Fatty Mart
Photograph: Courtesy Wonho Frank LeeFatty Mart
Photograph: Courtesy Wonho Frank Lee

The best gourmet mini-marts in L.A.

Planning a picnic date or in need of a last-minute gift? These tiny specialty markets provide unique snacks, craft beer, natural wines and more.

Patricia Kelly Yeo
Advertising

If you’ve ever found yourself en route to a housewarming or birthday party empty-handed, you’re not alone. Now, more than ever, L.A. is full of thoughtful micro-grocery stores and neighborhood markets (and no, we won’t call them bodegas) stocking the kind of pricey—but well-made—kitchen and home goods, unique snacks and soft drinks, and bottles of booze that make for impressive, seemingly effortless last-minute gifts. At these gourmet mini-marts, shoppers will encounter a regular cast of characters from L.A.’s artisan food scene, as well as knowledgeable staff who are often passionate about what they do. With that in mind, you’ll typically see sticker prices far higher than corporate grocery stores—so plan your budget well, and shop accordingly. 

Whether you’re putting together a picnic, in full-blown pre-party panic mode or just happen to be in the neighborhood, these twelve gourmet mini-marts are worth taking the time to drop by, peruse and explore.

These mini-marts are an epicure's delight

  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Atwater Village
  • price 3 of 4

Find a little bit of (expensive, organic, small-produced) everything at this small neighborhood grocery and specialty shop in Atwater Village located just steps away from Morihiro, Dune and Proof Bakery. Within its well-designed interiors, you’ll find L.A. food favorites like Bub and Grandma’s bread, frozen Woon dumplings and a curated selection of fairly pricey and obviously, painstakingly artisan-made kitchen and home goods that make great housewarming gifts. Though the bulk of the shop’s real estate is dedicated to esoteric natural wines, Wine and Eggs also carries locally sourced produce, pantry items and (duh) eggs.

  • Shopping
  • Liquor stores
  • Culver City
  • price 2 of 4

Locally made California wine, craft beer and spirits might be the focus at this upscale specialty liquor store with locations in Culver City and Long Beach, plus an upcoming outpost in Costa Mesa, but we’re also partial to Hi-Lo’s carefully curated selection of non-alcoholic drinks, artisan snacks and specialty food items including cold-pressed juice, ethically produced chocolate and even single serving plant-based yogurts. (You’ll also find regular old potato chips and soda.) One-hour local delivery to much of L.A. and Long Beach with no minimums only sweetens the deal of shopping small for your at-home booze needs, but those who stop in—and stay subscribed to Hi-Lo’s weekly newsletter—can also enjoy summer food truck pop-ups, free tasting events and the in-person expertise of the shop’s expert staff.

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Fairfax District
  • price 2 of 4

While the Original Farmers Market doesn’t possess the seemingly de rigueur Millennial design cred of other mini-marts on this list, this tiny Grove-adjacent specialty food shop possesses a dazzling array of upscale non-alcoholic drinks in its cold case, plus cookies, chocolates and small kitchen goods you’d be hard-pressed to find anywhere else. In terms of groceries, Monsieur Marcel also carries the requisite selection of high-quality wines, olive oils, pastas and other gourmet imported fare, as well as counters hawking first-rate cheese and wild caught seafood. Plus, the Farmers Market offers 90 minutes of free parking with vendor validation.

  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Echo Park
  • price 3 of 4

Now under new ownership by the team behind Jon & Vinny’s, this longtime micro-grocery with locations in Echo Park, Highland Park and Larchmont continues to offer an array of cookbooks, fresh produce and other locally sourced specialty foods, including Gardena’s Meiji Tofu, Sightglass coffee and Straus Family Creamery dairy products. Cookbook also sells a few prepared deli and frozen items made in-house, plus French cooking knives, imported tinned fish and cured meats, and plenty of other high-quality, painstakingly sourced grocery items. The newer Larchmont location also offers a fairly overpriced café with charming patio.

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Cypress Park
  • price 3 of 4

Next to Last Word Hospitality's Barra Santos and Shins Pizza, this upscale market in Cypress Park stocks all manner of gourmet goodies, plus an extensive variety of household essentials for locals. On a recent visit, we spied Torres truffle potato chips, several varieties of extra-virgin olive oil, cakes and other sweets from Cake Monkey Bakery, burritos from Burritos La Palma and a healthy assortment of tinned fish. Fresh cut flowers, organic produce, readymade sandwiches and a curated selection of beverages make the Golden Poppy Market an obvious choice for anyone living in the area looking to pick up a quick but impressive housewarming gift or a last-minute picnic. There's also a charming back patio set-up if you'd prefer to enjoy your sandwich and bag of chips on the premises

  • Shopping
  • Grocery stores
  • Highland Park
  • price 2 of 4

This Black-owned market and deli in Highland Park strikes the perfect balance between corner store and shoppy shop. In addition to stocking gourmet grocery brands like Straus Family Creamery dairy and Vital Farms eggs, Carla's offers everyday household staples and locally sourced foodstuffs. Think frozen dumplings from Woon, Mejorado tortilla chips and produce from the Santa Monica Farmers' Market. The coffee and tea bar also features pastries from May Microbakery's Sasha Pilligian, plus delicious, freshly made sandwiches that you can also preorder for lunch. Bottlewise, a curated selection from local sommelier LaShea Delaney (previously of Kismet, Tartine and OTOTO/Tsubaki) prioritizes small, minority-owned winemakers and other unique finds.

