Best Vegan Restaurants in Manhattan

If you're a long-time vegan visiting the city, or a resident interested in exploring the local vegan cuisine, Patch is here to help. Here's a selection of some of the best vegan spots in Manhattan, divided into fast/casual and table service restaurants.

Best fast/casual vegan restaurants:

Terri

• 100 Maiden Lane
• 60 West 23rd Street
• 685 3rd Avenue

If you work nearby, dropping by one of Terri’s locations for lunch is an easy call. With hearty salads already prepared, and a quick team of cooks working on impressive sandwiches to order, you won’t have to spend too much of your lunch break waiting around. It’s not ideal for an extended stay — the stools offered are not particularly comfortable, and that’s probably on purpose.

While they offer desserts, drinks, sides and shakes, the sandwiches are the real draw. They’re filling and flavorful, and there’s a good variety to choose from. Terri probably relies a bit too much on mock meats: Their vegan chicken is fine, but it would probably be better replaced with more creative use of tempeh, seitan or a bean-based filler in several cases.

Best picks include the breakfast scramble wrap, the chickpea tuna melt and the vegan pulled-pork sandwich.

Also on Patch: Best Vegan Restaurants in Brooklyn

Beyond Sushi

• 229 E. 14th Street
• 75 9th Avenue (in Chelsea Market)
• 62 W. 56th Street

There’s nowhere else in New York City quite like Beyond Sushi, and that’s saying something in a town with thousands upon thousands of restaurants. Without relying on any mock fish products — you won’t find any imitation imitation crab here — Beyond Sushi provides innovative and colorful sushi rolls using tofu, fruit, mushrooms and fresh vegetables, wrapped in nutty mixed grains or black rice.

They also have a selection of soups, rice paper wraps and salads, but the rolls themselves steal the show. Beyond Sushi’s juices, like a satisfying cucumber lemonade, take second place.

Be warned, though: only the 56th Street location has substantial seating options.

Cinnamon Snail

• 2 Pennsylvania Plaza (inside The Pennsy)

Cinnamon Snail, New York’s famous vegan food truck, also has location in The Pennsy, a multi-vendor food hall located above Penn Station. Its burgers are the main attraction in my view, though the baked goods, pictured above, certainly deserve some attention. Served on soft pretzel buns, the seitan patties are both substantial and well-seasoned, which are nearly overshadowed by topics including jalapeño macaroni and cheese, chipotle mayo, kale, arugula and smoked chili coconut bacon.

Cinnamon Snail has also offered some excellent vegetable soups on occasion, with the sole exception being a beet-based broth that was overly acidic while also insufficiently flavorful. The wide range of pastries and doughnuts, from chocolate to fruit-filled, are also worth the trip on its own, but you probably shouldn’t make a habit of it.

And while the staff are unfailingly pleasant and friendly, the lunchtime rush can slow down the ordering process. The smartest move is to go at non-peak hours.

By Chloe

• 185 Bleecker Street
• 60 West 22nd Street

The popular By Chloe mixes the classic burger-and-fries feel of old-fashioned American restaurant culture with an entirely vegan menu. With several types of vegan burgers made from ingredients like chia seeds, walnuts, lentils, quinoa, black bean and sweet potato, there's variety enough to satisfy most palates. But the creative salad choices, especially a Greek salad with creative herbed-tofu feta, may be more appealing for some.

Particularly at brunch, the line for the counter can run out the door and around the corner, and it might be worth checking out another nearby option. But it's clear By Chloe has a healthy fan base already, with a second location opened quickly after its debut and another four spots in the works, so some of the die-hards would certainly argue it's worth the wait.

VBurger

• 815 Broadway

Do not let yourself leave VBurger without trying their chickpea-battered onion rings. That is the most important thing to know about it.

Other important things to know: It’s the one of the best versions of a traditional American fast food with completely vegan offerings that I’ve ever seen, its sandwiches are very tasty if not overly healthy, and you’ll need substantial willpower if you’re going to walk out of the restaurant without buying a cannoli. The restaurant has had some issues in the past with dropping or significantly delaying orders, but these are surmountable problems.

Definitely the go-to stop if you want to prove to someone that eating vegan doesn't requires excessive personal sacrifice, ascetic or joyless meals, and the loss of favorite comfort foods.

