One of my favourite things about vegan food in Toronto is it’s nearly impossible to pin down. Sure, by definition, it’s cooking without animal products, but at the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, that’s largely where the similarities start and end.
Toronto’s best vegan restaurants are as diverse as the city they call home. You can find incredible East African stews, meat-free on the east end; drool-worthy bánh mì and steaming phở in Kensington; Mexican fare with refined flavours in Little Italy; or fancy fine dining plates near Yonge and Wellesley, all made plant-based in Toronto. Some restaurants serve mock chicken, fish and beef; others lean into the natural flavours of fresh veggies; and some even forgo oils and salt in the name of healthy eating.
The best restaurants in Toronto, and the ones on the Michelin Guide, are often dominated by meat, dairy, seafood and everything in between. The city’s plant-based chefs are making a name for themselves, too, though — and some have even earned themselves that coveted Michelin Guide recognition.
As someone who has been vegan for nearly a decade, and passionate about good food my whole life, I've done the heavy lifting here and researched this list by eating my way through Toronto's vegan scene. I'm always amazed at the quality of plant-based eats we have access to in the city.
This list of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto for 2024 only includes spots that are vegetarian or completely sans animal products, but it’s worth mentioning that stellar omnivore restaurants (like the top Thai eateries, or best sushi spots) have some excellent vegan eats, too. Lastly, the best vegan cafés and bakeries in Toronto haven't been included here, but if you're more in the mood for light bites and a sweet treat, head to one of those instead.
Whether you’re hunting for Southern-style comfort food, burgers ready in a flash, or an intimate spot for your next date night, this list of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto has you covered.
27. Odd Burger
Multiple locations
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In 2017, Odd Burger launched as the first fully vegan fast-food restaurant in Canada. True to that title, the restaurant’s two Toronto locations are all about dishing plant-based comfort food in a flash. (They even have self-service ordering kiosks.) Classic favourites like the ‘Vopper’ sandwich squeeze a vegan smash patty, smoky bacUn, plus dairy-free sauces and cheese between two pillowy burger buns. While Odd Burger’s menu may not innovate much on flavour, that’s the point — they’re familiar eats, made vegan and made quickly. Oh, and did I mention they have milkshakes?
26. Soy Boys
471 Church St.
There’s something admirable about a restaurant that does one (or three) things really, really well. That’s Soy Boys: The small vegan burger joint in the Church-Wellesley Village exclusively slings burgers, chicken tenders and ice cream. Pick either Impossible beef or a Lightlife chicken patty, then let the Soy Boys team dress it up with classic burger toppings and a lip-smackingly tasty house sauce. Don’t miss out on a soft serve swirl — its similarity to dairy had me doing a double-take on every lick.
25. Vegholic
372 Yonge St.
Vegholic’s first Toronto location is a hole-in-the-wall counter tucked in a small food hall near Yonge and Dundas. The dining room feels more geared towards transient delivery drivers than dining in, so don't expect a sit-down meal. Skip their nuggets and take a bowl, wrap or burger to-go, then enjoy healthy portions of veggies, tender vegan proteins and mayo-based sauces that are all made fresh in-house.
24. VegeDelight Vegetarian Restaurant
173 Dundas St. W.
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Read moreThis unpretentious spot at Dundas West and Chestnut Street shares its dining room with a Thai restaurant, so make sure you’re sitting in the right area before you order.
While the interior may be humble, VegeDelight impresses with its creative takes on Sichuan cuisine. Mounds of shiitake mushrooms are topped with shredded orange skin and crispy ginger; big colourful plates brimming with fresh vegetables are loaded with tender plant-based proteins, like tofu or veggie fillet. Skip the soups and go for mains like the braised veggie balls — floating in a shallow pool of spiced sauce, they’re tender and flavour-packed.
While most dishes are vegan, some are vegetarian, and the menu clearly indicates when animal products are present.
23. Fresh
Multiple locations
Lauren Wesanko
Lauren Wesanko
Ruth Tal started Fresh as a humble juice bar on Queen West in the 90s. Today, it’s grown up to be one of the most popular plant-based restaurant chains in the GTA and there are five locations in Toronto alone. The iconic, greenery-laden covered patio at the Queen and Crawford location is the perfect spot to grab a nutrient-packed smoothie on a sweaty summer day. Sit down with their chipotle-drizzled cauliflower tacos for lunch, or the protein-packed tofu bowl for dinner.
22. Sorry I’ve Got Plants
476 Roncesvalles Ave.
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If you’ve only ever tried their make-at-home meal kits, you're missing out. Sorry I’ve Got Plants runs a small, completely vegan takeout lunch shop in Toronto’s west end, on Roncesvalles. I adore their stuffed-to-the-brim sandwiches. Go for the tofu halloumi on ciabatta, which overflows with pickled turnips, fresh tomatoes, a generous helping of toum and a wonderfully thick slab of soy. They also sling sauce-drenched wraps, and collab with Bashy for vegan patties.
