VENICE BEACH FOOD TOUR
3 hours 4 courses ~1.5 miles$99+ per person (ticketing fee included)
Los Angeles’ famous Venice neighborhood is most well-known for its artistic and bohemian counterculture vibe and in the past few years has seen an explosion of innovative and creative restaurants. Begin your Venice Beach food tour on the beach and head to up-and-coming Rose Avenue restaurants all while hearing the stories of chefs and restaurant owners and their ties to the community. Our progressive meal concludes with mouthwatering desserts on Abbot Kinney Boulevard. This is the locals Venice!
or view our calendar to see when tours are offered
How it Works
Your Progressive Culinary Experience
Our 4-course progressive meal visits 4 restaurants – two appetizers, one entree, and one dessert, with a sprinkling of culinary history and stories in between.
Our Venice Beach Food Tour focuses on quality over quantity. Like a great sushi meal, our goal is to have you sample the highest quality ingredients – small dishes with huge flavor. We strive to shift your perspective of a donut through its story of the person who made it and even a unique glaze. And no, we don’t serve your average donut!
POSSIBLE TASTINGS* (EACH TOUR INCLUDES 4 TASTINGS!)
Decadent Lobster Roll with black truffles at seaside seafood house considered one of LA’s best under-the-radar restaurants
Healthy and tasty “I am elated” mole enchilada at classic vegan restaurant
Eat a slice of seasonal flatbread at Gjelina’s most popular sister restaurant from local Venice resident chef Travis Lett
Go behind-the-scenes in a donut-making kitchen to see a demo and learn about Los Angeles’ donut obsession, while tasting their LA exclusive flavor, the blueberry bourbon basil donut hot and freshly made from the fryer – the best donut you’ll have!
Taste Chef Jason Neroni’s seafood ceviche at iconic surfer and skateboard hangout and now trendy Venice hotspot featuring skateboarder Craig Stecyk’s artwork
Invented-in-LA dish Tuna Tartare at iconic Japanese fusion restaurant
Sample a divine zucchini lasagna at Matthew Kenny’s Vegan restaurant – an homage to the healthy eating of the neighborhood in a hidden relaxing back garden
A Taste of the Rainbow with a scoop of lucky charms ice cream at innovative ice cream maker. Skip the inevitable line with Avital Tours!
Have your heart set on a particular tasting?
Call us at (213) 394-0901 to find out which restaurants will be featured.
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2 DRINK ALCOHOL PAIRING UPGRADE
[$18 PER PERSON]
Our alcohol pairings are curated as carefully as our menu. Each pairing is a tasting size and are frontloaded at the first two stops so you’ll be able to drive home after your tour.
A refreshing taste of sparkling prosecco paired with tuna tartare
A glass of rose paired with a lobster roll
Seasonal refreshing sangria paired with mole enchilada
Sommelier’s choice glass of wine paired with seasonal seafood ceviche
A high acid glass of biodynamic white wine, a taste of Gruner Veltliner with zucchini lasagne
Just the facts
- Hear the stories of chefs, restaurant owners and industry experts
- Tours Available:
- Fridays: 11am-2pm
- Sundays: 3pm-6pm
- Alcohol pairing upgrade for guests 21+: $16 per person for 2 tasting drinks
- Parking: There are a few parking lots in the neighborhood as well as street parking. We also recommend taking the metro (i.e. the Expo line from DTLA to Santa Monica to avoid parking and traffic). Please let us know how we can help your transportation experience.
- Advance Tickets are required
- Flat route, approximately 1 1/2 miles
- Begins on the beach and heads up Rose Avenue to Abbot Kinney Blvd.
- This is a social dining experience. We feel the best dining experiences are the ones in which we’re seated around tables sharing food and stories with others. Therefore, we have a 4-person minimum and a 12-person maximum. If the minimum number of guests is not reached, we will contact you to reschedule onto another time or date, or offer a refund.
- Don’t see the date or time you want? Want to upgrade to a private tour? Email lagroups@avitaltours.com.
