With famous names from Beyoncé to Bill Clinton adopting a plant-based diet, veganism has become increasingly high profile and the options available are ever more creative and delicious.
From Michelin Star-awarded restaurants to exquisitely flavored street food, a vibrant and delicious vegan scene is thriving in cities worldwide. Wherever your travels take you this year, there’s never been a better time to treat your taste buds to delicious plant-based dining.
Around the world, chefs are creating menus where vegetables are the star. At Geranium in Copenhagen (awarded “World’s Best Restaurant” in 2022), Rasmus Kofoed has forsaken meat in favor of seasonal, foraged ingredients like wood sorrel, cloudberries, and forest mushrooms. In London, Alexis Gauthier is applying classical French techniques to plant-based ingredients at Gauthier Soho (Google his viral recipe for “faux gras” packed with earthy walnuts, beetroot, and mushrooms). Lamdre in Beijing is winning rave reviews (and a Michelin Star) for chef Dai Jun’s seasonal vegetarian and vegan cuisine. Dai’s signature dish is handmade tofu in an umami-rich matsutake mushroom and seaweed broth served with house-brewed soy sauce. The restaurant also serves organic and natural wines with its menu.
In New York City, pioneering chef and restaurateur Jean-Georges Vongerichten opened his first plantfocused restaurant, abcV, at East 19th Street eight years ago. He has since opened a second location within his Tin Building food hall, focusing solely on plant-based and vegan dishes, and last spring/summer, added an exquisite plant-led outdoor dining restaurant at The Mark on Madison Avenue.
Wherever your travels take you this year, there’s never been a better time to treat your taste buds to delicious plant-based dining
At the other end of Madison Avenue, Eleven Madison Park is the world’s first plant-based restaurant to win three Michelin Stars, after chef Daniel Humm took meat off the menu in 2021. “There’s nothing like Eleven Madison Park for high-end vegan,” says founder of Vegansbaby.com, Diana Edelman. “From walking into the Art Deco-style room until you leave with a gift of house-made granola, the experience is impeccable.” Daniel recently opened intimate cocktail lounge Clemente Bar above his restaurant, which offers an enticing range of inventive, world-class cocktails and plant-based canapés.
Meanwhile, Diana also rates the “exquisite” vegan tasting menu (order ahead at La Colombe in Cape Town, regularly voted one of the world’s top restaurants. “One of the most memorable dishes is a Thai soup served in a burnt, hollowed-out passion fruit. Sublime.”
International Vegan Culture
Most major global cities have a thriving vegan scene. Berlin, London, Los Angeles, New York City, and Singapore probably won’t surprise you. But how about Paris? The French capital is home to plenty of plant-based spots, including beloved bistro Le Potager du Marais, and cult vegan bakeries like Land & Monkeys and VG Pâtisserie saying “non, merci” to butter. I was also surprised to discover the thriving vegan scene in Buenos Aires – airy organic cafés and pizzerias jostling for competition with the Argentine capital’s smoky parrillas (a type of BBQ).
Of course, joy can also be found in seeking international food cultures full of naturally vegan ingredients. Indian food is known for its rich vegetable curries, creamy lentil dahls, and crisp pakoras. “My family is vegetarian and most of the dishes we make are vegan by default,” says vegan chef, author, and Food Network champion Priyanka Naik. “One of my favorite dishes is thalipeeth, chickpea-flour pancakes filled with green chili and spices, and fried until crisp. It’s eaten with a fresh coconut green chutney. The flavor combination is so satisfying.”
“The biggest misconception about vegan fine dining is that it’s bland. This couldn’t be further from the truth”
L.A.-based food and travel YouTuber Eunice Reyes says, “One of my favorite cuisines is Levantine, from countries such as Egypt, Israel, Lebanon, Palestine, Syria, and Turkey. I love the bold flavors in naturally vegan dishes like muhammara [roasted red pepper dip], mutabal [eggplant dip], Lebanese fried cauliflower, tabbouleh, and hummus.”
Alicia Kennedy is an acclaimed food writer and author of No Meat Required: The Cultural History & Culinary Future of Plant-Based Eating. She splits her time between New York City and Puerto Rico. “Puerto Rican food is really exciting when the meat is removed,” she says. “I love making bean-based empanadas, fried plantains, and rice with pigeon peas that all really have the spirit of the local cuisine without the meat.”
Since 2014, millions of people worldwide have signed up for Veganuary, a U.K.-based non-profit initiative that encourages people to go vegan for the first month of the year. In 2024, it attracted a remarkable 25 million participants. Organizers are aiming for even higher numbers in 2025, especially as Veganuary becomes better known in the United States.
If you’re tempted to try Veganuary for the first time this year, or even just to add more vegan food to your diet, it’s worth exploring the full range of rich, plant-based offerings from pioneering cooks and cuisines across the world. “The biggest misconception about vegan fine dining is that it’s bland,” says Diana Edelman. “This couldn’t be further from the truth. The chefs I work with showcase their talents by executing dishes with layers of flavor and textures. It’s molecular gastronomy and creativity at their finest.”