The best vegan restaurants in Los Angeles

Simply put, Crossroads is a high-end vegan restaurant for omnivores. Plant-based chef-to-the-stars Tal Ronnen is reinventing meat-free meals with flavorful and imaginative dishes, whether served in the restaurant’s cozy, white-tablecloth Melrose Avenue dining room or the newly open location in Calabasas. The fare draws celebrities and the fashionable, youthful Melrose crowd, as well as a surprisingly older, suit-clad type. The Rockefeller-style baked mushroom "scallops'' and spicy maple-glazed Brussels sprouts with shiitake bacon are standout plates, as are the faux fried artichoke oysters. For a more substantial dish, try the carbonara, which comes topped with a tomato "egg yolk" that really bursts, or the lasagna, layered with dairy-free cheese from Ronnen’s own retail operation.

Even as the most cheese-loving omnivores, we think about the vegan pizza at Nic’s on Beverly a little more than we’d care to admit. The fluffy-doughed square pies still feature cheese, though it’s nut-based, and the satisfyingly crisp edges of each slice only prove that Detroit-style pizza can be made—and made well—totally vegan. But Nic’s on Beverly is so much more than the pizza: The plant-based American restaurant from Nic Adler, Jason Eisner and chef Steven Fretz also serves house-cut fries, Southern-style fried oyster mushrooms with silky potato purée and gravy, and piled-high burgers in both a meat-inspired and a truffled falafel version. When it’s open, the back patio feels like a secret garden—and the perfect place for a glass of frosé or three. Since Jared Simons, formerly of cult-favorite Taco Vega, took over the kitchen, this restaurant is a solid number one.

Yes, Shojin is eccentric: Located on the third floor of an indoor mall in Little Tokyo with a second location on the sleepy border of Mar Vista and Culver City, this quirky Japanese restaurant has specific instructions for bag placement—handbags are placed in a designated basket next to your table. But almost everything on the bill of fare is excellent, and Shojin uses tofu and tempeh, along with a rainbow of veggie and grain substitutions, to craft glorious and entirely vegan sushi and tempura. For example, a mix of quinoa, miso and vegan-mayo make for an interesting and tasty topping on the dynamite roll, which we can’t get enough of, and mushroom tempura gets a smart sprinkling of truffle salt. Other Japanese classics are easily vegan, too, such as blistered shishito peppers, seaweed salad, ramen, and miso soup.

L.A.’s two Café Gratitude locations feel full of cheerful wait staff, diners with perfect postures and glowing skin and dishes named for affirmations so you’ll have to declare something like, "I Am Thriving," to order the soup of the day. It's true: When the server takes your order, they'll most likely ask, “What are you grateful for today?” but don’t let that stop you. Embrace it, because the bright, beautifully composed food will have you coming back. If you're feeling especially out of tune with the world and need a drink, look for the sangrias, elevated tonics, or wine. A solid beverage program makes this a great happy hour choice on weekdays from 4 to6 pm, with under $10 snacks like warm almond burrata, loaded nacho fries and Korean pulled mushroom slides, plus $8 wines by the glass. And omnivores, don’t let the vegan menu stop you from ordering a creamy, decadent dessert: The tiramisu is some of the best in town, and there’s usually a completely raw-food sweets option on the menu, whether you're in Larchmont or Venice.

Smorgasburg favorite Tezeta “Tete” Alemayehu, an Addis Ababa, Ethiopia native, serves African-inspired vegan fare at Berbere in Santa Monica. For approximately 200 days out of the year, half the population of Ethiopia traditionally fasts by abstaining from all animal products. Meat, dairy and eggs might be forbidden, but bright and vibrant Ethiopian spices such as berbere, korerima and beso bela are not, providing Alemayehu with the perfect canvas to work her magic in dishes like blueberry teff pancakes and clay pot garbanzo stew with teff injera. There's a full juice bar too, with healthy juices and smoothies bottled on site, and you can purchase signature sauces, like almond berbere spread, to take home. 

It should be said, right off the bat, that Gracias Madre is beautiful. A cross between Mexico City chic and Palm Springs casual, the vegan Mexican restaurant is decorated with festive cushions and tiles, a gorgeous courtyard and, inside, high ceilings and a comfortable bar. Wherever you choose to sit, order the guacamole—it's truly fantastic. The queso fundido with warm house made cashew cheese, jalapeño, tomatoes, pico de gallo and chips is another favorite starter to share. For dessert, a more traditional option might be the flan, but the churros are the way to go, and always get them with a cup of creamy horchata latte. The bar stocks an impressive tequila selection, too—because hey, margaritas are definitely 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 vegan spot. 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.

