We’re marking World Vegetarian Day with a list of veggie-friendly restaurants around the world that boast rave reviews from you. From Beijing to Boston, IgoUgoers pick the go-to places for going beyond broccoli.
Boston: Buddha’s Delight
Beantown-based notso62 says it’s worth exploring the “seedier” side of Chinatown to get to Buddha’s “phenomenal” all-veggie buffet. The “piping hot and fresh” Asian dishes are “well worth the trip and the search for this restaurant.”
Washington, D.C.: Primi Piatti
“This gem on the edge of Georgetown in Foggy Bottom” won over jphil with its grilled salmon and side of “vegetarian delight.” Or was it the “delicious” tiramisu? Either way, everything on the menu is “delectable.”
Bilbao: Ortua
Owen Lipsett found a wide variety of things to praise at Spain’s Ortua, despite its extreme niche appeal as a “lunchtime-only vegetarian restaurant offering a set menu.” The food is so delicious, he says, that even carnivores will approve, and “if you’re a vegetarian, eating at Ortua should be an essential part of any visit to Bilbao!”
Amsterdam: Green Planet
“As someone who enjoys meat and seafood immensely,” Jim Rosenberg admits, “I was skeptical of how satisfied I could truly be with a totally vegetarian menu.” As it turns out, he needn’t have worried; the “simple elegance” of this “come-as-you-are place”—not to mention the “creatively prepared, well-presented, and delicious” food—was vegetarian dining “at its very finest.”
London: Food for Thought
Constance and justinef both recommend this “popular” eat-in-or-take-out restaurant. More specifically, they encourage trying the “more adventurous” main courses and, for dessert, “smush.”
San Francisco: Millennium
There’s no shortage of vegetarian restaurants in San Fran, but both normanite and aburchett settled on the same favorite. “This place is a dream,” they say, and “dispels the notion that eating vegetarian is bland and boring.” From the plantain torte to the porcini purse to the chili-spiced chocolate brownie, the offerings are delicious—and “dedicated to sustainable agriculture.” Lucky for us, these members’ photos are just as mouthwatering as their descriptions.
Paris: Le Grenier de Nôtre Dame
Despite his carnivore leanings, Jim Rosenberg didn’t limit his flirtation with vegetarian cuisine to Amsterdam. In the “intimate upstairs dining room” of this Paris spot, he “couldn't find anything that wasn't surprisingly good.” He heartily recommends it with a “Bon Appetit!”
Tucson: Casa Tierra
“A full, three-course, vegetarian gourmet breakfast” was just the thing to start wanderluster’s day in the desert. She was impressed by the variety of the spread at this B&B, which ranged from Mexican egg lasagna to cream-cheese-layered French toast with prickly pear syrup. Complementing the “scrumptious “ sweet-and-savory breakfasts is a “divine” setting that allows guests to “overlook a cactus garden.”
Athens: Eden
For “delicious” Greek staples, including tzatziki and hummus, and “unmatched” moussaka, midtownmjd directs us to this “intimate” café beneath the Acropolis. Almost as good as the organic menu choices is the Plaka location, a “lively area” great for “after-dinner wandering.”
Beijing: Green Tianshi
If looks were all that counted, the “grand” dining room, “ornate” chandeliers, and “smartly-dressed waitresses” would have been enough to have MichaelJM singing this eatery’s praises. But after passing through the “Hall of Vegetarians” (featuring celebrities from Shakespeare to Paul Newman), he sat down to a tasty feast that imitated meat “not only in appearance but also in taste;” all in all, it was “an experience [he] recommends.”