NYC: Tasty Vegetarian Options south of 31st dining filter
March 15, 2024 7:36 AM Subscribe
What are some restaurants with tasty vegetarian options in Manhattan? Looking especially for places south of 31st, and ideally north of Houston. We'll be there in April, so if it's closing on March 31 don't tell us! We love Xi'an food but aren't sure Xi'an Famous Foods has anything vegetarian. We also love Malaysian food and can't get any Malaysian vegetarian options where we are. Outdoor dining is a plus.
Best answer: That is an enrmous area in what amounts to vegetarian heaven. Most of my recommendations are in the East Village, but you can't go wrong with recommendations on Happy Cow. Avant Garden is fantastic and I have good things to say about the other spots in their cinematic universe. Candle has a real pedigree and is worth a visit. Superiority is great if you're looking for a more fast-casual meal.
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 8:36 AM on March 15, 2024 [2 favorites]
posted by late afternoon dreaming hotel at 8:36 AM on March 15, 2024 [2 favorites]
The web site Eater NY is a boon for restaurant activity in NYC. Here's a map of their "Best Vegan Restaurants in NYC"; it does include some locations outside your search area, but it's pretty full of options within it.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:44 AM on March 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 8:44 AM on March 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: I can heartily recommend the vegan Szechuan restaurant Spicy Moon. I had a great meal at the West Village restaurant a few years ago but there is a second location in the East Village, too. It was so good!
posted by reren at 9:07 AM on March 15, 2024 [3 favorites]
posted by reren at 9:07 AM on March 15, 2024 [3 favorites]
Best answer: (Just FYI, SB isn't fast-casual, it's table service. Though on the casual end of that.
If you go to Avant Garden, make sure you get the right address, on Ave. A, not the one they moved from several months ago, on E. 7th.
If you want higher end, Dirt Candy, also in the EV, is still the standard.
If you want highest end, Eleven Madison Park went all vegetarian a few years ago.)
posted by praemunire at 9:16 AM on March 15, 2024
If you go to Avant Garden, make sure you get the right address, on Ave. A, not the one they moved from several months ago, on E. 7th.
If you want higher end, Dirt Candy, also in the EV, is still the standard.
If you want highest end, Eleven Madison Park went all vegetarian a few years ago.)
posted by praemunire at 9:16 AM on March 15, 2024
Best answer: Oh! Almost forgot. If you want to try a brand-new place, Sen Saigon, also on E. Broadway, is vegan (pretty sure) Vietnamese.
posted by praemunire at 9:18 AM on March 15, 2024
posted by praemunire at 9:18 AM on March 15, 2024
Best answer: Seconding Spicy Moon! Very consistently good.
If dairy is not an issue, pretty much any Italian / pasta-focused restaurant will have multiple vegetarian options - the West Village is full of amazing, excellent spots (if you can find a reservation). E.g., Dante, Via Carota, I Sodi, Barbuto. Highly recommend Loring Place as well (the mushroom bolognese cavatelli!). Easy to make a vegetarian meal by ignoring the obligatory "second plate" / bottom half portion of a lot of these new American-style menus.
posted by icy_latte at 9:23 AM on March 15, 2024
If dairy is not an issue, pretty much any Italian / pasta-focused restaurant will have multiple vegetarian options - the West Village is full of amazing, excellent spots (if you can find a reservation). E.g., Dante, Via Carota, I Sodi, Barbuto. Highly recommend Loring Place as well (the mushroom bolognese cavatelli!). Easy to make a vegetarian meal by ignoring the obligatory "second plate" / bottom half portion of a lot of these new American-style menus.
posted by icy_latte at 9:23 AM on March 15, 2024
Best answer: +1 to Superiority Burger and Spicy Moon. Superiority Burger is also one of NYC's most underrated dessert destinations IMO ... not only are the composed desserts excellent but I think their ice creams/shakes are among the best in the city. No outdoor seating at Superiority Burger, but can take-out & cross the street to the park. Not sure about Spicy Moon.
