New York is an absolute gem of a city for vegan-friendly dining. With the differing neighbourhoods from the East Village, and West Village, to Upper West Side and so many more areas to explore, you soon start to see the variety on offer for those living a plant-based lifestyle. But which are the best vegan friendly restaurants in NYC? With so many options it’s hard to know where to dedicate your time and money.
So this is where our review comes in handy. By gathering together the top vegan friendly restaurants in New York, according to us of course, we hope to alleviate some of the discussion, debate, and pondering as to where to eat breakfast, lunch, dinner, and any snacks in between. As ever, we’d love to hear your thoughts – particularly if you’ve been somewhere in New York that you feel is worthy of a mention. See this guide as a work in progress that we will try to update as and when we visit the city to test out a new vegan menu or two.
Onwards to the reviews…
The Best Vegan Friendly Restaurants NYC
With a seasonally selected menu, and the anticipation of a five-course fall-inspired tasting menu, with paired wines, Dirty Candy is a beautiful eaterie where the food and the ingredients involved adorn the plates like a work of art. With each bite, you can tell that everything included was selected for a particular reason and because of this, it comes as no surprise that Dirty Candy has just been awarded a Michelin star. It’s understandable why we chose this as one of our best vegan friendly restaurants in NYC when you read the back story of the venue. The owner of Dirty Candy, Amanda Cohen, is a James Beard nominated Chef and brings her vegetable focused designs to New York’s Lower East Side.
Please keep in mind that Dirty Candy is a vegetarian, and not entirely vegan, restaurant, however, Amanda is happy to veganise any of your favourites on her menu.
So what do the visitors say?
Well, we have to agree with the diner who stated in their review, “I love food and this place did not disappoint. Each dish was not only a piece of art, but the flavors were fabulous and unique. Will want to come back next time I am in NYC.”
Where to find Dirty Candy:
86 Allen Street, NY, NY
tel: 212-228-7732
It’s an all-vegan pizzeria – what’s not to love?! And the menu is an absolute dream, including all the classic New York style pizza it’s possible to crave. Our personal favourites are the Vampire, the Screamer, or the Grandma but honestly, they all look amazing – traditional in style, and exactly as you’d hope a New York pizza would look and taste.
Screamer’s is the perfect, relaxed setting to meet friends for dinner and a catch up. It’s laid back, comfortable, and perfectly justifies reviews such as this:
“THE BEST VEGAN PIZZA. Let me tell you, I’ve tried a lot of vegan pizza, and in my 5 years of Veganism this was without a doubt my favorite pizza. It really had the NYC pizza taste. I will be back!!”
For us, it’s one of the best vegan friendly restaurants NYC has to offer, however challenging it is to compare it against its more high-end, expensive counterparts. But, vegan food has come such a long way in this past decade and we’re thrilled to be able to include casual restaurants, such as Screamer’s, that perhaps many new vegans, or those who miss their old eating habits, or even those who just love pizza, want to frequent.
There are two Screamer’s Pizzeria venues in New York:
Crown Heights, 685 Franklin Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11238
Tel: +1 718-623-6000
And
Greenpoint, 620 Manhattan Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11222
Tel: +1 347-844-9412
If you’re a sushi fan, then you really need to get yourself down to one of the five Beyond Sushi restaurants laid out across Manhattan. It’s an absolute treat of a venue, offering an elaborate menu of vegan sushi including soups, sushi pieces, and maki rolls, to name just a few. Their stated mission is to “be the best vegan restaurant in NYC, serving high-quality and accessible plant-based food” and we think they’ve cracked it!
Beyond Sushi has been around for a decade but it’s certainly taken big steps forward since its days on East 14th Street. Now led by Chef Guy Vaknin the whole dining experience has elevated to a new level, proven by its wild popularity and need for more and more settings. Each restaurant carries a similar feel to it, with a relaxed but classy vibe that can be dressed up or down depending on your mood.
We love this review of Beyond Sushi: “Superlatives fail me!
I vaguely remember sushi from my pre-vegan past. The food here blows that memory out of the water. Delicious textures, tastes and such wonderful variety. We ordered two plates (18 rolls) each and had to work hard to find room for a shared delicious cheesecake.
If you have to pick one NYC vegan place to visit, this would be my recommendation. Stunning.”
