The best way to familiarize oneself with a different country's culture is to spend 10 to 15 years in one of its maximum-security prisons, but the second best way is to taste its cuisine. Learn about the Mediterranean with today's Groupon: for $20, you get $40 worth of Mediterranean dinner fare or, for $10, you get $20 worth of lunch or brunch fare, at Desert Rose Restaurant in Los Feliz.

Sustainable ingredients, innovative recipes, and delectable vegan options make up the Mediterranean-themed menu at Desert Rose Restaurant. Delve into the art of edibility with a dish of harissa-rubbed baked brie ($11), encrusted with Middle Eastern spices and served with apple slices, strawberries, crostini, and crackers. Traditional dinner luxury gets skillfully skewered in the chicken kebab ($14), strewn with hummus and garlic sauce and served alongside rice, fries or tabbouleh. The decadent crab meat and asparagus risotto pairs plump crab with flavorful asparagus beneath a helping of fresh parmigiano-reggiano cheese and a drizzle of lambrusco ($18), whereas the traditional beef kebab is sidekicked with hummus, roasted tomatoes, and crispy pita bread ($13 for lunch, $16 for dinner). Dairy evaders will exalt the variety of vegan options, with multitudes of appetizers, sandwiches, and pizzas, such as the margarita ($17), offering meat-free mealtime. A sizable tome of top-notch libations creates a vast number of plate pairings, intimidating the indecisive and causing statistics professors to mourn foregone tap-dance careers.

Situated within walking distance from the Greek Theater and the Los Angeles Observatory, Desert Rose Restaurant divides its expansive dining space between a window-lined interior area adorned with dark wood and orange accents and a flower-furnished outdoor patio ornamented with beachy umbrellas and a towering stained-glass rose that smells like stained glass.

Reviews

Citysearch named Desert Rose Restaurant the 2010 winner for Best Brunch, Best Business Lunch and Dinner, and Best Outdoor Dining. The Los Angeles Times, Gayot and the Vegan Mouse positively reviewed the business. More than 200 Yelpers give the restaurant a 3.5-star average.

• locals flock for the grilled kebabs---tenderloin or chicken---that you can wrap in a thin herbed “Lebanese pizza” with thick homemade hummus. – Gayot
• My panini was so freaking delicious! The portobello was beautifully seasoned accompanied by melty vegan cheese (I believe it was Daiya) and some kind of sun dried tomato relish or pesto. – KMOUSE, Vegan Mouse

Customer Reviews