25 Best Specialty Food Shops In Los Angeles

Los Angeles, a city renowned for its diverse and vibrant food scene, is a mecca of culinary delights. From world-class restaurants to hidden gems tucked away in unassuming neighborhoods, the city offers a plethora of gastronomic experiences. Among the culinary tapestry of Los Angeles, specialty food shops and markets stand out as havens for food enthusiasts seeking unique, high-quality, and hard-to-find ingredients. These shops serve as gateways to a world of flavors, catering to the diverse tastes and cultural backgrounds of the city's residents and visitors.

From bustling markets to cozy boutique stores, each establishment has been carefully selected for its exceptional offerings, knowledgeable staff, and commitment to culinary excellence. These shops represent the best of the city's culinary landscape, showcasing a wide range of international cuisines, locally sourced products, and artisanal creations. Join us as we explore the best specialty markets LA has to offer, from Venice to Ventura Boulevard.

Part butcher shop, part steakhouse, Gwen is one of the hottest spots in Hollywood. The butcher shop sources sustainably raised beef from California and Australia (the homeland of owner and star chef, Curtis Stone), in addition to duck, chicken, and lamb, all of which are some of the best dry-aged meat in the city. In addition to raw cuts, the staff behind the counter is trained to help guide you through your dinner selection from soup to nuts, offering expert advice for prepping it and dishing up the sides. The case always has a revolving selection of various pates, confits, and other charcuterie as well, as well as accompanying ingredients like gourmet butter, salt, and tomato sauce.

Don't have time to hit the Santa Monica Farmer's Market? Don't worry. Cookbook has your back. Not only does this market and neighborhood green grocer stock a hefty selection of the freshest local produce, but the team also sources excellent wines, crusty fresh bread, fancy charcuterie, and artisanal cheeses. It's the perfect place to get everything you need to host an elegant dinner party (including the fresh-cut flowers and long-stem taper candles) or make a killer picnic in the park. Don't skip the items made in-house, like tomatillo salsa, muhammara (which isn't Romesco sauce), or beet hazelnut yogurt, all of which rotate seasonally.

Down in Little Tokyo is a darling specialty market offering "tastefully curated goodies" and other essential grocery items. In a space that's almost too cute to be real, Yoboseyo Superette offers an enticing array of gourmet pantry items, home goods, and ready-made snacks. Not only is this a market where you can pick up treats, drinks, and home goods from Asian American brands and local artisans, but Yoboseyo Superette is also a coffee roastery where you can grab an iced Americano or a Hong Kong milk tea. The matcha lattes are a crowd favorite and you'll see plenty of cool customers sipping them down in the chic lounge area in the back.

On a shady section of Silver Lake Boulevard just blocks from the reservoir sits Botanica, a restaurant and market catering to the hip crowds of this neighborhood. With an impressive wine selection for its relatively small size, Botanica's market has an excellently curated selection of grocery items that are either locally sourced or made in-house. On any given day, the choices might vary but you can bet that there will be everything you need for a casual yet effortless cocktail hour with friends for an informal dinner party. We recommend getting the whipped tahini and the citrus-herb marinated Castelvetrano olives.

Even though the owner was forced out of his brick-and-mortar location by the landlord, we still count Spice Station as one of the best small specialty food stores in Los Angeles due to the robust online shop and mom-and-pop attitude. We aren't alone, either. Jonathan Gold listed Spice Station on his iconic "Gold List" for the impeccable attention to detail and an impressive array of offerings by owner Peter Bahlawanian. This unique shop stocks dried herbs, spices, and over 300 different blends, all mixed in-house. Cruise by the online shop to grab Iranian dried barberry, Durban curry masala, and Korean gochugaru.

While it's technically a catering business, Banchan A La Carte is also open to the public as a small purveyor of authentic Korean banchan. Sure, you could go to a large Korean or Asian grocery store to pick up a variety of banchan to eat at your next Korean barbecue dinner, but the stuff at Banchan A La Carte is made with love which reflects in the taste of the food. In addition to the banchan, you'll find all kinds of specialty foods, from kimchi to napa cabbage beef rib soup to jambalaya to creamy alfredo sauce.

While Gjusta in Venice has several sections of take-away food from house-smoked salmon to huge sourdough boules (as well as various dry goods), Gjusta Grocer has much of the same but is more of a dedicated market than market-slash-cafe. This shop has an ample mix of in-house branded goods like nut butter, granola, and spice mixes, as well as buzzy outside brands, like Off-Limits cereal and Bjorn Qorn popcorn. If you work up an appetite shopping, grab one of the killer grab-and-go sandwiches. You get insider bonus points for skipping the predictably long line at the Gjusta cafe.

