Dressing a tempting vegan salad

The world’s best cities for vegan food

Dine
By Nicola Trup
April 18, 2023
From inventive bakeries to destination restaurants, these cities are packed with vegan-friendly addresses.

From flexitarians to full-time vegans, a growing number of people are choosing to go plant-based. The result? A new wave of inventive meat-free eateries, from feelfood cafés and bakeries to fine dining restaurants. From London to Miami, we take a tour of the world’s most vegan-friendly cities.

A dish at Farmacy restaurant in London using own grown or local vegan produce

London

From plant-based pizzerias to vegan ‘butchers’, London has it all when it comes to animal-free dining – and was named the world’s best city for vegans in HappyCow’s most recent rankings. Many of the best plant-based restaurants are within easy reach of Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park, London, including the ever-chic Farmacy in Notting Hill. Its organic menu is a continent-hopping affair, running from Mexican brunch bowls to miso-roasted aubergine. Wulf & Lamb’s two outposts, in Marylebone and Chelsea, also have a global spin, with bao buns, Thai curries and a mindblowing mac ’n’ cheese (made with cashew cream, and deliciously decadent). As for haute cuisine, Gauthier Soho turned fully vegan in summer 2021, with a polished, French-inflected menu, riffing on seasonal produce.

A colleague preparing to serve a Michelin-starred dish at Ya Ge, Mandarin Oriental, Taipei

Taipei

Once named Asia’s most vegan-friendly city by Peta, Taipei has a huge variety of vegan-friendly eateries. At Mandarin Oriental, Taipei the Michelin-starred Ya Ge has some superb plant-based Cantonese dishes; think tofu with morels and black truffle, or wok-fried Chinese yam. A short walk away, also in Songshan, the all-vegan Green Bakery crafts exquisite cakes and desserts, from impeccably creamy tiramisu to candied chestnut-topped Mont Blancs. Over in Zhongzheng District, Yu Shan Ge is a pared-back vegetarian restaurant with a Japanese kaiseki-inspired menu, which could include its signature hericium mushroom steak.

Smoked grits at vegan soul food restaurant Cadence, New York

New York City

From Staten Island to the Bronx, there are plant-based places to eat all over NYC. In Manhattan, three-Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park made headlines in 2021, when it went entirely vegan. Chef Daniel Humm is behind its beautifully-crafted plates; yellow tomato dosa, say, or tonburi with pea cream and baby lettuce. Over in the East Village, vegan soul food restaurant Cadence has taken the city by storm, with smoked grits, mushroom-fuelled gumbo and its signature Southern Fried Lasagne. Craving spice? Head to Spicy Moon for vegan Szechuan cooking, from dan dan noodles to mapo tofu.

The stylish interior of Spojka Karlin restaurant in Prague

Prague

Traditional Czech cuisine may centre on hearty meat stews and dumplings, but the capital’s increasingly geared towards plant-based diners, too. Take Vegan’s Prague, close to the castle, whose menu includes an imaginative take on svíčková – usually meat in a creamy sauce, but here made with beans, root veg and tempeh. Moment Bistro is another excellent bet; try the seitan ‘duck’ with red cabbage, or beetroot and pumpkin gnocchi. Meanwhile, the stylish Spojka Karlín takes a flexitarian approach. Its thoughtful menu runs from organic meat dishes to fully vegan options – homemade potato flatbread with smoked tempeh, perhaps, or chickpea-and-avocado shakshuka.

Colleagues preparing for service at La Mar by Gastón Acurio, the fine dining restaurant at Mandarin Oriental, Miami

Miami

Sunshine and fresh fruit and veg go hand in hand, so vegans visiting Miami are spoilt for choice. Planta South Beach is a great place to start, with its creative sushi, cold-pressed juices and easygoing mains (a first-rate burger with truffle fries, perhaps, or moreish mushroom-bacon carbonara). Wynwood’s Love Life Café is another local favourite, with award-winning burgers, abundant salads and black bean-stuffed arepas. Meanwhile, over at Mandarin Oriental, Miami, La Mar by Gastón Acurio serves up Peruvian cuisine with views of Biscayne Bay. You’ll find vegan alternatives to various menu items, from the kare udon curry to the chaufa aeropuerto (a rice dish with pickled vegetables and, usually, sausage).

All offers and experiences available at time of publication. Please contact the relevant hotel team for more information.

Nicola Trup
About the Author
Nicola Trup
Nicola is a travel and food journalist who contributes to titles including National Geographic Traveller, National Geographic Traveller Food and The Sunday Times.