Vegetarian and vegan food in Manhattan

Vegetarian and vegan food in Manhattan

1. EatTheater District

   Empanada Mama

   Popular 24-hour joint with an extensive selection of empanadas ranging from classic to creative, as well as other Latin American dishes. The focus is on Colombian flavors but there's quite a bit of fusion. Excellent vegan options. A second location at 200 W 40th St near Times Square is mainly for takeout, with a smaller menu and slightly more limited hours.

   About $5 per empanada

2. EatChinatown

   Fong On

   宏安

   This family-run shop has been serving elaborate Chinese-style tofu pudding since 1933. Sweet or savory toppings available. If you've never tried tofu pudding before, it's worth having: surprisingly flavorful and different from other kinds of tofu you might be more familiar with. The shop also sells other Chinese snacks and drinks like sticky rice cakes, grass jelly, and herbal tea. Nearly everything is vegan (you can ask them to leave off the dried shrimps from the savory pudding).

   11AM–7PM Tue-Sun·$6–15

3. EatCentral Park

   Le Pain Quotidien

   A branch of this local chain of sit-down restaurants with organic options like handmade bread and vegan ice cream. Pre-packaged picnic boxes are also available.

   January–April: Fri-Sun 8AM-4PM; April–January: daily 7AM-9PM

4. EatGramercy Flatiron

   Saravanaas Bhavan

   Excellent South Indian food at good prices. This is a vegetarian kosher restaurant and a branch of one in Chennai (Madras), India. Expect to wait a half hour or so on weekends.

5. EatEast Village

   Somtum Der

   This is a branch of an Isaan restaurant headquartered in Bangkok. Expect spicy food unless you request for it to be made milder, and also be aware that items marked on the menu as including fermented fish have a very strong rotten-fish taste, which is authentic but may or may not meet with your approval. Among their best items are the gaeng om kai (Isaan-style chicken soup in a large bowl with cabbage and herbs, though you may want to ask for it with "less salt"), sa poak kai tod der (Der-styled deep fried chicken thigh), moo ping kati sod (grilled coconut milk-marinated pork skewers) and tum mangsavirat (vegetarian papaya salad). The restaurant is mellower at lunch, when the lights are on and Quincy Jones Band albums from the 1960s play on their sound system. At night, the low lights, techno music and crowds of young customers may make you think you should be dancing at a club. The restaurant is more crowded since Michelin gave it a locally-controversial star, but if you are a small party, you are unlikely to have a long wait except perhaps at peak hours on Saturday night.

   Daily noon-11:30PM·Tum (papaya salad): $11-12; Deep-fried: $9-15; Larb/spicy salad: $11-15; Grilled: $14; Soup: $14-15; Rice & noodle dishes: $13-14; Side dishes: $3-6; Beverages: $3-4

6. EatUpper East Side

   Van Leeuwen Ice Cream

   Upper East Side branch of this increasingly large New York chain of ice cream shops, albeit pretty good ones that have vegan flavors as well as regular soft-serve. They also sell coffee.

   Sun-Thu noon-midnight, Fri Sat noon-1AM·Fairly expensive compared to other ice cream shops

7. EatGramercy Flatiron

   Vatan

   A prix-fixe vegetarian Indian restaurant with wonderful food. The decor is a little hokey, but the food makes it worthwhile.

8. EatEast Village Not mapped

   Uluh

   Describing themselves as a "modern Chinese restaurant and tea house," they serve a variety of regional Chinese cuisines. Their food is delicious and they are very popular, especially with Chinese people, doing a brisk eat-in business and sometimes having waits of an hour or more for takeout. Standout items include their thin, light scallion pancakes ($7); woodear mushroom salad ($10); Sichuan beef jerky, which is somewhat chewy with a fragrant, spicy, tangy and sweet sauce ($17); steamed chicken with sesame in chili sauce ($15); Nanjing salted duck ($19); and vegetarian dry pot ($36).

   Sun-Thu: 11:30AM - 10:00PM; Fri-Sat: 11:30AM - 10:30PM

9. EatGreenwich Village

   Delice & Sarrasin

   French vegan crepes and galletes in a cozy setting.

10. EatMidtown East

    Franchia Vegan Café

    Asian fusion. Try the fruit teas and the fried cauliflower.

    noon–9PM Sun–Thu, noon–9:30PM Fri Sat

11. EatUpper West Side

    Peacefood Cafe

    Vegan food only

12. EatGreenwich Village

    Red Bamboo

    Excellent vegetarian soul food, organic wines.

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Manhattan (CC BY-SA 4.0).