Our family of 5 dined there yesterday. We so wanted to like this restaurant. First, the positive. It was my daughter's 14th birthday. We had made a request to make it special. They gave us a lovely private area. Unfortunately, it ended up by us cutting our dinner short, packing our entrees in take-home containers, and leaving. We had planned to have dessert there and celebrate the birthday, but none of us wanted to prolong the experience. What went wrong? 1. My son (8) and daughter (14) didn't like any of the entrees on the menu, and wanted to see if they could have a simpler pasta dish or if there was a kid friendly menu. The only option the server offered were spaghetti with olive oil or red sauce. My son ordered spaghetti with olive oil AND red sauce, which the server took down as spaghetti with olive oil, which he tried but hated. We told the server if she could get him the spaghetti with red sauce and she said, "I can get you red sauce on the side", proceeding to get us the tiniest cup of red pasta sauce. My son and daughter (whose birthday it was) barely ate anything!!! 2. After the first round (mostly appetizers for the adults), our plates and silverware were cleared out. Then our server brought two entrees, pizzas which she placed on stands on the table, with no plates and no silverware to eat the pizzas. Then she left. We gave our server the benefit of the doubt that she would return with plates and silverware. But after over 6 minutes of staring at the pizzas, I had to go ask someone for help and to see the manager. 3. The manager came, and I told her about point #2 above. She apologized and said they would try to make up for it. A few minutes later, I saw the manager speaking with our server near the bar. Someone else brought us plates and silverware in the meantime. However, when our server did return to the table, she did not offer a single word of apology, acting as if nothing had happened. Her vibe from the beginning had been cold and matter of fact, but this was over the top bad! If you can't be warm and welcoming, or have the decency to apologize, don't work in the restaurant business! 4. We had planned to have dessert there and celebrate my daughter's birthday there. But after the experience, no one wanted to eat anything else there or prolong the experience. 5. We packed our entrees in to-go containers and left! My daughter's highlight was having ice cream at Manhattan Beach creamery. It was completely our mistake to pick Pura Vita thinking it would be good for families. Not making the mistake again. Do yourself a favor. If you have kids, spare them and yourself the agony!!!
A G.
Sadly, I have to say that my experience was just terrible and mostly because of the server. It appears that if you are white, you will receive one kind of treatment and if you are a person of color, you'll receive totally different treatment. We were not the only table that noticed this. even after letting the staff know that it was a very special birthday being celebrated, that did not change the treatment we received. The food was good, but nothing is worth this. I guess it's just one of those places that simply caters to one group.
Francesca V.
The ambience of the restaurant is really nice and the staff were very friendly. Brian H was our waiter and he was very nice - since it was my first time at the restaurant he gave us some Pura Vita pins and stickers which was a nice surprise. I enjoyed all of the food we ordered and would come back and try more dishes.
Johnny Ortiz
Everything I ordered is very tasty. Bomb food,service,atmosphere.Vegetarian options: Everything thing is vegetarian ?Parking: Limited number of parking in the back. Usually parking in front of restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Magic Pizza, Carbonara Pasta, Pura Vita, Pizza
Lloyd M.
I had this complete review written. I can't believe that yelp eased it all. I don't know what I touched, but my review is gone forever.
Amy Tjaden
My son and I popped in for dinner because we were staying close by. We're not vegan, but I am gluten free and we do enjoy vegan options from time to time. We ordered a gluten free pizza to share and I was afraid to eat it because the crust was unlike any gluten free crust I've ever had. I didn't believe it was gluten free. I double checked with the waiter. He assured me it was gluten free. I ate it, but still had my doubts. Haha It was THAT good. I wish we were local so I could have it more often. Their basil lemonade is really good too. We're hoping to visit the area again in the future and will definitely hit up this spot for lunch or dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Robert P.
Walking in hungry, leave hungry walking in with 100 bucks leave with nothing. It's not really about the money. It's just a principal. We ordered 4 things a small bowl of pasta, very small, literally less than a can of raviolis some potato chips, the chips were glimmering with simple oil. They were so cooked awkwardly, but they flopped around and literally 25 chips maximum $12 and a little pizza $20 granted it's vegan but the flavors just not there 100% profit on each dish I guarantee it. I suppose if you're vegan and you're looking for a dining restaurant this will do but for anybody else in your party who is not vegan I guarantee you they will be very disappointed. I was so disappointed. I forgot the Caesar salad. It was decent $15. I think whatever the total bill came out to $98 including tax no drinks just water if you're looking for sustenance you're not gonna find it here if you're looking for a vegan atmosphere, you'll get it. Let me add that $27 for the special pasta was full of lemon juice. Literally you couldn't taste anything else but lemon juice.
