It’s easy to embrace a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle in Los Angeles. From fine dining to fast-casual, just about every restaurant has a portion of their menu that’s dedicated to the season’s produce while others take it a step further by omitting animal products altogether.

But it wasn’t always like this. Liz Jaime is a filmmaker and producer who became vegan upon moving to L.A. in 2006, and remembers when their best options for eating out were French fries and a salad.

“Back then, you couldn’t even find a veggie burger on most menus,” they recalled. “And if you did, they were using a Morning Star patty, which has eggs in it, so it wasn’t even vegan.”

These days you’ll find thriving plant-based dining scenes in most metropolitan cities, with L.A. rising to become one of the best cities for vegans and vegetarians in the U.S., placing second behind Portland in a 2023 WalletHub ranking.

“Across the board whether it’s meat or vegan, I don’t think you’re ever going to find as many options as you are in L.A.” Jaime said. “Not even just the amount of options, but the amount of great options. There’s just no better food scene.”

Yet even in this abundant landscape, restaurants are struggling, with former favorites such as Beleaf, Double Zero, Hasiba and Honeybee Burger shuttering in the last year. That makes your support all the more impactful, especially for newly opened ventures that hope to make lasting customers.

Whether you’re already a plant-forward person or contemplating a change in diet, here’s a list of restaurants to check out, from Ethiopian-inspired cuisine in Santa Monica to Vietnamese in Fountain Valley, ramen in downtown, soul food in Compton and much more.