A guide to visiting Toronto as a vegan

Roasted yams and avocado salad

Toronto boasts an impressive culinary scene and foodies visiting the city can enjoy dishes that come from all over the world. Through the waves of immigration that the city has experienced, new dishes arrived and now you can enjoy foods that originated from the Caribbean, South East Asia, China, Portugal, and other countries in Europe.

Toronto is a city that caters for all tastes and diets, and a diet that has become increasingly popular in recent years is a vegan one, which is the practice of eating only food not derived from animals and typically avoiding the use of other animal products.

If you follow a vegan diet, then you will be fully aware that it can be difficult knowing which restaurants to head to and what dishes to eat when you go on holiday. If you have booked flights to Toronto or are planning a trip to this iconic city, you will want to find out where the best vegan restaurants in Toronto are and will want to know about some popular dishes you can enjoy during your visit.

In this guide we take you through some of the best restaurants you can visit and some of the incredible dishes you can enjoy.

What are the best vegan restaurants in Toronto?

With a huge selection of vegan restaurants in Toronto, it can be difficult to choose one to head to. Here we take you through some of the best ones you can visit:

•Hogtown Vegan

•Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant

•Saigon Lotus

•La Bartola

•Bloomer’s

•Lady Marmalade

Hogtown Vegan

The Hogtown Vegan restaurant is located in Toronto’s west end, and it is making a reputation for being a must-visit for foodies. It is a great place to visit if you are looking for comfort food and is perfect if you want to share a meal with friends or a loved one.

Amy & Dan, who are the bloggers behind The Sunrise Dreamers, love Hogtown Vegan and they told us about their experience of eating there.

“We highly recommend Hogtown Vegan which is right around the corner from the popular Kensington Market. This fully vegan restaurant in Toronto serves an impressive range of veganized dishes including a Philly Cheez-steak, Mac N Cheeze and UnChicken with waffles. We fell in love with the food here and it’s definitely worth visiting if you’re in Toronto! There’s both indoor and outdoor seating to choose from and they’re open Thursday to Sunday serving dinner and brunch.

“We definitely recommend the UnChicken & Waffles if you’re looking for American-inspired food in Toronto. Hogtown Vegan has done a great job at creating a menu so vegans don’t miss out!”

See the menu here.

ALSO READ: Frequently Asked Questions About Toronto

Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant

One of Toronto’s first Asian vegan restaurants was Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant and today they remain one of the finest places to find vegan food anywhere in the city.

The restaurant’s aim is to serve tasty, healthy and plant-based cuisines as they aim to connect people to a compassionate and pleasant lifestyle.

Travel writers Amy & Dan, from The Sunrise Dreamers blog, highly recommend trying the Ginger Veg Beef dish if you are visiting Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant.

“Another dish we’d recommend trying in Toronto is the Ginger Veg Beef at Buddha’s Vegan Restaurant. On the other side of Kensington Market, closer to China Town you’ll find another vegan restaurant in Toronto offering some of the best vegan Chinese food in the city.

“Finding vegan food in Toronto has never been easier, thanks to the amazing variety of vegan restaurants and ever-growing options in grocery stores. It’s amazing! Toronto is also home to one of the largest vegan festivals in North America – Vegandale! The best place to meet like-minded people and enjoy fully vegan food.”

See the menu here.

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Saigon Lotus

The Saigon Lotus restaurant is a favourite amongst locals and if you are looking for the best vegan restaurants to eat at in Toronto, then this should be high on your list.

You will be spoilt for choice when it comes to choosing the dish you want to eat as there are lots of amazing Vietnamese vegan dishes you can choose from.

Rebecca Gade Sawicki, the creator of the Veggies Abroad blog, told us a bit about why Toronto is a great place to visit for vegans and shared her experience of Saigon Lotus.

“Toronto is a vegan paradise — no matter what you’re craving, I know you’ll find it. From outrageous vegan donuts to bowls of gorgeous Vietnamese noodles and everything in between.

“Saigon Lotus serves amazing Vietnamese specialities. Go for one of their special vegan combos so you can try a little bit of everything.”

See the menu here.

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La Bartola

If you eat a vegan diet and you love Mexican food, La Bartola is the place to visit. At the restaurant, they use simple, fresh, and high-quality local & Mexican ingredients to craft delicious food.

If you eat here, you can expect a multi-sensory experience as every dish melds together different flavours, colours, and textures that will make you think you are eating at a restaurant in Mexico City. Diners can also enjoy Mezcal, cocktails, Mexican-style beer, and beer on tap.

Rebecca Gade Sawicki from the Veggies Abroad blog told us a bit about her experience of eating at this popular vegan restaurant: “La Bartola serves traditional Mexican cuisine with inspiration from Oaxaca. Try the rich while mole with their soft house-made tortillas — it’s out of this world.”

See the menu here.

ALSO READ: A guide to Toronto’s neighbourhoods

Bloomer’s

Although not necessarily a restaurant, this beloved Toronto-based vegan bakery had to feature in our list of spots to eat at. It’s a family-run business that has been running since 2014 and is now found at three locations across the city: Queen St W, Bloor St W, and Bayview Village.

Bloomer’s is famed for its doughnuts and there is a huge selection that you can choose from with so many different flavours to enjoy. From traditional doughnuts with fillings such as raspberry and strawberry to Canadian maple, Biscoff cheesecake, cookies & cream and chocolate dip, maple walnut, and cinnamon sugar. There are even doughnuts with tea-flavoured fillings like chai, London fog and matcha.

Bloomer’s is a popular choice amongst locals and visitors alike, and something that Rebecca Gade Sawicki recommends, in general, is to plan where you want to go ahead of time.

“One last suggestion for visitors, plan where you want to go ahead of time because the massive number of options can be overwhelming (but absolutely delicious).

“Bloomer for those outrageous vegan donuts that I mentioned! They have a daily selection of awesome flavours from birthday cake to Boston Cream along with gluten-free sweets.”

See the menu here.

ALSO READ: Things you didn’t know about Toronto

Lady Marmalade

Lady Marmalade is a hugely popular spot for brunch and has been serving the most sought-after vegan and non-vegan breakfasts since 2009.

Husband and wife owners David and Natalia Cherry brought their B.C. brunch recipes to Toronto, and since then people have been lined up down the street, so you will need to make sure you book a table in advance.

On the menu, there are sweet and savoury brunch favourites, and they serve a Mexican-inspired lunch menu which is served all day. It’s no surprise that Lady Marmalade is ranked among one of the most popular vegan restaurants in Toronto.

See the menu here.

This article takes a look at some of the best vegan restaurants and places to eat in Toronto and hopefully gives you an idea of some of the dishes you can enjoy too. If you have already booked a Toronto city break or you would like to, then contact one of our experts today!

For more tips, guides, and advice, make sure to visit our blog.