22 BEST VEGAN RESTAURANTS IN LA (UPDATED 2023): A PLANT-BASED DINING GUIDE FOR LOS ANGELES

As much as I enjoy cooking at home, I do love dining out – and with all of the incredible eateries that my city has to offer, it was due time that I compiled a list of the best vegan restaurants in LA.

It should come as no surprise that Los Angeles has some of the top vegan culinary experiences that the world has to offer. Being a long-established mecca of wellness, it definitely tracks with Angelenos’ reputations that so many people here are vegan or skew more plant-based – so the demand is high, and restauranteurs are following suit.

This list is far from exhaustive – I still have plenty of spots to try in this massive town that seemingly has more vegan restaurants popping up every day. But I think this guide is a fantastic place to start, whether you’re in town for a quick visit, are newly plant-based, or are just down to try some amazing vegan food.

22 Best Vegan Restaurants in LA (Plant-Based Dining in Los Angeles)

1. Crossroads Kitchen (Melrose)
2. Planta (Marina Del Rey, Brentwood)
3. Pura Vita (West Hollywood)
4. Thai Vegan (Santa Monica)
5. Donna Jean (Sherman Oaks)
6. Narita Sushi (Santa Monica)
7. El Cocinero (Van Nuys)
8. Berbere (Santa Monica)
9. Nic’s on Beverly (Beverly Grove)
10. Gracias Madre (West Hollywood)
11. Hijo de Su Madre (West LA)
12. Julie Goes Green (Palms)
13. Cafe Gratitude (Venice, Larchmont, Arts District)
14. Nomoo Burger (Fairfax)
15. Gokoku (Studio City)
16. Sage Plant-Based Bistro (Culver City, Echo Park, Pasadena)
17. Margo’s (Santa Monica)
18. Shojin (Culver City, Downtown)
19. Wild Living Foods (Downtown)
20. Hey, Sunshine Kitchen (Culver City)
21. Veggie Grill (Santa Monica, Westwood, Hollywood, Pasadena, El Segundo, Torrance, Toluca Lake)
22. The Vegan Joint (Downtown, Woodland Hills)

Here’s a quick Google Maps list you can use to head straight to one of our favorite vegan restaurants in LA:

Without further ado, let’s get into my list of the 22 best vegan restaurants in LA!

1. Crossroads Kitchen (Melrose)

You’ll walk into this restaurant and immediately feel transported into New York City. With warm, low lights coming from individual table lamps and beautiful tree-like light fixtures hanging overhead, intimately arranged dark wood tables nestled into upholstered booths and a killer bar, Crossroads is cozy and romantic and cool all at once, and that’s just the aesthetic. The food is another story entirely.

The menu items at Crossroads are truly delectable and up there with some of the best food I’ve ever had, period. And though there’s some tough competition, Crossroad still ranks #1 on my list the best vegan restaurant in LA.

To start, you must order their stuffed squash blossoms, a pillowy dream of creamy cheese encapsulated in a crispy squash morsel and served with marinara on the side. I also highly recommend the grilled sourdough and warm herbed ricotta with apricot glaze as your second starter. And, why not throw in a panzanella order because, well, who doesn’t love a bread salad.

Now, for the main event. This is a restaurant where you truly can’t go wrong with any one order, but I would be remiss not to make a case for the truffle mushroom pizza. The creamy garlic white sauce and gooey, melty cheese couches a magical slew of perfectly marinated mushrooms, truffle, and parmesan, all atop a fluffy dream of a crust. It’s truly spectacular and what I would call a perfect pizza. Also highly recommended: the tagliatelle bolognese. And, the truffle parmesan potatoes are a mind-bending stack of goodness that leads you to the heavens (honestly, this is also a must-order – who doesn’t want their carbs with another side of carbs). To finish, the strawberry mille-feuille: layers of puff pastry, fresh strawberries, and cream make for a perfect sweet finale for what will surely be one of the better meals you’ve had in years.

