Gjusta

"Of course Gjusta makes good bagels—this new Venice classic handles baked goods like Mookie Betts handles hanging curveballs. They’re blistered and golden on the outside, and dense and tender on the inside, with a strong malty smell that brings to mind freshly brewed beer. In other words, by all those standards we talked about at the beginning of this guide, they’re basically perfect. The bagel topped with salmon roe and garlic labneh on the menu is great, but honestly, we also love them old-school and simple, with nothing but a bit of their locally made cream cheese." - sylvio martins, arden shore, garrett snyder, cathy park

"Gjusta does so many deli staples well, it would be easy to overlook their rotisserie chicken. But that’d be a mistake. Is $48 a jaw-dropping price for a whole chicken? Is said chicken really, really, good? Yes to both. An order comes with a simple green salad, potatoes cooked in chicken fat, some bread, and three sauces (tzatziki, harissa, chimichurri), which makes it an easy meal for two. You’ll pick a flavor—chili rub or herb rub—but there’s no wrong choice, both are bold but balanced." - brant cox

"It seems that Gjusta can do no wrong, with just about everything Venetians (of Venice, California) want coming out of the kitchen — cured fish plates served with slabs of its folkloric, fresh-baked bread; heaping salads; sandwiches (try the brisket banh mi or pastrami); comforting soups and stews; flatbread pizzas; and more. And now that the restaurant and bakery has graduated from the old days of milk crates with actual patio seating, there is always a reason to stop in for breakfast, lunch, or dinner." - Matthew Kang, Nicole Adlman

"If you leave Gjusta without bread and/or baked goods, you’re not to be trusted. In addition to a full food menu, this Venice establishment offers a huge variety of bialys, bagels, sourdough loaves, and baguettes. Their baguettes are hard to beat, but focus on the pumpernickel and olive loaves if they're in stock. Even the butter you spread on top will be in awe of their herby notes and spongy texture. Meanwhile, it’s impossible to go past the pastry case and not consider at least five things. The ham and gruyere croissants are the best we’ve had outside of France, and even those who believe vegetables have no business in cakes will approve of the carrot cake. " - brant cox, sylvio martins, arden shore

"This iconic beachside deli is everything your parents picture when they think of LA: breezy Venice location, lines of beautiful, sun-kissed Midwesterners, and an entire part of the menu dedicated to “lettuces.” But, the food is also really f*cking good. Grab a spot on their expanded patio and enjoy tomato and burrata sandwiches, open-face bagels littered with an entire farmers market’s worth of produce, or the tuna conserva - a slick, oily sandwich packed with roasted peppers, olive tapenade, and crunchy sprouts that will make you question if you’ve ever really eaten sprouts before." - kat hong