25 Best Specialty Food Shops In Los Angeles

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.

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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.