The 10 Best Vegan-Friendly Restaurants in Santa Monica
A Bold Claim Driven By Data
This is not an opinion piece, but a data driven analysis of the 10 best vegan restaurants in Santa Monica.
At the Edible Project we collect menu item information from local restaurants and let people with dietary restrictions or food allergies know what they can eat before they arrive.
For this post first we looked at restaurants above 4 stars on Yelp and Google. Then, over a few months, restaurant menus were painstakingly collected and validated. Restaurants were phoned and visited, and finally data was analyzed to extract the number of vegan food items per restaurant menu.
note below that the number of vegan options we found is in (parentheses)
10. Giorgio Baldi (6)
Il Ristorante di Giorgio Baldi — the dining is as luxurious as the name. A family owned restaurant near the beach has seafood, pastas, and an ever changing extensive wine list. More gluten-free options than vegan, but the vegan dishes include the mista salad, the forte forte salad (order without parmesan), and the risotto nonna.
Price Range: $20–90
9. Blue Plate Oysterette (6)
They say it’s “Santa Monica meets New England” but it’s really “the-only-good-thing-about-New-England meets yet-another-Santa-Monica-ocean-side-view”. You’re close enough to the Pacific to have the seafood plate itself, but don’t worry you veganistas! There is hope in the garlic spinach, homemade pickled vegetables and coconut brown rice. Find the menu here.
Price Range: $11–30
8. Estate Restaurant + Bar (7)
“Swanky”, “globally-inspired”, “chic”. These are some of the adjectives that come to mind when one walks into Estate. An Asian-fusion dig with flavors to match the style, vegans also have some options such as the crispy cauliflower, mushroom toban plate, pad thai, and roasted golden beets (just make sure to drop the cheese and explicitly request vegan).
Price Range: $31–60
7. The Misfit (9)
This gastropub with back to the bar dining resembles an antique library. They have brunch, lunch and dinner menus with options for vegans including avocado toast (hold the cheese), veggie burger with cashew cheese (!), grilled asparagus and cauliflower fried rice (hold the egg). Come for lunch and revel in their happy hour drink specials.
Price Range: $11–30
6. Sunny Blue (9)
The self-described only dedicated onigiri (rice ball) shop in southern California, Sunny Blue succeeds at providing an artisanal take on the traditional Japanese snack. They offer vegetarian and vegan items such as the miso mushroom, hijiki (seaweed), and shiso ume (pickled plum) balls. They're not lying when they say:
"This Little Place Has Balls"
Price Range: $3-4 per onigiri
5. True Food Kitchen (13)
With a rotating menu, True Food focuses on fresh and healthy foods using in-season ingredients. Check out their menu for up to date items detailing many of their vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free offerings. A few of our vegan favorites: ancient grains bowl, teriyaki quinoa bowl, and roasted artichoke pizza.
Price Range: $11–30
4. R+D Kitchen (16)
Inspired by California’s indoor/outdoor culture, R+D has light American fare and much more. Prepare yourself to wait in line for a bite at this jam packed zagat-rated joint that also has a lively bar scene. You’ll be glad to know that it’s worth it. Check out the brussel sprouts, veggie burger and tabouli dishes.
Price Range: $11–30
3. FIG (22)
For a more upscale experience, FIG — Santa Monica has some of the best food and service around. The Mediterranean bistro situated a block from the beach uses a wood-fired oven and sources local ingredients from hand-selected farmers. Some of their vegan options include shishito peppers, avocado toast, kale tabouli and fattoush.
Price Range: $31–50
2. Rosti Tuscan Kitchen (25)
Who said you needed to give up cheese to go vegan? Indulge yourself at this neighborhood Italian joint with dedicated vegan and gluten free menus, offering vegan cheese and gluten free pasta substitutions. Try the penne all arrabiata, green power pie, and the just L.T.A. sandwich (lettuce, tomato, avocado).
Price Range: $9–30
1. Veggie Grill (42)
Veggie Grill is a 100% vegan restaurant with a handful of West coast locations and tops our list with the most vegan offerings. As stated on their website:
All of our menu items are free of meat, dairy, eggs and other animal products, and therefore, contain no antibiotics or hormones
With everything from veggie burgers and meatless fried chicken to falafel and fries, Veggie Grill is a great option for finding a diverse meatless menu (also they have $1 delivery options 🙌)
Price Range: $11–30
Please like this article to see more like it in the future! Follow us on Instagram at @edible_project for photos of the best vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free dishes in LA. Stay tuned for more information about our launch in LA — 👉👉 https://www.edibleproject.io 👈👈
Disclaimer: Edible Project is not responsible for any allergic reactions or accidental ingestion of animal products. As always, double check with your server to make sure a food item meets your dietary preferences.
