The best bagel shops in Los Angeles

A bagel renaissance is boiling over in Los Angeles.

For years now, local bagel makers have been perfecting recipes and styles, intent on shifting our city’s reputation for lackluster rings. While at first these bakers sought to replicate the nostalgia of New York- and Montreal-style bagels, regional styles have since emerged. Often, the toppings highlight seasonal produce, and the bagels themselves are airier, with crispy and chewy crusts. Some of the best bagel shops in L.A. are standing out by skipping the sugar and yeast and taking extra time to let their dough rise naturally.

There’s Courage Bagels, opened by Arielle Skye and her husband, Chris Moss, in 2020, in a former panadería in Virgil Village. Four years later, you’ll still find a parade of hungry Angelenos patiently lined up at the shop from open to close, rain or shine. It’s the only bagel shop to earn a spot on critic Bill Addison’s annual 101 Best Restaurants guide two years running.

In Santa Monica, two popular bagel shops — Jyan Isaac Bread and Layla Bagels — sit side by side on Ocean Park Drive. Both are open daily with almost identical hours yet don’t seem in competition — it helps that Jyan offers a wide selection of breads in addition to sourdough bagels.

Business partners Zach Werner and Joe Barker opened Smögen Appetizers in Studio City late last year. Werner, who grew up going to Jewish delis in Miami and New York, sought to bring a comparable bagel experience to San Fernando Valley.

Popping up at Barker’s wine bar Vintage Wine + Eats every weekend for breakfast and brunch, Smögen pays homage to Jewish appetizing stores that specialize in bagel toppings like smoked fish and plays on California seafood staples, such as sushi-grade hamachi and ahi poke that top furikake-dusted bagels.

“Because we want the best, I hand slice my lox,” Werner says. “The machine just won’t slice it as thin as I want it. That’s something I loved from New York was watching the guys slice my lox.”

You can grab bulk bagels and pints of schmear for an affordable price from most of the shops featured on this list, but be prepared for bagel sandwiches with fillings such as pastrami-seasoned lox, whitefish salad with dry-aged hamachi collar or honey-drizzled blood orange from Santa Monica Farmers Market to be priced accordingly.

From Irvine to Highland Park to old town El Segundo, here are 21 bagel shops for a taste of L.A.’s overflowing scene.

A bagel renaissance is boiling over in Los Angeles.

For years now, local bagel makers have been perfecting recipes and styles, intent on shifting our city’s reputation for lackluster rings. While at first these bakers sought to replicate the nostalgia of New York- and Montreal-style bagels, regional styles have since emerged. Often, the toppings highlight seasonal produce, and the bagels themselves are airier, with crispy and chewy crusts. Some of the best bagel shops in L.A. are standing out by skipping the sugar and yeast and taking extra time to let their dough rise naturally.

There’s Courage Bagels, opened by Arielle Skye and her husband, Chris Moss, in 2020, in a former panadería in Virgil Village. Four years later, you’ll still find a parade of hungry Angelenos patiently lined up at the shop from open to close, rain or shine. It’s the only bagel shop to earn a spot on critic Bill Addison’s annual 101 Best Restaurants guide two years running.

In Santa Monica, two popular bagel shops — Jyan Isaac Bread and Layla Bagels — sit side by side on Ocean Park Drive. Both are open daily with almost identical hours yet don’t seem in competition — it helps that Jyan offers a wide selection of breads in addition to sourdough bagels.

Business partners Zach Werner and Joe Barker opened Smögen Appetizers in Studio City late last year. Werner, who grew up going to Jewish delis in Miami and New York, sought to bring a comparable bagel experience to San Fernando Valley.

Popping up at Barker’s wine bar Vintage Wine + Eats every weekend for breakfast and brunch, Smögen pays homage to Jewish appetizing stores that specialize in bagel toppings like smoked fish and plays on California seafood staples, such as sushi-grade hamachi and ahi poke that top furikake-dusted bagels.

“Because we want the best, I hand slice my lox,” Werner says. “The machine just won’t slice it as thin as I want it. That’s something I loved from New York was watching the guys slice my lox.”

You can grab bulk bagels and pints of schmear for an affordable price from most of the shops featured on this list, but be prepared for bagel sandwiches with fillings such as pastrami-seasoned lox, whitefish salad with dry-aged hamachi collar or honey-drizzled blood orange from Santa Monica Farmers Market to be priced accordingly.

From Irvine to Highland Park to old town El Segundo, here are 21 bagel shops for a taste of L.A.’s overflowing scene.