13 Absolute Best Spots For Bagels In Los Angeles

Bagels aren't usually the first food to come to mind when it comes to the Los Angeles culinary world. But believe it or not, you don't have to be in a hotspot like New York or Montreal to find a solid bagel, and Los Angeles has a flourishing bagel scene of its own.

Bagels are far more than just bread with a hole in it — unlike other types of bread, traditional bagels are poached in water typically seasoned with baking soda, barley malt, or lye for flavor and coloring before baking. This results in a crisp, shiny crust with a chewy inside. The types of bagels you can find vary, but most bagel spots will offer classics such as poppy seed, everything, and sesame bagels, plus sweeter variations like blueberry bagels or cinnamon raisin.

However, regionally, and even within cities, styles and techniques diverge, which is reflected in this list. While some on this list, which compiles my own experiences hunting down the best LA bagel (after growing up in New Jersey, my bagel standards are high) with spots highly recommended on restaurant review websites and social media, choose to embrace a New York or Montreal style, others are completely their own, while seeking to redefine the perception of bagels in Los Angeles. 

What was once a lone food truck that you had to track down across the city has since expanded to a number of permanent locations across Los Angeles. From Silver Lake, Melrose Place, and Studio City, to Brentwood, Los Feliz, Venice, and Downtown Los Angeles, luckily, you no longer have to travel too far to hunt down a Yeastie Boys creation like The Reubenstein, a fan-favorite which includes pit-smoked pastrami, melted Swiss, kraut, and Russian dressing on a hand-rolled everything bagel. 

If you're looking for a vegan option, try the Mishka, which comes with a roasted red bell pepper spread, tomato, red onion, and sprouts, also on an everything bagel. My personal favorite is the "Game Over," which comes with scrambled eggs, bacon, tomato, and house-made jalapeño schmear on a cheddar bagel, which I always grab with an oat milk dirty chai.

https://www.yeastieboysbagels.com

(480) 840-4121

12103 Ventura Place, Studio City, CA 91604

Maury's, tucked right between Silver Lake and Echo Park, first started as a pop-up before opening a standalone shop in 2019. However, you can also grab a made-to-order bagel sandwich every week at the Hollywood Farmer's Market. 

Founded by East Coaster Jason Kaplan in 2014 in response to frustration with the sparse bagel options in Los Angeles, Maury's appeals to the New York-style purist — its bagels have the slightly soft and chewy texture with a crunchy outer layer that East Coasters generally crave. But for those looking for a bit of a twist, Maury's doesn't disappoint with unique offerings such as a za'atar bagel and a wasabi roe cream cheese. It also features a rotating coffee selection, an assortment of smoked fish and roe, and other Jewish classics like challah, rugelach (a croissant-esque cookie), and sweet noodle kugel. Maury's is closed on Mondays.

https://www.maurysbagels.com

(323) 380-9380

2829 Bellevue Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90026

This Highland Park bagelry, which has been operating since 2012, offers a traditional selection of bagels, but its breakfast sandwiches and "Newish and Jewish Classics" are where Belle's really shines. The PEC, which includes pit-smoked pastrami, sweet hot peppers, swiss, and eggs, and the Loxsmith, with beet cream cheese, local nova lox, crispy salmon skin, radishes, pickled fennel, and fresh dill are customer favorites. 

For those not yet acquainted with topping their bagels with fish, lox, like smoked salmon, is cured fish, meaning it has been preserved in salt. Both result in briny, thin strips of salmon served cold — While the two are similar and often used interchangeably, smoked salmon can be from any part of the salmon's body, while traditional lox is made from the belly. At Belle's, lox is sourced from a local smokehouse in North Hollywood — this shop likes to emphasize local ingredients. Stop by any day except for Tuesdays.

https://www.bellesbagels.com

(323) 739-6336

5022 York Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90042

Pop's Bagels is on a mission to change the perception of bagels in Los Angeles. Apart from its Brentwood storefront, you can also find Pop's in Culver City, Fairfax, and the recently opened Beverly Hills. But no matter where you go, its bagels are light and chewy — never dense — and its plain, sesame, and everything bagels can even be made gluten-free, thanks to a special blend of organic rice and millet flours. And with a longer fermentation process and proof time, you don't have to sacrifice any of that classic bagel texture by forgoing the gluten. Homemade spreads such as scallion cream cheese really make Pop's Bagels shine, while the B.A.C. which is served on an open-faced bagel with crispy bacon bits, sliced avocado, your choice of cream cheese, and black pepper is also a winner.

Pop's Bagels' Brentwood location opens daily at 7:30 a.m., but hours differ by location. Just try to get there early — Pop's can often sell out before its official closing time.

https://popsbagelsla.com

(213) 281-8325

11928 San Vicente, Los Angeles, CA 90049

When the pandemic left former Gjusta baker Jyan Isaac Horwitz out of work, the 19-year-old began selling loaves of sourdough bread to his friends and Instagram followers — little did he know, this would become the basis of a full-fledged business. Since officially opening Jyan Isaac Bread in 2020, Horwitz has not only acquired his own storefront but has also begun to grow a cult following for its fresh and flavorful bagels. 

With a relatively small sandwich menu, Jyan Isaac Bread's sourdough bagels are able to stand on their own, and are naturally fermented, boiled in barley malt water, and baked. Apart from its bagels, grab a loaf or baguette to take home — Jyan Isaac has several tasty options to choose from, plus other specialty items such as Challah and chocolate hazelnut babka. Find Jyan Isaac in Santa Monica, or at your local farmers market in Venice, Beverly Hills, Pacific Palisades, or Larchmont.

https://jyanisaacbread.com

1620 Ocean Park Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90405

New York Bagel and Deli is another shop that attracts East Coasters in Los Angeles, and it's not just because of the name. This bagel joint, which is one of two locations, truly emulates the atmosphere typically found in New York City bagel shops, and is known for its fresh and high-quality selection, plus generous portions.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention that this is one of the only places in Los Angeles where you can find Taylor ham (or pork roll, depending on who you ask), a processed meat that's really only common in the New Jersey area, and is typically served on a bagel with egg and cheese. I like to order it on an everything bagel with a dash of hot sauce. New York Bagel and Deli also has the longest hours of this list — it is open from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

https://newyorkbagelanddelilosangeles.cafecityguide.website

(310) 828-3228

2216 Wilshire Blvd. Santa Monica, CA 90403

While I have sampled a number of locations on this list, each spot's popularity has also been confirmed by scouring Reddit threads discussing best LA bagels to searching on TikTok, as well as restaurant review sites. The locations I have yet to try have all been rated highly and have popped up multiple times on social media and across the Internet, and a number of recommendations have even been recognized by major publications.