Fortunately, visitors and residents of Laguna Beach who make the decision to eliminate meat from their diets don’t have to eliminate eating out. There are plenty of great restaurants with vegetarian-friendly options, and we have rounded up our top 4 picks for you.

Veggie Plate at NIRVANA KITCHEN + PANTRY

Nirvana Grille is not strictly a vegetarian restaurant, but it tends to have some great vegetarian options on its menu. It’s most popular vegetarian entree is the colorful and vitamin enriched “Veggie Plate”. This flavorful dish features glazed organic carrots, wilted rainbow chard, mushroom ragout, balsamic caramelized onions, asparagus with lemon oil, sautéed mixed vegetables, sautéed french lentils, organic jasmine, baby garbanzo & daikon seed rice. Nirvana also has a separate vegan and gluten-free menu making this a great choice for a clean Californian cuisine.

Kale and Papaya Salad At MARO WOOD GRILL

This small, charming Argentinian inspired restaurant has the best vegetarian salad around. The kale and pesto salad comes with organic kale, pepitas, sun-dried tomatoes, house made pesto vinaigrette and feta Crumble. Executive Chef Debra Sims’ has a passion for sustainable, seasonal cuisine and combines this with her mastery of wood-fired grilling. Other great options include mesquite grilled edamame, mesquite shishito peppers and wood grilled okra. Make sure to leave room for the banana bread pudding.

Stuffed Grape Leaves at ZEYTOON CAFE

At Zeytoon Cafe the scent of crispy fried falafel blends with the sounds of onions, peppers and tomatoes, sautéing to perfection. With a variety of vegetarian choices, the stuffed grape leaves are an excellent choice. This meatless version is stuffed with rice, sautéed onions flavored with fresh parsley, mint, dill, Aleppo pepper, pomegranate syrup, lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil, cooked on slow fire to melt in your mouth. Dine on the upstairs patio for a gorgeous view of the ocean.