Seed Bistro

I know why this place closed. And i notice on my frequent walks around the neighborhood and the same yellow bag on the door on the mornings when I go to brentwood farmers market that it was always closed. Their Venice location was lionized by the vegan celebrities like Madonna who raved about it, but it didn’t work out in Brentwood. I have also found that vegan food is tastier at not pure vegan places, but places where they serve meat. Perplexing. Hope they’re not adding bacon grease to my veggie patty, I think some vegetarian-​hating chef might be sadistic enough to do it.
The food was bland, which is the stereotype of most vegan places. My squash risotto was bland, bland bland. Saltless, and the basil oil didn’t add much. I applaud them for trying to innovate vegan cuisine to a higher standard (especially with their mushroom pâté), but some of their dishes were too processed to really understand, and still bland. However, the sandwich/​burger my friend had was flavorful, but it reminded me of a similar sandwich at Terri vegan sandwich shop in NYC.
Service was also lacking, it took them a while to serve us, and we had to ask twice for our check.

The food was great love it. I would go back again & again. Had the TIRAMISU was off the chain. If I was by myself I would lick the plate. I want to take 6 more home with me.

This a fantastic creative restaurant. I went with a friend on saturday got the Squash risotto, the Milanese, and the mushroom with yukon potato. Allo of them were perfect tasty, light, crispy, not a flaw.
Finally the Tiramissu’ left me speechless !!!
The place is very nice, team is very friendly and the Chef Erik is really good at answering every possible question. Definitely will go back!!!

After one visit some of my expectations were upended and my curiosity somewhat satisfied.
We arrive for an early dinner with friends in town from NY. There is much confusion about the parking. (Hint: there’s no street parking until 7 p.m., you can’t park in the lot next door even though it’s empty as a ghost town, and the few parking spots available in the back are mostly taken by employees. But the lack of parking is better than the lack of a bathroom at Seed Venice.)
It doesn’t have the upscale, romantic ambience I expected. It’s casual, which is good for lunch but doesn’t make dinner much of an occasion. The room still retains the vestiges of the sushi bar it used to be. Simple table settings on unclothed tables, overly bright lighting, room layout not very conducive to intimate conversations. Not awful, but not what I was hoping for, which is a date-​night, dress-​up, impress fancy guests type of place. Groovy music, though.
The specials are on a chalkboard over the bar, but Donovan our server explains them efficiently. As someone who guzzles water like it’s — um, water — I love the trend of being served a carafe of water at the table. (Why is Seed’s water so yummy? Macrobiotic water??)
Speaking of guzzling, the wine list is well assembled. The Malbec was dark, juicy, and a reasonable price per glass.
The menu is clean, healthy fare with a heavy Japanese influence and French touches (exhibit A: lots of ring molds). It’s strangely written, with minimalist descriptions, as if they’re afraid to oversell themselves or they believe in Zenlike menu simplicity and practice a Buddhist detachment from adjectives. I highly recommend they add some adjectives, and an adverb or two, because what came out of the kitchen was way better than expected, and more OMGworthy than the menu suggests.
We ordered both of the sushi specials. The spicy tempeh roll was very good (although not quite the flavor bomb as the similarly realized Dynamite Roll at Shojin). The tempura asparagus roll was insane. Each individual ingredient was perfectly prepared. The asparagus was tender, the tempura coating crispy, the rice just right in temperature and texture. Eight pieces, fairly uniform in size, makes the sushi an ample appetizer to share. The mushroom/​lentil pâté was plated nicely and the arugula salad was a good size.
However, most of the portions in the rest of our meal were small. Our friend’s white bean cassoulet was lunch-​sized, and skimpy on the sausage. The seitan bourguignon didn’t have enough on the plate to even offer a bite to anyone else. The seitan pepper steak was more generous with the protein, but as a whole was not large enough to satisfy an appetite (and while the seitan itself was prepared well, the sauce was sour and flat, and the side dishes are pretty much just garnishes). When dessert came out, there was so much going on with the plate we didn’t even notice the small ring-​molded tiramisu. I needed reading glasses to find it.
The good absolutely outweighs the bad. The service was terrific; friendly but not at all intrusive, just how I like it. They were also very accommodating of the dietary restrictions of one of our guests. At $ 70-​something per couple before tip, it’s a good value for the quality of the food. I’ll absolutely return on a night when I’ve already had a big lunch and am looking for something lighter for dinner, a glass of wine, and macrobiotic water in a casual setting without excessive adjectives.

