The Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in New York

Cosme is a bustling restaurant offering contemporary Mexican-inspired cuisine, crafted by the renowned chef Enrique Olvera. The menu is a modern take on traditional Mexican meals, featuring dishes that are both sophisticated and full of flavor, such as the highly recommended duck carnitas. Despite the refined food, the atmosphere remains lively and vibrant, making it a great spot for sharing a meal.

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Robert Dentice

Food | Wine Connoisseur – LA | NYC, United States

The fastest flight to Mexico City is directly through Cosme! A stunning meal that combines authentic Mexican ingredients, concepts and dishes with a deft, high level of execution! Every dish vibrated with energetic flavors. The entire meal bedazzled our sensibilities and continues to deeply resonate days later. Dry German Riesling turned out to pair stunningly well! Service and hospitality took the entire evening up to an even higher level.

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Hindu Temple Canteen is a destination for authentic Southern Indian food located in the heart of Queens. Known for its delicious dosa and tamarind rice, the canteen offers a wide range of traditional South Indian dishes in a community room setting. Open daily for indoor dining, the canteen also provides delivery and take-out services for those who want to enjoy its flavors at home.

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Mimi Lan

Chef/ Consultant/ Foodie – Jacksonville, USA

We’ve never had temple food so good. Hard to find but worth it. You walk inside this temple and go downstairs to a large community room and order from a window delicious authentic South Indian food, particularly dosa, cafeteria style: tissue thin dosa, masala dosa, rava masala, spicy paneer dosa, tamarind rice, everything was delicious and so cheap.

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Dirt Candy, located in Lower Manhattan, is a go-to spot for vegetarians seeking innovative dishes that are as pleasing to the eye as they are to the palate. The restaurant, led by Amanda Cohen, offers a fine dining-ish experience with an open kitchen that adds an exciting touch to the overall dining ambiance. If you're planning a visit, try to grab a seat by the bar for a fantastic view of the culinary magic happening in real-time.

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Alex Nieminen

Foodie and Restaurateur – Helsinki, Finland

Dirt Candy is a must-visit restaurant for vegetarians in Lower Manhattan. Amanda Cohen and her team create imaginative "fine dining-ish" dishes that please both the eye and the palate.The seats by the bar overlooking the open kitchen are fantastic.

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ABCV is a plant-based restaurant, offering a menu curated by renowned chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten. The establishment is known for its creative and forward-thinking dishes, tonics, and cocktails that highlight the best of nature's offerings, providing both vegan and gluten-free options. Regardless of dietary preferences, ABCV aims to serve, inform, and inspire a cultural shift towards plant-based dining through its delicious and innovative culinary creations.

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Alex Nieminen

Foodie and Restaurateur – Helsinki, Finland

Jean-Georges Vongerichten's trio of restaurants at the massive ABC Carpet & Home -store in Chelsea, NYC, are worth the visit just for the amazing decor (as one could imagine). Of the three, ABCv is a plant-based restaurant with fantastic, dishes that are not trying to push a point. The food is great whether you are a vegetarian or not.

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Oxomoco, a Michelin-starred establishment, offers a relaxed environment where you can enjoy creative Mexican cuisine in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. The restaurant is known for its innovative and tasty cooking, with menu highlights including the famous tacos, made with fresh quality ingredients, and vegetarian friendly options like beetroot tacos and sweet potato tlayda. With friendly and helpful service, Oxomoco guarantees an enjoyable experience for all its guests.

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Alex Nieminen

Foodie and Restaurateur – Helsinki, Finland

Seriously delicious and creative Mexican restaurant in Greenpoint, Brooklyn. Oxomoco is a Michelin-starred restaurant. And not without merit. Actually, in many ways, Oxomoco is the kind of restaurant I would want to see more of on the guide: Relaxed restaurant with friendly service mixed with innovative and tasty cooking. The famous tacos are a heavenly mix of fresh quality ingredients and perfect cooking. Service experience is friendly and helpful. Being a vegetarian, I had beetroot tacos and sweet potato tlayda - both fantastic. My party also had the meat and fish dishes and loved everything. Swordfish tacos were apparently the ”best Mexican food ever tasted”. Even the humble guacamole impressed - I don’t usually like the ”innovative” version on staples. But here, avocados with smoked cherry tomatoes and queso fresco really worked great.

