Vegan in New York City

Vegan in New York City

Hello fellow travelers,

I’ve been jet setting left and right lately. Traveling within Ohio, heading back to West Virginia/ Pittsburgh, taking off to Denver, Colorado, and even Warsaw, Poland. All the travel has been wonderful… and exhausting… and has caused me to neglect my blog. I’m hoping to add a plethora of travel/ restaurant review posts over the next several weeks.

To start, in September, I was lucky enough to head to New York City for a few days of work and pleasure. Cory’s family is from the NYC area so we’ve been there quite a few times which is why it’s shocking that I haven’t done a best of Vegan in New York City round up! I re-visited a few of my favorite speciality vegan restaurants, as well as, some other “off the beaten track” gems. There are so many great places to eat in NYC, it can be overwhelming. I hope you’ll give some of my “must stop” restaurants a try on your next visit to the Big Apple.

What’s your favorite place to eat in NYC?

Enjoy, fellow vegan travelers!

Jocelyn

* Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. As always, all opinions are my own!

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Beyond Sushi

Beyond Sushi is a vegan sushi treasure. There are four “quick service” locations and one newer  dine-in experience. They create various sushi rolls and dumplings that are 100% vegan using locally-sourced, seasonal produce. If you love their food, you can even join their rewards program to receive $10 for every $100 spent. the pioneer of the plant-based, sushi movement. A 100% vegan eatery that celebrates the flavors and beauty of locally-sourced, seasonal produce.

Beyond Sushi

The Cinnamon Snail

I have to admit, this restaurant came to me as a total surprise. My partner and I were wandering around the city. We were tired. We were hungry. And we were across the street from Penn Station. He recalled that they had remodeled part of the building and turned it into an open air mini-restaurant/ food court dubbed, “The Pennsy.” We quickly made our rounds to check out all the food stalls, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that The Cinnamon Snail was an all vegan spot! They served up fresh vegan sandwiches, burgers & pastries. I had a tasty sandwich, small cup of mac’n’cheese and splurged with a delightful doughnut! The prices were a bit steep, but it was well worth it!

Vegan Sandwich

Dirt Candy

  • Location:
    • 86 Allen St, New York, NY 10002
  •  Times:
    • Closed Mondays
    • Tuesday – Friday: 5:30pm – 11pm
    • Saturday: 11am – 3pm, 5:30pm – 11pm
    • Sunday: 11am – 3pm
  • Facebook:

A trip to NYC, simply isn’t complete without trying to get a spot at Dirt Candy. I was so lucky to get a reservation for brunch while we were in town. We’ve visited Dirt Candy for dinner before, but brunch is a real treat. You can purchase items a la carte or for ~$30 you can get a 4 course brunch. Dirt Candy serves up the most inventive vegetarian/ vegan dishes named after vegetables, but don’t let the simple names fool you. These dishes are delicious and lated beautifully. You have to try the Korean Fried Broccoli. It’s ridiculously good.

Dirt Candy

Erin McKenna’s Bakery NYC

Simply put – there is a no better place to stop in New York City for a vegan treat than Erin McKenna’s Bakery (formerly Babycakes). Stop in to browse a variety of dairy-free, soy-free, and even gluten-free cakes, cookies, and other pastries. Their doughnuts are a must try!

Vegan Doughnut

Milon

  • Location:
    • 93 1st Avenue # 2, New York, NY 100037
  • Times:
    • 12pm – midnight
  • Special Considerations:
    • Cash Only!

Ah, Milon. The best place to stop in the Village if  you’re seeking solid Indian food in a unique setting. The atmosphere begins when you walk up to the restaurant. Milon is “up and to the left.” I say this as there are actually four Indian restaurants right next to/ on top of each other. As you head towards the stairs, hosts will try to sway you into their restaurant. Once inside, you’ll quickly notice the Christmas paper on the walls and countless, festive lights strung from the ceiling and walls. It’s never a boring dining event and the food is pretty good, too! Many of the vegetarian dishes are actually vegan so you won’t have a hard time ordering!

Milon NYC

Red Bamboo

  • Location:
    • 40 W 4th St # A, New York, NY 10012
  • Times:
    • Saturday – Sunday: Noon – 11pm
    • Monday – Thursday: 12:30pm -11pm
    • Friday: 12:30pm – 11:30pm
  • Facebook:

Red Bamboo has been a staple in the West Village for over 15 years. In fact, it’s one of the first (mostly) vegan restaurants that was ever recommended to me in New York City. They provide delicious soul food favorites from Buffalo Wings or Creole Soul Chicken to BBQ Ribs. Not in the mood for soul food? No problem, they also have a hearty list of asian-inspired meals. The menu is 100% vegetarian and most items are vegan or can be made vegan. *Note, this is a very small space so try to beat the rush.

Sweets by Chloe

I was pleasantly surprised while wandering around aimlessly and I stumbled upon Sweets by Chloe—a 100% vegan shop! This quaint sweets shop sells cakes by the slice, 3 layer cakes, cookies, bars, chia pudding, cinnamon rolls, and even ice cream pops. I had the birthday cake batter ice cream, and it was some of the best ice cream I’ve had, vegan or not!

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

Two Boots

Two Boots Pizza is my favorite “late night” vegan splurge in the city.To some, vegan pizza in a restaurant may seem like a somewhat new concept, but Two Boots has been proudly serving it up since the 90’s when they launched, “The Earth Mother,” honoring Bette Midler and her role in saving the East Village community gardens. You can special order your own vegan pizza, but they always have at least one type of vegan hot & ready slice. When I visited, they had their famous “V is for Vegan” pizza. This slice dons daiya cheese, artichokes, mushrooms, onions and red and green pesto. It does not disappoint!

Two Boots

Veggie Castle 2

Admittedly, Veggie Castle II is a little out of the way unless you’re staying in Queens, but it’s worth it. They serve Vegan Caribbean, American, and Asian fusion dishes from vegan mac and cheese, ginger chicken, to their famous veggie burgers, fresh salads, and a variety of dairy and egg free desserts. In addition to all their tasty food, they have a full juice bar where you can get a variety of cold pressed juices or even a wheatgrass shot. I opted for their classic veggie burger and fries, while my partner had a veggie meal with soul food staples like faux bbq drumstick, mac’n’cheese, and red rice and beans. It’s worth the trip!