Beautiful view of the sunset up top. They have a great happy hour too! We had a few drinks and an appetizer while we watched the sunset. Waiter was friendly and quick ! read more

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The dessert was good. And the presentation of the dessert in a to go box was really nice. All we ordered was a lava cake and a glass of wine and it took about 45 minutes. We were gonna take it to go and go sit on the beach. Maybe I'm not used to the pricing, but the wine was quite pricey even for happy hour. You would think ordering those two things could take 5 to 15 minutes at the most yet why 45 minutes for a glass of wine? I finally went and asked the hostess how much longer it would be because I was thinking of canceling my order. Apparently everything was just sitting at a window somewhere. The wine was getting hot and the dessert was getting cold. I mentioned that I was upset and the hostess offered nothing. I was very disappointed. read more

Mike Dobson could pay his almost 6 year tab for contracted security service that's outstanding . $24,000 Sold a venue couple years ago and still refuses to pay a service that's signed for. Santa Monica whaler and Mike Dobson harm businesses they ask for services for. Makes sense why liquor vendor has issues with them . $24,000 4 plus years and he still does not pay . Ridiculous read more

I come here multiple times a week and love the food, vibe, energy. My favorite server is KAM because his vibe is always up!!! The whole staff is always accommodating over the last five years I've lived here, but Kam really makes you feel at home. The food is fire, the atmosphere can't be beat and the happy hour is unmatched. Hospitality on max. Thank you Whaler staff! read more

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I far preferred this to the Santa Monica location. The vibes in the rooftop were fantastic, especially right after the Venice half marathon with all the runners celebrating. The service was quick and the food was delicious-- calamari was exactly what I needed and the burger was good. They really try to push those don julio bottles on you lol. Docking points for the 3.25% "sunshine and wellness" fee or whatever that they did not tell me about and didn't show on the bill until I was texted the receipt! read more

Stopped by here after community service at the beach around lunch time. Service was fast and nice. I had the shrimp trio tacos and one crispy cod. I enjoyed both a felt like the shrimp could have use a little more seasoning but overall it was pretty good light weight meal with a nice sea breeze the fish and the shrimp were cooked perfectly. Actually pretty good experience. Really enjoyed the views by the beach. Parking is available next to this restaurant so it's like the perfect location. It also has a bit of shade so the it's a really nice vibe. The salsa was a bit spicy and the chips were perfectly crispy i really enjoyed it. read more

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We had an excellent Valentines day date here. Our service was prompt and attentive. Our food came out fast. And we had the ambiance of the sea. Couldn't be happier. read more

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The quality of the food has gone down since I first started coming here almost a year ago, regularly. I recommend the other location in Santa Monica right across from the pier, it's top tier & food quality consistent. Came here on 4/14 the server was very nice, host was sweet, it's not a customer service thing it's a food quality thing, and for that, I will no longer be coming here. read more

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Beautiful views from the roof here. Breakfast was a treat for sure. Would be back in a heartbeat. Service was quick but the place filled up quick too. Can't wait to come back for some drinks next time. read more

Came here for a birthday gathering over a weekend. Their outdoor patio was packed and lively. There's really convenient parking just a few steps away. Service was friendly, but very slow. My friend and I had to go into the bar to get our own beer refills. The food was okay - not great. Kinda what you would expect from typical bar food. Great portions, lots of fried options, and a pretty big menu. Nothing that would blow anyone away though. read more

LOVE THIS PLACE! This is, to me, the classic Venice Beach bar. Lots of outdoor tables, and upstairs is their bar and patio area that overlooks the ocean and all the people enjoying the Venice Beach vibe. This is the perfect place to watch a California sunset. Every time I've been here (and it's been a few times by now) I've always been upstairs on the patio. Super-easy to order drinks & snacks from friendly servers. My Whiskey Sours here have been consistently tasty, and the appetizers have been consistently delish! The Venice Whaler is now a staple for me on my visits to Venice Beach, and I can't wait to get there again! read more

The Venice Whaler - Appetizer Time! - American Near Me - Venice, California

Let's see. I can probably add the Clam Chowder to my top 5 list of best clam chowders that I've had. It has bacon in it which adds a pleasantly subtle and different taste than traditional clam chowder. I also had the Lobster Mac & Cheese which was good and cheesy with bits of lobster and shrimp. I couldn't finish it all but only because I was stuffed. I sat on the patio which was perfectly situated just east of the Venice Beach Pier and prime for people and traffic watching. On a nice day, it's perfect to watch the numerous amount of on-goings going on. The service was great. Even though the patio was full, the server always checked on every table in a timely manner and not overly so. Good spot. read more

