Best Vegan Restaurants in Toronto: Ultimate Toronto Vegan Guide

These are the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, and I’m confident to say that Toronto has one of the best vegan scenes in the world. It’s an incredibly vegan-friendly city, with loads of options for those seeking delicious plant-based foods. We’ve got vegan restaurants devoted entirely to pizza, Mexican food, comfort food, and the largest vegan food festival in North America.

Toronto has come a long way since I first went vegan back in 2009. I remember going to the OG vegan/vegetarian spot in Toronto, Fresh. I couldn’t believe that everything on the menu was vegan! I grew up as a vegetarian and was used to never dining at restaurants (or ending up with either pasta with tomato sauce or fries). Now, here I was, choosing a completely plant-based lifestyle, and I could order anything on the menu.

Since I first wrote this article back in 2015, there are MAJOR updates. While a few Toronto vegan restaurants have closed, a massive amount of establishments have opened their doors. I’ll be organizing the best vegan restaurants in Toronto by neighborhood. Most of these are 100% vegan or vegetarian, but I’ll also list a few veg-friendly spots that I love, too. When you’re planning to visit Toronto, there’s a good chance that there’s some delish vegan food right around the corner.

West End (The Junction, High Park, Earlscourt)

There weren’t always many spots to grab a vegan meal in The Junction and High Park in the west end of Toronto. Bunner’s Bakeshop has always been an excellent mainstay for desserts. Nowadays, there’s an entirely vegan grocery store in The Junction, as well as a few veg restaurants, too. Check it out!

Aunty Em’s Deli & Cafe

From the folks at Sausage Party, there’s a new vegan deli in town! Aunty Em’s Deli & Cafe operates in the Earlscourt neighbourhood in Toronto’s west end. They’ve got sandwiches, burgers, hotdogs, spicy cauliflower wings, and more. There are sweet treats like vegan Portuguese tarts, Nutella cream cakes, and cupcakes.

Caked Coffee

Caked Coffee is a lovely family owned small business in Toronto that’s 100% vegan. It’s right down the street for High Park, making it the perfect pit stop after a stroll in the park. They are a bakery and coffee shop offering espresso beverages and freshly baked plant-based desserts.

You’ll find all of your caffeinated favourites on the menu, both hot and iced, as well as chai and homemade lemonade. There are cupcakes, cookies, sandwiches, flatbreads, and a selection of gluten-free goodies, too. This is one of my favourite coffee shops in Toronto with warm and friendly service, plus delicious food and drink.

Cinnaholic

Cinnaholic is a 100% vegan cinnamon bun cafe that has 54 locations across the USA and Canada. There’s a location on the Danforth, and they specialize in cinnamon buns and cookie dough scoops. Everything is so decadent and makes for the perfect sweet treat.

Good Rebel

Good Rebel is Toronto’s 100% vegan grocery store, and it’s the only completely vegan grocery store in the city. It’s wonderful to be able to shop there without needing to check labels or figure out if there are any hidden animal products in anything.

They carry a lot of unique and difficult to find items that you won’t see at your average food mart. I love that there are entire cases devoted to vegan cheese, vegan meats, and tons of yummy chocolate bars and sweets. Don’t live in Toronto? Good Rebel ships across Canada!

The Goods

The Goods offers plant-based, whole foods meals that are equally delicious as they are nourishing. You can find prepared meals, pantry essentials, and meal kits if you’d rather make your meals fresh at home. The Goods aims to make it easy for you to eat fresh, vegan food every day.

On their takeout menu, you’ll find smoothies, salad bowls, soups, sandwiches, breakfast and snacks. For their meal kits, they’ve got soups, wraps, sandwiches, stir fry bowls, and more.

Pizzeria Libretto

Pizza Libretto has authentic Neapolitan pizza, and they’ve got five locations in Toronto. They have lots of vegetarian pizzas on the menu, and you can make all of them vegan by subbing in their house made vegan fior di latte (mozzarella).

Rancho Relaxo To Go (Dupont)

For anyone who remembers the original Rancho Relaxo, it was a Mexican restaurant in the late 90s and early 2000s. In fact, my old band played there a couple of times! Nowadays, there are two Rancho Relaxo To Go locations (in The Junction and Etobicoke) offering yummy Mexican food.

Rancho Relaxo To Go is veg-friendly, and even dating back to the earlier days of Rancho Relaxo, has always been veg-friendly. There are vegan tacos and burritos, clearly marked on the menu with a little “v”. I’m in love with their jerk tofu and crispy cauliflower tacos. Both are so delicious!

Sorry I’ve Got Plants

Sorry I’ve Got Plants has 100% vegan meal kits that also happen to be low waste. You don’t need to opt in to a larger meal plan or subscription service, and you can make their meals in 20 minutes or less. This is fantastic if you’re not sure what to make for dinner or run out of groceries – just order meal kits from Sorry I’ve Got Plants!

Some previous meals include Tex Mex Tacos, Roasted Cauliflower Bowl, Vegan Quarter Pounder, Irish Smoky Mash, Spicy Udon Noodles, Moo Shu Mushroom Tacos, and more.

V’s Caribbean

V’s Caribbean is a vegan restaurant offering Jamaican and Caribbean dishes. Their food is comforting, hearty, healthy, and delicious. I stopped by V’s Caribbean for takeout, though you can also dine-in, too.

There are an assortment of dishes like curry soy chunks, maple jerk tofu, callaloo, curry chickpea & potatoes, and more. You can try a plate where you can sample a little bit of everything. I also recommend trying one of their rotis.

Parkdale

When a collection of vegan restaurants called themselves “Vegandale” as a tongue-in-cheek play on Parkdale, it stirred up quite a bit of controversy relating to the ongoing gentrification of the neighborhood. I don’t blame a few vegan restaurants in Toronto for a much larger issue. With that said, some of these restaurants have opened, closed, and shifted their location over the past couple of years. Here’s an updated list of the top Toronto vegan restaurants in Parkdale.

Cici’s Pizza

Cici’s Pizza is a vegan-friendly pizzeria where you can add vegan cheese to any of their veggie pizzas. They have a wide variety of veggie toppings, too.

