The best vegetarian restaurants in Los Angeles

Vegan. For the last decade, Tal Ronnen’s high-end vegan eatery has helped ease the transition to plant-based eating for countless Angelenos, with omnivore-geared, crowd-pleasing dishes like carbonara pasta (topped with a sungold tomato “egg yolk”), fried mushrooms that resemble calamari in both taste and texture and artichoke “oysters.” A favorite among celebrities, including the Kardashians, a newer Calabasas location extends the restaurant’s reach to much of the Valley—and has helped free up seats at the Melrose original for regular folks just looking for a great vegan meal. Throw in the upscale atmosphere and truffle-forward tasting menu at dinner, and you’ve got the ideal place for special occasions that will leave everyone happy.

Vegetarian-friendly. Chefs Niki Nakayama and Carole Iida-Nakayama may be renowned across the city for their treatment of meat and seafood, but this two-Michelin-starred restaurant in Palms is equally deft at crafting new-school kaiseki for vegetarians (with vegan modifications respectfully declined). Seasonal ingredients like wild mushrooms, kabocha squash and yamaimo okra might show up in the zensai—an appetizer course designed to amuse all five senses. Mozzarella cheese gets the white glove treatment in the form of agemono—the traditional fried course in kaiseki. While reservations here are notoriously difficult to snag, vegetarian gourmands will definitely enjoy the eventual meal they’ll have here.

Vegetarian-friendly. Equal parts celebrity hotspot and exceptional fine dining destination, this ultra-stylish Sunset Strip hotel eatery offers flawless vegetable-forward cuisine and an air of sweeping, expensive romance that’ll make you forget all about the fact you’ll have to pay $20 for the EDITION’s valet parking, if not more. Here, hosts in slinky white dresses and kitten-heeled boots will usher you to the plant-filled, warm-hued dining room—and the overall effect is downright cinematic. Every (vegetarian) dish that arrives dazzles here, from the must-order milk bread topped with caramelized beefsteak tomatoes to the mushroom and Brussels sprouts terrine. Larger groups can splurge on the eye-poppingly expensive gooseberry phyllo pizza drizzled with aged balsamic dinner; the tableside preparation and final product make it well worth the price. (For our full review, click the link below.)

Vegetarian. A far easier reservation than n/naka for special occasions, this chef’s counter in Koreatown serves an extremely traditional French tasting menu—all sans meat and seafood. (They may show up as supplements, however.) Made with vegetables grown in the chef’s own garden, plus bread made with a decades-old sourdough starter, the vegetarian courses here lack the pizzazz of most L.A. fine dining destinations, but the tweezer-facilitated attention to detail will definitely wow for birthdays, anniversaries and other commemorative meals. With a few days’ notice, head chef Gary Menes can also accommodate vegan diners—so your fully plant-based friends can partake as well.

Vegan. Is any vegetarian dining guide complete without Café Gratitude? Despite the woo-woo vibes surrounding the place (each menu is named after an intention), this plant-based eatery in Larchmont and Venice has long delivered when it comes to flavorful, health-conscious fare that leaves you feeling good. The array of sweet and savory bowls come jam packed with ingredients like blackened tempeh and roasted garnet yams that pull maximal flavor out of fruits, grains and vegetables. The tonics and teas might be the stuff of L.A. stereotypes, but if you’re in the mood to splurge on beverages made with “superfoods” like ashwagandha and ceremonial-grade matcha, this is the place to do it.

Vegan. This plant-based fast-casual restaurant in Culver City comes from Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, the sisters behind Spork Foods, a vegan catering and cookbook empire. Since opening last August, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen has become one of the highest rated independent restaurants on Yelp. After one bite of food here, you’ll quickly realize why. The warm, vibrantly colored grain bowls, particularly the Mediterranean chickpea option, pack major flavor in humble packages and can be modded out to your exact specifications. The hot sandwiches and tacos made with plant-based fish, jackfruit carnitas and Impossible beef crumble hit the spot for a tasty lunch or comfort food craving. The attention to detail and overall deliciousness is on par with one of my favorite plant-based restaurants of all time: Chef Tanya’s Kitchen in Palm Springs. Grain bowls, tacos and sandwiches might not sound all that exciting, but Hey, Sunshine Kitchen is proof that you don’t need to reinvent the wheel—you merely need to perfect it.

