New York City wouldn’t be the diverse place it is without restaurants from all over the world setting up camp here. A bucketlist hotspot for any self-respecting foodie, a trip around NYC with eyes closed could easily fool you into thinking you’re anywhere else in the world.
So it stands to reason that New York would also be home to a brilliant array of the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants.
And this is a city that doesn’t discriminate: Michelin-starred vegan tasting menus sit alongside authentic, plant-based European, Asian and American eateries, takeaway-only, glistening-with-faux-cheese pizzerias and everything in between.
Plant-based restaurants in NYC come in all shapes and sizes but one thing these ones all have in common is their attention to detail. Come here and delight in the knowledge that your food tastes just as good – if not better – than the meat-based equivalents you were digging into before.
Whatever you’re searching for: be it zingy Thai noodles, fancy French pastries, spicy Mexican tacos or vegetables simply doing what they do best, you’ll find it in one of New York’s best vegan and vegetarian restaurants.
The best vegan & vegetarian restaurants in New York
| Name | Best for |
|---|---|
| Dirt Candy | Most innovative |
| Avant Garden | Best fine dining |
| Le Bernardin | Best tasting menu |
| Modern Love | Best comfort food |
| Le Botaniste | Best dietary |
| Blossom | Best organic |
| ABCV | Best healthy |
| Delice & Sarrasin | Best French |
| Jajaja Plantas Mexicana | Best Mexican |
| Glur Thai | Best Thai |
| Hangawi | Best Korean |
| Screamer’s Pizzeria | Best pizza |
| Little Choc Apothecary | Best for dessert |
| Peacefood | Best bakery |
Dirt Candy: Best vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York for innovative dishes
The whole point of Dirt Candy is to make vegetables cool, which is why instead of your typical chips and dips you’ll find leafy greens dipped into aioli or bagna càuda (“hot gravy”). But what it lacks in animal-based ingredients it makes up for with innovative creations and a mouthwatering menu that you’ll find yourself dreaming of before you’ve even made your reservation.
Dirt Candy doesn’t opt to specialise in any one cuisine in particular, instead taking inspiration from classic favourites across the world and ‘health-ifying’ them in ways that are just as, if not more, delicious than their less-vegetable-familiar originals. Dirt Candy calls itself the only vegetable restaurant in NYC, and proudly describes itself as a laboratory for its award-winning chef, Amanda Cohen. Its menu changes frequently with an air of spontaneity but you can arrive with an assurance that everything will be continually wonderful.
Address: 86 Allen St, New York, NY 10002, United States Opening days and hours: 12 - 9pm, Tuesday to Sunday Price range: $$ Website: www.dirtcandynyc.com
Avant Garden: Best vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York for fine dining
East Village’s Avant Garden is proof that good things come in small packages. This tiny vegan spot ignores the idea that vegetarian and vegan food should imitate meat and, instead, serves dish after dish that brings out each ingredient’s personality to its best. Avant Garden’s upscale restaurant is one that confidently knows what it’s doing is impressive: dishes here are understated but perfectly presented, flavoured with unique touches in a way so delicious that you’ll forget what you’re eating is entirely plant-based.
It’s also a great spot for those looking for a glass of wine: Avant Garden prides itself on its extensive global wine collection, which sources bottles from countries spread far across the world. While other spots may pair chicken and fish with various glasses, Avant Garden is pro at bringing out the flavours of each course creatively without the need for meat.
Address: 130 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009, United States Opening days and hours: 5 - 11pm, Tuesday to Sunday Price range: $$$ Website: www.overthrowhospitality.com
Le Bernardin: Best vegan & vegetarian tasting menu in New York
Le Bernardin is a brilliant spot for special occasions. Its charming atmosphere is the first thing that’ll envelop you as soon as you’ve sat yourself down among the white tablecloths, floral adornments and clinking glasses of wine. The second thing will be the gorgeous scents that waft through the air here: dishes so extraordinary that you’ll spend a few minutes looking around you with food envy before accepting that it’s simply an inevitable part of eating here.
