Twenty years ago, it was difficult for vegans to find good food at restaurants just about anywhere. Even 10 years ago, vegan cuisine was hard to come by outside of South Asia and cosmopolitan metropolises in Europe and North America. Vegan travel is much easier today, both in the United States and abroad. If you’re looking for an exciting travel destination where your vegetarian or vegan diet will be tolerated, here are 10 destinations to consider.
Austin
Texas is more closely associated with cattle than vegetables, but Austin likes to buck state norms. PETA ranked Austin the country’s most vegan-friendly city in 2013, and the vegan scene has only grown since. Several vegan food trucks, including Conscious Cravings and Vegan Nom operate in the city. Guero’s Taco Bar and Mr. Natural are resident favorites for Tex-Mex classics like vegan queso, soy taquitos, vegan enchiladas, and veggie burritos. And at Casa de Luz, you can enjoy a daily-changing vegan meal set prepared with fresh, local ingredients. If you’re a vegan and you love live music, Austin awaits.
Berlin
With twice as many HappyCow listings as any other any other city in relatively vegan-friendly Europe, Berlin is a vegan diner’s paradise. As of November 2017, 471 Berlin restaurants catered to vegans. Black Sheep Cafe, Brammibal’s Donuts, Lucky Luck, and Quy Nguyen are among the most popular. For vegan snacks and ready-to-eat meals, hit up Veganz, the world’s largest vegan grocery chain.
The German capital is also home to the world’s first and only known street dedicated to veganism. Schivelbeiner Strasse, nicknamed Vegan Alley, is lined with restaurants and retailers serving and selling vegan food, clothes, and goods. Fork & Walk’s tours fuse history with tastes of Berlin’s finest vegan bites, and are another reason why Berlin is a wonderful destination for vegan travel.
Chennai
More than half of the world’s vegetarians and vegans live in India, often thought of as the ancient birthplace of vegetarianism. Veg food is ubiquitous throughout the country. But in South India, most dishes are vegan by nature. Rice, legumes, and coconut milk are utilized for most cooking and food prep purposes that call for dairy in the north. If you’re looking to savor fine vegan cuisine after a day spent exploring old Madras, eat at Annalakshmi, Mahamudra, or veg-friendly Indian Chinese restaurant Mainland China.
Chiang Mai
This city in northern Thailand is home to more than 80 vegetarian restaurants, primarily concentrated around the tourist center. Since dairy is rarely used in Thai food, most of these restaurants are also vegan. Visit Chiang Mai to ride elephants, tour ancient temples, and eat vegan versions of your favorite Thai dishes. Many of Chiang Mai’s vegan spots are hole-in-the-wall lunch buffets. If you prefer to order from a menu, visit Pun Pun or Reform Kafe during your visit.
Honolulu
If a Hawaiian vacation is in your near future, spend a day or two exploring the capital’s thriving vegan scene. Greens & Vines is a popular all-vegan restaurant that sells goods at several weekly farmers’ markets. Juicy Brew‘s two Honolulu locations serve legendary vegan breakfast burritos. And Downbeat Diner, a hip restaurant and live music venue, offers vegan options for every item on the menu. Visit for a taste of the local music scene and one of 18 mouthwatering vegan burgers or sandwiches.
Los Angeles
The City of Angels’ restaurant scene takes care of its vegans. Cafe Gratitude, quite possibly the most celebrated vegan kitchen in the world, is just one of 72+ all-vegan L.A. restaurants. Enthusiasm about The Springs has been buzzing through all of SoCal for longer than a year now. Celebrity sightings are common at upscale vegan hotspot Crossroads. Suncafe is a haven for raw food dieters. Equelecuá, Shojin, Gracias Madre, Araya’s Place, and Au Lac serve refined vegan Cuban, Japanese, Mexican, Thai, and Vietnamese cuisine. L.A.’s even home to a popular vegan cheese restaurant, Vromage. In addition to the all-vegan joints, hundreds of L.A. eateries serve up offer quality vegan fare on their menus. For vegan makeup and fashionable attire, shop cruelty-free offerings at Lime Crime, Nakeah, Sugarpill, and Vegan Scene.
New York
New York’s reputation as a city where you can find whatever food you’re craving without traveling far now extends to vegans. Want to try vegan sushi? Hit up Beyond Sushi. Looking for a burger bar? Superiority Burger‘s got you covered. Feeling a vegan Ethiopian feast? Venture to Bunna Cafe in Bushwick. Craving something sweet and baked? Sample the vegan cakes, cookies, and pastries at Clementine or Happy Zoe, two beloved Brooklyn bakeries. Fancy some foie gras or coq au vin? Delice & Sarrasin is 100-percent French and 100-percent vegan. Berben & Wolff’s Vegan Delicatessen serves mean vegan Reubens, Phillies, burgers, and paninis. And for creative contemporary American dishes in an an elegant setting, Candle 79 more than suffices.
Portland
From inventive fine cuisine at Natural Selection to vegan cake doughnuts at the world-famous Voodoo Doughnuts, Portland’s vegan scene offers options for all dining occasions. When you’re not indulging in vegan fare at Farm Spirit, Loving Hut, or Rabbits Cafe, there’s no shortage of sights to see and things to do in and around Portland. But if you’re interested in planning an all-vegan vacation, Portland is one of the few places you can have one. Vegan-friendly B&B Cherokee Rose Inn runs a purely vegetarian kitchen. And Portland is home to several vegan makeup and beauty product retailers.
Tel Aviv
In November 2017, The Independent UK wrote a feature on Tel Aviv’s status as “the vegan capital of the world.” Citing the city’s 400+ vegan eateries and 200,000+ vegan population, Jasime Phull wrote “going meat-free isn’t just easy; it’s a chance to taste the best food in town.” Even the city’s Domino’s pizzerias serve vegan pizza. Tel Aviv’s most beloved vegan restaurants include Anastasia, Dosa Bar, Nanuchka, and Veg Shawarma. For a unique vegan travel experience, spend a night at urban ecology center CityTree in the heart of Tel Aviv. You’ll have the opportunity to mingle with other vegans and attend permaculture and vegan nutrition workshops if scheduled.
Vancouver
Rounding off our list of vegan travel destinations is a city known for its lush landscape, glass skyline, and friendly inhabitants. A significant share of Vancouver’s population doesn’t eat meat or animal products, and Vancouver’s restaurant scene is saturated with options for them. Acorn is the first vegetarian restaurant to receive a Top Ten Best New Restaurants mention from Air Canada’s En Route Magazine. Hen of the Woods and Indigo Age Cafe are two other wildly popular vegan restaurants. And the vegan cakes, cupcakes, pastries, and other sweets at Edible Flowers are rave-worthy.
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View All Posts by Jason Ernst