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A leafy shot of a sunny patio at a new restaurant with lots of wood.
Sunny seating at Silver Lake’s new De Buena Planta.
Wonho Frank Lee

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This Hidden Patio Will Be Silver Lake’s Lush Summer Hangout

The plant-based De Buena Planta is a vegetarian stunner with cocktails and tacos that secretly sits just off Sunset

by Farley Elliott
Photos by Wonho Frank Lee

It’s about to be a lot more green in Los Angeles these days, and not just because of today’s rainy weather. The spring and summer are shaping up to be some of the sunniest, most exciting times to dine out in Southern California, backed by new openings, big projects, and an endless amount of perfect patio weather. And now comes the newest De Buena Planta, a hidden patio playa breezing into Silver Lake with palm fronds, cocktails, and a meatless, vegetarian, gluten-free menu of Mexican-inspired staples.

If the name sounds familiar, that’s because beachy Venice already enjoys a De Buena Planta right on Abbot Kinney. Opened by owner Heather Tierney (the Butcher’s Daughter) in September 2020 as an all-outdoor pandemic-era oasis, this new Silver Lake outlet covers much the same territory but with grander intentions and even more seats. This is the former Tintorera space, tucked away on a hillside off Sunset with just a simple wooden door to give away the location.

A low table with pink napkins and white plates at daytime.
Casual dinner.

Here the seating is a mix of rustic patio chic, low-tabletop lounging, and long wooden tables good for large parties that stretch well into the night. In total, the seating area spans some 5,000 square feet of shade, sun, and plant perfection, complete with live music on certain evenings. Tierney designed the space with her Wanderlust Design Group team, which has also worked on recent projects like the also-hidden De La Nonna in the Arts District.

Inside the building and just off the kitchen is La Casita, a small speakeasy-style cocktail spot with a focus on more complex cocktails and mezcal. Led by bar director Lee Zaremba, it’s a place to catch an evening sip away from the fray or wind down after dinner with one last drink. Grace Gaboury (Chi Spacca, the Tasting Kitchen) oversees the wine side of things, while chef Chaza Smith leads the plant-based menu, with a focus on light, crispy tlayuda variations, dips like the restaurant’s take on a Mayan sikil pak with pumpkin seeds, and larger plates like tacos, tostadas, and enchiladas. The opening menus are below.

This new De Buena Planta opens Wednesday, March 30 at 2815 Sunset Boulevard, with hours from 4 p.m. to midnight daily, and extended service to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday nights inside La Casita (which opens Thursday, March 31). There’s a weekday happy hour from 4 to 6 p.m., and the last seating for food service is at 11 p.m.; reservations can be made on Resy.

A daytime restaurant patio with wood and greens and lights.
Leaves and string lights galore.
A long table set for service with colorful patio chairs at a new restaurant.
Communal, or group, dining options.
An angled look at a leafy restaurant patio at daytime.
Trees and brick, too.
A palapa with table beneath at a new restaurant.
Shade for the warmer summer days.
Cushioned seating around a tree at a new restaurant patio.
A corner look at a new restaurant’s firepit patio area.
A long wooden table for communal dining at a new patio at a restaurant.
Low booths and stools at a new patio at a restaurant at daytime.
An outside bar with wooden stools at a new Mexican restaurant.
Bottles of booze stacked up at the bar outside on a new restaurant patio.
A long table with matching patio chairs over sand at a new restaurant patio.
Lots of color and greenery.
A narrow hallway towards a cocktail lounge.
Into the bar.
A dimly lit cocktail bar with a tropical theme.
It’s always summer inside.
Rattan furniture and plants inside a dim mezcal bar.
Mezcal and hangouts.
A crispy tortilla with beans and greens on a wooden platter.
A light, crispy tlayuda.
Greens, edible flowers, and strips of tortilla in a bowl.
The cesar Mexicano salad.
A light blue bowl of fish-free seafood snack.
Coconut aguachile.
Three crispy rolled tortillas on a pink plate.
Jackfruit taquitos.
Deep red beet with green sauce on a pink plate.
Smoked beet pastor tostada.
An overhead shot of a table filled with Mexican vegan snacks and cocktails.
Snacks and drinks for all to enjoy.
A deep ruby cocktail with salted rim and greens.
A light aperitif cocktail with wedge of citrus on a wooden table.
A smoky cocktail with deep red hues on a glass with the depiction of the devil on it.
A fun cocktail glass shaped like a cactus.
Wooden doorways into a hidden lush courtyard.
An entrance on Sunset that hides the beauty beyond.

De Buena Planta Silver Lake

2815 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
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