The Ultimate Guide to Raw and Raw-Friendly Restaurants in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has long been a haven for plant-based and health-conscious dining, and its raw food scene is no exception. From vibrant cold-pressed juices to fully raw entrees and living foods, the city offers a variety of spots where freshness, flavour, and nourishment take centre stage. Whether you’re a committed raw foodie or simply seeking nutrient-rich options, these restaurants provide the best raw and raw-friendly experiences across LA, blending creativity, taste, and mindful eating into every dish.
1. Wild Living Foods — Downtown LA’s Raw Haven
4.3•Vegan restaurant•Open
For anyone serious about raw cuisine that stands on its own, Wild Living Foods is the place many locals think of first. This calm, nutrient‑rich café crafts dishes that are fully raw, organic, and vibrant. Expect colourful bowls, raw wraps and cold‑pressed juices that feel grounded in nature rather than gimmicky. Reviewers often highlight the raw veggie pizzas with dehydrated crusts, fresh smoothies and raw tacos — all packed with seeds, sprouts and fermented elements that make your body sit up and take notice.
A meal here feels almost meditative: ingredients are treated with reverence so that texture and natural flavour carry the plate. Think of it as a place where the food still feels alive — literally and energetically.
Must‑try: Raw Superfood Bowl, Raw Veggie Pizza, Raw Chocolate Cake.
2. SunCafe — Studio City’s Classic Raw & Live Food Destination
4.3•Vegan•Open
SunCafe has been a cornerstone of LA’s raw food scene for decades. You can feel the history here. The menu blends live and lightly prepared plant dishes, offering breakfast through dinner with big, generous portions. Juices and smoothies are stellar, and salads and entrees often mix raw elements with lightly warmed components that never stray far from the philosophy of keeping nutrients intact.
This is the sort of place you choose when you want to linger over a meal with friends, not just dash in for a quick juice. It’s bright, bustling and full of people who’ve made mindful eating part of their rhythm.
Must‑try: Live burger, zucchini pasta, raw desserts.
3. The Punchbowl Los Angeles — Raw Juices and Living Foods in Highland Park
4.4•Live/Raw Food•Open
The Punchbowl Los Angeles makes raw food approachable without intimidating you. This hybrid juice bar meets living foods café is ideal if you want freshly pressed juices, smoothies and small raw plates that support your energy and feel clean in your system.
The atmosphere here is neighbourhood‑friendly — a place locals grab a drink after a walk around nearby parks or come in for a refreshing break during a busy day. The living food focus means ingredients are often served uncooked and unprocessed, making it an easy stop for someone curious about raw foods without committing to an entire raw meal.
Must‑try: Cold‑pressed juice flights, raw wraps, seed‑based snacks.
4. Raw Cane Super Juice — Sunset Strip’s Juice Bar with Raw Vibes
This isn’t a sit‑down restaurant, but for raw food lovers and anyone who wants fresh, untouched juices and smoothies, Raw Cane Super Juice is a valuable stop. Located on West Sunset Boulevard, it specialises in cold‑pressed juices, cleanses and smoothies made from fresh produce.
If all you want is a glass of vitality on a sunny LA afternoon — imagine the sunshine in the produce itself — this is a place where simplicity meets craftsmanship. The raw approach here is literal: what comes out of the press is exactly what you drink.
Must‑try: Detox Elixir, Lemon Cane, Fruity Greens Smoothie.
5. Raw Mango Vegan — Redondo Beach’s Raw‑Friendly Spot
3.9•Restaurant•Open
Out near Redondo Beach you’ll find Raw Mango Vegan. It’s small, eclectic and punches above its weight for raw options. While not every dish on the menu is strictly raw, there are raw smoothies, salads and cold‑served plates that embrace a living foods sensibility.
People love it for its laid‑back, homey vibe. If your day takes you south of LA, this is a nice detour for fresh, uncooked food that still feels full and satisfying.
Must‑try: Raw salads, cold soups, fresh fruit smoothies.
6. Rawvolution (Delivery & Local Drop‑Off)
Rawvolution isn’t a traditional sit‑down restaurant, but it deserves a mention because it brings genuinely raw cuisine to your door in Los Angeles. This service delivers fully‑prepared raw vegan meals, juices and snacks made with organic ingredients.
Think of it as raw food customised for real life: you order, and on the scheduled day it arrives fresh — no cooking required. For busy people who want a full spectrum of raw food without time in the kitchen, this is an elegant solution.
Must‑try: Raw entrées like nut pâtés, salads, raw desserts and cold‑pressed juices.
7. Raw‑Friendly Vegan Restaurants with Great Raw Options
Not every vegan restaurant in Los Angeles serves exclusively raw food, but several have notable raw or living plates on their menus. If you want to dine with friends who aren’t exclusively raw eaters but want options that still feel clean and alive, these are excellent choices.
Cafe Gratitude — Venice & Larchmont Village
4.0•Vegan•Open
Cafe Gratitude isn’t a raw restaurant per se, but its menus celebrate organic plant foods and often include raw salads, cold bowls, fresh juice and vibrant seasonal selections. It’s a reliable, community‑oriented choice where you can find something raw alongside other plant‑based favourites.
Try: Seasonal greens, cold salads and fresh‑pressed juices.
Pura Vita — West Hollywood Italian With Raw Salads
4.6•Italian•Open
Pura Vita is beloved for creative Italian plant dishes. Look for crisp salads and cold starters with raw vegetables, nuts and seeds. While not a raw concept restaurant, its commitment to high‑quality produce means you’ll find fresh, minimally processed plates worth ordering.
Variable Cafe — Culver City Plant‑Rich Brunch Spot
4.8•Vegan restaurant•Open
Variable Cafe’s menu celebrates high‑quality produce and often offers raw‑centric bowls, cold chia puddings and fresh juices alongside cooked plant dishes. Its aesthetic and thoughtful menu design make it easy to assemble a meal with raw elements even if the whole menu isn’t raw.
8. Tips for Eating Raw in Los Angeles
Los Angeles has long attracted people drawn to living foods, raw diets and nutrient‑dense cuisine. There’s a history here that stretches back decades, and while many restaurants come and go, the city’s appetite for fresh, raw options remains strong.
Here are a few practical things to remember when you’re exploring the raw scene:
Go early or make reservations. Many raw‑friendly cafés are compact and get busy at peak times.
Ask for customisations. Many places with broadly vegan menus will happily assemble a raw plate from existing ingredients.
Combine stops. A juice stop at Raw Cane Super Juice followed by a raw plate at Wild Living Foods makes for a great LA afternoon.
This article was written by a food and travel writer whose work focuses on plant‑based dining culture, mindful eating and community‑centred experiences. They explore how restaurants reflect the broader rhythms of a city’s health and lifestyle, bringing clarity and practical insight to readers curious about raw and plant‑rich cuisine around the world.