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eat & drink · Canada · 8 picks

Canada’s Eco-Conscious Cuisine: Your Passport To A World Of Vegan Dishes

⁠​‍‌‍‍‍​​⁠‍⁠⁠‌‍‍⁠⁠⁠‍​​‌​⁠⁠‌‌​⁠‌‍Sustainable and scrumptious places to eat.

A melting pot of cultures, Canada’s innovative culinary scene is not to be underestimated. Especially as a vegan. The abundant country is exploding with organic plant-based products. More and more, forward-thinking chefs are picking up on that. And as a result, plant-based power is thriving through cutting edge cuisines.

Michelin star chefs are celebrating the subtle nuances overlooked in everyday vegetables. While diners seek a fusion of health and decadence, all whilst saving the planet through sustainable diets. Whether you’ve opted into the vegan lifestyle or are unapologetically carnivorous, we’re pretty sure these refined meat-free meals will transform your mentality and redefine your own cooking.

From smoked and charred cauliflower to radish and hoisin plum combinations—each dish champions distinct vegetables in a manner unimagined before. Vegan sushi and umami-packed katsu curry reimagine Asian-inspired dishes within the cosmopolitan city. Pistachio pippian and roasted white yam marry traditional Mexican fiestas with new age culinary arts. While cashew-based cheese pizzas acknowledge your efforts without forcing you to compromise on comfort foods.

Be it Italian, French, Mexican or Asian influences—Canada is your vegan-friendly passport to travel the tastes of the world.

Planta
Toronto, Canada

No. 1: Planta

All animal-loving foodies are raising their glasses to a veg restaurant that celebrates the power of plants through unguilty pleasures. David Lee has worked in Michelin star restaurants since the age of seventeen. But after switching to a plant-based diet himself, he championed a plant-based lifestyle with his vegan restaurant chain in Canada.

All three Planta’s highlight a different cuisine—the one in Yorkville showcasing traditional Italian dishes created purely from plants. Add a touch of Asian-inspired sushi and boas. And it’s no surprise that we can’t stop going back for more.

Location
Toronto, Canada
Price
$$
Heirloom
Vancouver, Canada

No. 2: Heirloom

From the green contemporary interior to the tantalizing vegetarian menu, you’ll know you’ve entered a haven of health when you walk through Heirloom’s doors. And if you’re committed to converting friends and acquaintances to the green side, it should only take one bite of these vegan tacos to seal the deal.

Located in Vancouver, expect to be taken on a food journey on every visit to Heirloom’s non-carnivorous kitchen. They serve your favorite instrammagable dishes (hello avo on toast), as well as intricately balanced meals that we could never replicate at home.

Location
Vancouver, Canada
Price
$$
Avelo
Toronto, Canada

No. 3: Avelo

Fine dining with a veggie twist, this plant-based paradise is at the epicenter of the vegetarian restaurants in Toronto. It won’t take much from this mouth-watering menu to have devout carnivores swearing off their alliance to animal-based products. That’s a promise.

Avelo’s non-traditional menu is designed to bring about new experiences, highlighting the nuances in plants that are so often overpowered by exaggerated meat flavors. After choosing between their five or eight course tasting menu, you can expect to be served delicate dishes worth savoring visually and tastefully.

Location
Toronto, Canada
Price
$$$$
Ten Restaurant
Toronto, Canada

No. 4: Ten Restaurant

This small restaurant has fulfilled big dreams as one of the most haute vegetable-forward dining experiences in the country. Ten’s innovative ten course tasting menu aims to highlight the subtle flavors of locally sourced veggies. And whilst it isn’t entirely vegan, animal-products are unconventionally subsidiary to plant-based dominance. And all dishes do come in a vegan option if requested.

Ten Restaurant is about far more than putting bite-sized food on a plate. They are committed to addressing food insecurity through community fridges and pantries. Whilst they simultaneously strive to change the restaurant industry through manageable workloads and fair pay. We think those are sustainability practices worth supporting.

Location
Toronto, Canada
Price
$$$$
The Acorn
Vancouver, Canada

No. 5: The Acorn

Located in the heart of Vancouver, the vegetarian restaurant is a destination in itself—and one worth traveling pretty far for.

The Acorn menu features tantalizing tapas style dishes that are impossible to choose from. While their tasting menu takes care of your decision fatigue for you. Expect to leave with a new respect for often overlooked vegetables. As radish and hoisin plum combinations excite the senses. And sea vegetables ignite a new zest for food experimentation.

Location
Vancouver, Canada
Price
$$$
Saveg Cafe
Calgary, Canada

No. 6: Saveg Cafe

After promenading around Lougheed House, rest your legs and tickle your tastebuds with some of the best vegan food in Canada. The cute, family-owned cafe is situated in the center of Calgary, making it the perfect excuse to visit the historically trendy district.

On the Saveg menu, you can expect to see a range of innovative plant-based meals. From a vegan “tuna” poke bowl to tofu katsu curry, each dish is infused with Asian-inspired ingredients and packed with umami. Be prepared to clear your weekends for the next few months. You’ll want to try every perfectly balanced ensemble.

Location
Calgary, Canada
Price
$$
Pizzeria Du
Toronto, Canada

No. 7: Pizzeria Du

Born to honor chef Dualco’s passion for Italian plant-based cuisine, this vegan pop up means that your animal-lifestyle doesn’t need to exclude decadently cheesy pizzas. Pizzeria Du shares a space with their sister Osteria Du for dining in. While it simultaneously functions as Toronto’s top vegan take-out kitchen for those who prefer to accompany pizza nights with Netflix and chill.

Pizzeria Du produces their own plant-based cheeses using cashew or soy bases. While their signature crust has been perfected over the past two years.

Ciao animal-based products—we officially don’t need you anymore.

Location
Toronto, Canada
Price
$
LOV
Montreal, Canada

No. 8: LOV

We’re going back to our roots with LOV’s botanical cuisine. And there’s no better place to brunch with the girls. With white hanging wicker lamps and a plethora of plants, a meal at this vegan haven is as good as a day at the spa.

Instagram your way through vibrant smoothie bowls or treat yourself to chocolate-drizzled vegan waffles. Tuck into a lux bagel or sip your way through a week’s worth of greens. Either way your body will thank you later—and so will our planet.

Location
Montreal, Canada
Price
$$

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