The Best Plant-Based Restaurants Downtown
Remember when vegan restaurants in New York City seemed to only offer unseasoned macrobiotic plates, hummus wraps with a sprinkle of microgreens, and unpleasant juices that promised full-body detoxification? Vegan dining in New York has come a long way since then. Nowadays, the Big Apple is overflowing with fantastic plant-based restaurants. You just need to know where to go. Also, don’t be fooled by famous-this-week-on-TikTok hotspots with fare that “tastes pretty good for being vegan.”
Instead, check out some of our favorite spots, like a seriously old-school and atmospheric Italian eatery that serves up seitan parm and vegan tiramisu. Another fave is a buzzy hole-in-the-wall that doles out Southern soul food classics without any animal products and with tons of flavor. You don’t need to be an herbivorous foodie to appreciate any of these restaurants. You just need to have a penchant for really good food that just happens to be vegan.
View this post on Instagram
This moodily lit and stylish East Village haunt serves up soul food classics that are somehow both totally vegan and psychotically delicious. Must-order dishes from Virginia native executive chef Shennari Freeman’s organic and soy-free menu include the Southern fried lasagna with Beyond Meat-based “bolognese” and pine nut-based “ricotta,” as well as a tasty take on “chicken” (fried oyster mushrooms) and waffles with lavender maple syrup and buffalo sauce. You’ll also need to try the fried green tomatoes, the smoked grits, the garlic pancake with black-eyed peas, the heavenly cornbread served in an iron skillet sizzling with vegan butter, and the… okay, order everything. Our advice? Come with friends. Come hungry. And bookend your meal with a fruit cobbler.
111 E 7th St, New York; (833) 328-4588
View this post on Instagram
Hangry East Villagers can now breathe a collective sigh of relief because Superiority Burger is finally back after a nearly 16-month hiatus. And though they’ve since gotten a retro diner-themed makeover (their new space on Avenue A was home to the late great Ukrainian diner Odessa Restaurant for 26 years), everything on their menu remains vegetarian and mostly vegan. Plus, their signature quinoa-based veggie burgers with roasted tomatoes, pickles, and muenster cheese are still very much the same, which is very good news. If it’s your first time here, they’re a mouth-watering-inducing must-order. But this is the kind of place where you should really go crazy and try everything on the menu, from vegetarian sloppy joes to collard green sandwiches to funnel cakes.
119 Avenue A, New York; (646) 422-7707
View this post on Instagram
Spice up your tastebuds’ lives at the original Spicy Moon (est. 2019) in the East Village, a pint-sized and perpetually packed restaurant that offers oft-spicy vegan riffs on classic Szechuan dishes. Tucked away on East 6th Street and bedecked with neon lights and hanging plants, this hip hideaway’s menu hits all the spots, especially if you like your plant-based bites to be slightly tongue-numbing. Tip: start things off with the fiery fan favorites—dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, and Szechuan peppercorn brussel sprouts—and make sure a glass of ice water is always present.
328 E 6th St, New York; (646) 429-8471
View this post on Instagram
John’s of 12th Street isn’t your ordinary old-school Italian restaurant. Yes, it’s been open since 1908, the tables are candlelit and white-clothed, and the bowtie-wearing waiters serve red sauce-heavy dishes and red wine. But turn the thick menu’s pages, make your way past the fried calamari and veal parmigiana, and you’ll eventually find an impressive vegan section. Substantially-portioned standouts include eggplant or seitan parm with vegan cheese, spaghetti with vegan meatballs, and seitan scallopini with marsala wine mushroom sauce. Open until 10:30 p.m. on weekends, this storied East Village staple is the perfect low-lit date night spot for having a few drinks and sharing a variety of vegan desserts. And, holy cannoli, they’re all so good.
302 E 12th St, New York; (212) 475-9531
View this post on Instagram
Even with its additional locations around town, Jajaja Mexicana’s original East Broadway location, which opened on Cinco de Mayo in 2017, forever has a special place in many a plant-based New Yorker’s heart. Situated a stone’s throw away from Seward Park, this hip yet warm gem is a mainstay in the New York vegan dining scene, providing plenty of plant-based variations on classic Mexican dishes. There are beet and pumpkin empanadas, hijiki-hearts of palm “ceviche,” gorgeously plated nachos with guac, corn, “chorizo,” and habanero “queso,” a turmeric cauliflower rice and beans bowl, and much more deliciousness to fall in love with. In addition, their tequila and mezcal list is extensive, their cocktails are killer, and their alcohol-free watermelon juice with passion fruit and pink peppercorn is both summer-weather-friendly and highly Instagrammable. And it’s highly recommended (by us!)
162 E Broadway, New York; (646) 883-5453
View this post on Instagram
Looking to dine on artfully-presented plant-forward dishes from a world-renowned chef in a rustic-chic, sun-drenched setting that Gwyneth Paltrow probably frequently visits? Then, quick! Make a reservation at Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s bright and airy Flatiron neighborhood restaurant. Start your day at abcV with wild blueberry bowls topped with toasted oats and maple peanut butter for breakfast, almond curd toast on housemade sourdough with sweet market peas and mint for lunch, and mushroom walnut bolognese for dinner. Wash it all down with a wellness tonic, a seasonal kombucha, or a seabuckthorn shake. Don’t lose your Zen: they also have a delightful cocktail menu (rhubarb margarita, anyone?) and a lengthy wine list.
38 E 19th St, New York; (212) 475-5829
View this post on Instagram
This casual East Village joint serves largely shareable and plant-based twists on Mexican favorites. Freakishly flavorful standouts from the soy-and-gluten-free menu include the spicy cauliflower enchiladas as well as the nachos topped with quinoa-based “chorizo,” both of which are smothered in a butternut cashew “queso.” We’re no strangers to their boozy brunch, where we always find ourselves ordering chips and guac, huevos rancheros, and bottomless margaritas.
65 2nd Ave, New York; (212) 777-6965
WORDS Alex Catarinella
PHOTOGRAPHY @cadence.newyork