Xi'an Famous has several veg options (chilled noodles, hot noodles, dumplings, salad) and I used to love it but I kind of feel like their quality has been slipping since the pandemic, and maybe they don't have the Tiger Salad (my fave) anymore? Not sure about outdoor dining, as it may vary by location and there are several.
Fancy options: Dirt Candy tasting menu, unlike any vegetarian food I've ever had, (Restaurant is all veg, mostly vegan.) And, although you may not be able to get a reservation at this point, L'Artusi is one of the best veg-friendly restaurants for Big Deal Fancy Dinner. Again, not sure about outdoor dining as I haven't gone to either place since pre-pandemic.
Throwing out a couple random options that are all kind of close together: Veselka does classic Ukrainian comfort food and there are veg options for everything (borscht, pierogies, stuffed cabbage, etc.) as well as a solid outdoor dining setup with heaters.
B&H Dairy Lunch is all veg and a very Old New York option (don't sleep the challah which comes with, like, every soup) and also has a few outdoor tables last time I checked.
Misoya also has a few outdoor tables and, crucially, has very good veg ramen which I find particularly hard to find. All their broths (veg and non-veg) are miso-based which I think provides the necessary umami; also, you can (and should) add butter and parmesan cheese to the ramen (!) for even more depth of savory flavor.
I know you're not looking for vegan necessarily, and this is not technically a meal, but honorable mention to The Hideout for having extremely good and satisfying oat milk chai in various flavors. I'm a non-dairy milk hater (sorry) but the oat milk works so well here. Also right around the corner from a park where you can sit outside.
posted by sparkling at 9:37 AM on March 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
Xi'an Famous has several veg options (chilled noodles, hot noodles, dumplings, salad) and I used to love it but I kind of feel like their quality has been slipping since the pandemic, and maybe they don't have the Tiger Salad (my fave) anymore? Not sure about outdoor dining, as it may vary by location and there are several.
Fancy options: Dirt Candy tasting menu, unlike any vegetarian food I've ever had, (Restaurant is all veg, mostly vegan.) And, although you may not be able to get a reservation at this point, L'Artusi is one of the best veg-friendly restaurants for Big Deal Fancy Dinner. Again, not sure about outdoor dining as I haven't gone to either place since pre-pandemic.
Throwing out a couple random options that are all kind of close together: Veselka does classic Ukrainian comfort food and there are veg options for everything (borscht, pierogies, stuffed cabbage, etc.) as well as a solid outdoor dining setup with heaters.
B&H Dairy Lunch is all veg and a very Old New York option (don't sleep the challah which comes with, like, every soup) and also has a few outdoor tables last time I checked.
Misoya also has a few outdoor tables and, crucially, has very good veg ramen which I find particularly hard to find. All their broths (veg and non-veg) are miso-based which I think provides the necessary umami; also, you can (and should) add butter and parmesan cheese to the ramen (!) for even more depth of savory flavor.
I know you're not looking for vegan necessarily, and this is not technically a meal, but honorable mention to The Hideout for having extremely good and satisfying oat milk chai in various flavors. I'm a non-dairy milk hater (sorry) but the oat milk works so well here. Also right around the corner from a park where you can sit outside.
posted by sparkling at 9:37 AM on March 15, 2024 [1 favorite]
Best answer: Laut Singapura is great and has plenty of vegetarian options, right in Flatiron so it’s squarely in your search area. Not quite Malaysian, but if you’re looking for something special occasion it’s a better choice than Kopitiam.
Kuih Cafe is only open weekends and mostly sells set menus, but is the only Malaysian dessert specialist I’m aware of in Manhattan. It’s down in Chinatown.
posted by A Blue Moon at 10:24 AM on March 15, 2024
Kuih Cafe is only open weekends and mostly sells set menus, but is the only Malaysian dessert specialist I’m aware of in Manhattan. It’s down in Chinatown.
posted by A Blue Moon at 10:24 AM on March 15, 2024
Best answer: Spicy Moon has already been mentioned, so I'll throw in Jajaja.
posted by deanc at 11:01 AM on March 15, 2024
posted by deanc at 11:01 AM on March 15, 2024
Best answer: N'thing Spicy Moon, Superiority Burger (note: it looks moderately priced but the portions are pretty small so it's easily a $50pp+ experience unless you're a light eater and aren't a drinker) and Dirt Candy, seconding Jajaja if you want vegan Mexican (get the nachos, ignore the taco section of the menu).