Beyond Sushi can be found at:
134 W37th Street, New York, 10018
1429 3rd Ave, New York, NY 10028
62 W 56th St, New York, NY 1001
215 Mulberry St, New York, NY 10012
This beautifully designed vegan restaurant proudly stands as the only organic, plant-based, and carbon-neutral restaurant in the whole of New York City. The team gives great attention to detail, ensuring the menu is both good for the body, as well as the planet. Founded by Alan Coumont who took inspiration from his globetrotting days in opening his initial Le Botaniste in Ghent, Belgium in 2015, filling the space with plants and greenery to encourage vitality and a healthy backdrop for his guests. Today, there are three Le Botanistes in Belgium, (one in Ghent and two in Brussels), as well as four in New York – Upper East Side, Upper West Side, Soho, and Midtown East.
You can taste flavours from around the world when you visit, with options such as Vegetable Tajine, Young Coconut Ceviche, and Seaweed Tartar. There’s also a botanical menu, sharing dishes, and a delicious, but healthy, dessert menu to choose from.
Most of the reviews for Le Botaniste focus on how healthy and friendly a place it is, including this review from someone who clearly enjoyed their visit: “Yummy & healthy.
I love that they always have a soup of the day, which always tastes great! Staff is super nice and you can try everything before you choose.”
Le Botaniste can be found at:
Upper East Side – 833 Lexington Ave, NY 10065 Tel: (917) 262-0766
Soho – 127 Grand Street, NY 10013 Tel: (646) 870-7770
Upper West Side – 156 Columbus Ave, NY 10023 Tel: (646) 998-4605
43rd and 3rd – 666 3rd Avenue, NY 10017 Tel: (917) 261-6728
Based on the East Side of the city, Cadence holds true to its southern influence, with chef Shenarri Freeman feeding her Virginia-based upbringing into the menu. The kitchen at Cadence is fully vegan and organic in produce. Some of the dishes included on the menu are Maple Buttermilk Cornbread, Smoked Grits, Southern Fried Lasagna, and Cadence Fruit Cobbler. As mouthwatering to eat as it all sounds and all sprinkled with Shenarri’s magic to bring classic favourites, as well as her own creative recipes, to life.
Just take a look at some of the images from the kitchen.
We particularly love this review from one super happy diner: “What a treat!
I’m still thinking about my dinner from Cadence last night, that’s how good it was!”
When you walk into Cadence for the first time, you immediately notice the big, beautifully rounded bar that encourages you over to take a seat and say hi, order a drink and get comfortable. It’s the perfect atmosphere to feel at ease for an evening of great food, drinks and hospitality and we can’t recommend it enough.
Cadence can be found at:
111 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Tel: +1 833-328-4588
P.S Kitchen is a very attractive, inspirational, and confident vegan restaurant, which probably comes from the global cuisine, as well as the charitable partnerships it works closely alongside. What we particularly love are the three commitments P.S Kitchen states on its website – namely, a commitment to creating jobs for those who are marginalised in New York, donating 100% of profits to sustainable charitable work, and providing the people of New York with food that’s kind to the earth and good for the body.
The menu itself is truly global in inspiration, naming some of its dishes as Colombian Potato Soup, Maitake Wings, and Homemade Lasagna, plus a whole host of special weekend brunch options like Tofu Scramble Wrap, French Toast with the best toppings, or a full PS Breakfast.
As you can imagine, the reviews for P.S Kitchen are impressive and include comments such as “Real good food and service
The PS Burger is really one of the best burgers I have tried. The Beyond burrito was also really good, perfectly seasoned. Love this place will definitely return.”
P.S Kitchen can be found at:
246 W 48th St, New York, NY 10036
Tel: (212) 651-7247
Built off the back of many years of managing top cocktail bars, Ravi DeRossi took a step in a slightly different direction in 2015 in order to open Avant Garden – a plant-based restaurant that the Michelin Guide describes as an “artsy little jewel box of a restaurant” that “aims to give vegan food some well-deserved polish.”
The menu itself consists of simply titled, but beautifully designed dishes, such as Cremini Mushroom, Scorched Cauliflower, or Paella. But don’t be fooled by this simplicity – each dish is created meticulously, with ingredients that perfectly complement one another in both taste and texture. You only need to check out their Instagram page to get a feel for what’s on offer.
Avant Garden can be found at:
130 E 7th St, New York, NY 10009
Tel: +1 833-328-4588
