When it comes to next-level plant-based scenes, no city in America beat Los Angeles. The food here spans every flavor, neighborhood, and culinary style—it’s cultural, creative, and constantly evolving. And thankfully for hungry Angelenos and visitors from near and far, it’s abundant. From Black-owned gems in South Central to Italian eats in West Hollywood to mouthwatering ramen downtown, LA proves every day why it may be the plant-based capital of the world. So VegNews editors are celebrating the City of Angels and have compiled 20 of the incredible, mouthwatering, TikTok-worthy reasons why we love LA.
Planta
1 The Elevated Dining
In most cities, it’s nearly impossible to find vegan fine dining. But in LA (home to five-time Best Fine-Dining Restaurant, Crossroads Kitchen), the biggest struggle is choosing from all the options.
Where to go: Donna Jean, Planta, Pura Vita
The Grain Cafe
2 The Mom & Pop Shops
This city hasn’t nabbed the “Best Vegan City” title from VegNews readers six years in a row for no reason, and a tour of its megawatt dining destinations proves why. But when your food scene is the best in the country, even small, grassroots spots shine bright.
Where to go: The Grain Cafe, Vegan Glory, The Vegan Joint
Just What I Kneaded
3 The Brunch
Brunch isn’t just a meal, it’s a full-on lifestyle. And plant-based Angelenos are spoiled with everything from flaky pastries and bagel breakfast sandwiches to chilaquiles and hot maple chicken biscuits.
Where to go: Delicias Bakery & Some, Just What I Kneaded, Kitchen Mouse
Doomie’s Home Cookin’
4 The Comfort Food
Bacon-loaded mac and cheese, extra-crispy fried chicken, stacked cheeseburgers. Yes, we love our Erewhon smoothies, but Angelenos also understand that sometimes, plant-based eating should be downright indulgent.
Where to go: Doomie’s Home Cookin’, Lettuce Feast, Plant Power Fast Food
Cafe Gratitude
5 The Feel-Good Food
But even among the next-level burgers, pizza, and desserts, Los Angeles is still the land of green juice, salads, and healthy, vibrant cuisine that’ll leave you shining like a Hollywood star.
Where to go: Cafe Gratitude, Sun Cafe Organics, Wild Living Foods
Vegatinos
6 The Next-Level Latin
Home to 4.8 million Latinx people, Los Angeles County is one of the best destinations for plant-based fare from Mexico, El Salvador, Peru, and beyond. So next time you’re in LA, be sure to stop for some beans and rice and everything nice.
Where to go: Mama’s International Tamales, Un Solo Sol, Vegatinos
Baba’s Vegan Cafe
7 The South Central Flavor
LA is so much more than Hollywood and Venice Beach. In Los Angeles’ historic South Central, Black and brown restaurateurs are serving the community with healthful, plant-based nourishment. So as Kendrick Lamar would say, don’t say you’ve ate LA if you don’t travel past the 10.
Where to go: Baba’s Vegan Cafe, Stuff I Eat, Vegainz
Ippudo V
8 The Asian Eats
From plant-based khao soi and vegan Vietnamese bánh mì to Thai-style fried chicken and umami-packed ramen, the Asian food scene in LA is among the best and most varied in the country.
Where to go: Ippudo V, RedWhite Boneless Ramen, Salaya
Bike Shed Moto Co
9 The Vegan Options at Non-Vegan Restaurants
You don’t have to skip out on group outings to the city’s hottest omni restaurants—just scan the menu. More than ever, steakhouses, high-end celeb hot spots, and even biker hangouts are making space for show-stopping vegan dishes.
Where to go: Bike Shed Moto Co, Craig’s, Din Tai Fung
Word of Mouth
10 The Street Food
Whether tailgating for a Dodger game or enjoying food truck offerings before a night at the Hollywood Bowl, no city does curbside eats quite like LA. And its vegan street food scene proves that big plant-based flavor doesn’t need a brick and mortar.
Where to go: Cena Vegan, Maneatingplant, Word of Mouth
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Hey, Sunshine Kitchen
11 The Girl Power
Behind many of the city’s most popular vegan spots are women who aren’t just running the kitchen—they’re changing the game.
Where to go: Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, Little Barn Coffee House, Yoga-Urt
Javan
12 The Melting Pot of Flavors
In the town where people come from all over the world to make it big, it’s no wonder big, global flavors—like Armenian pizza-tacos, French-crafted crêpes sans oeufs, and veganized Persian stews and kebabs—are on the menu.
Where to go: Javan, La Crêpe du Jardin, The Moody Vegan
San and Wolves
13 Long Beach
When it comes to plant-based bites, Los Angeles’ sister city to the south is anything but little. Vegan Filipino pop tarts, Cajun fried chick’n and pancakes, and drag shows at a fully vegan coffee shop all await just a hop, skip, and a jump down the 710.
Where to go: San and Wolves, The Wild Chive, Wood Coffee
B&T’s Deli
14 The Sandwiches
Subway Veggie Delite, we thank you for your years of service. But when touching down in Tinseltown, vegan sandos are piled high with things like cheddar-smothered roast beef, celery root whitefish salad, and saucy Mexican ribs, thank you very much.
Where to go: Besties Vegan Paradise, B&T’s Deli, Maciel’s Plant-Based Butcher Shop
Julie Goes Green
15 The Pizza
Of course, New York, Chicago, and Philly are all recognized for having great pies. But between housemade mozz, crisp-edged Sicilian-style bakes, and next-level toppings (Mangiafoglie’s goat cheese-potato-pesto pizza, anyone?), it’s time LA got a piece of the pie, too.
Where to go: Cruzer Pizza, Julie Goes Green, Mangiafoglie
Bakers Bench
16 The Bakeries
When the craving for a sweet baked good strikes, Angelenos only have to decide which freeway they want to brave. Furikake croissants in Chinatown? French millefeuille in Pasadena? Mexican conchas in East LA? We say make a bakery crawl out of it and try them all.
Where to go: Bakers Bench, ID-Eclair, Soy Concha Bakery
Magpies Soft Serve
17 The Soft Serve
Yes, we take our soft serve seriously. So whether you like it non-dairy and New Zealand-style, made the Indonesian way with coconut water and Balinese vanilla, or transformed into a pie with fudge, fried cornflakes, and honeycomb, there’s a knockout vegan option for you in LA.
Where to go: Awan, Hokey Pokey, Magpies Softserve
The Butcher’s Daughter
18 The Cocktails
Not all vegan adventures stop at the kitchen. In LA, the cocktail menus are just as considered, with egg-free foam, housemade syrups, and spirit-free sips to match. Bonus: they’re often served alongside seriously good bar food.
Where to go: Beelman’s, Justine’s Wine Bar, The Butcher’s Daughter
Gracias Madre
19 The Celeb Spotting
Here’s a little LA secret: if you want to see stars, skip the Walk of Fame and head to a vegan spot—Oscar winners and TikTok royalty alike love truffle pasta and oat milk shakes like the rest of us, after all.
Where to go: Crossroads Kitchen, Gracias Madre, Monty’s Good Burger
Urban Dessert Lab
20 The Only-in-LA Shops
Where else can you shop for brûléed croissants at an oat milk ice cream shop, rosemary asiago wedges at an all-vegan cheesemonger, and a Dubai chocolate latte at Grammy nominee Leona Lewis’ own vegan coffee shop—all in one afternoon? Only in LA, baby.
Where to go: Coffee and Plants, Urban Dessert Lab, Vromage
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Richard Bowie (@wichiebowie) is VegNews' editorial director based in Oakland, CA.
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