February 5, 2020

Los Angeles, CA Vegan Travel Guide

When I was in high school and everyone was trying to decide where they wanted to go to college, I was probably one of the few that actually wanted to go somewhere with a different climate than Hawaii. The majority of my friends decided California, specifically Los Angeles, was far enough for them to travel away from the Islands.

Therefore, I travel to Los Angeles very frequently… in fact more than I do to home back in Hawaii. Unfortunately, most of my travels were before I went fully plant-based and vegan, so my LA vegan travel guide isn’t as full as it should be with the amount of times I’ve been, BUT it will be a work in progress as I continue to visit my friends!

Cafes

When I typically travel, I don’t normally eat a large breakfast and instead will go to small cafes. Usually just a cup of coffee, tea, juice, or smoothie is perfect for me to get my day started!

Alfred’s

Alred’s Cafe cup on a white table with plants, gate, and pink wall in the background

One of the best spots to grab coffee or matcha. I love going to the Melrose location because the Alfred’s coffee location has very interesting different little nooks for seating. My uncle is as one would say a coffee connoisseur and he gave his full approval of the coffee here, so it must be amazing! I personally love their Alfred’s tea because they have a delicious Boba Matcha Latte, which anything Matcha has my name written all over it!

Blue Bottle Coffee

On my recent visit, I finally got to check this place out and I just ordered a classic Latte with oat milk and it was delicious. I loved the simplicity of the vibe and the workers were all very nice, welcoming, and quick with the order!

Cha Cha Matcha

This place completely lives up to the hype! There are different locations and I went to the one in Venice. Think anything matcha and this place serves it up. I decided to be different and try out their Cha Cha Nitro and I fell in love. It is like a coffee nitro, but with matcha. It is very light and refreshing. If there was a location in Denver, I can’t promise all my money would be going to get a Cha Cha Nitro everyday haha.

Mantra Coffee

If you find yourself east of LA, then this is the perfect cafe to grab a Dirty Chai Latte or Matcha Latte with oat milk! There are always Vegan Pastry Options available, along with a variety of small bites. I ordered the Vegan Walnut Brownie and it was amazing!

The Source Cafe

Coffee, cookie, and brownie on wood table and cutting boards with plant on the table.

This cafe is located by Hermosa Beach and has amazing Cold Pressed Juices, Smoothies, Lattes, and Pastries. I ordered a Cortado with oat milk, Vegan Peanut Butter Blondie, and a Vegan Chocolate Chip Cookie. I was told that this place has the best healthy vegan chocolate chip cookie and it did not disappoint!

Juices and Smoothies

Here’s some of my favorite places to get fresh juice, smoothies, and smoothie bowls! I love to get fresh juice every morning and opt for smoothies or smoothies bowls for a healthier dessert.

Kreation

Another amazing juice and smoothie bowl location that I finally got to try on my recent visit. I got to stop by a couple of their locations one in Pasadena and the other in Brentwood. At the Pasadena location, I shared a delicious smoothie with my best friend called Black Forest and consisted of acai, almond milk, strawberry, banana, date, peanut butter, and activated charcoal. When I stopped by the Brentwood location I picked up the Clarity green juice (spirulina, cucumber, kale, parsley, celery, spinach, romaine, lemon, chlorophyll, aloe vera, ginger, and Himalayan salt) along with a CBD Brownie because why not haha.

Joe & The Juice

Joes juice cup held up with store in the background

If you’re looking for a place to pick up some great fresh pressed juices or smoothies, then this is the place to go! I ordered the Green Juice and added Ginger and it was great! I haven’t tried any of their smoothies but I’ve heard they are awesome.

Pressed Juicery

My absolute favorite spot that I always need to visit no matter what! When I was back in Hawaii the Pressed Juicery was conviently located on my way home from CorePower Yoga, so I always would stop by and reward myself with their freeze. Now that I don’t have one in Denver, I always make sure to make a stop to pick up my Pressed Juicery Freeze. I love to order either Vanilla, Chocolate, or a Swirl of both and I top it with coconut shreds, vegan cookie crumbles, and an almond butter swirl. I’ll also pick up some green juice too. My favorite is the Greens 2 and Greens 3, the difference is that the Greens 3 has ginger in it.

SunLife Organics

If you have money to splurge, I recommend trying these smoothies and smoothie bowls from SunLife Organics. The prices are on the higher end, but you get more and better quality for your money! I ordered the Bliss Bowl (blended açaí, blueberry, banana, raw cashew butter, hemp milk topped with raw superfood trail mix (goji berries, macadamia nuts, mulberries, cashews, raisins, pistachios, cacao nibs), banana, raw almond butter, honey, and coconut shreds) and the Dragon Bowl (blended dragonfruit, raspberry, mango, hemp milk topped with granola, strawberry, blueberry, hemp seeds, and coconut shreds).

