AnimalCompassionNYC

“Eating meat is inherently wrong. And then the other thing is, two things cannot coincide: ‘I love all animals so much,’ and ‘I eat meat.’ You just… you can’t do both. Sorry, you can eat meat, go for it. You can love animals, but you can’t do both.

— Billie Eilish

The Case

Compassion has to reach the plate

The line that grounds this page is not a slogan — it's a logic. If a being is capable of suffering, and we can choose not to cause that suffering, then we should choose not to. Indeed, that is what compassion means. To the extent that we extend moral concern to dogs and cats but pay for pigs, chickens, and cows to be killed for our meals, we are not practicing compassion; we are practicing selective convenience.

"We have to stop pretending that 'love of animals' ends at the species line we happen to find emotionally comfortable."

The good news is that New York is one of the easiest cities on Earth in which to eat without participating in that harm. There are fully plant-based restaurants in every borough — soul food in the Bronx, Ethiopian in Bushwick, Mexican on the Lower East Side, sushi in Midtown, Mediterranean kebabs in Chelsea, doughnuts in East Williamsburg. Nothing about a plant-based life in NYC is austere. The food is, if anything, more interesting.

This page is two things: a case for why compassion has to reach the plate, and a directory of NYC restaurants that make that easy. Start anywhere.

The Directory

Fully plant-based restaurants, by borough

Hand-curated. Every restaurant on this list serves a 100% plant-based menu — no asterisks. Hours and locations change; please confirm before visiting.

Last reviewed: August 2026. This list will grow. If you know a great fully-vegan spot in NYC that should be here, let us know via the Connect page.
Brooklyn
19 spots
Amituofo Vegan Cuisine
Asian Fusion·East Williamsburg

Fully plant-based Asian fusion — Beijing "duck," wontons, spicy mapo tofu, and a long menu of mock-meat classics done with care.

19 Bogart St · amituofovegan.com
A.T.M. Vegan Deli
Deli / Sandwiches·Brooklyn

Hearty vegan sandwiches and house-made seitan. Beloved by vegans and curious omnivores alike.

Brooklyn
Aunts et Uncles
Caribbean Cafe-Bar·Little Caribbean

Husband-and-wife plant-based cafe, bar, and concept shop celebrating Caribbean culture in the heart of Little Caribbean. Brunch to cocktails, all vegan.

1407 Nostrand Ave · auntsetuncles.com
Bunna Cafe
Ethiopian·Bushwick

Bushwick's beloved vegan Ethiopian spot — sambusas, kitfo, the works — with live coffee ceremony service and a warm room.

1084 Flushing Ave · bunnaethiopia.net
Dun-Well Doughnuts
Doughnuts / Bakery·East Williamsburg

NYC's first all-vegan doughnut shop, handcrafted since 2011 — dozens of rotating flavors, plus vegan soft-serve and French-press coffee.

222 Montrose Ave · dunwelldoughnuts.com
Electric Beets
Cafe / Grab-and-Go·Park Slope

100% plant-based health-food cafe and deli — scratch-made bowls, breakfast burritos, and baked goods, most of it gluten-free too.

158 7th Ave · electricbeets.com
Fatboy's Vegan Burgers
Burgers·Bed-Stuy

Build-your-own plant-based smash burgers and the famous Messy Tots. Casual, generous, and entirely vegan.

537 Nostrand Ave · fatboysveganburgers.com
Garden Carver
Plant-Based Butcher·Williamsburg

Part plant-based butcher counter, part all-day cafe. House-made seitans, sausages, deli sandwiches, and prepared meals to take home.

187 Grand St
Grilled!
Fast Food·Bushwick

All-vegan burgers, hot dogs, and shakes from a dentist-turned-restaurateur who calls the menu a form of activism. Diner classics, no animals.

264 Suydam St
HAAM Caribbean
Caribbean·Williamsburg

Plant-based Caribbean — jerk "chicken," curries, oxtail-style stews built around mushrooms and seitan. Bold, spice-forward.

Williamsburg
Ital Kitchen
Caribbean / Organic·Brooklyn

100% authentic organic Ital cuisine — the Rastafarian tradition of plant-based, unprocessed eating, done with serious flavor.

Brooklyn
LuAnne's Wild Ginger
Pan-Asian·Boerum Hill / Fort Greene

"All-Asian Vegan" — pho, jap chae, black-pepper seitan, and ramen across two Brooklyn dining rooms.

112 Smith St & 235 DeKalb Ave · luanneswildginger.com
NSV Creative Caribbean Kitchen
Latin / Caribbean·Brooklyn Heights

Formerly Next Stop Vegan — a 100% plant-based, buffet-style lunch hitting every corner of Latin America. Dominican and Caribbean comfort food from founders Blenlly Mena and Javier Seba.

88 Livingston St · nextstopvegan.com
Ras Plant Based
Ethiopian·Crown Heights

Organic Ethiopian, farm-to-table. The combo platter on injera is one of the best plant-based meals in the city — no substitution required.

739 Franklin Ave · rasplantbased.com
Reverie
Globally Inspired·Williamsburg

Shared plates, a serious cocktail bar, kosher certification. The newer wave of plant-based dining that looks and feels like any great wine bar.