2. Planta

Planta is very special; and honestly, it’s tied for first with Crossroads in my book. The reason Crossroads nabs the #1 is because of the universally crowd-pleasing quality of its dishes. Planta, on the other hand, wins in creativity, hands down. Their stunning boho-coastal restaurant on the Marina is reminiscent of Miami and is a gorgeous setting to experience their remarkable food. And, as of October 2023, they’ve opened yet another fabulous location in Brentwood!

Ok, now for the good stuff. The heavy hitters on Planta’s menu that will surely blow your mind:

To start, you must order the unagi eggplant nigiri, crispy rice with spicy ahi watermelon, 1,000 layer crispy potatoes, and crab (hearts of palm) tostadas. You can’t go wrong with any of their mains or sides, but I absolutely adored the dragon roll, udon noodles with truffle cream sauce, and street corn. For dessert, we tried the dulce de leche corn cake (be sure to order it a la mode) and savored every morsel. All of that being said, you can’t go wrong with this menu – Planta is such a superb restaurant all-around that’s great for a date night or dinner with friends.

3. Pura Vita (West Hollywood)

Pura Vita is the place you go for damn good Italian food; not good *vegan* Italian food, but because it’s just excellent as a standalone restaurant – the food so authentic and sumptuous that the vegan part is really just an added benefit. So take your parents when they come to town, order a bottle of their organic wine, and indulge in this truly decadent food that is guaranteed to delight anyone you’re dining with.

To order: the baked ricotta with grilled ciabatta is the essential starter on Pura Vita’s menu. For the main course, you can’t not order the carbonara – it’s just sensational and I would travel far and wide for this dish; with smoky and sweet shiitake bacon, creamy romano cheese, and their famous ‘avocado egg,’ it has the classic richness that you want out of a carb0nara without the inevitable heartburn that comes with its non-vegan counterparts. My other favorite menu items: the Pura Vita salad, lasagna pura (traditional lasagna), black magic lasagna (with pesto, mushroom, and black truffle cream – w0w), their capricciosa pizza, San Gennaro pizza, and Bianca diavolina pizza. I’ll say it once and I’ll say it again, (and again and again) Pura Vita is, hands down, the best vegan Italian restaurant in LA.

4. Thai Vegan (Santa Monica Main St. + Santa Monica Mid-City)

If I had to choose an easy, delicious, and healthy takeout spot to order takeout from every week, I would choose Thai Vegan over and over. I’ve been ordering from this place even B.V. (before vegan) and have come to love it (and eat it) even more since I made the transition to being fully vegan. It’s a no-frills kind of place and is more takeout-centric, but so incredibly consistent, satisfying, and flavorful.

And in terms of curries, they just don’t get any better than Thai Vegan’s: I oscillate between the green and Massaman curries but have been partial to the nutty sweetness of the latter these days. As for noodles, their pad thai is phenomenal, with their soy sauce noodles (pad see ew) coming in at a close second. Also, their vegan orange chicken is incredibly tasty, as are their spring rolls, tom kha and tom yum soups (my go-to for when I’m feeling under the weather – it heals all). If you’re craving Thai, then search no further than Thai Vegan for the best vegan Thai restaurant in LA.

5. Donna Jean (Sherman Oaks)

When I think of my experience dining at Donna Jean, I think about an establishment that runs on a pure love of food. The manager was deeply passionate about their menu and took so much pride in the quality of ingredients – and while his energy was infectious, the flavors of in food spoke for themselves. These pillowy raviolis were a special at the time and were filled with a creamy vegan cheese and topped with chives, meyer lemon, and parmesan – I absolutely loved this dish. We also had their ‘really good salad’ with a delicious roasted garlic vinaigrette and devoured the house bread, which came with delightful sides of butter, pesto, oil and vinegar, and bomba calabrese. I’m really motivated to get back to Donna Jean and sample more of their menu – they’re such a great addition to the Valley!

