From the long established Au Lac in Fountain Valley springs its 2nd and more upscale location in downtown Los Angeles. Opened 2014 across the street from Disney Concert Hall. Features a menu of both raw cuisine as well cooked vegan dishes. Full bar and upscale lounge atmosphere at moderate prices. Parking lot entrance is around the back of the plaza, or park on street. Open Tue-Sun 12:00pm-3:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm.
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710 W 1st St, Los Angeles, California, USA, 90012
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- Wheelchair accessible
- Accepts credit cards
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Last update on 03 Aug 2022 by RonDeutsch
Update business info
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105 Reviews
First Review by Chia
VeganMountainCliff
Points +131
elegant and delicious - Edit
The setting, staff, and food are nothing less than super
Read moreGuest
phytophile
Points +1184
good food - Edit
The food was delicious. The Bahn Mi was great. The wait was long after we ordered.
Read moreGuest
SoWo1999
Points +677
Beautiful food and restaurant!! - Edit
I really enjoyed this restaurant! The ambiance is lovely and the food was a work of art when it arrived at my table! I had the Chinoise, which was fresh and delicious! The staff were amazing, very helpful and friendly. They were very busy the day I went, and short staffed, but you couldn't tell by the way they quickly served the food and attended to everyone. I will definitely be back! I enjoyed everything about this restaurant.
Read morePros: Fresh and very delicious food, Nice ambiance in restaurant, All vegan, what could be better!?
Guest
Mc102036
Points +40
great food - Edit
Very nice quiet place. The food was great! Will definitely be back when I visit LA
Read moreGuest
ChynaCat
Points +332
fantastic - Edit
Tried Au Lac while in LA this week and was blown away by the presentation and flavors. Fresh and scrumptious. Everything from the yam "prawns" to the garlic basil noodles and tostada was amazing. I will definitely return when in LA. Those of you who live here are so lucky to have such an incredible spot in your city!
Read morePros: great food, fresh coconuts with spoon meat
Guest
mrrfrost
Points +340
Delicious! - Edit
A lovely restaurant in Downtown LA. A pianist plays away in the background (on a Saturday evening), nice atmosphere and not so busy.
Read moreService was excellent and friendly and the food was flavoured with some excellent sauces, especially the sweet and sour tempe.
The starter of salt and pepper tofu was topped with some tangy greens and hot jalapeño peppers.
The cuisine seemed to be a mix of Mexican and Vietnamese, we edged to the Asian side and was not disappointed at all.
Pros: so flavourful, excellent service, nice ambience
Cons: None
Guest
WilliamHeutink
Points +70
What a place! - Edit
It looks great!
Read moreWhen you go inside, it's an amazingly well designed space. There is plenty of room to have a party and it feels fresh and trendy.
The food....
Just go. I mean, what can you say?
Service is good and helpful. I prefer this location of the two.
Guest
Diverloon
Points +78
Divine! - Edit
Amazing food, great wine, very friendly staff and romantic atmosphere! Perfect.
Read moreGuest
AprilCuevas
Points +18
AMAZING - Edit
Omg this place only looks beautiful, but the food is sooooooooooooooooo delicious! I had the mad flax appetizer ?????? then I ordered the tostada and the my friends was just out of this world! You need to try that if you go check the place out. Of course couldn't leave the place without the postre!! I had the rainbow over the sky.. ?? AMAZING.
Read moreThe one thing that I didn't like was our server. He had this smirk on his face. It almost felt like he was thinking... These kids aren't vegan and they cant afford the food. ? it wasn't even THAT pricey. It was two of us, the only thing we didn't share was our entrees. We spent $45. I thought that was good??
Pros: Beautiful Restaurant , Great Food
Cons: Server
Guest
ArtVB
Points +332
Delicious raw food - Edit
The food and the environment are definitely five stars. I loved the pasta with garlic and the curry rice. Both raw and cooked dishes are excellent. Service, however, has some room for improvement. Our servers were incredibly nice and made everything possible to provide good service, but they were overburden by the number of people eating there on a Friday night. The manager should definitely consider hiring one extra person on Fridays before the shows next door start.