Lovebird

Lovebird is a 100% vegan establishment, famous for their sandwiches and bowls. They’ve got a variety of vegan fried “chickun” sandwiches, like a hot Nashville spicy chicken sandwich or a chicken parmigiana. You can also order the fried chicken on its own or as part of a bowl.

Rustic Cosmo Cafe

Rustic Cosmo Cafe is Parkdale’s original coffeehouse and an institution in the neighbourhood for 25 years. The chickpea salad sandwich is their vegan offering, but many items can be made vegan by using tofu, vegan cheese, or vegan mayo / aioli. All of their food is made to order, so it isn’t a problem to make these substitutions.

Vegan Danish Bakery

The Vegan Danish Bakery has two locations, one in Thornhill and one in Parkdale. The Parkdale location used to be called the Copenhagen Cafe. I thoroughly adore both locations as it’s the perfect place for a coffee and a sweet treat.

The Vegan Danish Bakery has 100% plant-based cakes, pastries, lunch options, and a full coffee bar. We’ve brought home several pastries in the past, and I loved dining here for breakfast: a bagel with dill cream cheese, a croissant, and a coffee. It was super decadent!

Wandering Deli

Wandering Deli is an artisanal plant-based cheese shop on King Street West. They offer a rotating variety of vegan cheeses from businesses in Toronto and across Ontario, as well as special order charcuterie plates. On Mondays, you can catch them at the Sorauren Farmers Market.

Queen Street West to Little Italy

West Queen West is a fantastic neighborhood to find vegan food. From Queen Street West to Trinity Bellwoods and up to Little Italy, you’ll be spoiled for choice. Here are some of my favorite spots.

Bolt Fresh Bar (aka Snacc’s X Bolts)

Bolt Fresh Bar offers up plant-based smoothies that are 100% vegan. They’ve teamed up recently with Snacc’s Toronto, which sadly doesn’t have any vegan eats. I’d love to see them offer more vegan food as Bolt Fresh Bar used to have plant-based meals that are no longer available.

Fat Choi

Fat Choi is all about Asian vegan eats. Owned and operated by a local family who run Soos Toronto, the cuisine is a combination of Chinese and Malaysian. When the owner of Soos went vegan, she wanted to incorporate more plant-based cuisine into their business. Fat Choi was born.

Fat Choi operates out of the Soos kitchen and started offering an entirely vegan menu a couple of nights a week. Right now, you can order takeout from Fat Choi on Fridays and Saturdays, and they strongly recommend preordering because it is very popular. I can’t wait to try it because I’ve heard it is one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto.

Fresh

Fresh is one of the first vegan restaurants I ever visited in Toronto, and now there are several locations across Toronto. They have expanded into Mississauga and will also open in Hamilton soon, too! They’ve been completely vegan since 1999 and take pride in being Toronto’s first vegan restaurant.

Fresh is known for their freshly pressed juices and smoothies, and offer a great takeaway option for those working in the city. On the menu, you’ll find bowls, salads, burgers, tacos, wraps, and much more. Be sure to always order yourself some quinoa onion rings because they’re the best.

Hello 123

Hello 123 is a vegan restaurant with locations in Toronto and Montreal, and they’re owned by the same folks that own Kupfert & Kim. They’ve got vegan meals, including an all day brunch (every day, not just on weekends!), smoothies, coffee, and boozy drinks.

Their food is nutritious, hearty, and full of flavour. They’ve got burgers, sandwiches, bowls, salads, lasagna, curry, and lots of sharable appetizers. The Superfood Burrito bowl is delicious, and I adore their Caesar salad, too. I can’t wait to return someday to try that brunch!

La Bartola

La Bartola is an upscale, purely plant-based Mexican restaurant that serves innovative and exciting cuisine. There are starters, soups, mains, tacos, and more. This isn’t your ordinary Mexican fare, and I’m already dreaming about eating there when I browse the menu online! It’s a little on the pricey side, but I’ve heard it’s well worth it.

M!LK Vegan Gelato

M!lk Dessert Bar is a 100% vegan dessert and drink shop, featuring creamy vegan gelato and sorbet. You can order their ice cream by the pint in the off season or visit their sidewalk gelato shop in the summer.

Odd Burger

Odd Burger popped onto the vegan scene as “Globally Local” restaurant in London, Ontario, and made headlines as the first vegan fast food restaurant that offered drive-thru, 24 hours a day. Nowadays, they’ve changed their name to Odd Burger. The fast food chain is expanding rapidly from Toronto to Windsor with several new locations opening up this summer. They’ve even gone public on the stock market!

I first tried Odd Burger at the Vegandale festival in Toronto and loved their cheeseburger. Since then, I’ve tried their chicken burger and it was fantastic. They’ve also got breakfast, wraps, sides, shakes, desserts and more. I can’t wait to visit more of their locations in the future as they’re such a vegan Canadian success story.

Parka Food Co

Parka is a 100% vegan restaurant with plant-based comfort food. They specialize in burgers, mac n cheese, cauliflower wings, and more. It you’re craving something hearty and satisfying (but not necessarily guilt-free), check out Parka.

They’ve recently revamped their menu and it’s even better than ever. Parka has “Toronto’s first future forward sustainable menu” that supports local sourcing, biodiversity and sustainable agriculture. You can feel good about eating vegan food and being environmentally conscious at the same time.

Pizzeria Du

I can’t wait to try Pizzeria Du sometime, hopefully the next time I’m in the city. I’ve only heard rave reviews! Pizzeria Du is owned by Avelo Restaurant (another great vegan spot!), and it’s a 100% vegan pizza joint.

They planned to open a plant-based Italian restaurant when chef Dualco suddenly passed away. Putting the Italian restaurant on hold, the restauranteurs launched Pizzeria Du in his honour. Pizzeria Du uses chef Dualco’s recipes and I’ve heard they are incredible. With the closing of popular vegan pizza spots in the city like Apiecalypse Now and Virtuous Pie, we are very grateful to have Pizzeria Du.

Pizzeria Libretto

Pizza Libretto has authentic Neapolitan pizza, and they’ve got five locations in Toronto. They have lots of vegetarian pizzas on the menu, and you can make all of them vegan by subbing in their house made vegan fior di latte (mozzarella).