6. Narita Vegan Sushi (Santa Monica)

It was about time that a vegan sushi spot opened in Santa Monica and Narita does not disappoint in the least. I was craving sushi one night and remembered that this place had recently opened, so I opted for their caterpillar roll (pictured), California roll, and miso soup. All were fantastic, but my favorite was actually their simple California roll which uses a chickpea mash for their “tuna” – it’s delicious and really hits the spot.

7. El Cocinero (Van Nuys)

I’m writing this post the morning after trying El Cocinero, which was preceded by a period of intense anticipation and longing as I’d heard about this place from a fellow vegan for some time. The thing about vegan Mexican is that it often falls into the “fancy” category, at least here in LA. But El Cocinero has managed to carve out its niche as truly the best Mexican joint in the Valley, bar none, and even the biggest carnivores out there love this spot – because the flavors, textures, and fast-casual dining experience are just everything you want out of a traditional Mexican restaurant, irrespective of the meat component.

Their birria (pictured above) is the best I’ve ever had – and you have to order the three tacos dorados stuffed with this saucy, fresh, jackfruit-based filling. The super nachos with cheesy refried beans, cashew cheese, pico de gallo, chipotle crema, cashew crema, avocado crema, and pickled jalapeños are a must-order, too. We also tried their mulita with vegan chicken and quesadilla with asada – but you clearly can’t go wrong with any order at El Cocinero, this place is a true gem. It easily earns its title as my top vegan Mexican street food restaurant in LA.

8. Berbere (Santa Monica)

Berbere is a place with a lot of heart and excellent food. The owners are a sweet couple that recently opened this vegan Ethiopian restaurant in downtown Santa Monica. And when you taste their food, you’ll get why it’s so high on this list – the flavors are just so vibrant, complex, and incredibly delicious. Of the items I’ve tried so far, their ‘Eat the Rainbow’ is one of my favorites – I savored every bite of this bowl of red lentils, turmeric garbanzo, sautéed greens, purple cabbage, and potato, with each component so perfectly seasoned with their distinct Ethiopian spices, all served with the authentic teff injera, a spongy soda bread that is so tangy and unique (use it as your spoon when scooping up all of the delicious components of this dish)!

Their rosemary root salad, ET twist tacos, and plant burger are also phenomenal and I have to be honest with you, it’s hard to choose between those four dishes I just mentioned, so I recommended ordering them all and saving any leftovers for the next day (if you have any, that is). And guess what: they also have a killer vegan brunch. Their brekkie burrito is a new addition to my list of the best vegan breakfast burritos in LA and comes with a side of incredible roasted potatoes (which comes with a side of their signature tangy, creamy Berbere sauce and makes for truly some of the best taters I’ve had, like, ever). Their teff pancakes are also a tasty yet light take on a breakfast favorite, and the enkulal firfir is also so great, which is Berbere’s take on a tofu scramble with onion, jalapeño, tomato, served with kinche (bulgar) and house-made flatbread.

9. Nic’s on Beverly (Beverly Grove)

Nic’s on Beverly is just a delightful establishment. Their decor is beautiful, whether you’re dining on their string-lit patio or cozy, well-appointed interior. I absolutely love the avocado crispy rice with ponzu, grapefruit, and cilantr0, a well-loved starter of theirs and for good reason. Their Chinois on Beverly Salad with yuzu sesame vinaigrette, wontons, pickled ginger, and cashews, is a fabulous take on the Chinese chicken salad. And, their Nic’s Burger is also a fantastic vegan burg with an Impossible patty, American cheese, chef’s special sauce, lettuce, pepperoncini, and of course, fries. Their brunch also appears to be sensational (the breakfast sandwich with sausage, cheese, shallot potato cakes, folded vegan eggs, and red Fresno aioli looks out-of-this-world).

10. Gracias Madre (West Hollywood)

Gracias Madre is the ultimate *cool* vegan restaurant in LA, and I love them for it. They’re always packed, and for good reason – their food is objectivley awesome, the vibes are great, and you’re guaranteed to have a great experience here (it’s a great date spot, too). My favorite are their enchiladas verdes with soy chorizo, potato, tomatillo salsa, sautéed greens, and avocado. I also love their potato pimiento flautas (pictured above), empanadas, and little gem salad. They also make a great margarita.

