Plenty of Los Angeles restaurants have long taken their commitment to the planet seriously, whether through sourcing ingredients locally or using eco-friendly to-go containers. The state is, after all, the birthplace of California cooking, which is all about sustainable ingredients and seasonality.
Some restaurants take green initiatives to a new level, though, making sure that sustainability is essential to the way the restaurant operates. For Earth Day, we’re looking at LA restaurants that are pushing boundaries. Whether its cutting-edge design, next-level farming practices, or minimizing waste on the drinks menu, here are three ways LA restaurants are centering sustainability.
In the design
Akasha (Culver City)
Sure, plenty of local restaurants use reclaimed wood for furniture or repurposed materials, but this Culver City restaurant was about saving the entire space. When Akasha opened in the historic Hull building in 2008, owners Akasha Richmond and Alan Schulman worked with design firm Preen Inc. to restore its original glory. You’ll see all the original steel, wood, concrete, and brick arches when you grab a seat at the restaurant.
And the team didn’t stop there. The sustainable design continues with the use of low-energy lights in the dining room, stools are made of recycled car tires, and patio tables are crafted from naturally farmed, sustainable wood. Akasha’s efforts have paid off with a certification from the California Green Business Network, one of the leading metrics nationwide for businesses reducing waste and conserving energy.
At the bar
Joyce (DTLA)
In addition to sourcing fish sustainably whenever possible, seafood hotspot Joyce has a zero-landfill cocktail program, a rarity in LA. You’ll taste that with every drink on beverage director Kassidy Wiggins’s menu; they all utilize as many house-made elements as possible and spirits from brands committed to reducing waste. Wiggins also incorporates leftover kitchen ingredients like sorghum and oyster shells into creative drinks like the Mother of Pearl martini, which combines roasted oyster shell vodka, house-made vermouth, and sea salt.
On the menu
Chi Spacca (Hollywood) and Osteria Mozza (Hollywood)
Angelenos know to head to legendary chef Nancy Silverton’s Italian restaurants—including chophouse Chi Spacca and fresh pasta destination Osteria Mozza–for the freshest food. That’s because you’ll always find her incorporating farmers’ market produce in dishes like her beloved chopped salad and rotating menus based on the season. She also works closely with Foodprint Group, an organization helping restaurants reduce waste. All of these efforts have earned the restaurants MICHELIN Green Stars, making them two of 11 in California to be recognized by the organization for next-level sustainable practices.
“Sustainability is about respecting the good Earth, it’s about intelligently and consciously sourcing your ingredients, [and] it’s about education,” Silverton says. “As for getting recognition from MICHELIN, it was more than the so-called icing on the cake. It was a wonderful honor, and I hope it encourages others in the industry to continue to prioritize sustainability.”
Cafe Gratitude (Venice, Larchmont)
Vegan restaurant Cafe Gratitude promotes not just local, organic food, but a lot of the produce on the menu comes from local farms utilizing regenerative soil-building practices, too. Get one of the salads, bowls, or pizzas so you can try the nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables the restaurant is always showcasing. Cafe Gratitude is bold about its commitment to sustainability—on its blog, you’ll find in-house dietician Jayne Pinsky writing about how a vegan diet can help reduce greenhouse emissions and conserve water and natural resources.
Heritage (Long Beach)
Plenty of Los Angeles restaurants have tasting menus, but not many can say that they have their own farm down the street. Heritage—a newly minted MICHELIN Star and MICHELIN Green Star recipient from 2023–can claim both. Your six-course tasting menu includes fruits, vegetables, herbs, and eggs from an on-site chicken coop that sibling owners Phillip and Lauren Pretty visit twice weekly. Outside of its own farm, the kitchen only gets meat and seafood from farms in California, including fish from Long Beach’s own waters.
Karen Palmer is a pizza- and pasta-obsessed food writer based in Los Angeles. She is the former editorial director of Tasting Table, and her work has appeared in Eater, Food & Wine, Travel + Leisure, and many other publications. Follow her on Instagram at @karenlpalmer.