135 Metropolitan Ave · reveriebrooklyn.com
Seitan's Helper
Deli / Sandwiches·Bushwick

Worker-owned vegan deli hand-crafting seitan cold cuts and cult-favorite sandwiches with names like the Sexy Devil and the Zombie Bride.

2 Morgan Ave · seitanshelper.com
Slutty Vegan
Burgers·Fort Greene

Pinky Cole's cult Atlanta burger import — over-the-top, fully plant-based smash burgers with names that aren't safe for work. Loud, fun, and very good.

690 Fulton St · sluttyveganatl.com
Starving Vegan
Caribbean / Soul Food·Flatlands

Curries, patties, burgers, and soups made fresh daily — plant-based Caribbean comfort food deep in Flatlands.

1865 Flatbush Ave · starvingvegans.com
Tenon Vegan Sushi
Sushi / Japanese·Park Slope / Prospect Heights

A longtime Canadian favorite's first U.S. outpost — an entirely plant-based menu of Japanese rolls and Thai bites on the Flatbush Ave border of Park Slope.

329 Flatbush Ave · tenonvegansushi.com
Manhattan
24 spots
Anixi
Mediterranean / Kosher·Chelsea

Mediterranean small plates and platters — kebab skewers, "lamb" cigars, arak-cured "salmon." Fully vegan and kosher-certified.

290 8th Ave · anixinyc.com
Avant Garden
Small Plates·East Village

Refined vegetable-driven small plates and natural wine. Plays like a Brooklyn wine bar; eats like a chef-y tasting menu.

130 E 7th St
Beyond Sushi
Sushi & Dumplings·Midtown

Pioneering plant-based sushi shop — colorful rice rolls, "chick'n" yakitori, and sweet chili cauliflower wings. Two Midtown locations.

134 W 37th St & 62 W 56th St · beyondsushi.com
Buddha Bodai
Kosher Chinese·Chinatown

Kosher vegan dim sum and Chinese classics since 2004 — mock duck, sesame "chicken," noodle soups, and a long dim-sum menu.

5 Mott St · buddha-bodai.com
Coletta
Italian / Kosher·Gramercy

Vegan Italian done seriously — pastas, pizzas, and a "prosciutto" fig pie — from the City Roots Hospitality group. Kosher-certified.

365 Third Ave · colettanyc.com
Delice & Sarrasin
French·West Village

Family-run vegan French bistro — mushroom "escargots," boeuf bourguignon, crêpes — with its own vegan French bakery next door.

178 W Houston St · delicesarrasin.com
Franchia Vegan Cafe
Korean / Tea House·Murray Hill

Refined vegan Korean and Asian-fusion dining in a serene tea-house room on Park Avenue. Elegant without fuss.

12 Park Ave · franchia.com
Jajaja Plantas Mexicana
Mexican·LES / Hudson Yards

Tacos, burritos, enchiladas, and one of the city's deepest agave-spirits programs — all plant-based, all bold.

162 E Broadway · jajajamexicana.com
Le Basque
French / Spanish·Union Square

Upscale plant-based French-Basque cooking — saffron paella, mushroom foie gras, careful wine list. A genuine fine-dining option.

Near Union Square
Le Botaniste
Organic Bowls·Multiple locations

The city's only certified organic, plant-based, carbon-neutral restaurant. Grain bowls, stews, and natural wines in a green-tile dining room.

833 Lexington · 156 Columbus · 127 Grand · 666 3rd Ave · lebotaniste.us
Orchard Grocer
Deli / Market·Lower East Side

All-vegan deli counter — bagel sandwiches, soft serve — attached to a fully plant-based grocery. Stock the pantry on the way out.

78 Orchard St · orchardgrocer.com
Peacefood
Cafe / Bakery·UWS / Greenwich Village

Long-running plant-based cafe and bakery — salads, chik'n sandwiches, and a dessert case worth the trip. Two locations.

460 Amsterdam Ave & 41 E 11th St · peacefoodnyc.com
PLANTA Queen
Asian-Inspired·NoMad

Vegan sushi, handrolls, dumplings, and dramatic seasonal bowls in a polished room. Best for a date or a group night out.

15 W 27th St · plantarestaurants.com
P.S. Kitchen
American Comfort·Hell's Kitchen

Fully vegan burgers, wings, and pastas in the theater district — and a mission to match: the restaurant donates 100% of its profits to charity.

246 W 48th St · ps-kitchen.com
Sen Saigon
Vietnamese·Lower East Side

NYC's only fully vegan Vietnamese kitchen — house-made vegan pork-belly banh mi, pho, and vermicelli bowls. Kosher-certified.

150 E Broadway · sensaigon.com
Sentir
Mexican / Kosher·Flatiron

Chef-crafted vegan Mexican — tacos, mole, agave cocktails — entirely plant-based and kosher-certified.

37 W 19th St · sentirnyc.com
Shosh
Mediterranean·West Village

Plant-based Mediterranean kitchen and wine bar — mezze, warm pita, and natural wines in a snug Village room.

