Whether you’re a devotee of Meatless Mondays, consider yourself an ovo-lacto vegetarian, or adhere to strict veganism, the SoHo area offers a delightful array of veggie-forward restaurants to suit your needs. Here’s a peek at what you can find on their menus right now.
98 Kenmare St. between Mulberry Street and Cleveland Place
The Veggie Burger at Spring Natural (Image: Wendy/Flickr)
Established in 1973 — before descriptors like farm-to-table were all the rage — Spring Natural has proudly served delicious healthy and organic foods for over four decades. Open for brunch, lunch, and dinner, their menu is diverse, featuring offerings for both vegans and carnivores, as well as plentiful gluten-free options. For dinner, you can’t go wrong with the veggie burger with a house-made almond-veggie patty or the roasted vegetable mac ‘n’ cheese, with three non-dairy “cheeses.”
19 Kenmare St. at Elizabeth Street
Head a bit further along Kenmare and arrive at the NoLiTa outpost of The Butcher’s Daughter, a plant-based restaurant that bills itself as a “vegetable slaughterhouse.” Serving breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, they chop, fillet and carve fresh produce into vegetarian dishes and press them into tasty juices. Their menu is completely vegetarian, and many selections are gluten-free and vegan. For lunch, look for the protein bowl with green and yellow lentils, roasted mixed vegetables, avocado, and house-made hummus. And their Hangover Killer juice blend — with Thai coconut, chili and evening primrose oil — might be just what the doctor ordered after a night out. The Butcher’s Daughter has a second NYC location in the West Village and a strong Los Angeles presence for your next visit to the West coast.
527 Broome St. between Thompson and Sullivan Streets
Chalk Point Kitchen’s Opening Consulting Chef Joe Isidori (Image: Manuela Oprea/Flickr)
This 60-seat market-to-table establishment boasts ingredients culled strictly from the tristate area. Stop in for weekend brunch and enjoy the warm ancient grain porridge, starring quinoa, amaranth, and teff. For dinner, dig into the roasted Delicata squash and admire the long list of “vegetables to share.” And don’t skip the cocktail selection; with entries like the Kale Martini and the Carrot Ginger Margarita, it’s veggie heaven!
210 Sixth Ave. at Prince Street
Souen Soho (Image: Noah Sussman/Flickr)
Based on the principles of Zen Buddhism and the concept of balancing yin and yang, a macrobiotic diet focuses on locally grown foods, minimal animal products, and moderation. The health-conscious team at the Japanese macrobiotic haven Souen have offered New Yorkers simply and naturally prepared food for more than 45 years. You won’t find any chemicals, preservatives, mea,t or dairy products in their kitchen, and they employ traditional food preparation tactics whenever possible. On the menu, look for broiled tofu okabe topped with a thick sesame paste and served with steamed vegetables, or the vegetable curry filled with broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, squash, and mushrooms.
380 Broome St. between Mulberry and Mott streets
With locations in NoLiTa and Cobble Hill, this pan-Asian, vegan hot spot is filling the tummies of veggie-centric New Yorkers on both sides of the East River. On the menu you’ll find all of your Asian favorites — tempura, curries, noodles, and so on — sans their meaty ingredients. Don’t you dare skip dessert — the peanut butter bomb landed on Gothamist’s “9 Best Vegan Dishes in NYC” list.
45 Spring St. at Mulberry Street
Taïm (Image: tomcensani/Flickr)
Taïm means delicious in Hebrew, and this casual counter restaurant has more than earned the demanding moniker. Using traditional Middle Eastern recipes with a gourmet twist and sourcing only local ingredients, husband and wife owners Chef Einat Admony and Stefan Nafziger launched the falafel and smoothie outpost to satisfy their cravings for their Tel Aviv street food favorites. The falafel is gluten-free and fried to order, the platters are varied and plentiful, and smoothies are the icing on the cake. Taïm!