The best part? Le Bernadin‘s tasting menu means you’ll be able to sample a little of everything as the evening goes by. Although not specifically an entirely vegetarian restaurant, the separate vegetarian tasting menu means there’s no need to miss out while any carnivore friends dig into their treats.
Address: 155 W 51st St, New York, NY 10019, United States Opening days and hours: 5 - 8:45pm, Monday to Saturday Price range: $$$$ Website: www.le-bernardin.com
Modern Love: Best vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York for sophisticated comfort food
You’ll find yourself falling in Modern Love as soon as you’ve sampled this restaurant’s meat-free delights. Fresh, cheerful and understated, this is a restaurant that doesn’t bother with unnecessary pretence: it knows that its food is good enough to shine through without distractions. Modern Love is charming yet elegant: think piles of roasted garlic potatoes arranged in a heap or cauliflower buffalo wings with a few careful embellishments for added colour.
Portions here are verging on hefty, but come filled to the brim with such healthy ingredients that you never feel bad for overindulging. Modern Love is brilliant comfort food but also shines through spectacularly when it comes to your sweet tooth. Along with promising a huge range of equally as hefty cakes and pies, it’s also home to some of the finest vegan gelato in the city.
Address: 317 Union Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States Opening days and hours: 3 - 10pm, Monday to Thursday, 3 - 10:30pm Friday, 11am - 10:30pm Saturday, 11am - 10pm Sunday Price range: $$ Website: www.modernlovebrooklyn.com
Le Botaniste: Best vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York for all dietary requirements
Take your gluten-free friends to Le Botaniste, take your vegan friends to Le Botaniste, take your parents, siblings, work friends and literally anyone else. If there’s one spot in NYC that promises to cater to literally all dietary requirements, it’s Le Botaniste. This food and wine bar is both vegan-based and organic, promising a plant-powered menu that’s supercharged with a huge range of interesting ingredients.
Dishes here are inspired from all over the world, so look forward to digging into everything from Tibetan Mama rice bowls with curry sauce and kimchi, bolognese and herb oiled Pasta Bolo or spicy Chili Sin Carne. The best part? Everything here is cooked to perfection; a spot that somehow is not only a jack of all trades but also a master of all of the above, too. With four locations in New York City (the Upper East Side, Soho, the Upper West Side, and 43rd and 3rd), you’ll always find yourself close to Le Botaniste.
Address: 833 Lexington Ave, New York, NY 10065, United States Opening days and hours: 11am - 9pm, Daily Price range: $$$ Website: www.lebotaniste.us
Blossom: Best organic vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
Blossom is simply beautiful: a long menu filled with inventive organic vegan cuisine spanning almost the entire rainbow of colours. Each plate here is served with pride, mostly due to the care and attention that goes into each dish, but also with a knowing smile of just how much you’ll inevitably enjoy what’s just been placed in front of you. And the restaurant itself is gorgeous, filled with earthy tones that inspire relaxation and a comfortable setting where you’ll immediately feel at home.
Blossom is of the school of taking animal-based dishes and simplifying them, with vegetarian and vegan ingredients that prove their worth by cleverly disguising themselves into traditionally meat-based dishes. Seitan Piccanta, BBQ jackfruit and Tofu BLTs more than stand their ground on the menu, served with a range of sides that add the final touch onto an already impressive experience.
Address: 507 Columbus Ave, New York, NY 10024, United States Opening days and hours: 12 - 9pm, Daily Price range: $$ Website: www.blossomnyc.com
ABCV : Best healthy vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
Despite the stereotypes, vegan food doesn’t necessarily have to be healthy… but if you’re searching for healthy vegan food in NYC then the best place to go is ABCV. As easy as, well, ABC, ABCV is modern and relaxed, fusing locally and globally sourced vegan food with seasonal plates, tonics and cocktails. Strangely enough, this vegan restaurant sits inside a furniture and carpet shop, which might garner some confused looks when you bring your friends along for lunch but acts as an extra layer of hidden protection for one of NYC’s best kept secrets.