Planta Queen

With several Planta restaurants in Toronto (and Miami!), each with a different theme and menu, Planta Queen has an Asian focused menu. All Planta restaurants are 100% vegan. They’ve got wok noodles, sushi, dumplings, small plates, and raw specialties. Planta Queen even has a dim sum brunch!

Stefano’s Sandwiches

Stefano’s Sandwiches used to operate out of Ufficio restaurant, but now you’ll find them on select dates at Gia Restaurant and at local festivals. They offer 100% vegan sandwiches. I can’t wait to try these sandwiches as I’ve heard such amazing things. Vegan turkey, chicken, corned beef sandwiches…it’s not like any other place in the city! Update: Stefano’s Sandwiches will have their own location in spring 2023! Stay tuned.

Tsuchi Cafe

Tsuchi Cafe is a vegan Japanese cafe in Toronto that I’m sure you’ll love. They have a number of plant-based beverages that are super unique and unlike any others that I’ve seen in Toronto (that are vegan, anyway). Definitely try the Miso Caramel Macchiato if you get the chance.

Tsuchi Cafe is also really well known for their plant-based Japanese desserts. There are always a number of cheesecakes, including their traditional offerings and seasonal varieties. They also offer a vegan flan, matcha tiramisu, yuzu citron and a black sesame brownie.

Yam Chops

Yam Chops is Toronto’s plant-based butcher and market, and the first vegan butcher shop in North America. While I highly recommend shopping in person, they also offer delivery across Canada of many of their products. I’ve also seen Yam Chops products pop up in other small grocery stores in the GTA, so you might have already tried their food.

Yam Chops has alternatives for just about everything imaginable: meats, cheeses, eggs, you name it. They specialize in gluten-free items, and they even have sampler boxes if you’d like to try several things. Vegans and omnivores alike will love Yam Chops, and it’s great to substitute animal proteins for plant-based ones.

Kensington / Chinatown / College Street

Kensington Market, Chinatown, and the area surrounding College Street has been vegan friendly for quite some time. It’s no surprise that the laidback hippie vibes of Kensington extend to its restaurants and caring about our animal friends.

Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant

Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant has been around forever – since 1991! They used to be Buddha’s Vegetarian, but they’ve always been a predominantly vegan establishment, so the name change reflects this better. It’s one of Toronto’s oldest vegan Asian restaurants and it’s beloved by many.

They have a vast menu of soups, appetizers, vegetable dishes, fried noodles, rice dishes, and more. With at least 100 menu items, you may have trouble choosing what to order! Everything looks so good!

Bunner’s Bakeshop

Bunner’s Bake Shop is a vegan and gluten-free bakery in Kensington Market (their original location in the Junction sadly closed). The baked goods are prepared not only for vegans, but those with food sensitivities and allergies. And guess what – they taste just as delicious as traditional baked goods.

There’s bread, cookies, cinnamon buns, brownies, cake, cupcakes, and the list goes on. They even have a vegan version of cream eggs during Easter. It’s no wonder that Bunner’s has won many awards as Best Bakery in the city. For fans of Bunner’s, the owners have released their own cookbook available for purchase.

Eat Nabati

While I haven’t visited Eat Nabati yet, I have tried their Oakville restaurant, Dar Nabati. It’s so good! They describe themselves as, “blending flavours of the Middle East with the North’s harvest” and they are Toronto’s first vegan Middle Eastern restaurant.

Everything on the menu is vegan, and you can choose either a pita, a bowl, or fries with a number of fillings: falafel, schwarma, za’atar cauliflower, kofta, mushrooms and more. Their food is reminiscent of what you’d find in Middle Eastern markets and street food. It’s one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto.

Free Times Cafe

Free Times Cafe is a long standing veg-friendly establishment in the city. Since 1980, Free Times Cafe has served authentic Jewish, Middle Eastern, and Canadian cuisine. Some of the vegan options on the menu include a vegan burger, vegan wrap, falafel plate, and a hummus plate.

Greens Vegetarian Restaurant

Greens Vegetarian Restaurant turned completely vegan in 2015, and they serve Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai dishes. You’ll love the fresh ingredients, nutritious selections, and great service. There are appetizers, soups, vegetable dishes, noodle dishes, rice dishes, and coconut ice cream desserts.

Hawker

Hawker (formerly known as TVX) is an upscale vegan restaurant located in Kensington Market. They have a menu of small plate, plant-based naturalist cuisine. Their small plates are quite innovative and meant to be shared among the table.

The dishes are always changing according to what’s in season, so you’ll likely have a new experience each time you visit. Some of the plates you can try right now are “God’s Work” (romano beans, pepper paste, pine nut), “Reap/Sow” (dal, pomegranate, raita, roti) and “Earth” (oyster mushrooms, smoked corn broth, sesame).

Hawker also offers locally brewed beer, wine, and intriguing cocktails (also available as mocktails). Their hot sauce and in-house chickpea cheese can be purchased and used in your own creations at home.

The Hogtown Vegan

The Hogtown Vegan offers the ultimate vegan comfort food. The menu features comforting soul cuisine found in the American south, and it’s all plant-based. We’ve gone to Hogtown a couple of times and it’s always a great choice.

We’ve tried the “fries supremacy” (fries topped with nacho cheese, fakin’ bits, sunflower sour cream, and scallions), the “unchicken burger” (pictured with a side of mac & cheese), the “philly cheesesteak”, and the chocolate mousse parfait. We could barely move after eating all of that food, but it was totally worth it.

King’s Cafe

King’s Vegetarian Food is a wholesaler of delicious vegan food products, served at all of their restaurants and now in many grocery stores across the province. King’s Cafe is their restaurant in downtown Toronto, and Zen Gardens is the name of the restaurant in Mississauga, London, and Guelph.

I’m a massive fan of Zen Gardens, King’s Cafe, and King’s Vegetarian Food products. There are so many menu items, although I tend to order the same things every time: the wonton soup (the best ever!), some of the dim sum, the Kung Po soy fritters, and usually a noodle dish. I feel like I haven’t tried many Asian restaurants in Toronto because I tend to keep going back to King’s Cafe when I’m in the city.