Vegan. This dinnertime vegan sushi spot in Culver City is a hidden gem for anyone who can appreciate flavorful, creative plant-based cuisine. At Shojin (named after the Shinto Buddhist vegan diet), you’ll find a range of inventive, all-organic dishes delivered in an intimate, upscale-casual setting with lightly playing jazz music and relaxed clientele. The well-appointed back patio is also ideal for special occasions, thanks to adept servers and white tablecloths. Highlights include Shojin’s spicy “tuna” dynamite roll, made with tofu and avocado, as well as their Purple Treasure, which swaps out raw fish for pieces of buttery eggplant on top of asparagus and carrot maki rolls.

Vegan. After a tenure at pre-pandemic Smorgasburg L.A., chef Tezeta “Tete” Alemayehu flipped her vegan Ethiopian food concept, T&T Lifestyle, into the brick-and-mortar Berbere, a casual Santa Monica eatery serving delicious, plant-based food. Also run by Alemayehu’s partner, Tsega-Ab “Bicko” Fenta, Berbere bills itself as an “unusual vegan restaurant,” which it absolutely is—in the best way possible. The restaurant offers an expanded menu of flatbreads, burritos and tacos, in addition to her signature Eat the Rainbow, a quartet of colorful vegetable and legume stews served with spongy housemade injera. Tip: Order the strong, citrus- and spice-infused Ethiopian coffee and tea.

Vegetarian. Right next to Studio City's always-crowded Easy Street Burgers, chef Shanshan Liu Estacio is serving some of L.A.’s most flavorful, affordable vegan sushi and ramen. Aside from optional egg add-on, everything at Gokuku is 100% plant-based. Creations like the Salmon Lover (made with a tapioca-based fish substitute), Dynamite Shrimp and Gokoku’s take on a classic California roll would fool even the biggest sushi roll fan, and the rich, sunflower seed-based broth here is one of the best bowls of ramen in the city, vegan or not. Estacio rounds out her menu with rice plates, a killer take on garlic noodles and plenty of appetizers—and while the dizzyingly large menu might offer dozens of options for your meal, no need to worry: Everything’s pretty great.

Vegetarian-friendly. Globally inspired wellness cuisine might be de rigueur by now, but this Hollywood rooftop restaurant provides a more refined, elevated version of the L.A. dining genre popularized by Café Gratitude. Look past the see-and-be-seen ambience for a veg-friendly menu full of luscious vegetable dishes like roasted squash agnolotti, green lentil mujadara and a selection of delicious Mediterranean spreads. Though the fare integrates “functional ingredients” that purportedly confer health benefits, the eclectic dishes stand on their own in terms of quality and flavor, from the shiitake mushroom larb to a roasted sunchoke risotto. Weekend brunch or happy hour (Wed–Sun 4–6pm) grants you access to killer daytime and sunset views in the warmer months, respectively.

Vegan. If you’ve ever flirted with going dairy-free, you probably already know and love Follow Your Heart, one of the best plant-based cheese options available at major supermarkets. But did you know the brand started as a vegetarian sandwich counter in Canoga Park that’s still around today? Founded in 1970, Follow Your Heart Market & Café serves some of the best hippie-style vegan cuisine I’ve had anywhere in Los Angeles. The well-stocked aisles alone render it a worthwhile destination for plant-based home cooks, but the excellent café makes FYH a worthwhile pit stop for anyone in search of a great meal. Menu highlights include the baked mac and cheese, the chicken pot pie and the Nutburger, which features the increasingly elusive housemade veggie patty. To visit the café, head to the back of the market, where you can grab a table or sit at FYH’s original wooden counter, or ask to be seated on the spacious outdoor patio. Save room at the end of your meal for the delicious baked goods, including a delectable whoopie pie.

