A New Marina del Rey Restaurant Reimagines Stylish Meat-Free Dining

Canadian and American plant-based restaurant chain Planta is expanding to Los Angeles for the first time, with a Planta Cocina opening at the Boardwalk Marina del Rey shopping center on May 25, focusing on Latin-inspired dishes, a robata grill, and more. A Planta location will come to Brentwood in July, focusing on global fare.

Led by CEO Steven Salm and executive chef David Lee, Planta is expanding beyond its 11 existing locations in Toronto, New York, D.C., Bethesda, Chicago, and Florida. After opening its first restaurant in 2016, the group is finally making its way to the West Coast.

Salm says the proximity of these LA locations to local farmer’s markets has been a blessing that not all Planta locations have had. “This is truly a paradise for David and me to get inspiration from,” he says. “[To be able to] handpick what our guests are going to be eating is just a connection that we haven’t really had available to us, and in such close proximity that it feels really exciting to be able to operate a restaurant that is plant-based under those conditions.”

The menu at Planta Cocina, shown below, draws inspiration from pan-Latin cuisine with croquetas, tostadas, tacos, queso fundido, and more. There will also be sushi and pasta dishes, plus salads and other vegetable plates. The Brentwood location at Planta will also feature dishes from multiple cuisines; while there isn’t yet a finalized menu, other Planta locations serve dishes like burgers, sushi, pastas, salads, and more.

Menus will vary from one location of the Planta chain to the next, and Planta and Planta Cocina have different focuses. A third iteration called Planta Queen, with locations in New York, Miami, Toronto, and Chicago, focuses more heavily on Asian-inspired dishes, including sushi, dumplings, and noodles.

At the Marina del Rey location, the space created by design studio ICrave features arched, high-ceiling windows with views of the marina. Expect earth tones and natural materials like terracotta tiles, plaster finishes, wicker lampshades, wood finishes, and plants throughout.

Planta will join a few other spots at Boardwalk Marina del Rey, including the also-new Winston Pies, plus HiHo Cheeseburger, KazuNori, Uovo, and Alfred Coffee.

Planta will be open at 4625 Admiralty Way, Suite 104, Marina del Rey, CA 90292, seven days a week, with weekday hours starting at 4 p.m. until 10 p.m. from Monday to Wednesday, extended to 11 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays. Weekend hours start at 11 a.m., closing at 11 p.m. on Saturdays, and 10 p.m. on Sundays.