ABCV leaves you feeling full but virtuous, with conscious dishes that pay attention to their origins. While the menu is officially vegetarian rather than specifically vegan, all of the dishes here can be vegan-ised by request. Plant based, sustainable, artisanal, and organic wherever possible: it’s hard to fault ABCV.
Address: 38 E 19th St, New York, NY 10003, United States Opening days and hours: 12 - 3pm, 5 - 11pm, Monday - Friday, 11am - 3pm, 5 -11pm Saturday and Sunday Price range: $$$ Website: www.abchome.com
Delice & Sarrasin: Best French vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
It’s easy to automatically assume that most decadent French food is based around one of the following: cheese, meat, cream or another form of dairy. Buttery soft croissants, Croque-Monsieurs and Jambon Beurre sandwiches aren’t especially renowned for being vegan-friendly, after all. But if there’s anywhere in the world that can transform traditional French cooking into something that’s not only vegan-friendly but outstandingly impressive, it’s Delice & Sarrasin.
Serving authentic French food alongside delights like savory galettes and vegan sweet crepes, it’s a trip to Paris and beyond in the heart of the West Village. Delice & Sarrasin is a family owned restaurant with a focus on authenticity and unique flavours found more so back in Europe than the United States. Come here for a range of fine ingredients, with a stunning, French language menu that’ll have you dreaming of driving through the French countryside.
Address: 20 Christopher St, New York, NY 10014, United States Opening days and hours: 11am - 10pm, Daily Price range: $$ Website: www.delicesarrasin.com
Jajaja Plantas Mexicana: Best Mexican vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
Jajaja Plantas Mexicana is as playful as its name suggests; a plant-based Mexican eatery with multiple restaurants dotted across NYC. Come here for traditional Mexican fare with all of the tequila-tinged drinks to keep you more than entertained as the evening passes. This is a restaurant with an atmosphere: from the lively music to the livelier servers and the colourful, creative, plant-powered dishes that you just keep on ordering more of.
Food here is weighty and packs a punch, both in size and flavour. And, even though it’s meat and fish free, this is a menu you’ll never feel is lacking in any kind of ingredient. Animal products are expertly replaced with friendly equivalents, with names that’ll make you second-guess what’s on your plate including chorizo, sausage and fish. You’ll also want to spend a fair amount of time admiring the tequila and cocktail menus.
Address: 162 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002, United States Opening days and hours: 11am - 11pm, Daily Price range: $ Website: www.jajajamexicana.com
Glur Thai: Best Thai vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
The best Thai food packs a punch and Glur Thai does just that, perfectly. Somehow comforting, sizzling, exciting and familiar all at the same time, this Chelsea-based vegan restaurant has a menu spanning traditional Thai favourites and some internationally inspired extras. Your taste buds will dance after a mere mouthful at Glur Thai: a restaurant that’s not only vegan friendly but also gluten free.
The menu covers a little of everything: those looking for a lighter bite can dig into fresh and zingy soups and salads, while those who arrive ready to feast can go all out with endless Pad Thai, curries, Chef specials and more. Don’t forget about the dessert menu, either: while not necessarily a traditional part of a Thai meal, it’s something of a favourite at this spot and is just as vegan friendly as the rest of the menu.
Address: 144 W 19th St, New York, NY 10011, United States Opening days and hours: 11:30am - 3pm, 4 - 10pm, Monday to Friday, 12 - 4pm, 5 - 10pm, Saturday and Sunday Price range: $$ Website: www.glurnyc.com
Hangawi: Best Korean vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York
Expect a traditional Korean experience at Hangawi with modern touches and incredible food. Everything about this spot is cosy: from its no shoes policy to its chilled out ambiance and its attention to detail: even the floor underneath the tables is heated to keep you warm. Food here is more than worthy of its price tag: each dish is created with care and special touches that raise Hangawi a few levels above other Korean food in NYC.
Hangawi’s philosophy is to make healthy food delicious in order to keep the body balanced, so expect plenty of foods like green vegetables, fruits and especially roots, radishes, carrots and potatoes. Of course, everything here comes with a signature Korean touch, which means fresh and exciting flavours and unusual combinations.
