​​​Thanks to social media platforms like Instagram and Youtube, Los Angeles has become well established as a prime travel destination for vegans in the United States. Many vegans in the United States have long hailed Los Angeles as a vegan oasis. L.A. is complete with vegan-friendly eateries, vegan-only restaurants as well as cafes, juice bars and bakeries.

While the verdict is still out on what United States city is most vegan friendly, it’s safe to say L.A. is somewhere near the top of that list. We’ve already created the ultimate list of our favorite all-vegan restaurants in New York City. And now we’ve compiled a list of our favorite Vegan restaurants in Los Angeles. Read on to discover our top picks from raw friendly eateries, to fast casual dining, to organic Mexican inspired and local and organic focused restaurants. We’ve even compiled a bonus list at the end of some of our favorite vegan cafes, juice bars and bakeries.

Vegan Restaurants - Los Angeles

10

Sun Cafe

This organic plant-based cafe serves up a variety of raw and cooked vegan dishes with a focus on making healthy food taste incredible. Sun Cafe’s owners opened the cafe with more than fifty years combined experience in eating a vegetarian diet. They both eventually shifted over to a vegan, more raw focused diet. They understood the importance of highlighting the natural beauty and deliciousness of fresh, raw and cooked vegan foods. And strive to share only the best with their customers.

This cafe has a rather casual vibe, with lots of wood and beautiful honeycomb walls. However, their food is anything but casual. With dishes such as cast iron cooked Mac and Cheese, Rainbow Au Gratin with King Oyster Mushrooms in Wine Sauce, Black Garlic Pizza and Almond Butter Cheesecake, they offer a wide variety of classics as well as more gourmet takes on plant-based cuisine. They all serve them up beautifully plated and showcasing just how beautiful vegan food can be.

Their entire menu is worth trying, however, our favorites are their takes on classic comfort foods. The Baked Lasagna is gluten-free and features not only the traditional combination of marinara and cashew ricotta, but also a walnut pesto for a flavorful twist. Their White Truffle Pizza is a delectable combination of vegetables tossed with white truffle oil and two varieties of cashew cheese. It is sure to leave you satisfied with the savory and hearty meal.

9

S​age Bistro

This whole foods based restaurant in Echo Park is a vegan foodie’s dream. The chef and founder share their appreciation of the abundance of California crops by meeting multiple times a week with local farmers to procure the best organic, in-season produce to make unique and beautiful dishes. Though it is a tiny space, Sage Bistro’s Echo Park location is a modern, hip space that is truly a well-designed beauty.

The menu features a wide variety of foods from salads and bowls to flatbreads and even freshly baked soft pretzels. This restaurant is friendly for all kinds of eaters, whether a super health conscious vegan or a generally picky omnivore. It even offers labeling to help those with food allergies sharing what dishes are soy free, gluten free and nut free.

While we could sing the praises of all their food, we absolutely love their Hot Wing Wrap and Baked Gluten Free Soft Pretzels. The Hot Wing Wrap features the trendy and delicious buffalo cauliflower, alongside fresh veggies and a ranch dipping sauce. It’s the perfect combination of spicy, fatty, fresh and light. The Baked Gluten Free Soft Pretzels are made to order and are a throwback to the fast food chains we used to frequent as a kid. The soft pretzels are served with a nacho cheese, habanero sour cream and maple mustard dipping sauce, giving you a wide variety of tastes to savor and enjoy.

 

8

Native Foods Cafe

Native Foods Cafe is part of a fast casual vegan chain that is changing the scene of fast casual dining in the United States. With several locations from California to Illinois, they offer one hundred percent plant-based cuisine, as well as GMO-free guaranteed soy and corn in their completely in-house made food. The vibe is consistent with fast casual. That's why it’s a great place to go for a bite to eat without feeling underdressed or overwhelmed.

With a variety of foods such as burgers, wraps, bowls, and even a kids menu, this restaurant focuses on plant-based versions of traditional fast food. This makes it a great place to bring those who may be more skeptical of vegan fare. We absolutely love to indulge in the Crazy Good Grilled Chicken Sandwich. A combination of plant-based chicken on a pretzel bun with a smoked vegan gouda, parmesan truffle potato chips, roasted tomatoes, arugula and truffle aioli. The combination of textures, and gourmet takes on traditional combinations just wows us every time. And we can’t recommend it enough.

7

Real Food Daily

vegan restaurants los angeles

Image Source: Vijay Narasimhan/Flickr

Real Food Daily is an all plant-based, mostly organic restaurant that offers a variety of healthy, quick fare vegan foods. This restaurant has three locations and their LA location is based in LAX. So while it is not the most glamorous vibe, it’s great for a casual date or grab-and-go.

Real Food Daily offers a variety of foods and drinks such as milkshakes and smoothies, sandwiches, bowls, pasta and even calzones. The menu features easy to identify labeling for those with allergies making it a great place for those with soy, gluten or nut allergies. Our favorites here are the oh so healthy Superfood Smoothie, featuring cacao, goji berries and chia seeds in hemp milk. We also can’t get enough of their coffee chocolate ganache milkshake because it contains some of our favorite foods. Their build-your-own calzone is our favorite meal. We love the cashew mozzarella with caramelized onions, truffle oil and roasted mushrooms.

6

Shojin

vegan restaurants los angeles

Image Source: HC/Flickr

Shojin is a restaurant that can’t be missed when discussing vegan dining options in Los Angeles. The restaurant features organic vegan Japanese cuisine, free from chemicals and refined sugar, that also happens to be macrobiotic and gluten free. Shojin’s locations feature low lighting for a warm, cozy ambience that has a modern appeal. The menu has something for everyone, featuring a variety of appetizers, salads and of course, sushi rolls. We’re particularly fond of the Maple Glazed Brussel Sprouts as well as the Purple Treasure roll, featuring eggplant, avocado, shiitake mushrooms and a sweet tahini sauce. 