41 Greenwich Ave · shosh.nyc
Soda Club
Italian / Wine Bar·East Village

Vegan pasta and natural wine bar with a Michelin Bib Gourmand — proof that plant-based Italian can anchor a date night.

155 Avenue B
Spicy Moon
Sichuan Chinese·East Village / West Village

Punchy plant-based Sichuan — dan dan noodles, mapo tofu, dumplings. The dish-for-dish replacement of meat-heavy classics is what makes it.

328 E 6th St · spicymoonnyc.com
Superiority Burger
Burgers & Sides·East Village

Cult-favorite vegetable burgers, vibrant grain bowls, and gelato from chef Brooks Headley. Earned a Michelin Guide nod.

119 Avenue A · superiorityburger.com
Uptown Veg & Juice Bar
Caribbean / Southern·Harlem

Family-owned Harlem institution, 100% vegan since 1994 — steam-table Caribbean and Southern plates plus a fresh juice bar.

52 E 125th St
Urban Vegan Kitchen
Comfort Food·Chelsea

Globally-inspired vegan comfort food — the relocated Blossom on Carmine. Brunch, buttermilk "chicken," and a lively room with music most nights.

265 W 23rd St · urbanvegankitchen.com
Vegan On The Fly
Street Food·Midtown

Halal-cart classics gone fully plant-based — gyros, burgers, chicken-over-rice — from a fast-casual Midtown storefront.

24 W 45th St · veganontf.com
Willow
American Bistro·Chelsea

Upscale-casual vegan comfort food and cocktails from Chef Guy Vaknin — a proper sit-down bistro, kosher-certified.

199 8th Ave · willownewyork.com
Queens
3 spots
Amitabha Vegan Restaurant
Chinese / Buddhist·Fresh Meadows

Longstanding all-vegan Buddhist Chinese kitchen — every dish 100% plant-based, in the temple tradition.

68-24 Fresh Meadow Ln · queensvegan.com
Jiggy's Kitchen
Breakfast / Brunch·Sunnyside

A 100% plant-based brunch deli — vegan bacon-egg-and-cheese sandwiches, buttermilk pancakes, and açaí bowls. Takeout only, and a real neighborhood hub.

39-45 43rd Ave
Veggie Castle II
Caribbean Vegan·Jamaica, Queens

A Jamaica, Queens institution — plant-based Caribbean classics served in a converted White Castle (yes, really). Affordable, generous portions.

Jamaica, Queens
The Bronx
5 spots
Da Vegan Guru
Casual·Bronx

Independent neighborhood vegan spot — comfort food, hearty plates, and a strong community following.

Bronx
H.I.M. Ital Health Food Market
Caribbean / Ital·Wakefield

Family-run since 1997 — plant-based Ital hot food, fresh juices, and herbs. A neighborhood anchor on White Plains Road.

4374B White Plains Rd · himhealthfoodmarket.com
Mae Mae Cafe + Plant Shop
Latin Cafe·Mott Haven

Daytime vegan cafe doubling as a potted-plant store — tacos, burritos, salads, and desserts, everything 100% plant-based.

2417 Third Ave · maemaecafe.com
Nana's A Vegan
Soul Food·South Bronx

Plant-based soul food in the South Bronx. Limited hours (Wed–Sat) but worth planning around. Standout collards and "fish."

610 Exterior St
Vegan Grill
Fast Food / Deli·Castle Hill

All-vegan fast-food counter — burgers, falafel, sandwiches — with late hours, and popular enough to spawn a Manhattan outpost.

1201 Castle Hill Ave
Staten Island
1 spot
Vodega Deli & Grocery
Vegan Bodega·West Brighton

The island's first all-vegan bodega — plant-based sandwiches, burgers, and a fully vegan grocery shelf. A true dedicated storefront at last.

829 Castleton Ave
Staten Island's fully-vegan scene is still small — but no longer empty.

Beyond Vodega, most plant-based eating on the island still happens through pop-ups and vegan menus at omnivore restaurants. If you know a fully-plant-based spot that deserves a card here, please let us know.
Getting Started

First steps, no judgment

If you're not plant-based today, that's fine — start here. Every meal counts.

Try Meatless Monday

One day a week, no animal products. Easiest entry point — most people find that after a few weeks, two or three days follow naturally.

Meatless Monday resources →

Pick one borough, eat your way through

Use the directory above as a 10-meal challenge. One new fully-vegan restaurant every weekend for ten weeks beats reading any book on this.

Browse the directory →

Stock the basics at home

Beans, lentils, tofu, frozen vegetables, good olive oil, sturdy bread. Plant-based home cooking is cheaper than meat-based — most of the city's groceries already carry everything.

Free plant-based recipes →

Read one good case

Jonathan Safran Foer's Eating Animals and Melanie Joy's Why We Love Dogs, Eat Pigs, and Wear Cows both lay out the ethical argument clearly without preaching. Either one will reshape how you think about meals.

Or revisit the case above →

Compassion. Three times a day.

In a city this rich with plant-based food, eating with conscience isn't a sacrifice. It's just a better dinner.

Find Your First Restaurant