Other notable fast/casual choices around the city:

VLife

• 348 7th Avenue

Blossom Du Jour

• 259 West 23rd Street
• 617 9th Avenue
• 1000S 8th Avenue (in the Colombus Circle subway station)
• 449 Amsterdam Avenue
• 15 East 13th Street

Best vegan restaurants with table service:

Quintessence

• 263 East 10th Street

The restaurant itself is quite small and cozy — your classic Manhattan hole-in-the-wall. But what's served inside is likely out-of-the-ordinary for most: a completely raw food menu.

It may seem like a destination for only those most devoted to an extreme form of diet, but Quintessence will allay all such doubts. While using only raw vegan ingredients, Quintessence offers soups, nachos, burgers, crepes, club sandwiches, cakes, ice cream and more.

The prices are a little steep, but if you're looking for a meal that's both satisfying, refreshing and very healthful, while not quite like any food you've had before, you should make sure to stop by at least once. Don't be fooled by the names of the menu items — the all-American burger and the tacos will both be coming out cold. But if you're open to a creative, raw twist on very traditional dishes there's a good chance you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Blossom

• 187 Ninth Avenue
• 41-43 Carmine Street
• 507 Columbus Avenue

Blossom is definitely in the top tier of vegan restaurants in the United States, and possibly the world. Of course, the price matches the quality — but it's well worth the cost.

Each plate is carefully crafted, wholly original and extremely flavorful. The port wine seitan, for instance, brings flavor and texture to the cutlet of wheat gluten that is hard to find anywhere else. But the flavors themselves are matched by the presentation of the food: elegant, colorful and appealing.

Peacefood

• 460 Amsterdam Avenue
• 41 East 11th Street

If you're looking for a mid-priced vegan dining experience, Peacefood is probably your best bet. Though the menu itself is a bit uneven — few should miss the avocado sandwich or the plate of sushi — there are ample choices to leave you full and satisfied without deflating your bank account. Notable menu items include chickpea fries, a fluffy quinoa salad and a thick vegan cheeseburger with jalapeños.

Be sure to look over the specials menu when you arrive, because it typically includes some of the best offerings, like a wonton soup or lasagna. And no recommendation would be complete without mentioning Peacefood's extensive dessert and bakery section; you can thank Patch when you try the cookie sandwiches.

Franchia Cafe

• 12 Park Avenue

This Korean vegan restaurant offers a wide selection of pan-asian cuisine, including noodle salads, soups, hot pots, curries, sushi and dumplings. Standout items include the vegetarian curry hot pot, the tofu and kale in ginger sauce and the pumpkin noodle salad.

Like some other vegan restaurants, Franchia relies a bit too heavily on mock meats for my taste, in particular shrimp and chicken. But these are easy to avoid if they're not to your liking, and the variety of sauces and overall quality of the food easily make up for it.

But as impressive as the food itself is, the architecture and design of the restaurant is stunning. Turquoise floral tiles cover the ceiling providing lovely detail to the surroundings that is so often missed in city dining.

Sacred Chow

• 227 Sullivan Street

It's easy to miss Sacred Chow when you're walking by — even if you're looking for it — but you'll regret it if you do. The brunch options are outstanding, including a tofu and coconut cream omelet with sunflower seed feta and olives, as well as a delicious, if perhaps too sweet, banana bread french toast in blueberry sauce. The best idea is to bring a friend, order both, and split meals between yourselves.

On the dinner menu, the French Lentil Meatloaf, served over brown rice and collard greens with a sicilian tomato sauce, is exceptional. But it's also hard to go wrong with Sacred Chow's sandwiches, or the selection of tapas items including soy-less vegan meat balls, marinated kale and root vegetable latkes.

The servers are typically quite friendly, and the resturant manages to cram a lot of personality and comfort into a small space. If you live nearby, this is the kind of place where it's worth becoming a regular.

Other notable choices in the city for table service:

Candle 79

• 154 East 79th Street

Candle Cafe

• 1307 3rd Avenue
• 2427 Broadway

Angelika Kitchen

• 300 East 12th Street

Caravan of Dreams

• 405 East 6th Street

Seasoned Vegan

• 55 Saint Nicholas Avenue

V-Spot

• 12 St. Marks Place
• 241 East 24th Street

Photo credit: Patch staff photo from Cinnamon Snail