companion

"This breezy day-to-night restaurant goes from a relaxed cafe in the morning and afternoon, when remote workers and locals dip in for hot or cold espresso drinks, pastries, and sandwiches, to a dimly lit, vibey dinner joint in the evenings. Note that the dinner menu is pretty short — but it has all the right things (think chicken Parmesan, big green salads, garlicky clam pizza, and steak au poivre). Pizzas can be ordered for pickup on the website; the space is small, so be sure to book a reservation on Resy if you plan to go in." - Matthew Kang, Nicole Adlman

"Once upon a time, Lincoln Boulevard in Venice was two straight miles of body shops. Now there’s fiery Thai food, famous fried chicken, and single-origin cafes. It was only a matter of time before a cutesy, all-day wine bar entered the mix. During the day, Companion is more of a coffee shop, with bring-your-laptop-and-pretend-to-work energy we appreciate. At night, the cheery, wood-raftered dining room fills with millennial friend dates drinking orange wine, eating decent thin-crust pizza, and saying things like, “We should really do this more often!” The Cal-Italian food is solid, if fairly predictable, with standouts like a little gem caesar with focaccia croutons and a thick chicken parmesan and mashed potatoes.. Companion would be an ideal place for a quick glass of wine and pasta at the bar, except for one catch—there’s no physical bar. Almost every table is a two-top and you’ll likely be asked if you have a reservation. Plan accordingly. Food Rundown photo credit: Brant Cox Focaccia This isn’t the best focaccia you’ll eat in LA, but it’s got a nice crackly crunch and spongy interior. If you show up to Companion hungry, get this on the table ASAP. photo credit: Brant Cox Big Caesar Do you know what we love about this caesar? Everything. It’s enough salad to share among three adults (or turn into a solo entree), the croutons are made from the same focaccia as above, and the fluffy, shredded parmesan decadently coats every leaf. photo credit: Brant Cox The Klaus Companion’s pizza is thin. Like, flimsy paper plate at a child's birthday thin. And while we somewhat appreciate that you can eat a few slices and still have room for other dishes, we recommend skipping the pizza entirely. Even with onions and spicy italian sausage on top, the only thing you taste is charred, stiff crust. photo credit: Brant Cox Chicken Parmesan There’s nothing fancy about this chicken parmesan, and that’s why we like it. It’s a half-inch thick cutlet, perfectly breaded, and topped with a liberal layer of marinara and gooey mozzarella. That is indeed mashed potatoes you see underneath, and yes, we took a big nap afterwards. photo credit: Brant Cox Rigatoni Bolognese Though the rigatoni is cooked nicely al dente, this dish misses because of the bolognese. The pork and beef mixture is mushy and in desperate need of some salt and acid. photo credit: Brant Cox Ice Cream Companion switches up their ice cream almost weekly, but be prepared to order some regardless of flavor. The texture is gelato-like smooth and the petit one-scoop cup is the perfect amount to end the night." - Brant Cox

"It was only a matter of time before a cutesy, all-day wine bar entered the mix along Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. During the day, Companion is more of a coffee shop, with a bring-your-laptop-and-pretend-to-work energy we appreciate. At night, the cheery, wood-raftered dining room fills with millennial friend dates drinking orange wine, eating decent thin-crust pizza, and saying things like, “We should really do this more often!” The Cal-Italian food is solid, if fairly predictable, with standouts like a caesar made entirely of romano beans and a nicely al dente rigatoni bolognese. Companion’s an ideal place for a quick glass of wine and pasta at the bar, except for one catch—there’s no physical bar. Almost every table is a two-top and you’ll likely be asked if you have a reservation. Plan accordingly." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins

"The people behind Gnarwhal Coffee, the Santa Monica cafe with a cute smiley whale as its logo, have expanded with an all-day cafe in Venice. Companion offers more than coffee and pastries though, including chicken parm sandwiches, creative drinks like cereal milk matcha lattes, and an Italian dinner menu from a Quarter Sheets vet. At night, expect wine by the bottle or glass, fresh pasta, and pizzas that are a hybrid of Neapolitan and NY-style." - sylvio martins

"When opening Companion, husband-and-wife team Nick and Dakota Monica wanted somewhere that felt like they were hosting friends in their living room. That dream of a laid-back vibe and warm hospitality evolved in their new all-day cafe and restaurant right around Lincoln Boulevard in Venice. During the daytime, Companion serves coffee and pastries, plus sandwiches filled with porchetta and bolognese from chef Jack Goode ( Quarter Sheets, Bab’s, Jac’s on Bond). At night, the restaurant flips into a wine bar serving a Caesar salad that swaps lettuce for Romano beans, a panzanella salad, rigatoni Bolognese, and a wagyu New York Strip. Stick around for dessert to indulge in homemade ice cream topped with a double ristretto shot. — Rebecca Roland, associate editor" - Eater Staff