. The pastrami pad kee mao, hand-friendly larb gai and pork toro with a salty northeastern Thai chili dip are all must-orders.

Run by namesake chef Michael Fiorelli (most recently of Olivetta), this wood-fired outdoor pizza operation pops up inside the Cook’s Garden on Abbot Kinney four days a week (Thu–Sun 1–7pm). Together with business partner Liz Gutierrez, the founding chef of Manhattan Beach’s Love & Salt is serving Neapolitan-style pies with seasonal toppings. While we enjoyed the pizzas—particularly the fennel sausage topped with leafy greens—the reason to come is the charming setting: an urban farm with rabbits, chickens and lush passion fruit vines dangling overhead. Towards the back, well-appointed planter boxes grow tomatoes and other veggies for nearby restaurants like Scopa Italian Roots. Take a seat at the bright blue picnic tables and order a pizza alongside sides like tinned fish, fancy potato chips and chili garlic cucumbers for a relaxed, tasty afternoon meal.

In a neighborhood with plenty of Italian restaurants, Ospi stands out for two major reasons: its creative takes on Southern Italian cuisine and the hospitality team led by chef Jackson Kalb and his managing partner Melissa Saka (also of Jame Enoteca), who can make any meal at this upscale-casual eatery feel like white tablecloth fine dining. Although its toasts courtesy of Clark Street Bakery and thin crust pizzas may win over most carb lovers, Kalb’s excellent housemade rigatoni with vodka sauce and buttery chicken parm are what set its menu apart from the rest of the pack.

From the same team behind nearby all-day Australian eatery Great White, Gran Blanco serves amazing drinks, natural wines and a decent selection of Asian-inspired bar bites from a tiny, well-decorated space just under the iconic VENICE sign. While the izakaya-lite seasonal cuisine here won't knock your socks off if you've ever visited Japan, or even just Little Tokyo or the South Bay, the food menu makes for great drinking fare, from the chicken katsu curry to the toro caviar seaweed bites. The crispy rice sticks nod to Korean tteokbokki while the “tremendous” cheeseburger-stuffed spring rolls take a page from Chinese American cuisine—just the kind of meat and carbs you'll need to wash down all those impeccably crafted cocktails.

Since 2018, this bright, airy strip mall eatery along Lincoln Boulevard has delighted Marina del Rey and Venice residents with a rich, dark brown pho with strong notes of anise, cloves and cardamom. Simmered for 72 hours (versus just 12 to 16 at other spots), Camp Pho’s namesake soup showcases the deeper, funkier but no less delicious side of Vietnam’s national dish. On the appetizer side, the restaurant offers well-executed creative takes on Vietnamese classics, from a delightful shrimp toast riff on goi cuon to a baby-back rib version of ram rang, or traditional caramelized short ribs. A handful of vegan-friendly items, including two kinds of plant-based pho, help round out the menu selection—and the all-around delicious offerings mean Camp Pho easily ranks as one of the best Vietnamese options on the Westside.

With a dreamy bougainvillaea-lined patio and quirky pink flamingo accents, this all-day restaurant serves a crowd-pleasing mix of Italian, Mediterranean and California cuisine. Newly appointed executive chef Jason Neroni (previously of the Rose and now-closed Best Bet) has brought his penchant for seasonal produce, zingy pastas and wood-fired pizzas to the kitchen. Other dinner highlights include a surprisingly delicious trio of dips served with grilled laffa bread and the Aperol-laced strawberry “reverse” tiramisu. A breezier breakfast and lunch menu appeals to the brunch-happy locals’ crowd, but the sultry ambience after dark and array of seating options make a visit to Paloma worthwhile for a large group dinner or upscale dinner in Venice.