Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurants in New York City
- GSS Staff
- Oct 14
- 3 min read
New York’s restaurant scene no longer sees “healthy” as a side note. Across boroughs and cuisines, chefs are reimagining vegetables, grains, and ancient cooking traditions through the lens of balance and design. Whether inspired by Ayurveda, the Mediterranean diet, or modern sustainability, these kitchens elevate wellness into something indulgent — colorful, comforting, and deeply cultural.
These are the restaurants leading that evolution — vegetarian-friendly, globally influenced, and recognized by the Michelin Guide, Food & Wine, or Eater NY as some of the city’s most thoughtful dining experiences.
🌿 Semma — Greenwich Village
A Michelin-starred South Indian restaurant where Chef Vijay Kumar brings traditional Tamil Nadu recipes to new heights. Nearly half the menu is vegetarian — from gunpowder dosas to urulai roast potatoes — all rooted in regional authenticity and spice as medicine.
🌿 Divya’s Kitchen — East Village
An East Village sanctuary of Ayurvedic dining, Divya’s Kitchen translates India’s healing food philosophy into modern plates — kitchari, saffron rice pudding, lentil stew. Everything is cooked fresh for balance of taste and energy.
🌿 Ras Plant-Based — Crown Heights, Brooklyn
Michelin Bib Gourmand winner Ras Plant-Based brings Ethiopian vegan cuisine to Brooklyn with vibrant spice blends, teff injera, and communal plates that feel celebratory. It’s wellness expressed through community, color, and comfort.
🌿 abc Kitchen — Flatiron
Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s abc Kitchen is a landmark of organic, market-driven dining. Though not fully vegetarian, over half its menu highlights seasonal vegetables and whole grains, all sourced locally. Its minimalist aesthetic mirrors its culinary purity.
🌿 Bodhi Kosher Vegetarian — Chinatown
A long-standing Michelin-listed favorite, Bodhi serves creative Chinese vegetarian fare — mock duck buns, dim sum, and lotus-root soups. It’s a quiet legend among NYC’s wellness-minded diners, where plant-based and tradition blend seamlessly.
🌿 Shukette — Chelsea
Named one of Food & Wine’s “Best New Restaurants in America,” Shukette brings modern Middle Eastern energy to Chelsea. Chef Ayesha Nurdjaja builds half her menu on charred vegetables, labneh, and tahini — joyful, bold, and full of life.
🌿 Haile Ethiopian Kitchen — East Village
Known for its warm service and injera platters, Haile Ethiopian Kitchen offers lentils, collards, and chickpeas spiced with balance — the kind of food that defines comfort across cultures. Listed by Eater NY as one of the best casual vegetarian-friendly meals in Manhattan.
🌿 Westville — Multiple Locations
A New York institution with locations across the city, Westville has long been the go-to for clean, vibrant vegetable plates and market specials. While omnivore-friendly, its wellness-driven simplicity makes it universally beloved.
🌿 Baar Baar — East Village
Chef Sujan Sarkar’s Baar Baar reinvents Indian small plates with an artful, global flair. Michelin-listed, its vegetarian options — beetroot chaat, paneer pinwheel, turmeric cauliflower — bridge ancient Indian flavors and New York design.
🌿 Spring Café Aspen — SoHo
Originally from Colorado, Spring Café Aspen brings organic, nutrient-rich meals to SoHo with avocado bowls, smoothies, and quinoa-based breakfasts. It’s a staple for those craving clean, energizing food after yoga or a long city walk.
From Michelin-starred tasting rooms to small cafés, New York’s vegetarian-friendly kitchens are rewriting the meaning of healthy dining. They prove that wellness is cultural — woven through spices, ingredients, and traditions that have nourished people for centuries. Whether it’s a soulful Ethiopian platter or a meticulously plated cauliflower steak, these tables show that eating well in New York is as much about intention as indulgence.
