According to the Los Angeles Times, some of LA’s best bagels can be found at the newly opened Layla’s Bagels in Santa Monica. Their hand-rolled sourdough bagels, a cross between Montreal and New York styles, are definitely a contender for that best bagel crown. Open-faced bagel sandwiches have been all the rage in Los Angeles, attracting long lines at Courage Bagels. At Layla’s, the line isn’t as intimidating, and if you time your visit right (like on a Monday right before noon), you won’t find a line at all.

The staff are quite cheerful and happy to answer any questions you may have. They have eight different bagel sandwiches on the menu, in addition to the standard bagel and schmear, and a handful of non-bagel items like breakfast parfaits, overnight oats, tea bread and cookies.

Their bagels are chewy on the outside and pillowy soft inside. The Laika ($16) was piled high with smoked salmon, tomatoes, pickled onions, cucumbers, capers and herb cream cheese. This is a messy sandwich to eat, so take care that the toppings don’t slide off and decorate the table, or worse, your shirt.

Also picked up The Scarlett ($10) – heirloom tomatoes, lemon zest chili flakes and cream cheese. I thought it was a pretty insane price but once I tried it, I had to admit it was pretty damn good. The tomatoes were ripe and juicy, with the lemon zest and chili flakes heightening the flavors.

I’ve heard good things about The Pre-Jam ($11) with seasonal fruit, honey and cream cheese, though I still think the price is kind of outrageous. With the high quality of ingredients, I guess I shouldn’t complain. Layla’s bagels really are spectacular and worth the wait.

Location – 1614 Ocean Park Blvd, Santa Monica, CA 90405
Website – https://www.laylabagels.com
Kid’s Menu – n/a
Vegetarian /Vegan Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – No