These 25 restaurants prove that plants can be a worthwhile main event. Shannon Harley says that plant-based eating can be a lifestyle or an option for the day. She recommends these vegan restaurants and vegetarian restaurants, bars and cafes from all over the globe, including those in Berlin and Barcelona.
Vegan restaurants Teresa Carles, Barcelona
Teresa Carles is a well-known and respected vegetarian restaurant in this jamon-loving area. Since 1979, they have been serving plant-based meals, breakfasts, and dinners. They are open until 1130pm every day, according to the Spanish body clock. You can get take-out salads and juices at the deli counter in the restaurant’s front. There is also a cozy, low-lit dining area with exposed brick walls, tartan-covered banquettes, and a comfortable, intimate dining room.
Mildreds in London
Mildreds is for vegetarians and vegan restaurants what the little black dress was to fashionistas. It is a timeless staple that will never go out of style. This self-described ‘home away form home’ in London has a variety of restaurants, including one in Soho. Our choice?
Vegan restaurants In New York, The Sri LankanNix
John Fraser, the chef-owner of Nix in New York City’s Union Square, believes that eating at a vegetarian or vegan restaurant should not be considered a sacrifice. The interior is minimalist and casual, with white-painted brick walls and hanging greenery, and bare wooden tables. The tandoor bread with dips is the signature dish. It’s simple, but you can’t help but feel the warmth of the soft, slightly charred dough as you eat the rich, spicy onion dip with pickled cippolini.
Sweet potato curry with rhubarb-polenta crumble
Yellow, Sydney
Brent Savage, the chef and owner of this Potts Point restaurant, is the leader in plant-based fine dining. Pascal Gomes McNabb, a Melbourne designer, created a cozy, intimate interior in a bistro style. It is a great place to relax and enjoy a five- or seven-course tasting menu. Begin with “Pumpkin + Pepita+ Wattleseed + Mulberry” and end with “Honeydew Sorbet+ Yuzu Curd + Young Coconut+ Peppermint”.
Plant Food & Wine, LA
Matthew Kenney, a plant-based chef, has opened an elegant vegan restaurant in Venice’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard. It features a minimalist aesthetic and natural wines in the glasses. This debunks all of those hippie, handwoven clichés about vegetarian vegan restaurants. You can enjoy brunch, lunch, or dinner at Matthew Kenney’s upscale vegan restaurant on LA’s Abbot Kinney Boulevard. Don’t forget the cashew raclette and kimchi dumplings, as well as coconut cream pie. This is something that Sydney-based Alibi on Woolloomooloo Wharf fans may recognize.
Smith & Daughters Melbourne
Shannon Martinez, a plant-based pin-up chef, has created a hip Melbourne icon. This hipster’s paradise is infused with Latin flavours, such as a delicious tortilla topped with a creamy garlic “aoili”, crisp-crumbed pea croquettes, and a hearty hominy-black bean Mexican soup with lime-doused tortilla strips.
Voner, Berlin
Voner knows that vegetarians want to have fun with their fast-food vegetarian doers. The Voner Plate includes slices of marinated seitan “meat” and all the other accoutrements that you would expect at your local kebab shop.
Farmacy, London
Camilla Fayed, daughter of Harrods’ owner Mohammed Al Fayed, runs Farmacy, an all-day restaurant in London’s Notting Hill. The interior is elegantly designed to feel like a living room, with chic Scandi furniture and beautiful hanging plants. Healthy twists on comfort food include buckwheat pancakes and coconut yoghurt, as well as hearty salads, probiotic containers, nice cream made from frozen bananas, and even superfood shots for those who are in dire need.