Ever since veganism became a pop culture thing, Hollywood hasn’t gotten enough; in fact, in just the past decade, the influx of vegan or vegan-friendly restaurants in Beverly Hills has more than doubled, and that’s not counting the non-vegan restaurants that have started offering vegan alternatives!
Back in the day, vegan food meant a spruced-up side salad with some kind of pasta; nowadays, however, master chefs from all over the world have come down to Beverly Hills to elevate vegan food into haute cuisine. But that doesn’t mean vegan food needs to be fancy! There are also plenty of vegan restaurants in Beverly Hills that serve down-to-earth comfort food that’s so good, you’ll swear you’re still eating meat.
So whether you’re going on a vegan diet for health or morals, you can rest assured that you’ll always be able to find delicious, high-quality vegan meals in the city. This is our list of some of the best vegan restaurants in Beverly Hills and beyond.
Native Foods
Native Foods has the distinction of being Kween Beyoncé’s favorite go-to restaurant when she went vegan. Hey, that’s all the recommendation I need to start going! But if Queen Bee’s presence doesn’t entice you to head down and check out Native Foods menu, then their various takes on faux meat should: their impossible meat has been known to fool even the most obnoxious of carnivores.
Native Foods offers a Pan-Asian-inspired menu complete with faux-pork Gyozaz, faux-chicken and shrimp Pad Thai, and a slew of coconut curries. They also have a meatless goji-berry infused quinoa fried rice (my personal favorite) that brings a great balance to all the savory treats the restaurant has to offer.
Location: Westwood
Sage Vegan Bistro
With three branches spread across L.A., Sage Vegan Bistro is easily accessible from Beverly Hills and is one of the city’s more popular vegan restaurants. Especially for new vegans, Sage Vegan Bistro offers a wide variety of vegan-versions of old classics, from burgers and tacos to banh mi and tostada. They also have a more-than-decent selection of Vegan Pizza that you can pair with Sage’s signature cauliflower wings (don’t knock it ‘til you try it!).
For dessert, founder and owner Mollie Angelheart also sells her small-batch raw vegan ice cream in all locations, along with a generous selection of vegan wines, cocktails, and artisanal craft brews. The Sage Vegan Bistro in Culver City is their largest location, with a 1,000 square-foot beer garden for diners to enjoy mingling with their fellow vegans.
Locations: Culver City, Echo Park, Pasadena
Plant Food + Wine
Hey, even vegans need a romantic night out, and Plant Food + Wine is the best place to go to wine and dine your significant vegan other. Aside from its ultra chic location right in the middle of Venice, Plat Food + Wine also features a gorgeous patio and breathtakingly beautiful interiors. The place is classic Venice beach: upscale, ultra-trendy, and with the help of vegan chef extraordinaire Matthew Kenney, offers a menu that elevates vegan food.
Kenney’s menu features seasonal dishes like kelp noodle cacio e pepe, yellow watermelon poke with gooseberries, and cashew raclette. Plant Food + Wine also features a respectable collection of organic wines and a 6-course tasting menu if you really want to seal the deal with your vegan date.
Location: Venice
Locali
Delis are one of the last places you’ll think of when you think “vegan spot”, yet Locali manages to pull it off with their veganized versions of deli favorites, from Reubens to Pastrami. Sure, non-vegan food is still available, but with Locali’s great vegan options like quinoa bowls, coconut fro-yo, probiotic smoothies, and vegan breakfast sandwiches, you won’t be craving the meat anytime soon.
Of course, if you do find yourself salivating over a beef pastrami, no worries: Locali is more than happy to customize their dishes to fit the tastes of their vegan crowd, something that’s pretty rare with restaurants in L.A.
Location: Venice, West Hollywood
The Butcher’s Daughter
The Butcher’s Daughter is exactly what you would expect from a trendy Venice Beach restaurant: an inventive menu, hip clientele, and a patio space that’s pretty much perfect for people watching. It takes the best qualities of a brunch hangout and a vegetarian eatery and combined it with the best parts of being a hotspot and a juice bar.
The Butcher’s Daughter specializes in small plates and large dishes, from pistachio pesto lasagna and vegan pizzas to delectable mushroom tempura po’ boyd. When you’ve had your fill of their extensive vegetarian menu, guzzle down some of their equally delicious cocktails mixed with cold-pressed juices.
Location: Venice
Veggie Grill
When the vegan trend first started picking up clout, it was relegated to high-end or casual dining restaurants, but now, vegan food is throwing its hat into the fast food game, thanks to places like Veggie Grill. Although billed as fast-casual, Veggie Grill has enough of that familiar fast-food vibe to placate any temptation to chow down on a quarter pounder.
Veggie Grill has vegan versions of all your fast food favorites: burgers, taco salads, Hot chicken sandwiches, even brats. To complete the faux fast food dining experience, Veggie Grill also offers an all-day breakfast burrito stuffed with mung-bean egg substitute and soy-based chorizo.
Location: 13 Locations Around L.A.
Beelman’s
Recently re-launched by Artisanal Brewer’s Collective, one of L.A.’s premier beer-and-vegan groups, Beelman’s Pub was transformed into Beelman’s: a vegan-based pub with Asian-inspired casual fare. From crispy garbanzos with togarashi and loco moco bowls with “Impossible” meat to smoked tofu wonton bites and tater-tot “Tachos” with cashew cheese, Beelman’s provides diners with their favorite bar food, only this time, in vegan form.
But Beelman’s is a pub at heart, which is why the restaurant also boasts an extensive beer menu as well as a well-curated cocktails menu. Check out their artisanal craft beers and small-batch brews, with some bottles coming from local L.A. brewers.
Location: Downtown
True Food Kitchen
Founded by Wellness guru and celebrity doctor Andrew Weil, True Food Kitchen brings to life Dr. Weil’s idea of the anti-inflammatory food pyramid; basically, True Food Kitchen has a menu that’s dedicated towards providing people with healthy dishes that double as a form of alternative medicine. And Dr. Weil knows what he’s talking about: he’s an expert in alternative medicine practices as well as ethnobotany.
But before you think it’s going to be bland, think again: True Food Kitchen doesn’t compromise taste, with its weekend brunches drawing in a sizable crowd (you’ll want to reserve ahead of time) thanks to their healthy smoothies, egg-and-grain bowls, and avocado toasts. It’s a great dinner restaurant too, with a fine menu of pizzas, entrees, sandwiches, and salads.
Location: El Segundo, Pasadena, Santa Monica
Going Vegan? Do Your Research!
Going vegan can have wonderful effects on the human body, but without proper supervision and assistance from nutritionists, you could end up hurting yourself! If you want to learn more about veganism and vegan food, don’t hesitate to ask any of the people or chefs from the restaurants listed above. I promise, vegans are a lot less snippy in real life!
