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Can’t-miss trendy dining and ocean views
Last Updated: August 01, 2026
From stylish restaurants along Abbot Kinney Boulevard to casual oceanfront cafés, the best restaurants in Venice showcase bold flavors and artistic energy in 2026. Venice Beach is a culinary gem where creativity meets the ocean breeze, making it a prime destination for food lovers. Its eclectic dining scene blends casual beachside eateries with upscale, innovative restaurants, offering everything from fresh seafood caught that morning to globally inspired fusion dishes. Local chefs emphasize farm-to-table ingredients and artisanal preparation, ensuring that each meal is both flavorful and visually stunning. The vibrant atmosphere—street performers, colorful murals, and ocean views—adds an unforgettable sensory backdrop to every dining experience, making Venice Beach not just a place to eat, but a place to savor the full culture of Southern California cuisine. Beyond the neighborhood's beloved trattorias and cafés, Venice is also home to a growing roster of beachfront lounges, rooftop bars with sweeping Pacific views, and celebrity-favorite tables where a low-key dinner and A-list people-watching go hand in hand.
Gran Blanco brings together the best of coastal California cuisine and vibrant Spanish flavor in a setting that couldn’t be more quintessentially Venice—just beneath the iconic Venice Sign and steps from the beach. The menu celebrates fresh, seasonal ingredients delivering dishes that feel both refined and effortlessly relaxed. Whether you’re settling in for a flavorful dinner, sipping cocktails at the lively bar, or gathering with friends for a night out, the atmosphere strikes a perfect balance between energetic and inviting. With live jazz every Wednesday adding warmth and rhythm to the space, Gran Blanco offers not just a meal, but a vibrant community experience in the heart of Venice.
Gran Blanco, 80 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291
The Waterfront Venice sits right on the iconic Venice Beach Boardwalk and perfectly captures the laid‑back, sun‑soaked spirit of the coast with a lively blend of casual Californian and coastal fare. Patrons love its vibrant atmosphere — complete with ocean views, outdoor seating, beachy music, and energetic weekend vibes — making it a great spot for brunch, lunch, or sunset drinks after a day on the sand. The menu features crowd‑pleasing dishes like tacos, burgers, fresh seafood tacos, and creative brunch items, along with refreshing cocktails and cold brews that pair beautifully with the salty Pacific breeze. Friendly service, pet‑ and kid‑friendly spaces, and a welcoming beer‑garden feel keep locals and visitors returning, even if it’s occasionally busy thanks to its prime location and buzzy energy.
The Waterfront Venice, 205 Ocean Front Walk, Venice, CA 90291
Felix Trattoria, located on the vibrant Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, is a culinary gem that pays homage to the rich traditions of regional Italian cuisine. Drawing inspiration from the roots of Italian culinary heritage and incorporating the finest ingredients sourced from California's renowned family farms, Felix offers a truly authentic and exceptional dining experience. Helmed by chef Evan Funke and Janet Zuccarini, the restaurant showcases the artistry of handmade pasta, showcasing Chef Funke's mastery and passion for the craft. As the newest addition to the esteemed Gusto 54 Restaurant Group, Felix Trattoria stands as a culinary laboratory where the flavors of Italy are brought to life in every dish, making it a must-visit destination for food enthusiasts and Italian cuisine aficionados alike.
Felix Trattoria, 1023 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Gjelina emerged on Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard in 2008, swiftly establishing itself as a beloved culinary cornerstone by offering locally-sourced, produce-forward cuisine that resonated deeply with the community. Since its inception, Gjelina has been more than just a restaurant; it's been a hub for connection, sustainability, and gastronomic innovation. As part of our broader family of restaurants, our commitment to sourcing the freshest ingredients is unwavering, guided by ongoing dialogues and enduring partnerships with farmers, local ranchers, fishermen, and co-ops. This dedication not only ensures the highest quality of dishes but also fosters a sense of interconnectedness with the land and the people who cultivate it, embodying our ethos of community and conscientious dining.
Gjelina, 1429 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
A longtime Abbot Kinney fixture from James Beard-finalist chef Casey Lane, The Tasting Kitchen built its reputation on an unwritten, family-style tasting menu that changes with the seasons but leans Mediterranean, with recurring favorites like tagliarini with shrimp and serrano and whole roasted branzino. After a fire forced a lengthy closure, the restaurant has returned with a rebuilt dining room and the same candlelit, glass-walled space that made it a Venice date-night staple, complete with a humming bar pouring off-menu cocktails. Given the recent reopening, it's worth calling ahead or checking current hours before a visit.