Saigon Lotus

Saigon Lotus is a Vietnamese vegan restaurant in Kensington Market that you need to check out. Some popular choices are the vegan pho, Pad Thai, banh mi, and vegan ramen.

They’ve even got plant-based milks for vegan bubble tea, lattes and whipped coffee, and other specialty drinks. I need to return to Saigon Lotus because I’d love to try one of the traditional desserts gone vegan.

Veggie D’Light

Veggie D’Light is a vegan Caribbean restaurant in Kensington Market where their meals are made with non-GMO organic veggies. They can also accommodate gluten-free diets. Try one of their vegan meals or roti with jerk seitan, curry supreme, or moringa loaf. They’ve also got gluten-free pizza cakes and kombucha tonics.

Downtown Toronto

You won’t have any problem finding vegan food in downtown Toronto! These are among the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, especially if you’re seeking 100% plant-based finds. I imagine that you could walk into most downtown Toronto restaurants and find at least one vegan item on the menu. Here are my top picks.

Avelo Restaurant

Avelo Restaurant, formerly called Awai, is an innovative, vegan, fine dining restaurant in Toronto. Avelo offers tasting menus in multiple courses (three, five, and eight courses) that continually rotate with the seasons. At the restaurant, they bake their own bread, make their own vinegars and preserves, and create their own vegan cheeses.

Avelo is situated inside an old Victorian home. On the main floor, you can dine and enjoy the tasting menu. The upstairs bar is more casual with cocktails, cheese plates, and appetizers. Right now, you can order fresh soups, pasta sauces, and tortellini for takeout/delivery.

Basil Box

Basil Box is a vegan-friendly chain restaurant around Toronto and the GTA. Their food is inspired by the street markets of Southeast Asia, and it’s a fast food establishment. Create your own box with tofu, rice or noodles, and veggies. All of their sauces are vegan, plus all of the vegan options are clearly marked with a V.

Cafe Landwer

Cafe Landwer has four locations in Toronto, and they’re quite vegan friendly. Every vegan offering has a V beside it on the menu. You can choose from a plant-based breakfast plate, plant-based shakshuka, acai bowl, a vegan burger, a vegan omelette, plant-based shawarma, and more.

I highly recommend ordering the plant-based shawarma. It’s my absolute favourite and I’ve tried it multiple times. The hummus and the falafel are quite good, too. If you’re looking for a beverage, their famous iced tea is quite delicious, and you can’t go wrong with a latte from Cafe Landwer either.

Copper Branch

Copper Branch is a chain of vegan restaurants that originated in Montreal. They’ve made their way down to Toronto, the GTA, and beyond. They’re 100% plant-based, they have many gluten-free options, and they use non-GMO and organic ingredients where it’s possible.

Copper Branch features meals that are healthy and hearty, like power bowls, burgers, sandwiches, soup, chili, and other side dishes. They also have an all day breakfast, smoothies, and a coffee bar. For the all day breakfast, Copper Branch has partnered with Just Egg and Field Roast for some awesome breakfast bagels.

Earl’s (King Street)

I’ve dined at Earl’s with some friends before and was pleased to see a full plant-based menu at this non-veg restaurant chain. Under the plant-based menu, you can choose from: crispy sushi tofu tacos (pictured above), vegan Impossible burger, vegan Mother Earth bowl, vegan hunan kung pao, vegetable tempura, spring greens and grains bowl, or the vegan street corn and avocado dip. Yum!

Evviva

Evviva is a veg-friendly breakfast and lunch restaurant in Toronto and Vaughan. They have a massive vegan brunch menu where you can create your own vegan omelette, vegan breakfast sandwiches, waffles, French toast, and even a “vegan slam platter” with eggs, bacon, sausage and toast.

Fresh

Fresh has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Queen Street West heading for more details. In downtown Toronto, you can visit Fresh on Front or Fresh on Spadina.

Glad Day Bookshop

The Glad Day Bookshop is the world’s oldest LGBTQ bookshop, opening in 1970. They have a veg-friendly cafe with the vegan options clearly marked. You can try the breakfast platter, roasted vegetable sandwich, phish & chips, or squash quesadilla. My friend, Ashley dined here when she was visiting Toronto and loved it!

Il Fornello

Il Fornello is a veg-friendly, casual/fine dining Italian restaurant with multiple locations across the city. Il Fornello has a separate plant-based menu with a long list of dishes: various kinds of pasta, pizza, and even a chocolate brownie. This is a great spot to bring your friends or family that might not necessarily want to go to a vegan restaurant, but there’s a vegan menu so you can stick to your plant-based diet.

Kupfert & Kim

Kupfert & Kim is a plant-based, quick service restaurant with many locations across Toronto. They focus on whole foods and make almost everything in house, including their curries, sauces, and patties. Kupfert & Kim specializes in salads, bowls, burgers, curries, smoothies, smoothie bowls, and an all day brunch.

Karine’s

Karine’s is located in the food court of a small downtown shopping centre. Notably, there’s a vegan and gluten-free all day breakfast. I ordered waffles topped with chocolate, dusted with powdered sugar, and surrounded by fresh fruit.

There are also fruit smoothies, vegan wraps, a vegan lentil soup, and an assortment of vegan baked treats that change by the day.

Khao San Road

Khao San Road is a veg-friendly restaurant, serving up authentic Thai food. They have an entire vegan menu with so many great selections. There are starters like fresh rolls and squash fritters. Then, there are several curries (green curry, red curry, yellow curry, Panang curry), noodle dishes (pad Thai, pad see ew, pad kee mao), and signature dishes (pad gra prao, khao soi, and green curry fried rice).

Maverick’s

Maverick’s Burger Company is a 100% vegan burger spot down by the waterfront. They have burgers, chicken burgers, loaded fries, meal boxes, and so much more. This area of town doesn’t have too many vegan options, so this is one to check out if you’re down by Sugar Beach.