11. Hijo de su Madre (West LA)

This spot is such a hidden gem! What started as a vegan Yucatecan food truck in 2019 has now evolved into a brick-and-mortar between West LA and Rancho Park. The owner’s origin story is inspiring, too – he learned he was pre-diabetic in his mid-twenties and made the decision to go vegan; fast forward to today and what started as a health choice led him to converting his mother’s Yucatecan recipes into plant-based versions that he loved, bringing that food to others, and ultimately the reason he was able to reverse his pre-diabetes (we love to hear it)! I wanted to try a few things so I opted for their combo meal, in which I chose a bahn mi taco, ensalada rusta tostada, watermelon mint agua fresca, and coconut pastelito for dessert. Everything was brimming with flavor and so much passion that goes into the food.

12. Julie Goes Green (Palms)

Julie Goes Green is another hidden gem in West LA and so deserving of a spot on this list of the best vegan restaurants in LA – it’s a tucked-away spot in an unassuming strip mall, but who needs a fancy restaurant when your food is objectively this great. They have a small dining area but I tend to opt for takeout with this place because it’s kind of the best comfort food that you want to enjoy on your couch, in PJ’s, while watching a movie. You know the vibe.

If I had to choose a favorite menu item, it’d have to be the California Sunshine pizza with house pesto, cashew cream sauce, mozzarella, avocado, tomato, mixed greens, vegan bacon, and ranch drizzle. I also love their buffalo cauliflower, minestrone soup, Italian salad, and Feisty Buffalo pizza. I also hear that their pink sauce penne pasta with mushrooms is stellar.

12. Cafe Gratitude (Venice, Larchmont, Arts District)

Cafe Gratitude gets major points for being one of the O.G. vegan restaurants in LA., and they pride themselves on working with local farmers that use regenerative practices. They have fantastic bowls and salads (I love the ‘Aware’ with butter lettuce, endive, and Asian pears) as the ‘Fuerte,’ which is basically a super clean, vegan version of a crunch wrap. Their chickpea vegan quiche is also excellent (pictured above).

13. Nomoo Burger (Fairfax)

There are an insane number of vegan burger joints popping up around LA so it’s tough for me to choose the best one – but I did my “research” (which involved months of burger consumption), gave it ample time and consideration, and landed on NoMoo as a top burger pick (check out my list of the top 10 vegan burgers in L.A. to see who else made the cut). Between their brioche bun, special Nomoo sauce, tender impossible patty, American cheese, all the fixings you’d want on a delicious burger, plus a knockout selection of dips to drown their excellent fries in, NoMoo burgers are simply a dream. Oh – and they donate 10% of their profits to local community organizations. Suffice it to say, there’s a litmus list of reasons as to why they’re included among the best vegan restaurants in LA; they’ve more than earned the praise.

14. Gokoku (Studio City)

I had the pleasure of trying Gokoku last summer while I was passing through Studio City, and was in awe of their creative and downright delicious sushi and ramen. They’re fully vegetarian and essentially everything can be made vegan. I ordered their crispy rice with spicy vegan tuna, garlic eggplant roll, and dynamite vegan crab meat roll – all were completely drool-worthy. And while I haven’t tried their ramen yet, it gets rave reviews and I’m making a point of trying it this winter season.

16. Sage Plant-Based Bistro (Culver City, Echo Park, Agoura Hills, Pasadena)

I’ve only eaten at Sage twice so far, but immediately found their food to be extremely high-quality, nutritious, and flavorful; and they’ve more than earned this their spot on this list of best vegan restaurants in LA. I loved the BBQ pulled ‘pork’ (a.k.a. jackfruit) sandwich with avocado-lime dressing, coleslaw, and garlic aioli on a whole wheat baguette – very tasty. And the Brazilian burrito was a decadently loaded combination of plantains, mushrooms, leeks, chopped jalapeño, black beans, brown rice, avocado, garlic aioli, and habanero ‘cream cheese’ in a whole wheat tortilla wrap.