I came here early in a the morning and it was such a nice vibe. The ocean was right in front of us, and it just felt cozy inside the bar. The food was soooo goood, I wasn't even hungry when I went but I saw that they had a Nutella French toast and decided to try it. I fell in love with it! It was sooooo yummy. My partner also got the steak with chimichurri and the steak was soooo tender. I was very impressed with how tender and delicious it was. And lastly the spicy tuna with crispy rice was good as well ! Severo our server/bartender was super nice and chill. I want to come back for the Nutella French toast and spicy tuna haha. read more

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The grain bowl with shrimp was great! I recommend ordering this! Great sunset views on the roof and will come again read more

The Venice Whaler - Grain bowl with shrimp - American Near Me - Venice, California

You go for the prime location. All else is meh as far as food and drinks. Outdoor heaters do not work well

Brunching at The Whaler felt like waking up in a California postcard--sunlight, sea air, and a fire pit full of friends who know how to live. The staff had that rare Westside mix of chill and genuine kindness, like they were happy you showed up and weren't just pretending. Rick Ross would call it brunch for bosses, and he'd be right. The Whaler delivers good vibes, great food, and the kind of laid-back luxury that makes you want to order another round and stay a while. read more

The Venice Whaler - American Near Me - Venice, California

Stopped by to catch the dodger game. Great service and also their wings ??? A MUST! These were delicious & very savory. Friendly staff. I believe the downstairs is closed but we had access to the upstairs dinning and bar. Great spot for sports. read more

The Venice Whaler - American Near Me - Venice, California

The Venice Whaler is cool bar at the beginning of the Venice pier. It's has terrific outdoor seating with a view. They have great service we were well taken care of and the food was ok. I had the Coconut shrimp and was ok there shrimp was cooked good but I felt like it lacked the coconut flavor. But it was nice and crispy. The pepperoni pizza was good nice sauce crispy crust and you get a lot of it at a good price. The house fries were really good nice crispy and a ton of flavor highly recommend trying the fries. 4/5 stars read more

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We went here on a Saturday evening for drinks before dinner. The rooftop area was very cute however completely packed. I could barely get in at the bar to order a drink and it was pretty pricey. Got 2 basic cocktails for $50. Music was sooo loud and there's tv everywhere inside and with the amount of people it was so overstimulating even outside area. read more

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We came here recently and the experience was solidly meh. I will says the chicken wings and tuna crispy rice are very good, but the soup came out totally cold and the chips and guac had such a small amount of guac you could barely even see it under the chips. The heater by our table was also broken so it was a bit chilly. It's a classic tourist-y beach/sports bar so I get it but little improvements could be made! read more

We've come for bottomless mimosas 2 times! Its a great price and they bring you the bottles of prosecco. We always come with large parties and they are always able to accommodate us. Kayla was an amazing server! She was super attentive. read more

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Absolute must if you're in the Venice beach area. Food is amazing. Drinks are even better. Giuliano is a beast and makes fire drinks. The staff is on point. Greg is amazing. Found us a table when there were none. These people make it happen. 10/10. read more

The Venice Whaler - Outdoor patio area (1st floor NE side) - American Near Me - Venice, California

Ate there recently on a Saturday and on a whim ordered a cup of clam chowder. I thought it was the best clam chowder I've ever had. Very fresh and flavorful and perfectly seasoned. I'll be back for that again read more

The food is amazing and the staff are amazing they go above and beyond to make sure your satisfied with your visit. The bartender Giuliano is amazing and so is the manager Greg. 100% recommended this place! read more

The Venice Whaler - BBQ Chicken Pizza and a Moscow Mule - American Near Me - Venice, California

Margaritas are trash. Bartender fills your cup with the mix only. Absolutely worst drink experience I've had in LA aside from Cabo Cantina. You're better off going to Whaler Santa Monica over Venice location. Their drinks and food menu are top tier. Don't waste your $$ here. Service sucks too. read more

The Venice Whaler - who puts salt on the rim like that? Also, all I tasted was margarita mix, NO alcohol. - American Near Me - Venice, California

This is an $18 kale salad. Shame on me for spending that much. Shame on the Whaler for the presentation and never again will I make this mistake! read more

The Venice Whaler - this is a sad kale salad! - American Near Me - Venice, California

Food was good. The service not so good. We sat and ordered. Our food was given to the table next to us. After they realized it, they gave us the coleslaw they didn't touch. But we had to wait for our chips and Guacamole, and the crispy tuna. Which by the way the Tuna was very good. No one apologized for the screw up, or checked on us. Had to get servers attention to get the bill. read more

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The best place by far in Venice Beach . Greg , the manager was the best after we forgot our food and he offered to make it again for us ! Thank you Greg and the Venice whaler . You rock . Best atmosphere and the food was fantastic. We returned for brunch on Sunday to have the full breakfast before we returned back home to Palm Springs. Love and peace , Karina and Dani ‍ read more