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Little Tokyo
  • price 2 of 4

Nestled in the heart of Little Tokyo, this Korean-owned specialty market offers a range of gourmet pantry, home goods and ready-made snacks with a particular focus on Asian American brands and local artisans. In the back, there's also an in-house coffee roaster, where owners James and Cindy Choi prepare beans daily for made-to-order espresso and tea drinks. What's more fun for passersby dropping in, however, is the range of colorful cans and bottles in the fridge. Think popular South Korean energy drink Bacchus-F and Binggrae banana milk alongside Mad Tasty hemp-infused sparkling water and mushroom-infused Culture Shrooms cold brew. A DIY dried flower bar, live house plants and children's books set Yoboseyo's decor selection apart from other gourmet markets—as does the robust freezer section stocked with XCJ soup dumplings and locally made ice creams in Asian-inspired flavors like miso caramel and lychee strawberry.

  • Californian
  • Silver Lake
  • price 2 of 4

As well as being one of Silver Lake's most well-known restaurants, this bright all-day eatery's market section is a one-stop shop for Angelenos looking to splurge on a memorable housewarming gift, fancy homemade dinner or just a decent bottle of natural wine. High-quality spices, dried pantry goods and tinned fish (yes, there's locally owned, more sustainably sourced Fishwife proudly on display) are a boon for home cooks looking to get their hands on the latest brands featured in Bon Appetit, and Botanica's employees will never steer you wrong when it comes to picking out the right bottle of vino. In the cold case, there are cheeses, charcuterie, and specialty beverages like trendy booze-free aperitif brand Ghia and Fermensch Kombucha—all of which are the perfect start to any picnic at the nearby Silver Lake Reservoir.

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Mar Vista
  • price 2 of 4

Golden Mountain seasoning, Melona ice cream bars, and well-stocked natural wine, craft beer and instant ramen sections: For shelf-stable Asian groceries and gourmet goodies, David Kuo's Fatty Mart in Mar Vista aims to have everything you might need or want. Though prices are higher than you'd find at 99 Ranch or California Market, the curation and convenience make a visit here well worth it. In addition to pantry staples, Fatty Mart stocks locally made Woon dumplings as well as an in-house line of vinegars and other cooking essentials. A larger prepared food counter out back dishes out bento boxes, pizza slices, sandwiches, Korean rice bowls and more if you're looking for a tasty snack—with a small patio out front to enjoy the goods. 

  • Shopping
  • Liquor stores
  • East Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4

Next door to equity-focused Vietnamese takeout shop Bé Ù, this Virgil Village neighborhood market offers a carefully considered selection of craft beer and cider, natural wines and even grower champagne—essentially the funkier, single-origin version of the French bubbly everyone knows. Alongside liquor store mainstays like Tylenol, soft drinks, chips and protein bars, Corner Shop also offers a diverse array of produce, pantry and grocery items that straddle the line between affordable and organic, artisan and locally grown. Items they carry that might mean something to you: Bub and Grandma’s Bread, Nancy (Silverton)'s Fancy Gelato and eggs from Rick’s Produce. The shop’s diverse bottle selection, delicious prepared foods and unique snacks make it one of the best last-minute shopping destinations for a spontaneous picnic in nearby Echo Park.

Advertising
  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Hollywood
  • price 2 of 4

Right now, L.A. real estate speculators spend way too much time and money trying to gentrify East Hollywood into “Melrose Hill,” but this upscale neighborhood market and café splits the difference with a mix of everyday-priced essentials, farmers’ market produce and your typical shoppy shop brands. The small parking lot and presence of security detail on the premises give the place a wider appeal, as do the straightforward Erewhonesque build-your-own protein plates, smoothies and other prepared foods available at the café counter. There’s limited seating (we’re talking about four tables, max) but if you’re looking for a convenient place to find an impressive-looking bottle of wine or track down gourmet goodies for your next picnic, L.A. Grocery & Café is conveniently located a few miles away from both Barnsdall Art Park and Hollywood Forever—two of the city’s prime picnicking destinations. 

  • Shopping
  • Specialist food and drink
  • Venice
  • price 3 of 4

Replacing longtime neighborhood market Windward Farms, this gourmet grocer with a floral shop out back is the newest offering from Gjelina Group. This high-end deli and market carries Gjusta pastries and coffee, made fresh daily, as well as a large array of expensive, high-quality groceries (no single-serving bags of Frito-Lay here). You’ll find sustainably farmed shrimp from Transparent Sea, locally raised pork from Pead & Barnetts, and a large selection of tinned fish, charcuterie, cheese and even terrines in the cold section. A small selection of gift-worthy home goods, including AMASS Botanics, is also scattered around the shop.

Recommended
    You may also like
    You may also like
    Advertising