17. Margo’s (Santa Monica)

Margo’s gets major props for shifting into this latest plant-forward version of the restaurant – they’re now about half vegan, half not. Their food is also genuinely good, and given I live in the neighborhood, this is a restaurant I frequent often. They also have a great happy hour that goes ’til 6p on Mondays-Fridays.

My favorite so far, hands down, has to be their mushroom pizza (can you tell I love a mushroom pizza?) with mozzarella, caramelized onions, thyme, and a beautiful assortment of organic mushrooms topped with parmesan, it’s just a great pie and has become a frequent takeout order for us. Their caesar salad is also excellent, as is the 1/4 pound cheeseburger with an impossible patty, American cheese, beefsteak tomato, red onion, sweet dill pickles, and their house sauce. For brunch, I love their french toast sticks, chilaquiles, and breakfast sandwich.

18. Shojin (Culver City, Downtown)

Shojin is a fully vegan, organic, macrobiotic, gluten-free, and refined sugar-free Japanese restaurant that very evidently cares about serving high-quality, plant-based fare. You must order the baked “crab” hand roll, it’s my favorite menu item I’ve tried so far. The king oyster yakitori skewers were so flavorful and tender, as well. Their dynamite roll was great, with spicy tofu and avocado topped with torched spicy mayo and dynamite sauce, as was their baked “crab” hand roll. The “pirates of the crunchy” was also a fun order, with crunchy garbanzo beans and tempura flakes mixed with spicy mayo on top of an avocado, cucumber, and shiso herb leaf roll.

19. Wild Living Foods (Downtown)

Wild Living Foods is such a unique place. Their food is all organic, scratch-made, gluten-free, and raw – making it probably the most nutrient-dense place to dine in DTLA. I’ve tried the alfredo pesto pasta and aztlan bowl (with pumpkin seed chorizo and creamy chipotle dressing – wow), and both were very tasty, filling, and I left there feeling so well-nourished. Their desserts – from tiramisu, to cinnamon rolls, to house-made ice cream – all looked fantastic, as well.

20. Hey, Sunshine Kitchen (Culver City)

Hey, Sunshine is a wonderful new addition to the vegan restaurant circuit – its women-owned (by sisters, no less), non-GMO, and mission-driven – what more could you ask for in a fast-casual vegan restaurant? I loved their BBQ Tofu Bowl (pictured), as well as their caesar salad and chocolate chip sprinkle cookie.

21. Veggie Grill (Santa Monica, Westwood, Hollywood, Pasadena, El Segundo, Torrance, Toluca Lake)

I really appreciate Veggie Grill for what it is – a rare fast-casual vegan food concept that has expanded across the country. Access to these kinds of restaurants is really what I think can move the needle on helping more people go plant-based, and I think it’s so important to support them as they continue to expand. I’ve tried a handful of their menu items, but their truffle mac + cheese, buffalo blitz wrap, and caesar crunch salad are a few of my favorites.

22. The Vegan Joint (West LA, Downtown, Woodland Hills)

The Vegan Joint is another fast-casual vegan restaurant in Los Angeles that deserves a lot of praise for its extensive, versatile menu – they do everything from Thai, to Mexican, to American – and I’ve never ordered anything there that I didn’t like. Their pumpkin curry is so good, as is the veggie soup, tofu scramble breakfast burrito, and crispy veggie spring rolls (they really do it all)!

If you’ve made it this far – well – you’re probably hungry so use that Google map above to find the closest spot to whet that vegan appetite. And, thank you for coming along on this very long, albeit worthwhile journey that has resulted in what is certainly my longest blog post to date, and yet it’s probably the most fun I’ve had while writing a post. Taste-testing my way around the best vegan restaurants in LA hasn’t been too bad, either 🙂

Taking stock of all of the remarkable plant-based food options we have in this city has been such a heartening reminder of the growth we’re seeing in the vegan food space. I hope you try each and every restaurant on this list, and please leave a comment below if you visited any of these spots or feel free to share any that I may have missed!