The Venice Whaler — Restaurant in Los Angeles

Venice Whaler is the perfect spot to grab drinks and food after catching the sunset from the Venice boardwalk. It’s got that classic beachside bar feel, but with great food, strong drinks, and a vibe that can match whatever kind of night you’re looking for.

I started with the coconut shrimp appetizer, and honestly, that alone was more than enough for a meal. The portion was huge, and the shrimp were crispy, flavorful, and paired with a great dipping sauce. I went in thinking I’d follow it up with an entrée, but by the time I finished, I was completely satisfied.

Now, let’s talk about the Whaler Margarita—this drink does not mess around. By the time I finished my first, I was already feeling it, but it was so good I couldn’t stop at just one. I ended up having three total before heading out (don’t worry, I took a Waymo back to my room), and they were consistently delicious, well-balanced, and exactly what you want from a beachside bar margarita.

Service was also a highlight. My waitress, Veronica, was beyond sweet—seriously, the kind of service that makes you want to come back just for the experience. Attentive, friendly, and made sure everything was perfect.

The upstairs bar was packed and way rowdier than I was in the mood for. But the downstairs patio was absolutely perfect. Even though it was a chilly night, the outdoor heaters were placed just right, keeping things warm while still letting you soak in the fresh ocean air. From my seat, I had a great view of the water and could still people-watch as folks strolled by on the street out front.

Overall, Venice Whaler delivered exactly what I was looking for—great food, strong drinks, and a laid-back but lively beachside vibe. I’ll...

I came into the Venice Whaler last night around 9pm, which I frequent this location pretty often. I can say that everything is usually good when I come but idk what happened last night. When I arrived to the front, I got my ID checked then the guy who checked my ID randomly asked me as I was walking in did I have alcohol in my designer bag on my back. I wear my bag often and have never been asked did I have alcohol in it before I felt it was kind of offensive and he would had never asked me if my skin color was different. That was the least of the problems but definitely contributed. After walking in I go upstairs to sit at the bar, where I sat for 10 mins before anyone greeted me(mind u it wasn’t busy and also I knew what I wanted when I walked in and didn’t even need to look at the menu) As I sat waiting I even seen a white lady walk right up and get her order before me and honestly that was the topping on the cake but it got worse. Once my order came, I was never checked back on to see if I was ok or needed anything else for the rest of my experience. Also I was missing something from my order which I had to flag down the bartender to let him know which he had no remorse for. Before I left I let him know that the service was subpar and I did not enjoy my experience and he seemed to not care and just told me that they were short 4 ppl. I want to give this place another try because things are usually good but this last time was not up to par with the service I have received here...

Power-hungry security with poor customer service. We went to enter and the hostess who was chatting with the security guard told us to sit wherever. Then proceeded to tell us they needed to check our IDs. While letting multiple other people go in front of us because “they looked older”, we waited. With fear of letting the first come first serve seating upstairs become full, one of our party went upstairs to hold a table. The bouncer then angrily came upstairs and demanded all of us come back downstairs to get our IDs checked although some of us had already had our ID checked at the front. Even the gentleman sitting next to us were appalled at his attitude. He then demanded we leave the bar because he didn’t like our attitude. When asked to speak with a manager, I was told I could call. I called and the hostess standing next to him answered and said I could send an email. I’ve never been treated so poorly at any dinning establishment. I would go so far as to say these two should not be employed at this establishment if they want to continue to have a good reputation . These two employees clearly do not care about the reputation of the business. We visited Tuesday, September 24 if the management would like to investigate this...