PAI

PAI is a northern Thai restaurant with two locations: one downtown and PAI Uptown. While it’s not a completely plant-based establishment, PAI is very vegan-friendly. Try anything from the vegan menu: the Khao Soi, green curry, Gaeng Massaman, Gaeng Panang, Pad Gra Prow Omnipork or many more. You could visit on several occasions, trying something new each time.

Phosome

Phosome is a veg-friendly Vietnamese restaurant in Cabbagetown. They have a separate vegan menu so you can ensure that everything is prepared without animal products. Try the vegan pho, spring rolls, or spicy soup.

Pizzeria Libretto

Pizza Libretto has authentic Neapolitan pizza, and they’ve got five locations in Toronto. They have lots of vegetarian pizzas on the menu, and you can make all of them vegan by subbing in their house made vegan fior di latte (mozzarella).

Planta Burger

Another fantastic Planta restaurant, Planta Burger is a vegan fast food restaurant with all kinds of satisfying burgers and sides. There’s a burger for every taste, a variety of salads, sides like buffalo cauliflower (highly recommend!), and milshakes. Everything is 100% vegan.

Planta Cochina

Planta Cochina is one of the newest Planta restaurants and it has a Mexican-inspired menu gone completely vegan. Tacos, empanadas, nachos, fries supreme, burritos, quesadillas, guacamole…I can’t wait to visit!

Ramen Isshin

Ramen Isshin serves authentic Japanese ramen, and it is a veg-friendly establishment. They have one location on College and one on Queen. Some of their dishes include: the vegan platter, vegetarian ramen (you’ll need to ask to substitute the egg noodles, and hiya yakko (tofu appetizer). Everything on the menu that’s vegan is labelled as such. Unfortunately, the vegetarian ramen doesn’t appear to be vegan unless you substitute the noodles. Make sure to inquire when you visit.

Revelstoke Cafe

Revelstoke Cafe is a popular vegan restaurant out of Peterborough, and they’ve opened up a second location in downtown Toronto. I’ve dined at their establishment in Peterborough and it was amazing. I’ve also read rave reviews about their all-day brunch. Their burgers, wraps and burritos are quite popular, too. I can’t wait to stop by now that Revelstoke Cafe is right in the city!

Rosalinda

Rosalinda is a 100% vegan restaurant featuring seasonal produce and a great wine list. They were an entirely Mexican restaurant when I visited, but it seems like they’ve changed their focus to burgers, pizza, and pasta (comfort food). I’m personally a little confused by this – there are so many spots in Toronto with pizza and burgers, and they were unique with the Mexican food menu. I did really enjoy their tacos and burrito bowl when I dined there. I’ll be curious to see what direction they take in the future.

Salad King

Salad King is a veg-friendly Thai eatery on Yonge Street, and they also have a second location on Queen Street West. I’ve dined at their Yonge location and had a great experience. There’s a little leaf by every dish that can be made vegan. The servers were really knowledgeable and helpful, and the food was really tasty. Even though it’s not an entirely plant-based restaurant, I’d go back to Salad King again in the future!

Shangri-La Hotel (Vegan Afternoon Tea)

The Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto offers a vegan afternoon tea upon request. I actually had the pleasure of enjoying a vegan high tea during a media event, and I was so pleasantly surprised by all of the little tasty desserts and the elegantly presented sandwiches. Definitely treat yourself to this if you get the chance.

Want to host your own vegan afternoon tea at home? I’ve got tons of tips and recipes for you so you can host your own plant-based English tea party.

Shook

Shook describes themselves as a modern Middle Eastern kitchen, cafe, and marketplace. They are a vegetarian restaurant and many of the dishes are naturally vegan. While many of the dishes appear to be vegan (unless they contain egg, cheese or honey), I would definitely ask the staff members about what’s vegan and not vegan.

Soy Boys

Soy Boys is a 100% plant-based burger restaurant that’s newly opened. They have a pretty basic menu of burgers, fries, onion rings, and soft serve ice cream. Sometimes that’s all you need! Can’t wait to try this one for myself.

WVRST

I’ve been to WVRST more times than I can count! While it isn’t an entirely vegan spot, they have lots of vegan options. There are several kinds of vegan sausages and you can choose your own toppings. It’s set up like a German beer hall with long picnic tables. Plus, there are so many kinds of beer available, including rare imports. They have two locations: one on King Street West and one inside Union Station.

Yorkville / The Annex / Bloor Street West

The Toronto neighborhoods of The Annex, Yorkville, and the areas surrounding Bloor Street West have tons of vegan offerings. A few local favorites have closed this past year, but there seem to be more vegan restaurant openings than closures these days.

Annapura Vegetarian Restaurant

While Annapura Vegetarian Restaurant is not entirely vegan, it is a very vegan friendly Indian restaurant. You’ll find a little “v” next to all of the vegan meals (and a “gf” for gluten-free). Try the bhajia, potato masala, dosas, samosas, the soy masala chai, and a slice of chocolate tofu mousse pie for dessert.

Bloomer’s

Bloomer’s started mostly as a vegan bakery and coffee shop, but has since blossomed into a full serve vegan restaurant. While you can still stop in for a cuppa and a donut, you can also enjoy sumptuous choices from the menu like a tempeh reuben sandwich, a portobello kimchi burger, or a BBQ tempeh wing sandwich.

Try a healthy bowl of brown rice, steamed greens, wakame, sauerkraut, and tempeh. Or you can choose to stop for a beer and appetizers, like tempeh wings, poutine, onion rings, or mac & cheese.

Eva’s Original Chimneys / Guerilla Burger / Happy Taco

Eva’s Original Chimneys has always been very vegan-friendly. Their chimney cones are naturally vegan, and they have vegan ice cream, too. Many cones are marked as vegan on the menu.

Operating out of the same location, Guerilla Burger is 100% vegan with many deluxe burgers and Happy Taco is also 100% vegan.

Fennel Organic Eatery

Fennel Organic Eatery is a 100% vegan establishment tucked inside Noah’s Naturals. They offer a takeout buffet with 18+ different hot and cold items daily. They also have snacks, soup, baked goods, juices, and more. Right now, they are open for takeout and delivery.

Fresh

Fresh has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Queen Street West heading for more details. In the Annex, you can visit Fresh on Bloor.