Address: 12 E 32nd St, New York, NY 10016, United States Opening days and hours: 5:30 - 9:30pm, Monday to Thursday, 12 - 2:30pm, 5:30 - 10pm, Friday, 1 - 10pm, Saturday, 1 - 9:30pm, Sunday Price range: $$$ Website: www.hangawirestaurant.com
Screamer’s Pizzeria: Best vegan & vegetarian pizza restaurant in New York
New York style pizza pies get a vegan-friendly upgrade at Screamer’s Pizzeria. Bold and bright, the exteriors of this spot will be the first thing to draw you in, closely followed by the “I can’t believe this is vegan pizza” cries that almost always follow. Screamer’s Pizzeria has a personality that’s just as loud as its name suggests, which makes it the perfect location to grab a quick slice for a casual catch up with friends or a spontaneous drop-by dinner.
Attention to detail here focuses around taste, while presentation slides into a second. While not Instagrammable in the traditional sense, you’ll find yourself snapping multiple photos of each slice of Screamer’s properly adorned slices of pie to send to both your vegan friends and your meat-eating friends. It’s unpretentious pizza that’s topped with lashings of “cheese” and enough meat-like additions to keep everyone happy.
Address: 620 Manhattan Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11222, United States Opening days and hours: 12 - 10pm, Daily Price range: $$ Website: www.screamerspizzeria.com
Little Choc Apothecary: Best vegan & vegetarian restaurant in New York for dessert
The word “apothecary” implies a degree of magic or perhaps wizardry and that’s exactly what you’ll find at vegan dessert hotspot, Little Choc Apothecary. Somehow avoiding dairy products and remaining delicious through, Little Choc Apothecary takes it one step further with a restaurant that’s not only vegan friendly but also gluten free. Cute and colourful, this understated spot ensures you’ll always leave with a smile and a promise to return again shortly.
Even if you’re not big on sweet foods, the savoury crepes here come with their own degree of perfection. But if you’re looking to feed your plant-powered sweet tooth, Little Choc Apothecary is the first place you should go in NYC. Known as one of the best restaurants in Brooklyn, and voted one of the most romantic restaurants in America, Little Choc’s home-baked treats are all local, organic and fair trade wherever possible.
Address: 141 Havemeyer St, Brooklyn, NY 11211, United States Opening days and hours: 8am - 9pm, Sunday to Wednesday, 8am - 10pm, Thursday to Saturday Price range: $$ Website: www.littlechoc.nyc
Peacefood: Best vegan & vegetarian bakery in New York
Peacefood is a vegan kitchen as well as a bakery but it’s the bakery that you’ll rave about when you’ve finished licking the last crumbs from your fingers. Vegan baked goods aren’t always quite as impressive as their carnivore counterparts but Peacefood injects a dose of magic into each individual product just as it’s fresh out the oven in a bakery that you’ll end up dreaming of. Repeatedly.
Cookies, muffins, cheesecake and more: Peacefood is a vegan or allergy conscious person’s paradise, with perfectly textured frosting, decadent toppings and aesthetically pleasing cakes. Pastries range from the traditional brownies, macaroons and banana breads to the more unique raw cacao mousse pies and cookie sandwiches. Whatever you go for, it’s sure to be freshly baked and absolutely delicious.
Address: 460 Amsterdam Ave, New York, NY 10024, United States Opening days and hours: 11:30am - 9pm, Daily Price range: $$ Website: www.peacefoodnyc.com
Frequently asked questions about the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in New York
New York is an incredibly vegan friendly city, with plant-based restaurants stemming almost every cuisine under the sun. Check out our full guide for the best vegan restaurants in New York City.
Some of the best vegan restaurants in NYC include Avant Garden, Le Botaniste and Modern Love. Read our full guide to all of NYC’s best plant-powered restaurants.
The city is home to impressive and highly regarded vegan spots like Avant Garden and Delice & Sarrasin.
