For those whose diets tend to lean more towards fruits, veggies, and leafy greens, eating plant-based in NYC has (thankfully) never been easier! And as the vegan diet becomes more and more popular, restaurants are proving that they’ve really gotten the hang of this whole plant-based thing, offering way more than just veggie burgers and side salads.
In fact, us New Yorkers aren’t the only ones noticing how vegan-friendly NYC is. HappyCow, a public service that assists people everywhere with finding plant-based and vegan options, compiled a list of the Top 10 Vegan-Friendly Cities In The World, and they’re happily reporting that vegan business growth has seen an increase since the last time they released the list which was pre-pandemic 2019.
Since the company’s last report three years ago, there have been some significant changes–some new locations made the list while others have fallen back slightly. But, despite the setbacks the vegan community, and the entire restaurant industry, has faced in recent years, there are more vegan restaurants and businesses in the world today than ever before!
To determine the top 10 vegan cities, certain criteria was taken into account, including:
- The number of fully vegan restaurants within a 10km radius from the city center
- The number of fully vegan businesses (including shops, bakeries, etc.)
- The number of all restaurants (vegan, vegetarian, veg-friendly) listed on HappyCow in the radius
- The density of vegan businesses per capita
- The growth of vegan businesses since HappyCow’s last report
- Qualitative evaluation such as how easy it is to find vegan options, how well veganism is understood, and how active the vegan community is
According to the study, New York City is the third most vegan-friendly city in the world!
With its incredibly diverse variety of cuisines, New York is considered by many to be the international food capital of the world. New York’s vegan scene continues to flourish, boasting 170 vegan restaurants in a 10km radius of the city.
Standout vegan-friendly restaurants the study mentions include:
- Coletta, for authentic vegan pizza and Italian cuisine
- May Kaidee, for Thai
- Aunts et Uncles, for Caribbean-influenced drinks and light bites
- Ras Plant Based, for unique and delicious Ethiopian classics
- Spicy Moon, for Szechuan themed noodles and dumplings
- Among many others
And more and more new vegan spots continue to open up across the city, such as the TikTok sensation Cloudy Donut and Atlanta’s beloved vegan burger chain Slutty Vegan.
Which is the most vegan-friendly city in the world, you ask? Well, London came in at the number one spot, having being the first city on HappyCow to surpass 200 completely vegan restaurants in 2022 and over 400 fully vegan establishments all in all.
Other cities that made the list include Berlin, Melbourne, Singapore, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Barcelona.