There's so much more at Wine + Eggs than just, well, wine and eggs. This specialty grocery store in Atwater Village is small but expertly curated. Just walking into this spot is sure to get the creative culinary juices flowing, as they stock everything from imported spider crab pate to toasted matcha waffle mix. The wine selection is impressive and takes up an entire wall of the shop, not including the cold canned wine and beer in the refrigerator in the back. Keep an eye on the shop's Instagram account, where fun pop-ups and collaborations are posted frequently.

The flavors of Odessa may feel far away, but they are closer than you think — unless you consider West Hollywood far. Babushka Grandma's Deli on Sunset Boulevard is a one-stop shop for all kinds of Russian and Odessian foods from chicken Kiev to authentic pelmeni. Many European transplants to Los Angeles miss the flavors of their homeland, and Babushka helps bridge the gap by stocking hard-to-find groceries, snacks, and ingredients from every former nation of the Soviet Union. Part cafe and part grocery store, a trip here would not be complete without a slice of the incredible Napolyeon tort.

Walk into any Asian grocery store in LA and you'll quickly be dazzled and a touch overwhelmed by the sheer amount of products stocking the shelves. Sesame LA hopes to offer a slimmed-down, curated shopping experience by offering an assortment of essential and artisanal pantry staples as well as seasonal produce. The store's gourmet pantry items are a true treasure trove, with a particular focus on Asian American-owned brands. From organic golden roasted sesame seeds to Thai curry pastes by Little Trúc and even locally made ice pops from Sno Con Amor, the shelves are stocked with an exciting array of ingredients that reflect the diversity and richness of Asian American cuisine.

Looking to grab some supplies for a picnic at the Hollywood Bowl? Rápido Food and Wine in Silverlake is a small specialty grocer specializing in all things Spanish, this spot has a little bit of everything from tinned fish to fresh bread to expertly crafted bocadillos, one of the authentic Spanish dishes you need to try at least once. The staff is standing by to help you pair the perfect imported Spanish wine to go with your choice of canned seafood, and you simply must pick up the cult-favorite feta spread if you happen to stop by. Directly next door is Bar Moruno (run by the same owners) with an equally impressive selection of Spanish bites and sips if you feel like lingering a while.

The best kinds of businesses are those that are founded with a commitment to uplifting a neighborhood and contributing to the community. On a corner of Virgil Village that was sorely in need of a better corner store, Reza Samadi opened Corner Shop for one simple reason, he wanted a "convenient, neighborhood spot where [he] could get good quality beer, wine, and food at reasonable prices." The place has since changed hands, but the spirit definitely remains. Stop by if you're in the neighborhood and looking for some fresh and tasty local produce, natural wine, or ice-cold beer.

There are about a hundred million (not an exact figure) places selling mango sticky rice in LA, but only one place truly specializes in all kinds of Thai desserts. Bhan Kanom Thai located in Thai Town sells freshly made Thai desserts like banana custard and taro cakes, as well as imported Thai sweets like coconut caramels and mango gummy candies. The mango sticky rice is always perfect but the assorted colors of kanom luk chup and bright orange thong yip are worth trying as well. Not much of a sweet tooth? The shop also has a solid assortment of Thai chips, crisps, and other savory snacks.

It wouldn't be incorrect to say that it is hard to find decent South Asian food in Culver City unless you know about Jasmine Market, the halal Burmese and Indian cafe slash market that has a bit of an identity crisis. The cold case offers a bit of everything, from sushi to tuna salad, all of it fresh and worth getting. The surrounding market stocks all sorts of South and Southeast Asian products, from snacks to condiments. True fans know that the cafe sells some of the most authentic Burmese food in the entire city, including the falooda, a rosewater and strawberry yogurt drink.

Broome Street General Store has two locations in Los Angeles: one in Silverlake and another in Culver City's Platform (along with a brand-new location in Waikiki). It calls itself a "luxury convenience shop with purpose," aiming to please a wide range of consumers from those looking for an excellent iced coffee to those needing a last-minute gift for their mother-in-law. It's the kind of place where you could find the perfectly flaky French fleur de sel and the gorgeous wood-and-glass salt pig to put it in. The miso butterscotch cookies are absolutely essential so make sure you don't go home without one.

Sip Snack is a small convenience store and market located in Highland Park. This cute shop puts an emphasis heavily on snacking, and most of the items stocked inside are intended for creating a fancy picnic or the perfect happy hour spread, including natural wine and craft beer. We're big fans of the bulk snack items solid in Sip Snack branded bags, particularly the crunchy Spanish cocktail mix and the chocolate-covered berries. The store also sells gift sets if you happen to be on your way to a dinner party and forgot to pick up a hostess gift.