Vegan. This casual strip mall gem in Santa Monica serves some of the most flavorful and unique vegan cuisine on the Westside—a part of town where there’s already plenty of plant-based dining options. You’ll find all the takeout staples here like massaman curry, green papaya salad and various stir-fries, but the more creative dishes like beet-dyed noodles and cashew-“tuna” endive cups are where chef Gunn Pankum really shines. Rather than cater to every diner, the former head of Silver Lake’s Bulan Thai—also on this list—serves a curated menu of refined Southeast Asian specialties that just happen to be completely plant-based.

Vegetarian. This longtime SoCal mini-chain with locations in the Arts District and West Hollywood takes a page or two from the Alice Waters playbook with market-driven, all-day fare that changes with the seasons. The lush prepared salads offer a bounty of flavor in every bite, and the larger entrées and wood-fired pizzas deliver satisfying vegetarian riffs on enchiladas and burgers that satisfy come dinnertime. The charming hidden patios at both outposts play particularly well at brunch, however, and the lighter, health-conscious fare makes it possible to enjoy weekday lunch at Zinc Cafe without the risk of feeling sluggish all afternoon. 

Vegetarian. Like many things in L.A., this all-day vegetarian restaurant with locations in Venice and West Hollywood originally hails from New York City.  Each outpost boasts an entirely different vibe—the beachside indoor-outdoor space feels more airy and sun-lit, while the smaller dining room and patio along Melrose Boulevard transforms into a moody greenhouse at night. With two different head chefs, the food menus vary slightly as well; in WeHo, there’s an off-menu “steak” and Italian-American-style Sunday supper, whereas Venice serves unique items like pad thai. At both, however, you’ll find the restaurant’s signature spicy kale Caesar salad and stone oven pizzas, plus an excellent weekend brunch.

Vegetarian-friendly. Run by Vivian Ku, who’s also behind Pine & Crane in Silver Lake, this sleekly designed, community-focused Taiwanese spot draws sizable lines for some of the best fast-casual food in Highland Park. Efficient staff members will nimbly help you order at the counter, which features a rotating selection of various chilled Chinese starters. On its small menu, the standouts include a thousand-layer pancake with egg, cheese and basil (be sure to ask for chili oil), the vegetarian mapo tofu and fully vegan dan dan noodles. Our favorite dish, however, is the pillowy clamshell bun, which can be made vegan with bean curd and mushrooms. If you can, save room for the peanut and black sesame hakka mochi.

Vegan. You’ll be transported to Naples at this tiny plant-based wine bar in West Hollywood (with a second location in Redondo Beach), where traditional Italian classics are so tasty you could almost forget the meatballs are made of mushrooms and lentils and the parmesan consists of shaved macadamia nuts. Pura Vita’s Tara Punzone has been vegan for more than three decades, and several of the restaurant’s signatures—like the black magic lasagna bursting with cashew ricotta, mushrooms and black truffle cream—are vegan versions of her favorite family recipes. Pair the made-from-scratch Neapolitan pizzas and pastas with a juicy bellini or biodynamic wines from Italy and around the world.

Vegetarian-friendly. Health-conscious, airy and bright (but with a tad bit of grunge), this all-day eatery is Silver Lake incarnate. Since opening Botanica in 2017, owners Emily Fiffer and Heather Sperling have built a dedicated following with flavorful, light dishes like Turkish eggs and white bean hummus by day and seasonal salads and mushroom entrées by night. Throw in the cute, well-curated market out front for natural wines and gourmet goods, the occasional author talk or wine tasting event and a bevy of floral, herbaceous-leaning cocktails and you’ve got the recipe for an ideal Silver Lake neighborhood restaurant with a little bit of something for everyone.

Vegan. This Mexican offshoot of Gracias Madre is home to one of our favorite patios in the city, plus excellent dishes made with cashew cheese. Despite its scene-y neighborhood, Gracias Madre’s beautiful patio manages to create a lively atmosphere that’s welcoming to all—chalk that up to its 80-year-old olive trees, umbrellas in the afternoon, and a fireplace and heat lamps on cooler winter evenings. To start, dip into a bowl of guacamole and order one of the bar’s phenomenal cocktails, and consider ordering one of our favorite entrées from Gracias Madre: the potato pimiento flautas.