21. The Hogtown Vegan
382 College St.
A bonafide Toronto institution, the Hogtown Vegan has been pumping out Southern-style plant-based comfort food in its iconic green dining room for over a decade. The cult-favourite Kensington Market staple might be best known for its unChicken + Waffles — breaded vegan protein is fried and perched atop a fluffy waffle, then drizzled with spicy syrup and a heap of collard greens.
20. Govinda’s
243 Avenue Rd.
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Dining at Govinda’s in Yorkville is an experience so immersive, it makes King West steakhouse-nightclubs jealous.
The small eatery is housed in a historic church; the ceiling is cavernous. Conversations stay hushed, and muffled singing from the conjoined Hare Krishna Temple often seeps into the round dining room. There’s a towering red curtain wall that we’re half-expecting to peel back at any moment and reveal a live choir performance.
The rotating south Indian menu is carted out on a buffet every day — the thali combo, served with basmati rice, samosas and chapatti flatbread, is a must-try. A handful of dishes are vegetarian, not vegan, so double-check with your server when you order.
19. Guerrilla Burger
454 Bloor St. W.
This ghost kitchen out of Eva’s Original Chimneys on Bloor sneakily serves the best vegan burgers in the city. Thick, soy-free, plant-based patties get stacked tall with outrageous toppings like butternut mac and cheese, chilli, kimchi and grilled pineapple. Nothing will prepare you for how big these sammies are, so arrive hungry (and with napkins). If a classic burger is more your style, try the O.G. — it’s loaded to the brim with fresh veggies and smeared with a secret sauce.
18. Animal Liberation Kitchen
100 Broadview Ave., Unit 202
Immediately recognizable by the dapper cat mascot, Animal Liberation Kitchen (ALK) is a beloved east-end staple. ALK co-owners and family members Tanya and Siki Spasic are changing how Toronto thinks of vegan food, dishing inventive brunch and lunch out of their small Broadview storefront. Take your pick from seven vegan croissants, ranging from savoury to sweet — the carrot ‘lox’ (marinated carrots) is sublime, and the chocolate hazelnut is to die for. Plus, three words: vegan eggs benny.
17. V’s Caribbean Restaurant
1221 Weston Rd.
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V’s Caribbean Restaurant owner, chef George Powell (who goes by Pong) serves plant-based food with a cause. Pong's homestyle Caribbean cooking is sans excess oils and salts to promote a healthier lifestyle in the Mount Dennis community he calls home. It’s all fresh, whole food that also happens to be delicious. The Pong Special is a platter with a little bit of everything on the menu — my favourites are the mac pie, fried plantain, and the spicy mapo tofu.
16. King’s Café
192 Augusta Ave.
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Serving Chinese, Japanese and Indian-inspired vegan and vegetarian dishes since ‘96, King’s Café has been keeping Kensington fed with excellent vegan cooking for decades. Mock meats make their way into dim sum (the BBQ seitan in the gua bao is divine), sushi, curry and even a ‘beef’ wellington. The menu is large enough to try something new every time you return, and portions are hearty. Wash it all down with a steaming cup of tea — King’s Café has over 30 different varieties to choose from.
15. Rosalinda
133 Richmond St. W.
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Golden hour at Rosalinda is an ethereal experience. The restaurant's west-facing floor-to-ceiling windows allow beams of sunlight to bathe every corner of the airy, greenery-laden dining room, including the artfully presented vegan meal on your plate.
It's the perfect time to savour Rosalinda's compact, Latin-inspired menu; standouts like the black bean fritters with whipped garlic aioli deliver on big spice and bright flavours, and the meaty mushroom birria tacos ooze with a finger-licking-good queso blanco. Don't skip a cocktail with your meal, especially if you're obsessed with mezcal (like us). The three-ounce mezcal negroni sees the classic tipple turned on its head with a spotlight-stealing cameo from the Mexican spirit.
After 6 years, Rosalinda recently announced they are closing their doors for good. Head in before May 6, 2024 to try their plant-based eats.
14. Tenon Vegan Sushi
487 Bloor St. W.
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Toronto’s only 100 per cent vegan sushi joint, Tenon Vegan Sushi has been operating in the city since 2020. Tenon’s extensive menu has quickly become a fan favourite amongst Toronto’s plant-based community, and for good reason. The usual vegan-friendly suspects are here (tempura, cucumber and avocado rolls), but soy meat substitutes open up a new range of flavours and textures to try. ‘Crab’ meat is deep fried, tucked into maki then drizzled with BBQ sauce; juicy cuts of veg ‘salmon’ wrap red dragon rolls. Dining in is essential to appreciate the ingredients at their freshest.
