I'm from LA, born and raised. Venice has always been one of our tourist gems. So I had a friend from NYC visiting, decided to do a night at Donnas ( I live in Hollywood) - and I couldn't believe how much of a gem this place is. Literally - the heart of Venice. We did a $7 Uber to Bungalow in Santa Monica then bar-hopped down the coast until getting back to Venice.
For LA visitors - it's be hard to find a better located place for your stay.