Feed Body + Soul Has A Suprising Cocktail Menu

It was safe to assume that Abbot Kinney's new Feed Body + Soul would be a mecca for healthy, sustainable and organic dining.

And so it is: açaí bowls with bee pollen ($10) for breakfast; kale salads with hemp seeds for lunch ($10); rotisserie salmon with quinoa ($17) for dinner.

But what almost no one saw coming was the ultra-serious cocktail program from Marcos Tello, the barman behind such noteworthy bars as The Varnish and Seven Grand.

So how does a cocktail purist best known for his Old Fashioneds align with Abbot Kinney's crunchy crowd?

By harmonizing his beverages with organic spirits, house-made juices and seasonal farmers' market produce. The result is some of the best cocktails Venice has ever seen, served along a lengthy, elegant bar made from Siberian white marble.

We loved the citrusy punch of the Satsuma Whiskey Smash ($12), made with unaged wheat whiskey, earthy-sweet yacón syrup and crushed mandarin.

Your classic Gin Martini ($12) can be made with mellow Oregon vermouth, or transformed into a Gimlet ($10) by swapping in Meyer lemon juice and coconut nectar.

The Pear Hot Toddy ($10), heavenly on a brisk day, brims with fresh fruit and spice flavors–a clever disguise for the kick of aged French brandy beneath.

Feed Body + Soul, 1239 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice; 310-450-5550 or feedbodyandsoul.com