10 Great Cities for Vegan and Vegetarian Foodies

While most major international cities are somewhat vegan and vegetarian-friendly, others stand out due to the vast number of offerings they have for herbivores.

From the farmers markets of Portland, Oregon to the food courts of Singapore, meatless dishes are widely available in some cities. These metropolises pride themselves on the variety and quality of the vegan and vegetarian options they offer.

Here are 10 cities that have distinguished themselves as particularly friendly to vegan and vegetarian foodies.

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Portland, Oregon

Close-up of farmer's market stand wiht baskets of carrots, eggplant, and red, green, and yellow peppers on a sunny day — Dee / Getty Images

Portland is one of America’s most vegan and vegetarian-friendly places. The hip Oregon metropolis often makes PETA's list of the best cities for vegans.

The city has some of the most impressive farmers markets on the West Coast and a huge food cart scene. Many of these mobile kitchens offer vegan and vegetarian options, and almost all have at least one meatless dish on their menu. Best of all, Portland has fast-casual vegan and vegetarian cuisine that is affordable.

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Berlin, Germany

Several clear glass cases with six shelves (each) of vegan and vegetarian foods at Berlin grocery store Veganz — Josefine Stenudd / Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain

Though widely known for its meat-heavy dishes like bratwurst and eisbein, this German capital has also become a vegan and vegetarian hotspot.

Berlin has a vegan grocery store chain (Veganz) and an all-vegan street (Schivelbeiner Strasse) that features not just food but retail outlets with only plant-based products. Berlin’s vegetarian scene continues to grow and features hundreds of restaurants that cater to vegans and vegetarians.

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Tokyo, Japan

Japan is a paradise for pescatarians, but it also offers options for those who want to go completely meatless. Vegan and vegetarian dishes are plentiful in Japanese cuisine. Vegetarian ramen, meat-free bowls, vegan desserts, and other plant-based foods are becoming more commonplace throughout Tokyo.

The popularity of vegan and vegetarian eating has spread beyond food halls and restaurants. A Tokyo government cafeteria and a university have made specific days of the week vegan-only and have added vegan and vegetarian items to their menus.

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New York City, New York

Vegetarian bowl with avocado, pumpkin, lentil, and pomegranate in a white bowl with a round pita bread on the side and a fork and spoon to the left of the bowl on a blue table — Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

The Big Apple is one of the best cities in the world for vegan and vegetarian food lovers. This fits with the city’s melting-pot image: The mixture of authentic ethnic eateries offering meatless dishes and specialty vegetarian restaurants across the price spectrum creates extensive choices for foodies.

Beyond the pricey restaurants of Manhattan, there is plenty of food cart vegan and vegetarian options available. The vegan scene in New York is always evolving, with existing restaurants going entirely plant-based and additional vegan venues opening.

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Tel Aviv, Israel

A Kosher falafel in a pocket pita with cucumber and tomato slices served in a silver bowl lined with a paper menu — by IAISI / Getty Images

With its large population of vegans and vegetarians, it is no surprise that Tel Aviv is one of the great cities in the world for meatless dining. From chain restaurants to local cafes, most restaurants have plentiful options for vegan and vegetarian diners.

The sunny climate is ideal for growing produce, so a lot of what is served and sold is locally grown. It is easy to self-cater while staying in Tel Aviv by just walking to the local street market and buying fresh produce. Falafel, salad, vegan pizza, pasta, and that Middle Eastern favorite, hummus, are all among the vegetarian-friendly offerings in this Mediterranean city.

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Taipei, Taiwan

Fresh fruit, including pineapple, melon, and coconut, on crushed ice at an outdoor night market in Taiwan — thanasus / Getty Images

While it's not a meatless metropolis, you'll find plenty of tofu in Taiwan’s night markets and mock meats on many restaurants’ menus. Taipei is one of the most diverse vegetarian cities in Asia. Both Taoist and Buddhist restaurants offer vegetarian cuisine, and the Taiwanese capital has vegetarian buffets and fine dining restaurants that have multi-course meatless meals.

Freshness is prized in Taipei, so if you choose, you can skip the prepared foods and purchase raw ingredients. Fruit stalls are a frequent sight all over the city. They have plenty of produce varieties, including some that are unavailable in the West.

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Los Angeles, California

Overhead view of a small, round wood table with a white plate with blue trim filled with a large serving of avocado toast with a green side salad next to a mug of black coffee with salt and pepper shakers and a knife and fork on a napkin — Alexander Spatari / Getty Images

Los Angeles, an early adopter of vegetarian and vegan cuisine, has an abundance of choices for foodies. This southern California city has a regular supply of new vegan restaurants and organic juice bars opening. Like New York City and Berlin, chefs in the City of Angels want to create vegan and vegetarian food that is on par with meat dishes in terms of quality and creativity.

From vegan bakeries to plant-based burgers, Los Angeles has plentiful creative menu options for meatless foodies.

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London, England

Close up image of boxes of vegetarian food for sale on a market stall at Borough Market, a famous food market in central London, UK. In the foreground a brown cardboard box is attractively filled with falafel balls, red cabbage and tomato, beyond this are wraps filled with falafel, tomato and red cabbage. — coldsnowstorm / Getty Images

London has a long history of vegetarianism. The vegetarian society was formed in England in 1847, and today a plethora of creative eateries make this one of Europe’s top destinations for meatless eating and plant-based cuisine.

Options in England’s capital range from vegan small plates to Indian fine dining restaurants to casual curry shops to haute cuisine to vegan burger joints. Some venues that cater to carnivores have separate vegan menus and others have embraced the idea of offering vegetarian alternatives to English classics.

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Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India

close up of a wood table covered with a navy blue and white runner with a silver platter filled with vegetarian samosas and a small white plate with a spoon and 3 silver ramekins filled with onion-tomato chutney, mint-coriander chutney, and tamarind sauce for dipping — viennetta / Getty Images

Vegetarianism is widely practiced in India but varies by region. According to a 2021 Pew Research survey, 39% of adults in India consider themselves vegetarian. In western India in the Gujarat region, the percentage is higher.

Thalis, large circular platters filled with many small dishes, are popular here, making it easy to try different vegetarian flavors at the same meal. Being vegan in India is another story. Dairy and ghee are commonly used in Indian dishes; however, restaurants and street vendors offer tasty substitutions to turn curry and paneer into delicious vegan meals.

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Singapore

overhead view of a wood table with four plates of vegetarian dishes; a white and pink fruit plate with pineapple and an orange, one square and one round bowl of vegetarian spreads, and one bread tray with two pieces of bread — kulliprashant / Getty Images

With a wide variety of vegan and vegetarian food options, this melting pot has become a favorite of foodies. Like many major international cities, this city-state offers local, sustainable, raw, organic, vegan, and gluten-free choices.

Street food in Singapore is particularly popular. From dumplings with mock meat to bak kut teh with tofu, a variety of vegan and vegetarian meals and snacks from around the world are sold in organized food courts known as "hawker centers" at a reasonable price.