Home > Los Angeles Restaurants > Restaurant Review > First impressions: Cru

When most folks think of raw food, chances are that visions of hippies or granola or tasteless bowls of uncooked spinach come to mind. As a carnivore from Texas, I have some idea. Cru, the intimate vegan, raw and organic café in Silverlake, puts those assumptions to shame. The kitchen cooks nothing over 100 degrees—and that includes a chocolate brownie  topped with a scoop of vanilla gelato—but the portions are generous, meaning you’re unlikely to go home hungry despite the levity of the cuisine. We left bellyache full.

Dish: The spring rolls were artfully presented and packed with daikon sprouts, cabbage, cilantro, and dainty enoki mushrooms—all tightly wrapped into chubby firecrackers of freshness. The cucumber, strawberry, and mint salad had pitch-perfect sweetness. And the pesto ravoli, probably the most daunting with its proclamations of herbed cashew cheese, was light and flavorful. 

Drink: The restaurant doesn’t serve alcohol (some raw food purists don’t drink any alcohol), but many patrons bring in their own bottles of wine. They offer a variety of organic teas, juices and smoothies. We tried the green smoothie- a concoction of apple, banana, agave, cinnamon and coconut water. It was frothy and divine, seriously.

Decor: An intimate, modern cafe dressed up with fresh farmers market flowers creates a cozy, somewhat exotic space —nothing if not inviting.

Scene: Eastside locals with interesting haircuts mix effortlessly with Silverlake newbies (the table beside us discussed the virtues of the Brazilian meat eatery, Fogo de Chao, over their vegan hummus wraps.) The chef often "works the floor," chatting with regulars. 

Sounds: A fitting mix of bossa nova and mellow electronica. Think “Metropolis” on KCRW or one of those Buddha Bar mixes from Paris.

Insider Tip: Still squemish about raw? The pad thai—your basic Thai classic (well,  if your local Thai restaurant is vegan-crazy)—is a good entry way in.

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