Vegan. Made with minimally processed ingredients like beans, chickpeas and tofu, the deli “meat” sandwiches defy all flavor and taste expectations at this daytime-only Highland Park eatery. Owned by namesake chef Maciel Bañales Luna and her husband, Joe Egender, the storefront offers fully plant-based takes on classics including a delicious Italian cold-cut sandwich made with vegan cheese from Follow Your Heart. Before noon, there’s a delicious breakfast burrito and French toast, and a small selection of desserts and sides (we recommend the chicharrones made with tofu skin). A cold case towards the back also offers packages of housemade deli meats, if you’re interested in bringing home a taste of Maciel’s.

Vegan. This plant-based Vietnamese restaurant in Reseda and Cerritos hits all of the high notes of the Southeast Asian cuisine, minus the need for animal products. You can barely taste the difference, aside from some textural shifts, in Vinh Loi’s selection, including delicious “shrimp” and lemongrass grilled “duck” rolls. Chef-owner Kevin Tran delivers the same beautiful blends of aromatic herbs and long-simmered meaty flavor (courtesy of plenty of mushrooms) in Vinh Loi’s bun bo hue and “beef” pho. The Reseda outpost also doubles as a tofu factory—which means Vinh Loi’s soy milk and creamy tofu custard served with ginger-infused simple syrup are just as delicious as the savory menu offerings, which include plenty of fusion items.

Vegan. At most of L.A.’s Middle Eastern restaurants, the only substantial, filling vegetarian option is falafel, the deep-fried balls of herb-and-chickpea dough that often come out dry and tasteless. (You can also make a meal of rice, bread, sides and dips, but that’s not always what you’re in the mood for!) The only place in Los Angeles you’ll find plant-based “lamb” and “beef” kebabs is this homey Eagle Rock eatery located in a former diner. Served with creamy hummus, cucumber salad, a whole roasted green pepper, basmati rice and naan, the soy-based imitations capture all of the flavor and 90 percent of the texture of the real deal. BeeWali’s menu also features a handful of straightforward curries, a well-executed Daring chicken shawarma and excellent cheeseburgers that use their housemade “lamb” patties. The reason to make a trek here, however, is the kebab, whether you’re opting for the generously portioned plates, the lunch-friendly bowls or a handheld wrap.

Vegetarian. Located across the street from the Silver Lake Erewhon, this longtime Thai restaurant (with a second location on Melrose) is beloved by vegetarians and vegans across the city for its massive menu and rich, bubbling curries. Soy-based chicken, beef or duck substitutes pepper the soups, stir-fries and noodle dishes, and the deep-fried orange chicken is perfect for anyone craving a cruelty-free taste of Panda Express. While most of the menu is vegan, a few signatures contain egg, like the signature snap pea salad, which combines the thinly sliced veggies, cashews, onions and carrots in a chili tamarind dressing and tops everything off with coconut cream, crispy shallots, dried chilies and a fried egg.

Vegetarian. Long before plant-based meat substitutes became mainstream, the San Gabriel Valley has maintained a small but compelling collection of Chinese and Vietnamese eateries catering to the traditionally vegetarian Buddhist diet. Among them is Vege Valley, a vegan-friendly restaurant in a San Gabriel strip mall serving excellent soy-based mock meats and all manner of stir-fried Asian vegetables, including hard-to-find long xu cai (chayote shoots). Most items on the menu are vegan and some of those that aren’t can be made vegan; just ask your server. Other menu highlights include the mock fish in bean paste sauce, mock kung pao shrimp and the shredded “pork” with bamboo shoots. During lunch hours, Vege Valley also offers a trio of reasonably priced combo meals, all of them well under $20.

