Where To Eat On Abbot Kinney Boulevard

Abbot Kinney Boulevard is one of the rare tourist traps that locals actually use. Sure, the dingy smoke shops and mom-and-pop stores have been replaced by wandering “foodies” from Finland and Boohoo influencers chugging matcha lattes. But if you’re looking for things to do and eat in Venice, chances are you’ll still end up on this famous street (or infamous, depending on your tolerance for floppy sun hats and Snapchat vlogs of the sunset). Here's where you should be eating on Abbot Kinney.

THE SPOTS

Fiorelli Pizza

The world would be happier if every backyard garden had a pizza stand. Just look at Fiorelli Pizza, an outdoor pop-up from the chef behind Love & Salt that’s open Thursday through Sunday (weather permitting) inside The Cook’s Garden—a working urban farm on Abbot Kinney in Venice. The menu and operation are stripped-down, but the surroundings are lush. The main attraction is excellent wood-fired pizza with puffy, leopard-spotted crust—especially the fennel sausage pie topped with fava greens plucked straight from the planter. Enjoy them at a picnic table while you stare lovingly at a bunny between bites.

Atla

Major restaurant openings are sparse on Abbot Kinney, which is why Atla’s arrival feels like a big deal. This NYC import is from the Damian and Pujol team, but the Mexican food and the breezy dining experience skew much more casual here. With an all-day menu, a zen baby-blue space, and people in loose-fit jeans ordering tequila cocktails at lunch, Atla makes complete sense for the neighborhood. Expect well-executed staples like stringy quesadillas on soft blue tortillas, adobo-marinated fish, and potato flautas that shatter when you cut into them.

Felix

A Saturday night reservation at Felix used to be the second hardest thing to find in Los Angeles (second to maybe a dog without an Instagram). That may not be the case anymore, but Felix is just as good as ever. It's essentially a pasta church (from the same chef as Mother Wolf and Funke ) where you can watch your orecchiette being handmade in a climate-controlled room in the middle of the restaurant. Get the rigatoni all’amatriciana and the pesto trofie, and as many orders of the sfincione as you deem acceptable. For us, that’s two.

Gjelina

If you’ve managed to avoid hearing about Gjelina until now, it’s possible you’re an alien in a host body and please enjoy your time here on Earth. Gjelina is the original big-time Venice restaurant and an Abbot Kinney staple. It’s the perfect example of whatever California Italian cuisine means (i.e., incredible grilled vegetables with a side of pasta). Think blistered zucchini in a creamy turmeric sauce and Japanese sweet potato that gets an edge from jalapeño yogurt. We usually load up on vegetables and throw in Gjelina’s excellent lamb sausage pie and the bottarga-dusted saffron spaghetti.

South End

This a friendly reminder that Abbot Kinney doesn’t end at Venice Blvd. In fact, one of its best restaurants is located in a strip mall on the corner of Washington. Rather than attracting brimmed-hat tourists throwing up peace signs, South End is for locals who want excellent pizza and a generous pour of syrah. This small, busy pizzeria serves Neaoptilian-style pies with slightly thick crusts (think something on the lines of Pizzeria Mozza ) and familiar toppings. We usually get the “Boardwalk” with crushed tomatoes, speck, and a runny egg in the center.

The Butcher's Daughter

The Butcher’s Daughter might be from NYC, but it leans into every Venice cliché. There are wellness lattes, regulars who can’t shut up about their gut microbiome, and enough indoor plants for the space to qualify as a greenhouse. But even with all of these annoying elements, the restaurant manages to serve great vegetarian American food like mushroom calamari, egg sandwiches punched up by harissa mayo, and a surprisingly interesting avocado toast topped with mustard seed and turmeric-pickled shallots.

Abbot's Pizza Company

Compared to how much this street has changed in the past decade, Abbot’s functions like an ancient relic. For over 25 years, this neon-lit slice shop has been supplying skaters and hangry start-up employees with a quick pizza fix. No, this will not be the best slice of your life. But it’ll be tasty, filling, and just what you need to carry on with your day of shopping. We like the "Bianco" with big dollops of ricotta, but if the “Popeye’s Chicken Pizza” is hot and ready when you walk in, grab as many pieces as you can.