Govinda’s

I have not dined at Govinda’s restaurant yet, though I tried their food on location at the Festival of India this past summer. The menu is mostly vegan and some items are vegetarian. You really can’t beat the price – a full buffet with the price of $10/adult, $8/student and $5/child. It’s likely the most inexpensive vegan/vegetarian restaurant in the city.

There are lots of Indian food favorites, including lentil dishes, vegetable dishes, and breads. I can’t wait to try the food at the restaurant as the meal at the Festival of India was quite good!

Grandmama’s Waffles

These aren’t your average waffles! Grandmama’s Waffles have several vegan options, including the ube waffle, the pandan waffle, and the hot chocolate waffle. They also have vegan soft serve ice cream. So, stop by for a sweet treat where you’ll discover that waffles aren’t just for breakfast.

Grey Tiger

Grey Tiger is an artist operated cocktail bar. By day, they are a cafe serving coffee, loose-leaf tea, and vegan toasts. In the evening, they’ve got cocktails, craft beer, and vegan snacks. The establishment is entirely vegetarian with lots of vegan options.

Kensington Natural Bakery

Kensington Natural Bakery has operated since 1980, and they have lots of vegan, gluten-free and keto baked goods. They also have products suitable for many allergies. This is a vegetarian bakery, but it’s extremely vegan friendly.

I love how Kensington Natural Bakery doesn’t overinflate the prices based on the fact that it’s vegan or gluten-free. From what I can tell, all of their cakes and pies are vegan, and the gluten-free ones are labeled as such.

Kupfert & Kim

Kupfert & Kim has several locations in Toronto. Please check out the description under the Downtown heading for more details.

Machino Donuts

Machino Donuts is a vegan donut shop in Toronto open from Friday to Sunday. Their donuts look so delectable and come in an assortment of amazing flavors. It’s also possible to order letter donuts so you can spell out people’s names or words in donuts.

Flavors of donuts include London fog, matcha white chocolate, strawberry Oreo, apple fritter, tiramisu, Ferrero Rocher, Simpsons donuts, cinnamon sugar, blueberry cheesecake, and more.

Mugi

Mugi is a 100% vegan Thai restaurant where everything is made from scratch. You’ll see all of your Thai favorites on the menu and can be assured that everything is plant-based. There’s curries, noodle dishes, Thai pilaf, salads, tofu starters, sides, and desserts.

While their offerings change from time to time, I highly recommend ordering the following if you see them on the menu: the bamboo spinach dumplings, drunken noodle, and Mugi dal. You really can’t go wrong with any of their dishes. I’ve dined here twice and it was amazing both times!

Pizza Del Arte

Pizza Del Arte isn’t 100% vegan, but they have an extensive pizza menu. You can also make your own vegan pizzas with vegan cheese, too. Some options from the vegan menu: vegan cheeseburger, vegan Italian, vegan Mediterranean, vegan wild funghi, and many more.

Planta Yorkville

Planta Yorkville is a casual/upscale vegan dining experience. The restaurant is bright and beautiful, and the menu has a variety of small and large plates. The small plates are perfect for sharing: cauliflower tots, bang bang broccoli, and fully loaded nachos.

The large plates include a burger, mushroom bolognese, lasagna, and lettuce wraps. Planta Yorkville also has a pizza menu, as well as raw and chilled dishes.

Selam Restaurant

Selam Restaurant offers vegan Ethiopian dishes through Selam Vegan, where all of the vegan dishes are prepared separately from the meat ones. There are tons of veggie main courses, sides, appetizers, and combos. You can also opt for a cup of traditional Ethiopian coffee. Everything on the vegan menu is also gluten-free.

Tenon Vegan Sushi

Tenon Vegan Sushi is a 100% vegan sushi restaurant offering fresh and tasty Japanese cuisine. The menu is vast and offers all of your favorites gone plant-based. There are many sushi rolls, like tempura rolls, California rolls, caterpillar rolls, and dragon rolls. You’ll also find soup, noodle and rice dishes, and sushi combos.

East End (Riverdale, Leslieville, Danforth, Beaches)

The east end of Toronto (The Beaches, Leslieville, The Danforth, and Riverdale) is really starting to come into its own with a growing vegan scene. While the east end used to feel a bit ripped off when it comes to vegan restaurants, there are more than a few great choices nowadays.

Animal Liberation Kitchen

Animal Liberation Kitchen is a little vegan restaurant with a few seats that operates mostly for takeout. They have tons of delicious plant-based meals, including the kimchi mac n cheese (pictured above and highly recommend!), BBQ pulled jackfruit burger, spiced chickpea mashed avocado sandwich, and a poke bowl.

They’ve also got croissants: plain, almond, hazelnut chocolate, and croissant sandwiches with Just Egg. There are also several vegan smoothies. ALK is a great little spot and I urge you to check them out. Fun fact: Joaquin Phoenix and Rooney Mara stopped by for a meal here!

Cinnaholic

Cinnaholic is a 100% vegan cinnamon bun cafe that has 54 locations across the USA and Canada. There’s a location on the Danforth, and they specialize in cinnamon buns and cookie dough scoops. Everything is so decadent and makes for the perfect sweet treat.

They have numerous flavours of cinnamon buns to order or you can build your own creation. There’s something for every taste, just as long as you have a sweet tooth. There are even cinnamon bun cakes!

Fresh

Fresh has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Queen Street West heading for more details. In Leslieville, you can visit Fresh Leslieville.

Green Earth Vegan Cuisine

Green Earth Vegan is a family owned and operated restaurant serving vegan fusion cuisine. Some of their most popular dishes are the pad Thai, the chick’un burger, and drumsticks. They also have nachos, sushi, curries, pasta, tacos…as you can see, it’s a little bit of everything!

Il Fornello

Il Fornello has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Downtown heading for more details.

Italian For Vegan

Italian For Vegan is an entirely plant-based Italian restaurant on the Danforth. It’s operated by the same folks who run Il Fornello. They’ve got all of the Italian classics: pasta, pizza, meatballs, and appetizers. They serve vegan sausage, pepperoni, chicken, meatballs, feta, truffle sauce, and various vegan cheeses.

