Best Vegetarian Restaurants in Toronto

Published by: BouncePosted

The capital of Ontario’s multicultural diversity has significantly contributed to Toronto’s dynamic and varied food scene. It’s a dream city for food lovers, with more than 7,500 restaurants and eateries across 158 neighborhoods. Its culinary delights know no boundary, giving locals and visitors extraordinary dining experiences.

Most of the restaurants in Toronto comprise different international cuisines. So no matter what dish you miss from home, you’ll likely find it among the kitchens in the city. And as a home to North America’s largest Vegetarian Food Festival, expect to discover countless vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Toronto. Each vegetarian diner highlights natural flavors and high-quality, fresh ingredients without meat or animal products.

Try the ultimate vegan fried chicken sandwiches or spicy black bean vegan burger at the best vegetarian restaurants in Toronto. You can also find an independently owned vegetarian restaurant serving internationally inspired vegetarian food. Everything is 100% plant-based and healthier without sacrificing taste and flavor. From breakfast and lunch to dinner and everything in between, you’ll undoubtedly find the best veggie dining experience in the city.

But before booking a table at one of its celebrated vegetarian and vegan restaurants, it’s best to store your bags at a luggage storage facility in Toronto. It’s the best place to keep your belongings and enjoy hassle-free dining.

Fresh Restaurants

What it's like:

It can be frustrating to go to a restaurant and find limited vegan food. But that’s not the case with Fresh Restaurants. This spot offers an extensive menu of vegetarian and vegan dishes to satisfy your cravings and made-to-order juices for your refreshment. It’s a lively eatery with an open patio in various locations in Toronto.

Our recommendation:

The brunch menu here is available for dine-in only on the weekends. You can enjoy avocado grilled cheese with plant-based cheddar, green eggs burrito, and almond butter French toast. There are also gluten-free options and fresh favorites, including wraps, burgers, tacos, and fresh bowls.

No matter which branch of Fresh Restaurants you visit, you’ll always find it bursting with people. You need to make a reservation to secure a spot, and seating is limited to an hour and a half.

Location:

147 Spadina Avenue is where you'll find Fresh Spadina.

Evviva

What it's like:

Featuring a laid-back atmosphere with plushy seats, Evviva is a perfect breakfast and lunch restaurant that’s open to serve you from 7 in the morning. It boasts preservative-free and fresh breakfast dishes, a massive vegan brunch menu, and signature brunch cocktails in a warm and cheerful setting.

Located in Vaughan and downtown Toronto, Evviva is close to several city attractions, including the CN Tower, Ripley’s Aquarium, the Convention Center, and more. It’s an excellent place for business lunches, coffee breaks, and special occasions.

Our recommendation:

Although it’s not one of the dedicated vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Toronto, it has a good menu of vegan food you can enjoy. Try their vegan hot chocolate or vegan latte with fluffy vegan pancake or maple waffle to fuel your energy in the morning.

Location:

25 Lower Simcoe St. downtown

Odd Burger

What it's like:

Head to Little Italy in College Street, Toronto, and you’ll find a prominent vegan fast food restaurant. Formerly known as Globally Local, Odd Burger once made a headline for being the first 24-hour vegan drive-thru in the world. It currently has several locations in Canada, including another one on Dufferin Street in Vaughan.

Our recommendation:

Come with an empty stomach and try their ‘famous burger.’ It’s the burger that made the restaurant legendary, featuring house-made patties made from chickpeas, breadcrumbs, onions, flax seeds, and soy sauce for an ultimate fast food experience.

Location:

492 College St.

Greens Vegetarian Restaurant

What it's like:

Located in Chinatown, the Greens Vegetarian Restaurant is exactly as the name suggests: a restaurant for vegetarians in Toronto. This dedicated vegetarian restaurant offers Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai vegetarian dishes. So if you’re a fan of Asian cuisine and want to stay away from meat, this is indeed a restaurant worth considering.

This restaurant underwent recent renovations, giving it a more modern vibe. The walls are lined with decorative and well-lit bricks, large landscape art pieces, and large green pot plants to match the restaurant's “Green” theme. The opening times are every day except Wednesdays.