Breakfast/Brunch

I did go out for brunch one day, so I do have a great breakfast spot if you want the whole works. I will be adding to this next time I visit LA for sure!

Butcher’s Daughter

There are a few different locations in Los Angeles and New York, but I highly recommend going to the one in Venice because it is right off of Abbot Kinney and I loved sitting on the outside deck area. The inside is covered in plants and I immediately feel at peace. I listed this place as a great spot for brunch, but they also serve lunch and dinner! I got a delicious brunch starting with their Cardamom Rose Latte with oat milk and ending with a delicious stack of Matcha Pancakes with a side of Maple & Sage Impossible Sausage. I loved every bite and enjoyed my time in such a beautiful space.

Lunch

One of the things that I love about Los Angeles is the wide selection of food alternatives that are available for vegans. Personally, I tend to enjoy healthier and plant-based places, but I do occasionally love a good splurge for comfort food. I decided to go to more healthier spots this past year for lunch because I made up for it with my crazy sweet tooth haha.

Flower Child

This place has a multitude of different locations and even have a location in Colorado, but it’s such a great place to grab a healthy and delicious lunch. I have been able to try the “Forbidden” Rice Bowl (black pearl, red japonica, snap pea, Bok choy, broccoli, carrot, onion, toasted sesame, red chili hoisin) and the Thai Dye Wrap (spicy tofu, Thai basil, avocado, carrot, daikon radish, cilantro, snap pea). The food was fresh, tasty, and I left feeling full and energized!

Mendocino Farms

Every time I go to Los Angeles to visit my best friend it has now become a tradition to go to Mendocino Farms as my first meal because their Impossible Taco Salad is absolutely amazing! There are different locations throughout Los Angeles and it is very easy to find one nearby. The salad comes with impossible chorizo, superfood krunchies, chopped romaine, curly kale, black beans, roasted corn and jicama succotash, red onion, cilantro, grape tomatoes, avocado, and best of all their vegan chipotle ranch! When you stop by, make sure to also get some samples of their Deli Sides because most of them are vegan and who doesn’t want free samples?!

Sweet Greens

I have walked by this place multiple times and I don’t normally like to go to franchise places when I travel, but I couldn’t help it and decided to finally try this spot out! There are so many different locations throughout Los Angeles and you’ll probably stop by at least two of them as you’re roaming through Los Angeles. I decided to get the Spicy Thai Salad (romaine, arugula, basil, cilantro, cucumber, corn, shredded cabbage, spicy sunflower seeds, roasted sesame tofu, lime, spicy cashew dressing) and I was in heaven! I know it is just a salad, but this salad was amazing thanks to their delicious spicy cashew dressing and unbelievable roasted sesame tofu!

Malibu Farms Café

If you decide to do a day in Malibu, then you have to hit up the most iconic spot located right at the end up Malibu Pier! I stopped by for an early lunch and ordered up their Dirty Chai Latte with Oat Milk and paired it with a refreshing Vegan Chop Salad (kale romaine, butternut squash, beets, avocado, garbanzo beans). It was a great combination and what better way to enjoy it than to look out at the beautiful blue ocean that I miss every day I am living in Colorado.

Erewhon Market

My friend took me here on one of my first visits to Los Angeles because she wanted to show me this iconic LA high end grocery store, but I wasn’t fully vegan and didn’t appreciate a plant-based lifestyle as much as I do now. Therefore, on my recent trip back I went to this place TWICE in one trip and felt like a kid in a candy shop haha. There were so many choices for food that all looked amazing. I picked up lunch before heading to the beach one day and got their Curried Cauliflower, Rainbow Salad, and Pad Thai Kelp Noodles. The next time I went there was to grab dinner before heading to the airport and I got their Tofu Cakes and Chickpea Tuna Sushi Burrito. Everything was delicious, fresh, and overall just reminds me of an upgraded Whole Foods!

Sunny Blue

If you are looking for a quick bit to eat, this is the best place to go. They specialize in making musubis and have a good variety of vegan options. Some of the vegan musubis that they have are Miso Mushroom (king oyster mushroom, enoki), Eggplant Chili Miso (sautéed eggplants with chili miso), Hijiki Shiitake (shiitake mushroom, carrots, green peas, tofu), Wasabi Tsukudani (pickled seaweed, pickled wasabi), and Shiso Ume (plum paste with shiso).

Dinner

Trying to narrow down where to go for dinner is nearly impossible in Los Angeles with how many different amazing vegan options and restaurants there are in comparison to most cities. I decided to pick places that served up “healthier” options rather than the crazy vegan junk food places because I felt like I could get that type of food in Denver.

