There's a new kid on the block: Laurel Supply, a specialty grocer that just opened in West Hollywood. It's the latest in a wave of trendy city grocers, but the concept isn't new. The OG players, from deep specialty importers to hyper-local curators to wellness-forward markets, have always shared the same throughline: intentionality.

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And while everyone's talking about grocery stores as status flexers, there's something else going on here entirely: the perfect gift store, for any occasion.

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Food has always been how humans show up for each other, whether it's grief, celebration, or just a long week. But a highly curated salt from a small Vermont producer, or Fabbri Amarena Cherries rooted in a century-old Italian recipe just hits differently. You're not just gifting food, you're gifting something that's been deeply considered.

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Nothing from these gourmet grocers feels accidental. And that's exactly what a good gift should feel like too.

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The New Wave / "HypeMart" Grocers 

Erewhon (Silver Lake, Venice, West Hollywood & more): The undisputed originator of the LA HypeMart phenomenon.

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Laurel Supply (West Hollywood): Opened in May 2026 by the team behind WeHo restaurant Laurel Hardware, as a hybrid luxury market and dining concept. The market leans into an organic and European-inspired experience that is stocked with a smoothie, juice, coffee and matcha bar with indoor seating, an organic butcher, sushi counter, gelato selection and more. 

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Botanica (Silver Lake): As well as being one of Silver Lake's most well-known restaurants, they also carry high-quality spices, dried pantry goods, tinned fish, cheeses, charcuterie, and specialty beverages all curated by their staff. 

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The Classic Import & Specialty Grocers

Guidi Marcello (Santa Monica): A family-owned Italian import, wholesale, and retail market with knowledge passed down through three generations, starting with founder Marcello Guidi who left his Tuscan hometown of Lucca in 1945. They include San Marzano tomatoes, unique cheeses, and many other hard-to-find Italian delicacies. 

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Andrew's Cheese Shop (Santa Monica): Since 2008, this shop has brought an international array of wine, beer, specialty goods, and cheese to Santa Monica, curated by owner Andrew Steiner, who has traveled the world in search of gourmet products and become one of LA's foremost cheese experts.

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Cookbook  (Echo Park / Larchmont): A market and neighborhood green grocer stocking fresh local produce, excellent wines, crusty fresh bread, fancy charcuterie, artisanal cheeses, in-house salsas and dips, and fresh-cut flowers.

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Eataly (Century City): The sprawling multi-story LA location offers a thoughtfully curated Italian grocery experience complete with gelato, cooking classes, a sommelier, and multiple restaurants and dining counters. 

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Epicurus Gourmet (Arlington Heights): A well-regarded specialty food destination known for imported European and other specialty goods, popular with both consumers and restaurant buyers.

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Bucatini Los Angeles  (Echo Park / Sunset):— Italian gourmet market with imported pastas, pantry goods, ceramics, and Mediterranean specialties. 

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HauteMess Gourmet Market  (West Hollywood): — Deli-style market with charcuterie, cheese, gelato, specialty wines, and gourmet pantry items.

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The New Wave / "HypeMart" Grocers 

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Meadow Lane (Tribeca): A modern gourmet grocer offering seasonal produce, in-house prepared foods, high-end snacks, homemade milks and juices, a coffee/pastry bar, and a pantry section with specialty oils, honeys, pastas, and caviar sourced from Paris.

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Happier Grocery (Tribeca): Created by a former Marc Jacobs designer and is owned by the same team behind fashion hotspots W.S.A. and S.A.A., and the Cayman Heights hotel Palm Heights. 

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The Classic Import & Specialty Grocers

SOS Chefs  (Alphabet City - Ave B): For culinary enthusiasts nestled in Alphabet City, specializing in sourcing quality ingredients from around the world like rare oils, spices, sauces, syrups, truffles, mushrooms, and more. Their tagline is "Where the Chefs Shop.

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Mast Market  (Upper West Side): A neighborhood organic market and café on a mission to make the nutritious, organic pantry more accessible by working directly with local, organic farmers and making everything in small batches, from house-roasted coffees and stone-milled heritage flours to homemade jams, house-churned butters, and handcrafted chocolate. 

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Butterfield Market (Upper East Side): A century-old institution (since 1915) and still family-owned. 