Imaginative and hearty, dishes at Sage feel like they nudge vegan cuisine in a new direction. The restaurant has locations in Echo Park, Pasadena, Agoura Hills and Culver City, offers a United Nations-array of sandwiches that include meat-free versions of a bánh mì and a po' boy. Dishes have intriguing and homey touches: Jackfruit "crab" cakes are served with tartar sauce and lemon for just the right amount of zing, while the mole bowl feels rich and soul-soothing with its brown rice and sautéed veggies in a rich mole sauce. House-made ravioli gets dressed in cashew alfredo, tacos and nachos get filled with jackfruit "carnitas" or eggplant "barbacoa," and there’s a range of totally plant-based pizza and lasagna for ultimate comfort.

This small West Hollywood wine bar transports you to Naples with a warm, romantic ambience and traditional Italian classics so good that you might not even notice the meatballs are made from mushrooms and lentils rather than pork and sprinkled with macadamia parmesan. Italian American chef and owner Tara Punzone has been vegan for more than 30 years, and many of her best recipes—like the black magic lasagna bursting with cashew ricotta, mushrooms and black truffle cream—are vegan conversions of her favorite family recipes. Wash down her made-from-scratch Neapolitan pizzas and pastas with a juicy bellini or biodynamic wines from Italy and around the world. 

Fresh tofu is worlds away from the processed, packaged variety from your local supermarket cold case. Fill up on the fresh stuff—be it in soy-milk form or silky tofu pudding served with sweet ginger syrup—at Vinh Loi, where each batch is made on-site with non-GMO soybeans. Vinh Loi hits all of the high notes of Vietnamese cuisine, serving up pho and bun that are spicy, savory, sweet and sour in equal measure. A surprising number of patrons bypass the extensive menu and opt for dealer’s choice-type ordering: Go up to the counter and tell them what you like and don’t like, and they’ll surprise you with a platter of something delicious.

Justine Hernandez's charming all-vegan Frogtown bakery doesn’t offer a full menu spread like the other spots on this list, but its handful of ever-rotating, plant-based sandwiches, biscuits, pies, cookies, galettes, quiches and breakfast burritos are more than worth a visit. By day, Just What I Kneaded whips up colorful pop tarts, cinnamon rolls with lemon zest cream cheese frosting and more—with a full coffee program, to boot, making this a must-stop for breakfast or simply an afternoon snack. By night, stop by the bakery's newly opened wine bar, aptly named Justine's, for chef Simone Schlanger's tightly curated menu of plant-based bar bites.

Forget the myth that vegan means bland. At Cena Vegan, generational recipes for salsas and marinades—the kinds of marinades normally reserved for meats—make this entirely plant-based Mexican-food spot home to some of the most flavorful tacos, burritos and nachos around. There are spicy cashew cremas and saucy seitan al pastors and even vegan agua frescas, not to mention hand-pressed corn tortillas that are, you guessed it, also totally vegan. The former pop-up now operates out of a permanent kitchen in Lincoln Heights for tortas, tacos, tamales and some of L.A.’s largest burritos nearly every day of the week.

Sure, most people expect tonkatsu when they visit a ramen shop, but Grand Central Market’s noodle bar flips the script with its entirely vegan ramen-ya concept. Ramen Hood’s OG ramen, served with mushrooms, chili threads and nori in a piping-hot sunflower seed broth, is comforting and clean-tasting, while the spicy version packs a punch, and the cold ramen throws soba noodles into a smoky chilled onion broth. Vegan eggs, concocted from soy milk and nutritional yeast, add that quintessential bowl topper, making the meal complete for only a couple bucks more. Still hungry? Tack on a small plate—such as avocado toast with yuzu—and make it a combo meal.

L.A.’s myriad vegan Thai restaurants could be a subculture all its own, and for our money, this is the best of them. Tucked inside a Mid-City mini mall, this welcoming spot offers all the Thai staples like pad thai, see-ew and tom yum, as well as grilled tofu burgers and a few Mexican standbys like burritos and quesadillas. The extensive menu offers something for everyone, but you’re better off ordering standout dishes like creamy green curry, full of eggplant and bamboo in a coconut-milk base, and the spicy papaya salad packing a fresh lime kick. "Meat" components include soy-based chicken, fish, beef and more, which can fill curries, dumplings, soups, salads and stir-frys. Even the Thai iced tea is exemplary, with an intense tea flavor that balances out the sweetness.