For those in search of a few ingredients not likely to be found at Vons, the shelves of African Obichi Market are full of African and Afro-Caribbean dry goods and groceries. The compact aisles and shelves of this market are a treasure trove, offering a diverse range of products that cater to the needs of the Mid-City community. From fresh produce like pounded yams and stockfish to essential pantry items such as custard powder and palm oil, African Obichi Market has something for everyone. The shelves are adorned with an assortment of ingredients, including bags of flour, spices, fufu, plantain flour, and more, all satisfying the needs of those seeking to recreate authentic, flavorful dishes at home.

While Clementine is predominantly a cafe serving coffees, pastries, and breakfast and lunch fare, we've included the spot on this list for its impressive array of take-home meal kits and ready-to-eat foods. Big delis full of soup, pints of fresh cookie dough, sandwich kits, macaroni and cheese. Clementine has everything you need to throw together a large dinner that you can pretend you made completely yourself. The staff will even throw the food in the oven for you (if you call 45 minutes prior) so you can pick up a hot meal and bring it straight home to the family.

We've all become used to huge grocery stores with expansive produce sections offering all types of produce from even the farthest reaches of the globe, no matter what the season. For a breath of fresh air, stop by Rick's Produce Market, a small produce store in Virgil Village. Stocking many items from the owner's own farm, Rick's is a neighborhood staple for fresh, seasonal smoothies and juices, not to mention a truly excellent avocado toast. The selection (and shop) may be small, but everything is as fresh as possible. Insider tip: When the stone fruit açaí bowl comes in season, make sure you get one.

Primarily a wine and beer shop, Kamp in Silverlake also stock the kinds of products you've likely already seen filling your Instagram feed: Graza olive oil, Fly By Jing chili crisp, Fishwife tinned fish, and the $25 cake mix from The Caker. That's hardly surprising for a shop that has pop-ups with local makers almost every week and hosts book signings with people like Molly Baz. While it's not going to be the one-stop shop for all your grocery needs, Kamp definitely has a better wine selection than the local Trader Joe's. The monthly wine club is really one of the best offerings here, which starts at just $50 for two bottles.

LA is, first and foremost, a lunch city and one of the most popular lunch spots is inarguably Joan's on Third. While we could go on about the cafe, we're here to highlight the market side of the business. First up is the long case of cold salads, like farro salad studded with dried cranberries or golden beets topped with crumbled feta and chopped hazelnuts. Chicken salad, Szechuan green beans, meatloaf; there's a bit of everything. Add to that a stacked cold drink case and little boxes and baggies full of chips, chocolates, nuts, and cookies, plus the famous Joan's salad dressing bottled for taking home, and you've got a specialty market that checks all the boxes.

Glendale Market is primarily a restaurant specializing in Armenian food. On your way to place your order, you may happen to notice the racks of snacks and coffee. It even functions as a small convenience store, selling items like gum and cigarettes. You'll find large baskets of produce too, including fresh pomegranates and bunches of grapes. The bakery is fantastic and serves up some of the best Middle Eastern pastries to be found anywhere in the city. Make sure you at least get a sandwich if you're stopping by. These are undoubtedly the market's best offerings, as well as the ultra-fresh lentil salad.

We didn't include too many cheese-centric shops on this list as that could be an entirely separate article. However, we did find it worth it to include Lady & Larder when coming up with our choices due to the sizable selection of non-cheese items from wine to candlesticks to bottles of vinegar and olive oil. This female-owned shop does numbers on Instagram for the gorgeous cheese boards the team dreams up, as well as the inventive sandwiches that constantly sell out. Just walking into this place is a feast for the senses, as the gorgeous colors of the fresh-cut flowers brighten the entire shop.

Farmshop is a California-inspired market, bakery, and restaurant that celebrates the best of artisanal and locally sourced products. Cheese enthusiasts will find themselves in heaven at this spot, and, beyond the cheese, Farmshop also boasts a delectable range of prepared foods that have garnered a dedicated fan base. From vegetable quiches to hearty soups, dry-aged rib eye to spruce tip jelly, the shop showcases a harmonious blend of flavors and cuisines. In true Californian fashion, Farmshop's shelves are lined with an assortment of organic produce like locally grown avocados and citrus. On Sundays, Farmshop sells buckets of herb-fried Jidori chicken.

While this neighborhood spot on the border of Eagle Rock and Pasadena may seem more like a cafe than a market, venture inside and gaze upon the shelves of provisions, gifts, and house-made candy. The provisions at Little Flower include things like bags of granola, jarred tomato sauce, and marinated olives. You may feel inclined to swipe an artisanal jar of mustard while you wait for your coffee. But it's the candy and pastries that really steal the show. We're talking chewy salted caramels, fluffy marshmallows, and candied California citrus peels, and for pastries, you can find guava and cheese tarts, slices of quiche, and flaky croissants.