- Gratuities not included – please consider tipping your guide
DIETARY RESTRICTIONS
One of our core values at Avital is Breathe Curiosity. We enjoy introducing you to new foods and old favorites in new ways. We very much encourage guests to be adventurous and try something new – we’ve even had an 80-year old man try his first oyster with us! Thus, while we love the diverse ways our guests choose to eat, we can accommodate the following restrictions.
- Vegetarian
- Pescatarian
- Gluten-free
- Pregnant Guests
- No Pork
- No Seafood
You will be asked for your dietary restrictions during your booking process. If you are unsure if we can accommodate your restriction, please email us at info@avitaltours.com. Please note that this tour may include nuts, dairy, seafood, spicy food and pork.
Why Avital Tours?
Wondering what makes the Avital Los Angeles Venice Beach Food Tour different from all other tours? Check out our About Us page for the answer!
We live and breathe by our Core Values:
- Breathe Curiosity
- Create Community
- Embrace Quirky
- Seize Ownership
- Build AWESOME Experiences
What's our Value?
- Our fun and knowledgeable guides
- Curation of the experience, relationships with high quality restaurants, and dish choice. We eat all of the bad food so you don’t have too – sigh, hard job
- Stories of the restaurant owners, chefs and neighborhood
- Facilitating interactions with the community
- Seamless logistics (tables are reserved, guests are seated and food arrives quickly)
Frequently Asked Questions
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Do I have to purchase tickets in advance?
Yes, advance ticket purchase is required. Tours typically sell out quickly. To maximize your chances of getting the date, time, and number of tickets you prefer, please book well in advance. We recommend 2 weeks notice.
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Do I have to purchase the alcohol pairing in advance?
Our curated alcohol pairing is meant to add another layer and perspective to your culinary experience. Even if you are not drinking on the tour, you will still learn about the pairings, how to pair alcohol and food, and awesome ingredients in the cocktails.
The alcohol pairing is two small tasting sized drinks – we do not want our guests to get drunk or buzzed, so we keep them appropriately sized.
If you purchased your tickets but didn’t add the alcohol pairing, you can email us at info@avitaltours.com to upgrade before the tour or tell your guide at the beginning of the progressive meal that you would like to add it. Your guide can process your credit card for the upgrade while on the tour.
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Can I get a refund or reschedule my ticket?
All tickets are nonrefundable. Consider it like buying a concert ticket – that seat is reserved for you. As a small business with only 12 tickets per tour, its important that you purchase tickets when you’re sure you can go. If you can’t make it to the tour you purchased, the tickets are transferrable. Post the tickets on Facebook or Craigslist or ask a friend or colleague if they want to purchase your tickets.
Tours can be rescheduled with 2 weeks advance notice for parties of 4 or less by emailing info@avitaltours.com. Please arrive on time as tours depart promptly.
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Is gratuity included?
Los Angeles is an expensive place to eat and drink, so our tour guides appreciate recognition for a job well done, so they can fuel their foodie habits. 15%-20% is customary in the tourism industry. That’s about $15 per person.
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Is this tour appropriate for children?
The tour content is not geared toward children, though many older children may definitely enjoy trying new foods and learning about them! Our progressive meals do allow for children, though the experience requires a good attention span and walking, so the tour may be appropriate for older children. You know your children best and if they’re foodies, curious and excited about learning, they are welcome. Babies are allowed if you are mindful of other guests and pull the baby away if they are disruptive to the experience. If you are bringing a stroller, please give us a heads up by leaving a note in the comments section of the booking process.
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How long does the tour last?
Our Tours are 3 hours. Occasionally, tours will end 15 minutes early or late, depending on the group size. We do try to end exactly on time, but we don’t recommend making plans right after our tours. Give yourself some buffer time to get to your next activity.
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Are there any opportunities to sit?
Yes, unlike cheaper food tour companies, there is ample time to sit and eat at each restaurant since tables are reserved for us throughout. However, please be prepared to be on your feet since we get to each restaurant via walking.
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Does the tour end at the same place where we began?
The tours end within a few blocks of the starting point at our dessert course. Your culinary guide will be happy to assist with directions at the end of the tour or walk you to the start location.
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Is there parking nearby?
Yes, there are paid parking lots convenient to all our tours. Your confirmation email will include some suggestions.