My life is significantly less fulfilled when there isn’t a vegan restaurant that I can walk to. This was the case until Seed put the skip back in my step. I’m now safely hooked on this neighborhood gem.
The food is clean. Simple, straightforward, and bursting with flavor. The buffalo bites with ranch=heaven. The kale salad=amazing. The risotto=creamy delight. BUT the real show stopper is the most unassuming of menu items-​the southwestern burger. I know, I know. It’s just a veggie burger, you say. They all taste the same, you lament. Well, you’re wrong. I get pangs for that burger. I’m craving it right now and I’m drinking coffee at breakfast time. That makes no sense but it’s just that good.
The owner, Chef Eric, is in the kitchen every night. He not only makes the food, he ensures you’re happy, enjoying every bite. He comes by your table to personally greet you and make sure the meal is up to snuff. That’s true service and passion right there.
Our server Donovan was lovely. Last night we really went crazy and ordered the tasting menu, and he led us every step of the way, explaining each component on the plate. I’m a detail freak so I love knowing everything I’m eating. All the courses were delicious but my favorite were the bookends-​a portabella faux foie gras to start and a trio of mouth-​watering desserts to end.
They have some parking in the back and after 7 you can also park at the cleaners next door.
I know it’s sudden, but I may propose. I see a long, healthy relationship in our future.

The things that Seed Bistro does with vegetables is amazing. No one does what Seed Bistro does.
Perfection!
The presentation is beautiful. Some of the dishes look as if they could be served at a Michelin star restaurant. The flavors are definitely of the same caliber. Everything I tried had depth and character. Each ingredient thoughtfully incorporated to create intelligent and visually appealing dishes. For a second I forgot I was dining at a vegan restaurant. Lost in every plate before me I thought «this is what vegan food has been missing».
Quality over quantity with a wine list to match this is a beautiful romantic gem on the west side. It stands alone in what I hope is the future of high end vegan fare.

How great it is to have an all vegan place to go to for a nice, special meal! This is exactly what Madeleine Bistro wanted to be, but failed at, due to their poor location, bland atmosphere, and constantly skyrocketing prices. Seed Bistro is the kind of place I have been waiting for, for over a decade.
The food was all excellent! The stand outs were the asparagus tempura roll, the seitan bourguignon, and especially, the chocolate mousse!
Even though there was absolutely nothing wrong with the food, I took off a star because I felt like our meal was… a little too efficiently served? We had an appetizer, entrees and dessert, and it was all over in under an hour… and this takes into the consideration that we sent our waiter away about 4 times, because it took us about 15 minutes to decide what we wanted! Considering that we were having a nice date meal, it would have been nice to have the meal served at a bit more of a leisurely pace, so we could sit and and relax and enjoy ourselves more. I swear our appetizer arrived about 72 seconds after we ordered it! :-) So, if you have a limited amount of time for dinner, I can promise they will have you out in no time!!!

Eric the owner and chef was engaging and charming and though my guest were non vegans he made them feel cherished as customers.
The food was exquisite as the appearance, the tastes and the variety made me ecstatic.
Hugo’s is a money mill (management has no interest except profit), RFD is boring and redundant, Veggie Grill is honest and worth the visit.
The Seed Bistro are a breath of life into a dying vegan group of places that don’t deserve your business. viva la difference.