13. Avelo
51 St. Nicholas St.
While Avelo gives vegan food the fine dining treatment, eating here is a pleasantly casual experience. The relaxed dining room, tucked in a Victorian-era townhome near Yonge and Wellesley, retains its homey vibe; there’s an exposed brick wall, a beautiful flower mural and a small cluster of tables.
When you book a table (and you do need to make a reservation), you’ll select an eight- or five-course tasting menu, starting at $115 or $70 apiece. Chef Fernando Wittingham helms the constantly rotating menu of forward-thinking, experimental eats with stunning presentations, begging to make it onto your Instagram feed. I’d recommend skipping the wine pairing and heading upstairs to Bar Avelo, the vibey second-floor speakeasy, for an after-meal cocktail.
12. Hawker
291 Augusta Ave.
Nestled away in a Kensington Market nook, Hawker is a serene natural oasis and an intimate date night spot. Your senses are immersed when you enter; you’ll smell the Indian spices on the stove, admire moss art on the wall and more draped from the ceiling, and hear the quiet scrapes of spoons scooping plates and bowls clean as guests groan in approval.
Chef and co-owner Jeff Merkel doesn’t just lean into the environment in his decor — his delicately flavoured plant-based small plates are all named after natural settings. A menu standout, the Starry Night is a twist on a biryani, with lavender and smoked poblano blobs over a bowl of yellow rice and chickpeas emulating twinkling suns in the sky.
11. Eat Nabati
160 Baldwin St.
‘Nabati' is an Arabic adjective that means 'made of plants' and that's exactly what this fast-casual Kensington spot specializes in. Egyptian street food is the name of the game here; dig into veggie-packed, meat-style shawarma that drips with hummus and vibrant beet tahini. The proteins are uber-satisfying, especially the fava bean falafel and soy kofta (meatballs). My favourite, though, is the stuffed falafel at just $4 a patty — pick from a chilli onion or halloumi stuffing and chow down.
10. PLANTA Yorkville
1221 Bay St.
International vegan restaurant chain PLANTA has two restaurants in Toronto, but the swanky Yorkville location is my go-to. The dining room, with its clean white brick walls, wood floors and balconies of lush greenery, is gorgeous, but the food is what gives me pause. The menu runs the gamut from sushi, like nigiri and crispy mushroom hand rolls, to Italian favourites and even BBQ sauce-drizzled Hawaiian pizza.
9. Greens Vegetarian Restaurant
638 Dundas St. W.
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This humble plant-based eatery turned completely vegan in 2015. The dining room is spacious, equally catering to dining in and droves of takeout orders, and the decor is simple. On the plate is where the magic happens, though. The menu of Chinese, Vietnamese and Thai dishes is wall-to-wall hits. Tofu, seitan and other mock meats are tossed in sauces that pack huge wallops of flavour, then are piled high, awaiting your chopsticks. There’s a whole selection of stir-fried veggie dishes that are big, fresh and vibrant, and you shouldn’t sleep on the soups, either.
8. Veggie D’Light
160 Baldwin St. #3
My stomach grumbles just thinking about the weighty rotis on order at this small Caribbean spot that's tucked just below street level. The chalkboard menu lists tons of ingredients like jerk seitan, curry chickpeas, and moringa loaf, and I'm delighted to learn they’re all stuffed into a dhalpuri shell (or bowl, if you prefer). Everything is seasoned to perfection by chef Peter McKenzie. When you visit, chances are you’ll spot McKenzie whirling around the kitchen with a big grin on his face and infectious positivity. Be careful when applying the complimentary scotch bonnet hot sauce cups to your meal — it’s set-your-hair-on-fire levels of spicy.
7. Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant
666 Dundas St. W.
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Buddha's is practically synonymous with Toronto's vegan food scene. With more than 30 years under its belt, the humble Chinese restaurant has thrived off of cult-like success with foodies (and anyone with taste buds, really) across the city. The dining room is often teeming with ravenous guests, so takeout may be your best bet to experience Buddha's drool-worthy vegan meals. Their imitation meat offerings are vast — soya steak, veggie chicken, fake shrimp and duck are all seasoned to salty-savoury perfection in steaming soups and on towering piles of tasty noodles or fried rice.
6. Bar Avelo
51 St. Nicholas St., Second Floor
Bar Avelo's menu is a playground of plant-based alchemy
Climb the floral staircase above fine-dining restaurant, Avelo to discover plant-based speakeasy Bar Avelo, where the exceptional vegan à la carte menu is only outshone only by its impressive cocktail list.