Café Gratitude

I wanted to check out this place for years and I finally made a stop because my best friend threw her birthday dinner at the Downtown location. As a vegan, I was more than ecstatic with her choice in restaurant haha. The interior was beautifully decorated with bright and light colors to give a happy go lucky type of vibe. I was able to try the Devoted Bowl, which was an Indonesian Grain Bowl (forbidden black rice, roasted beets and garnet yams, bell pepper, edamame, zucchini, kale, pickled carrots and fresno chilis, scallions, ginger, and peanut sauce) and I got all the Cheesecakes they had at the time for dessert because it was my best friend’s birthday, so why not get one of each flavor haha. The cheesecakes were all amazing! Overall, I had a great time with great company and I can’t wait to go back again someday!

Plant Food + Wine

I made it my mission to make sure I stopped by this spot and it didn’t disappoint! Located in the Venice area, this is a bit more expensive spot had very modern indoor seating and amazing outdoor seating in “The Garden.” I highly recommend sitting outside if at all possible. This place is an all plant-based restaurant with a changing menu depending on the season. I was lucky enough to try the Flora Artisanal Cheese Tasting (Porcini Truffle, Harissa Jack, and Red Wine Fennel cheese) and the Kelp Noodle Cacio e Pepe (served with snap peas, pea sprouts, and crispy oil cured olives). Everything was delicious, fresh, and I felt amazing afterwards!

Sage Vegan Bistro

This amazing spot located in a few places throughout Los Angeles has the one of the largest spread menus I’ve seen at an all completely vegan restaurant! They have an array of different options from comfort foods, salads/soups, warm/cold bowls, pizza, tacos, sandwiches/wraps, to entrée style dishes. I went to the Pasadena location and the interior was very cozy and had a farm/earthy vibe of decorations. Some items that I got to try were their Baked Soft Pretzels (house-made and served with cashew nacho cheese, habanero cream cheese, and maple mustard), Avocado Bruschetta, Asian Kelp Noodle Salad (marinated tofu, almond butter ginger dressing, edamame, cucumber, carrot, avocado, orange, cabbage & romaine topped with roasted almond, sesame seeds & crispy onions), Mole Bowl (quinoa, brown rice, kale, avocado, spicy pickled cabbage, black beans & mixed vegetables in mole sauce topped with fried jalapeno, crispy tortilla strips, garlic aioli, added fried plantain). Not to mention they also serve up ice cream! I got a scoop of the Vacation and a scoop of the Cookies & Kreme!

Gracias Madre

If you are looking for delicious plant-based Mexican food, then head over to Melrose in West Hollywood! I recommend making a reservation because it can get very busy. It was difficult to narrow down what to order, but with the help of my waiter, I was able to get some of their best dishes. I ordered the Coliflor Frito (cauliflower, cashew nacho cheese, lemon), Tacos al Pastor (oyster mushrooms, grilled cinnamon pineapple, cilantro, onion, guacamole), and Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos (cashew crema, pickled cabbage, crispy onion, black beans). My favorite were the Jackfruit Carnitas Tacos!

Crossroads

If you had to choose one place to get dinner, I would recommend this place! Located in Melrose, West Hollywood, Crossroads serves a Mediterranean Italian food. I recommend ordering at least 4 to 5 dishes for 2 people. I ordered the Zucchini Blossoms (zucchini stuffed almond ricotta), Truffle Bianco Pizza (wild mushrooms, almond truffle cream), Lollipop Kale (golden raisins, calebrese peppers, pine nuts), Braised Lentils and Trevino (figs, smoked onions, balsamic fingerling potatoes), and finally for dessert, the Citrus Sesame Cake (orange vanilla bean, gastrique, toasted sesame butter cream, blood orange, sesame truffle). Everything I ordered was delicious and I would order it again!

Dessert

The first thing I do for any trip is look up the best places for desserts and more specifically for donuts and ice cream. There are endless options of desserts when it comes to Los Angeles, but I decided to just share the best spots!

Blue Star Donuts

Blue start matcha donut held up with the restaurant in the background

After countless trips to LA, I finally stopped in to try the vegan donuts at Blue Star! It was fate that their specialty vegan flavor was Matcha, because as you may know, I love matcha! The donuts had a cake-like texture and were moist and reminded me of funnel cake!

Salt & Straw

This is one of the best spots to get some ice cream in Los Angeles and there are multiple locations. They always have 20% of their flavors vegan and every vegan flavor I’ve had was amazing! I was extremely blessed to there in January this year and that month’s seasonal flavors were ALL COMPLETELY VEGAN! It was amazing and I was like a kid in a candy shop haha. I got to try all their flavors and ended up getting a double scoop of their Elvis peanut Butter Banana Split and the Oatmeal Moon Pie. From the names you should already be able to taste the deliciousness of this ice cream.