Macrobiotic Vegan: Beautifully Subtle, softly balanced, nutritional and harmonic vegan — that is the message of Seed. It is Macrobiotic Healthy Cooking from a top classically trained chef and Author. (It’s funny that one reviewer liked M over Seed, where did the owner cook before?) Do not expect in your face flavor. Instead, you will leave feeling balanced and happy, having actually discovered each taste of the individual vegetables uniquely created by a great chef. (I hear they wake up early and make their veggie «meats» fresh every morning.)
I hope you try Seed; it is a wonderful experience — Natural, harmonic vegan food. You will find, beauty and sustenance in the subtle blend of ingredients, the matched flavors, and new and innovative dishes that change by the season — with some rotating daily, especially at their West LA location. But to me what really shines is that owners live a Macrobiotic Vegan lifestyle and have their own organic garden that they share with their customers. Truth shines in excellence… it is hard to be a vegan without passion and conviction and they have it in spades. So go support passion and go have a try… Even if you eat meat, I bet you will like it… or at least your tummy will…

Adding another subjective review:
My friends and I came in here for a meal yesterday. I ordered a cup of Japanese Kabocha Squash soup, seitan asada taco and a glass of iced barley tea to wash down. The kabocha soup can’t really go wrong. It carries the kabocha’s natural taste and well complemented with a mini portion of julienned carrots and chopped scallions.
The asada taco, I thought, was a tad bit less impressive than expected. While it wasn’t bad, I thought the dish could be put together in a tastier manner. How? I can’t think of it now. Even with the guacamole and the peppery, smoky salsa on the side, they couldn’t seem to help the taco get any excitement out of it. The dish itself is indeed healthy and nutritious.
The iced barley tea was quite refreshing but nothing more.
On the other hand, the sai sai donburi macro bowl that my friends were having seems more palatable than what I was having. Consists of small portions of veggies, vegan knit knacks and with a choice of brown rice or quinoa, it’s assembly resembles that of a bibimbop. Those who ordered that enjoyed it very much. The donburi also comes with a kicking sauce on the side. You can probably mix it all up and serve it like a bibimbop or just pick on it section by section.
The interior and ambiance was pleasant, comfy and clean. The desserts, displayed on pictures look amazing. The service there was also pleasant. I think I would come back for it to give it another shot.

I returned twice more. Once for a their southwest veggie burger and another time for their penne bolognese. To say the least, I was not impressed. I find the flavors at Seed to be extremely bland, nothing special. When it comes to gourmet or high-​end cuisine, I have a broad knowledge due to the fact growing up my parents had a personal chef prepare vegan meals for me and since I’ve experienced restaurants such as Dirt Candy in NYC and Millennium in San Fran. Seed has never given me an orgasm in my mouth any of the 3 times I’ve been there. There was never love at first bite.
My confusion comes from the stand point that I am a person who recognizes flavor and am a person who is open to seeing how other people could potentially view food as tasty. Seed, in my opinion, lacks flavor and originality to the fullest. I eat out and I eat out vegan for EVERY meal. I have been to restaurants all over Los Angeles whether they are in West Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Hollywood, Mid City, Echo Park, Tarzana, Silverlake, Los Feliz, Downtown Los Angeles, etc. Seed fails to impress, that’s all there is to it.
My thought is, that many of the people giving Seed high reviews have not experienced restaurants such as Madeleine Bistro, Sage, M Café, etc. I will fully admit that the presentation at Seed is amazing and the staff are EXTREMELY friendly which is why I find it impossible to give the establishment one star. But, I cannot for the life of me think of how it is virtually possible that Seed is getting 4 – 5 star ratings. Average at best, I’ve had more flavorful white rice.

Simple, clean and delicious — We had the tomato tart, cream of broccoli soup, 3 vegetable miso, peppercorn seitan and squash basil risotto (amazing). Kelly says she wished she had 2 stomachs so she could try everything on the menu.
The chef, Eric, walked to every table and asked how the food was etc. — very nice touch and just plain good business. Bravo, we’ll be back.