Jinglepear Deli

Jinglepear Deli is a vegan, plant-based, low-waste, palm oil-free grocery store and deli. It’s so wonderful to walk into a grocery store and be able to eat everything – no label checking required! There are pantry staples and prepared foods, too. Try some of their take-out selections if you want a bite on the go, or check out their coffee bar, too.

KASPACE Cafe

KASPACE Cafe is a vegan and vegetarian restaurant serving Jamaican and vegan soul food. The menu is predominantly plant-based, and one of the highlights is a full vegan brunch menu. For lunch and dinner, they have ackee and salted tofu, chickpea potato curry roti, rasta bowl, jerk lentils, and vegan “salt fish”. This is an instance where really healthy food can still be super tasty.

La Vegan

La Vegan is a 100% vegan restaurant specializing in Ethiopian and Eritrean cuisine. There are many authentic dishes featuring the flavours of African food that you need to try. La Vegan’s website describes it as “vegetable plates of paradise”.

Nutbar

Nutbar is a superfood snack cafe, best described as a healthy coffee shop. You’ll find coffee and matcha drinks, toasts, bowls, salads, smoothies, and tonics. Everything on the menu appears to be vegan, except for the addition of honey to some items and dairy products as an option for coffee.

Off the Hook

With a name like “Off the Hook“, you wouldn’t expect to find many vegan options. However, that couldn’t be farther from the truth! While this is a seafood restaurant, there are lots of plant-based offerings on the menu and they’re all clearly marked with a V.

There’s maple fried brussels sprouts, crispy cauliflower tacos, fried cauliflower wings, a vegan burrito, vegan poutine, and vegan fish and chips made out of deep fried banana blossoms. Can’t wait to dine here!

Papyrus

Papyrus is a veg-friendly Egyptian restaurant on the Danforth. Vegan items are denoted clearly on the menu with a V, and the majority of the menu appears to be vegan. I was really excited when I saw their menu posted on their front door as I was walking past one day, and I can’t wait to dine here sometime.

Pizzeria Libretto

Pizza Libretto has authentic Neapolitan pizza, and they’ve got five locations in Toronto. They have lots of vegetarian pizzas on the menu, and you can make all of them vegan by subbing in their house made vegan fior di latte (mozzarella).

Plant Lyfe Cafe

Plant Lyfe is a 100% plant-based cafe in Leslieville featuring nutritious and delicious fare. There’s a vast menu of food and drink, like salads, bowls, loaded toasts, smoothie bowls, and baked goods. There’s also a full cafe with espresso beverages, tea, superfood lattes, cold pressed juices and healing tonics. In February, they’re set to launch their vegan afternoon tea, and I can’t wait to check it out.

Rendez-Vous Ethiopian Restaurant

Rendez-Vous Ethiopian Restaurant is a vegan-friendly establishment, serving Ethiopian food to Toronto since 2001. Everything on the vegetarian portion of their menu looks to be vegan. They also have a traditional Ethiopian coffee ceremony at the restaurant, too.

The Social Gardener

The Social Gardener is a vegetarian, vegan-friendly cafe in Riverdale. I browsed their menu and everything looked to be vegan! There are bowls, wraps, and salads, as well as smoothies and sweets. You can also find a big selection of coffee, tea, and espresso drinks.

Tori’s Bakeshop

Tori’s Bakeshop is one of my favorite vegan bakeries in Toronto, and it’s been around for a long time. In fact, it’s Toronto’s first vegan cafe that opened back in 2012. They’re always a fav of mine at Toronto Vegfest, and I love making a special trip out to The Beaches to pay them a visit.

They’ve got delicious baked goods and some of the best coffee in Toronto. Tori’s bakes everything fresh daily using local, natural, organic and seasonal ingredients wherever possible. There is a great selection of gluten-free treats, too.

Udupi Palace

Udupi Palace is a vegetarian Indian restaurant, specializing in vegan, gluten-free and Jain cuisine. Every vegan meal has a V next to it on the menu. There are appetizers, curries, dosas, chaats, uthapam, thali, and much more.

Vegan I Thali

Vegan I Thali is an Afro-Caribbean vegan food restaurant and grocery store. All of their food is vegan (they are considered vegetarian because their grocery store sells honey). You can choose to eat the Thali plate, their world famous corn soup, chickpea nuggets, patties, samosas, and more.

Yonge & Eglinton / Uptown Toronto

While the Yonge & Eglinton / Uptown Toronto region doesn’t have a ton of vegan options (aside from fast food chains, which I haven’t listed here), there are a couple of spots where you’ll surely find some delicious vegan food.

Fresh

Fresh has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Queen Street West heading for more details. Near Yonge & Eglinton, you can visit Fresh on Eglinton.

Khau Gully

Khau Gully (eating street) has healthy Indian eats, many of which are marked as vegan on the menu. Tandoori broccoli, crispy okra, vegan chicken, as well as a slew of parathas, dals, and vegan roti grace the menu.

Nutbar

Nutbar has a couple of locations in Toronto. Please check out the description under the East End heading for more details.

North York / North of Toronto

Visiting north of Toronto or live in North York and area? Here are the best vegan restaurants in Toronto’s north end that you need to check out.

Bean House

Bean House is a bit of a hidden gem, and I hadn’t heard of it until I was researching this article. They sell 100% vegan bean cakes that you can take home with you. They are also open for breakfast and lunch, although the cafe itself is vegetarian (serves dairy and eggs).

Celebrity Pure Vegetarian

Celebrity Pure Vegetarian is a 100% vegan Caribbean restaurant in Toronto. It’s a small restaurant that’s mostly designed for takeout. Every meal comes with a selection of four hot dishes, plus a side salad. Although I haven’t dined here yet, it totally reminds me of Ras Rody’s in Negril, Jamaica – and that was so delicious that it makes me excited to try Celebrity Pure Vegetarian.

Chic Peas

I’ve tried Chic Peas‘ food at Toronto VegFest in the past and it was amazing. I can’t wait to make it out to their location in North York sometime soon. Right now, they are offering fresh vegan food and treats for pickup and local delivery in the GTA. Some of their offerings include wraps, Buddha bowls, stews and smoothies. Chic Peas also has cooking classes from time to time, too.