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Eataly (Flatiron & WTC): A massive Italian market and food hall offering imported Italian products, restaurants, and even Italian cooking classes and events where visitors can learn from professional chefs. 

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Zabar's  (Upper West Side): A culinary institution open since 1934, known for its selection of smoked fish, fresh bagels, olives in big buckets of oil, and imported cheeses. 

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Kalustyan's (Murray Hill / Curry Hill) A landmark gourmet market selling Armenian, Turkish, Middle Eastern, and Indian specialty items since 1944. Famous for its extensive spice selection (including in-house blends), sweeteners, hot sauces, and imported foods from dozens of countries. 

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Despaña (SoHo) The ultimate destination for Spanish gourmet goods, a premium grocer and tapas cafe offering Spanish charcuterie including ibérico and jamón, tinned fish, olive oils, and fine Spanish cheeses, with the majority of items imported directly from Spain.

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Sahadi's  (Brooklyn - Atlantic Ave & Industry City): A long-standing Brooklyn Middle Eastern grocery institution known for fresh hummus, halvah, grilled halloumi wraps, and a vast selection of Mediterranean pantry goods. 

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Essex Market (Lower East Side): A neighborhood institution since the early 19th century, offering fresh produce, spices, small-batch olive oil, kippered salmon, and smoked German sausages, with even more vendors at the adjoining Market Line downstairs. 

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Sunrise Mart (SoHo, East Village, Midtown, Industry City): A Japanese grocery with multiple NYC locations. The Industry City outpost has its own tofu counter and wagyu beef station.

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Murray's Cheese (Greenwich Village + Grand Central) Founded in 1940 in the West Village, they carry hundreds of imported and domestic cheeses, charcuterie, and specialty pantry items. 

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Orchard Grocer (Lower East Side — 78 Orchard St) An all-vegan grocery and deli brought to you by the team behind MooShoes, specializing in hearty sandwiches, homemade soft-serve, hard-to-find pantry items, and snacks that are entirely palm oil free and gluten-free friendly. 

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The OG Grocers

Bi-Rite Market (Mission District & Divisadero — 3 locations) On a mission of "Creating Community Through Food," Bi-Rite is more than a neighborhood grocery store — it's a destination for peak-of-season food from farmers, cheesemongers, ranchers, and makers committed to providing the best-tasting food that's also good for the Earth.

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The Classic Import & Specialty Grocers

Molinari Delicatessen (North Beach) Serving San Francisco's North Beach neighborhood since 1896, this legendary deli specializes in gourmet sandwiches, homemade pastas and sauces, and wines and cheeses imported from Italy. 

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Giovanni Italian Specialties (North Beach) Consistently rated SF's top Italian grocery, carrying a wide range of imported Italian specialty items, cured meats, cheeses, and pantry staples.

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Samiramis Imports (Inner Richmond): A beloved Middle Eastern and Mediterranean import shop carrying olive oils (including world-famous Palestinian olive oil), specialty grains, spices, and hard-to-find pantry items.

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OLIVE Specialty Grocery Store (Inner Richmond) Chock full of Mediterranean delights like good olive oil, pasta, dolma, olives, and jams in an intimate specialty market setting. 

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Cheese Plus  (Russian Hill): A 20-year-old gourmet institution in Russian Hill carrying artisanal and imported cheeses, specialty oils, balsamic vinegars, and an impressive array of gourmet accompaniments.

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The Epicurean Trader  (The Ferry Building, Hayes Valley, Cow Hollow, Castro, Bernal Heights): A neighborhood specialty market offering artisanal cheese, Che Fico sauces, Cascatelli pasta, flowers, and more, with a beloved sandwich counter. 

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Nijiya Market (Japantown): Specializing in Japanese groceries and household items, known for top-quality sushi-grade fish, imported snacks, and bento box offerings. 

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Lehr's German Specialties  (Noe Valley): Nestled in the heart of Noe Valley, which was known as "Germantown" when Lehr's first opened in 1974. Under new owner Hannah, the completely remodeled space offers a solid selection of mustards, cakes, herring, and harder-to-find European imports.

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Luke's Local (Cole Valley, Cow Hollow, North Beach, Inner Sunset). An everyday local grocery store with made-from-scratch prepared foods, organic produce, and a full-service deli and butcher counter.