Mtn

Step into Mtn and you’ll immediately understand why Venice locals rarely venture beyond their neighborhood borders. This moody, modern izakaya from the culinary minds behind Gjelina and Gjusta pulses with energy, filling the space with music your coolest friend would recognize. The design eschews traditional tables in favor of a sprawling bar and communal high-tops, creating an atmosphere that feels both intimate and buzzing with social energy.

The kitchen takes a greatest-hits approach to Japanese cuisine, bouncing between sushi, ramen, grilled skewers, and vegetable-forward small plates. The standouts lean into simplicity done exceptionally well. Mushrooms arrive swimming in yuzu butter so good you’ll want to drink it straight, while the seasonal tomato salad with its bold sesame and wasabi notes might be the single best dish on the menu. The sauteed tatsoi proves that vegetables can absolutely steal the show when treated with care and draped in creamy sesame dressing.

This is an ideal spot for date nights or solo dining at the bar, where friendly staff will guide you through sake options and let you sample before committing. Watching chefs work the grill right in front of you adds theater to your meal. The grilled duck breast skewer comes with a Japanese mustard so addictive you’ll find yourself using it as a dipping sauce for everything else on the table.

Fair warning: Mtn doesn’t come cheap. A dinner for two with drinks can easily climb toward the $250 mark, which makes this more of a special occasion spot than a weekly haunt. But for quality Japanese food in a genuinely fun setting on one of LA’s most coveted streets, it delivers an experience worth the investment.