Read moreGuest
Aliwg
Points +402
awesome food- mediocre service - Edit
Amazing food! But, there was a band playing the night we went and the music was painfully loud. Plus, there was a second band playing in the attached bar and we were seated in the worst possible spot where we could hear both bands clashing. They brought us our food and we had no cutlery - I had to ask three times and eventually stand up and practically walk into the kitchen to get some. They never gave us the bill, again, we had to stand up and almost walk out to figure out how to pay. They did realize the mistakes and gave us a discount on the bill, though, and the food was really, really good!
Read moreGuest
Christyrose
Points +100
great food, awkward service - Edit
This place has great decor, ambience and the food is amazing. I loved the lemongrass "fish". I'm docking a star because the service is not what it should be for this price. Tables were left dirty although they were not busy. Our server and host were very friendly, but seemed unexperienced.
Read moreGuest
maplemag
Points +75
fantastic - Edit
Can't go wrong with Au Lac. Went for lunch with a few non vegans and everyone was pleased and full. The food was delicious and the service was outstanding!
Read moreGuest
LoveLezlie
Points +30
everything is delicious - Edit
I was looking for a vegan spot within walking distance when I had to serve for jury duty in downtown LA and this place was the closest. Everything is so fresh and delicious and I love that this place was created because the owner healed herself with a plant based diet. I'll definitely be back!
Read moreGuest
heathera75
Points +302
The Most Exceptional Food on the Planet! - Edit
I LOVE AU LAC! Top Notch Vegan food! Been here multiple times and it is always delicious! Chef Ito is so special and a good friend. As you may know, Vow of Silence for many YEARS now. He spends his energy perfecting food I suppose. Try the Ito Burrito. There is tons of raw choices ad well as cooked vegan. But this isnt your typical "raw" food. It is unbelivable and unique and so incredibly flavorful. Ambiance is so cool and some nights there is a show or music in entertainment room. Au Lac is an extraordinary place with exceptional food!
Read morePros: Raw and cooked vegan choices, Extraordinary taste, Organic, Gluten Free
Cons: None
Guest
luzmack26
Points +28
A feast for the palate and senses - Edit
Amazing delicious food and ambiance. My husband and I tried several dishes and all were outstanding. Service is friendly, a little on the slow side even that it was around 1:30 pm on a Sunday, and there were only about 8 people at the restaurant. We assume everything is so freshly made that might take a little longer.
Read moreThey have raw dishes and a few warm ones as well. They also have some interesting kambucha drinks.
The restaurant is modern, contemporary decor, clean. Great place to take family and friends for a charming celebration, and very close to the Disney Hall. Also below the restaurant there is a $1 parking with validation for 2 hrs, which is priceless considering is downtown LA.
We are heading there again to eat the warm garlic noodles and the rainbow torte that were so delicious! We were there only 3 days ago and cannot wait to get those dishes again!
Updated from previous review on Monday July 13, 2015
Pros: Healthy and fancy delicious food , Great ambiance , Parking
Cons: A little slow on food serving
Guest
JenniferKoukla
Points +147
excellent option downtown - Edit
We were looking for an option downtown, near the music center and we're excited to see the location just across the street, so convenient! The restaurant is really pretty, a little on the upscale side, which was fine as we were dressed for the theater. My husband was a little worried that portions would be small as they can be at more fancy places. He was very happy and satisfied with the portions. The menu is very diverse and all sounded very yummy. We had the tempeh as an app to share, which was huge and very tasty. I had the garlic noodles and hubby had the tostada, we were happy with both choices, the tostada is really tasty and I would recommend it over the noodles, we had the tirawmisu for dessert, it was good as well. The waitress was very friendly and knowledgeable, however the hostess seemed a little clueless, she may have been new. All in all, I do recommend Au Lac.