Had a great dinner here the other night. Our server Miyumi was so friendly smart and prompt. The restaurant is small enough that if you even look up for a moment someone will be over to make sure you are doing alright. We didn’t make reservations for the tasting menu, so we «created our own» so to speak.
Green Hummus starter — was fantastic itself, but the flax chips it was served with didn’t do it justice. Our server brought over some of their housemade croutons and those substituted perfectly (call me fat).
Three Seaweed Salad — BEST seaweed plate I’ve ever had! All three had very unique flavors and consistencies, and blended together perfectly.
Grilled Polenta with Swiss Chard and Puttenesca — THIS DISH BLEW ME AWAY! The three main components are all so different, and things I don’t necessarily like on their own, but when combined with Chef Eric’s skill they created a perfect flavor sensation in my mouth. The polenta was grilled crispy on the outside but somehow perfectly light and fluffy on the inside. Can’t stress enough how every bite should have a dab of each item!
Squash Risotto — this was equally yummy, my only rant would be a personal one against risotto, because it always just leaves me wanting another bite and never satisfied!
Chocolate Mousse/​Lemon Meringue Tart thing — these were the only parts I didn’t love about the meal. The desserts were extra small it seemed (see «fat» above) and much more generic in flavor than the rest of the meal. I almost wished I’d gotten another beer (An amazing Belgian «Green» amber ale) or more Seaweed Salad.
All in all I enjoyed it and we will likely be back for Chef Eric’s tasting menu experience and Miyumi’s smile.

I really like this place. I’ve been here twice for lunch in the last week, and I’ll definetly be back soon!
The first time I came here, I had the Southwest Burger. I was starving, but I couldn’t finish it! It was really delicious, and the guacamole was awesome. It came with a nice salad on the side.
Today I had the Macro Bowl with quinoa. This is my new favorite lunch! Simple, wholesome and delicious!!! This is a kitchen that knows how to do clean, healthy food right!
Drinks — The barley iced tea is great! They bring you a big, chilled glass bottle of water when you sit down. And I love that they have beer, wine and sake here.
Prices — Considering the quality and quantity of the food, I think the prices are extremely fair. I go to Whole Foods and RFD for lunch all the time, and Seed’s prices are right on point. Plus, the quality is MUCH better than the mega-​expensive steam table food that you would get at Whole Foods (not to mention the crowds, dirty tables, etc.) Just sayin…
Atmosphere — I’ve only been here during the day, but it’s always very peaceful, and not too crowded. It’s a great place to come and relax while you eat.
Service — Excellent. Very attentive (but not too much so…) and food comes out quickly, which is really important at lunchtime!
I hope they add some of their dinner items to the lunch menu. The risotto and sushi sound delish!

Me: «Would it be frowned upon if I licked the bowl?»
Friend: «Yes, yes it would…»
*sigh*
If she’d have looked away for just two seconds I probably would have licked the bowl clean anyway, that’s how good the Squash Risotto was. Fried sage leaves to garnish? Basil oil? Dash of balsamic? Next time I’m going to lick the bowl for real, manners be damned.
I’ve been a fan of Seed Kitchen in Venice for some time, so when I heard Chef Eric was upping the ante on a more formal restaurant I had to get down on it as soon as possible.
The food was all excellent. Sure, there are a few things I won’t be ordering again, but that’s simply because I have game in the kitchen and could make them myself. The roasted beet salad, the pickled vegetables, the Moroccan carrot soup are all things that I could duplicate, but I also have the Seed cook book which probably helps. Does that mean that they weren’t delicious? Hell no, we scarfed them all down in record time, just saying.
The side dishes and starters were good and simple, but our main courses and dessert were another ballgame. That spicy tempeh roll? Purely delicious. The lemon meringue mousse with almond meal crust? WOW, so freaking good, one of the few desserts that somehow satisfies the sweet tooth and yet still comes off as fairly healthy. The SQUASH RISOTTO??? Ohhhhhh man. Now THAT is a homerun, stupid stupid stupid good. I’d eat that breakfast, lunch, AND dinner, no doubt.
I loved it. Very few restaurants offer up cuisine that leaves me feeling full but not over stuffed, indulged but still healthy, and all around completely happy. The service was great; friendly and informative, definitely the welcoming atmosphere you’d hope for from such an uplifting restaurant.
Healthy, tasty, and elegant. Spot on!

4.5 stars!!!
My stomach was telling me it was lunchtime and my brain was telling me to check out that new vegan restaurant that I had bookmarked ever since
announced Seed Bistro’s opening last month.
I walked into a casual-​chic designed dining area complete with earthy green and orange tones. Took a table near the chilled wine cabinet. Glanced down at my menu and WOW!!! $ 12 — $ 15 per lunch entrée!!!
My next thought: This better be damn good!
Seed’s Southwest Burger caught my attention. Bean and grain patty, ancho chili spread, guacamole, and soy cheese on a ciabatta bun. When my waiter brought it out, he asked if I wanted ketchup…
ME: Does this need ketchup?
WAITER: I don’t think it does.
I took a bite. WOW!!! I took more bites. So delicious!!!
ME: (to waiter) This is SO good! It’s perfect the way it is. Totally hits the spot!
Even the side salad that came with the burger was tasty. All it had was simple greens tossed in a creamy dressing. Yum!
I was impressed by how good this was. I nearly forgot that I was paying $ 12 for this burger. But you know what? Totally worth it!

