Veggie Restaurants of New York City
Peacefood Cafe
My and Ian's go-to neighborhood spot for casual, affordable, delicious vegan food.
Veg level: 100% vegan
Style: Creative American (salads, sandwiches, pizzas, bowls)
Standout dish: the chickpea fries!!! DO NOT MISS THEM.
Reservations: not necessary, but it does get crowded sometimes.
Buddha Bodai
This China Town Kosher vegan dim sum restaurant does some of the most convincing fake meat around (opinion courtesy of my more recently meat-eating other half). Fake meat isn't always my personal favorite, but I love Buddha Bodai. Super flavorful, authentic dim sum, and a great example of how "vegan" and "healthy" are not synonymous.
Veg level: 100% vegan, Kosher
Style: Dim Sum
Standout dish: Crispy duck
Reservations: Not needed
Jajaja
A friend and I tried to go to Jajaja in winter 2019, and there was a half hour wait. “We’ll go soon,” I said. Lol!
I finally made it to Jajaja in October 2021. The anticipation had been building for two years. So how did it measure up?
Delicious! I’ll absolutely be going back. With a reservation.
Veg level: 100% vegan
Style: Mexcian (aren’t you glad you can just eat the rice for once without asking whether It’s made with chicken stock?!)
Standout dish: Buffalo cauliflower tacos
Reservations: definitely make one. I can’t vouch for the other locations, but the West Village spot if always packed!
abcV
My personal favorite veggie spot in NYC, a meal at abcV is a creative celebration of vegetables. abcV is a Jean-Georges establishment. I use this place to change people's minds about vegetables - it's that good. And with its white interior dotted with succulents, the ambiance is fresh and clean. (Photo not mine … just approximately the right ambiance.)
Veg level: Vegetarian, with lots of vegan options
Style: Vegetable-forward, mostly tapas-size dishes. We recommend going with a group!
Standout dish: Roasted carrots with mixed nut butter
Reservations: Definitely needed
Avant Garden
A coworker told me about Avant Garden over two years before we actually visited, in large part because it’s so hard to get a reservation! This tiny East Village restaurant seats maybe 20 people. It's a perfect spot for an intimate date, but not for a large group. The menu is equally small -- 12 dishes, 1 dessert -- and everything is delicious.
Veg level: 100% vegan
Style: Tiny menu of all winners. Nothing "weird" but nothing ordinary, either.
Standout dish: Miso avocado! But the menu rotates, so just go nuts.
Reservations: Required. And make one well in advance!
Modern Love
I usually seek out veggie restaurants that put veggies front and center, rather than trying to recreate vegan versions of animal-based dishes. But for Modern Love (and a few others on this list), I make an exception!
Veg level: 100% Vegan
Style: Your non-vegan favorites made vegan ... with a twist!
Standout dish: Mac & Shews - an elevated vegan mac 'n' cheese featuring corn and pecan crusted tofu and marinated kale. Just trust me. Also don't miss their vegan ice cream - it's really really convincing!
Reservations: with 2 people, you'll wait ~30+ mins if you don't make one.
Hangawi
Hangawi scores a 10/10 for ambiance. You leave your shoes in a cubby at the entrance, trading them for some slippers. You’ll sit at low tables, basically on the floor, with a hole below the table for your feet. It’s a very calming atmosphere. The food at Hangawi is vegan Korean - but it’s not just vegan versions of your typical tteokbokki or bibimbap; if you’re looking for some hearty stuff in a spicy gochujang sauce, this is not that. It’s lightly flavored and very creative, often involving sesame, charcoal, and ube.
Veg level: 100% vegan
Style: Korean, with a twist
Standout dish: Their menu changes!
Reservations: Pretty hard to get in for dinner without one, but you're probably okay for lunch.
Map of Even More Veggie Noms
I haven’t committed to paying Squarespace enough money yet to display the map here. Sorry :D