Our recommendation:

The menu consists of appetizers, such as spring rolls and various salads, soups, noodles, rice meals, and ice cream for dessert. Beverages are also available, with soya milk and bubble tea variations on the menu. Everything is tasty.

Location:

638 Dundas St W.

Buddha's Vegan Restaurant

What it's like:

Also located in Chinatown and situated right next to the Greens Vegetarian Restaurant, the Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant should be on your list of dine-in options. Although it’s not as modern inside and a little smaller in space than the Greens, this is still a great place for non-meat lovers, particularly vegans. In fact, this restaurant is considered one of Toronto’s low-key hidden gems.

Our recommendation:

As you can figure from the name, Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant offers plant-based Chinese dishes since veganism doesn’t allow the use of any animal products, including meat. However, this restaurant does serve mock or imitation meat, which is food that looks like meat made from animal-free ingredients. On the menu, you can find appetizers such as dumplings and tofu, soups, noodles, rice combinations, and vegetable dishes.

Location:

666 Dundas St W.

Rosalinda Restaurant

What it's like:

Closer to downtown Toronto than Chinatown, Rosalinda Restaurant is an upscale restaurant offering vegan or plant-based meals. If vegan is your go-to food, but you want a classy place, then this is definitely a must-go-to restaurant.

As one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto, Rosalinda Restaurant tends to be busy at times, so calling in advance to book a seat is recommended. You can also order takeout from 12-9 pm every Thursday through Friday and 4-9 pm on Saturdays.

Our recommendation:

The entire restaurant is adorned with green plants hanging from the ceiling and decoratively placed on walls and tables, thus matching its plant-based restaurant theme. The unique thing about this place is the wide variety of drinks you can order from the bar, from classy white and red wines to cocktails and margaritas. As for the food, almost every item on the menu is gluten-free. You can even order vegan tacos and burgers. For desserts, churros are a very popular choice.

Location:

133 Richmond St W.

Vegan Danish Bakery

What it's like:

Are you craving dessert while exploring the top tourist sights and attractions around the city center? If so, stop by Vegan Danish Bakery for delicious vegan cakes, pastries, cupcakes, and lunch options. It has two locations: one in Thornhill and another on Queen Street West, a hub of the city’s best cafés, restaurants, and shops. You’ll immediately notice its welcoming and relaxed atmosphere, no matter which site you visit.

Our recommendation:

You can order vegan birthday cakes in different flavors and cheesecakes of up to 20 slices. There are also vegan ice cream sundaes, such as tiramisu, affogato, and salted caramel pecan cashew ice cream. Come in the summer months, and you’ll find more options, including soft serve sundaes and strawberry shortcake sundaes.

Try the vegan pizza swirl, vegan tuna sandwich, or bagel for lunch. You might also like the empanada, a pastry with vegan ground beef fillings and Argentinian seasoning with Chimichurri sauce.

Location:

1312 Queen St W.

The Hogtown Vegan on College

What it's like:

Hogtown Vegan should be on your must-visit list if you want to check out one of the best vegan restaurants in Toronto for the first time. It’s on College Street in downtown Toronto, close to many top-rated tourist attractions in the city.

It can be challenging to find a time when it’s not packed with hungry customers. So make sure to get there early to enjoy their delicious vegan food products. This restaurant currently doesn’t take reservations, but you can order delivery online from its storefront site.

Our recommendation:

Those still skeptical about vegan food should try its soy pork nachos, vegan breakfast sandwiches, quesadilla, crispy fried soy wings, and the best vegan mac ‘n cheez topped with bread crumbs. You’ll love its no-frills vegan comfort food you can have every day, from brunch to dinner. Everything is reasonably priced, allowing you to savor amazingly flavorful vegan dishes without hurting your bank account.

Location:

382 College St.

Pizzeria Libretto

What it's like:

Pizzeria Libretto is a true pizza lover’s paradise in the bustling city of Toronto. With several locations in the city, there’s no excuse not to taste its tasty, chef-inspired Neapolitan pizza. Throughout the years, this vegan pizza restaurant has expanded and evolved its menus to incorporate new cooking styles and ingredients.