Read moreGuest
VeganCookieLover
Points +3101
Thank you, Chef Ito - Edit
My dear friend took me to this special restaurant for my birthday. The food, the ambience, the service, and especially Chef Ito, made my birthday celebration so memorable.
Read moreThe Crimini Pesto mushrooms, the Chinoise Chicken Salad, flax crackers with nut cheese were all outstanding.
Thank you, Chef Ito, for the detail and deliciousness you put into each dish.
Guest
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
nice new location - Edit
We stopped in for lunch and actually ran into some other friends who were already there. They were finishing their meals and were quite pleased with them. We were excited to check out the menu. The inside space is much nicer than I anticipated. Considering it's near the financial district, I would be very comfortable bringing non-vegans for a business lunch. Also, it's across the street from the Disney Concert Hall, so great for a nice pre-show dinner too.
Read moreWe ordered the stuffed mushrooms as an appetizer and the pho and sweet & spicy tempeh as entrees. Dirk loves mushrooms and pho, so he was quite pleased. My tempeh was lovely with potatoes, Brussels sprouts and tempeh served on puffy crackers. Just beware of eating of any of the peppers as they are very hot. We got the tiramisu for dessert. Slightly different from the original, but tasty nonetheless. The service was nice and friendly. We look forward to returning.
Pros: upscale vegan, variety of dishes
Guest
Evanming
Points +74
Delicious 好吃 - Edit
菜色特別
Read more部分有蔥蒜
點了一個愛心咖哩蔬菜
Pros: 離捷運站不遠
Guest
VeganGuy LA
Points +37
Great Vegan Restaurant. - Edit
I was blown away at how great this restaurant was. Every dish we ordered was delicious and a work of culinary art. This chef is extraordinary talented. The decor was classy and the ambiance warm and inviting. The staff was attentive and friendly. We go to Redcat and the Music Center frequently and it has always been frustrating that there were so few vegan choices downtown for dinner (while we love both of them, we were getting tired of always going to either Shojin or having the veggie pho at Blossom). The wait was worth it. This restaurant is directly across the street from the Music Center.
Read moreGuest
tonyakay
Points +3527
now in DTLA - Edit
I've been raw for 13 yrs. get this - I've also performed burlesque in the theatre at this location in Tease If You Please for a year and a half. I also consider Au Lac Fountain Valley the best raw restaurant in the nation. Imagine my elation when Au Lac moved into this space at First and Hope! Yes it's the same amazing food with a slightly more exclusive menu and slightly smaller proportions. And the location assures that this food is going in the mouths of more than the educative vegan population but now hipster downtowners and cutting edge fine diners. AND you can see a fellow long-term raw vegan perform burlesque in the adjacent theatre too;-) try the balaclava - best raw dessert I've ever had aromatic of passion fruit and infused flower flavor.
Read moreGuest
Carin69
Points +103
Modern Vietam Cuissine - Edit
Our first stop in LA was at Au Lac. Easy to find down town LA. Beautiful restaurant and very friendly staff. Good welcome!
Read moreThe food was very pure and tasty. Dessert (tiramisu) was great.
Pros: down town LA, great food, great waitres
Cons: none
Guest
Chia
Points +3635
Great Addition to Downtown LA - Edit
I had read about this place on HappyCow and stopped in for lunch on a sunny December day. Am told that it's still in its soft opening phase.
Read moreThe interior is very impressive - upscale, lounge like with a separate area for bar and a grand piano. Suitable for a late night drink with live piano. Or a place to impress a date.
The main dining room is deep and features booth seating, which is where my friends and I sat. Together we ordered several dishes to share from its concise menu of raw foods + a few cooked ones. Our server told us that the menu will expand gradually after the new year.
Overall I commend the chef and kitchen for creating a ambitious and interesting menu and making most items in-house. The prices are very reasonable for such a posh place. Yes, it feels fancy.
Dishes I liked are the Chinoise salad, Vietnamese pho soup, Ito burrito (raw), and house-made gelato (raw).
Would like to return in a few months once the menu expands and they get their groove on.
Guest
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