Gran Blanco

"In the most rom-com moment of all time, after finding you on the brink of tears in the garage, your hot neighbor not only fixed your tires, but also asked you on date (we were going to say “But also fixed your heart,” but we couldn’t type that out without gagging). So be chill, and return the favor by taking them to Gran Blanco. This Westside bar/restaurant, located next to the Venice sign, is luckily nowhere near as cheesy as it may sound. Instead, the interior is bright and airy, and they serve delicious - and strong - cocktails, like the “Celery Southside,” which is made with gin. Plus, they’ve got one of the best burgers in LA. If that doesn’t say, “Thank you for saving me and also, maybe we should kiss a little,” we don’t know what does." - jess basser sanders, brant cox, kat hong, brett keating

"Gran Blanco, a Venice cocktail lounge from the team behind Great White, went through a full revamp taking inspiration from izakayas. The new menu features a toro caviar crisp, tonkatsu Brussels sprouts, and chicken katsu curry. For cocktails, both the lychee and espresso martinis are worth a sip, along with the passionfruit sour." - Rebecca Roland, Mona Holmes, Eater Staff

"If you speak a little Spanish you might piece together that this bar is run by the same people as Great White, except the theme here is less Aussie and more Acapulco. Located off the boardwalk, Gran Blanco looks like a Tulum beach bar with its all-white interior and disco ball. Reservations are strongly encouraged for dinner, but walk-ins at the bar are welcome if you don’t mind drinking on your feet until someone gets up. Order the Nomalizo, a jalapeño-watermelon-mezcal concoction, or the excellent espresso martini made with reposado tequila. Also: the food here is quite good and available at the bar." - sylvio martins

"Gran Blanco is among Venice’s best natural wine bars, a cozy and dimly lit dinner and drinks hang out right under the iconic Venice sign and steps from the beach. Hip kids mix with surfers, tourists, and everyone else inside the whitewashed evening space, open Wednesday through Sunday." - Eater Staff

"It’s hard enough to find a restaurant by the boardwalk with decent food, let alone one with good food and a crowd you actually want to hang out with. But Gran Blanco has both. It’s from the same owners as Great White across the street, which used to be a solid option for a breakfast burrito and flat white before it got mobbed by the daily brunch set. Gran Blanco takes the same low-key, Aussie beach energy and blends it with (overdone) Tulum-esque decor to create a fun bar with good drinks across the board. The Celery Southside is a lovely cocktail, but the real reason to gather here is the bar food, including a juicy smashburger and whipped feta topped with crispy, charred eggplant, and chili crunch. " - Brant Cox, Sylvio Martins, Nikko Duren