Our recommendation:

Besides offering authentic Neapolitan pizza, Pizzeria Libretto provides gluten-free, vegetarian, and vegan pizzas. It substitutes cheese with its house-made vegan for di latte and wheat-based crust with blistered gluten-free alternatives.

If you can’t go to any of their locations, you can opt for the delivery option by ordering online or via an app. Apart from their regular menu, they can also provide a selection of frozen pizza you can reheat at home and family-style feasts for large groups.

Location:

Try the location at 5000 Yonge St.

Annapurna Vegetarian Restaurant

What it's like:

Established in 1974, Annapurna is one of the oldest vegetarian restaurants in Toronto. Its hospitable staff will welcome you, providing terrific customer service in a serene setting and lovely décor ideal for casual meetings or catching up with friends. If you love Indian food and vegetarian cuisine, it’s the perfect dining spot for you.

Our recommendation:

Although Annapurna isn’t entirely vegan, it’s a vegan-friendly Indian restaurant featuring vegan and gluten-free South Indian options. These include potato masala, sambar, pain dosai, and bonda. There are also vegetable and tofu dishes, fresh salads, and sandwiches for a quick bite while touring the city. For dessert, try a slice of vegan chocolate tofu mousse pie or vegan carrot-spice cake.

Annapurna is a vegetarian Indian restaurant located at Bathurst Street, south of Dupont. It’s an easy access to some major highways and is only minutes from the downtown district.

Location:

1085 Bathurst St.

One Love Vegetarian

What it's like:

Say goodbye to flavorless and boring vegetarian food at One Love Vegetarian. This restaurant has taken plant-based dishes to the next level by serving Caribbean-inspired vegetarian food for visitors and Torontonians. Even if you’re not familiar with this restaurant, it’s definitely hard to miss if you’re walking along Bathurst Street due to its brightly-painted exterior.

Our recommendation:

For first-time visitors, try one of their signature dishes. Pick from BBQ tofu stir fry, curries, callaloo Jamaican greens, and One Love corn soup, perfect on a chilly rainy day. Its rice combos are satisfying, especially when paired with refreshing beverages, such as brewed Jamaican ginger beer, strawberry lemonade, organic raspberry lemonade, and other fruity lemonades.

One Love Vegetarian is also a vegan Caribbean restaurant in downtown Toronto. It only has a small dining area, so many customers pick up food for taking-out instead. It’s a great option for those dining with groups or family.

Location:

854 Bathurst St.

Bolt Fresh Bar

What it's like:

After exploring the city, walking along the narrow streets, and discovering its hidden gems, you’ll need a quick meal to recharge and replenish your energy. If you’re vegetarian, you might find it tricky to locate a diner that provides fast and delicious food that matches your dietary requirements.

Bolt Fresh Bar is your one-stop destination for quick service vegetarian dishes. It emphasizes whole, nutritionally dense food that’s easy and convenient to eat on the go but still delicious and enjoyable. This goal led to its outstanding menu of fresh wholesome food, including salads, smoothies, and bowls for breakfast and lunch.

Our recommendation:

Bolt takes pride in its welcoming and friendly environment designed to make food simple to eat while remaining tasty and nourishing. It’s located on Queen Street West, and we recommend the fabulous grain bowls, fresh juices, and organic salads that are made to order.

Location:

1170 Queen St. W.

Vegetarian and Vegan Restaurants in Toronto

It's not hard to be healthy in Toronto with the countless vegan and vegetarian restaurants throughout the city. Some are only a stone's throw away from each other, while others are located close to various famous sites and attractions. Whether you’re a curious carnivore, part-time vegetarian, or mostly vegan, you’ll find a perfect dining spot in Toronto that will appease even the pickiest eater.

Did you enjoy this article? Check out these other guides about Toronto:

3 Days in Toronto: Everything You Should Know
The Best Time to Visit Toronto 2022: the Ultimate Guide
Unmissable Things To Do In Toronto At Night

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