The Best Vegan and Vegetarian Restaurants in NYC

Photo: CHAMPS DINER

📍 Williamsburg

And in a restaurant landscape where diners are becoming especially harder to come by, Champs fills a major gap in the herbivore community, offering meatless takes on traditional American comfort fare.

From mac ‘n’ cheese to a Nashville hot chick’n sandwich or gyro made with seitan, the eatery has got you covered on all your plant-based diner needs.

Photo: WILLOW

📍 Chelsea

At Willow, executive chef and owner Guy Vaknin crafted a diverse menu of plant-based comfort items that includes salads, sandwiches, entrees, and an array of finger foods like mushroom calamari, jackfruit crab cakes, and zalmon tartare.

Fresh juices and rich desserts are also on offer to round out the experience.

Photo: THE V-SPOT

📍 Multiple locations

Next time you’re craving a Latin treat, make it easy on yourself and go where you can approximate cheese and sour cream, and incorporate solid protein into your restricted diet.

Vegan empanadas bring the heat at The V Spot, a Colombian outpost from Brooklyn so gratifying that it opened a second location, the V Spot Express, on St. Marks.

On the topic of vegan eateries, the V Spot has earned a place in the canon.

Photo: Spicy Moon

📍 Multiple locations

Spicy Moon works with all the same vegetables and seasonings found in traditional Chinese restaurants, simply excluding the animal protein.

Vegetable dumplings, wontons, and spring rolls cover the basics, while more creative bites like General Tso’s mushrooms and “honey” walnut edamame nuggets show off Spicy Moon’s individuality.

Still, the spicy spring roll dipping sauce is the true seductress—taste for yourself and see.

Photo: SCREAMER'S PIZZERIA

📍 Multiple locations

Vegan pizza is too often synonymous with disappointment: While everyone else grabs thick, gooey slices of their favorite pies, vegans are left with a sad sauce-and-mushroom option, or worse, nothing at all.

Thankfully, the people behind Screamer’s Pizzeria understand the dilemma and save the day with “cheesy” creations vegans can devour (whether a full pie for your apartment movie night or a quick slice to satisfy a case of the drunchies!).

Photo: RENEGADES OF SUNSET

📍 Sunset Park

Posted up in the food hall of Brooklyn creative hub Industry City, Renegades of Sunset is a vegan kitchen serving made-from-scratch meals Wednesdays to Sundays.

The restaurant’s seasonal menu doesn’t always stick to a cuisine (banh mis, cheesesteaks, Italian subs, and veggie burgers live on the menu in perfect harmony); the only consistent culture is one of rebellion against our meat-oriented society.

Photo: Modern Love

📍 Williamsburg

The finer things in life involve fried “mozzarella” balls, Buffalo “wings,” and nacho macaroni.

Oh, and jerk tofu bowls, chickpea parms, and faux meat tortas.

Plus maybe a sundae for dessert and a cocktail for good measure? Long story short, Modern Love knows a thing or two about the finer things, and even better, they know how to translate the finer things into vegan-friendly dishes that brighten the table.

Photo: Little Choc Apothecary

📍 Williamsburg

Bring a date to the upper floor of this charming, two-story creperie and teahouse where healthy ingredients morph into indulgent creations both savory and sweet, vegan, and gluten-free.

Even if you’re not sitting in the dolled-up dining area, you can enjoy Little Choc’s charm in the form of coffees, teas, smoothies, juices, wines, beers, crepes, and desserts.

Variety is key here, with a menu boasting items like a vegan burrito crepe, PB&J acai bowl, and rotating scone of the day.

Photo: Le Botaniste

📍 Multiple locations

Le Botaniste champions the cause to save Planet Earth with responsible dishes that cater to nearly every dietary restriction.

The menu is safe for celiacs, options are plentiful for vegans, and for those who avoid anything that’s not organic, 99% of the menu is on-limits.

In addition to the entirely botanical bowls, the restaurant’s four Manhattan locations offer healthy dessert options and detox juice—and some even have natural wines.

Photo: JaJaJa Plantas Mexicana

📍 Multiple locations

This plant-based venture is anything but funny.

It’s seriously adorable, known for its beautifully arranged Mexican street food—think tacos, nachos, empanadas, tortas, and a smorgasbord of lighter eats that vary by location.

Most locations of JaJaJa also offer Latin-inspired craft cocktails, like the Oaxacan old fashioned, matcha y coconut with tequila, and frozen agave margarita.

Want to get fancy with your tequila and mezcal? The spirit options are extensive.

Over the years, imaginative chefs and food tech moguls have widened the possibilities of meatless dining, allowing fast casual and fast food spaces to keep up with society’s shifting priorities as well.