Flower Lantern

Flower Lantern Vegetarian Restaurant in North York is a Chinese restaurant with a combination of vegetarian and vegan offerings. Be sure to inquire as to which items on the menu are vegan. They have lots of meals with mock meats, as well as noodle dishes, hot pots, and more.

Il Fornello

Il Fornello has several locations in Toronto and beyond. Please check out the description under the Downtown heading for more details.

Nanashake

Nanashake has 100% vegan ice cream and frozen desserts that are made out of bananas. I tried one of their popsicles at Vegfest and it was a yummy treat. They’ve got ice cream sundaes, the Nana latte, Nana bowls, Nana cakes, and more.

PAI Uptown

PAI is a northern Thai restaurant with two locations: one downtown and PAI Uptown. While it’s not a completely plant-based establishment, PAI is very vegan-friendly. Try anything from the vegan menu: the Khao Soi, green curry, Gaeng Massaman, Gaeng Panang, Pad Gra Prow Omnipork or many more. You could visit on several occasions, trying something new each time.

PHO 90

PHO 90 is a Vietnamese restaurant on Weston Road, and they have a whole separate vegan menu. There are many classic dishes gone plant-based, like Bún Chả Giò, crispy spring rolls, tofu fresh rolls, Phở Rau Cải Chay and more.

Sweets from the Earth

Sweets from the Earth is a popular dessert company in Toronto. You can find their products at their Bakery Outlet near Keele & Steeles or in grocery stores across Canada. SFTE makes some of one of the first ever vegan cakes that I was able to buy at a grocery store when I first went vegan 12 years ago. I still enjoy their sweets and they’re continually coming out with new products.

Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine

You’ll find Tenon Vegan Sushi on Bloor, but the original Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine is located in Markham. This is a predominantly vegan sushi restaurant with just a few items containing dairy or eggs (that are clearly marked). Whether you visit Tenon Vegetarian Cuisine or Tenon Vegan Sushi (we’ve been to both), you’ll have an unforgettable meal.

The Vegan Danish Bakery

The original location of the Vegan Danish Bakery is in Thornhill, Ontario. Please take a look under the Parkdale heading to read more details.

The Vegitaliano

The Vegitaliano is a vegan Italian restaurant in Vaughan that I absolutely adore. It’s not the fanciest place and many people do takeout (there is limited seating, too), but the food speaks for itself. There are lots of pasta dishes with vegan cheese, sandwiches, breads, and desserts like a vegan passion flakie. This is one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, so definitely venture a little outside of the city for this one – it’s worth it.

Vegwood

Vegwood is a vegan restaurant with sandwiches and comforting mock meat dishes. Try the jerk unchicken sandwich or the tofu ribs and rice. They once had an all you can eat brunch option that will hopefully be returning soon.

Etobicoke

I admit that I need to frequent many of these Etobicoke vegan restaurants, but I was delighted to find quite a few veg-friendly spots when there weren’t many in the past. Here are the top vegan and vegetarian establishments in Etobicoke, west of Toronto.

Allin Mikuna Soups

Allin Mikuna Soups is a family owned and operated business in Etobicoke that’s vegetarian and mostly vegan. They’ve got vegan burgers, empanadas, bowls, and of course, soups. You can also buy some of their soup mixes to make their soup at home.

Meltwich

Meltwich is a grilled cheese restaurant with a whole plant-based section. At this veg-friendly restaurant, you’ll find vegan offerings like the crispy Nashville vegan melt, the Impossible burger, and the mushroom madness poutine.

Rancho Relaxo To Go (Kipling)

Rancho Relaxo to Go has two locations in Toronto (Etobicoke and Junction Triangle). Take a look at the description under the Junction section above for more details.

Thrive Organic Kitchen

Thrive Organic Kitchen serves vegetarian, vegan, and raw dishes with an emphasis on superfoods. You can choose from tacos, bowls, sprouted pizzas, quesadillas, wraps, burgers, and more. Thrive also has a weekend brunch, too.

Scarborough / Markham

Once upon a time, I worked in Scarborough (for 12 years!). I had the opportunity to try quite a few Scarborough vegan and veg-friendly restaurants when I was working in the area. Unfortunately, I don’t have photos for many of the spots as you don’t really think about taking pictures of food on your work lunch break. I’ll try to grab some photos on future visits!

Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen

The Buddhist Vegetarian Kitchen is a longtime Chinese vegetarian restaurant in Scarborough. The portions are quite large and it’s relatively inexpensive to dine there. They also serve complimentary tea here, much like Simon’s Wok. It’s a little difficult to tell what is vegan vs vegetarian, so you may have to ask the staff.

Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant

Graceful Vegetarian Restaurant is located within the Splendid China Mall in Markham. Most of their dishes are completely vegan. They have mock meats, a large dim sum menu, and hot pots. It’s been around for many years, and I heard great things about it from a vegan friend of mine many years ago.

Ital Vital

Ital Vital is a Caribbean restaurant in Scarborough that you must try. It’s one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, and they serve a different menu each day (posted on their Instagram). Today’s menu includes: rasta pasta, spare ribs BBQ, curry shrimp, callaloo greens, curry chickpea stew, a few different burgers, cauliflower wings, corn soup, and more.

Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant

Lotus Pond Vegetarian Restaurant in Scarborough is a Chinese restaurant with a vast menu. There are lots of mock meats to try, and the staff is aware of which dishes are vegan. Even though the menu isn’t entirely vegan, most of the dishes can be made vegan.

The Roti Hut

The Roti Hut was one of my favorite spots when I worked in Scarborough. They’re vegan friendly, whether you decide to grab a roti or a rice bowl. I loved getting the chana and potato roti or bowl, and you absolutely must try their doubles.

The Veggie Thali

The Veggie Thali is a 100% vegan Indian restaurant in Scarborough. There are lots of Indian entrees, thali, chapati, and street foods. The food is delicious, the service is quick, and the meals are affordable. Definitely a hidden gem in Toronto!

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