There’s no better place to be plant-based than California.
The Butcher’s Daughter
When a restaurant calls itself a “vegetable slaughterhouse,” you know you’re in for something good. The Butcher’s Daughter elevates plant-based dining with its bold, innovative approach. Lemon-lavender waffles and coconut yogurt with butterfly pea flowers and seasonal fruits are standouts on the all-day breakfast menu, and most items can be made vegan by substituting dairy-free cheese or tofu scramble. The lunch and dinner menus feature mouthwatering dishes like mushroom “calamari,” a beet-patty burger drizzled with secret sauce, and stone-oven pizzas topped with zucchini, caramelized onions, garlic confit and other unexpected toppings.
Pura Vita
The first 100% plant-based Italian restaurant in the country, Pura Vita serves up creative replacements for meat and wheat courtesy of chef-owner Tara Punzone, a passionate vegan herself. Discover meat-free spins on traditional Italian favorites like carbonara — spaghetti noodles with macadamia nut romano cream, shiitake “bacon” and an “avocado egg” for maximum gooey deliciousness.
Gracias Madre
Whitewashed walls, rustic furnishings and dangling chandeliers give Gracias Madre a blend of old Mexico and new California chic. The vegan Mexican cuisine is consistently lauded by critics, with good reason. Dishes like jackfruit “carnitas” tacos and gorditas with mushroom “chicharrón” use organic, plant-based and locally sourced ingredients for a meal that’s as good for the planet as it is for you. Their famed margaritas are cruelty-free, too.
Juniper
Tucked into the secret-garden-like courtyard of 1 Hotel West Hollywood, Juniper is a perfect place to grab drinks and small plates before a night out on the Sunset Strip. Chef Ginger Pierce pulls ingredients from the hotel’s organic garden to craft a menu that lets vegetables shine in dishes like beet and shaved fennel salad, miso baba ghanouj and caramelized cone cabbage. The sustainable ethos continues on the bar menu with biodynamic wines, local craft beers and botanical-based cocktails.
Ippudo V
Treat your taste buds to authentic Japanese dishes like brothy shojin ramen topped with micro flowers or sushi layered with seaweed and pickled radish. Plant-based cuisine thrives at this woodsy, Kyoto-inspired restaurant, where the earthy interior reflects traditional design. You’ll also find other flavorful options like fried tofu and nori, steamed edamame and more.
Ippudo Website | 8352 Santa Monica Blvd.
Urban Dessert Lab
This must-visit shop dishes up creamy, dairy-free indulgence with oat-milk ice cream. Choose from signature flavors like s’mores and strawberry shortcake, or create your own sweet treat by starting with a base flavor and adding a variety of decadent toppings. Beyond scoops, the shop also crafts plant-based cakes, cookies, croissants and tarts.
Urban Dessert Lab Website | 7901 Santa Monica Blvd.
Zinqué
Vegan and vegetarian dishes make up nearly half the menu at this French-leaning restaurant and neighborhood hangout. Berry-studded chia seed pudding and quinoa breakfast burritos are an excellent way to greet the day, with more yummy-sounding options for lunch and dinner, from Spanish chickpea curry and green lasagna to roasted-veggie ratatouille served with toasted Poilâne bread.
Granville
A longtime locals’ favorite, this casual restaurant offers numerous plant-based options, with the flexibility to customize other dishes to suit vegan or vegetarian preferences. Try the butter lettuce cups stuffed with tempeh, the Superfood Longevity Salad or the chilaquiles with chili-spiced jackfruit. Virtually any protein can be substituted with plant-based “chicken,” opening up tons of tasty possibilities.
L.O.V.E. Organic Cafe
We really mean it when we say there’s something for everyone at L.O.V.E. (short for Love Organic Vegan Eating), whose menu draws inspiration from wide-ranging international cuisines. Soy-based Thai “chicken” wings, green curry, vegan sushi rolls, chow mein and Impossible tacos are among the dishes you need to try at this casual eatery.
L.O.V.E. Organic Cafe Website | 8205 Melrose Ave.
TOB (Taste of Beauty)
Get swept into a sensory journey at Taste of Beauty, an intimate eatery offering immersive tasting courses enriched with seasonal ingredients. The eight-course vegan menu features Japanese risotto and charred eggplant with aji verde, while the vegetarian menu includes oyster mushrooms with rosemary shoyu butter and breaded mushroom “steak.”
Taste of Beauty Website | 616 N. Robertson Blvd.
Awan
Awan redefines dessert with its vegan and gluten-free “ice cream,” crafted by a chef with a fine-dining background. Inspired by Indonesian flavors, the creations are as artful as they are delicious. The signature Balinese vanilla is a standout, while ever-rotating flavors — from chocolate Oreo to guava matcha — keep the menu fresh and exciting.
Awan Website | 866 Huntley Dr.
Mewame
Picture-perfect desserts are the focus at Mewame, whose name comes from the Korean words for beauty and flavor. Oat- or coconut-based shaved ice ranges from matcha to mango passion fruit, while signature blockshakes™ blend real fruits and frozen blocks of avocado, coconut, cacao and maple syrup. Everything on the menu is dairy-free, gluten-free, non-GMO and vegan — finished with house-made coconut whipped cream and a coin cookie.
Mewame Website | 7318 Santa Monica Blvd., Ste. 10
More West Hollywood Restaurants Serving Vegan & Vegetarian Cuisine:
- Ardor | 9040 Sunset Blvd.
- Astro Burger | 7475 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Body Energy Club | 8591 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Bossa Nova Brazilian Cuisine | 8630 Sunset Blvd.
- La Boheme | 8400 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Catch LA | 8715 Melrose Ave.
- Cavatina | 1200 Alta Loma Rd.
- Cecconi’s | 8764 Melrose Ave.
- Craig’s | 8826 Melrose Ave.
- Dialog Cafe | 8766 Holloway Dr.
- Dtown Pizzeria.com | 8424 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Earthbar | 8590 Sunset Blvd. (inside Equinox) & 8365 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Everytable.com | 8717 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Fangirl Cafe | 8157 Santa Monica Blvd.
- The Formosa Cafe | 7156 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Gardens of Taxco | 8470 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Guisado’s | 8935 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Hugo’s | 8401 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Indian Kitchen | 8165 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Javista Coffee | 7494 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Jones Hollywood | 7205 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Kreation Juice | Two locations: 605 N. La Cienega Blvd. & 8910 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Kung Pao Bistro | 7853 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Mamie Kitchen | 7900 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Mendocino Farms | 7100 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Oakberry Acai | 638 N. Robertson Blvd.
- Otus Thai Kitchen & Coffee | 1253 N. La Brea Ave.
- Panini Pizzeria & Italian Kitchen | 8849 Sunset Blvd.
- Phorage | 7326 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Pizzana | 460 N. Robertson Blvd.
- Queen Violet WeHo | 8543 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Riot House Restaurant & Bar | 8401 Sunset Blvd.
- Salt & Straw | 8949 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Something About Her | 640 N. Robertson Blvd.
- SunLife Organics | 8570 Sunset Blvd.
- SUR Restaurant | 606 N. Robertson Blvd.
- Sushiya on Sunset | 8650 Sunset Blvd.
- Sweetgreen | 8570 Sunset Blvd.
- Tender Greens | 8759 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Uchi | 9001 Santa Monica Blvd.
- Urth Caffe | 8565 Melrose Ave.
- WeHo Bistro | 1040 N. La Cienega Blvd.
- Ysabel | 945 N. Fairfax Ave.
- zpizza | 8943 Santa Monica Blvd.
This article has been updated from an earlier article by Jenny Adams.