Vegan. Located in a former Chinese restaurant (you can spot it by the entrance’s unique circular archway), this vegan Cal-Italian restaurant in Sherman Oaks comes by way of San Diego. The pizzas and pastas here make for top-notch plant-based comfort food, but there are a few healthier options like the “really good” salad made with roasted garlic vinaigrette and shaved housemade mozzarella. Vegan or not, you’ll want to drink the sunflower seed-based garlic butter, which comes with Donna Jean’s house bread, and you can’t go wrong with any of the desserts, which use coconut cream for that oh-so-dreamy dollop of whipped cream on top. During weekend brunch, you’ll find much of the same savory items, plus a killer cinnamon roll French toast, a tofu scramble and a Just Egg frittata that comes fully loaded with fresh veggies, carrot romesco and pickled onions.

Vegetarian. With reasonable prices, flavorful cooking and a charming dining room, it’s no surprise that Kitchen Mouse has stuck around in Highland Park for so long. Run by punk-singer-turned-chef Erica Daking, the vegetarian café and bakery—with a separate walk-up window in Mount Washington—serves delicious buckwheat pancakes, a selection of grain bowls and other thoughtfully executed brunch fare. While eggs are still available as an add-on, the entire menu is meat- and dairy-free. Popular items include the Buffalo Bowl (which tops black beans, mashed yams and braised greens with buffalo sauce and cashew cheese) and the Psychedelic Daalipop (red lentil daal paired with curried mushrooms and garlic herb chapati). Both the newer bakery counter and nearby walk-up window also offer tasty, fully plant-based bagels, pastries, cookies and sandwiches.

Vegetarian. For a flavorful, plant-based Vietnamese lunch in the San Gabriel Valley, look to this longtime vegetarian restaurant in El Monte. Aside from egg noodles, almost everything on the menu is vegan (and marked as such), and the animal product-free “fish” sauce dressing will impress even those familiar with traditional nuoc chấm. On our visit, we enjoyed the summer rolls made with mock shrimp, mushroom-based pho and imitation Hainan chicken made with bean curd. Other highlights of the menu include the bun bo hue—a lemongrass-rich soup—and any vermicelli bowl or rice plate that features the surprisingly satisfying imitation ham.

Vegan. Run by chef and vegan activist Wo’se Kofi, this Black-owned daytime spot in South L.A. serves flavorful mixed plates and other creative items that’ll keep you coming back for more. The plant-based Jamaican-style patties that first put Kofi on the map back in Baba’s catering days are generally only available by the dozen and via preorder, but they’re well worth the advance planning for dinner parties and family gatherings. Walk-ins can savor the Welcome Plates, which come with fried cauliflower, rice and beans, curried vegetables, kale salad, steamed purple cabbage and your choice of macaroni salad or (my recommendation) hot mac-and-cheese. Nutrient-dense and homey, it’s the kind of meal that won’t weigh you down afterwards. Other options include tacos, smoothies, sandwiches and “bachos,” which consist of thick corn chips topped with chopped mushrooms, beans, salsa, kale salad and cashew cheese.

Vegan. Ethiopian cuisine is quite vegan-friendly to begin with, but Rahel is the only place along Fairfax’s Little Ethiopia stretch to offer 100 percent plant-based cuisine. The painstakingly braised vegetable stews and other legume-based dishes don’t skimp on flavor. Pinch off portions of spongy injera bread to sop up some shiro wot (chickpea stew) or the foul (fava bean stew). For a little bit of everything, order the Millennium special—a rainbow-colored array of stews and vegetables atop injera that includes a side salad and a mouthwatering piece of baklava for dessert.

Vegan. This popular Inglewood restaurant serves the best vegan soul food in town. The generous, well-seasoned sample plates of mac and cheese, barbecue tofu or jackfruit, collard greens, black-eyed peas and more sides showcase Southern cuisine, minus any animal products. Stuff I Eat also offers a few Tex-Mex items, including a standout spicy red bean chili, plus salads and sandwiches made with mock chicken or carrot “untuna.” Despite the ample portions, the hearty fare here feels elevated with fresh ingredients and a light touch.