The 12 Must-Visit Vegan Restaurants in New York City
We’re in the golden age of plant-based dining in New York City. What was once a niche corner of the food world has become a dynamic force: restaurants built entirely around vegetables, chefs reimagining comfort food without meat or dairy and dining rooms packed with omnivores who aren’t just tolerating vegan dishes. Instead, they’re actively craving them.
More than just a renewed focus on wellness, New York’s vegan restaurant scene showcases culinary creativity. Vegan chefs across the five boroughs are pushing technique and flavor in ways that stand up to any traditional kitchen, transforming cashews into “aged cheese,” for example, or mushrooms into dishes worthy of a special occasion. Add to that growing conversations around sustainability, climate impact and ethical sourcing, and it’s clear why the movement has staying power. Vegan restaurants aren’t just a fad, but a signal of a wider shift in how New Yorkers are eating.
The movement has grown so strong, in fact, that narrowing down where to eat now feels like a necessary public service. There are simply too many standout spots to choose from whenever you’re in the mood for a fully vegan meal.
For the purpose of this story, we’re focusing exclusively on sit-down restaurants that are great dinner destinations. That said, the city is also packed with exceptional fast-casual and grab-and-go options—perfect for a quick lunch or an on-the-run bite—that deserve a list of their own, including Jerrell’s Betr Brgr, Slutty Vegan and Chloe’s.
So, without further ado, here are the best vegan restaurants in NYC.
New York City’s Best Vegan Restaurants
Al-Andalus
- 511 E 5th St, New York, NY 10009
The tapas-only menu at Overthrow Hospitality’s fully vegan eatery, Al-Andalus, draws on Arab-Andalusian flavors—think the Levant, North Africa and southern Spain. You’ll start with warm pita slicked with za’atar and butter, perfect for dragging through the shakshuka, before moving on to fava falafel, an Arab-style tortilla perfumed with saffron and topped with toum and harissa, and a beautifully charred tofu kebab you’ll want to try replicating at home. There’s more: shawarma-spiced mushrooms, smoked paella and crisp arancini that make the ideal small plates, alongside a cardamom-infused Old-Fashioned or a gin and tonic laced with rose water. Overthrow Hospitality’s other plant-based spots are also worth a visit, especially Ladybird.
Spicy Moon
- 328 E 6th St, New York, NY 10003
- 68 W 3rd St, New York, NY 10012
- 265 Bowery, New York, NY 10002
- 232 8th Ave, New York, NY 10011
With four locations across Manhattan, Spicy Moon focuses on plant-based Szechuan and Chinese food, from the best-selling Dan Dan noodles to an array of bao buns, tofu dishes and fried rice cooked in different ways. If it’s spicy, entirely plant-based and Chinese-tasting fare that you’re after, Spicy Moon is the way to go. Bonus points: the vibe. All locations are colorfully buzzy, almost tailor-made for the social media age.
Ras Plant Based
- 739 Franklin Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11238
If you’ve never had Ethiopian food, look no further than Ras Plant Based in Crown Heights. (A second location in the West Village had to shut down last year following a fire.) Here, husband-and-wife team Romeo and Milka Regalli don’t just offer veggie-based renditions of traditional recipes. Instead, they recreate classic Ethiopian food for today’s plant-craving palates. There’s the injera (spongy flatbread made from teff), missir (spiced lentils), sambusa (pastry rolls filled with veggies) and Ras’ tibs (stir-fried seitan and onions in barbecue sauce). Drink-wise, spirit-free cocktails share menu space with creative concoctions that you don’t see anywhere else—we’re partial to the Wet Ass Passionfruit, made with Malibu rum, Vida mezcal, passionfruit syrup and lime.
Dirt Candy
- 86 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
Dirt Candy by James Beard-nominated chef and owner Amanda Cohen is widely considered the seminal plant-based restaurant in NYC. It first opened back in 2008 as a tiny, 18-seat space in the East Village, long before vegan eateries became easy to find across town. Now, the restaurant operates out of a larger location on the Lower East Side and is one of two plant-based eateries in New York City with a Michelin star (the other is Eleven Madison Park, which went fully vegan in 2021 but recently reintroduced meat and seafood options). Just in case you’re wondering about the name: according to the official website, “vegetables are just candy from the dirt.”
Bodhi
- 77 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10013
A go-to for vegan dim sum and Cantonese-style comfort food, Bodhi offers one of the largest plant-based menus in all of New York City, and at a pretty good price point. You’ve got all the classic—sweet sticky rice with coconut, dumplings, soups, hot pots, noodles and tofu-based offerings—alongside more creative takes on the traditional, from a scallion pancake with seaweed and black truffle oil to a Peking “duck” roll that uses marinated soy protein or seitan to recreate the flavors of the bird.