5

Gracias Madre

vegan restaurants los angeles

Image Source: Stephanie/Flickr

While technically in West Hollywood, Gracias Madre is so close to LA we had to include it on our list. This vegan restaurant was created with a love for organic, locally sourced,  Mexican inspired cuisine. The interior is beautifully warm with lots of natural elements. The place has an inviting atmosphere that is perfect for an intimate evening with loved ones. The menu features items such as Young Coconut Ceviche, Nopales, Enchiladas Verde and Chimichangas. We love their Sopes Con Mango, a deliciously filling mix of potato cakes with a fruity mango habanero salsa, guacamole, lack beans and the perfect amount of cashew crema. If you manage to save room for dessert (or just make a visit for dessert) the fudge brownies are perfection. With salted caramel sauce, coconut bacon and cashew whipped cream, they leave you wanting nothing more except perhaps one more bite.

4

Plant Food and Wine

Matthew Kenney’s Plant Food and Wine is yet another exquisite example of just how much he honors and understands plant-based cuisine. Plant Food and Wine receives a lot of buzz, and not just for their hip location on Abbet Kinney Boulevard, but because they showcase seasonal, locally sourced and organic fare and turn it into masterfully created pieces of art. The interior is exceptionally modern and sleek, yet simple and the patio dining area has a beautiful ambience. This is the kind of restaurant that begs you to enjoy it with loved ones. And if that includes getting dressed up, it would not feel unwelcoming.

The menu features dishes such as Kimchi Dumplings, Farro Fennel Sausage, and Coconut Cream Pie. We love a good nut cheese, and their Flora Artisanal Cheese Plate is amazing. It includes a variety of nut cheeses featuring flavors such as truffle, harissa and fennel. No one should leave here without dessert, and the tiramisu is a grand and elegant dish that’ll certainly have you moaning with delight.

3

Cafe Gratitude

vegan restaurants los angeles

Image Source: watashiwani/Flickr

Cafe Gratitude has been a hit since opening in 2004. Since expanding to several locations, it has continued to garner love and praise. Known for their attitude of gratitude, the menu, as well as servers, conspire to help you feel grateful and consider abundance while you dine on their plant-based cuisine. The restaurant has several locations featuring a variety of beautiful, modern, warm and charming decor that is perfect for casual or fancy dining. Their menus are more pared down than some restaurants, however, offer quite a variety within their limited selection. We absolutely love their Dazzling Kale Salad, filled with delicious toppings like gomasio, nut parmesan, croutons, creamy dressing and avocado. If the salad doesn’t manage to fill you up, any of their incredible desserts are worth the splurge, especially the Divine Strawberry Shortcake.

2

Au Lac

Au Lac is one of those restaurants you hear their praises sung time and again, and it’s no wonder why. The restaurant originally opened with Vietnamese plant-based cuisine. It expanded to include a variety of dishes including many raw that have often been referred to as the best raw food ever made. The restaurant serves its beautiful plant-based fare in a cozy, sleek setting, perfect for evenings with friends and family, whether casual or more fanciful. The menu features dishes such as Salt and Pepper Shrimp, Ramen Solstice, Curried Rice and Claypot Fish. All of their dishes are unique and delicious. However one would be missing out if they didn’t try the Choconut X-tasy, a cake like mix of layers of cacao and coconut with pecans and almonds.

1

Crossroads

No visit to Los Angeles is complete without a trip to Crossroads restaurant. This beautiful vegan restaurant offers an upscale, refined dining experience that can be described as nothing short of magical. With a beautiful, ambient environment and varied menu including a wide variety of mixed drinks, this is the one restaurant you must visit if you’re looking for amazing food and want to get dressed up for an evening out. The menu consists of items such as Crab Cakes, Parmesan Cauliflower and Tagliatelle Bolognese. We love the creamy French Onion Dip and the Funghi Misti pizza is a must try for mushroom lovers. If you’re able to make it for brunch, you will be delighted by the wide variety of both sweet and savory items offered. This includes the oh so amazing Impossible Breakfast Sausage Sandwich. 

And a few of our favorite vegan friendly cafes, juice bars and bakeries…

vegan restaurants los angeles

Moon Juice


This brand has a cult-like following for its incredible array of juices, tonics, and healing foods and supplements. It’s worthwhile for any vegan or serious health enthusiast to stop in and enjoy a beverage or snack. Check out their Cold Brew Coffee and Almond Moon complete with medicinal mushrooms.


Pressed Juicery


This juice bar has several locations offering delicious juices from classics like green juices to unique blends like grapefruit, aloe vera and mint and even trendy juices such as celery. They also offer freezes, which is like a soft serve ice cream with a wide array of toppings. It makes this an easy to find and delicious option if you’re out and about and need nourishment.


Donut Friend


A completely vegan donut shop filled with delicious donuts that you can purchase or even build your own! Any vegan donut lover will want to try the house Bacon donut, made with a maple glaze and coconut bacon or the Custard Front Drive, filled with Bavarian cream and topped with a chocolate glaze.


Donut Farm


This one hundred percent organic vegan donut shop is the place to be. With an organic vegan coffee menu as well as brunch, even non vegans can find something delicious to enjoy. Plus, let’s just revel in the fact that all the donuts, from vanilla frosted to matcha green tea and whiskey tangerine fig, are completely vegan!

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