Restaurant in Venice, United States
Esquire's pick. Book before the wait grows.
RVR is Travis Lett's Japanese-California izakaya on Abbot Kinney, named Esquire's Restaurant of the Year for 2025. The small-plates format — ramen, yakitori, and a notably deep vegetable menu — makes it the most compelling new opening in Venice, CA. Booking is easier than the award profile suggests; mid-week tables are readily available.
Getting a table at RVR is easier than you might expect for a restaurant that won Esquire's Restaurant of the Year for 2025 — but don't take that as a reason to procrastinate. Opened in October 2024 on Abbot Kinney Boulevard, this Japanese-California izakaya from chef Travis Lett filled up fast once the national press landed. Book at least a week ahead for weekends; mid-week tables are more available. The effort is worth it.
RVR (pronounced "river") is Travis Lett's recalibrated follow-up to MTN, operating in the same izakaya format but with noticeably more focus and confidence. Lett, who founded nearby Gjelina and built its reputation for seasonal, produce-led cooking, brings that same sensibility to a menu built around small plates, ramen, yakitori, and — most distinctively , a vegetable section that runs longer than the entire menu at some comparable Venice spots. The food is technically precise without feeling clinical. If you have been once and ordered the ramen or the duck tsukune, your next visit should go deep into the vegetable dishes: that is where the kitchen is doing its most original work.
The atmosphere is warm and communal in the way good izakayas are, with enough energy to feel like a proper night out but not so loud that conversation becomes a project. The room is a contrast to the cool commercial strip outside , once you're seated, the energy pulls inward. For a post-Gjelina Lett project, the vibe is less scene-y and more genuinely comfortable. If noise level matters to you, earlier seatings (before 8 PM) run calmer; the room picks up considerably later in the evening.
The leading time to visit RVR is a weeknight dinner, arriving before 7:30 PM. Weekend evenings are busier and louder. For those interested in a more relaxed, exploratory meal , working through the vegetable menu, spending time with the drinks program , a Tuesday or Wednesday booking gives you more room to do that without the weekend pressure. Check for updated weekend brunch availability directly with the restaurant, as RVR opened in late 2024 and morning or weekend daytime service details were still being established; the evening format is the confirmed core offering.
If you are weighing RVR against other California-Japanese or produce-forward restaurants in Los Angeles, the comparison that matters most is depth of concept versus casualness of execution. Atomix in New York City operates at the formal end of Korean-Japanese fine dining , a very different commitment in price and format. Lazy Bear in San Francisco is also produce-obsessed but in a tasting-menu format that requires more commitment. RVR sits at a more accessible middle ground: serious cooking, izakaya informality, and a menu you can direct yourself. For those who want the technical ambition of Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg but without the ceremony, RVR is the closer match in spirit, even if the price point and scale differ. Among Venice options specifically, Gjelina remains the neighbourhood anchor for all-day California cooking, but RVR is the better choice if Japanese technique and a serious vegetable program are what you're after.
Reservations: Book online; a week ahead is sufficient mid-week, two weeks for Friday and Saturday. Walk-in seats may be available at the bar on quieter evenings. Address: 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd, Venice, CA 90291. Cuisine: Japanese-California izakaya , small plates, ramen, yakitori, and an extensive vegetable menu. Booking difficulty: Easy to moderate; easier than its Esquire award profile would suggest. Dress: No dress code specified; Abbot Kinney casual is the norm , smart casual fits the room without being out of place. Price range: Not confirmed in available data; expect mid-to-upper-casual pricing consistent with the Venice dining tier. Awards: Esquire Restaurant of the Year 2025.
If you are building a wider Los Angeles or California dining itinerary, consider Lazy Bear in San Francisco for a produce-driven tasting menu with a similarly informal spirit, or Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg for the most technically accomplished California-Japanese seasonal cooking in the state. For a high-commitment special occasion outside California, Le Bernardin in New York City and The French Laundry in Napa remain the benchmark references for technical precision in American fine dining. Browse our full Venice restaurants guide for more options, or explore Venice hotels, Venice bars, and Venice experiences to round out your visit.
| Venue | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|
| RVR | — | |
| Local | €€€€ | — |
| Ristorante Quadri | €€€€ | — |
| Osteria alle Testiere | €€€ | — |
| Al Covo | €€€ | — |
| Corte Sconta | €€€ | — |
Key differences to consider before you reserve.
RVR works for small groups of 4 to 6 reasonably well given its small-plates izakaya format, where sharing across the menu is the intended approach. Larger parties should book well in advance and confirm table configuration directly with the restaurant. The bar counter suits pairs; groups of 6 or more may find the space tighter on busy weekend nights.
Yes, with the right expectations. RVR is Esquire's Restaurant of the Year for 2025 and carries real credibility as a destination meal, but it reads as a lively izakaya rather than a formal celebration room. It fits occasions where the food is the event and the mood is convivial, not white-tablecloth milestone dinners. If the latter is what you need, look elsewhere on Abbot Kinney or in West Hollywood.
RVR sits on Abbot Kinney Boulevard in Venice, a commercial strip with a casual-cool register, and the izakaya format reinforces that. Dress as you would for a serious but unstuffy dinner: put-together casual fits the room. There is no indication in available documentation of any dress requirement beyond that.
Within Venice, Gjelina — the restaurant Travis Lett founded and that shaped his reputation for seasonal abundance — is the most relevant point of comparison for produce-driven California cooking. For a different angle on Japanese-inflected dining in Los Angeles, options outside the neighbourhood offer more variety, but on Abbot Kinney itself, RVR is currently the most credentialled dining option by documented award recognition.
The vegetable section of the menu is where RVR earns particular attention: it runs longer than some restaurants' full menus and is described by reviewers as holding the most surprises. The clam ramen and grilled duck tsukune have been specifically called out as standout dishes. Given the izakaya format, ordering across multiple small plates is the right approach rather than anchoring on a single main.
RVR opened in October 2024, won Esquire's Restaurant of the Year for 2025, and is located at 1305 Abbot Kinney Blvd in Venice. It is run by Travis Lett, who founded Gjelina, so the kitchen's seasonal, produce-forward sensibility carries over. Book a week ahead for weeknights, two weeks for weekends, and go in expecting a sharing-plates format where ordering widely across the menu gets you the full picture.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
