Food

The 30 Best Vegan Restaurants In The World

6. Gauthier Soho, London, UK Gauthier Soho, run by vegetable enthusiast and award-winning chef Alexis Gauthier, offers exquisite French gastronomy with a vegan twist. Alexis uses… Trista - March 29, 2022
Gauthier Soho

6. Gauthier Soho, London, UK

Gauthier Soho, run by vegetable enthusiast and award-winning chef Alexis Gauthier, offers exquisite French gastronomy with a vegan twist. Alexis uses his 25 years of experience to his advantage, creating refined, luxurious vegan menu items that don’t use any animal products. Gauthier Soho offers two tasting menu options, Petit and Grand, which change depending on the seasonal produce available. The Petit menu offers seven courses; while the Grand menu has 10, and each can have a wine pairing at an additional cost. With dishes like wild garlic and rocket focaccia, a variety of canapes, and a “composition of dark chocolate,” Gauthier Soho leans into the French fine dining experience with gusto. You won’t want to miss this one-of-a-kind vegan offer. Continue reading for the top five best vegan restaurants in the world.

Daigo

5. Daigo, Tokyo, Japan

Daigo restaurant is one of the most beautiful dining options on this list, offering Kaiseki-style vegetarian and vegan dishes served tea ceremony style. Since 1950, Daigo has been taking advantage of the abundance of Tsukiji market to create stunning seasonal menu offerings. Some meals use small amounts of egg or bonito flakes. So, they request that you call ahead if you want a completely vegan experience. With four different tasting menu options and a focus on stunning seasonal cuisine, Daigo truly lives up to its 2 Michelin star rating. Some dishes include carrot and burdock soup with deep-fried potatoes and soba noodles with green onions, Japanese mustard, and seaweed. While they are a little expensive, the truly unique take on traditional Japanese cuisine, which incorporates Western vegetables and techniques, is well worth the splurge. Get your reservations in early because they can fill up quickly.

Kajitsu

4. Kajitsu, New York City, USA

Kaijitsu – a name that means “fine day” or “day of celebration” – serves vegetarian/vegan shojin cuisine, considered the foundation of all Japanese cooking. They also have a Kaiseki-style tasting menu emphasizing fresh, seasonal ingredients. Even their dishware is carefully selected to fit their space, with some pieces created over 200 years ago! Their 10-course Omakase menu changes monthly based on what seasonal produce is available. Example dishes include Kuchidori, Kajitsu’s signature dish, which is sesame tofu seasoned with horseradish and served in a crispy rice wafer.

They’ve also served shiitake mushroom jelly with sesame tofu sauce, charcoal grilled fennel with fava beans, and seasonal desserts. Their sake pairings are subtle, high-quality offerings that emphasize the flavor of the dishes, and they serve green tea sourced from a 300-year-old tea maker in Kyoto. New York is a food-lover’s paradise, with a nearly overwhelming array of options, but you would be remiss in your vegan dining experience if you missed out on Kajitsu.

Vege Wonder

3. Vege Wonder, Beijing, China

Vege Wonder in WF Central, a trendy dining destination in Beijing. The modern vegetarian restaurant offers a unique take on Chinese vegetarian meals, choosing to ignore “mock meat” entirely in favor of getting the most out of seasonal vegetables available in China. They use familiar veggies in unique ways and often feature mushrooms in their meals. For example, by replacing meat with the mushrooms’ natural umami flavor. It’s important to note that their menu is plant-based but not vegan; however, the dishes can be made vegan upon request. Their innocuous name hides a passionate fine-dining experience in a modern setting and is definitely a stop to add to your list if you’re in Beijing! Don’t miss the chance to try this Michelin Star restaurant’s innovative take on plant-based cuisine.

Anastasia

2. Anastasia, Tel Aviv, Israel

Anastasia is the first vegan cafe in Israel, founded in 2014 by friends Roi Ezer and Tamar Ayalon. They emphasize fresh, quality raw materials, don’t use sugars or white flours in their dishes and seek to make vegan food accessible. Anastasia wants to dispel the myth that vegan food must be expensive and can’t taste good. They’ve even established the first vegan factory in Tel Aviv to produce all the raw products they use in the restaurant. They serve various dishes, from breakfast cereal to sandwiches to main dishes like bechamel cream fettuccine and roasted vegetable curry. Many of the options on their menu are gluten-free. They make their own vegan cheeses, yogurt, and sauces as well! Anastasia is a vegan oasis in Tel Aviv, and you simply must eat there if you’re in the area. Can you guess where the top vegan restaurant is globally?

ONA

1. ONA, Arès, France

Last but not least, ONA is truly a passion project for founder and head chef Claire Vallee. They opened it in 2016 after over 100 people donated to her crowdfunding campaign and the laborers that joined her workfunding efforts. The vegan restaurant’s menu is seasonal and experimental. More importantly, Claire takes pride in involving her entire team in the menu’s conception and execution. The restaurant has earned a Michelin Star not only for its food; ONA has also received the Michelin Green Star for the restaurant’s gastronomy and sustainability efforts. The restaurant has over 100 varieties of edible plants on its green terrace, uses renewable energy, and has a compost system to minimize waste truly. ONA is a genuinely unique gastronomic vegan experience driven by a desire to highlight the delicious flavors of organic produce. If you have the opportunity to attend the Odyss dinner menu, don’t miss it!

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