Amazing! Newly opened, the sister restaurant of Seed in Venice… this place is sure to stick around. Staff is very friendly and honest about menu suggestions. Décor is pretty, I wouldn’t say gorgeous but doable. I like the use of the traditional sushi counter to showcase the fresh veggies & preparation, a different spin on what one is used to seeing. My friend & I split the following:
Hummus — young, green edamame hand-​shelled then processed to a coarser texture than usual. Served with 4 flaxseed crackers… you can see the pumpkin seeds & flax seeds in these crackers. They’re crunchy & good to use to scoop up the hummus. Tons of hummus served; if you get it w/​a small salad that’d be enough for dinner! Not enough crackers to grab all the hummus but that’s ok, it’s enjoyable on its own w/​your fork!
Squash Risotto — the risotto’s consistency was spot-​on! Very hard to accomplish. The butternut squash was roasted to a near-​perfect doneness w/​a firm outer shell but creamy on the inside. Tasted like it was sprinkled with sea salt too. The fried basil & oil was a good highlight.
Grilled Polenta — comes with veggies in a ragout sauce & sauteed kale that was heavenly. The kale is sauteed w/​garlic (it’s obvious!) & some salt & pepper; I’d be surprised if there was anything else involved in its preparation… it was divine & 1 of the spotlights of this dish.
Chocolate Mouse — OMG! If you do nothing else, order this dessert. Besides attractive plating, it is my far the most decadent chocolate mouse I’ve ever eat (& I eat a lot of chocolate). Served with pistacchio nougatine (according to their website), my friend & I made a «s’more» out of it w/​the nougatine/​cracker, a slab of mouse & topped with the raspberry sauce drizzled on the side.
I already have cravings for this place & I live in SF! The only plate we didn’t completely clear was the hummus & only because we were talking & our other food came out. Enjoyed with a glass of Malbec for me & Sauv Blanc for her, we had a very enjoyable experience at Seed Bistro & I will be back next time I’m in LA. Spread the word!

I echo Arielle’s sentiments below… fantastic meal, great ambiance and service. Looking forward to going back and trying more food!!!
Check out my full review at:

Fantastic little neighborhood eatery!
I just moved in nearby and have been waiting for this place to open (I saw it in varying stages of «ready» and knew it was a place i wanted to check out). I was not disappointed!
I took some friends here – none of us is vegan but all of us appreciate the opportunity to eat delicious vegan (and macrobiotic!) foods. We tried the creamy butternut squash soup, the risotto, the gluten-​free penne bolognese, the paella, the sushi (!), and the lemon merengue. All of it was amazing. Stunning, in fact – well presented and delicious. The meat was not only not missed, but not attempted (I often find that vegan places create meat substitutes, it’s refreshing that Seed does not do so).
I will definitely be back and cannot wait for the opportunity to explore even more of their menu!

TEAMSEEDBISTRO… Is bringing explosions of flavor with a sexy culinary behavior. Tell a friend, mom, dad, brother, sister, or stranger:
1^st course… the caesar salad at seed bistro rewrites everything you know of the classic Italian salad… the dressing is close to godliness with a very neat display of creativity in plating.
2^nd course… the flageot cassoulet was very filling but not too much to make you feel like you are crashing. the apple sausage that comes in the dish is out of this vegan world… WOW…very juicy and the char grill on it really does the finishing touch…
3^rd course… the lemon meringue mousse on almond meal crust with cashew whipped cream was all that I can ever ask for and more… a sweet taste of yummy heaven… THIS IS THE REAL DEAL (and that is all I can say about that). I have yet to try vegan desserts like this until now…
WHAT A BREAKTHROUGH!!!