I'll add ABCv as another high-end splurge option. It's a little less creative than Dirt Candy but I actually like the food better. It is a little on the GOOP-y end of the spectrum, but you'll be able to tell if you can roll with it from looking at the menu.
Also on the more expensive end of things and one block out of your range (it's on 32nd street), Hangawi is a really lovely vegetarian Korean restaurant. It has a sister restaurant called Franchia that is gross (bad food and not clean). I don't know why they're so different.
I go back and forth on Avant Garden and its cinematic universe (love that phrasing!) - I've had some great experiences and some decidedly average ones across the restaurants in that family (sometimes both at the same restaurant). But worth a try if the menus look good to you!
Yellow Rose came up in the wake of Superiority Burger and is kind of a similar deal but "Cosmic Texan" -- it's an omni restaurant. They have pretty good veg options (including vegan stuff, though there's more for vegetarians).
I have a real soft spot for Peacefood. I haven't been in a while, so not sure how it's holding up, but their chickpea fries are in my top 10 favorite foods.
If you find yourself going to the Transit Museum or anything else in downtown Brooklyn (sorry for not following directions, hopefully I've provided enough ideas above to get away with this one!), take yourself to Next Stop Vegan and get a patacon chimi.
posted by snaw at 5:02 PM on March 15, 2024
I'll add ABCv as another high-end splurge option. It's a little less creative than Dirt Candy but I actually like the food better. It is a little on the GOOP-y end of the spectrum, but you'll be able to tell if you can roll with it from looking at the menu.
Also on the more expensive end of things and one block out of your range (it's on 32nd street), Hangawi is a really lovely vegetarian Korean restaurant. It has a sister restaurant called Franchia that is gross (bad food and not clean). I don't know why they're so different.
I go back and forth on Avant Garden and its cinematic universe (love that phrasing!) - I've had some great experiences and some decidedly average ones across the restaurants in that family (sometimes both at the same restaurant). But worth a try if the menus look good to you!
Yellow Rose came up in the wake of Superiority Burger and is kind of a similar deal but "Cosmic Texan" -- it's an omni restaurant. They have pretty good veg options (including vegan stuff, though there's more for vegetarians).
I have a real soft spot for Peacefood. I haven't been in a while, so not sure how it's holding up, but their chickpea fries are in my top 10 favorite foods.
If you find yourself going to the Transit Museum or anything else in downtown Brooklyn (sorry for not following directions, hopefully I've provided enough ideas above to get away with this one!), take yourself to Next Stop Vegan and get a patacon chimi.
posted by snaw at 5:02 PM on March 15, 2024
If you like Indian, the "Curry Hill" area (around Lexington and 28th) may be your friend here, esp the vegetarian South Indian places.
posted by mirepoix at 9:20 AM on March 16, 2024
posted by mirepoix at 9:20 AM on March 16, 2024
Best answer: On the Lower East Side, so a little south of Houston, but not too far -- Dirty Candy. It's $$$ though. But if you want to splurge.
On the other hand, if you want something very cheap (but iconic) -- Punjabi Grocery & Deli on East 1st, but basically on Houston.
posted by virve at 10:55 AM on March 16, 2024
On the other hand, if you want something very cheap (but iconic) -- Punjabi Grocery & Deli on East 1st, but basically on Houston.
posted by virve at 10:55 AM on March 16, 2024
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Kopitiam (Malaysian), not far from May Kaidee, is quite popular. They're not all-vegetarian but they have enough such dishes to have a set vegetarian menu.
Xi'an Famous has, at least, a vegetarian noodle dish with seitan.
posted by praemunire at 7:46 AM on March 15, 2024 [1 favorite]