Jajaja Mexicana
- 162 E Broadway, New York, NY 10002
- 63 Carmine St, New York, NY 10014
- 119 Kent Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11249
- 450 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001
Mexican tacos, burritos, enchiladas and more all get the veggie-only treatment across Jajaja Mexicana’s four locations (and a fifth one in development in Long Island City). The chain first opened in 2017, riding the early wave of interest in plant-based dining, and has since evolved into a go-to for diners who don’t strictly eat vegan. We’d be remiss not to mention the dairy-free, cinnamon-dusted churros, easily one of the best vegan desserts in the city, and the colorful Mexican cocktails on offer. Highlights include the photo-worthy sotol y cucumber, served with an actual slice of the vegetable inside the glass; the frozen agave margarita; and the Oaxacan peach, a spirited blend of allspice, Aveze, mezcal and dry vermouth.
Planta
- 15 W 27th St, New York, NY 10001
There’s a lot to say about Planta, which debuted in Miami and now operates several locations in major U.S. cities, including New York. First and foremost, the restaurant elevates vegan cuisine, putting it on an upscale pedestal in a polished, design-forward space that’s perfect for a date night or special celebration. While the menu includes familiar vegan favorites like lettuce wraps, noodles and dumplings, Planta also offers one of the few vegan sushi menus in town (Beyond Sushi is another, and worth a visit), and it’s genuinely excellent. Here, ingredients aren’t meant to mimic non-vegan flavors; instead, they’re celebrated on their own, a philosophy that gives rise to creations like unagi eggplant nigiri with miso truffle and ahi watermelon nigiri with ginger and citrus soy. Both are some of the best sushi you’ll ever have, even without a single piece of fish, we promise.
Coletta
- 365 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10016
Let’s be honest: Italian vegan food doesn’t sound great—but even a quick visit to Coletta will prove you wrong. Founded by chef Guy Vaknin as part of City Roots Hospitality, the team behind a number of kosher vegan restaurants across NYC, Coletta makes pizzas, pastas and risottos the vegan way. We’re partial to the pastas here and skew as simple as possible, from the eggplant lasagna to the butternut squash ravioli, but a few creative dishes are also worthy of your attention, like the plant-based calamari and wild mushroom croquettes and the sunchoke “scallop” risotto. The vegan tiramisu is a must-try as well.
Delice & Sarrasin
- 178 W Houston St, New York, NY 10014
You almost can’t believe that the French food served at Delice & Sarrasin is actually vegan. From the poached “egg” in red wine sauce, “bacon” and mushrooms, to a cheese platter boasting four French cashew-cultured cheeses and the classic coq au vin reimagined in plant-based form, this is the only spot for someone strictly vegan to experience the full range of flavors French cuisine is known for. Add in the vegan French wines, with thoughtful pairing recommendations from the staff, and the candlelit dining room, and you’ve got yourself a little trip to Europe without leaving the island.
Urban Vegan Kitchen
- 265 W 23rd St, New York, NY 10011
A lot of the more established vegan restaurants in town pride themselves on creating entirely new dishes inspired by their ingredients. At Urban Vegan Kitchen in Chelsea, it’s a bit different: the focus here is on reimagining classic non-vegan comfort food in plant-based form. Think BLTs, mac and cheese, buffalo cauliflower bites, Korean BBQ wings, street-style skewers and even a steak sandwich. The vibe is old-school: a cozy, intimate hangout that’s perfect for a Sunday night meal, leaving you with a full belly and the kind of comfort only familiar flavors can provide.
Caravan of Dreams
- 405 E 6th St, New York, NY 10009
Dirt Candy may have put plant-based cuisine on the Michelin map, but it’s Caravan of Dreams that’s widely regarded as NYC’s oldest vegan restaurant. It opened in 1991, when Spanish-born restaurateur Angel Moreno set out to put into practice the idea that food should be treated as medicine, nourishing both body and soul. In many ways, Caravan of Dreams feels frozen in time: the vibe is distinctly bohemian, harking back to the East Village of the 1990s, with live music frequently filling the space. Don’t forget to ask about “the book” while you’re there—a cherished collection of notes left by diners, sharing what they’re most grateful for and appreciative of.
Aunts et Uncles
- 1407 Nostrand Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11226
Mike and Nicole Nicholas have designed Aunts et Uncles as more than just a café: it’s a community space. The all-day spot serves plant-based food and also houses a retail area filled with books, art, clothing and more. The Caribbean-inspired menu is packed with standout items, including the “lobster” roll made with hearts of palm, mayo, dill and rosemary butter; the jerk jackfruit with rainbow cabbage slaw, shado beni sauce and elo sauce on toasted ciabatta; the mushroom skewer bowl with rice, lentils and hummus; and the sweet potato oatmeal if classic breakfast fare is more your style. With a full bar on site, you can essentially enjoy all three meals, plus a nightcap, in one visit.