The Tasting Kitchen, 1633 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
Chef Antonia Lofaso, a "Top Chef" alum, has kept Scopa Italian Roots one of the hardest reservations in Venice for over a decade, serving disciplined Italian-American cooking rooted in her family's Naples and Calabria heritage. The rice ball is the restaurant's signature order, backed by daily handmade pasta, a whole branzino, and a wraparound bar on Washington Boulevard that draws its own crowd separate from the dining room. The high-ceilinged, exposed-brick space picked up a 2026 Wine Spectator Award of Excellence, and reservations are worth booking well ahead for weekend dinners.
Scopa Italian Roots, 2905 Washington Blvd, Venice, CA 90292
Perched on the rooftop of Hotel Erwin directly above the boardwalk, Kassi Venice Beach is the neighborhood's only true rooftop restaurant and, thanks to sweeping, unobstructed Pacific views, one of the most photographed sunset tables in Venice. The Wish You Were Here Group brought a touch of Greek island ease to the space, with sand-toned lounge seating, oversized umbrellas, and a shareable menu of coastal Mediterranean bites paired with vibrant cocktails and slushies. It draws a glossy mix of tourists, locals, and visiting celebrities alike, and reservations for the golden-hour seating are the hardest to land, so plan ahead if sunset views are the goal.
Kassi Venice Beach, 1697 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Set inside the lush, tropical-landscaped space once home to the beloved James' Beach, Si! Mon reimagines a piece of Venice's most storied beachfront real estate as a sleek showcase for the Panamanian-inspired cooking of chef José Olmedo Carles Rojas. Just steps from the sand, the seafood-driven menu leans on striking raw preparations, patacones, and a Sunday-only wagyu burger that's earned citywide acclaim, all served in a romantic, plant-filled dining room that regularly lands on "best of LA" lists. It's an intimate, upscale choice for a celebratory dinner without straying far from the ocean breeze.
Si! Mon, 60 N Venice Blvd, Venice, CA 90291
A newer arrival on Pacific Avenue near the boardwalk, Venice Steakhouse brings a genuine fine-dining steakhouse experience to the beachfront, led by chef Sydney C. Hunter III, whose résumé includes L'Orangerie, Bastide, and a celebrated run helping build the James Beard-nominated Petit Trois. The menu is built around domestically sourced, dry-aged beef, headlined by a tableside 40-ounce dry-aged porterhouse and the signature "Venice Steak," alongside an extensive wine list and polished service that feels a world apart from Venice's usual casual fare. It's quickly become the neighborhood's go-to for milestone dinners and special occasions just steps from the sand.
Venice Steakhouse, 1715 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291
From "Top Chef" alum Jackson Kalb, Ospi is an elevated take on a classic red-sauce Italian joint, dishing out razor-thin pizzas, vodka sauce-drenched pastas, and a whole crispy-scaled branzino just a couple of blocks from the beach. The wraparound front patio and lively, cashless dining room have made it one of Venice's buzziest reservations, drawing a stylish crowd for lunch, weekend brunch, and dinner alike, and its house-made pasta program regularly earns shout-outs from local food press. Book ahead, especially on weekends, when the wait for walk-ins can stretch well past an hour.
Ospi Venice, 2025 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Tucked beneath the famous Venice sign and a stone's throw from the Pacific, Belles Beach House transports guests to the islands with a resort-like, "White Lotus"-inspired setting of chaise lounges, tropical greenery, and a sprawling covered patio bar. The Hawaiian izakaya-style menu blends Japanese influence with tiki-bar flair, paired with a lengthy list of craft cocktails, making it equally suited to a laid-back beach-day lunch or a late-night DJ-fueled scene on the weekends. Its prime beachfront location and vacation-mode energy have made it a magnet for both locals and visiting names from the entertainment world.
Belles Beach House, 24 Windward Ave, Venice, CA 90291
Great White brought Australian café culture to Venice and never looked back, growing from a 900-square-foot passion project into an award-winning neighborhood institution directly across from the Venice sign and just steps from the sand. By day it's the go-to for expertly pulled flat whites, algae-flecked smoothie bowls, and a beloved tater-tot breakfast burrito; by evening the wood-fired pizzas and natural wine list keep the light-filled, plant-lined dining room and sidewalk patio full of locals, surfers fresh off the water, and their dogs. It's an easy, unpretentious stop for a beachfront meal any time of day.
Great White, 1604 Pacific Ave, Venice, CA 90291