Healthy Restaurants 

A few of my favorite healthy/organic/farm-to-table restaurants.

Au Lac (Fountain Valley and Downtown LA)

“Cream cheese” and flaxseed crackers with dehydrated onions

Steamed jicama rolls with peanut sauce

Curried rice

The tiRAWmisu

They specialize in Vietnamese/Chinese raw food but also have vegan and vegetarian options. The atmosphere does not match the price of the food; however, the eloquently prepared raw entrées belie the cheesy Chinese décor. The servers are very attentive. Our waitress gave us extra peanut sauce for our leftovers. They serve free filtered alkaline water (at Pressed Juicery it’s $2.50 a bottle). I recommend the steamed jicama rolls with peanut sauce, “cream cheese” and flaxseed crackers, curried rice, kelp noodles chow mein, and the tiRAWmisu. (5 taste, 4 atmosphere, 5 service)

Café Gratitude (Larchmont, Downtown, and Venice) 100% organic plant-based cuisine. Sister restaurant to Gracias Madre. The dishes range from Indian curry to pesto kelp noodles. I ordered the “Fabulous,” raw lasagna with squash blossoms and Brazil nut Parmesan. The vibrant colors in the dishes make them look more like art than food. They offer everything a vegan could wish for—cashew nacho cheese, pumpkin seed pesto, and tiramisu with coconut cashew cream. It is a vegan/vegetarians dream come true but carnivores will love this restaurant too. The freshness and creativity of the food make up for the lack of meat. (5 taste, 5 atmosphere, 5 service)

True Foods (Newport and Santa Monica)

Salmon Dip (not on the menu anymore)

Veggie Crudités

Veggie egg white omelette and Kale-Aid

Watermelon sorbet

Lemon Pie with coconut cream and strawberries (summer seasonal dessert)

My all time favorite restaurant. They offer vegan, vegetarian, and gluten- free dishes as well as sustainable organic meat. Their menu changes seasonally to serve the freshest ingredients but some of my staples are the caramelized onion tart, spaghetti squash casserole, and the flourless chocolate cake. (5 taste, 5 atmosphere, 5 service)

Malibu Farm (Malibu Pier)

Egg sandwich

Seasoned eggs and veggies

I went to the cafe at the end of the pier but they also have a restaurant. The dishes are locally sourced and organic. I got the egg vegetable plate (that comes with potatoes and whole wheat toast) and my friend got the egg sandwich. Large servings for the price and quality. Everything was delicious. You order inside at the front then find a table.  They offer indoor and outdoor seating. We enjoyed sitting outside and watching the paddle boarders. Very fast service. (5 taste, 5 atmosphere, 5 service)

Kreation (Santa Monica) 100% organic Middle Eastern cuisine. They offer an array of brunch dishes, tapas, desserts, and juices. I think their tapas are the best items on the menu. I recommend the ash soup, the eggplant dip, and the hummus. The soup is extremely hearty filled with veggies, beans, quinoa, and a dollop of yogurt. For breakfast I recommend the oatmeal almond pancakes and the Mediterranean plate. The pancakes are filling but do not feel unhealthy (check check out my pancake recipe here). (4 taste, 5 atmosphere, 5 service)

Euphoria loves Rawvolution (Santa Monica)  Raw, organic, vegan. Stop in for a quick and healthy snack like the lentil chili or bok choy salad. They also have delicious raw desserts. They list all their ingredients on their website. (3 taste, 4 atmosphere, 5 service)

Old Vine Café (Costa Mesa)

Quinoa and vegetables

Italian-inspired café located at the Camp. Elegant and refined but casual. Large selection of wine. Recommend: Quinoa and vegetables and pulled pork panini. (4 taste, 4 atmosphere, 5 service)

Urth Caffé (Beverley Hills and Santa Monica)

Spanish Latte and Thai Tea Latte

With multiple locations all over LA, Urth has become a staple restaurant for LA foodies. They specialize in organic coffees and breakfast items. I prefer their tea lattes though. My favorite is the Thai Latte. It tastes like a hot version of a Thai Iced tea. My favorite breakfast dish is the salmon and eggs served with brioche and arugula. My mom’s favorite is the beef hash and the eggs verde. You cannot go wrong here. (5 taste, 5 atmosphere, 4 service)