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Eggholic - Indian Veg & Egg Street Food is a destination for those who love egg-centric dishes with a twist of Indian street food. The restaurant specializes in a variety of dishes, one of which is the popular green egg rice that might remind you of a Dr Seuss tale. Located on Hillside Avenue, Eggholic offers a unique blend of vegetarian and egg-based street food options.

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Wylie Dufresne

Chef – New York City, USA

Eggholic - egg focused Indian street food. The green egg rice would make Dr Seuss smile. On Hillside Avenue in Queens.

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Laser Wolf Brooklyn, situated atop The Hoxton Hotel, offers an authentic Israeli culinary experience with its menu centered around charcoal grill cooking. This rooftop restaurant is well-known for its award-winning Israeli cuisine, including incredible hummus, pita, and fresh-off-the-grill meats. With uninterrupted views of the Manhattan skyline, guests can enjoy top-notch cocktails while savoring delicious food prepared by Executive Chef Andrew Henshaw.

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Will Guidara

Restaurateur – New York City, USA

I love the original Laser Wolf by Michael Solomonov in Philly, but the one in New York, on top of The Hoxton Hotel has beautiful views of the New York Skyline and the most amazing Israeli food. Incredible hummus, amazing pita and all the meats fresh off the grill. I I think laser Wolf is one of the coolest restaurants in New York right now. The food is freaking delicious.

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Zaytinya, under the direction of James Beard Award-winning chef José Andrés, offers a rich variety of dishes inspired by Turkish, Greek, and Lebanese cuisines. The menu features innovative Meze or small courses, which are created with authentic ingredients and traditional techniques, offering a new level of experience to these regional cuisines. With a spacious, bright, and original interior, Zaytinya provides a comfortable environment for socializing and enjoying Mediterranean flavors.

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Margherita Bentivogli

Foodie – Milan, Italy

A breath of the Mediterranean taste in New York city inside the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Nomad, a restaurant that I really liked, the Zaytinya by chef Jose Andres: it offers innovative andare delicious Meze (small courses that precede the actual meal) inspired by Greek, Turkish and Lebanese cuisines and presented in a refined way in a spacious, bright and original interior.

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Eleven Madison Park is a renowned restaurant led by Chef Daniel Humm, offering plant-based tasting menus in a three Michelin star setting. The restaurant is famous for its innovative and exceptional 10-dish tasting menu, all crafted from plants, and is recognized as one of the world's top dining experiences. With a focus on every detail, the service at Eleven Madison Park is unbeatable, making the whole experience unforgettable.

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Mika Ihamuotila

Foodie – Helsinki, Finland

So heaven is made of plantsThis legendary 3 Michelin star institution turned to plant based only (vegan) a couple of years ago, maintaining its stars and position as one of the world’s best restaurants. Serving only a tasting menu consisting of 10 unbelievable and innovative dishes. Makes you wonder, how this all is possible from plants only. One of the most amazing culinary experiences of my life. Future? Time will tell. Wonderful wine list and service. Worth the 380 $ if you compare the price to other top NYC institutions.

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Aska is a restaurant offering a Nordic-inspired tasting menu, meticulously crafted by Swedish chef Fredrik Berselius. Renowned for its remarkable ambience and service, Aska entices with complex dishes that balance delicate tastes and density, from kohlrabi rolls to Danish donuts. The establishment is also noted for its comprehensive wine list and the inclusion of unique elements like a natural yeast starter made from pine cones steeped in sugar water, demonstrating Chef Berselius's dedication to bringing authentic Nordic flavors to the table.

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Paul Ivic

Chef – Vienna, Austria

Very nice ambience and wonderful service. A wine list that really appealed to me. The food was fantastic. Complex dishes with delicate taste and density.

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