Looking for a travel guide to Los Angeles? Look no further! This extensive guide is sure to make your trip to LA memorable and enjoyable!
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 travel guide isn’t as full as it should be with the amount of times I’ve been to Los Angeles, 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
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.
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.
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.
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!
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!
Sweets
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
I have yet to stop in this place because every single time I happen to stroll by I am completely and utterly full. I stopped by the one in Venice and I got to take a peek at the vegan options and I have to admit that I will definitely be saving some room to try one of these bad boys next time! Until then, I hope you can stop in and give it a try!
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!
Drinks
There are so many places to grab drinks in LA, but here are some of the best I have had a chance to go to!
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.
Areas to Explore
LA really has it all. Below are some of my favorite, less-touristy spots to enjoy while you are on vacation!
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.
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!
- Nutti Nelli
Food Pictures (Click to enlarge)
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