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4+ Pretty sizable bar literally right next to the beach. There's two floors and great view from the second floor. They pretty good drink specials and good cocktail menu. A few friends and I were hanging out in the area I wanted to grab a drink at one of the places. We chose this place because we knew that the views were pretty cool. We were pretty promptly. The place wasn't as busy as we thought it was going to be so we didn't have to wait. This place has been around for a long time, and the vibe is usually beachy and chill. I can't speak to the food because we didn't order anything on this visit and I can't remember the last time I visited while eating here. read more

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Great casual spot right on the beach with a really nice view. Perfect for drinks, hanging out, and people-watching. Food is okay--nothing mind-blowing, but solid for a laid-back bar vibe. Overall, a fun place to stop by if you want ocean views and a relaxed Venice atmosphere. read more

Great view, attentive service, and great food. We snacked on the coconut shrimp and poke nachos read more

The Venice Whaler - American Near Me - Venice, California

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Benny was our server and bartender in upstairs bar. He made our experience for my son and I so great! It was our first time there and He is so patient, knowledgeable and friendly. He always checked on us and made sure we were good. The food was excellent too. We got fish tacos read more

I waltzed into the Venice Whaler at 11:21pm on a Thursday, a fresh Zyn packed, as my big homie was DJing at midnight. This spot is about as Venice as Venice gets. The faint smell of the ocean mixed with the devils lettuce wafting in from outside, a grungy interior, mostly locals, and a mural on the wall that reads "All I need are some tasty waves, a cool buzz, and I'm fine." The heart and soul of Venice. After chopping it up with my big homie and his big homie (my grand big homie) for a sec, I went to get a Pacifico. I felt like someone kicked me straight in the huevos when it rang up for $10. DAMN. I'm I in Venice or NYC!? $10 for a beer is pain. I then proceeded to watch the big homie, who was draped in a black tshirt that read "THEY NOT LIKE US, LOS ANGELES, CA," rock the Whaler. Idk if the Whaler has ever seen a performance like that. His crowd awareness, transitions, beatmatching, and ability to play the right song at the exact right time were oddly reminiscent of a prime John Summit. One girl even leaned over to me and said "I saw you talking to him before he is set. He is really good and so handsome! How do you know him?" I just responded with, "that's my big homie!" SAKIFML IS NEXT UP! Ig @jnov_ Tiktok @jnov_reviews read more

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Classic beach bar but the worst margarita pizza of all time. It tasted so odd. How do you mess up a pizza ?

We visited on a saturday morning and dat upstairs. We had a great view and they turned the heaters on for us. Bottomless mimosas was a great deal at $25 for 90 minutes and the food was delicious! read more

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Terrible service workers were rude security was a joke I had to get up bring my cold soup to someone inside because they noon was around then they tried to slip thr cold soup on my bill. Absolutely terrible read more

The Whaler isn't about Michelin stars- it's about vibes, beach views, and a cocktail (or three) in hand. And honestly? That's exactly why I love it. The patio is the heart of this place- sun on your face, ocean right there, and live music that makes you want to stay way longer than planned. It's one of those spots where you run into friends, make new ones, and just lean into that salty, beachy Venice energy. And maybe laugh at a couple drunk tourists, ha! Food? Totally fine- classic bar food that does its job. But let's be real: you're not here to analyze the aioli; you're here for drinks, people-watching, and the feeling that you're exactly where you should be on a beach day. As a local, I can tell you: this is Venice at its best. Casual, a little chaotic, and a whole lot of fun. read more

We had 3 people in my party. We ordered a pizza, beers and a salad. The service and the food were very good. We enjoyed the stunning views as it is right off the ocean. We've eaten here a few times and is a very good spot. read more

The Venice Whaler - American Near Me - Venice, California

An average American restaurant. I would go back because of the location and good music but not the food. We got the 4 oysters for an appetizer. They were disappointly small. Our lunch was two sandwiches: IPA BATTERED COD SANDWICH, anGRILLED CHICKEN BLTA. Everything was just how I expected, basic American food. We got our food really fast but didn't know we had to order and pay at the bar. For drink, we shared a lost weekend. It was pretty diluted, not a lot of flavor. Food and drinks were well priced considering the location. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon read more

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Rachel who is absolutely amazing helped us. She was kind, friendly and knowledgeable. She made our experience at The Whaler worth it. We loved having another woman who was a bright spot in our day to chat with. She was personable, relatable and a true Gem to Venice Beach. We hope to see her again soon. Oh yeah, and the Whaler is cool too. Ha. read more