From Kylie Jenner to Beyoncé, the healthy, natural, and environmentally-friendly vegan diet is now all the rage. If you're on this no meat, eggs, or dairy bandwagon (or you're thinking about switching over), it's not as tough as you'd think to be vegan in NYC. Here are some of the best vegan restaurants in NYC you need to visit ASAP.
1. Candle 79
With three different locations throughout the city, it’s easy to get a bite of what this restaurant has to offer. All food served here is locally sourced, with a focus on sustainability. All the Candle 79 locations have seasonal menus, so you get the freshest fruit, veggies, and herbs that are growing during that particular season.
2. Beyond Sushi
As the name gives away, this restaurant is all about the plant-based sushi movement. The chefs at Beyond Sushi fuse fun pairings of fruit and vegetables with whole grains to create wide-ranging vegan and clean eating dishes like dumplings, noodle salads and soups, sushi rolls, rice bed salads, and paper wraps.
3. Seasoned Vegan
This restaurant, located in the heart of Harlem, has “the food you love, veganized.” They specialize in vegan "soul" food. Their particular type of vegan soul food comes from Italian, Asian, Middle Eastern, Caribbean, and American cooking. All of the dishes at Seasoned Vegan have a home cooked feel with a soulful twist.
4. Peacefood Cafe
This cafe and bakery was born from the simple idea that “peace begins on your plate.” Peacefood features everything from raw and vegan sandwiches, juices, and desserts to pizza and the daily dinner specials. Their healthy sandwiches won best sandwich in the NYC Vegan Guide in 2010, so you know they have to be good.
5. Franchia
This casual café has a refined take on Asian fusion vegan dining. Franchia itself has a mural ceiling, reminiscent of a Korean palace, and will welcome everyone in for a delicious and relaxing experience.
6. by CHLOE.
This restaurant is the perfect pit stop for anyone on a vegan diet. With its creative food, yummy juices, baked goods, and fast-casual style, this joint is too trendy to pass up. by CHLOE. aims to share delicious foods, which are made fresh daily, including air baked French fries and house-made burgers. Yum.
7. Blossom Du Jour
This restaurant is the vegan “fast food” option. They are bringing in the new age of food and drink on the go. The menu at Blossom Du Jour is simple, fun, healthy, and they serve breakfast dishes all day, and everybody knows you can’t go wrong with breakfast for dinner.
8. Avant Garden
This restaurant is for high class vegans who are always down for some fine dining. The cozy, brick-walled eatery, brings out the best flavors of the vegetables, herbs and grains they serve. Avant Garden's simple dishes will turn any skeptic about vegan cuisine.
9. Blossom
This restaurant group takes classic food dishes from around the world and puts their vegan spin on it. With fresh, organic ingredients from local farms, all of their dishes are totally animal free. At Blossom, they are first and foremost about the animals, which is rad for all of us animal lovers out there.
10. The Butcher’s Daughter
The name may sound a little harsh, but this restaurant, cafe, and juice bar truly is a “slaughterhouse” for veggies. They chop, filet, and dice up fresh fruits and veggies into healthy dishes or press them into delicious juices. The Butcher’s Daughter has a daily-changing menu, so you can get something new everyday.
11. Le Botaniste
This plant-based food and natural wine bar is such a treat. The DIY bowl will allow you to customize how you want to eat the yummy, not to mention 100% botanical and gluten-free, ingredients Le Botaniste has to offer.
12. Nix
This is a new restaurant from Michelin-starred chef John Fraser. Nix focuses on the fact that eating vegetarian or vegan should be a celebration of food and flavors, not a sacrifice. All the dishes here are seasonal, shareable, and super flavorful.
13. Red Bamboo
This restaurant serves vegan comfort food from all around the globe. Since opening in 2002, Red Bamboo has been creating innovative and mouthwatering mock meat and seafood dishes. I recommend trying a “Boston,” which is a star of their vegan desserts (vegan ice cream atop a milkshake). You can't go wrong with that.
14. Caravan of Dreams
This bohemian-style restaurant offers inventive vegan dishes that will have you wanting seconds. As a kosher-style restaurant, it's known for its modern interpretation of classic dishes and only using high-quality fresh and organic ingredients. Plus, Caravan of Dreams offers live music every night, which is always fun.
15. The Original Buddha Bodai
The chefs and servers at Buddha Bodai have been bringing us delicious kosher, vegan, and Buddhist meals since 2004. They are located in the heart of Chinatown and are completely committed to achieving and maintaining the delicate flavors of China's culinary history.
For all you vegans out there, or those who really want to try it, you need to check out the best vegan restaurants in NYC. I mean, who doesn't want to try super yummy eats?