Scott S.
This is a fun restaurant that focuses on vegan/Italian-based cuisine. Where as many vegan restaurants are very boring in their food presentations, this is certainly not the case with Pura Vida. The food here is very flavorful, made with exceptional ingredients, and very well presented, The design of this restaurant is very nice. They have a very nice interior space which gives you the feeling of a dark and secluded environment. On their back deck, they have a very nice and expensive outdoor area for dining. There's a lot of tables out there. This is always my preference. It's great to be able to eat your meal while sitting in the open air. The staff here are all very competent and very nice. They, of course, are happy to help you out with your choices if you're not really familiar with a vegan-based diet. But again, this restaurant really transcends vegan only food. What they offer is all really good! Overall, if you're in the Redondo Beach area, you're hanging out on the Redondo Beach Puer, or you just want to come down to the beach, this is a great place to grab a meal
mwmphd
Great vegan place across from Redondo Beach. A bit small, at least on the inside, but both the delicious Italian food and the friendly stuff make the dining experience very worthwhile.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Helen Hooper
The food is great. So flavorful and lots of options.The restaurant had a great vibe. The staff are always friendly. Parking is easy.
Everything I had was delicious. The 'tuna' panini, Brussel sprouts, meatballs & drinks were great too. I'll go back
Maurice M.
Great vegan place located across from Redondo Beach. A bit small, at least on the inside, but both the delicious Italian food and the wonderful, friendly stuff make the dining experience very worthwhile. It's definitely a place to visit again.
Sarah H.
Love this place. Split the San Gennaro pizza and some little doughnut balls (forgot the name) for dessert, both were amazing. Pizza crust was perfect. Service was great too, everyone was super kind and attentive. Dark/romantic kind of ambiance (in the evening at least). I definitely plan to come back as there were so many things I wanted to try!
Paradyse O.
The Black Magic pizza is amazing and the pasta's are chef's kiss when it comes to flavor, sauce and seasoning. The service is always good and helpful.
Mary McCulley
Just recently tried the location in Redondo Beach. Had no idea they had such a lovely patio in the back and dog-friendly too! The food is delicious!! Drinks and the wine I had the other night excellent. So excited to have a great vegan/vegetarian option in the South Bay! New favorite spot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Magic Pizza, Cashew, Baked Ricotta, Pizza
Our family of 5 dined there yesterday. We so wanted to like this restaurant. First, the positive. It was my daughter's 14th birthday. We had made a request to make it special. They gave us a lovely private area. Unfortunately, it ended up by us cutting our dinner short, packing our entrees in take-home containers, and leaving. We had planned to have dessert there and celebrate the birthday, but none of us wanted to prolong the experience. What went wrong? 1. My son (8) and daughter (14) didn't like any of the entrees on the menu, and wanted to see if they could have a simpler pasta dish or if there was a kid friendly menu. The only option the server offered were spaghetti with olive oil or red sauce. My son ordered spaghetti with olive oil AND red sauce, which the server took down as spaghetti with olive oil, which he tried but hated. We told the server if she could get him the spaghetti with red sauce and she said, "I can get you red sauce on the side", proceeding to get us the tiniest cup of red pasta sauce. My son and daughter (whose birthday it was) barely ate anything!!! 2. After the first round (mostly appetizers for the adults), our plates and silverware were cleared out. Then our server brought two entrees, pizzas which she placed on stands on the table, with no plates and no silverware to eat the pizzas. Then she left. We gave our server the benefit of the doubt that she would return with plates and silverware. But after over 6 minutes of staring at the pizzas, I had to go ask someone for help and to see the manager. 3. The manager came, and I told her about point #2 above. She apologized and said they would try to make up for it. A few minutes later, I saw the manager speaking with our server near the bar. Someone else brought us plates and silverware in the meantime. However, when our server did return to the table, she did not offer a single word of apology, acting as if nothing had happened. Her vibe from the beginning had been cold and matter of fact, but this was over the top bad! If you can't be warm and welcoming, or have the decency to apologize, don't work in the restaurant business! 4. We had planned to have dessert there and celebrate my daughter's birthday there. But after the experience, no one wanted to eat anything else there or prolong the experience. 5. We packed our entrees in to-go containers and left! My daughter's highlight was having ice cream at Manhattan Beach creamery. It was completely our mistake to pick Pura Vita thinking it would be good for families. Not making the mistake again. Do yourself a favor. If you have kids, spare them and yourself the agony!!!