Imagine the best casual burger joint you can fathom, with counter seating overlooking the flat-top and thick shakes in all the classic flavors—now imagine it all vegan. At Monty’s, it’s all about the classic burger experience, but plant-based, and with a much cooler playlist. The cheese is melty over Impossible Foods patties, the lettuce and tomatoes are crisp and crunchy, the vegan thousand island dressing is of course dairy-free, and the tots and fries come piled high—you can even get them smothered in grilled onions and cheese—because again, this is the best vegan burger shack experience. Don’t even think about skipping the vanilla soy-based shakes and floats.

We scoured the city for amazing cinnamon rolls, and while the enormous cream cheese-slathered version at Lodge Bread has its merits, we’ve yet to find a better version than Christopher Federici’s Gooey Center Bakery. Fluffy, soft and coated in just the right amount of frosting, these buns are worth chasing across town. Best of all, they happen to be plant-based—which means the most consistent place you’ll find them is at North Hollywood’s Vegan Exchange every Sunday. On various days of the week, Federici also hands off a few buns to cafés in Echo Park (Canyon Coffee), Burbank (Romancing the Bean, Tansy), Eagle Rock (Muddy Paw) and Pasadena (Lavender and Honey). To find out where these buns will pop up next, follow Gooey Center on Instagram.

Everyone who comes into this homey Inglewood spot is treated like family—you'll even get a scolding if you don't clean your plate (or at least box up your leftovers), but be warned: Finishing a whole serving can be a difficult task with portions as generous as these. You'll find toppling platters of vegan soul food—mac and cheese, BBQ tofu, greens, cornbread and slaw—and Southern-style specials like stick-to-your-ribs cornbread casserole with chili. Hearty, down-home fare is elevated with super fresh ingredients and a light touch, despite the ample portions. For dessert? Opt for a slice of the sweet potato pie or fresh-out-of-the-oven sweet bread pudding.

This plant-based upscale-casual chain has landed along the Marina del Rey waterfront, bringing the same resort-chic design and pressed watermelon nigiri that's made Planta a hit in Toronto, NYC and elsewhere to the far reaches of the Westside. While ostensibly more Latin-focused (hence the Cocina modifier), the truffle kamameshi and tasty sushi and yakitori offerings are still the strongest items on the menu. How does it compare to other major players in L.A.'s vegan dining scene? While not groundbreaking by any means, the tasty cuisine and sophisticated ambience add up to an excellent Westside dinner destination—and a great vegan special-occasion eatery.

On the eastern end of Sunset Junction sits this homey café, which feels like one of those East Village Hungarian restaurants that have been dishing up beef pierogies since Allen Ginsberg's day. Instead, you’re much more likely to see a member of the poet’s ilk dining on Eastside Tacos (seitan topped with cashew cheese on  stone ground corn tortillas) or one of the six tasty burgers (the nacho burger is a favorite). Sit outside and people-watch as locals walk by. Be sure to order one of the vegan desserts—we love the excellent lemon berry cake—which are on display in the deli cases. Many of the carbs here are gluten-free, including the pancakes, and GF substitutes are readily available.

Serving both raw and cooked vegan food, and making almost everything from scratch, SunCafe has become a favorite for more than its nearby Valley dwellers looking for healthy lunch and dinner options. The casual spot along Ventura Boulevard has your standard soups and salads, sure, but there are also burgers topped with cashew mayo, and BLTs with tempeh bacon, and decadent baked lasagna with brown rice noodles and walnut pesto. Stick around for their popular smoothies, which range from healthy-tasting kale options to dessert-inspired pumpkin shakes, or grab a plant-based cupcake or slice of cake—good luck on leaving without one: They’re tantalizing in that deli case.

With locations in West Hollywood and Pasadena, Real Food Daily is a vegan’s delight, offering full plates of whole grains, legumes and vegetables alongside house-made, signature sauces. Dishes run the global gamut, including Italian (penne in a lemony alfredo made from cashew cream) to Mexican (tempeh tacos with cashew cheese and pico de gallo) to Mediterranean (salad featuring kalamata olives, quinoa tabouleh, and za’atar dressing) all while delivering comforting classics and touches that appeal to vegans and non-vegans alike. A few breakfast items are available all day, too, so you can nurse that hangover with a breakfast burrito packed with scrambled tofu, hash browns, tempeh bacon and more at all hours.