Plan the Perfect Day in Venice, California

Venice, California is a Westside enclave of 40,000 people known for its boardwalk, beaches, and bliss! In fact, Reservations.com just ranked it as the top New Age City in the country. Here’s how you can plan the perfect day in Venice, California for yourself, complete with meals and entertainment!

Breakfast

The Butcher’s Daughter

Start your day the plant-based way at The Butcher’s Daughter. The restaurant serves up feel-food good like The Best Egg Sandwich with baby kale and Harisa mayo on a toasted croissant ($15) and a plethora of Smoothies, Elixers, and on-the-go Juicing.

The restaurant offers all-day-dining and with a space like this you’ll never want to leave.

Lunch

Venice is best enjoyed during the daytime, so many of the best spots for lunch can also be enjoyed in the wee hours of the morning.

Gjusta

The sheer magnitude of things to peruse at Gjusta will help “gjust-i-fy” the wait. Much like The Butcher’s Daughter, you can get lost in the bakery/shop space and by the end find yourself with a tray of unpronounceable dishes along with the Baklava Croissant ($4) and Porchetta Sandwich you really came in for.

The Rose Cafe

This classic cafe has been around since the ’70s and I’m sure almost every Angeleno that has lived here for at least a decade can share a story that happened at The Rose (I had my first meeting with a pseudo-famous screenwriter here about a project:)).

Chef Jason Neroni has ushered the restaurant into a new millennium since 2014 with an all-day cafe and a restaurant for late-night dining and brunch. Must-haves during lunch include the Korean Fried Chicken Sandwich and the chef’s signature Bucatini Carbonara.

The Window at American Beauty

American Beauty is a night-time restaurant known for its prime cuts of meats and super cocktails, but during the day it’s the window that really shines.

The Win-Dow at American Beauty serves up a Cheeseburger for under $4 ($3.95) and an aptly named Beauty Burger if you don’t eat meat ($7.95). There’s also Fried Chicken Sammies, Kale Salads, and of course French Fries ($3.75). Personally I love a good restaurant whose menu fits on the back of your napkin.

Dinner

Felix

Felix Trattoria by Chef Evan Funke offers some of the most elusive pasta from Italy, crafted with the freshest ingredients from California. To get the best of the restaurant, order a Pizza Margherita to start and pasta from your favorite region of Italy. The Tonnarelli Cacio e Pepe, from Central Italy, is a great way to start your tour of the boot.

Gjelina

If you loved Gjusta for lunch then make Chef Travis Lett’s Gjelina your spot for dinner. Specializing in pizza, pasta, and a slew of vegetable dishes; you’ll find yourself craving only fire-roasted rarity’s like Coal Roasted Conehead Cabbage ($12) and Wild Nettle Pizza with Duck Prosciutto ($22) long after your visit in Venice is over.

Happy Hour

Charcoal Venice

Charcoal Venice from Josiah Citrin is based in barbecue and steeped in surfer culture. Their Happy Hour is actually called Evening Glass Off which is a reference to the dying offshore wind. Taking place every night from 5:30 to 7 p.m. you can get great skewers for $4, burgers for $9, and all cocktails are less than $10!

Culture

A perfect day in Venice wouldn’t be complete without a dose of culture.

Start your day visiting the neighborhood Venice Canals which were laid out in 1905 by the developer Abbot Kinney. A superior art and shopping street in the area is also named after him: Abbot Kinney Boulevard.

Next head down to the Boardwalk along the beach for some people watching and knick-knack shopping. While you’re there be sure to make a stop at “Muscle Beach” which is at the south end of the Venice Beach Recreation Center and offers a gym right on the sand to “pump you up”. Naturally, after your workout, you’ll probably want to head straight to Venice Beach which is 3 miles of FREE fun!

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