Sadly, I have to say that my experience was just terrible and mostly because of the server. It appears that if you are white, you will receive one kind of treatment and if you are a person of color, you'll receive totally different treatment. We were not the only table that noticed this. even after letting the staff know that it was a very special birthday being celebrated, that did not change the treatment we received. The food was good, but nothing is worth this. I guess it's just one of those places that simply caters to one group.
The ambience of the restaurant is really nice and the staff were very friendly. Brian H was our waiter and he was very nice - since it was my first time at the restaurant he gave us some Pura Vita pins and stickers which was a nice surprise. I enjoyed all of the food we ordered and would come back and try more dishes.
Everything I ordered is very tasty. Bomb food,service,atmosphere.Vegetarian options: Everything thing is vegetarian ?Parking: Limited number of parking in the back. Usually parking in front of restaurant
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Magic Pizza, Carbonara Pasta, Pura Vita, Pizza
I had this complete review written. I can't believe that yelp eased it all. I don't know what I touched, but my review is gone forever.
My son and I popped in for dinner because we were staying close by. We're not vegan, but I am gluten free and we do enjoy vegan options from time to time. We ordered a gluten free pizza to share and I was afraid to eat it because the crust was unlike any gluten free crust I've ever had. I didn't believe it was gluten free. I double checked with the waiter. He assured me it was gluten free. I ate it, but still had my doubts. Haha It was THAT good. I wish we were local so I could have it more often. Their basil lemonade is really good too. We're hoping to visit the area again in the future and will definitely hit up this spot for lunch or dinner.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Walking in hungry, leave hungry walking in with 100 bucks leave with nothing. It's not really about the money. It's just a principal. We ordered 4 things a small bowl of pasta, very small, literally less than a can of raviolis some potato chips, the chips were glimmering with simple oil. They were so cooked awkwardly, but they flopped around and literally 25 chips maximum $12 and a little pizza $20 granted it's vegan but the flavors just not there 100% profit on each dish I guarantee it. I suppose if you're vegan and you're looking for a dining restaurant this will do but for anybody else in your party who is not vegan I guarantee you they will be very disappointed. I was so disappointed. I forgot the Caesar salad. It was decent $15. I think whatever the total bill came out to $98 including tax no drinks just water if you're looking for sustenance you're not gonna find it here if you're looking for a vegan atmosphere, you'll get it. Let me add that $27 for the special pasta was full of lemon juice. Literally you couldn't taste anything else but lemon juice.
This is a fun restaurant that focuses on vegan/Italian-based cuisine. Where as many vegan restaurants are very boring in their food presentations, this is certainly not the case with Pura Vida. The food here is very flavorful, made with exceptional ingredients, and very well presented, The design of this restaurant is very nice. They have a very nice interior space which gives you the feeling of a dark and secluded environment. On their back deck, they have a very nice and expensive outdoor area for dining. There's a lot of tables out there. This is always my preference. It's great to be able to eat your meal while sitting in the open air. The staff here are all very competent and very nice. They, of course, are happy to help you out with your choices if you're not really familiar with a vegan-based diet. But again, this restaurant really transcends vegan only food. What they offer is all really good! Overall, if you're in the Redondo Beach area, you're hanging out on the Redondo Beach Puer, or you just want to come down to the beach, this is a great place to grab a meal
Great vegan place across from Redondo Beach. A bit small, at least on the inside, but both the delicious Italian food and the friendly stuff make the dining experience very worthwhile.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
The food is great. So flavorful and lots of options.The restaurant had a great vibe. The staff are always friendly. Parking is easy.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Everything I had was delicious. The 'tuna' panini, Brussel sprouts, meatballs & drinks were great too. I'll go back
Great vegan place located across from Redondo Beach. A bit small, at least on the inside, but both the delicious Italian food and the wonderful, friendly stuff make the dining experience very worthwhile. It's definitely a place to visit again.
Love this place. Split the San Gennaro pizza and some little doughnut balls (forgot the name) for dessert, both were amazing. Pizza crust was perfect. Service was great too, everyone was super kind and attentive. Dark/romantic kind of ambiance (in the evening at least). I definitely plan to come back as there were so many things I wanted to try!
The Black Magic pizza is amazing and the pasta's are chef's kiss when it comes to flavor, sauce and seasoning. The service is always good and helpful.
Just recently tried the location in Redondo Beach. Had no idea they had such a lovely patio in the back and dog-friendly too! The food is delicious!! Drinks and the wine I had the other night excellent. So excited to have a great vegan/vegetarian option in the South Bay! New favorite spot.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Magic Pizza, Cashew, Baked Ricotta, Pizza