Read moreShortly after closing two of its beloved vegan eateries on Queen West (Osteria Du and Pizzeria Du), Awai Hospitality rebounded with a project that’s been long in the making: Bar Avelo. Thanks to Covid, the speakeasy-style drinking and snacking den above Avelo has been delayed for years, but it triumphantly opened in 2023.
The space is stunning, with an intricately designed ceiling, deep blue curtain and a glass-backed bar. Calming acoustic beats sets the mood to imbibe beverage director David Boyd’s tipples, many of which are subtle twists on the classics. Bar Avelo is a more casual experience than sister restaurant Avelo; the à la carte menu sees chef Fernando Wittingham’s culinary brilliance funnelled into shareable plates. Don’t leave without trying the aged vegan roquefort — it’s indistinguishable from real cheese.
5. Gia
1214 Dundas St. W.
The success of this lively, stylish Dundas and Ossington eatery is proof that plant food is anything but boring. After Ufficio’s closure, Jenny Coburn and Stacey Patterson struck gold with their ‘plant-forward’ Italian concept, landing on Toronto’s Michelin Guide in 2022 and 2023. Whether you’re vegan or a sworn carnivore, Gia is ready to ‘wow’ you with fresh, house-made pasta (try it in the truffle agnolotti and thank us later). Most menu items can be made vegan on request, with a few exceptions, like the delightful burrata starter and ricotta gnocchi. Sommelier Matthew DeGasperis has curated an impressive and lengthy Europe-centric wine list to pair with your meal, but you’re just as safe opting for one of Gia's outstanding signature cocktails.
4. Saigon Lotus
6 St. Andrew St.
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We could spend all day at this cozy Kensington Vietnamese spot. A trickling waterfall, Buddha statues, soothing music, faux vines and an eye-catching ceiling mural of a bright blue sky (painted by a staff member) make Saigon Lotus feel zen, even when it’s packed with hungry patrons.
Long-hailed for its big portions and wallet-friendly prices, Saigon also dishes some of the best vegan food in Toronto. Their popular bánh mìs, stuffed with pickled veg and your choice of tofu or vegan mock meat, are a great place to start if you’re stuck on what to order. Plus, there are vegan versions of dishes our plant-based pals almost always have to miss out on, like phở, egg noodles and even meat momos. Wash it all down with a milk tea, taro latte or a whipped hazelnut coffee.
3. La Vegan
1450 Danforth Ave.
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A hidden gem on the east end, La Vegan is owned and operated by executive chef Banchi Kinde, who also runs Danforth staple Rendez-Vous just a few doors down. Traditional Ethiopian and Eritrean plates are made completely vegan here, but you won’t miss the meat. Kinde’s comforting East African cooking keeps me coming back for more. I’ll gladly confess to ravenously scooping zigni, shimbra asa (baked chickpeas in spicy sauce) and dinich wat (potato in berbere sauce) into our mouths with fluffy injera, then unabashedly licking my fingers clean. Go for the Veggie Combo for Two — for just $45, you’ll be presented with a kaleidoscope of colourful legume stews, proteins and grains, and more than enough injera to mop your entire plate clean.
2. Fat Choi
94 Ossington Ave.
Steamed char siu buns, packed with seitan; Nyonya braised cloud’s ear and shiitake mushroom on juicy sesame udon; and a famous ‘prosperity’ slaw with over 20 vivid colours — Fat Choi’s Chinese-Malaysian cuisine impresses us with every dish.
In Cantonese, 'fat' means prosperity and 'choi' means vegetable. Set in Ossington family restaurant Soos, this ‘permanent pop-up’ is a separate menu that is entirely plant-based. Co-owner Lauren Soo tells me she hopes to one day find Fat Choi a forever home, and I wholeheartedly support that idea.
1. La Bartola
588 College St.
I had one of the best meals of my life at La Bartola, and everything was vegan
The restaurant's story is one of family, pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and believing in your dreams. Today, La Bartola is on the Michelin Guide and it's the best vegan restaurant in Toronto.
Read moreThe best vegan restaurant in Toronto, La Bartola started as nothing more than a supper club in chef Iván Castro’s Toronto apartment. It’s now a full-fledged Mexican eatery in Little Italy that’s no stranger to rave reviews, all thanks to Castro's wholehearted dedication, culinary creativity and penchant for cooking with authentic Oaxacan ingredients and methods.
From the spicy jackfruit birrira soup to the rich mole amarilla in a Jerusalem artichoke tamal, each dish is exceptional. In 2022 and 2023, La Bartola was awarded a Bib Gourmand by the Michelin Guide — a distinction that recognizes exceptional cooking at a reasonable price. It's the only fully vegan restaurant on Toronto's Michelin Guide, and deserves every ounce of recognition it gets.