Van Leeuwen

I was in New York the first time I passed this place and my friend said they had locations in Los Angeles as well! In New York, I decided to pass on it and wait to try it until I was in Los Angeles again. I was blown away by how delicious the ice cream was and that HALF of their flavors are vegan! The first time I stopped in I had their special Plant Earth ( a delicious special type of vanilla flavor with matcha cake bites) and the Matcha ice cream. The second time I visited I went with the Cookie Crumble Strawberry Jam flavor and I think that just might be my new favorite and is on their regular menu!

To Do

If you’re into shopping, beaches, eating, drinking, or museums, then I can promise you that Los Angeles has got it all. I couldn’t possibly list all the different places I’ve visited, but I’ll stick to the less well-known touristy spots like Disneyland or Santa Monica Pier!

Beaches

There are endless beaches to choose from but if I had to list my favorites I would say I enjoyed 1000 Steps Beach in Laguna, Manhattan Beach, and Latigo Beach in Malibu. Honestly you can’t go wrong with any beach you hit up, but I highly recommend going to 1000 Steps in Laguna if you are nearby because I think it is the closest you can get to Hawaiian beaches. I have pretty high standards when it comes to beaches so I only choose the best haha.

Venice Beach

If you love to people watch, then this is the place to hit up. I could walk around this place and just people watch all day long. There are tons of street performers, skaters at the skatepark, crazy fit people working out at the various workout spots along the beach, and just overall “interesting” people roaming around.

Abbot Kinney

This is probably my favorite street to roam because it is filled with the most “LA” types of shops you could think of and has all my favorite food spots like Salt & Straw, Pressed Juicery, The Butcher’s Daughter, Blue Star donuts, Plant Food + Wine, Erewhon, and so much more! There’s cute boutiques, but just be warned they are not cheap.

Melrose (Trading Post + Farmer’s Market)

I love going to Melrose especially when there is the Farmer’s Market and Trading Post. The Farmer’s Market is located right by Alfred’s and there’s always fruit samples galore. If you keep moving along Melrose, then you’ll reach the Trading Post. There is a cover charge to be able to go inside, but there are so many different vendors from clothes, jeans, jewelry, household goods, plants, food, and more on the inside. I bought the cutest coasters for my apartment here and got some great jewelry that hasn’t rusted at all. Besides the Farmer’s Market and Trading Post, there are many shops that you can roam around in the area to do some shopping.

Brentwood Farmer’s Market

On my Sunday morning stroll, I stumbled upon this farmer’s market an luckily got there right at opening! I tried tons of different delicious vegan products. I picked up some fresh Barhi Dates that tasted like creamy caramel butterscotch. I proceeded with the sweet theme and picked up the Almond S’mores Donut from Rabyt Donuts. They also had Rainbow Citrus and Chocolate flavors. I got to sample some cookies from Livias Kitchen and ended up buying their Vegan Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip and Chocolate Chip Oatmeal cookies! Moving on, I tried some delicious cheese spreads from Misha’s Kind Foods and Almond Cashew Yogurt from Zoe’s.

Angel City Brewery

I went to this brewery located in Downtown for my best friend’s birthday and I absolutely loved the set up. I am not a huge beer drinker, but it was fun to roam around the different parts of the huge space. There was even art hanging for you to look at while roaming. There’s tons of outdoor seating in addition to the inside seating.

Cliftons

It was quite a trek to make it to Downtown to go to Cliftons for the night, as my friend lives in Brentwood. BUT, it was completely worth the drive because we had so much fun and spent the entire night until closing at this spot. There are different themed parts of the bar and has a scene for pretty much anyone. There’s a more “clubbing” part where you can dance, a jazz bar area where you can do some swing dancing and kick back, a low lit seating area on the top floor to enjoy a nice drink, and even a tiki room that was fun to walk around.

Bungalow

I’ve been here a couple of times in my visits and I always have a great time. It is the perfect spot to go out and have fun, but not go clubbing. About half of the bar is outside on a deck, but it is fun to walk around on the inside because it almost feels like a house with different rooms. My last trip to the Bungalow was a fun one and it might be hard to beat that experience since we were able to get a table and service haha.

I travel to Los Angeles more than I go home and every trip is a new experience, especially since my two best friends from Hawaii happen to both now live there. I can’t say I would necessarily want to live in LA, but it definitely is always fun to visit. I’ll continue to update this post each time I go back to LA and try new places and things!

– Janelle